Vienna Prelude (Paperback)

Brock & Bodie Thoene

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For Brock and Bodie Thoene (pronounced Tay'-nee), writing is far more than just an occupation: It is their ministry, their family, their life. Whether they are travelling the world to research their newest book, or working with their children on an audio tape, the Thoenes always work together and they always work for the Lord.

This prolific husband and wife writing team has created 32 books, covering sweeping expanses of time and carrying their readers to all corners of the earth. Masters of historical fiction, the Thoene’s skillfully blend fascinating characters and historical accuracy with a firm foundation of spiritual truth.

The story of their lives together reads almost like the plot to one of their own tales of hometown America. Both were born in Bakersfield, CA and grew up about 3 blocks away from each other. The two went to the same schools and their fathers even went on hunting trips together. They weren’t much more than acquaintances, however, until their senior year in high school.

"We had sort of ignored the urgings of our mothers until then," Bodie said.

The two dated for a year then went their separate ways after graduation. Yet their paths weren’t destined to stray for long. While Brock went to Baylor college to study history, Bodie went to San Jose State to pursue journalism. While in the Bay Area, Bodie got a heavy does of real life as an intern at U.S. News and World Report.

"It was during the Vietnam War, I was 18 or 19 and I was right in the middle of it," she said.

The couple married in their sophomore year of college and Bodie moved to Texas to join Brock. After college both went on to work for John Wayne’s film production company, researching and writing. While there, Bodie wrote her first book., an autobiography about John Wayne’s stunt double, in the 1970s. It would be another decade before Brock and Bodie followed their true calling, writing Christian fiction.

In 1985, after taking a discouraging look at the quality of Christian fiction available, the Thoene’s decided to make a career change. "We really wanted to bring glory and honor to God through our writing," Bodie said.

That was easier said than done, however. Even with years of writing and publishing experience under their belts, Brock and Bodie still faced formidable obstacles as they tried to move into the Christian market.

"[Our publisher] was totally unsure of us," Bodie said. "We begged to be published."

"Our experiences in the secular world were not a plus, they were a minus," Brock added.

Despite the challenges, Brock and Bodie completed and published their first Christian work, Gates of Zion, in 1986. The book originated as a screenplay to be produced with the makers of the movie Chariots of Fire. It found its true success, however, as the first book in the Zion Covenant series, a series that was to establish the Thoenes as one of the most popular Christian authors in the industry. The Thoenes have since won seven ECPA Gold Medallion Awards for fiction, including a 1995 award for their best-selling novel, The Twilight of Courage.

It was the diligence and hard work of bookstores, according to the Thoenes, that really made their books a success. "The retailers read the books and by frontline selling and recommending them to their customers, they got those books our there," Bodie said.

"They played a huge role in our success," Brock added. "We just write [the books], and nobody would ever read them without the bookstores."

Though writing Christian fiction meant less pay and far more challenges, their reason for persisting was simple and powerful. "I love the Lord," Bodie said, "and despite the discouragement, we wanted to do everything as unto the Lord."

Brock’s name didn’t appear on many of those first books, but Bodie said he has always been a partner in the writing process. Their original publishing company, she said, insisted that his name not be included, because they thought it might not appeal to the female audience they said the Thoene’s books were targeting.

Today, more than 30 books later, this best-selling team still works happily side by side, with both their names on every cover. "It is never difficult [working together], we never fight," Brock said.

Their favorite project so far has been Shiloh Autumn, a book about the people and places that have made Brock and Bodie the people they are today. "They are all family stories," Bodie said. "We are the result of all the things that happened in that book." The story was such a powerful tribute to their family that they presented it to Bodie’s parents on their 50 wedding anniversary. They went on to work as a family to produce the audio tape for the book.

Though they both revel in the joy of writing about their families, the Thoenes find their true fulfillment in writing about God and seeing it reach people for Christ.

"We have seen a real dramatic increase of letters from prisoners talking about how our books have touched them," Brock said. "So we would like to encourage you, when you finish a book, please pass it on to a prison, a hospital library or a retirement home."

Bodie quickly agreed. "Our books are good to pass on to non-believers. We don’t use a hammer [to share the Gospel], we use a paintbrush."

The Thoenes are also excited about the audio tape versions of their books. "These are great for people who are visually impaired or who have long commutes," Brock said.

Using top actors and dramatic sound effects and music, each tape surrounds the listener in all the emotions and power of the story.