Q: I've just read Counted with the Stars, why did you write the Red Sea parting that way? 

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A: As I was researching the Exodus account and trying to make sense of the incredible events surrounding that day, I came across the Hebrew word qapha (Strong’s #7087), which appears in Exodus 15:8 during the parting of the waters. It’s typically translated as congealed, and the full definition includes ideas like: “to shrink, thicken, curdle, or freeze”—as in curdled milk, clouded skies, or frozen water.

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That one word really captured my imagination and caused me to ask some interesting questions as I was writing Counted with the Stars.

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We’re all a little conditioned by what we've seen in movies like The Ten Commandments or The Prince of Egypt (which I personally love!), where the waters rise like ever-moving liquid walls, which is of course visually awe-inspiring. But when I dug into the language and context, I started to wonder… what if Hollywood got it wrong? What if the divided waters didn’t flow like rising waves, but actually thickened, settled, or even froze into a heap?

That’s when I went deep down the research rabbit hole, as we authors tend to do! I looked into the climate of the desert in that part of the world, which can be bone-chillingly cold at night. I found fascinating scientific studies on how saltwater can freeze under the right conditions, especially with strong winds involved and even how desert nomads utilize their surroundings to keep cool and even make ice through simple but clever means. Then I circled back to the Biblical description in Exodus 14:21, which tells us that a strong east wind blew all night long to part the sea.

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Therefore, I imagined that divine wind—sent by God—rushing in from the far side of the sea, sweeping through canyons and valleys, flash-freezing or thickening the water in a way that created those towering walls described in Scripture. In Psalms 78:13 it says the waters piled up in a heap (Strongs H5067-- kan-ned) So it's likely that the waters were not a swirling liquid wave on each side of the path through the sea like we’ve seen on the big screen, but something more solid, possibly like gelatin or ice.  And for my imagination, ice was much more plausible than gelation when it came to crafting a description of the event.

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Of course, until the kingdom of Yeshua comes we won't know exactly how God performed that miracle or what the Hebrews witnessed that day. But whatever it was, it was spectacular, miraculous, and only accomplished through the power of the Creator.

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As a storyteller, my goal is always to stay as close to Scripture as possible while using some artistic imagination to fill in the blanks where we don’t have exact eyewitness details. Could my imagination be completely wrong? Absolutely! But even so, I hope that readers will, like I did, ask themselves--what if what I thought I knew wasn't the way it happened? and ultimately be challenged to dig a little deeper into the Word for themselves.

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Q: In Exodus it speaks of Moses speaking with Yahweh and then relaying His words because the people were too frightened to hear His voice with their own ears, so why did you choose to have the Voice speak directly to them instead? 

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A: As with the parting of the Red Sea, we usual imagine these events the way we learned them in church, Sunday School or perhaps in movies and television but it's so important to layer scripture upon scripture when trying to understand the whole context of accounts, instead of only choosing one passage to form our understanding. For this answer, we need to dig around in other passages to get a better picture of how it happened that day.

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[Moses told the Israelites]: 'Only beware for yourself and greatly beware for your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have beheld. Do not remove this memory from your heart all the days of your life. Teach your children and your children's children about the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horev...God spoke to you from the midst of the fire, you were hearing the sound of words, but you were not seeing a form, only a sound. He told you of His covenant, instructing you to keep the Ten Commandments, and He inscribed them on two stone tablets.' (Deut.4:9-13)

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'You have been shown in order to know that God, He is the Supreme Being. There is none besides Him. From heaven he let you hear His voice in order to teach you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words amid the fire.' (Deut. 4:32-36)

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Moses called all of Israel and said to them: 'Hear, O Israel, the decrees and the ordinances that I speak in your ears today – learn them, and be careful to perform them. The Lord your God sealed a covenant with us at Horev [Mount Sinai]. Not with our forefathers did God seal this covenant, but with us – we who are here, all of us alive today. Face to face did God speak with you on the mountain from amid the fire.' (Deut. 5:1-4)

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So yes, Moses became the intermediary for the people after Yahweh's voice from the summit of the mountain terrified them nearly to death but first the Lord himself spoke to them directly and audibly gave them the Ten Commandments to show them who He is, what He requires of his people, and why we all so desperately need a Savior. It was because of these passages in Deuteronomy that I let my imagination play around with what it might have been like to experience the actual voice of the Creator and the weight of its glory as it stripped every single person of pretense and illuminated both His character and His extraordinary grace. 

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Q. I noticed a typo/mistake/error in one of your books, what should I do? 

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A. My books are all edited a number of times both by myself and my editors but unfortunately, because we all are human beings, sometimes mistakes are made no matter how many times we go through it all with a fine-tooth comb. I hope you will give us grace when something inevitably pops up that slid past us. Once the books are printed there's sadly nothing that can be done (no matter how frustrating that is) but if we catch something significant once in a while we can change future editions or ebooks, so you are welcome to drop us an email (as long as you are kind about it!)

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Q. I am a big fan of your books, how do I become an influencer for your new releases? 

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A. I love it when my readers want to share my stories with others. There are sometimes opportunities to join book launch teams (usually about three or four months before release day) so make sure you are on my newsletter list to see those announcements and also join my FB Page: Connilyn's Bibliophiles for more information on launches. Please note that spots on these teams are very limited and due to publisher request are mainly reserved for those with strong social media presence (especially Booktok, Bookstgram, YouTube etc.) But remember you can always be an influencer within your own circle. Tell your friends and family, request my books from the library, share your copies, post pictures and positive reviews. Word of mouth is always the very best way to get new readers excited about books by your favorite authors!

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THIS IS A WORK IN PROCESS, MORE TO COME SOON....

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