Ray Blackston
Ray Blackston is an award-winning Christian novelist. He quit his STOCK-broking business in 2000 and started writing Christian fiction. He has written four novels; the first three were part of a series which started with his debut, Flabbergasted (2003). His latest novel is A Pagan's Nightmare, published in 2006.
Biography
Blackston was born in Georgetown, South Carolina. He did his schooling in Texarkana, Texas and obtained a BS degree in Finance and Economics from the University of South Carolina. Blackston worked as a stockbroker for two years and a financial consultant for several firms such as AT&T, Allie Signal, and General Electric. He then left his job in the corporate world and started writing his first novel, Flabbergasted. After initial rejection of the manuscript, the novel was published in May 2003 by the Baker Book Group. The book was well-received by critics and readers alike, though some criticized the book for its excessive use of a particular style. The book was written as a beach novel for young believers. The design of the cover has attracted praise for its different-looking, fresh feel. The cover is illustrated with the lime green car, which is featured in the novel as being owned by Darcy, a supporting character to the book's protaganist. Flabbergasted was one of three finalists for the Christy Award for best first novel (2004) and was selected by the Dallas Morning News as the Inspirational Novel of the Year in 2003.
After Flabbergasted, Blackston wrote two more novels, A Delirious Summer (2004) and Lost in Rooville (2005). Both utilized the characters from Flabbergasted. After Lost in Rooville was published, Blackston chose the Time Warner Book Group (now called Hachette Book Group USA) to publish his next novel from amongst several publishers who showed interest in publishing his books. His first novel which did not utilize characters from Flabbergasted, A Pagan's Nightmare, was then published on October 25, 2006. Blackston has described A Pagan's Nightmare as
Blackston is currently writing his next novel, Par for the Course, which is expected to be released on the 1st February, 2008.
Blackston also serves on the Missions committee of his own church. He has traveled to Ecuador during a summer missions program.
Novels
- Flabbergasted (2003), ISBN 978-0-80-071837-4
- A Delirious Summer (2004), ISBN 978-0-80-075958-2
- Lost in Rooville (2005), ISBN 978-0-80-073057-4
- A Pagan's Nightmare (2006), ISBN 978-0-44-657959-9
Influences
The author has been known to list the following works as his favorites, which also influenced his writings:
- Works by the Apostle Paul, specifically Ephesians and Philippians
- Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt
- The Water is Wide, Pat Conroy
- Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard
- Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott
- The Testament, John Grisham
- Gilead, Marilyn Robinson
- The Single Truth, Lori Smith
He also states that Flabbergasted is amongst his list of favorite books.