When Casey accepts her trophy for being top performer at her high school’s track and field meet, she gives a throwaway acceptance speech. She thanks her parents, her teammates, and God for getting her to where she is today — because that’s just what you say when you’re the best. She never expects her faith and the life she knows to be called into question.
As a half-demon, One survives on the business of soul trade. When One accepts the job to capture the naive young athlete, Casey is just another assignment to him. To think she could change his life is to imagine a field mouse could impact the hawk that hunts it. But One is in over his head this time and Casey might be the only person capable of helping him confront his secrets and escape his fate.
META
Heaven’s Thief is a Christian YA novel that speaks to the power of God in everyday life. It explores themes of spiritual warfare, redemption, and the strength of God in our lives. I started this project in early 2018 when I started thinking about the kinds of books I read when I was in high school and what kinds of books I wish would’ve existed then. I read a lot of adventure-y novels with plenty of action and excitement and a lot of those books from my youth have stuck with me for years. Looking back I only wish there were more books that taught the themes I grew up hearing about in church. Sure there are books with religious themes for teens but they were never the genre I would’ve picked up. I wanted something that fulfilled the danger and action quota while simultaneously speaking truth. The Bible itself is full of very exciting stories but it can be hard for teens to wade through the language and the out-of-date contexts but there’s no reason the right messages can’t be the foundation of an otherwise modern YA novel.
Acacia “Casey” Wickstrom
Angel “One” Valera
ERICA M NICKELS 