Read Clean YA with CJ Bonus Episode Thirty
Welcome to the Read Clean YA with C.J. podcast! In this episode, we dive into an enlightening interview with S.D. Smith, author of the million-plus selling Green Ember series and co-author of Jack Zulu and The Waylander’s Key.
A world in the balance.
A boy with a fateful choice.
A girl with golden wings.
Jack Zulu explores a new realm in this fantastic adventure that stretches beyond Earth and into a world on the edge of destruction. Jack must search for answers about his fallen father’s story and risk everything to save the cause at the lost city of gold.
Episode Show Notes below
Links to Things Discussed in this Episode
Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key
Follow Sam on Instagram: @sdsmithereens
Stories That Wake Us Up: S.D. Smith on Writing Truth Through Fiction
Episode Show Notes:
Introduction
Welcome to the Read Clean YA with C.J. podcast! In this episode, we dive into an enlightening interview with S.D. Smith, author of the million-plus selling Green Ember series and co-author of Jack Zulu and The Waylander’s Key. Join us as we explore his journey of co-writing with his son, the power of storytelling, and the deeper themes woven into his work.
Meet S.D. Smith
S.D. Smith is the acclaimed author of The Green Ember series, which has captured readers’ hearts worldwide and even spent time as the number one best-selling audiobook on Audible. He’s also written The Madcap, Mooses with Bazookas, and most recently co-authored Jack Zulu and The Waylander’s Key with his son. Smith lives in Grandview, West Virginia, with his wife and four kids.
The Birth of Jack Zulu
The journey of Jack Zulu began with Smith’s son Josiah’s passion for storytelling and film. What started as a TV show treatment evolved into a novel-writing partnership between father and son. Smith shares:
“If you want to actually get this on the screen, it might be the best way to do that. It might be through a novel… If you want to try to turn this into a novel, then that’s something I know how to do.”
A Story of Two Worlds
Jack Zulu’s character embodies the experience of being caught between cultures:
“He was already kind of half Zulu. His dad was Zulu from South Africa and his mom was Appalachian from rural West Virginia. He was already kind of caught between two worlds, which mirrors my own story.”
This dynamic creates a rich backdrop for exploring themes of identity and belonging, particularly resonating with third-culture kids.
The Power of Different Perspectives
The story features a trio of main characters – Jack, Benny, and Michelle – each bringing unique personalities and perspectives to the adventure. Smith emphasizes the importance of differences:
“Difference is interesting to me… Sameness is boring. It’s so bad and actual true diversity is so good and limits and differences makes for such interesting characters.”
Stories as an Invitation to Reality
Smith draws inspiration from G.K. Chesterton’s perspective on storytelling:
“The best kinds of stories wake us up to reality. Basically, they are an invitation to reality… They’re not an escape from reality. They’re an escape into reality.”
The Three Foundational Bricks of Writing
Smith shares his philosophy for building a creative life, based on three foundational principles:
- Modesty: Understanding our limitations and dependence on God
- Fidelity: Staying faithful to Christ and our identity in Him
- Audacity: Having the courage to pursue bold creative ventures
“Because of those two things [modesty and fidelity], audacity. And that’s what I think is really fun… try, swing for the fences, like go for it, try to do something cool.”
The Heart Behind the Stories
Throughout the interview, Smith emphasizes the importance of telling faithful stories that come from a place of love and authenticity rather than trying to force messages:
“God has done so much more in my storytelling than my cleverness could have invented… The simple act of loving my own kids and giving them a gift by telling them a story, I think that’s been much more potent.”
Conclusion
S.D. Smith’s approach to storytelling combines creative adventure with deep spiritual truth, creating stories that resonate with both children and adults. His partnership with his son in writing the Jack Zulu series demonstrates how storytelling can bridge generations and cultures while remaining faithful to timeless truths.
For more information about S.D. Smith and his books, visit SDSmith.com and sign up for his newsletter to stay connected with his latest projects and releases.
“Stories are not an escape from reality. They’re an escape into reality.” – S.D. Smith
Thank you for joining us for another episode of Read Clean YA with C.J. Milacci. Stay tuned for more exciting author interviews and book discussions in our second season!
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S.D. Smith
Author
S. D. Smith is the author of The Green Ember Series, a million+ selling adventure saga featuring heroic #RabbitsWithSwords.The Green Ember spent time as the number one bestselling audiobook in the world on Audible. He is also the author of the madcap Mooses with Bazookas: And Other Stories Children Should Never Read as well as a fantasy adventure novel co-authored with his son, Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key. Smith’s stories are captivating readers across the globe who are hungry for “new stories with an old soul.”
Though packed with old school virtue and moral imagination, Smith doesn’t merely create “safe” stories, but bold, daring, truthful tales of light that help shape children who become dangerous—dangerous to the darkness.
Smith is a founder and owner of Story Warren, a publishing, events, and IP development house based in rural West Virginia. Story Warren exists to serve families as “allies in imagination.”
S. D. Smith lives in Grandview, West Virginia with his wife and four kids.
About Your Host
Award-winning author CJ Milacci writes stories for teens and young adults with heart-pounding action and hope. As the podcast host for Read Clean YA with CJ, she loves talking about books and the deeper themes woven into the pages of each novel. She’s passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance.
Always willing to get real about hard issues, C.J. also enjoys the cheesiest of puns. She chats about writing, her faith, bubble tea, and other fun adventures online (@cjmilacci) and at cjmilacci.com.
CJ Milacci is the award-winning author of The Talionis Series, and she writes stories for teens and young adults with heart-pounding action and hope. As a referee, she’s always relearning the hard lesson that it’s impossible to make everyone happy, and she’s discovered that stories can be found anywhere, even on a lacrosse field. She’s passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance.
Recruit of Talionis, Book 1
A teen with a dark past. A secret military force that kidnaps new soldiers. Can she survive as a Recruit of Talionis?
Fugitive of Talionis, Book 2
They kidnapped her. Trained her. And now they’re hunting her.
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