Matt Mikalatos

“For Narnia fans who enjoy heavy snark, this is a must-read.” —Kirkus Reviews “A compelling fantasy world with humor and heart.” —Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese and Boxers & Saints “With the rich characterization of John Green and the magical escapism of Narnia, this book is a must read for all fantasy fans!” —Lorie Langdon, author of Olivia Twist and the Doon series A girl with a deadly lung disease . . . A boy with a tragic past . . . A land where the sun never sets but darkness still creeps in . . . Madeline Oliver has never wanted for anything, but now she would give anything just to breathe. Jason Wu skates through life on jokes, but when a tragedy leaves him guilt-stricken, he promises to tell only the truth, no matter the price. When a mysterious stranger named Hanali appears to Madeline and offers to heal her in exchange for one year of service to his people, Madeline and Jason are swept into a strange land where they don’t know the rules and where their decisions carry consequences that reach farther than they could ever guess.

The Crescent Stone

Madeline's health continues to deteriorate after she returns home, bringing Shula and Yenil along, and she yearns to return to the Sunlit Lands, but the magic fueling that land is failing, threatening its inhabitants.

The Heartwood Crown

A quirky cast of characters are involved in a quest to find the real Jesus, uncovering a multitude of fakes in modern-day America and ancient Judea.

Imaginary Jesus

In the third and final installment in the Sunlit Lands series, the magic of the Sunlit Lands has been reset, but that doesn't mean all is well. Unrest and discord are growing by the day, and Hanali is positioning himself as ruler of the Sunlit Lands. But, in order for Hanali to seize control, there must be a sacrifice, one that very few are willing to make. Jason, Shula, Baileya, and others must work together to save the lives of those Hanali would sacrifice for his own gain.

The Story King

Matt meets up with Luther Martin, a werewolf, who wants to shed his dark side and become a Christian, as they visit the vampires and zombies in their neighborhood who are finding it difficult to overcome their nature in their practice of Christianity.

Night of the Living Dead Christian

Crescent Stone

Ruth

Jonah

How to Talk to Anyone about Jesus

Good News for a Change

A cursed heir with a privileged past . . . A runaway prankster wanted dead or alive . . . A daredevil warrior called Black Skull . . . Join a diverse cast of characters, led by Madeline, Jason, and Darius, as they are thrust into a thrilling adventure in the Sunlit Lands, an epic fantasy world brimming with magical cures and granted wishes. Soon they'll discover that even in this safe haven, power has its price. Unravel the dark secrets and soul-searing revelations in this war-torn land wrestling with social justice, racial justice, and elitism. How far will they go for power? The Sunlit Lands books engage timely themes of racism, injustice, prejudice, power, and the importance of knowing our history. The writing is witty, which makes the challenging themes feel accessible and not too heavy. The characters are diverse in personality, ethnicity, and areas for personal growth and provide lots of different connection points for readers. It asks the questions: How far would you be willing to go for power? Who decides what justice is and how it is carried out? And don't miss these short stories from the Sunlit Lands series: Our Last Christmas Together and Jason Wu and the Kidnapped Stories—each available separately (e-book only).

The Crescent Stone / The Heartwood Crown / The Story King

The Sunlit Lands Trilogy

"Matt Mikalatos offers a poignant and compassionate look at a father's relationship with his children, the healing power of a small act of kindness, and the certainty that even death can't stop love in a deeply moving memoir inspired by a sky lantern with a scribbled note and the journey to find the child who wrote it: Love you, Daddy. Miss you so much. Steph. Steph scribbled those words on a sky lantern before sending it off to her father in heaven who had passed away from cancer. Halfway across the country, Steph's lantern landed in Matt Mikalatos's yard. As a father of three daughters, Matt could not let Steph's note go unanswered, so he posted an open letter to her on his blog. Matt never could have expected the viral response to his letter that led him on a journey to find Steph--and to bring healing to thousands of others in desperate need of the loving words of a father. Filled with paternal wisdom and reflections on the relationship between a father and his child, Sky Lantern shows how the miraculous events that followed Matt finding the sky lantern in his yard--and the widespread and lasting impact his letter had--prove that the bond between a parent and their child is everlasting"--

The Story of a Father’s Love and the Healing Power of a Simple Letter

Sky Lantern

When Madeline, a teen with terminal lung disease, accepts healing in exchange for a year of service in the Sunlit Lands, she and her friend Jason enjoy being privileged members of Elenil society, until they learn that magic carries a high price.

The Journey to Love is your first step toward learning to accept love from others and to love those around you. Love. Real, experiential love is ever-present in movies. But in real life, finding love in our everyday lives and relationships is elusive. In this collection of 40 short, story-driven readings, Matt Mikalatos shows you how to open yourself to experiencing love, to become aware of love in the world around you, and to set aside control to embrace the wild, untamed vulnerability of loving and being loved. This is an easy book to read over 40 days-or finish in a couple of hours. Reflection questions and exercises will help you process the teachings, whether you ponder internally, journal your journey, or discuss with friends. The goal of this trek is to find yourself more loving and to be able to receive more love. Are you ready to join the Journey to Love?

What We Long For, How to Find It, and How to Pass It On

Journey to Love

In the Sunlit Lands, teenagers fight in a magic war against a terrible enemy. But once a year all such things are set aside for a Christmas celebration, with kids from around the world sharing their traditions, their stories, and their memories of home. Join Madeline Oliver, Jason Wu, and Shula Bishara as each one shares their own moving Christmas tale. A standalone story set in the world of The Sunlit Lands.

Our Last Christmas Together

After destroying the Crescent Stone, Madeline returns home, bringing Shula and Yenil with her. As her health continues to deteriorate, Madeline feels the Sunlit Lands calling her back. Meanwhile, Jason, Darius, and the rest of the inhabitants of the Sunlit Lands fight for survival and freedom. The magic that fuels the land is failing, threatening to destroy them all. Will Madeline’s return save the land and its people? Matt’s signature humor and epic storytelling are once again on full display in The Heartwood Crown.

Matt Mikalatos liked Jesus a lot. In fact, he couldn’t believe how much they had in common. They shared the same likes, dislikes, beliefs, and opinions. (Though Jesus did have better hair.) So imagine Matt’s astonishment when he finds out that the guy he knows as Jesus . . . isn’t. He’s an Imaginary Jesus: a comfortable, convenient imitation Matt has created in his own image. The real Jesus is still out there somewhere . . . and Matt is determined to find him. In this hilarious, fast-paced, sort-of-true story hailed as “Monty Python meets C. S. Lewis,” Matt embarks on an incredible chase to find the real Jesus and ask him the one question that his Imaginary Jesus has never been able to answer. It’s a wild spiritual adventure like nothing you’ve ever read before . . . and it might bring you face-to-face with an imposter in your own life. This new edition now contains a discussion guide, an interview with the author, and other bonus features! (Previously published as Imaginary Jesus.)

The Spiritual Adventures of One Man Searching for the Real God

My Imaginary Jesus

Imagine an atheist sending you regular prayer requests. Or your coworker grabbing you by the arm and asking you to stay late at work to talk about God just a bit longer. When Jesus talked about the Good News, people ran to him. We should expect the same response. Good News for a Change is about working together with Jesus to share the gospel in ways unique to each person’s situation. You will enjoy evangelism because it is a fun, deeply personal, community and person-oriented way to connect with people. You’ll be energized and focused on helping people discover why Jesus is good news for them.

Matt Mikalatos

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