Our guest today won’t need any introduction. For more than twenty-five years, Crystal Bowman has been creating dozens of books for children and adults. Right now, Crystal is celebrating the recent release of her latest book, C is for Creation: A True ABC Story About Our World (written with Teri McKinley; illustrated by Jacqueline L. Nunez; published by Tyndale, 2026). Recently, I caught up with Crystal, and she shared details behind the writing of C is for Creation, her tips for kidlit writers, and more.

Congrats on your new book, Crystal, and welcome to Write2Ignite!

Interview

Sue: C is for Creation is an ABC book, so let’s mix it up a bit and start – with “X.” This is your third book in your beautiful picture book series with Tyndale. Each one is a rhyming ABC book, presented in chronological order, with Bible verses on every spread. The task of writing these books must have been extra-challenging. Please tell us how it all began. Did you imagine this turning into a series when you first set out?

Crystal: The first book in this series is M is for Manger which I coauthored with my daughter, Teri McKinley. One Christmas Eve while she was at church, the children’s pastor read a Christmas book to the children on stage. Her husband noticed that the kids were not engaged in the story. He nudged her and said, “You and your mom need to write a Christmas book.” When she shared that with me, I said, “There are hundreds of Christmas books out there and I’ve already written several, so if we are going to write one it needs to be different from anything else.”

So, the brainstorming began. Together we came up with the idea to write a rhyming alphabet book, telling the Christmas story in chronological order, with a Bible verse on every page. We shared the idea with our editors at Tyndale and they were excited with the idea. However, they said we needed to write it before they would offer us a contract because they weren’t sure it was possible. The book was published in 2015 and it’s still going strong.

We did not plan on this becoming a series until Tyndale asked us to write the Easter story using the same style and format. Teri actually had that idea before they asked us but I wasn’t sure it would work. Well, we wrote it, and R is for Risen was published in February of 2025.

Sue: Next comes “Y.” Please tell us your why. Why this book? Why now?

Crystal: With the popularity of the first two books, the editors wanted to add to the series with a story from the Old Testament. That was a tall order! Since both of the previous books were stories about Jesus, I wasn’t sure how we could make an Old Testament story work. Then I remembered that Jesus was present at creation so it was the perfect fit. What was so awesome about writing C is for Creation is that there are so many verses on creation throughout the Bible, not just Genesis 1 and 2. We included verses from Isaiah, Hebrews, Psalms, and Colossians.

Sue: Now, let’s move on to “Z.” Having authored/co-authored more than 100 books, your zeal for writing is evident. What message would you share with other kidlit creators to inspire and encourage them in their writing?

Crystal: I encourage writers to write what’s on their heart—something they are passionate about. If they want to write for traditional publishers, they need to know the market and include a marketing plan in their proposal. If a writer’s goal is to publish something to use in children’s ministry or to share with friends, family, and community, then self-publishing or independent publishing is the best way to go.

There are many options out there so choose what will help you get your book published in a way that works for you.

Sue: What can we look forward to seeing from you next?

Crystal: Teri and I have some fun board books coming out soon with Our Daily Bread for Little Hearts. Another upcoming release is Three Minute Devotions for Preschoolers written with Teri and also Michelle Lazurek.

Sue: Please finish these thoughts:

I love… writing, editing, walking, grandkids, ice cream, and Jesus (not necessarily in that order).

My go-to Bible verse… Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

I was hoping you’d ask… how we choose the alphabet words. Most alphabet books use nouns for the featured letter (A is for Apple, B is for Ball). But since these books tell a story, we chose words that move the story forward, so we not only use nouns, but also verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. And some of the alphabet words are a fun surprise!

It was great chatting with you today, Crystal. Thanks again for joining us!

Giveaway!

Readers, Crystal is giving away a copy of C is for Creation. If you’re a US citizen, and would like a chance to win, leave a comment below by November 16th.

Children’s author and educator Sue Irwin is thrilled about the recent release of her debut board book, Hey There, Blue Bird, Why Do You Chirp? (B&H Publishing, 2026) – and more kids’ books coming in 2027. Her middle grade books for the general market have won several awards, and she’s a frequent contributor to Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines. Sue hosts W2I’s monthly Time2Write sessions, and she invites you to connect with her here.