All-American Fourth of July

Celebrate the Fourth of July this year with The All-American King.

On Wednesday July 4th, the Kindle version of my first novel will be on sale for only 99 cents!

Click here to get your book.

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A Decade Ago

Ten years ago, in August 2006, I started writing a story about a modern-day King David. For that first draft, I used a pencil to write longhand in a spiral notebook. Two and a half years (and many pencils) later, that story became my first published novel, The All-American King.

End of Year Book Sale!!

Ready to add some books to that new Kindle you got for Christmas? Here are a couple of Countdown Deals to end 2015.

Starting Wednesday, December, 30th:

The e-book version of Ninety Feet Away is only $2.99!

The e-book version of The All-American King is only 99 cents!

Don't delay. The Countdown Deal for both books ends on Sunday, January 3rd.

NFL

The NFL season started this past weekend.

Dave King thought you should know.

Countdown deal for The All-American King

The Goodreads giveaway contest for The All-American King is in its final days. Thank you to everyone who has entered. I wish I could send a free copy to all of you. Though I can't do that, I can come pretty close ...


For the next three days the Kindle edition of The All-American King is only 99 cents! Act fast, because this deal ends on Saturday, September 20.

Win a Free Copy of The All-American King

Get ready for the football season by reading The All-American King.

You can win a free copy of the book by entering the contest at Goodreads.

Don't wait too long, the giveaway ends on September 19th.

Countdown

The countdown has begun. This weekend the Kindle edition of The All-American King is only 99 cents. Better act fast though, because this deal ends on Sunday afternoon.

Cyber Monday Madness

On Monday, December 2nd, the Kindle editions of The All-American King and Behind in the Count are FREE!

You may be wondering, what madness is this? Has Kent gone crazy? Has he lost his mind? The answer is yes! Yes, he has gone crazy. And you'll be crazy too, if you pass up this insane deal!

But remember, the books are free for only one day: Monday, December 2nd.

The All-American King 2.0

The second edition of my novel, The All-American King, will soon be released. This version features a new cover, as well as guides matching the characters/events in the novel with the corresponding characters/events in the biblical story of King David. The new edition also includes a set of Discussion Questions for book clubs and small groups.

The new cover is on the right. What do you think?

Tim Tebow and the All-American King

Last Sunday quarterback Tim Tebow threw an 80-yard touchdown pass in overtime to propel the Denver Broncos past the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Thus continues a phenomenon that began in the 2011 regular season when the young QB led his team to a series of dramatic 4th quarter victories. Adding to the significance of his latest feat, Tebow threw for 316 yards against the Steelers. In college, Tebow, who is not shy about sharing his Christian faith, often wore "John 3:16" in his eyeblack. For many of his growing number of fans, the 316 yards last Sunday was no coincidence. Some believe that Tebow and his team have benefitted from divine intervention on the football field. This thinking even inspired a Saturday Night Live sketch in which Jesus shows up in the Denver locker room to reveal that he has in fact been helping the Broncos win games. Tebow, of course, is not without his detractors. Many football commentators and experts maintain that Tebow is a mediocre passer who will not last in the NFL. And a lot of critics aren't too keen on the outward expressions of faith, including Tebowing.

The rise of Tim Tebow reminds me of Dave King, the main character in my novel The All-American King. Like Tebow, Dave King is a Christian quarterback who led his college team to the Sugar Bowl, before going on to star in the NFL. Both QBs could also run the ball effectively, even in the pros. At the time of his retirement in 1990, King led all quarterbacks in career rushing yards (see the table below for a comparison of King's stats with several other Hall of Fame QBs). 

On Saturday Denver faces the powerful New England Patriots. Is Tebow Time running out or

just getting started?

The All-American King character guide

All of the major characters and many of the minor characters in The All-American King represent individuals included in the Biblical account of King David's life. These representations are listed below. Characters in the novel are listed in red; the Biblical figures they represent are listed in blue.

Dave King - King David
Ozzie King - Ozem, brother of David
Obadiah King - Obed, grandfather of David
Sal Kishman - King Saul
Jesse King - Jesse, father of David
Anthony Krieger - Abishai, nephew of David
Joe Krieger - Joab, nephew of David
Asa Krieger - Asahel, nephew of David
Zoe Krieger - Zeruiah, sister of David
Abby King - Abigail, sister of David
Eli King - Eliab, brother of David
Adam King - Abinadab, brother of David
Shane King - Shimea, brother of David
Reverend Samuels - Samuel the prophet
John Kishman - Jonathan, son of Saul
Phil Galbraith - Goliath
Coach Acheson - King Achish
Doug Edmonds - Doeg the Edomite
Neil Heimlich - Ahimelech the priest
Michelle Kishman - Michal, daughter of Saul
Boz Kishman - Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul
Abner Kishman - Abner, cousin of Saul
Thor Heimlich - Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech
Coach Keeler - citizens of Keilah
Calvin Ziph - the Ziphites
Perry Arbuckle - Paarai the Arbite
Amy Martin - Ahinoam, wife of David
Caleb Nagel - Nabal the Calebite
Gail Taylor - Abigail, wife of David
Tank Garber - Gareb the Ithrite
Paul Lasch - Paltiel, husband of Michal
Kyle King - Kileab, son of David
Nathan Rodriguez - Nathan the prophet
Jason Hackman - Jashobeam the Hacmonite
Archie King - Absalom, son of David
Michael Lewis - Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan
Tammy King - Tamar, daughter of David
Jerry Irving - Jether, brother-in-law of David
Donnie King - Adonijah, son of David
Beth Schaeffer - Bathsheba
Ryan Schaeffer - Uriah, husband of Bathsheba
Jon King - Jonadab, nephew of David
Tom Nelson - Amnon, son of David
Levi Zadok - Zadok the priest
Andy Irving - Amasa, nephew of David
Sol Schaeffer - Solomon, son of David
Ben Shea - Sheba the Benjamite
Tony Huscher - Hushai the Arkite
Ben Jeffries - Benaiah, son of Jehoiada

Barnes & Noble Sale

Need Christmas present ideas?

Barnes & Noble is currently offering the Member Price for all book purchases made through its Web site. That means you can order The All-American King online at a 20% discount for hardcover or a 10% discount for paperback. Web links for both are below:

Hardcover

Paperback

Book Sale

My publisher, iUniverse, just launched a holiday book sale. From now through Sunday, November 29, you can order any of their books, including The All-American King, for half price! Below is the email I just received with the sale details:
__________________________________________________________

The best deals of the holiday season are not all found at the last minute. In fact, this festive deal from iUniverse lets you save 50% off the Web site price of any paperback or hardcover book you purchase from the iUniverse Bookstore.

With thousands of titles available, from nonfiction business guides and memiors to historical and humorous novels, you can choose the perfect holiday gifts for yourself and all the booklovers on your shopping lists.

This weekend-only bookstore discount comes to an end at midnight Nov. 29, so use the code 50OFF1109 in the checkout process when you purchase your books. The iUniverse Holiday Sale ends Sunday! Order your books today.

National Best Books 2009 Awards

Winners and finalists for the National Best Books 2009 Awards have been announced. The All-American King was selected as a finalist in the "Fiction & Literature: Religious Fiction" category.

The complete list of winners and finalists is available at the USA Book News website:

http://www.usabooknews.com/2009bestbooksawards.html

Book Signing

My first book signing for The All-American King is today!

Barnes & Noble at SouthPointe Pavilions
2910 Pine Lake Road
Lincoln, Nebraska

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Book Tour

On Saturday, October 3, I will be signing The All-American King from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Barnes & Noble at 2910 Pine Lake Road (SouthPointe Pavillions) in Lincoln, Nebraska.

On Tuesday, October 6, I will be signing my book from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Barnes & Noble at 4550 University Avenue (The Shoppes at Three Fountains) in West Des Moines, Iowa.

The Web links for these events are:

Lincoln http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3004738

Des Moines http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3006149

Hope to see you there!

Western Iowa Football - 1979 Season

One of the chapters in The All-American King opens with quarterback Dave King being interviewed about an upcoming game between his Western Iowa Falcons and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Heading into this contest at Falcons Stadium in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Falcons were ranked #12 in the nation, while the Irish were ranked #9. Below is the 1979 Western Iowa football schedule, including the results of games played prior to the contest against Notre Dame.

September 8: Western Iowa 56 - Drake 0
September 15: Western Iowa 41 - Iowa State 13
September 22: Western Iowa 28 - Iowa 20
September 29: Western Iowa 23 - Penn State 17
October 6: Western Iowa 42 - Miami (Florida) 6
October 13: Notre Dame
October 20: at Army
October 27: at Louisville
November 3: Memphis
November 10: North Texas
November 17: at South Carolina

Two-A-Days

Football season is less than a month away. Across the nation, high school, college, and professional teams have started their training camps. Thousand of players are now drilling and scrimmaging to prepare for the upcoming season. The field pictured is at Williams Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. That is the where the East High Scarlets play their home games. In The All-American King, Williams Stadium is where Dave King played his home games as quarterback for the Eastridge High Braves.

Blue 32, Blue 32, hut-hut-HUT