S.D. Smith's Blog

Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb production is moving right along and we’re happy to announce that a FREE demo version of the video game is available to play!

The demo gives you a chance to step into Helmer’s world and experience Green Ember like never before.

Play DemoHow to Access the Green Ember GameSign Up/Sign In to SteamAdd to WishlistDownload/InstallPlaySign Up

Signing up for a free Steam account takes less than 2 minutes. (Yes, I timed it. Can you beat me?) The majority of that time was spent trying to come up with an awesome username because “BunnyBrawler” and “DungeonCrawler” were already taken.

Add to Wishlist

After signing up, please click the big green button to Add To Your Wishlist. (It’s free!) That is the number one way to support this game right now. Wishlisting tells Steam that people are interested in family friendly games with a beginning, middle, and an end.

Download Demo

You will see an option to Download Demo (PC is live, Mac is coming very soon!). You’ll need the free Steam app if it’s not installed already. Open your Steam Library and install Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb.

Play!

Now it’s time to play! For the best experience, it is recommend that you use a controller (recommendations: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ) for gameplay but a keyboard also works. Tell me what you think of the game in these comments!

Questions? Check out the FAQ.

Announcing Longtreader Games

The game has a new website! Take a look around at Longtreadergames.com and see videos of gameplay. Sign up for the Longtreader Games newsletter to get behind the scenes and release updates.

I hope you enjoy this taste of our Bunny Brawler Dungeon Crawler. We’re working hard to create a game that is radically hospitable for kids and families.

I’m on your side,

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

The post Play Green Ember | Videogame Demo appeared first on S. D. Smith.

When I think back on the year that I wrote The Green Ember, I can confidently say that it was one of the most difficult years of my life.

I go into a little more detail here.

But, despite the struggles and thin margins, the Lord brought something good and beautiful.

Characters, real and fictional, cannot grow and change unless they go through pain.

This is why I champion dangerous (but good) stories to make kids brave. Stories give kids (and adults) a way to witness character growth, letting us see how challenges are faced and resilience is built. We learn and grow alongside the characters.

Great hearts can only be made by great troubles.

Charles Spurgeon

If you find yourself in a season that feels unbearable, like prolonged illness, scarcity, failure, loneliness, unanswered prayers, etc. know that it is not meaningless. And it does not disqualify you from creating.

Amid your pain, wait and create. Though you grieve, make and believe.

Even what was intended for evil, God redeems. He is using it to refine and shape you (James 1:2-4). God is doing something in your life, and it’s really powerful.

We often find ourselves envying those who appear to move through life effortlessly—at least, from the brief snapshots we catch in the curated glimpses of their lives. Envy is everywhere. It is the water we are swimming in.

“If only I had ______.”
“They’re younger but more successful than me.”
“Their kids are better behaved than mine.”
“How do they do it all?”
“Their house/vacation/car is fancier than mine.”

As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy. But I’d like to add that envy steals our generosity.

Envy convinces us that someone else’s path is better and their success diminishes our own. By contrast, contentment is a grace-shaped posture of the heart that grows as we trust each season has a purpose.

Envy is natural but contentment is supernatural.

Brett and I talk more here about why surface level comparison is not an accurate representation of the struggles others are facing.

Spoiler alert: you may not want to trade places with your heroes.

You may be struggling through a difficult season. But it doesn’t disqualify you from making meaning out of it. God is equipping you for the good and beautiful things he is calling you to do.

I’m on your side,

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

P.S. Brett Harris, author and cohost of the new podcast, is the founder of Young Writer’s Workshop that is opening enrollment for their program TODAY (this only happens a few times a year). Love to see you in there.

P.P.S. We’ve put together a collection of verses and quotes in the form of free downloadable lock screen/wallpapers. Enjoy!

The post Does Struggle Disqualify Me? appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Everyone is upset about misinformation, and I get that.

It’s bad to tell lies and to believe lies. We need a robust life of the mind and to encourage excellence in the intellect, what C. S. Lewis called the “organ of truth.”

But we need to keep in mind that human beings don’t make decisions based on facts alone. We really are more than brains on sticks, and when we love and believe we are operating with more than our minds.

This is why we need stories, symbols, and rituals.

Or rather, we do have stories, symbols, and rituals, and we are formed by them. So, let’s have faithful ones.

Why do we kneel or bow our heads to pray, put our hands over our hearts and stand at the national anthem, clap when we’re delighted, and hug our kids goodnight? Because we are beings of ritual. We are whole-bodied beings.

There’s a quotation attributed to C. S. Lewis that resonates with many. “You do not have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body.”

There are only two problems with this quotation: 1) Lewis didn’t say it, and 2) It’s a lie.

And we must not tell lies. We don’t have bodies. We are bodies. We are embodied spirits.

Be a Christian in more than just your mind. So kneel, and stand, and bow, and close your eyes, and hug, and light a candle, and bow, and anoint with oil, and on and on and on, world without end. Amen.

And, hey, share faithful stories. Stories address the mind, but not the mind only. They invade the imagination, which Lewis (really) called the “organ of meaning.”

Don’t believe lies? YES.

Also, don’t live and love lies.

Immerse your family in faithful stories, faithful symbols and rituals, and live like what and who you are.

You are more than a mind for processing true or false information, and what you feed your imagination has the power to sneak past your best arguments and infect with, or cure, the worst misinformation.

We should be as concerned about mis-formation as misinformation.

Which is to say that we need to think positively about formation. And for that, we need stories, symbols, and rituals.

I’m on your side,

Sam

What rituals do you practice that form you intentionally as who you are and want to be? Tell us in the comments below.

We’ve turned some of these quotes into lock screens and wallpapers for you, free to download!

The post Misinformation appeared first on S. D. Smith.

If you’ve ever been (like me), or had, a reluctant reader in your home, you know the challenge: getting them to want to read. So when a story finally clicks? Something special happens.

That’s what happened for this mom:

“With The Green Ember, we had the free audiobook but didn’t buy the audio version for Book 2. I was pleasantly surprised when [my dyslexic son] started asking to borrow my Kindle to read it on Kindle—and he was engrossed over it for hours on end, a first for him! Which is why I can confidently say it’s definitely engaging.”

Yen, Charlotte Mason International

And this one:

“Big win for my reluctant reader! S.D. Smith’s world of rabbits with swords is captivating. I have three children (16, 13, 11 yo) who love stories, but my middle child–the one who doesn’t interact with books that he’s not required to read–devoured this story and then proceeded to craft all sorts of creative art projects to accompany it…We are hooked on these characters and their adventures!”

Karen B.

But these aren’t isolated stories. We hear again and again:
“My child who hated reading finished the whole series!”
“My daughter finished the first and immediately asked for more!”

Why Green Ember Works

Here’s why Green Ember is great for reluctant readers:

Short chapters with cliffhangersChapters are a manageable length that give readers a sense of accomplishment but the suspense keeps them reading.Series builds momentumOnce they finish one book, they’ll want to keep going. I hear from lots of parents that this is the first time their child finished a whole series on their own!Relatable charactersThe main characters, Heather and Picket, are siblings who face big fears and have to make brave choices. Readers can relate to their struggles and celebrate their victories.

Try out the first audiobook for free. Once they’ve finished, it might be the perfect time to invite your reluctant avid reader to keep going.

Get the Series + Free SHipping

I’m on your side,

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

The post Why Green Ember Works for Reluctant Readers appeared first on S. D. Smith.

It’s hard to find modern books where ordinary boys are heroes whose strengths are gifts to be used for good.

In so much modern literature, boyhood is a disease to be cured and masculinity is a villain poised to destroy. In my books, young men learn that their energy and strength are gifts they are given so they can serve the vulnerable and help set things right.

Boys—as boys—don’t need to be cured, but coached.

I hear from many parents who are determined to find optimistic depictions of masculinity that their growing boys can latch on to. Boys are hungry for brave quests and noble causes, but have been poisoned into passivity and perversity by an unmoored culture that rejects their gifts.

There are real dangers with men who become tyrannical and abusive, but the very best check against such men is giving boys a positive vision for what it means to be a good man.​

All of my books have this generous disposition toward the needs of boys at their heart. It should come as no surprise that moms and girls love them, too. They want those kinds of sons and brothers and friends and, eventually, husbands.

The world needs them.

There’s an eloquently simple song we sing about Jesus, the ultimate man (and fully God, of course). It’s called Jesus, Strong and Kind. I think that is a beautiful summary of the gifts boys (and men) can offer the world.

Boyhood is wonderful, and I want to be your ally in encouraging, equipping, and inspiring your boys to step boldly into their callings.

I’m on your side!

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

P.S. If this post resonated with you, please forward it to a friend or share this Instagram or Facebook post so they can be encouraged, too.

P.P.S. Already read Green Ember and want more stories that celebrate boyhood as a gift? We’ve put together this BOLD adventure audio bundle with boys in mind to inspire bravery and courage. Pick up the physical copies to read along.

The post Boyhood is a Blessing, Not a Disease appeared first on S. D. Smith.

It’s time to announce the winners for this quarter’s Green Ember Kid Art contest! Watch the video.

Best Green Ember Kid Art

The FIRST prize goes to the Best #GreenEmberKidArt, judged according to the artist’s age. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate at the S. D. Smith Store (along with Unimaginable Glory & Prodigious Esteem). 

And the winner is… 

Rebekah, age 10!

Randomly Selected Kid Artist

For our next prize: Wild Glee, Contagious Joy, and $20 Gift Certificate at the S. D. Smith Store, everyone who submits art is entered.

And the winner is…

Karolyn, age 18!

Congratulations to these winners!

We had so many wonderful submissions!! Here are some of them:

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Check out this video for more!

The contest for the next quarter starts now. Here are the official rules:

To enter, submit your art here.

If you have social media, please share your child’s Green Ember art (publicly) on social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). Use the hashtag #GreenEmberKidArt (along with #RabbitsWithSwords and #TheGreenEmber if you would) and tag S. D. Smith on either Facebook or Instagram. YouTube submissions may be featured in our playlist here.

Art can include but is not limited to pictures of Green Ember drawings, paintings, songs, poems, animation, sculptures, woodwork, crochet art, and MORE! We love seeing your creativity.

Please submit 1 original piece (no AI) per quarter. If you have more than one, hold onto it until our next quarterly contest opens up (every 3 months). The next contest ends in September and winners will be announced in October.

2025Q1 Winners2024Q1 WinnersQ2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2023Q1 WinnersQ2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2022Q2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

The post Green Ember Kid Art Winners | 2025 Q2 appeared first on S. D. Smith.

How often I have slept like this,
Snuggled up against my son,
Or as a frightened child, I’d lie,
In the bend of my father’s arm.

Whatever stories you shared with us,
Bright and bold as any ever,
Nothing you did was better than,
Investing in those living treasures.

And all the glories that you gave,
Are richer for the giving there,
At home you broke out beams of light,
Then shared the shards out everywhere.

I am grateful to see this nap,
This serene escape from a world of bother,
Reminds me that, though master scribe,
You might have been a better father.

So, if I could be like you and have,
Just one quality for acquisition.
From all your gifts, it would be this,
‘A good father,’ is my high ambition.

The Forge, Grandview, WV

The post Tolkien and His Son, Asleep appeared first on S. D. Smith.

If you know me very well at all, you know I love and admire my father, Don Smith. You also know how much I love West Virginia. You also likely know that I care deeply about racial reconciliation and love the hopeful Christian vision that multitudes “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” will gather in white robes to worship the Lamb who is worthy. That’s our future, and every time we line up our lives with that blessed hope and Kingdom culture, we do well.

I wrote about those three things (Father’s Day, Juneteenth, and WV Day), centering on my experience with my dad, in this short essay. Feel free to give it a read. It informs the heart behind three of my books especially, The Found Boys, and the two (so far) Jack Zulu books I wrote with my son.

Celebrating 25 Years

On top of those other important dates, this one is very special. My wife Gina and I were married on June 17, 2000. Today marks our twenty-fifth anniversary! We celebrated earlier in the year with a trip to Northern Ireland (picture above).

A few days ago we witnessed our niece getting married and it was a sweet reminder of our vows and the profound blessings of matrimony. I am so grateful for Gina Smith, this woman who took my heart and my name and gave me children and a lifelong loyal love. She is more beautiful than ever and I thank God for her!

Speaking Update

This weekend I’ll be speaking in my beautiful home state at the Re-enchanting the World Conference in Logan.

Add West Virginia to Your Summer Reading List

In honor of West Virginia Day (June 20), we’ve got a deal on these books set in West Virginia: Jack Zulu series and The Found Boys.

Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key: This fantastical journey launches in rural West Virginia in the eighties, with a half-Appalachian, half-African kid trying to escape the town he sees defining his small, sad life. Jack discovers a gate hiding a city between twelve realms, and finds out where he truly belongs in a surprising, satisfying adventure.

The Found Boys: The mission was supposed to be fun—even funny—but things got serious quick. What follows is a daring journey with narrow escapes, attack dogs, deadly fires, and a friendship forged in shared peril.

Add Jack Zulu and The Found Boys to your cart at the Story Warren Store (includes audiobooks & JZ t-shirt) and get 15% off using code READWV. Ends Saturday, June 21.

I hope you are, with your treasure in heaven, putting down roots somewhere, or growing in the ones you’ve got. I hope you are loving your neighbor. I hope you are either grateful for your father, and/or are leaning into the love and welcome you have as a child of God.

I’m on your side,

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

I love this prayer, from the Book of Common Prayer (2019):

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The post Big Dates, Dads, and the Future of Humans on Earth appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Stories are Potent

This is one of my all-time go-to quotations.

“For me, reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.”

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Stories are meaning-making machines. We can’t really understand bare truth without stories—without our imaginations engaged.

Does that mean every kind of story is good, or that every exercise of the imagination is positive? No.

Stories are not neutral.

What we consume, especially repeatedly over time, has a powerful impact on us. If we’re feasting on a steady diet of horror, sacrilege, and unbelief, that will certainly go deep—into our souls.

Stories are potent.

That doesn’t mean we need to reduce our storytelling to mere utilitarian (useful) vehicles to share truth.

Just because the information in a propagandistic/moralistic story is correct doesn’t mean it’s a good story. You wrote, “Jesus died on the cross and rose again” on the cake, but the cake tasted like cement. True statement, but a bad meal.

Let’s stop tolerating crummy meals in our kids’ soul food: stories.

While we’re at that, we absolutely do need to feed our kids imagination with what is true, noble, and good.

If you are looking for resources to help on your journey, here are some recommendations:

Wolfbane BooksRead-Aloud RevivalRedeemed ReaderJordan Raynor’s picture booksNarnia Books100 Cupboards SeriesFarmer Giles of Ham & Smith of Wootten MajorTumbleweed Thompson BooksWingfeather Saga BooksBandersnatch BooksCatechesis BooksPlumfield MomsStory Warren

In a recent interview with Jordan Raynor (Mere Christians), I talked about how we can see our ordinary vocations, like storytelling, as participating in the ultimate Mended Wood. Give it a listen. I think it will encourage you!

Wherever you are, be there. Whatever you do (for God’s glory and the good of your neighbor), do it!

I’m convinced we need your gifts. God give you joy!

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

P.S. Starting tomorrow, June 11, Team Burger Shed eBook is only 99 cents on Kindle! This hilarious story makes a great gift for Dad, especially with Father’s Day just around the corner. Ends June 15.

The post The Power (and Danger) of Stories appeared first on S. D. Smith.

We did it. You did it.

Literally, at the last second, some kind backers pushed us right over the $250k mark! Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb book + game is 125% funded and is in the Top 5 All-Time Children’s Publishing.

What a fun ending.

Thank you to everyone who backed and shared our Kickstarter. What a great start to this new adventure story and its two ways to enter into the IMMERSIVE and EXPANSIVE Green Ember experience.

We’re happy. We’re grateful.

FAQ: I missed the Kickstarter! When will the book and game be available for purchase?

A: In the fall. The book will be available at the Story Warren Store and the game will be available on Steam. (Please take a moment to wishlist it on Steam.)

What Now?

Well first, I’m going to take a nap. 100 hours or so should do it. Then I’ll take some vitamins, drink a gallon of water, eat fistfuls of peanut butter m&ms (#selfcare), and get right back at it.

We like to have fun here but I’m serious about this calling to share New Stories with an Old Soul with children and families all over.

“My Place BESIDE You…”

That’s the start of the sacred oath the characters recite in The Green Ember that resonated deeply with me when it first flowed from my fingers into the tale and has since moved so many readers.

I don’t view my work as a platform to achieve “elite artist status” but as a magical-ordinary vocation where God has called me to be an ally in imagination to families who are desperate for daring adventures that are dangerous to the darkness. Tales that help make us all dangerous to the darkness.

So it’s not just in the stories. It’s in the calling of creating and sharing them too.

My place BESIDE you. Always.

Sam

Art by Elsa, age 12. Submit Green Ember Kid Art here.Shop Story warren Store

The post Thank You | Now What? appeared first on S. D. Smith.