About the Book

Book: How to Kill a Giant

Author: Carol Schlorff

Genre: Middle Grade

Release Date: June 10, 2023

He lost his courage. Will meeting a real superhero help him find it?

An awful summer … Thirteen-year-old Hugo is miserable. His move to a small Pennsylvania town has brought him nothing but trouble. Ignored by his new classmates and a favorite target for the school bullies, Hugo lets fear rule his life. It’s going to be a long summer.

An unexpected twist … Hugo meets siblings Julia and Stefan, who are just as unhappy as he is. After finding a mysterious old Bible, all three are magically transported to ancient Israel, where they meet the young shepherd David, who suspects they’re spies. The trio finds themselves caught up in a strange world where danger lurks on every side.

A terrifying adventure … As Hugo and his friends navigate the perils of this weird and frightening land, Hugo must face his greatest fear—that he’s a coward. His only hope of survival is to learn the secret of David’s bravery, but will he do so in time to face his biggest test? Find out in this thrilling tale of courage, friendship, and faith.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Carol’s passion is to write exciting stories that encourage, inspire, and boost the reader’s faith, possibly because she has always felt like an outsider. She was born in North Africa to American parents and grew up in France. At age 15, her family’s abrupt move to Philadelphia resulted in a rough transition to American life.

After graduating from Penn State, Carol joined the Army in search of adventure. She was stationed in exotic—for her—locations like California, Arizona, and Texas.

Since then, Carol has lived in Cracow, Poland, where she teaches English and organizes language camps. She also writes a blog on faith-related topics.

Carol enjoys caring for her cat, Tabasco, watching a good murder mystery, and getting nervous while watching NFL games.

More from Carol

The idea for my book about time travel back to the Bible came to me during a church sermon on meditating on God’s Word. As soon as the outline for the story popped into my mind, I could no longer focus on what the pastor was saying, as I was too busy organizing my thoughts into the semblance of a logical plan. That day marked the beginning of a five-year journey to write and publish my first novel, How to Kill a Giant.

My motivation for writing is to demonstrate that the Bible is relevant to our lives, provides the answers we seek about life, and is far from boring. Of course, I also want my readers to have fun and stay on the edge of their seats. Growing up in a Christian home where my parents were missionaries, I still had many questions and doubts about the Bible and Christianity, especially starting in middle school. That’s why I target this age group. If my books can help my young (and older) readers grow in their faith and trust in God, then I will consider them a success.

If you asked me to summarize my book in one sentence, I would say it explores the heart of David and the courage that enabled him to fight Goliath, wrapped up in the packaging of a thrilling action and adventure story. Happy reading!

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, September 17 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 18

Artistic Nobody, September 19 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 20

Guild Master, September 21 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 22

Fiction Book Lover, September 23 (Author Interview)

The Mommies Reviews , September 23

Blossoms and Blessings, September 24 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, September 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 26

Stories By Gina, September 27 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, September 28

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 29 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 29

A Reader’s Brain , September 30 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carol is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://sweepwidget.com/c/92781-arnfst2q

Interview

What things molded your desire to write a novel?

The inspiration for my book about time travel back to the Bible came to me during a church sermon about meditating on God’s Word. Suddenly, the idea popped into my mind, and I found it difficult to focus on the pastor's words afterward. My motivation for writing is to demonstrate that the Bible is relevant to our lives, provides answers to our questions about our existence, and can be exciting. I also want my readers to have fun and stay engaged throughout the story.

Having grown up in a Christian home where my parents were missionaries, I still faced many questions and doubts about the Bible and Christianity, especially starting in middle school. That’s why I focus on this age group in my writing. If my books can help my young (and older) readers grow in their faith and trust in God, I will consider them a success.

If you could give advice to a newbie writer, what would it be?

I’m not that far away from being a newbie writer myself, so the lessons I’ve learned are fresh in my mind (and I still have a lot to learn). Two pieces of advice immediately come to mind.

First, just because God has given you a message to share doesn’t mean you don’t need to go through the normal process of learning everything involved in writing and the publishing industry. I think that newbies, in their excitement over God wanting to work through them, believe they are so special that the usual rules don’t apply to them. God doesn’t work that way.

Second, take it one step at a time and don’t give up. Everything about the publishing industry can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to let the enormity of the challenge defeat you. If God is with you, he will guide you every step of the way. Focus on following his voice. I’ve heard it said many times that the only difference between a published and an unpublished author is perseverance.

Do your books revolve around certain themes?

Yes, each book has one main theme. How to Kill a Giant is about courage and overcoming fear. The second book, How to Make a Miracle, is about forgiveness. The third book, How to Mess Up Christmas, will be about the hope Jesus gives and what his coming to earth changed.

Is your book part of a series?

How to Kill a Giant is part of the How to Be a Hero series. The second book, How to Make a Miracle, will be released in February 2026. I’m still working on the first draft of the third book, How to Mess Up Christmas, which I hope to finish soon. How to Be a Hero is an exciting time-travel adventure trilogy about modern teens who are mysteriously transported into the heart of dramatic Bible stories—where they must face their fears, wrestle with doubt, discover the truth about themselves, and become heroes not through strength, but through faith. The series' tagline, which captures its essence in one sentence, is “Heroes are made when faith becomes real.”

Although they are part of a series, each book can be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

Share an embarrassing moment.

This event took place in Poland, where I live. I was shopping at a mall with a friend and accompanied her to the bookstore. Exhausted, I headed for a cozy armchair that was calling my name and told my friend I’d wait there while she looked for the book she wanted to buy. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

When I woke up, I was startled by flashes of cameras going off in front of me. Disoriented, I glanced around the room and saw a large crowd of people eagerly waiting behind a barrier. The atmosphere was electric. As I looked further to my left, I saw a long table that hadn’t been there before. Several cool-looking guys were sitting behind it.

I finally saw my friend frantically waving at me to join her. The area where I had been soundly sleeping was cordoned off, so she couldn’t reach me. I got up and hurried over to her. She was laughing hysterically.

It turned out the event was an autograph session for the Polish rock band Myslovitz. And there I was, sleeping peacefully as they set up the tables, people gathered, and the musicians arrived. “I’m sure many people took your picture in that chair,” my friend said, chuckling. That’s not what I wanted to hear.