LITTLETON, Mark R. 1950-

PERSONAL: Born September 25, 1950, in Camden, NJ; son of H. Richard and Elizabeth T. (a homemaker) Littleton; married first wife, Valerie, February 14, 1983 (divorced, July 23, 1993); married Jeanette Gardner; children: Nicole, Alisha. Education: Colgate University, B.A., 1972, Dallas Theological Seminary, graduated 1977. Politics: Republican. Religion: Independent.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Thomas Nelson, 501 Nelson Pl., Nashville, TN 37214.

CAREER: Author of fiction and nonfiction books for children and adults; Annapolis Fellowship of Christian Writers, Annapolis, MD, leader, beginning 1984. Has also worked as a pastor.

AWARDS, HONORS: Award of Merit, Campus Life, 1987, for A Place to Stand: When Life Throws You Off Balance, and 1992, for Tales of the Neverending; Gold Medallion Award nominee, 1989, for Beefin' Up: Daily Feed for Amazing Grazing, and 1995, for Pairin' Up.

WRITINGS:

A Place to Stand: When Life Throws You Off Balance (nonfiction), Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1986.

When God Seems Far Away: Biblical Insight for Common Depression (nonfiction), H. Shaw (Wheaton, IL), 1987.

Lies We Like to Hear: Satan's Everyday Strategies (nonfiction), H. Shaw (Wheaton, IL), 1988.

Submission Is for Husbands, Too (adult nonfiction), Accent Books (Denver, CO), 1988.

Cool Characters with Sweaty Palms, Victor Books (Wheaton, IL), 1989.

What to Do When God Doesn't Follow Your Plan, Accent Books (Denver, CO), 1989.

The Terrible Plight of Oliver B., illustrated by Ron Wheeler, Bayside Press (Pacific, MO), 1990.

Tales of the Neverending (adult fiction), Moody Press (Chicago, IL), 1990.

Delighted by Discipline (nonfiction), Victor Books (Wheaton, IL), 1990.

Escaping the Time Crunch (nonfiction), Moody Press (Chicago, IL), 1990.

Battle Ready: Winning the War with Temptation, Victor Books (Wheaton, IL), 1992.

Death Trip (adult novel), Moody Press (Chicago, IL), 1992.

When They Invited Me to Fellowship . . . I ThoughtThey Meant a Cruise (young-adult nonfiction), Christian Publications (Camp Hill, PA), 1992.

(With Brian and Alsie Kelley) Stasia's Gift (nonfiction), Crossway (Wheaton, IL), 1993.

The Storm Within (nonfiction), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1994.

(With Frank Minirth) You Can! (nonfiction), Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1994.

The Basics: Nailing Down What Builds You Up (young adult nonfiction), Christian Publications (Camp Hill, PA), 1994.

Before Eden (adult fiction), Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1995.

God Is!, Starburst (Lancaster, PA), 1997.

(With Jeanette Gardner Littleton) Light the Torch, Pass the Flame: Lessons from Our Fathers, Beacon Hill Press (Kansas City, MO), 1998.

NIrV Kids' Book of Devotions: A 365-Day Adventure in God's Word, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1998.

Conversations with God the Father: Encounters withOne True God, StarBurst Publications (Lancaster, PA), 1998.

(With Steve Peters) Truth about Rock, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1998.

Jesus: Everything You Need to Know to Figure HimOut, Westminister John Knox Press (Louisville, KY), 2001.

(Adaptor) Leading As a Friend (based on Developing the Leader within You by John C. Maxwell), Tommy Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(Adaptor) Leading in Your Youth Group (based on Developing the Leader within You by John C. Maxwell), Tommy Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(Adaptor) Leading Your Sports Team (based on Developing the Leader within You by John C. Maxwell), Tommy Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(With Jeanette Gardner Littleton) What's in the Bible for . . . Teens, Starburst (Lancaster, PA), 2002.

Getting Honest with God: Praying As If God ReallyListens, InterVarsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 2003.

(Author of notes; with Sandy Silverthorne and Marnie Wooding) The Edge Devotional Bible: New International Version, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2003.

"ALLY O'CONNOR ADVENTURES"

Tracks in the Sand, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 2001.

Sarah's Secret, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 2001.

Hoofbeats on the Trail, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 2002.

"UP" SERIES; YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

Beefin' Up: Daily Feed for Amazing Grazing, Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1989.

Tunin' Up: Daily Jammin' for Tight Relationships, Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1991.

Fillin' Up, illustrated by Graci Evans, Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1993.

Pairin' Up, Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1995.

"ROCKY CREEK ADVENTURES" SERIES; YOUNG ADULT FICTION

The Adventure at Rocky Creek, Cook (Elgin, IL), 1993.

Tree Fort Wars, Cook (Elgin, IL), 1993.

Trouble down the Creek, Cook (Elgin, IL), 1994.

"CRISTA CHRONICLES"; YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Secrets of Moonlight Mountain, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1992.

Winter Thunder, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1992.

Robbers on Rock Road, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1993.

Escape of the Grizzly, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1994.

Danger on Midnight Trail, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1994.

Friends No Matter What, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1994.

"SPORTS HEROES" SERIES

Baseball, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 1995.

Basketball, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 1995.

Football, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 1995.

Track and Field, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 1995.

Soccer, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 1996.

Summer Olympics, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 1996.

Baseball Two, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 1996.

Basketball Two, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 1996.

Olympics 2002, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 2002.

Extreme Sports, Zondervan (Grand Rapids MI), 2002.

Auto Racing, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 2002.

Baseball Three, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Mark R. Littleton has established a successful career as a writer whose Christian beliefs figure strongly in his work. In addition to writing novels and nonfiction geared to audiences ranging from middle schoolers to adults, Littleton has also devoted much time to creating inspirational books such as A Place to Stand: When Life Throws You Off Balance and Getting Honest with God: Praying As If God Really Listens. His "Sports Heroes" series, designed to appeal to school-aged reluctant readers, illustrates the role faith plays in the lives of notable baseball, basketball, and football stars, and serves as a counterweight to the many newspaper accounts of athletes whose lives have been marred by drugs, alcohol, and other negative factors. Reviewing Littleton's youth group guide When They Invited Me to Fellowship . . . I Thought They Meant a Cruise for Voice of Youth Advocates, contributor Denise Roberts recommended the work for giving teen readers sound advice on forming "true friendships and [maintaining] loyalty" within a close-knit group setting where personalities, emotions, and opinions often clash.

On the fiction front, Littleton has penned several adult and young adult novels, and has also created two fiction series for middle-grade readers. Beginning with Secrets of Moonlight Mountain in 1992, his six-part "Crista Chronicles" focus on twelve-year-old Crista Mayfield as she attempts to fill the void left by the death of her mother while also finding time to solve a few local mysteries. Although noting that the storylines in the first few installments of the series were slow to unfold, Voice of Youth Advocates reviewer Libby Bergstrom, in a review of Secrets of Moonlight Mountain, Winter Thunder, and Robbers on Rock Road, added that Crista's "Christian values . . . are a natural part of her life, and are not presented in a preachy manner." Other series by Littleton include the "Ally O'Connor Adventures" and the "Rocky Creek Adventures." Designed to appeal to horse-lovers, the "Ally O'Connor" books find fourteen-year-old Ally and boyfriend Nick confronted with a neighborhood thief in Hoofbeats on the Trail and determined to thwart the thief's efforts to harm a herd of wild mustangs in North Carolina.

Littleton once explained to CA: "I became a Christian after graduation from college in August, 1972. Since then I have been a youth pastor, pastor, and writer. I like writing for kids because such writing is always fast-paced, interesting, and touching. I hope someday to write a bestseller and then keep on writing more."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, February 1, 1995, Henry Carrigan, Jr., review of Before Eden, p. 65.

Publishers Weekly, November 13, 2000, review of What's in the Bible for . . . Teens, p. 102.

Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 1994, Libby Bergstrom, review of Secrets of Moonlight Mountain, Winter Thunder, and Robbers on Rock Road, p. 28; February, 1997, Denise Roberts, review of When They Invited Me to Fellowship . . . I Thought They Meant a Cruise, pp. 319-320.*