Where Faith Meets Fiction
Exploring life, death, and judgment through the lens of Scripture — one story at a time.
Exploring life, death, and judgment through the lens of Scripture — one story at a time.
Christian, husband, marathoner, and divinely inspired novelist
"Jesus first, Others second, I'm third."
— RANDALL S. JOHNSON · LIFE MOTTOFirst and foremost, I am a Christian and am happily married to my wife, Cynthia, of 40 years. I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and attended the local high school, being active in football, tennis, and cross country.
After graduation, I studied at Michigan State University and received a bachelor's degree in Package Engineering. After building my career in Michigan and Indiana, I settled in New York working for Eastman Kodak Company, where I met my wife, Cindy. After smoking for nine years, I quit and took up running. This decision grew into the completion of 27 full marathons, with a personal record of two hours and 46 minutes, and logging over 35,000 miles on the road.
Since becoming a Christian, we have been active in our church, traveling between Florida and New York and enjoying the seasonal weather. We enjoy boating, biking, traveling, cruising, and dining out.
I discovered a talent I had for writing when I entered a writing contest for a local newspaper — the "Mother's Day Contest" — and explained why the mother in our family needed to be named "Mother of the Year." My entry garnered first place, and Cindy won some nice prizes. That contest cemented in my mind a talent given by God that I didn't know I had.
Not what, but who... God, through His Holy Spirit, gave me a series of dreams regarding a book He wanted me to write. After counseling with my wife, Cynthia, I decided to go ahead and write After This. The book virtually wrote itself with His guidance and with my fingers doing the typing.
Largely, my background did not influence me very much in my writing endeavors. I was a geek in school, excelling in the sciences and math while struggling in English and social studies. I had to develop my writing skills when I had to do reports and essays in college and in business.
Early on, I was into science fiction — Asimov and Bradley. Later on, it was the Gospels and C.S. Lewis. I also took a "Great Courses" DVD series on "How to Write Great Fiction," which gave me invaluable tips and suggestions on how to improve my writing skills.
I am unique — a left-handed, single-parent father (before Cindy), packaging engineering author, marathon-running retiree, and husband. Another surprising fact? I held the national record for running a measured marathon at 39 years old.
Everything gospel, with a thread of fiction. My goal is to present the gospel truths in fictional real-life situations that entertain as well as educate.
Where have you read a novel that deals with death and the ultimate judgment? You have not — because the subject of death and subsequent judgment is not one that people are willing to ponder and make changes in their lives. After This puts the subject right in their face and forces the reader to at least contemplate their own life.
I would want the reader to contemplate: "Where will I be After This?" There is an answer, and it depends on how the reader answers the question: "Who is Jesus?"
"Jesus first, Others second, I'm third."
I have a second Christian novel soon to be released and have preliminary concepts for several others. The second novel is currently being held in anticipation of an acquisition.
Faith-driven fiction that confronts the questions few dare to ask
Two seemingly innocuous words lifted from a verse of scripture that describes an event that occurs once something has been completed. A life completed. What happens next - AFTER THIS? This fictional setting of a glimpse into six people's lives illustrates events before their decisions or choices, their humanity with its frailty an struggles of faith and obedience. Their stories reflect a commonality of the human struggle of good versus evil and the ultimate consequences of a life lived within "free-will." The "After This" depiction within my novel reflects the scriptural events of the six bretheren's final judgments. Through the depiction of their ultimate judgment we can imagine ourselves standing in their shoes and contemplate our own judgment. So stand in their shoes, reflect on their lives, reflect on yours. Have you made the right decisions and choices so that you can face your own judgment wth confidence or with shame?
Jon Wyatt was a pastor at a major denominational church in Arlington, Virginia. Perhaps typical of most pastors in that situation, Jon's spiritual calling left much to be desired and, worst of all, it really didn't bother him. He was very comfortable sitting on a cushion of time waiting for his retirement to kick in and get off the highway of "earning a living." This condition of comfort did not change until very early one morning he started having dreams. Dreams that he could not shake, dreams that seemed important and ominous. Those dreams challenged him to discover their meaning and in doing so Jon ran into Pastor Doug Kucher who turned his whole life upside down and eventually turned the whole world upside down. Enjoy the adventure of discovery Jon Wyatt faced with his family, friends and colleagues. The ending may be predictable but is certainly plausible to challenge you in your belief systems. You will not be the same after finishing this book. You may have to reconsider your own cushion of comfort upon which you may be sitting and do something about it.
Professional reviews of After This: Life, Death & Judgment
"A bold, thought-provoking, and spiritually grounded novel that accomplishes what the best Christian fiction strives to do — it tells a compelling story while inviting readers to consider eternal truths."
— Pacific Book Review"It tells a compelling story while inviting readers to consider eternal truths."
In After This: Life, Death & The Judgment, Randall Johnson delivers an ambitious and spiritually resonant narrative that examines the eternal consequences of earthly choices. This is not merely a character-driven drama, but a theological meditation rendered through fiction. Johnson's prose is straightforward yet purposeful, allowing the gravity of the message to carry emotional weight. After This is a bold, thought-provoking, and spiritually grounded novel that accomplishes what the best Christian fiction strives to do.
"Throughout, Johnson emphasizes that motives and matters of the heart carry eternal weight."
Framed by the verse from Hebrews 9:27, the novel follows six individuals over the course of a single pivotal day, inviting readers to examine life through the lens of faith, consequence, and ultimate judgment. Johnson carefully develops their backgrounds, allowing readers to see not only present circumstances but also the formative moments that led them there. After This: Life, Death and The Judgment is a contemplative and purposeful novel that urges readers to consider their own lives in light of eternity. It is a meaningful and engaging work that will resonate strongly with Christian fiction audiences.
"The principle that one reaps what one sows shapes every arc."
Death is often dismissed as an interruption to the business of living. In Randall Johnson's After This: Life, Death & The Judgment, it is portrayed instead as a divine appointment. Drawing from Scripture and anchored firmly in a biblical worldview, Johnson constructs a narrative that peers beyond the visible world into the unseen realm where thoughts are uncovered, motives examined, and eternity presses close. Johnson's prose is direct and purposeful, allowing Scripture to serve as structural foundation rather than ornament. A thoughtful, spiritually resonant novel that challenges readers to consider their own trajectory beyond the final breath.
Events, travels, and life between the pages
Honest, open, and always growing — reach out anytime