A Heartfelt Christmas Tradition with Brock Eastman

Ringing in some Christmas Cheer with Brock Eastman's Picture book, St. Nicking at Night

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Valerie - Welcome to Bookworthy, where we talk about the heart behind the books for kids

from birth to teens. Today, we're talking with author extraordinaire, Brock Eastman. Brock is the author of over 25 titles, from board books to middle grade, and the alter ego for Dr. Fizzlepop's faith and science devotions. But today we're ringing in some Christmas bells to talk about his Christmas book, Saint Nicking at Night. Welcome to Bookworthy Brock.

Brock - Thank you, Valerie. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. I'm very excited to be here.

Valerie - It is a pleasure to have you back. We had you back in season four when we were talking about the Go Bible, but I only had you for like a little bit. So, I'm glad to have a little bit more time with you today.

Brock - The best was when I got to see you in Texas at a book signing. That was super fun.

Valerie - That was super fun. I was, my kids still talk about, Are you going to go back there again? I think I actually went to that store a second time, and they're like, Weren't you here for the Brock Eastman event? I'm like, yes, I'm so glad I have a memorable face. It is too fun. Well,

Brock - That's great customer service. You know, I'd love that. I love that. I still have my cookie. I still have my cookie. Made a still, kept one of the cookies all packed. Don't think you'd want to eat it now.

Valerie - Those are pretty special for sure. Well, since we are a couple of weeks away from Thanksgiving, I think our question of the week should be, What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Brock - That's a great question. It's my favorite, and nobody else in my family eats it. So every Thanksgiving, I've had this growing up, I've always loved it, but my wife will specifically get the ingredients to make this one dish for me. And then I eat it for like the next two weeks. So it's green bean casserole. It's got green beans, and then it's got like the mushroom soup on it, I think. And it's got those golden onions. Yeah, and then the golden onion, crispy golden onions. It's like one of my favorites, but nobody else eats it. So, she'll make me this big batch, right? Cause you can only, you have to make a certain size. And then I will pick at it for the next week and a half, eating it. It's my favorite. So, green bean casserole.

Valerie - That was a favorite of mine growing up. It was like the only thing I would eat at Thanksgiving. Cause I just didn't like much of it, but then we started doing a deconstructed bacon green bean casserole. And that kind of made the classic green bean casserole go to the back shelf. Okay.

Brock - Well, send me that recipe, and this Thanksgiving we'll get the ingredients quick so we have it ready for Thanksgiving, and I'll test them both, and we'll go for it.

Valerie - All right, there you go. Side by side. Get it all going. Well, let's get into the Christmas spirit here. Tell us a little bit about your book, Saint Nicking at Night.

Brock - Yeah, this one, here it is right here. It's got a little hardback one. This was more of a, you know, Valerie, there are those books that you do because you just love the idea. You love the story behind it. It's got this warm feel to you, connection to your family, and things like that. So this is St. Nicky and Ike. It's just a cute little picture book about these two little girls who are out to deliver gifts to a neighbor in need, but they want to do it anonymously. They want to surprise this lady with these gifts. Now these gifts are heartfelt. They've spent months watching and observing their neighbor and thinking, hmm, what does she like? What does she want? So they don't ever ask her because they want it to be a surprise. And then they want to give her these gifts that she'll enjoy, right? And so these two little girls, Sweet Little Story, they're named after my kids, of course. I typically do that, which I think people eventually are gonna wonder why these names are like all my books, but you know, hey, it's just what I do. So it's a sweet little story, but it came out of something that my wife and I have done with our kids for years and years and years. Back in goodness, mean, Kinley and Elsie were probably four years old and two years old or someone in that range. And a group from our church got together and they said, Hey, we want to bless a family. So they asked her some names from our church of some people who were really in need that Christmas. And so we got a list. We got kind of the things they like. We followed the three gifts of the wise men. So gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So a gift for the body, a gift for the spirit, and then

something just special, just something you just would want to have, and that's kind of the gold gift, right? The fun thing. So we got these lists, and our small group divided this family up into five. There were five kids, five people in the family, including the adults, and we each took one family member, and then we went shopping. So we all met together, went shopping, and bought the items on that list for those people, brought them back home with the group, and we all did like a wrapping party, wrapped it all together, had Christmas cookies, you know, the whole thing. And then at night, one of the families would take those gifts and drop them off at the house anonymously, meaning they would take them, put them on the stairs, and they would leave. Ring the doorbell and leave, just like Saint Nick. And the whole idea that we want to teach our kids through this was, giving should never be about what you get out of it. It shouldn't, now did we feel good that we were doing this? We absolutely felt good, and that's okay, you know, it's okay. I don't want kids to think that's not okay. But it really shouldn't be about somebody being like, thank you so much, Valerie, for these gifts. Thank you, Brock. That was such, but that's not the gratitude we want back, right? So that's the idea of the anonymous, just like what St. Nick did, St. Nicholas did. So this story just actually allows my story, Valerie, we've talked about the past, are from moments in my life, things that I've experienced or done. I think that's where, as authors, we draw inspiration from. And so that's really what the story is about. It comes out of this moment of my family doing this. So I wrote this article many years ago for focusing on family for their magazine about Saint Nicky at night, and published it anonymously because you have to. So it's published anonymously. And then I did it for Clubhouse, and I'm like, you know what? I just want to make a book that will live on past a magazine article that people can enjoy and just have a sweet holiday moment, but also hopefully inspire families to go do it. So it's a cute book with lots of great illustrations and artwork of the little girls, now, crossing, you've seen it crossing through the neighborhood safely, of course, at night, and to give the gifts. But in the back of the book, I actually have listed out two important things. One is, sorry, I'm flipping to it for a second. One is, you know, what is Saint Nicking? How do you do it? And so the idea is that families can do it at home, and I would encourage them. It's not too late, it's Thanksgiving. You guys can go out and you can find out how to do this, and then you can get your church involved and find out some families that need it, and then we outline the three gifts of Magi, which just makes it easy for families to follow, like, what would I do? Just follow the three gifts of the Magi. Those are great gifts for Jesus; they're great gifts for anyone else you need to give them to.

Valerie - I love that, you know, what is it with, as you know, Christian parents dealing with Santa is always a personal decision, and you know, whether that's going to be a part of your Christmas tradition or not. But I love bringing the heart behind Santa Claus and St. Nick, and that giving gifts and giving anonymously is the heart of it all. It's about giving just like God gave to us, Christ on Christmas. And I love that you've kind of given families a way of incorporating that heart of St. Nicholas and Santa into a world where they may not have Santa delivering gifts through the chimney or that kind of thing, but to have that same heart that that man had for the people around us. And it allows our kids to keep their eyes open and be observant of people. Like, hmm, okay, who would we want to bless? Who do we know? But it also requires us to know people. 'Cause I know a lot of times in our neighborhoods, we can get really like, just behind closed doors. We drive into our garages, close the garage door, and you know, we never meet our neighbors until you're moving in, you're moving out. But it makes us observant and to step forward and to step out and to be a light in our neighborhoods. And I think that that is just a sweet tradition to bring into families. And especially for kids, cause helping them kind of think beyond. All the things they're gonna get at Christmas are always a challenge.

Brock - You said it exactly right. We celebrate Santa differently here. Santa brings a gift every year, right? But it's one gift. We're very careful not to make it all be from Santa Claus or anything like that. We still go visit Santa and sit and get our family picture for fun. But we try to refocus it. What is the meaning of the season? Is, and really, yes, it's about Jesus' birth, but it's about what Jesus did for us, and it's that gift. And he didn't have to do it. I mean, God sent his son for us. He didn't have, he could have said, sorry people, you messed up back in the garden eating, you're toast. He could have said that. He didn't. He had a redemptive plan for thousands of years to be captivated in that Christmas moment. So we want that celebration really to be as much about the idea of the gift that God gave us, but truly about what that means from a spiritual side, on how our kids can learn and grow and know about the redemptive story. Because we get caught up in the whole presence, right? And if it's, yes, the presence

represents something very specific, a gift. They don't represent the new Star Wars toy or the new squishmallow that you're going to get or whatever that might be, right? Not that those are bad things. That's not what that's not what Christmas represents, you know? So I love that you said that because I think that's important in the community side, which you acknowledge is so important. We often don't know our neighbors, and sometimes they might be lonely people. We live in a very fallen, dark world at times. And we can be that light at Christmas for those people who need it the most. And maybe they don't need gifts, but maybe they just need someone and they need to know someone cares about them and sees them. So I love that, Valerie. I think that's how this book can really be a helpful tool for kids and families to get in the spirit and to really know what Christmas can be about for them and a tradition they can have and pass down to their kids and to their kids and to their kids.

Valerie - had to make it never outlive Jesus or Christmas for that matter. But I love that it's just kind of a book to help refocus Christmas and to get our hearts in just a different space. Just to remind, you know, we can give because God gave and that is really the heart of it all. And so I love what you've done with the book and the illustrations are really sweet. I think your, what is it, your grandchildren will really enjoy having their parents names in your books. So I think that's sweet.

Brock - And they'll be like, Grandpa, when are you gonna write one about us? And I'm don't worry, it's in the works now. I don't wanna think about grand children, my oldest is 15. We got a long way to go, right, Valerie?

Valerie - Let's let the teenagers be teenagers, please. But you're always thinking, we're, we're, what is it, authors. So we always think about all the things. So too fun. Well, Brock, tell us a little bit about how your writing journey began. I know it's quite a fun story, so give us a snippet.

Brock - Yeah, I always jokingly say, know, growing up, and I talked to kids, I was just at an event, you know, I didn't like to read and write anything at all. Like if you asked me when I was a second grader, I was a paleontologist. In high school, I was an aerospace engineer. Anywhere along the path, never did you ask me, and I would say, I want to be a writer or an author. You know, I think God does things in our lives. He opens doors and he does things to challenge us in ways to make us express. The best parts that he gave us that sometimes we don't do or overlook. And I always want to encourage kids, find what that is and then go all in after it because God will reveal it to you. And so it was actually, I got an opportunity to come work out here. Well, okay, sorry, there's two sides of it. I don't know if you want me to tell the Harry Potter part or if you want me to tell the focus of family part, but they're all part of the story. Oh, okay, so it's all part of the story, but actually it was in college. And for our listeners out here,

Valerie - Ooh, I know the focus on the family part. What's the Harry Potter part? Tell me that part.

Brock - Take or leave Harry Potter, that's your choice, but it's a part of my story and how I got into writing. My wife, well, at the time she was my girlfriend, and we were dating and we were like, let's do something together, and she's like, let's read the Harry Potter series together, and I never read it. So we started reading the Harry Potter series, not together as in sit down and read it, but as in racing through it, because we're very competitive and we like to be competitive with each other. So we started reading, she's a much faster reader, Valerie. She knew she was gonna beat me. But the one thing I had going was book six and book seven were not out yet. Yeah, I'm that old. I'm that old that book six and seven were not out yet. So we read them, them, them. And she was way ahead of me, but I started to catch her. Book six came out. She beat me down with it. I started to catch her because we were waiting for book seven. We went to the midnight release of book seven, the whole thing, Borders, Borders stores were still in around at the time. I miss Borders. And we, so we read the series, but there's this funny moment when we were at a friend's house eating dinner.

and we're just early on dating. And I left the table to go to the restroom, right? And I'm going to excuse myself. And in her purse in the hall is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. So I took it out and I went in the restroom and I read for like a half an hour. And they're like wondering what's wrong with this guy? Is he okay? Finally came and checked on me. I was fine. I was just reading the book. So I wanted to get ahead of her. Anyhow, so she said, you know, maybe that was cheating, maybe not. I mean, the book was there.

It was available, I read every word. Anyway, so that's part of our story, but it's also part of the story of who Ash and I are and our dating and our marriage story and who we are. But what that did for me was reading these books, I didn't like to read a lot growing up, but as I read it, I'm like, wow, like on this paper, this text, black and white text, it's a whole world. And there's characters that I actually want to get to know and enjoy and like. Yes, I love Severus Snape, I think he's fantastic. Whether people like that or not, one of my favorite characters of all time.

But it was that moment when the story brought to life for me that I thought I could write a book. I could do that. No Valerie training in writing at all. Like I didn't pay attention to English.

I wrote exactly what I had to write. And so I sat down for the next year and a half, 2005, 2006, somewhere in there, and I wrote my first manuscript. In fact, I have it right here somewhere. I would pull it out, but maybe I'll go, yeah, right here. My first book is this. And so I self-published it, Valerie, as we often do, right? But remember, this isn't like good self-publishing like we have now, where somebody like you or I who has pretty good skills, least we learn skills, we put it into practice and we've got some great tools to use. This was like, this is ancient work. Anyhow, but this was the first book and I wrote it and I gave a copy to my mom, my dad, my wife, my sister, know, there's like five copies in existence, okay? And that was it. That was in 2006, 2007. Fast forward, I get married, I find myself at Focus on Family, and I'm at a conference called ICRS, International Christian Retail Show, and I'm like, and this maybe sounds arrogant, and I don't mean it to be arrogant, but I'm like, wait, if that guy could get published, I bet I could get published. If that lady could have a book, I bet I could have, I've got a book, how do I do this? I don't know if it was arrogance as much as like, whoa, like my mind's blown, this can happen for anyone, it really can. And so, being working at Focus on Family, I kind of reached out to my, publishing friends Larry Whedon is still there and he is my first and ever initial mentor into publishing. And we sat down at the cafeteria, that's a story

from the time, and he talked me through what it looked like to get my book published. And so I sent it out and had a publisher called PNR pick up the Quest for Truth series, which is now five books. And that was my first foray. So that's a lot longer story than you want to Valerie on our time here, but it all started with this moment of dating my wife and having experience together. It led me to be inspired and think, maybe I could do this. Maybe I could have fun. Now I've got, you said, 25 some books in the marketplace, some self-published, some traditionally published.

Valerie - You're a very unique author because you've not only written for picture books to middle grade and you've also self-published and you've traditionally published. What's been your favorite part of the process?

Brock - Ooh, that's a good question. So actually my favorite part, I find, so yeah, you're right. I've done, I mean, all the up to YA in nonfiction and fiction. I actually like the hunt. I love the idea. I love coming up with the idea and the proposal and writing up this marketing plan and what the book could be and pitching it. And I love working with my agent and the publishers and saying, here's the idea, would you like it? And then we get the contract and it's like, yeah. And then I have to write the thing. And that's what I don't like.

I don't like the writing part and the editing part. know, on the self, yes, yes. And that's where the self-pub has really been really good for me because you do have to do all of it. So I'll get an idea and maybe it's not one that's going to make it to a traditional market because it's not going to, you know, they're looking for dollars, right? So they have to have a certain sales, a lot of great books, a lot of wonderful books are held back because the publisher doesn't have the vision for.

Valerie - It's easy to get excited about an idea.

Brock - They have the vision for a few hundred or a couple thousand, and that's fine. There's an audience that needs that. So those ideas then, I have to work the whole process. And what I've enjoyed most about that is being your own art director, finding the right editor, making sure the format is right, finding the distribution channels, doing all your own marketing. And I think while that's a lot of work, it's also really fun and it's been really good at crafting and honing my skills over time because I learn a lot more in the how-to that I wouldn't otherwise as just a traditional publisher. Here's my manuscript, done. No, when you self-pub, you learn the whole scope of the process in a very detailed way. So I think I probably like that the most is just learning all about it.

Valerie - It is definitely a learning experience to self-publish and just, you're just kind of thrown into the fire and like, okay, I guess I get to do all those things. I get to make all those decisions. it's overwhelming and fun. Nope. There's nobody to be like, Hey, what do you think? It's like, nope. I'm the editor too.

Brock - Yep. Yep. And there's nobody really holding your hand either. Yeah, there's nobody really holding your accountable. And when your spouse and your kids are tired of you talking about it for 20 times. Okay, I'll figure this out.

Valerie - I know, my poor kids, they come home from school and I'm like, hi, can I read this to you? And they're like, Mom.

Brock - Yes, yes, yes, yes. couple of my books have still not been read by my children. So, just how it is. Just how it is. I have to accept it.

Valerie - Yeah, that's how it goes. What is it? think, what is it? We have done at our library, you could put our books on hold, which I think most books you can. And when we went one day, I was picking up the books from hold, it had a sticker with my name on it. And my, I think my eight year old at this time was like, mom, did you publish a book? And I'm like, hold on, hold on, no, no. He just about screamed in the library. I'm like, hold on, hold on, no, no, no.

Brock - That's amazing! I love it. I love it.

Valerie -Because it was kind what the expectation is, is to have a book on the shelf at the library, which my book is at our library, but it's just one of those like, it was like, we're going to hide the corner here, please. Thank you. It was good fun. Well, what is your favorite children's book other than your own?

Brock - Because my favorite of my, yes, actually, I mean, I'll be honest, this is, I still think this is such a great classic. If you asked me for a book that I would read over and over again to my kids, this is it, Where the Wild Things Are, for sure.

Valerie - I love that's a good, and it's, one of those stories that you can read again and again, and you could take the story in so many different directions. Like, what is it, how they took the movie and it was a little awkward in the movie. No, but it's, it's, it's an interesting story that it can have so many layers to it. And so, when you read it to the extrovert kid, it's going to mean one thing when you read to the introvert, it's going to mean another. And so it's a very dynamic story. And I think that is what makes it such a long lasting story.

Brock - Yeah, and I think you're absolutely right. It's got those elements that can be interpreted in a different way. And know, for me, it's always been about the idea of this kid in this imaginative world that came alive and he experienced it. And then you realize he experienced such a short amount of time and it feels like he was there forever. I, you know, I just, how our imaginations can expand time and picture entire worlds. It just is, yeah, I think that's what I really, for me, that's what I draw out of it. Like, wow, and so, and the simple, so simple, the words are so simple, you know? And it delivered so much, so someday.

Valerie - Yep. So far. Well, what can we expect next from you, Brock?

Brock - So you said 20 something books. there's a few things coming out. actually am under contract for 10 books now. And I didn't, yeah, I know that, I'm dumb like that. I didn't have really anything. I wasn't really doing anything. I have four board books, from Dr. Fizzlebop

coming out in January, February of 2026. These are going to be super cute. They're full color.

there's one on weather, one on space, one on counting colors, and one on alphabet and animals. And Dr. Fizzlebop explores his world with his assistants, and it's very early reading concepts for kiddos. And so there's four of those board books. They are, I think they're gonna be, we just finished up the type set, and they're really pretty. And I think, I'm hoping kids will like them too. But again, those are all about helping kids connect the idea that faith and

science are not separate, that God designed this world for them. I want little kids at the earliest ages to start understanding the concept that we have a wonderful creator, an intelligent designer who made the world for them. And so that gets lost on kids. So I want that to happen. And then I have a book series with a co-author named Sean Stevenson and it is called Parable Port. And it is a four book middle grade series right now. It could likely be, if you guys go buy it, it could be way more than four books. Let me just say, but right now it's four. Four contracted books and so those come out also I think it's a the first book about March or April of 26 and then every three months after that so it'll be four books within a year So that's really fun. They're about 30,000 words hefty

middle grade books. They're good. They've got some illustrations inside. We're just on book one, we get line edit No, we'll get final manuscript back on in a little bit and then the second book we are finishing up the drafts now so Super fun stuff happening together. then Dr. Fizzbop 2 is coming out in summer of 27, I believe. So Dr. Fizzbop number 2 will be fun, little bit more extreme extreme experiments. And then one...

Valerie - I you had a lot of, you had like, what, 52 experiments in the first book. Are we doing 52 more?

Brock - Yeah, 52 more. Yeah, yeah, we got some bonus ones in there too. So it'll be fun. think 104 is probably a good number. I don't know we'll go beyond that, but super fun. And then super simple and super fun. then the last one, technically I realize it hasn't been signed yet, but I'm co-writing a devotional with my friend, Marianne Herring, and it's gonna be really fun. As well, it'll come out from Moody Publishers. But that one I think is coming out fall of 26. So even though it's not signed yet, it's gonna come out quicker than Fizzlebot 2. So that's 10, 10 books. No, no, no. Yeah, well, I mean, as you know, my full-time job, what I do in my daytime hours is work for the Action Bible. And so we are releasing new books there too. So at work, I'm writing content and doing that as well. And so it's super fun just getting to do that as part of your professional career, but also as part of your personal fun. And then somehow you, as you know, manage four kids and all their events, all their things, the soccer, theater, track, and cross country, and fly football. So it's super fun. That's way more than what you asked me about what to expect from me next, but.

Valerie -All the things. There's always going to be something coming in the next year and a half, apparently. Too fun. I'm excited to hear more about all those projects because they're always great fun and so faith-filled. I know for all ages, you know, so which is always great to write for such a, all, for young kids as well as older kids and just help them see just the joy of following after Christ and knowing that God is a part of this wonderful world that he's given us. So super fun. But where can people find out about you and your book, Brock?

Brock - The easiest one is www.BrockEastman.com. So if you go there and it's Eastman with an A at the end, because that gets confusing. But www.BrockEastman.com. You can get to all my other things from there and that's the easiest place.

Valerie - We'll make sure to have those links in the description so people can get there easily and find out all the fun things you have on your website for sure. Well, and thank you for joining me today, Brock. It's been great to talk with you.

Brock - Thank you. Thank you. I don't know if you noticed, I have my Let It Snow mug, because, you know, we're talking Christmas, even though it's not quite here yet, and my holiday dinosaur shirt, so, preparing.

Valerie - My Christmas sweater is still in the box, so I'll have to go pull it out.

Brock - You never know, it comes sooner than you expect. So we're at Thanksgiving,  it's gonna be here any moment.

Valerie - Very true. Well, thank you, and thank you for joining Brock and me on this episode of the Bookworthy Podcast. Check the show notes for any books or links that we discussed and let us know in the comments what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish. Be sure to like and subscribe to discover more great books together.

Happy reading.