Interview With Author Joel Chanaca
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Joel Chanaca is a two-time Global Book Awards winner, known for Humor & Heart and Hunter, the English Setter. He’s also a dedicated game warden with over 25 years of law enforcement experience protecting natural resources and wildlife. As a lifelong outdoorsman—camping, fishing, canoeing, scuba diving—Joel’s love for God’s creation has shaped not only his worldview, but the vivid worlds in his books. His writing weaves together faith, adventure, mystery, and high-stakes action, creating stories where truth, design, and discipleship collide. I have published Patches the Cat is a Thief, Hunter the Setter, A Kitty Named Cricket, and Frogman Puck Origins: The Rising Tides.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Frogman Puck Origins: The Rising Tides was born out of a need for heroic role models. In a culture saturated with morally grey superheroes, I wanted young readers to see characters who are actively good—whose abilities are rooted in intelligent design rather than luck or mysticism. These aren’t just superpowers; they’re manifestations of purpose: Rainforest Gripper Mode, Echo Sync, flight, Hyper-realistic amphibious gear, TENDRILS, decoys, less-than-lethal use of force modes, and more—all designed to reflect a Creator who values order, courage, and service. Writing this story has been about offering something real, clean, and spiritually anchoring for families, youth leaders, and anyone who believes purpose matters.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
You’ll often find me writing sideways in bed—laptop balanced on a pillow, dog on one leg, cat tucked under my cheek, another cat sprawled across my lap. The house is quiet, but the wild in my mind is messy and alive, and that chaos tends to be where the best ideas come.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Legends like C. S. Lewis, Jules Verne, and J. R. R. Tolkien shaped what I believe a story should be: imagination grounded in wonder, courage, and truth. I grew up reading clean, aspirational comics—these days, I want that same standard for future generations. Heroes who are approachable and inspiring, adventures that spark faith and family.
What are you working on now?
I’m finishing the artwork for the second book in the Frogman Puck series: Frogman Puck Resurgent: Turn of the Tides — Unveiling of Shadows: A Quest for Truth. Expect deeper missions, stronger elements of spiritual conflict, more artifacts, rising stakes, and just more of everything that stirred souls in book one.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We use a mix of things: platforms like Awesome Gang, BookBub, social media posts, video content, paid ads, and strategic launches. Every platform is different, so we adapt. Genre matters, cover matters, and keywords matter. Publisher Rocket has helped me nail categories and keywords. Choosing real, relevant categories (not ghost ones) is worth more than many people realize.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Consume constantly: watch how great authors do things, study what makes stories work.
Learn to use tools (Publisher Rocket, Amazon KDP Select, BookBub).
Focus on cover design, keyword/categorization, and building relationships with your readers (launch teams, ARC reviewers).
Embrace failure—it teaches you what to adjust next.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My grandfather once told me, “Nobody’s coming out of this life alive—make sure you’re ready and make sure that your life counts.” That’s not morbid—it’s a mission. To live with purpose, make an impact, and bless others with what God has given you. Follow Christ and give your life to Him.
What are you reading now?
I am working full-time as a game warden and writing every moment in my free time on the second book in the Frogman Puck series.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have several books done. A game warden book, cyber warriors, property protection, a cat in the Quiet Valley, and some others to release, I have to upload and publish. I have just been having so much fun with Frogman Puck that I have put that up front for the time being.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Frogman Puck.
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