Arlon K. Stubbe

ARLON STUBBE loves words and wanted to write from the very beginning. In 3rd grade he won the runner-up spot in a summer reading contest at the public library, with a total of 63 book reports given in a ten-week period. Then, at age 10 he wrote a play about St. George slaying the dragon, a play he directed for a parents' activity at his elementary school (he played the 'Saint,' of course - but the prettiest girl in his 5th grade class, the one he'd chosen to play the 'damsel in distress,' refused to kiss him in the final scene!)

More reading and writing followed during his career as a Lutheran pastor (41 years of sermons), a member of a creative writing group at Penn State-Shenango Campus, and creator of op-ed pieces on social issues for three local newspapers. Three published non-fiction works started his career in print, the first a popularized version of his doctoral dissertation on attitudes that lead to activity and inactivity in organizations, another on language in preaching, and a third (CLERGY BLOOPERS, available from CSS Publishing in Lima, OH, or the author) that relates humorous incidents from four decades in parish ministry.

Nearing retirement, Stubbe turned to fiction - revising poems, producing a small novella and then working on full-length novels. In April of 2017 his tenth novel - INTRUDERS - a ghost story set in Philadelphia, was released. Since then, more novels are now in print, including his latest two - IN SYNC -- the story of a tax accountant who becomes infatuated with the real-life sculpture of a young girl and goes in search of her, only to discover she's far different than what he expected and, in the process of finding her, he recovers his true self as well -- and THE OUTCAST, a biblical novel that centers on the evangelist Luke seeing out and interviewing Bar-Abbas about his story before, during and after the crucifixion of Jesus.

Other novels trace the life of St. John Chrysostom, the career and escapades of Nicolo Paganini, a treatment of gun violence by placing Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday in Arizona in 2012, and other works of contemporary fiction. The characters and subject matter of each work vary widely, due to Stubbe's diverse interests - life and relationships in the 60's, journalism, U.S. and world history, various geographical sites, and a religious novel that portrays the 'Jesus saga' through the eyes and experiences of the high priest's chief servant, Malchus.

A volume of selected sermons given by him between 1966 and 2017 is also available, SURPRISED BY GOD'S GRACE.

Religion appears in most of his books, but usually is not central to their themes and seldom in the ways you might expect. Every effort is made to display the church and its life honestly - 'warts and all' as the saying goes - as characters struggle to uphold a positive value system. Three years of intensive training in therapeutic counseling taken by Stubbe and his wife infuse each of his works with psychological and dynamic realism, as well as a sense of hopeful growth.

The author and his wife Jozette divide their time between their home in Florida, a second house in Pennsylvania, and occasional trips to Germany to visit a son and his family who live there.

All of Arlon Stubbe's books are available in print and as e-books, and are listed on Amazon.com. Most appear on BarnesandNoble.com as well, and can also be ordered from any book store, or from the author by e-mailing him at a-bear@roadrunner.com. Stubbe also writes articles on HubPages under the 'hub' name of Bear Tales.