Stephen L France — London Novelist and Author of The Taking Off My Shoes Series

My name is Stephen

I used to have a strong ambition for an independent life and a wholesome desire for a family of my own.

I made a vow to pursue my ambitions and desires, but I was powerfully disappointed, hurt, and transformed by that vow.

I then made another choice — one in direct opposition to the first. This step of faith meant a renewal of my mind in a completely different direction.

It marked an end to selfish ambitions and vain conceit, and brought about surrender to and through Jesus: “not my will but yours be done.”

Do you seek the Truth?

Just to clear this up — I’m not a conspiracy theorist. But I’ll explain why I posed that question.

I was born and raised in London. At 25 years old, I flew thousands of miles out of the country, disappointed, dissatisfied, and depressed with everything that had gone before in my life.

I’m not exaggerating. I was a truly unhappy man with a vivid memory reaching back to when I was three years old. It seemed as though none of my hopes and dreams had materialised.

Abroad, I sought my paradise — the perfect relationship, an ambitious writing career, and my fortune. I lived the Western dream: journalist, beach bartender, and Editor-in-Chief of a luxury property magazine in the Caribbean.

In fact, there is much, much more to life than an amazing climate, tasty cocktails, azure blue waters, and white sand beaches.

Now, all I seek to do is share the truth I’ve discovered as a believer in Jesus Christ’s Resurrection.

This includes an honest account of my time in the Caribbean, forged in transparency and vulnerability — my novel series, The Paradise Induction.

Why I write

In a saturated market like self-publishing, my only real selling point is the raw truth of my own experience.

This means revealing my darkest times and most humiliating moments — which may be why this series is taking so long to complete — reliving it is difficult.

However, I am convicted that a testimony of this kind — one that points to Truth — carries a weight that surpasses my personal discomfort.

In this series of novels, names of people and places have been fictionalised to protect the identities of all those who contributed to making my Caribbean experience a tailor-made, bespoke, custom-built chastisement.

I look forward to getting to know you.

— Stephen L France, London