I was minding my own business on a cold day in January, 2009. I had moved into a little pull-along trailer outside of the home we had abandoned because of our toxic mold situation, in order to get my work done. I could see my breath in the camper. I wore a hat to keep the heat in. My wife and most of the family were far away in Arizona as I closed up the shop in Colorado and prepared for . . . well, I didn't know what.

An email came in from Lost Creek, West Virginia. It was from a listener to a local station there that aired my daily radio program, Chris Fabry Live. She said she wouldn't be listening to me that day because the station was off the air. The owner/operator had died the night before.

Billy AllmanSometimes you find a great story. Sometimes you hunt for an idea and come up with gold. This time the story found me, and it was recorded on our program that afternoon when we called Carmeleta to talk about the life of Billy Allman. Billy's heart was to bring Christian radio to his little part of the world. Nobody gave him a medal. Not many in the world noticed his passing. His funeral was no doubt small. He lived an insignificant life.

That's what the world thought. But heaven knew otherwise.

Billy's story of sacrifice and struggle stayed with me. That night I told my wife, "I think I have my next story."

My prayer is that this fictionalized account of Billy Allman's life will encourage people who haven't had a break or have never felt the hand of God on their life. That it will help those who are discouraged by their circumstances and feel a lack of purpose and direction. That it will awaken in them a desire to dream again and have the faith to follow that God-given dream, whatever it is.

Listen to the segment of Chris Fabry Live that inspired the story of Almost Heaven.

What Readers Are Saying . . .

  • "A powerful story of faith and the material things people hold dear. . . . This is Fabry's best yet."

    — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on A Piece of the Moon

  • ""Writing in his trademark lyrical style, Fabry spins a poignant tale about our society's invisible seniors and the woman and man who see their potential."

    — BOOKLIST on Every Waking Moment

  • "Great Christian novels are more than a story, they leave the reader pondering the state of his or her own heart. Not in the Heart demonstrates God's power to transform the seemingly untransformable."

    — TITLETRAKK.COM

  • "A fresh voice in Christian fiction . . . [Fabry] brings his trademark rich character development to this story, which delves into weighty issues like judgment, contentment, giftedness, and society's outcasts."

    — EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION on Every Waking Moment

  • "[Fabry's] poignant story is driven by deeply drawn characters who evoke empathy and frustration, compassion and anger. But in the end, the painful labor of rebirth will bring tears of joy!"

    — Christine, CBD Fiction Editor, on Looking into You

  • "[In this] soul-searching novel of faith, friendship, and promises, Chris Fabry invigorates the small-town lives of three teens in 1970s West Virginia with his exquisite, lyrical writing. . . . A literary delight . . . this novel is worthy of a standing ovation."

    — SHELF AWARENESS on The Promise of Jesse Woods

  • "A tale of secrecy, sacrifice and family . . . This poignant story is worth the heartache: Complex and layered, The Promise of Jesse Woods goes beyond a youthful promise to center on a bond renewed by a desire for truth."

    — BOOKPAGE

  • "Not in the Heart is the best book I have read in a long time. The plot is unique and creative, containing both ethical and moral dilemmas. . . . It challenges not only the readers' emotions but also their minds."

    — READERVIEWS.COM

  • "The rural South comes to life, with themes of forgiveness and second chances as highlights. The characters are both deeply flawed and immensely relatable, making this another hit for Fabry."

    — LIBRARY JOURNAL on A Piece of the Moon

  • "An evocative novel . . . Fabry weaves the events of the past and present into a finely layered story exploring the relationships of faith, forgiveness and family in the midst of healing from pain buried deep in the past."

    — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Under a Cloudless Sky

  • "A character-driven tale of dignity and compassion for those who seem to have lost importance to society . . . this thought-provoking read challenges the prevailing cultural calculations of the value of a person's life."

    — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Every Waking Moment