⭐ I'm grateful to share that Mateo and the Secrets of the Eternal Word has received a Highly Recommended editorial review from La Biblioteca de Nehemías, a Spanish-language Catholic website dedicated to reviewing children's and young adult literature. Reviewer Jaime Blanch Queralt wrote: "The novel is highly recommended." He also praised the novel's emphasis on family, friendship, humility, solidarity, and faith, calling it a meaningful read for young readers and families. Thank you, Jaime, for your thoughtful review and for introducing Mateo to your readers. Read Jaime's complete review: https://labibliotecadenehemias.wordpress.com/2026/08/03/mateo-y-los-secretos-de-la-palabra-eterna/#more-7753

Who is Mateo? Every memorable story begins with a character. But creating Mateo wasn't as simple as choosing a name. I knew I wanted to bring the great stories of the Bible to life through the eyes of a young eyewitness. What I didn't know was who that young person would be. This week's Behind the Story takes you inside the creative journey of discovering the boy who would become Mateo—and the moment I finally looked at an image and thought, "That's him." Read the full story: https://www.steverhartwigauthor.com/blog/who-is-mateo

Sometimes God leads us somewhere long before we recognize where the road is going. I never set out to become an author. I simply kept writing the next story. Looking back now, I can see how each one prepared me for what came afterward. “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us.” — Psalm 90:17 📖 Today’s blog: I Had Become an Author https://www.steverhartwigauthor.com/blog

I'm pleased to share that I've joined The Independent Author Network. My new author page brings together my books in English and Spanish, along with the latest news about Mateo and the Secrets of the Eternal Word. It's another small step in this unexpected journey as an author—and I'm grateful for everyone who has been following along. https://www.independentauthornetwork.com/steve-r-hartwig.html

Doña Rosa is Mateo’s grandmother. But is that all she is? From the beginning, there has been something different about her. Mateo tells her about journeys thousands of years into the past—and somehow, she isn’t surprised. She listens. She guides him. She helps him understand what he has seen. And every once in a while, she leaves us wondering: **What does Doña Rosa know?** This week’s Behind the Story introduces one of the most lovable—and yet most mysterious—characters in Mateo and the Secrets of the Eternal Word. 👉 **Who Is Doña Rosa?** Read the story behind the story on my blog. https://www.steverhartwigauthor.com/blog

A new bookshelf for Mateo. 📖 *Mateo and the Secrets of the Eternal Word* is now listed on **The Book List** under Christian Fiction and Religious & Inspirational. When twelve-year-old Mateo discovers an ancient Bible hidden inside an abandoned mountain church, the stories of Genesis become more than words on a page. He begins to **live them**. Creation. The Garden of Eden. Noah’s Ark. The Tower of Babel. Another little door has opened for Mateo to reach readers who love faith, Scripture, and adventure. https://thebooklist.co/books/mateo-and-the-secrets-of-the-eternal-word-1

Writing the book turned out to be only the beginning. There is a moment every new author eventually faces. The manuscript is finished. The book is published. Your name is on the cover. And then comes a much harder question: **Would anyone read it?** In today's blog, I continue the story of my unexpected journey into becoming an author—and what happened when it was time to stop writing for myself and begin looking for readers. 📖 **I Wrote the Book, but Would Anyone Read It?** Sometimes finding readers begins with just one. 👉 Read the new post on my blog. https://www.steverhartwigauthor.com/blog

How much does Father Tomás really know? He cares for an abandoned church in the mountains of Nicaragua—and watches over Verbum Aeternum, the ancient Bible that changes Mateo’s life. He is the one who brings Mateo and the mysterious book together. Coincidence? As Mateo’s journeys continue, that becomes harder to believe. Today’s Behind the Story introduces Father Tomás—priest, teacher, friend... and perhaps something more. 👉 Who Is Father Tomás? https://www.steverhartwigauthor.com/blog #ChristianMiddleGrade #BiblicalFiction #ChristianFiction #KidsAdventureBooks

Last week I asked the question every new author eventually asks: I wrote the book, but would anyone read it? Well... someone did. 😊 Then someone else did. And some of them even took the time to tell me what they found in the stories. Today's blog is about that strange and wonderful moment when a story stops belonging only to the person who wrote it—and begins belonging to its readers. Someone Read It 👉 Read the new post on my blog: https://www.steverhartwigauthor.com/blog #ChristianAuthor #AuthorJourney #ChristianFiction #ChristianMiddleGrade #KidsAdventureBooks

Mateo may be the hero of the story. But none of his journeys would happen without Verbum Aeternum. It rests inside an abandoned church in the mountains of Nicaragua. Father Tomás watches over it. Doña Rosa knows about it. And both seem to understand far more than they're willing to tell Mateo. At first, Verbum appears to be an enormous, ancient Bible. But is it? In today's Behind the Story, we meet the mystery at the heart of Mateo and the Secrets of the Eternal Word. Who Is Verbum Aeternum? 👉 Read the new post on my blog: https://www.steverhartwigauthor.com/blog #ChristianMiddleGrade #BiblicalFiction #ChristianFiction #KidsAdventureBooks