by Jerry Grillo
White County News
Steven Steele never considered himself a strong student. He nearly flunked out of high school. But today, he’s got something that many college graduates never get — a published book under his belt. When he stops to think about it, it’s almost hard to believe.
“I was not a good student,” Steele said. “So it is still amazing — me, of all people, has a book out there.”
Timeless: Tales of the Tribulation is fiction, a collection of 13 individual fictional stories rooted in Biblical teachings. In the Bible, the Tribulation is a seven-year period of global chaos culminating in the Second Coming.
Born in Fulton County and now living in Cleveland, Steele worked a variety of jobs over the years — from managing Home Depot aisles to pulling overnight warehouse shifts. During those quiet nights, he passed the time with audiobooks and began thinking seriously about writing.
“I wanted to write a book that was entertaining, of course,” he said. “It’s a Christian novel, but I wanted it to be vague. I don’t mention Jesus by name. I don’t mention God by name. I wanted someone to be able to pick it up and not feel like they were preached to.”
His creative vision — biblical themes told through character-driven short stories set during the Tribulation — was recently published by Trilogy Christian Publishing. Steele submitted just three stories at first, not expecting much. To his surprise, the publisher asked to see the rest.
“I didn’t think anything of it,” he said. “These are my stories — who’s really going to want to publish this?”
Trilogy did. One editor called the manuscript “a blessing to read.”
The moment he opened the box containing his first shipment of books was one of three emotional milestones for Steele during the process — the other two being the publisher’s initial interest and the full read-through.
Steele, 37, said he became a Christian at 17. He sees his writing as more than just storytelling.
“This is very much the Lord and God above telling me to write,” he said.
He’s already working on a prequel about spiritual warfare and generational curses and plans a third book to tie the series together before moving forward.
His debut is available through major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.com.
For Steele, writing isn’t just a dream realized — it’s a mission in motion.