Steven James
Author · Storyteller · Speaker
About Steven James
Steven James is a critically acclaimed author of twenty-one novels and numerous nonfiction books that have been translated into six languages and have won or been shortlisted for dozens of national and international awards. In addition, his stories and articles have appeared in more than eighty different publications, including the New York Times. He is also a popular keynote speaker and professional storyteller with a master’s degree in storytelling.
Since 1996, James has appeared more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe, presenting his stories and teaching the principles of storytelling to writers, speakers, teachers, and leaders.
He also hosts the weekly podcast The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed more than 200 of the world’s leading writers and storytellers. In 2020, he was inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame for excellence in fiction writing. Publishers Weekly has called him a “master storyteller at the peak of his game.
Flirting with the Forbidden
Finding Grace in a World of Temptation
Flirting with the Forbidden explores the fragile line where desire, doubt, and longing intersect with faith. Through deeply human stories rooted in Scripture, the book examines temptation not as an abstract moral concept, but as a lived experience shared by every person who seeks meaning, belonging, and purpose.
Rather than portraying biblical figures as distant or flawless, these stories enter their inner worlds, their fears, rationalizations, weaknesses, and hopes. They reveal men and women who struggle with the same tensions we face today: the pull between obedience and self-will, between what we know is right and what we quietly want.
At the heart of the book lies a central paradox: temptation is real and persistent, yet grace is always present and stronger still. The answer is not found in trying harder or pretending perfection, but in honestly confronting our brokenness and receiving what God offers, mercy, restoration, and transformation.
The animated stories in Faith Reflection Stories are inspired by these narratives. Each adaptation seeks to remain faithful to the emotional truth of the original writing, inviting viewers into moments of reflection where questions are allowed, struggles are acknowledged, and grace is encountered without simplification.
This book is not about easy solutions.
It is about seeing ourselves clearly, and discovering grace in the very places we are most tempted to hide.
Other Acclaimed Books
Stories that challenge, thrill, and transform
Beyond Flirting with the Forbidden, Steven James has built a remarkable body of work that spans more than forty books, including thrillers, essays, and guides on the art of storytelling, translated into multiple languages and read by over a million people worldwide.
His internationally acclaimed series The Bowers Files redefined the suspense genre with emotionally complex characters, psychological depth, and moral tension. Titles like The Pawn, The Bishop, and Checkmate have earned numerous awards, including multiple Christy Awards and recognition from Suspense Magazine as Book of the Year. These stories do not just entertain. They confront the cost of truth, justice, and redemption in a broken world.
Alongside his fiction, Steven has become a guiding voice for writers around the globe. Books like Story Trumps Structure and Troubleshooting Your Novel are now considered essential reading for anyone seeking to craft meaningful, memorable stories. His work as a teacher of narrative, paired with his master’s degree in storytelling, reflects a lifelong dedication to helping others tell the truth beautifully.
From heart-pounding thrillers to reflective essays on faith and meaning, Steven’s books offer more than plots. They offer perspective. Each one is an invitation to explore what lies beneath the surface of human experience, where grace, failure, and transformation often live side by side.