Check Out Henry Arnold’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Henry Arnold.

Hi Henry, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I began my professional life as an actor in 1970 in a production of “Man of La Mancha.” My father played Don Quixote and I played Paco, muleteer #5. It was a wonderful launch to a stage and film career that continues to this day, one of special significance since I was able to share that experience with my dad.

My writing career soon followed as a playwright, which then evolved into writing for film and later into fiction. The writing of my historical fiction series “The Song of Prophet and Kings,” was a slow process. I created three one-man shows of biblical characters that I toured around the U.S. for many years. While doing so, I began to formulate the idea of writing a series of novels around the dynasties of the first major prophets and the first three kings of Israel.

The best part of it all is I have been able to travel this road with my wife Kay Patton. She has been by my side for most of this adventure, and while the life journey has had its ups and downs, I would never have wanted to share it with anyone else.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh my, no. My professional life as an actor has been anything but smooth; many rejections and many failed attempts at making the most of opportunities. But that is an actor’s life. When I look back at the fifty-three years of my professional life, I can see a steady progression of work experiences that one could call a real career.

My writing life is similar. I went through several literary agents before I landed with Brian Mitchell and Dave Schroeder at WTA. It was and is wonderful to be in the company of good men who believe in me and the work I have created. This is a great partnership. But that was the first step. They submitted the first manuscripts of “The Song of Prophets and Kings” to many of the major publishers and we racked up a stack of rejections. Then WhiteFire Publishers came along and said “Yes.” David and Rosanna White provided the boost we needed to get this series out into the world.

I would add that the “rough roads” in our lives may leave some battle scars, but they prove to be God’s refining process for our character.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I can say that I am a storyteller. I act and I write. I have a calling in my life that is solely artistic. It is how I think and live. That is what I am known for.

I am pleased with what I have created so far in my life, on the stage, and the page. It is difficult for me to pick and choose what I might be most proud of. It is like asking a parent which child is their favorite.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Support and collaboration are a mainstay for anyone in the creative arts. From time to time, an artist might need to isolate to get work done, eventually, they come back into the light and want to share what they have created with the world. That is the nature of the artist and the art; it is created to be witnessed.

When I work in the theatre I have the pleasure of collaborating with other theatre artists. When I finish the novel, I can work with many different people from the editors to marketing/publicity teams. It is all a part of the process of creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.henryoarnold.com
• Instagram: Henry O. Arnold
• Facebook: Chip Arnold and Henry O. Arnold
• Youtube: Henry O. Arnold
• Other: www.goodreads.com & www.WhiteFire-Publishing.com

Image Credits
“Scene” cover story by Martin Brady, “Urinetown;” Nashville Repertory Theatre, (character: Coldwell Caldwell), and Book cover designs by Rosanna White