Recent Releases
Help for Parents Navigating the Teen Years One Essential Conversation at a Time
There are things parents absolutely need to talk to their teens about, but what we say, how we say it, and when we say it can make all the difference between helping them embrace the truth or driving them away.
In What to Say and How to Say It to Your Teen, father-son writing team Tim and Mark Shoemaker equip parents for 30 of the trickiest conversations we need to have with our teens. Providing a roadmap for clear, compassionate communication with the son or daughter who no longer thinks you have all the answers, the Shoemakers help parents address questions, like:
​
-
Why can’t I have my phone in my room at night?
-
Why do I have to go to church?
-
How can God allow bad things to happen?
-
What can I do about the anxiety or depression I’m feeling?
-
Why can’t I just date for fun?
-
Why do I have to get a job?
-
Why does it matter who I hang out with?
With 50+ years of combined parenting and youth ministry experience, the Shoemakers offer the biblical tools parents need to handle the tough questions, conversations, and issues that come with raising teenagers.
“Our teenagers are going to mess up. And how we react at those times is critical. Do it well, and we nudge them toward true repentance. Do it not so well, and we push them deeper into rebellion. That’s why this book was written. It’s about giving parents some tools to help keep our teenagers on—or get them back on—the right paths. I want to encourage you to have the conversations in this book with your teen... We don’t have much time. Just a few short years. Maybe less. And with God’s help, we can do it.” -Tim
What I'm Up to right now...
I had a terrific time recording a Focus on the Family broadcast episode with Jim Daly and John Fuller. The title is Surprise Your Kids with Unforgettable Faith Lessons, and you can listen to it here!
I'm Working on New Books!
72 Questions (and Answers) About Life and Becoming the Man God Designed You to Be - Coming March 2026!
Navigating manhood comes with questions. God's Word has the answers.
The questions guys have about manhood may be new, but it turns out that the greatest secrets to staying on the right road have always been found in the Bible. “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). Tim and Mark Shoemaker look to Scripture—and weave in years of experience working with students and young men—to bring answers. They’ll hit topics like Manhood, Dating, Spiritual Life, Five Things Every Christian Young Man Needs, Technology, Porn, Emotions, and more.
I’m Working on a New Fiction Series!
I’ve started a new contemporary mystery, adventure, suspense trilogy. The working title for book one? Wrong Place ... Wrong Time. I'm loving it so far ... and I think you will too!
Just Finished with a Ton of Speaking ... and Now Prepping for More!
It’s been a busy year speaking at conferences, schools, and churches. We’re already booking up for 2026.​​​​​​​​​
Meet me at one of the 2026 Great Homeschool Conventions!
-
March 19-21, Greenville, South Carolina
-
March 26-28, St. Charles, Missouri
-
April 9-11, Cincinnati, Ohio
Tim's Fiction Writing Philosophy
Okay, so I was only messing around in this picture. I wouldn’t actually read Escape From the Everglades to kids way too young to handle the content—even though it looks like she’s awfully interested. But I definitely am a big fan of reading aloud to kids.
I love writing contemporary mystery, adventure, and suspense for youth. I believe well-written fiction is so powerful—and that it can do so much for the readers.
​
-
It can make them brave.
-
Warn them of dangers.
-
Motivate them to action.
-
Help them avoid traps.
-
Give them hope.
-
Introduce them to new friends.
-
Open their eyes to those hurting around them.
-
Convict them when they’re being a jerk or insensitive.
-
Heal them like nothing else can.
Great writing can cause readers to think and change in ways they never would have if the same truths had been conveyed through non-fiction … like a textbook or a lecture.
I don’t write down to readers. I know the youth reading my books are smart … but they lack experience. By experiencing the story with the characters, readers can actually gain wisdom that will serve them well. Maybe that’s why so many adults like these books as well.
You can trust my fiction. I write clean books. No language. No romance. No preachy, agenda-driven stuff either. And I’m careful not to make all parents look like idiots. Some writers may think those elements are needed to hold a reader’s attention. I’ve found the keys to truly gluing readers to my books is simply to give them a great story—with characters that resonate with them. - Tim