Getting to Know Richard Paul Evans: From the Page to the Big Screen

Best-selling author Richard Paul Evans is no stranger to Hollywood and is best known for The Christmas Box that was also made into a movie of the same title in 1995. The made for TV movie starred Emmy-award winning actor Richard Thomas and Hollywood legend Maureen O’Hara. To date, over 14 million copies of all his books are in print with The Christmas Box itself selling 8 million copies.

Evans, a former advertising executive, transitioned into the writing world in 1993 when he decided to self-published a novella titled The Christmas Box simply because he couldn’t find any publisher or agent willing to help him out. It was a book about a parents’ love and the true meaning of Christmas. Two years later, the book reached the top position for both paperback and hardcover editions on the New York Times Bestseller list, sealing Evans’ reputation as a bestselling author.

Evans believes in writing stories from the heart and wrote The Christmas Box specifically for his two daughters. “If had known my mother would be the only one to read the story, I would have still written it,” says Evans. “To let someone know that I understand their pain over losing a child is enough for me.”

The Utah-born author eventually wrote 18 novels, four of which have been produced as movies for television. Besides Hallmark’s The Christmas Box, the other movies are The Locket, starring Vanessa Redgrave and also on airing on Hallmark, as well as The Timepiece starring James Earl Jones and Ellen Burstyn; and another Christmas movie, A Perfect Day with Rob Lowe and Christopher Lloyd.

“It has always been my desire to promote positive entertainment through my books. The success of The Christmas Box and my other books is a testament that people are hungry for these kinds of values that we don’t often see these days in the entertainment industry,” says Evans.

The ability to write stories that feature strong characters and values has made Evans a sought-after and multi-awarded author and storyteller. While Evans targets his work to general audiences, Christian readers appreciate his works because his stories are refreshing in an entertainment field so devoid of good, strong values.

Evans’ first teen thriller, Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, is his way of reaching a younger audience as he presents an unlikely teenaged hero who has to overcome his fears and limitations to save his kidnapped mother. The plot seems simple enough but what makes Michael Vey so interesting is, although diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, he also has special “electrical powers.” The book debuted at No. 1 in August 2011 and is now on its sixth printing.