By Paula K. Parker
IF I PERISH:
A Queen’s Sacrifice
Biblical Fiction
She was an orphan.
She was an outcast
She was the queen of the most powerful empire the world had ever seen.
And she was born…
For such a time as this.
A bold new retelling of the story of Esther, by Pulitzer Prize nominee Paula K. Parker.
Hadassah was born in to a loving, wealthy Jewish family in the Persian Empire’s capital city of Susa. But before she even comes of age her world is swept away by events over which she has no control. Her parents murdered, she is left with only one living relative, her much older cousin, Mordecai, who shelters her as his own daughter. Just when life regains a semblance of normality, on the eve of her betrothal, she is taken against her will into the King’s harem, where she assumes a new name and is admonished to never speak of her family or heritage.
Over the course of a year, she has become an orphan and an outcast. Yet even here she is destined to serve the purposes of God. As Mordecai prophesied, she was born for such a time as this.
Accolades for IF I PERISH: A Queen’s Sacrifice
There are many in our world who have the ability to write, however, there are special ones who have the gift of writing. Paula Parker is one of those with a gift. Thank you, Paula for sharing the gift of IF I PERISH: A Queen’s Sacrifice. Thank you also for the incredible amount of research on cultures and customs that elevates the reader’s understanding. I sat mesmerized as I followed the lives of these characters that I have read about for many years. I laughed, cried, cheered—for or against. No one should let this book pass by without it becoming a part of their library. It will be a favorite for years to come.
~Donna Williams, Co-Founder
EPIC Ministries, Inc.
~
I have read and love all of Paula’s biblical novels and can’t help but think each the best one she has written to date—yet it is true, those who diligently work at their craft continue to achieve more mastery in it.
IF I PERISH: A Queen’s Sacrifice reflects that artistic mastery in Paula’s writings. When you open the book, you step back to the time of King Xerxes, discover what life was like for Jews and Persians alike. The drama and intensity is brilliantly combined with scenes that bring a tear or lighthearted laughter. You’ll catch a glimpse of what it might have been like to be an orphaned by a brutal mass murder, to be ripped away from your only surviving family member, to be being brought before a King whose whim determines whether you live or die, and ultimately having the weight of saving your entire nation cast upon your shoulders with nothing except your enduring faith that God is with you—even it if means you perish in the process.
IF I PERISH will leave you breathless as you reach the end and suddenly realize, it is not a statement of resignation, but of Faith.
Tracy H Sugg, Sculptor
Fine Art Bronze & Monuments
The Sisters of Lazarus Saga
SISTERS OF LAZARUS Video
Classic and contemporary art set to the music of AudioMachine tells the story of Christ.
Equinox by AudioMachine
Officially Licensed Music
BEAUTY UNVEILED: Sisters of Lazarus, Book One
“A riveting story of love, longing and faith. Paula combines masterful storytelling with well-crafted dialogue. The result is a cast of biblical characters fresh, human and real. Through the eyes of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, the reader eagerly connects with three siblings from a normal, dysfunctional family.”
Bonnie Keen
Author, Actress, Recording Artist
Internationally Acclaimed Author
and
Pulitzer Prize Nominee
Paula K. Parker
Paula K. Parker is a Pulitzer Prize nominated, award-winning, best-selling, and internationally acclaimed author, playwright, magazine writer, entertainment writer, devotional writer, curriculum, and corporate copywriter.
Her biblical novel, IF I PERISH; A Queen’s Sacrifice reached multiple best-selling charts on Amazon and was nominated for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. THE CARPENTER AND HIS BRIDE; The Birth of Hope, also reached multiple best-seller charts on Amazon and won the Bronze Medal from the Inscriptions Christian Book Awards. Her Sisters of Lazarus trilogy, BEAUTY UNVEILED, GLORY REVEALED, and GRACE EXTENDED, reached multiple best-seller charts on Amazon.
Paula co-authored two novels, YHWH: The Flood, the Fish & the Giant, and YESHUA: The King, The Demon & The Traitor with NY Times Best-Selling author, GP Taylor. She co-wrote Shameless Self-Promotion with Mike Parker and Torry Martin. Her devotional book, Illuminations showcases the work of international artist Tracy H. Sugg. Her children’s picture book, SLOW LOVE, was illustrated by Breanna King Butterworth.
An accomplished playwright, Paula is best known for her sparkling stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility, and Jane Austen’s Emma, which have all been performed in theaters across the US as well as internationally.
A freelance writer, her work has appeared in such national publications as Focus on the Family’s Citizen, Christian Single, Christian Health, Clarity, Release Ink, HomeLife, Disney’s Family Fun, and PB&J magazines as well as online at Crosswalk.com, LifeWay.com, and BuddyHollywood.com. Since 2013, she has written curriculum for the WinShape Camp for Girls.
Paula lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with her actor/author husband Mike. When not writing, she spends her days hanging with her hubby; visiting with their five grown children, their three sons-in-law, and eight grandbabies; actively involved in their church; restoring their vintage home; working in their garden; learning Italian; and playing the harp.
Published Books
Stage Plays
Magazine Articles
Featured Books
Shameless Self Promotion
and Networking for Christian Creatives
Signed or indie; beginner or seasoned pro; whether you are an artist, author, actor, promoter, or even a church hosting an event – you have something, or someone, that needs to be promoted. That someone might even by you!
You CAN build your business and develop your career…without selling your soul!
Illuminations
Musings & Art
Illumination, in art, refers to the decoration of ancient sacred manuscripts and books with colored, gilded pictures. The illuminations in these ancient parchments often appeared as involved miniatures, decorative initials or ornamental border designs. They were intended to add beauty and reverence to the Holy text.
The illuminations in this book are also designed to add beauty and awe to your devotional time as your draw closer to God.
Yeshua
The King, The Demon & The Traitor
From the depths of time come stories that have been told and retold for thousands of years. Twenty-nine exciting stories come together to speak of the life of Jesus and his followers.
Told in a fresh and exciting way, this book will open your eyes to the pioneers of the new religion called ‘The Way’ and the force that subsequently changed the history of mankind.
An Unlikely Evangelist
At 5:10 p.m. on Friday, March 1, Paula K. Parker learned that her father had passed away. He had died, as he had lived, all alone in the bar he managed.
Jane Austen’s
EMMA
Jane Austen’s feisty, provocative and enchanting heroine, Emma Woodhouse, comes to life on the stage in Paula K. Parker’s sparkling new adaptation of EMMA.
Slow Love
Saturday night is always a special time for Mary.
That’s when Grandpa tells stories!
“BEAUTY UNVEILED is a fun and meaningful read, offering the best of what biblical fiction provides – a tale built around beloved scriptural figures. But Paula Parker goes deeper than just creating an entertaining story featuring Mary and Martha, she explores the eternal question of what it means to be truly beautiful.”
– Roma Downey
executive producer of The Bible miniseries & star of TV’s beloved Touched by an Angel
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My Writing Blog
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Paula K. Parker’s Article on IF I PERISH: A Queen’s Sacrifice was Featured on Fiction Friday
On February 14, 2025, my article on the story behind my writing of IF I PERISH: A Queen’s Sacrifice was featured on Linda Wood Rondeau’s Fiction Friday blog. Linda followed with a humbling review of my novel, beginning with the statement, “This is a book for the...
WEED OR FLOWER?
It was early March. Mike and I spent most of the day in our yard, getting it ready for the coming growing season. Before I could stop him, Mike used the weed-wacker in one of our flower beds where I had left some flowers from the previous year. “There was nothing...
Annette Woolf’s Kind Comments about IF I PERISH
When I was in the early stages of researching for IF I PERISH, there were several questions I had. One was why would Mordecai be allowed to visit Hadassah/Esther within the palace grounds when no one knew they were related? Then I remembered my friend Annette’s...
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Production rights for all of Paula’s stage plays are controlled and administered by WordCrafts Theatrical Press.
Email: wordcrafts@wordcrafts.net