This month in Behind the Book, we interview iconographer Aidan Hart, author of Techniques of Icon and Wall Painting. With hopes of raising the current standards of iconography in the West, Mr. Hart has written a 460-page icon painting manual published in 2011 by Gracewing Publishers. In his thirty years of experience, Mr. Hart has seen a welcome rise of interest in iconography, but, in his opinion, much of this interest has resulted in poorly crafted work. His book is designed to show that iconography is a serious and demanding sacred art, requiring hard work, a strong spiritual life, and good intentions. Through his experience, he has seen that there is a need for a detailed reference book that could be used as a sort of textbook for teachers and students alike.

This month in Behind the Book we interview Annalisa Boyd, author of Hear Me: A Prayer Book for Orthodox Teens. Hear Me was published in 2007 and has been a very popular prayer book, selling thousands of copies since its first printing. Here, we speak with Annalisa about how the book came about, and how her own prayer life, and that of her family, has been affected by working on this beautiful, yet challenging project.

The Summary: Hear Me is a prayer book seeking to challenge Orthodox teens to stand up and make the Orthodox faith their own. It is split into several sections: daily prayers; prayers for any time; prayers for relationships; prayers for circumstances; the sacrament of confession; prayers with the Bible and the saints; some saints who pray for you; and the Christian walk.

This month in Behind the Book we interview Mother Melania, an Orthodox nun with a heart for children. She’s the author of a popular series of poems focusing on Pascha and the Twelve Great Feasts, plus several Old Testament themed poems, such as Noah and the Ark of Salvation—each volume illustrated by Bonnie Gillis. Here, we speak to Mother Melania about her new book, Capers and Harry, and how she hopes to reach children through a different style of storytelling.