Justin Kratzmeyer does not sit still.

It’s not that he can’t, of course; sitting still is just not what he does. It’s not his personality. In fact, that’s what makes him such a hard worker: Kratzmeyer is always moving, always working on several projects at once.

This is how he can be a tax expert, used by many in the Mineola and Wood County area; the owner, operator, and employee of his own men’s clothing store; a dad; and, now, an author.

Kratzmeyer printed 125 copies of his book, “Seeking Immanuel,” just last month. While he finished his “final draft” in 2023, Kratzmeyer took it to several others, including his pastor, Mineola’s library director, friends and family to help edit and proofread the book.

“If there’s a creative bone in my body, this is it,” he said with a laugh.

The book is a self-described “easy read.” Measuring around 80 pages, the self-published novella is a family-oriented, historical fiction based around the wise men who came to see Jesus. It includes not only Kratzmeyer’s fictional story about the wise men, but also ties in several real Old Testament prophecies about Jesus’ birth and childhood.

“There’s no real Christmas books about Jesus,” said Kratzmeyer. “When you think of a Christmas classic book, what do you think of? ‘A Christmas Carol.’ It’s about Christmas, but it’s not about Jesus.”

That’s why he spent his so-called “free time” penning “Seeking Immanuel” so that, Kratzmeyer said, it can be one reminder of the actual meaning of Christmas during an otherwise commercialized, loud season.

“This is meant to be a very easy read. It’s meant to spark conversation and hopefully get people back to reading the Bible,” said Kratzmeyer. “I’m probably dreaming; but if you look in there and you see these prophecies, and they’ll say, ‘Wow, I wonder if that’s really in the Bible?’ And hopefully it’ll strike some curiosity.”

The feeling of the book, which is written for those at a 6th grade level or older, is such that both Kratzmeyer and his pastor said they envisioned it being read “in their living room, with their kids, reading during Christmas.”

The acknowledgements of “Seeking Immanuel” says it all – Kratzmeyer’s motivation for writing, the book’s genre, its wholesomeness and its future intent.

“The reason I wrote this little book is to spark curiosity and cause the readers to go back to the Bible and read it more,” wrote Kratzmeyer. “I would be remiss if I did not express my utmost gratitude and love to The One for whom I live my life, Jesus Christ. Immanuel, may we always truly seek you.”

Anyone interested in purchasing a copy of Kratzmeyer’s book can do so from Count Your Blessings bookstore in Mineola, from his website at kratzmeyere.com or by getting in touch with him at justin@kratzmeyere.com.