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Recently a very good writer remarked that certain words had to be eliminated from a story according to the editor. Why? Because they might offend some readers. No big deal this writer said. Not a critical decision. Problem solved.
Were those literary instances worth fighting for? Apparently not in this particular case. Not the battle to stand up and fight for. Not the hill to die on. Because let's just say death to those words in that little situation was next to certain.
So why did the author include them in the first place? To sneak them in there? You know, just to see if the writer could get one by the editor? No. Not at all. The depiction and the conversation in the scene seemed accurate, revealing. Was the author trying to be crude or vulgar, daring to challenge the norm in Christian fiction? No. Not even close to possessing underlying motives.
Offending readers. Not offending readers. Is that the objective behind writing stories in the Christian ficiton arena?
Bummer.
Father, sometimes I just don't know what to say other than I'm desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
http://www.authortoddjohnson.com/author.php
The CFBA's second tour for this week is the debut novel by Todd M. Johnson titled The Deposit Slip, published by Bethany House. Todd's credentials for this billed "legal thriller" are impressive including 30 years as an attorney specializing as a trial lawyer plus other striking accomplishments.
When a trial lawyer becomes an author, I find it fascinating that he chooses to reinforce the stereotype. We know most stereotypes evolve from a place of truthful witness, but sometimes it's a bit disconcerting to have them reinforced by those individuals who know them best. The Deposit Slip is full of the big law firm stereotypes and the struggling independent ambitious young attorney who withdraws from the grind and barely attainable prestige of the big firm to start his own practice, convinced he can make it on his own.
Jared Neaton escapes the hallowed halls of one such firm and takes his legal secretary with him. "Jessie" is high energy and devoted to Jared, but when one of his big cases flounders and takes a huge chunk out of their finances with it, she's shocked when he takes on a referral from his old mentor that looks impossible to win and even more impossible to finance.
The case involves a deposit slip found in a safe deposit box left to a woman by her father, a receipt from the local bank in her (and Jared's) hometown where she's come to take care of her father's estate which, outside of the old farm where she grew up, doesn't amount to much until she discovers the deposit slip amounting to over 10 million dollars. Everything about the slip appears to be authentic, but she hires an attorney when the bank insists they know nothing about it.
Jared dreads his return to his hometown of Ashley, Minnesota, where this case is based, mostly due to his longtime multiple daddy-issues, including his father's theft from his employer and his consequential imprisonment, served time, and release, amounting to total betrayal to the high school age Jared at the time. Although never divorced from his mom, they've been separated for years. Why his dad moved back to Ashley, where a lot of the townsfolk still hold a grudge against him, Jared can't figure.
Jared's former firm has two of its most cutthroat attorneys representing the Ashley Bank that claims no such deposit was ever made to it by Jared's client's father. It's Jared's job to weed through all the irrelevant material, claims, and physical threats and actions to discover who really might know what took place around the date of the deposit.
Jared himself strikes me as the typical young attorney, a passionate go-getter, but with a tendency toward bitterness and rage holding onto his anger and unforgiving attitude toward his dad. As this case develops, his faults surface and he's forced to evaluate who he's becoming. He's one of those protagonists who's sometimes hard to root for, unlikable at times because of his issues, but he keeps our attention in hopes that he'll win for the client and for real justice.
With planted spies to learn what Jared knows, two diverse private eyes, veterans who knew the deceased, a young college student traveling abroad, a wise librarian, a drunken farmer, and a hired hit man, the risks to solve this case affect both sides of the courtroom.
Okay. Good story. Some well-developed and interesting characters. Not bad writing for a first effort. Here comes the "but", and I emphasize here these are my gripes:
The stereotypes. There were some good descriptions depicting the various attorneys and their elitist gestures and attitudes, but nothing new here - and maybe that's because there's a lot of truth to the stereotypes. Nevertheless, it felt very familiar. Similar in feel to the film The Rainmaker and others of its kind.
***SOME MINOR SPOILERS***
The money. Over and over it's emphasized how behind Jared is with his bills, how he can't finance this case, the strain of the financial situation on Jessie, and yet he takes off for Greece to locate a potential witness, has to pay multiple Euros to get information once he's there ( the current Euro equals approximately $1.24), and still has money to dine out repeatedly. I know he could max out multiple credit cards, but the emphasis is such that some of his activities don't jive with having little to no funds available.
An incident in Greece. Given the background of a particular character, this just wouldn't have happened. Too obvious and careless for this experienced individual.
Another incident near the end with the same individual who was in Greece. Very hard to believe it would've played out this way.
***END OF SPOILERS***
Over-billing it as a legal "thriller". I think legal "suspense" is more accurate.
In conclusion to this rather lengthy review I do agree The Deposit Slip by Todd M. Johnson will satisfy those readers who enjoy Randy Singer and Robert Whitlow novels. The faith elements in the story were miniscule, but a positive message prevailed in the end. Todd definitely has another career ahead of him.
Father, you've given Todd multiple talents. May he always follow your directions and write the stories you have for him to tell. Bless all of his efforts done for your glory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
There's a particular mindset permeating the overall style of Christian fiction. Editors do allow an individual's voice, but do they allow the individual style and sometimes different perspective to accompany it? The appointed "rules" stiffen and prevail more often than not when an author willingly decides to break them. In doing this the novels come out in cookie-cutter mode, thereby training the authors to comply with a particular and unimaginative style in order to be published. As always, there are exceptions to this type of editor. Kudos to them.
Much of the reason for this is the now-typecast demographic that comprises most of Christian fiction. Those of us who initially chose to read Christian fiction for the spiritual aspects which added three-dimensional viewpoints to character development and worldview, but were trained in the diversity of the novels now considered classics, now grow weary of technically astute but boringly precise styles of story delivery.
The divide created by readers of Christian fiction and enhanced by publishers seems to be expanding as evidenced by the two opposite reactions of significant proportions created by recent elements in Becky Wade's novel My Stubborn Heart. I've seen it before with less publicity applied to a few other notable novels in Christian publishing but none as noticeable and provocative as the opinions attached to this book.
Controlled by the Chicago Manual of Style, the precision of the printed word in book form governs some of the grammar and technical choices (i.e. numbers being spelled out until they're in large digits). The unrestrained and relentless echoes of "Show don't tell" resound like gongs. These and the incessant demand for the elimination of adverbs and dialogue tags, pound away at subduing styles and insist these methods always work better. Which they don't.
Although I understand the necessity for a uniformity in general grammatical style for print purposes, I fail to see the merit in enforcing some of them. Readers enjoy all different kinds of books and adapt to many kinds of literature including fantasy novels with author-created languages.
Maybe this is an added advantage to the e-book revolution. Break-out styles which aren't so different from the norm but dare to rock the stifling boatload of rules can find an audience in the cyber world. It's no wonder some writers are going this route.
Father, your plan is the one I want. Whatever it is. However it goes. Instruct me, Holy Spirit. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Courtesy of bloggingbistro.com and Bethany House, I've received a copy for review of Davis Bunn's (http://www.davisbunn.com/) sequel to Lion of Babylon titled Rare Earth.
We rejoin Marc Royce, hero extraordinaire of Lion of Babylon, now in a refugee camp in Kenya under the guise of bringing supplies from a private company by the name of Lodestone. His mission there is to find the missing brother of a medical assistant working in the hospital tent of the camp. First he must gain the favor of the young refined tribal chief Philip and the friendship of Charles who translates for him and provides the diplomatic and basic managerial duties of this particular camp.
Strange things are happening here with the displacement of many tribes from the land they have owned for eons but with no papered proof. Pseudo United Nations' soldiers route the people from their homes and take over their land, sending them to refugee camps. Amidst the chaos, a volcanic eruption spews ash around the camps and rumbles like a wild animal.
Kitra, the Israeli medical assistant whose brother Serge has disappeared after investigating a confiscated village, lashes out at Marc, having learned not to trust "outsiders". Marc remains steadfast in establishing the people's trust even when he is moved to Nairobi where he meets two other men who are also covertly investigating their employer Lodestone to find if they're connected to whatever is going on with the land grabbing.
As with Lion of Babylon, Davis includes historical information about Africa and respectful insights to the different tribes and their customs and beliefs. Undergirding all the negotiating, planning, and figuring out who can be trusted and what exactly is going on, the peace of Christ rules the young visionary Chief Philip, the elders of his tribe, Philip's uncle and multiple tribal leaders previously at war with each other around Nairobi, pushed to gang-ruled slums on the outskirts of the city. Marc's own faith is strengthened by the wise young leader and the dignity of Charles and his countrymen as they fight through impossible conditions to discover why they're being victimized and by whom.
The significance of the novel's title leads to the solution of what's happening with the land and leads Marc and his ragtag army into a Jericho-like battle they can't afford to lose for the survival of Kitra, her brother, multiple tribes, and the overall balance of power. With a diverse cast of carefully constructed characters, Davis Bunn creates an intriguing story capturing some of the majesty and much of the cruelty in a country gone mad with greed and shifting allegiances.
Just a few minor complaints which will most likely go unnoticed by his readers: the lack of contractions (i.e. I do not, it did not, would not, etc.) which can make the writing sound stilted and formal; the overuse of some typical clichés for the hero's attraction to Kitra and some other particular points.
I applaud the final scene because for this story to have ended any other way would've felt contrived and unfitting for our admirable protagonist Marc Royce.
Father, you've given Davis multiple opportunities to share the gospel in story form. I pray you would continue to give him the stories you want him to tell, to use those many places your directions have taken him. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Happy 4th of July!
Independence from tyranny . . . we celebrate the formation of the new nation with barbeques, hot dogs and hamburgers, fireworks, camping trips, R & R, parades, the memories of military service past and present. Each person or family has its own version of celebration for this holiday . . . or not.
We have a flag flying and I get choked up at times when I see the breeze lifting it up and stretching out its colors. God bless the United States of America. God shed His grace on thee. With all of our weaknesses, our perversions, our abominations . . . still . . . our God is made strong in our weaknesses. We plead for His divine intervention to reign over us and rain down upon us. For we are a free people in a gorgeous land, a land He has prospered and preserved. We are blessed beyond any other peoples on earth. This land of plenty.
Yes, as Jesus reminded us, we will always have the poor among us. On this earth. We will always have people doing harm to people. On this earth. We will always have to fight to protect our freedoms against hatred, violence, and sadism. On this earth. Yes, we will always have to face the curses of sin.
However, Independence Day is not just a celebration of a nation’s official birthday, it is also the glorious proclamation of a higher independence. An independence that leads to dependence. An independence from the tyranny of sin to the dependence on the One who saved us from it and will keep us firm in His holy grip if we’re completely yielded to Him and dependent upon Him for the workings of our lives. He leads—we follow. He is the bravest, the most courageous, the protector, the mighty One, the strong tower, the refuge in time of storm or trouble. When our lives are over, He will take us to be with Him.
So, on this wonderful holiday thank God He allowed you the privilege of being born in the United States of America. There’s no better place on earth.
Father, please continue to shed your grace on this country. Heal us from the sin within our borders. Help us to pray for souls to know you. Help us to pray for a great moving of your Holy Spirit. Help us to celebrate our independence by being dependent upon you and you alone. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
I've done a lot of talking about romance novels in the last couple of weeks. Sexual attraction from the world's multi-faceted views and contrasting them to God's view in story form. The works. Threw some opinions in there about language and innuendo in novels, authenticity, reality. Again: the works.
What I want to say here is I'm passionate about a lot of things. Anything and anyone that lights up or darkens my life gets my complete attention. And to the contrary, those things or people that don't interest me much get virtually no emotional investment from me. I have to draw the line somewhere because passion takes some serious energy. When you give "it" all to something, you possess little for much else.
Ever since I was a little girl I loved romance. I remember chasing a kid named Dev around the playground of my school in kindergarten because I liked him. In fact, that's pretty much all I remember about kindergarten besides crying most of the way through the school year. My mom and dad loved each other, and I sensed it as a child. When I saw a couple kiss on the old black and white television, when I was very small, apparently I always asked my mom, "Mommy, are they married?" The relationship awareness factor is something I've always known. And loved.
Untold numbers of men and women have been afflicted, some ruined, by the sexual mores of this world. Emotional and spiritual damage from promiscuity is rarely addressed in any important, understandable fashion. Its seriousness is always covered in youth groups but the impact of sexual indulgence by hormonal teens often misses its mark and immature Christians suffer the consequences.
My "mission" is to write what the Lord has put in my soul. To attempt to convey His kind of love to those who are looking for it in the wrong places, to those who've been victimized by what they thought was "right", and to those who are doing their best to stay true to the call of the Lord on their romantic searches for the one He has for them. And to do it with authenticity, to portray reality without flinching, to make the faith journey clear and desirable as opposed to the worldly way.
Instead of giving readers the usual passion . . . derailed.
Father, here am I. Use me. However you can. This vessel isn't the pretty pot. You know it's cracked and broken, held together by the Blood of Jesus, the Balm of Gilead. I love you, Lord. Minister to me, Holy Spirit. Let me hear you clearly. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
The first novel for July's CFBA Tour is J. Mark Bertrand's Nothing to Hide, the third book in the Roland March Mystery Series, published by Bethany House.
With each new Roland March story another layer is peeled back or added to the loner detective. The books clearly stand on their own, but readers who want a true and fuller experience with March miss out on so much without reading the previous two novels Back on Murder and Pattern of Wounds. Nothing to Hide takes us on a wild ride down Mexico way into the realm of procured American guns bought for drug cartels. Sound familiar? The novel was written before the infamous and tragic Operation Fast and Furious conducted and under fire by the current US administration.
March and his once nemesis Jerry Lorenz are partners on the investigation of the headless corpse, one arm to the side with a skinless finger pointing in a direction which Jerry thinks might indicate where the wayward head might be. When March decides to look in that direction, he falls crossing a ditch and dings up his back and hip. To top it off there's no head in that direction or anything else that he can find.
Through a clandestine and confidential meeting with his Lt. Bascombe and the diminutive FBI agent Bea Kuykendahl, March starts his suspicious methodology of adding two and two together to make sure the number four comes up. When it doesn't, he's again in that place where he always arrives in his investigations: out on a limb and on his own but as far as the department is concerned, everything he's doing is unknown.
With insights from Jerry and a genuine fondness and respect for the younger man developing, March is impressed when Jerry discovers important information about the headless man with the pointing finger.
The investigation takes a dangerous turn when tragedy strikes. March is compelled to stay away from the case, but when has that ever stopped him from searching for the underlying truth. Plagued by the recurring physical pain from his fall but determined to get to the bottom of this convoluted trail of deceit and weapons, he is rescued from one unexpected crisis by a young man (Jeff from the gun range March frequents) who knows someone from March's distant past. Gun fans, you're in for a treat with this book.
Woven in between the investigation are references to Dante's Inferno, the ugly smugness of atheism, March's history as an MP in the Army, Carter and Gina's due date for their first child approaching, and Charlotte's new faith causing ripples of silent anger in March's psyche. Charlotte is less visible in this offering but her presence resides at a distance in March's heart.
The scenes in Mexico rival those in thrillers and warrant a tighter grip on the bookcovers or your e-reading device. Intense, riveting, and emotional. And possibly presenting the slightest chink in March's spiritual armor.
If you've read any of the Roland March novels, I don't need to tell you how superb the writing is, but I will anyway. Roland March is J. Mark Bertrand - or vice versa. This is a character who's come to life through the pages of these stories, and in an ever growing and enlightening way, we see through all the bluster and proclamations of his aloof aloneness. The language and tone for March, for Charlotte, for every character rings right. Descriptions, quirks, nuances of behaviors, actions, and personalities give visual recognitions and perceptions to the intimate details of each person, place, and thing. I'm not a gushy praiser of authors, but there's no question J. Mark Bertrand is a student of people and a master at creating characters. He was indeed born to write. And complex mysteries are his forte at present.
Another great read and clever title from J. Mark Bertrand with Nothing to Hide.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/200764206397
Father, you are the lover of Mark's soul. You've gifted him with exceptional abilities to create stories. I pray your blessings to continue on his life, and I ask you to continue to lead him in your ways everlasting. Keep him and Laurie safe from all harm. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.