Into the Fire

Shameful lusts . . .

 

Love is not an enabler. In fact, love exposes. Love looks at sin, defines sin, condemns sin, but loves those who commit sin. Love in no way condones sin.

Both Christians and unbelievers manipulate scripture to suit their desires. Although devoted Christians do their best to get the interpretations of the Word of God correct, dissidence, factions, denominations, and variations of particular scriptures cause dissension at worst, disagreement at best. However, there are some scriptures which speak radically plain, and misinterpretation of those specific scriptures is simply an intentional act of wishful thinking.

Let me give you a few verses (Romans 1:24-27) which couldn't be more specific:

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator . . .

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also exchanged natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Could these words speak any more clearly as to the definition, conduct, and offense of homosexuality?

So why risk writing about this topic on my blog again? Why risk being called a bigot or homophobe? I'll tell you why. It's estimated that less than 4% of the total population in America is homosexual - or "gay" if you prefer. Yet the agenda to make this relationship or sexual orientation seem "normal" and acceptable is being forced on us via every medium. The public education system is indoctrinating elementary school children with their propaganda, encouraging not only an awareness of this tendency but an endorsement.

Series television must feel obligated to support their homosexual writers and actors because more and more of them are featuring episodes promoting the gay and bisexual agenda. (The Following, Criminal Minds, Bones, Rizzoli and Isles, to name a few.) Frankly, I find the portrayal of two guys lip-locked thoroughly and utterly depraved.

I know gay people. Some neat individuals. Like all of us, they have the ability to live their lives making difficult choices and reaping the consequences of those decisions. We all have the freedom to indulge our sinfulness. Most of us have our weaknesses. Christians who love Jesus fight and scratch to combat that flesh which makes ungodly demands on us. It's never easy to live upright lives. Not with our nature. Not in this life.

I'm giving the Christian perspective from the scriptures quoted above. Other Christians campaign for homosexual "rights" and gay marriage. They use God's love as their prop. Homosexuality is just another sin. We're all sinners. That it is, and that we are. But to promote sin is to ignore the word of God, regardless of the sin. And there's something to be said for sexual sin because of the "oneness" that's created with the merging of bodies. Bodies were designed in a specific way for that oneness to occur - encompassing the physical, emotional, and spiritual unions our Creator had in mind. Anything other than His way is called perversion.

Honestly, I guess I'm sick of the homosexual agenda. I'm not against the individuals who live this lifestyle. They get to choose it. I don't endorse it any more than I endorse lying, cheating, fornicating, stealing, et. al, so don't expect me to do so. And don't expect me to settle for the redefining of marriage to satisfy the sinful conduct of same sex relationships. No.

 

Lord, you died a gruesome death, took all of our sins on your body, in order to forgive us. With all of our various perversions of your word, our inescapable willfulness, our repugnant disregard for what's right, your love prevails. How you can love us is beyond our finite comprehension. Please lead us in your ways everlasting. Forgive us for our disobedience. Bring more souls to your kingdom through the one and only Truth in you. We're all desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Pick your battles . . .

 

                           

 

Although it's a familiar and well-used cliché applied to situational arguments with teenagers, in politics and relationships, and in corporate boardrooms or custodial closets, it's a valid instruction, its intent recognizable by all who hear it.

In my world it can also apply to those matters created by writing novels. Authors subject themselves to all kinds of decision makers. If they make it to the level of having their work on the threshold of publishing, they face the editing process. From ordeals to pleasurable experiences, writers must face certain battles to preserve or eliminate words they've strived to get just right.

I can't speak for most authors, but I know that some are far easier to work with than others. And, sad to say, I'm probably from the latter category rather than the former because of the strong convictions I hold regarding realism in Christian literature. I'm not speaking of arguing for inferior writing, but I'm definitely not into compromising truthful depictions of life portrayed as it is. And sometimes that is precisely what we don't see in CBA novels.

Even in the committed lives of Christians, sin is warred against, sometimes resulting in a victory for the sinful nature. That's not to say we don't read of adultery, divorce, drunken or alcoholic behaviors, physical abuse, or other such sinful conduct in offerings from Christian publishing. Specific novels from good authors and selective publishers have dared to produce some fantastic fiction dealing with difficult issues in their characters' lives, giving readers meaningful portrayals of sinful people in need of saving grace.

However, more often we read of characters who hide secrets which seem unqualified for such drama. No one uses hell or damn or smokes or drinks. Any romantic attraction consists of lingering looks and heavy sighs. And readers of these novels are not only pleased with such stories but rant against those which are quite the opposite of them.

I guess I'd face a few battles. Not sure I could win any of them. Not saying I'd accept defeat.

 

Lord, your plan for me is a single path. Designed for my steps, custom-made. The only one I want. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

 

 

Sorry . . .

 

                   

 

This is how I felt when I attempted to think of a blog post for today. Sorry . . .

 

Lord, I need renewed energy. Please supply. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

No regrets?

 

   

 

Sometimes we talk big about regrets. Some of us boast about having no regrets. Some instruct others to live without regrets. Either way seems ludicrous to me.

Regret is built into the human psyche. It screams in our souls, but some of us learn to ignore it, pacify it with apologies, resist it and proclaim our lifestyles will be experienced to the fullest, all the while way down deep we know we're doomed to feel it, know it, and live with it.

We're sinners. Sin institutes regret. Lyrics to an older popular song went like this: "If lovin' you is wrong, I don't wanna be right." And that's a tale told throughout our world. Some things force us into regrettable situations by appealing to that insatiable source of desire known as our flesh. Constantly we are asked to disobey our righteous codes to live for the satisfaction of our physical bodies. But as Mick Jagger once pointed out so raucously - and correctly - we can't get no satisfaction.

There comes a time in a person's life when he or she makes the decision to live with fewer regrets. Or not. Mine came when I met Jesus Christ because I had a boat load of them when He gave me a new life. Forgiveness came easy for Him. Not so much for me. I'd packed a lot of wrong things into a several year period, and it didn't seem right for Him to let me off the hook for all those mistakes so easily. I continued to pay the consequences for them, but His forgiveness prevailed. Gradually the weight of regret lifted to a manageable memory, although I confess at times those memories taunt and haunt me unmercifully. At least I know the power of His Blood to cleanse me.

Don't flippantly dismiss the concept of regret. It packs a punch and it never fades away. It waits like a serpent to invite you back to that place which makes you want to forget about the pain it causes and how foolish and empty you feel when you indulge those things that return you to its hiding place.

You can't live this life without regrets. It's your nature. You can harden your heart to its somber reminders, ignore the stabs at your conscience, and claim you want to live life to its fullest so regrets be damned, but regret remains there lurking in the darkness concealed in all of us.

The more noble goal seems to be to live with as few as you can. The only way I know to do that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way I know . . .

 

Thank you, God, for rescuing me and taking care of my regrets. Only you could do that. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Win a copy of January Justice!

 

It's always fun to win. Whether it's a contest, a competition, or a prize, it's fun to win. So here's your chance to win a Kindle copy of Athol Dickson's first novel in the crime/suspense genre, number one book in the Malcolm Cutter Series.

Author, publicist, and overall talented publishing geek Tim George will give away copies of January Justice. Leave a comment and see if you become one of the recipients of this very entertaining and well-written book.

http://Ez.com/JanuaryJusticeTour

 

                           

                         http://Ez.com/JanuaryJusticeTour

 

Attaining . . . January Justice

 

January Justice by Athol Dickson presents a new page in the ever-changing writing endeavors by this novelist. Available in soft cover and for e-readers on Amazon.com, January Justice gives us the first book in The Malcom Cutter Memoirs. I loved this book. In fact, it replaces Winter Haven as my favorite in the Athol Dickson arsenal of novels. Athol was born to write this series. Without forfeiting the wordsmith label and by supplying a meaningful and desirable protagonist, January Justice excels in this crime fiction genre.

Malcolm Cutter, former Marine engaged in Special Forces, lost his mind and the love of his life, actress Haley Lane, during a break in the provided studio trailer while shooting a film. The beautiful Haley Lane plunged to her death as he broke his hand trying to put it through the trailer's wall under bizarre and terrifying circumstances which neither of them suspected or could control.

Malcolm Cutter recovers in the guest house on the expansive estate of Haley Lane after being released from a mental hospital. His thoughts often escape to surreal places accompanied by outlandish visions, and he is regularly having to talk himself out of believing what his mind conveys to his visual and sometimes his audio senses. His occupation is that of chauffeur and it used to include being "Miss" Lane's bodyguard until he failed to achieve that duty one freaky frightening evening which resulted in tragedy for both of them. Now he's still in the chauffeur business but has added private security/inquiry to his résumé.

Simon, the amazing, almost omniscient British butler, makes sure Malcolm has what he needs even when he knows Malcom doesn't intend to take care of himself. Teru, the pipe-smoking attorney-gardener, also insists on inserting himself into the well-being of Malcolm Cutter, all of them having one thing in common: their love and respect for the deceased Haley Lane. That one thing forges them into an odd but loyal camaraderie and friendship which proves beneficial to them all.

Two Guatemalan professionals hire Malcolm to debunk the evidence which stated  the old murder of an actress's husband, who was responsible for "the disappearing" of many Guatemalan's, was due to their political organization. When Malcolm takes the case, all kinds of chaos erupts, adding to the decision he must make as to whether or not life holds any value for him anymore now that Haley's dead and her case is cold.

With a variety of twists and turns leaving just enough loose ends untied for the next book in the series due out later this year, the complex plot lurches and dives into the old and new and eventually forces Malcolm Cutter to make those hard decisions about the fragile faith he barely clings to and why his life has been spared multiple times. 

I found the imagery of various locations in Los Angeles and Guatemala intriguing and well done, providing vivid pictures of all kinds of landscapes from the rich and famous to the dirt poor. The development of Malcolm Cutter provides us with an instant establishment of his pain and confusion but gradually adds the layers of his depth of integrity, devotion, and ingrained toughness even when he doesn't want to use it. Personal reflections flesh out the absentee character of Haley Lane and make it easier to experience his loss. Blaming himself for her death has robbed him of a vital part of his being, and we hope that in the next story he'll begin to reassess his value in the investigation of her death and that self-defining purpose he needs to survive.

I reiterate I loved this book. Highly recommend it to readers of crime fiction and thrillers. Kudos and high praise to Athol Dickson for excelling in a new thing with his writing.

 

Father, please continue to bless this new chapter for Athol. Supply the stories, the depth he always includes in his writing, and instruct him in all things he does for your glory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

Sunday's Offerings

 

Be very careful then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

. . .

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

 

Ephesians 5:15-16; 10-11 (NIV)

Faith, Humility, and Integrity

 

Looks, sounds, and remains as this:

 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/OvN1jTkzXbY?rel=0

 

Father, send us a man who loves you above all others. We wait on the latter rain. Please, Lord, send us a servant of the Lord to govern with your inspiration. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

 

Ranting: be ye warned.

 

                    

Education in the USA: No one can spell anymore. From professionals to Facebookers. No one can speak correct grammar or spell. The English language is depleted by texts and phony words and misspellings. (I'm not speaking to those with specific learning disabilities. I'm speaking to those who go through the system without proper instruction and repetition.)

Evil in the USA: No one seems to recognize it. It's demonstrated continually from the highest office in our land, and it's ignored by those who see it but refuse to call it what it is. Lying, treachery, deceit, murder, perversion, all have become the norm. It's trickle-down evil and everything about it is so utterly wrong.

Elitism in the USA: Some of the richest people in the USA are Democrats who whine about the ultra-rich not paying their "fair share" while never volunteering their own money for more taxes. Some of the least intelligent and those lacking the most common sense are referred to as "elitists" in high positions. What possesses people to think there is enough money in the country to pay down the debt forced upon taxpayers? The "elitism" only exists in their minds and their personal opinions of themselves. 

Encroachment: The overwhelming lust for power that convinces these people they must control the lives of American citizens, thinking they know what's best for people when the politicians live in the DC bubble of privilege and surreality. What to eat and how much and what to think by using mind-numbing indoctrination via the public education system.

Exercise: What can this group be thinking when they hope to confiscate the guns of law abiding citizens while a corrupt government and the criminal element are storing up their guns and ammunition in great and scary numbers? This unlawful and blatant exercise of power in an attempt to override the law of the land that has worked successfully in making this country great is inexcusable and unacceptable.

Enough: Many of us have had enough.

 

God help us to hear your voice clearly and obey. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

 

50/50

 

                               

 

Some of the traits associated with the left side of the brain are listed in the table. Not all of the traits will apply to you. Remember, we use both sides of our brain, but your left side gets the most exercise.

Type of Cognitive Processing	Brief Description
Linear	Processing information from part to whole; in a straight   forward logical progression.
Sequential	Processing information in order from first to last.
Symbolic	Processes symbols an pictures; likes to use letters, words   and mathematical symbols.
Logical	Processes information piece by piece using logic to solve   a problem.
Verbal	Processes thoughts and ideas with words.
Reality-Based	Processes information based on reality; focuses on rules and regulations

Artists and writers are thought to favor the right brain. In the analysis of my responses to the questions in this little survey/test, apparently my answers showed an almost equal use of both halves with the slight advantage going to my left brain. Definitely some of these descriptions apply to my assessment of things in life. I might "focus on rules and regulations", but it's only to know whether or not I intend to rebel against them.

 

Father, please keep my brain working for the duration. As limited as it is, I do want to continue to use it for your glory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Take away . . .

 

                               

 

Your book is debuting. Your marketing is in high gear. What is the one thing you want your readers to take away from the story?

 

Father, help me to leave readers with something valuable which can only come from you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Looking back . . .

 

               

Most of us writers look for ways to correct things. Can it be said better? What word should I have used instead?

Do you ever go back and reread that novel you wrote four years ago? Are you editing it all over again?

If you had time to devote to the story you wrote, if you had time to let it settle, age, and ferment before you picked it up again, did you tear it apart, rewrite a few things, or smile in satisfaction as it required only a few re-touches?

There's a time to quit writing it. A time to let "The End" stand firm. A time to put it in the past and move on to the next story.

What do you see in your work when you look back?

 

Father, help us to be satisfied with the work of our hands, to give it due attention, our best efforts, and then to allow it to stand on its own as unique. Help us to do it all justice and then leave it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A short visit to . . . Sparrow House

 

                                    

Wikipedia describes a "Cozy Mystery" as follows:

Cozy mysteries, also referred to simply as "cozies," are a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. The term was first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an attempt to re-create the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.^[

For further analysis and specifics on "Cozy Mysteries", go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozy_mystery

Karin Kaufman writes cozy mysteries with a bit of an edge. Sparrow House is the second book in her Anna Denning mystery series (the first was The Witch Tree, nominated for a 2011 Grace Award). Karin lives near the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains with Sophie and Cooper, her crazy but lovable shelter dogs. http://karinkaufman.com/

Anna Denning is hired by the remaining Birch heir and his wife, owners of the legendary, supposedly haunted "Sparrow House", to do the geneaology of his family but more importantly he's also asking her to gather information to prove the house is, in fact, haunted so it becomes more enticing to the buyer to whom he hopes to sell the decaying house and estate. Since the house is a considerable commuting distance outside of the small Colorado town where Anna lives, Paxton Birch offers to let her stay there in order to facillitate his quickly needed information and to bring a friend if she deems it necessary.

To Anna the only attractive room in the old house is the library, teeming with aged documents and books, a geneaologists dream come true. Taking the job, she enlists her closest friend Liz, a web reporter with her own local "newspaper" site. Together with Anna's dog Jackson they tackle the hugeness of the assignment while experiencing the eerie goings on in their midst. From a rigid household manager to the off-putting groundskeeper to the sneaky professor, there are unsettling noises, obnoxious and repugnant paintings disappearing from their upstairs bedroom hallway and being replaced with others, to the suspicious death of a young assistant to the groundskeeper.

It doesn't take long for Anna, Liz, and even Jackson to become uneasy. Things aren't right, especially knowing that Anna has received two anonymous notes about her work at Sparrow House. It's odd that Paxton doesn't know how or why the Birch home adopted the name Sparrow House, but as Anna and Liz delve deeper into Paxton's wicked father and the other mysterious deaths at the house, they figure out who was responsible for the name and exactly what it meant. The innate tension and weirdness in the house cause the two close friends to argue but they reconcile after realizing the pressure they're under and the feeling that they're also in danger.

The discovery of new information intensifies their fears and the climactic revelation of the various mysteries occurs during one of the horrendous lightning storms that not only knocks out the power but darkens the daylight.

Sparrow House presents cozy mystery readers with an entertaining story set in a creepy atmosphere with plenty of suspects - both dead and alive.

Occasionally it seemed the locations of characters intersected, making it unclear where exactly they were, i.e. they were standing by the nursery but walked to the driveway but in the next moment were back standing by the nursery. Minor confusions and nothing that took away from the story.

Karin's voice is just right for the genre, and Anna Denning is a consistent, somewhat feisty but vulnerable character who, after two years as a widow, is falling in love with a man who respects and honors her past and provides her with a hope for the future.

 

Father, you know how hard Karin works, how deeply she strives to honor you in all she does. You know exactly what she needs, what she hopes to achieve. You are her provider. Please continue to give her the desires of her heart as she delights in you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

Sunday's Offerings

 

There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each man, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV)

Now that it's over . . .

 

                

 

Men can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Women can harbor joy or resentment for yet another year until the obnoxious holiday spreads its hearts and sensuous advertising via every means available to them all over again. Whether it's an important day to you or if it's a dreaded day, Valentine's Day is over. Chocolatiers and florists gear up for Mother's Day while assessing their campaigns for romantic success.

When I was in the 6th grade - still elementary school in those days - I received three anonymous huge heart boxes of Valentine's candy on my desk. I remember one of them was a beautiful yellow box. Yellow happened to be my favorite color - still is, along with black - but no boy I knew could've known that. To this day I don't know who those generous young men were, but somehow I hope they understood how flattered and thankful I was for their attention. It was a sweet (pun intended) and generous gesture, one their parents probably contributed to. No small deal but apparently too embarrassing to declare their identity to me. Little did they know, so very many years later, how appreciative I would still be of the memory and their efforts.

Do you have a fond Valentine's Day memory or is it just another day for you? As an adult female and die-hard romantic who is also happily married, surprisingly, Valentine's Day means very little to me. After having worked 7 days a week for many years on the racetrack, days tended to blend together without a real identity. Inconsequential "holidays" like Valentine's Day didn't really garner a lot of attention. And my husband was one of those men who felt mostly pressured by the day rather than inspired. Not by me. I understood his reluctance to figure out a "romantic" gift. Might be fear of failure. I didn't and don't need one. I only need his love. Low maintenance.

But I always get him a "romantic" card because that's how I feel about him. Once in a while, those cards tear him up and embarrass him, and he gives me that brief look which says it all and reminds me precisely why I fell in love with him.

So. Valentine's Day is over for another year. But love doesn't come and go on one day a year. It's perpetual because of God. And that Love supercedes and is beyond our understanding. Available to every one of His creation. "Amazing Love, how can it be? That you, my Savior, would die for me . . ."

Here's hoping your Valentine's Day was all you hoped it would be . . .

 

Father, help us to recognize your love in all areas of our lives. Help us to be less selfish. Remind us of your forgiveness for who we are - that you made the way for us to reach you and know you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.     

 

 

Do you love?

 

[I'm over here today, but that post has nothing to do with Valentine's Day. So here you go.]

 

 

 

Aahhh, Valentine’s Day. A day many men dread. And on which many more women become disappointed. Why? Because the expression of love sometimes has little to do with the depth of the emotion of love. And these are the two areas of love which are featured on Valentine’s Day.

There’s nothing “wrong” with Valentine’s Day because it’s supposed to celebrate the noble state of love. Biblical definitions of love make it untenable for humans because when humans become acquainted with love, it’s all about them. It becomes physical and emotional but rarely sacrificial.

Women pout if the objects of their affections are unimaginative, try to ignore the festivities of the Day, give the same ol’, same ol’ gifts as per the media suggestions. Rarely do one male and one female “celebrate” the Day with the same mindset. Men have little time to shop for something “special” to tantalize their current squeezes or their mates in order to hop into bed for the proverbial red hot sex which is expected and promoted by all the hype.

All of which has little to do with the four letter word of “love”.

The definition(s) of Love? God is Love. Period. And within that tiny sentence is an explosion of meanings and realities that we humans cannot grasp, understand, or even imitate for the most part. We screwed up our part in it. Flat out blew it. And we’ve been playing catch-up ever since. “Playing” being the operative word.

And I think that’s one possible reason why, in general, men don’t particularly like Valentine’s Day. Because it reminds them of their inadequacies in loving. It taunts them for not understanding the needs of a woman, for the barrier that exists between the sexes, great or small, but visible and coherent even if unable to articulate.

I also think women tend to love the Day because it celebrates what they always hope to have, to experience, to breathe in, to know in its fullness. Yet it eludes them. The need for touch without consummation, the desire to be the only one their man thinks is beautiful, to be celebrated for their perfection which they are sorely short of in every sense of the word. The Day allows them the tease of “feeling” special. That one time a year.

And here’s where we falter. “Feeling” love and living love can be at opposite ends of love’s spectrum at times. While “feeling” love is wonderful, necessary, and sensuous with a mate, it plays only an innocuous part of the whole experience. It’s the “doing” love that becomes the challenge with
the curves and twists and injuries life throws at us. I don’t need to diagram love for you. Read 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, if you need real specifics. However, the definiton describes perfection, and as humankind, we're long on longing and short on achieving in the arena of real love. 

Remember this, if you have any questions concerning true love: God is Love. And it’s only through Him that you can receive and return the illusive most desired and basic part of our existence known as Love.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

 

Father, I am still learning. I am still trying. I love you with all my heart even though that heart often pursues you with such lacking. I need you, am desperate for you, and am a constant recipient and student of your love. Teach me more. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

 

 

 

When it's over . . .

 

 

 

Well-known television producer and writer Donald Bellisario, who is one of my all-time favorite producers, believes in the power of UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension). Long running series successes such as Magnum P.I., JAG, NCIS, and NCIS LA, have all given voice to the star-crossed, unrequited, or thinly disguised romance and sexual tension between co-star protagonists. Accompanied by great writing to keep these series in the forefront of viewers' favorites, romance and UST play a starring role in some capacity in each of them.

And then . . . it's over. Usually after the series has run its course for several years, the fantastic series come to an end, usually resolving relationships and leaving the viewers with hope for their favorite characters' futures. Ah, the love of make believe.

To sustain the UST, the romance must be intense while being downplayed. Much like category romance in novels presents the cat and mouse game of character attraction, it's accentuated in television series material, often carrying on for years over many episodes where every kind of possible conflict is experienced by the co-stars. When it's no longer feasible to keep them apart, the writers must finally figure out a way to bring them together, but this is a calculated risk which often precedes the series coming to an end. Why? Because the romantic sexual tension is no longer sustained. The objective which has kept fans rooting for or against them is realized, and the actual romance turns into relationship. Some of the clever antics of that romantic conflict are now missing, and the style of the show must evolve to serve the new commitment.

So. Do you enjoy the romantic sparring of UST in a television series? What about the formula for category romance? Tedious? Enjoyable? Leading up to the romantic holiday of Valentine's Day, how do you like your romance served?

 

God, you are Love. You created us. You gave us sexual desire. It was pure and good in the beginning. Forgive us for our sins of corruption against all that you made perfect and help us to seek your holiness in all that we feel, think, and do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.      

Being . . . Relentless

 

                       

The debut novel by Winter Austin (aka Winter Peck) is a romantic suspense titled Relentless published by Crimson Romance as a general market e-book.

Featuring displaced Cajun Detective Remy LeBeau now working for the Dallas Police Department, there's a serial killer attacking women on the rodeo circuit called the Rodeo Sweetheart Killer. Remy's first acquaintance with the pretty redheaded barrel racer Cody Lewis goes far better than their second meeting after she finds a carved up female victim in her horse trailer.

Victims with red hair and green or blue eyes just like Cody's features start mounting up as the investigation proceeds, and Remy's contact with the spitfire of a cowgirl proves more difficult than he anticipated. There's tension, attraction, and hard-headed back and forths between them, making the decision to put her under protective custody nearly impossible.

The strange events around the case are amped up when LeBeau receives voice-altered messages on his private cell number which indicate the killer has a personal vendetta against him. This brings the secretive events of his former life in New Orleans to the forefront of the story without revealing what they are. Detective Remy LeBeau obviously suffers in silence at his losses and holds himself responsible for some tragic and perhaps incriminating occurrences from his past, and throughout the story he's been unable to allow anyone into his private circle of trust. Including the reader.

When deviations surface from the killer's normal routine, the detectives involved wonder if there's a copycat or two partners. When LeBeau's Lieutenant calls in a former cop who worked on the original case, now a PI, to assist with the case, Remy's resentment is hard-pressed to accept the man. However, as they all work furiously to identify the killer by the faintest of clues, things begin to suggest a culprit right when they need it the most.

Winter presents a romantic tale in a unique setting with escalating suspense and a fair amount of twists plus lots of the typical sparring, sighing, denying, stomach tingling, self-contradictions and arguments, etcetera, of category romance. Fitting snugly into the desired genre, Remy and Cody provide two explosive characters with things to hide. Remy's biggest secrets remain hidden in this story written in a spirited voice by newcomer Winter Austin. This sets the stage for a next novel without leaving the reader in a lurch.

A good story and a quick read, Relentless touches ever so lightly on the element of faith and includes the use of mild expletives here and there. Recommended for lovers of category romance with emphasis on a suspenseful plot.   

 

Father, please continue to provide those stories you have just for Winter to tell. Watch over her and her family and bless all that she does for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Rewriting the Rules of Romance

 

               

 

Most of you writers who are seeking publication, or who have been published, are far more familiar with various categories, genres, and definitions of the rules governing those specifics than I. It seems every year or so new names for individual genre classifications arise adding more confusion - and rarely clarity - to the mix. And with those new classifications come a variety of new identifying rules for writing them.

Astute writers pay attention to these rules and make conscious decisions as to what categories their fiction adheres to. Perhaps one of the clearest and long-standing arenas of novels is the "category romance". Boy meets girl, boy and girl fight attraction, eventually succumb to said attraction, and find their way to love and the usually happily-ever-after syndrome. Statistics prove this formula is mucho successful in both the general market and the CBA market.

However, in the CBA market the rules for writing romance can be stringent and super specific depending on which publishing house is producing the novels. These rules are designed for a demographic which expects certain elements in their fiction. Whether or not this demographic established itself by expressing their expectations via communication with publishers or if it came by way of purchases which led to further precision in the design, it is a potent force in determining how romance novels are written in this Christian-based publishing leg of the overall industry.

I understand the necessity for formulaic writing. A lot of fiction readers enjoy predictability. Especially in their romances. This might be just a bit exaggerated in the CBA market because sexual references are tightly monitored by religious readers. And I use the term "religious" here for a specific reason. There are those in the Christian fiction market who will not tolerate those elements which make up sexual attraction and consequential dialogue. Period. They protest loudly and pass judgment on the books and authors who include anything not meeting their personal standards for "clean" and "righteous". Editors and publishers have been cowed by this majority in their chosen demographic and have actually constructed moderate changes to their products in second printings, eliminating the words or situations which raised the ire of their readers claiming such things were "inappropriate for Christian novels". Somehow the reality of sexual attraction and the challenges presented by normal human behavior is "inappropriate for Christian novels".

Although the general market provides category romance with all kinds of perverse liberties in their fiction, there is no immediate danger of the rules changing in Christian fiction to accommodate even the slightest bravery in writing honestly about sexuality. Romance is still generally predictable and formulaic to please the majority of those readers who have snuggled themselves comfortably into the prominent CBA clientele's sterile bedroom.

For the record, once again, I am not advocating graphic sexual content in CBA romance novels. I'm also not in favor of rewriting any rules for classifications or genre definitions, mind boggling as they sometimes can appear. Nor am I suggesting that publishing houses should lighten up or de-amplify their chosen restrictions because it's their business, their money, their profitability that's at stake. Therefore, it's their choice how they conduct their businesses.

But, and there's always a but when it comes to this topic, I choose to ignore the accepted rules for CBA romance novels, rewriting the rules of romance in my own kind of love stories. And accept the consequences of my actions. Fully.

 

Father, humanity corrupted what was once pure and lovely. You've redeemed love and romance. Help us to write that beauty in a fallen world. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Sunday's Offerings

 

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.  . . .  The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

Galatians 5:7-8;10b

Finding the way to . . . Redeeming Grace

 

                                             

 

Up for review this week from the CFBA Tour is Ward Tanneberg's novel Redeeming Grace published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

You know I'm an unabashed fan of large novels. I recently did a post on the value of sagas and epics over at Novel Rocket. Pointing out that the longer novels allow for more detail and potential character development, on the down side, if poorly done, they can result in wordy repetition, events or scenes which fail to contribute anything to the storyline or characters, and they might produce the desire to skim or abandon the story by the reader. Redeeming Grace is guilty of all three of these properties without being a total failure as a novel.

Editing needs proved abundant. Three paragraphs appeared one right after the other three times on the same page. A Datsun became a Plymouth within two pages. One character "Ilene" through the entire story briefly became "Irene". And a heretofore phantom wife of the primary villain was mentioned in one sentence in the final chapters which contributed nothing making it an unnecessary and unbelievable addition.  

Grace Grafton is "coerced" by her two girlfriends (Ilene and Bonnie Jo) to do something daring while celebrating their college graduation on a trip to Savannah. Invited by a charming stranger to travel on a yacht owned by a wealthy potential VP candidate to an estate party on Daufuskie Island with a senator who plans to run for president and a Lebanese diplomat while being provided with a lot of money to purchase appropriate attire and a room at an upscale hotel to get ready for the event, the girls give in to his request and go on a shopping spree. All the while, Grace maintains an uneasy feeling but keeps it to herself after her exuberant friends insist it will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The truth of that is sadly realized when other guests fail to materialize, the wealthy owner shows flashes of his cold and ruthless demeanor, the senator is a narcissist, and the too quiet diplomat proves a challenge for Ilene. When things turn dangerous, Grace is faced with an hellacious run and swim for her life.

The account of that horrifying evening and subsequent events is presented in long flashbacks, opening up a whole new cast of characters who reappear in the later chapters to help Grace - who has been under a different identity for seven years - rescue her fiancé and his children from the man who has been searching for her since that fateful evening.

Some of the story is told from the omniscient POV giving different looks at the many characters involved in this tale. Third person POV picks up Grace's story when she's on the run or formulating exit strategies.

My difficulties with Redeeming Grace are primarily expressed above where I listed the potential dangers in writing a long novel, mixed with the faulty editing, but there is one more. Grace Grafton isn't a particularly likable heroine. She has her tender moments, but she demonstrates a prickly personality and her demands in dangerous situations seem improbable. The improvisation during her escape comes across as believable although much too repetitive. Her temper drives her courage in the end, but her circumstances seem a bit too overwhelming for such bravado.

However, the story itself is entertaining in spite of the unnecessary elements and the lack of fine-tuned details. Mr. Tanneberg will capture the bulk of the CBA demographic with the preachy overtones in places and the style of writing for this genre. Redeeming Grace has its redeeming moments for those readers who expect what is considered the "norm" from their Christian novels.         

 

Father, you know Ward's heart, the efforts put forth in multiple ministries. Continue to supply what he needs to do what you've called him to do. Bless and encourage him all along the path you've designed just for him. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.