Into the Fire

Book News: Read all about it!

 

                                   

 

Really. Tell me. How do you want to hear about a good book to read? Are you a review reader? Are you a store browser? Do you scan your favorite authors' blogs for their recommendations?

 

  

Are Facebook,Twitter, Amazon, or Goodreads your sources for books? How do you want them presented to you? This is the gist of marketing, and no one seems to have a universal answer that works to sell or promote books - at least not novels. The tendency is to cram them down our throats, to force authors to sell, sell, sell, promote, promote, promote, until the saturation point of seeing the book again is aggravating. The only newsletters arrive conveniently when there's a new book release.

What sells you on a book? 

 

Father, we need to know how you want us to do these kinds of things. Your way is all that matters. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

What exactly is it?

 

Can you define what it is about your favorite authors that makes them special to you? Is it their imaginative stories? Is it their creative language - metaphors, similes, descriptions? Is it their unique and quality characterizations? Is it their different approaches or styles? Do you have comparable desires for each genre writer you read? Have you diagnosed your reasons? Do you know what makes them your favorites?

 

Father, thank you for our differences. Please use all of them for your purpose and pleasure. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Touching . . . The Judgment Stone

 

                                      

                                   (Free for review from the CFBA Tour)

 

Robert Liparulo is a master at writing thrillers. He's also my friend. We haven't seen each other in years, and he's so busy we rarely email anymore, but one thing never changes: he's a treasured friend. So it's always a pleasure - and a privilege - to read and review his work. The Judgment Stone is his latest release, Book Two in The Immortal Files, published by Thomas Nelson.

As I've said before, this fantastical supernatural adventure series is not normally in my reading repertoire, but if Robert writes it, I'm reading it. This series began with The Thirteenth Tribe, introducing us to a gang of immortals cursed with life on earth through the centuries since they celebrated around the golden calf in Moses' absence while receiving the stone tablets from God. In the first book Jagger Baird, his wife Beth, and his young son Tyler agree to travel to Egypt for a job so Jagger can recover from losing his left arm, where a tough metal prosthetic arm with a hook now resides, and the death of a family who'd been close friends, in a fatal car crash back in the states. Jagger was to provide security for an archaelogical dig close to an ancient monastery where interesting monks do more than maintain the buildings. It's a paradise for Tyler who explores the monastery's many tunnels and monk cells and learns amazing history from certain monks.

I don't want to ruin that story for newcomers to the series, so suffice it to say The Tribe we meet in the first book is back with their leader Neveah who once again wishes to capture Beth but for a different reason. Before The Tribe's venture is in full swing, the monastery is attacked by a grisly ghoulish bunch, perhaps more dangerous than The Tribe. After the onslaught of evil perpetrated by this group leaves several dead monks and a severely injured Oliver who's in charge of the dig, Jagger is informed as to the identities of these marauders. Like The Tribe, these more sinister individuals are known as The Clan because they too celebrated the calf but instead of regret for their ancient actions, they're on a hate-filled mission to destroy all they can, especially those who worship God. But they need something to do it well, and they arrive at the monastery to retrieve it. The immortal who goes by Owen is summoned for assistance and direction as to how to retrieve the special stone which was stolen during the attack.

When the powers belonging to the stone are known, Jagger partially understands why he must join Owen in getting it back, but he's torn about leaving his family again. Knowing he must go, he bids his tearful family goodbye and he and Owen fly away without a concrete plan. Total and brutal mayhem await them from the time they land in one place to the time they land in another, aided by a salvaged broken piece of what The Clan stole.

Jagger Baird has missing centuries from his memory ever since the car accident. New revelations begin to return to him in spurts in this second installment, and one of them is also revealed to Tyler unexpectedly. Beth proves heroic and resourceful in her endeavors to protect her son from The Tribe while far far away Jagger and Owen attempt to take down The Clan and retrieve the stone.

Anyone who's read Robert's novels knows to expect plenty of threats, trouble, and trauma. The Judgment Stone fills the pages with them but not without moments of extraordinary emotional content. I admit, sap that I am, parts of Chapters 94, 95, and 96 had me crying.

The Thirteenth Tribe and The Judgment Stone are Robert Liparulo's unique-to-him versions of what Frank Peretti began in This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness. Spiritual warfare at the highest and lowest levels race through the pages of The Judgment Stone while Jagger worries, rants, and wonders why God does what He does - or perhaps why He doesn't do what Jagger thinks He should. It's the age old conundrum of questioning why God allows such evil to seemingly reign on earth, and it keeps this protagonist at arm's length even when He sees the evidence of God's miraculous interference. If there is a "weakness" in this story for me - and I use that term more as a personal preference rather than a commentary on the writing - it's Jagger's constant refusal to acknowledge God's presence and intervention even after experiencing it.  

Readers will travel with Jagger and Owen who must figure out a way to protect unsuspecting potential victims while back at the monastery, and unbeknownst to Jagger, Beth and Tyler and the amazing Father Leo battle for their lives against indestructible forces. 

The final chapters of The Judgment Stone ratchet up the excitement factor and come to a satisfying and meaningful conclusion with plenty of conflict awaiting the next book in The Immortal Files. For maximum enjoyment I highly recommend readers start with The Thirteenth Tribe and proceed to The Judgment Stone. Fascinating novels with high-tech action while presenting thoughtful spiritual questions. 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595541721

 

Father, bless my friend Robert in every way with your abundance. Please lead him on the path you designed just for him and pour out your Spirit upon him as he travels it with gusto. Keep him and his family safe from all harm and please surround them with your ministering spirits. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.       

 

Becoming . . . Becalmed

 

                                 

 

becalmed: "take the wind out of one's sails"; in a dead calm; "not wind enough to twirl the one red leaf" - Coleridge

Every occupation, every adventure, every hobby, sport, and profession uses a language or terms all their own. While the language and terms might vary according to regional dialects, the slight variations don't amount to misunderstandings among those who are knowledgeable. Sailing is no exception to the rule. There are right ways to do it and proper words to use in the process. Normandie Fischer leaves no question as to the authenticity of her sailing know-how in her entertaining first release Becalmed. Just as talented author Tom Morrisey has made rock climbing and diving terms real to those of us who've never done either, Normandie takes us right onto the boats in her story without talking down to us or forfeiting the true language and operation of those who love the wind in their sails.

Sometimes genres mesh together and don't fit comfortably into their assigned niches, but Becalmed is Women's Fiction from stem to stern and tackles the aching heart of a mid-thirties Southern belle who feels like she's over the hill in the romance department, not to mention her constant awareness of the closing window toward motherhood. A designer of jewelry using stones her delicate mother left behind when she passed away, Sara "Tadie" Longworth and her neighbor and best friend Hannah live a short distance from the little shop they own and operate in the coastal tourist region of small-town Beaufort, North Carolina. They employ Isa, an older free spirit, and also sell paintings from a new impressive and soft-spoken artist Stefan.

When a widower (Will Merritt) and his young daughter Jilly limp into town after their beautiful boat breaks down, Tadie is there to assist them with information and hands-on care. Jilly charms her new friends, but her obvious need for womanly companionship worries her paranoid daddy since he can't quite leave the memory of his wife behind, his fear of forgetting her or being unfaithful part of his working around his grief.

A hurricane brings Isa, Will, and Jilly to stay in Tadie's beautiful empty home after securing the boats and hoping for the best. Tadie's lovely sailing craft "Luna" seems secure enough in her barn, but Will's 50 footer at the marina must ride out the storm with less security.

Shadowing the budding relationship between Will and Jilly and Tadie, Tadie's long ago high school boyfriend (and Hannah's brother-in-law) Alex is in the middle of a divorce and trying to reclaim Tadie as his own. She wants nothing to do with him, but his persistence irritates and raises a hint of fear in her.

James, Elvie, and their daughter Rita complete the prominent, cozy, and mostly wonderful cast of characters, lifelong friends and employees of Tadie's deceased parents and dearly loved by Tadie who depends on them for things far beyond James' maintenance duties. She considers them her true family.

The conflict created when Will's conduct leaves Tadie "becalmed" proves the emotional storms outweigh the hurricane's damage, and repairs make for slow-going.

A polished wordsmith, Normandie Fischer captures the essence of Southern charm and infuses it with the love of the sailing life, the needs and desires of a still-young woman who feels old and unattractive, and the necessity for honest relationships. Becalmed fills the reader with vivid emotional and physical imagery ingesting Southern humor and expressions moving toward reaching a touching and satisfying conclusion. Faith elements reside solidly in the background of this entertaining story.

And isn't that just the best cover for this novel? Published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

http://www.amazon.com/Becalmed-Normandie-Fischer/dp/1938499611/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369671680&sr=1-1&keywords=Becalmed+by+Normandie+Fischer

Also coming soon in August, 2013, Normandie's second release Sailing out of Darkness. Published by WhiteFire Publishing.

 

                                   

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sailing-out-Darkness-Normandie-Fischer/dp/1939023068/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1

 

Father, please continue to inspire Normandie as she writes for your glory. Give her more stories to tell, the opportunities to keep sailing on Sea Venture, and, as she welcomes her first grandchild, help her to be the shining light in that little child's life. Bless Normandie in all areas of her life as she seeks to serve you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Memorial Day

 

                          

 

For those who gave it all, we honor you. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your service. Thank you for fighting for freedom. The United States of America cannot thank you enough. 

 

 
               

Father, I pray for all of those who are actively serving this country today. I pray you would reach them with the Truth, protect them with your divine right hand, supply them with courage and strength, and somehow let them know how truly grateful we are for their service to our country. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Sunday's Offerings

 

Praise be to the Lord, my Rock.

 who trains my hands for war,

 my fingers for battle.

. . .

Deliver me and rescue me

 from the hands of foreigners

whose mouths are full of lies,

 whose right hands are deceitful.

 

Psalm 144:1; 11 (NIV)

Heroes

 

                                            

 

http://myfreedomfoundation.com/blog/detail/memorial-day-honoring-our-heroes

My recurring theme . . .

 

I'm reposting The Last Frontier of Christian Fiction . . . just because.

How did you get here? No, really. How did you get into this life on planet earth? Yes, God breathed your creation. But after that? Those two people who are your parents—remember them? I know. Some of you don’t have the knowledge of who those two individuals are or were. I’m sorry for that. And some of you only know one or the other. But that’s not what I’m asking here. How did Mom and Dad come up with you? Yes. Okay, you don’t have to picture it. You don’t have to describe the mechanics of it. But this is what I’m talkin’ about!

 

Most of us want to know how our parents met. We desire to know their “love story”. Girls want to know about their first kiss, the romance, the places they met, how Dad proposed. What did it feel like? Boys want to know if Dad knew he loved Mom and how did he know it? And when? And was it difficult asking her out or what about kissing her? All of these questions depend on the ages of sons and daughters. And, of course, if they feel like they have the freedom to discuss such things.

 

The Last Frontier in Christian Fiction is the real love story with the real romance. The reason for this is because sexual concepts, actions, feelings, and reactions—all without graphics and explicitness—remain a tad taboo. Not to say we don’t get the heart-thumping, “deep” kisses, and the heat-producing stares or dialogue in Christian romance stories, but most of the sexual content of meeting, liking, loving, or simply being attracted to someone is imagined, handled with clichés, or . . . left out. And this is fine for some. However, for those who’ve been down some roads without a moral compass, who’ve tasted of desire only to have it get the best of them without experiencing the fulfillment it promised, the chaste stories of super control while with someone who wakes up every membrane and hormone within you don’t work. Don’t seem real. Don’t seem possible. Don’t also quench the nagging place that wonders if no one gets how it feels to be them.

 

In the general market there are virtually no boundaries. There is “gay” literature for the homosexual market. There is “erotica” for those who indulge the rush of sexual activity in print form. There is enough crude language in some novels to fill a septic tank. These kinds of novels aren’t necessarily the norm or the bestselling, but they occupy their space in the market- and some would say they're on the uptick.

                

 

Some Christian readers prefer to ignore the subject of sex. They don’t want to read about its powerful position in relationship. I’m not talking graphic depictions here. To think that contrasting the world’s views and reactions to God’s could be “edgy” baffles me.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, written years ago and still on many bestselling lists, tells the story of a raped child forced into prostitution, who is eventually given a primitive abortion, who is rescued by a man of devout faith who marries her and fights every carnal desire he has to avoid a sexual encounter with her because he wants her to want him and to know that she’s not just a whore to him. It’s stunning Christian literature.

              
 

In The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson the heroine of the story is directed by Jesus to love and embrace the man she’s known since he was a rebellious youngster. Within this powerful story written as a memoir, the subjects of incest and homosexual encounters provide a backdrop for an amazing love story. One of the best in today’s Christian literature.

                

Obviously there is an audience for the underbelly of love stories. What about stories featuring ordinary people who must face up to their sexual attractions, behaviors, mistakes, or indulgences? I can accept there are those who prefer “bonnet books” to a more contemporary story of real-life dramas without hiding behind a structured religion, but it’s difficult for me to believe there isn’t a market for those books which capture the essence of love depicted in the world’s empty promises and the conflicts presented while trying to live the life God’s designed.

 

Those readers are the audience I seek: those who’ve learned the hard way what the world has to offer leaves them lacking, disappointed, embarrassed, and often humiliated. Those people who long for a godly relationship within and without the bedroom. Those people who long to feel that somehow God, through the love and forgiveness Jesus offers, can restore some form of worth to their battered souls. Those who want to share the sensual pleasures with someone who wants to honor them before God regardless of the past. Those who’ve been broken and need repair. Or those who seek someone who respects what they’ve fought to keep. Those who desire passion in every area of their lives.

 

I write stories traversing the last frontier of Christian fiction. They’re not all about sex. But the relationships are real, not only down-to-earth but here on earth. Real life. 

 

Father, we’re all desperate for you. Heal us. Make us whole in your ways, Jesus. Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

First Person

 

                                          

 

It should be noted that when a novelist chooses to write in first person, he establishes his protagonist's voice. Opting to do the first person point of view limits the language, the actions, and all that the character does in order to stay in that character's skin. His perceptions drive the story, and they must fit him or her.

I never used to enjoy first person POV. I might've enjoyed the stories, but I didn't look forward to reading first person. In recent times of reading Christian fiction there have been almost a majority of novels with first person POVs. If a reader doesn't like first person, he'd be hard pressed to find a novel to enjoy. I wrote six novels before trying a mixed first and third person POV (in Breath of Life). I found I liked writing in the first person and am currently engaged in another attempt at mixed POVs, primarily first person, in my police procedural.

What do you read, like, and write? Do you mix it up in your writing? Do you have a preference?

 

Father, thank you for the beauty of variety and the desire to reproduce it. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Proving to be . . . Undeniably Yours

 

                                 

                            (Free for a review from the CFBA Tour)

 

Becky Wade's new release Undeniably Yours, published by Bethany House, fits snugly into that publisher's wheel house for romance novels. Unlike Becky's unnecessarily controversial first CBA release My Stubborn Heart, Undeniably Yours shouldn't present any outrage from the staid demographic of Christian romance fans.

Megan Cole inherits an oil empire when her father dies unexpectedly. Overwhelmed by the oil business and forced to make decisions she knows she's unqualified to make, one of her first chores is to close down her father's Thoroughbred farm. When she makes the unenviable trip to the farm, knowing she will be ending the jobs for all those who work there, she meets the farm manager Bo Porter who gives her a tour of the place and introduces her to the staff that keeps it operational. Although her father loved the horses, Meg does not, but Bo manages to convince her to give him six months to get the operation in the black before she closes it which she agrees to do.

Megan Cole is plagued with daddy issues. Her mom died young and her distant dad worked seemingly all the time. Her nanny, now quite old but still sharp, keeps her steady and smothered with love whenever they're together. She never wanted to work in the oil business so her dad gave her 10 years to do her own thing before the traditional heiress duty of running Cole Oil fell to her. While at college, she married a thieving scam artist, and he robbed her blind before their divorce was final five years later. She no longer trusts any man to get close to her. Until Bo Porter.

You can guess what happens next as with 99% of all romances. Isn't that how romances work? The wider look at the story involves the soothing of Meg's soul, the climax of those final trust issues and what it takes to produce that, plus the inspiration of ministry, and eventually, after some trauma, the happily-ever-after. Undeniably Yours is the classic romance.

There are no "questionable" words used in this novel. Nothing for the majority segment of Christian romance readers to fuss about, and certainly fans of Karen Kingsbury will enjoy Becky's second CBA book. "Clean and chaste" readers should be ecstatic to add Undeniably Yours to their book collections.

The strengths for me in this little romance are the attraction descriptions, the romantic obsessions of two people who can't figure out how to be together, and the innate difficulties of two people who come from starkly different backgrounds but whose hearts and visions of values and worth intersect.    

Weaknesses for me, and let me emphasize here, for me, are the typical usage of faith elements, some cliché romance factors which make it predictable and formulaic because that's how romance is "supposed to be", and the two "golden" Christian characters. My impression of this novel is that Bethany House wanted a more typical and "cleaner" story from Becky Wade than her first CBA attempt in My Stubborn Heart which was "undeniably" my favorite of the two and showed off Becky's excellent writing skills and voice much better than in this book.

If you're a fan of the typical Christian romance and enjoy a well-written novel, Becky Wade's Undeniably Yours will be perfect for you. 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764209752

 

Father, you've gifted Becky in this romance writing endeavor. I pray you would continue to give her meaningful stories that honor you, and I ask that you bless her with your truth in storytelling and your abundance in her life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

 

No sure thing . . .

 

             

We often count on many future things. We make appointments. We look forward. We plan. We organize. We assume.

But life is short and tomorrow never comes for some. One day it will be you and me. I confess I think about it too much.

As novel writers, we touch on life and death in stories. In life we experience serious loss. We laugh, we cry, we mourn. Words fill pages but often stop short in real sorrow.

I can no longer imagine life without Jesus. I lived it that way for a long time. Too long. He conquered death for all of us. He tells us we have today. And that our days are numbered.

Weird ramblings for a Tuesday.

 

Father, you've given me this life. Help me to do as you ask for each day you allow me to stay here. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Developing story . . .

 

  

 

Are you willing to allow a story to develop? What dictates whether or not you'll stay the course if a story begins to drag? Can you pinpoint when or how the development of a story turns you away?

Most who stop here stick with novels and enjoy story development. They don't mind a few extra incidentals in the story that could be left out and instead appreciate the extra flavor which tends to add to the bigger story.

We're picky readers in our own ways. Some of us read specific genres and don't waver from that short list too far. Others will read all kinds of genres but insist upon a good story. Short or long, they're not at all intimidated by the different lengths and prefer good development of characters and story to bare and sterile styles that celebrate fewer words.

What will cause you to give up on a novel? 

 

Father, help us to be just patient enough, to acknowledge that our opinions are not always shared, and to be intent on writing what you have for us to write. No matter what. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

 

 

 

Sunday's Offerings

 

Stop trusting in man,

 who has but a breath in his nostrils.

Of what account is he?

 

Isaiah 2:22 (NIV)

Well done!

 

        

 

An excellent ending to a marvelous season. And, yay: no cliffhanger!

 

Lord, thank you for the amazing talents you give to people. Please help them to experience your generosity and know you as you desire to be known. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

First lines . . .

 

                            

 

We all know them when we see them. Those great first lines in a novel or a film make us think we're in for a grand adventure. Whether melancholy, humorous, exciting, or clever, a perfect first line can be enticing.

But I don't base my liking of a story on that great first line. Because if that's all you've got, you don't have much. And that goes for a good first chapter too. You've got to carry it. When you start out explosively, you can't drop your reader off in the second chapter and return to brilliant in the fifth or tenth. And it's hard to sustain near perfection for the length of a story.

So how do you feel about first lines in novels? What's your objective when you begin your story?

 

Lord, you personified a great first line with In the beginning God created . . . Thank you for all the "beginnings". In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Season Finales . . .

 

Donald Bellisario's typical season finales end in cliffhangers. If you've been a fan of his various hit TV series, you know this. So. Anyone have opinions on these two season endings for 2012 - 2013 episodes?

 

   

 

   

Good writers. Good series. Good season finales?

 

Father, please bless these cast members with the knowledge of who you are. Bless their talents and may they ultimately dedicate them to you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

 

Ta da!

 

                            

 

I know: self-promotion doesn't become me. But I must admit I'm excited to announce The Famous One has been converted to the Kindle formatting by the ultra-multi-talented Tim George and is now available on Amazon for $4.99! Ta da!

As some of you know, this novel is longer than most novels associated with Christian fiction which is why it's been priced higher than many. Where most novels range between 80 - 100K words, The Famous One is over 141K. Reading like a fictional biography, The Famous One takes an introverted yet passionate character of few words and deep running emotion and puts him into the spotlight of fame where he is hungry for value, substance, and real love but struggles to find them.

Between Tim and I, we've been through every word of this novel to make it work for the formatting. Tim has major computer skills that far outweigh mine, so all I did was go through the novel to help correct irregularities created by conversion. Every Kindle novel I've read has had multiple errors, and I don't know if mine will also possess those typos, etc., but I want you to know Tim did everything he could to make the results turn out right.

Thank you, Tim George! You're a generous friend, and I appreciate you beyond what words can say.

 

Lord Jesus, I pray your abundant blessings upon Tim and his family. I pray you would open doors for all of his talents and pour out your Spirit upon his writing endeavors. Please continue to provide the stories you have for him to tell, the ingenious ideas he uses to promote others' works, and reveal to others how talented he is. And please bring healing to his body. In the Name, Authority, and Blood of Jesus, Amen.   

 

Sunday's Offerings

 

The arrogance of man will be brought low

and the pride of men humbled;

the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, and the idols will totally disappear.

 

Isaiah 2:17-18 (NIV)

Friday Five

 

          

 

Five people I'd love to meet. It hasn't changed much in the last several years.

Johnny Depp

Rush Limbaugh

George W. Bush

Tom Selleck

Ted Cruz

 

Father, bless those who follow you in spite of all the hardships, all the persecutions, all the testing and trials. Lord, give them the strength they need to do as you've asked. Help us all not to flinch. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Elsewhere . . .

 

  

 

Over at Novel Rocket today. The above picture: for your viewing pleasure.

 

God, I continue to thank you for allowing me the wonderful associations you've created for me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.