Sean Slagle

Hello, Again

2011-08-06T21:12:00.001-04:00

Wow, it's been a year and a half since I posted anything. So, I guess I'm posting this to say, "Yes, I'm still alive." Maybe I can get some posts going again.

James A Michener Insights 4

2010-02-18T07:59:00.001-05:00

from The World is My Home: A Memoir by James A Michener

“For whom did I write as I sat night after night fighting the mosquitoes with those little bombs of insecticide the Navy gave us and pecking out my stories on the typewriter? Not the general public, whom I did not care to impress; not the custodians of literature, about whom I knew little; and certainly not posterity, a concept that simply never entered my mind. I wrote primarily for myself, to record the reality of World War II, and for the young men and women who lived it” (266).

Who do you write for? Who is the audience in the back of your mind as you weave your tale? Is it family? friends? colleagues? the literary world? God? yourself? The list could go on and on. This really is a loaded question, because the answer to it determines your goals and aspirations. If you’re writing for other people, you may never find success. People are fickle. What they like today, they discard tomorrow. If your goal is to please God and yourself, then you will find more satisfaction as a writer. And if other people also enjoy what you have written, then that is just cherries on top of the sundae. Don’t try to please others to the point where you lose yourself and your purpose. Write what is in your heart to write.

James A Michener Insights 3

2010-02-17T07:56:00.001-05:00

from The World is My Home: A Memoir by James A Michener

The next paragraph that I want to discuss has two major points. So I’ll discuss one today and one tomorrow.

“What I did was what I would do in all my later books: create an ambience that would both entertain and instruct the reader, invent characters who were as real as I could make them, and give them only such heroics as I myself had experienced or found credible” (266).

What does he mean by ambience? Ambience refers to the atmosphere of a setting. It has to do with the environment and the vibe it gives off. Every story must have a credible setting that puts readers into that scene. If you’re at the ocean, then let the readers hear the water break upon the beach, smell the salt-filled hear, and feel the hot sand beneath their feet.

Characters should always be real. Real people have faults and hurts and joy and goals and a host of other things. People are not one dimensional. Characters in a story should be well rounded and readers should be able to relate to them. Why is Spiderman more popular than Superman today? Because we can relate to Spiderman. We understand that being a hero is a curse for him. We understand that he must deny some of the things that he wants just so he can be this hero. Who can relate to Superman? Nothing can stop him, except kryptonite, which is some rock from outer space. Superman has no other fear. He has no faults. He is perfect and is therefore unrealistic.

The heroics part is completely up to you. It depends on the purpose of your story. If your hero needs to discover the ark of the covenant and beat the Nazis while he’s at it, then more power to you. The story calls for it. But if your story is a real life tale, which is what Michener wrote, then your stories have to be real. Stories don’t have to be fantastical to be great, but they do have to be real.

James A. Michener Insights 2

2010-02-16T07:53:00.000-05:00

from The World is My Home: A Memoir by James A Michener

“But at nine-thirty each night I would repair to my darkened Quonset hut, light a smelly lantern . . . and sit at my typewriter, pecking out with two fingers the stories I had accumulated as I traveled the Pacific” (166).

If you want to be a great writer, you have to have some type of writing routine. It may not seem like a lot to write, let’s say, two hours a day. Do that for five days a week and you have 10 hours at the end of the week. At the end of the month you have worked 40 hours on your writing. You can get a lot done in 40 hours. No matter your schedule, the important point is that you write. Write as often and as much as you can. Some days will go better than others, but that’s okay. That’s part of the process.

James A. Michener Insights 1

2010-02-15T07:51:00.001-05:00

from The World is My Home: A Memoir by James A Michener

“Years from now the men who complain most loudly out here will want to explain to others what it was like. I’m sure of it, so I’m going to write down as simply and honestly as I can what it was really like. And then I reassured myself: No one knows the Pacific better than I do; no one can tell the story more accurately” (165).

Be confident in the stories you write. If what you are writing is something that you must write, something that is deep in your soul, then be confident that you are the one to write it and that no one can write it as well as you can. This is why it’s important to be true to yourself. Write what you know - to a certain extent. Write what you like to read and what you want to write. Don’t write what the world expects you to write. You have to write what is in your heart, what is buried in your soul. Only you know what that is, and only you can write it most accurately.

Wisdom of Sherwood Anderson 4

2010-02-06T05:21:00.000-05:00

“Anderson’s own assessment of his early writings was that they were too much the product of his reading, that he had ‘come to novel writing through novel reading’” (67-68).

To be a good writer, you have to read. But reading can also be dangerous to the writer. You don’t want to imitate your favorite writers too much. You are the only you there is. You have a distinct voice that God gave you and that only you can provide to the world. You are short-changing yourself if you’re trying to be the next Stephanie Meyers, or John Grisham, or Stephen King, or J.K. Rowling. You have to be yourself. You have to use the talent and skills that God gave you and that you have worked to develop. The world needs your voice, your style, your view of life. Don’t lessen yourself by becoming a cheap imitation.

As a writer, when you read you are learning how to write. How does the writer move from scene to scene? When does the author use dialogue and when does he/she summarize? How does the author show and not tell? How is the character developed? How is the scene set? These are just examples. You’re not looking to copy them point by point, but you’re learning how to write, how to make your own style better. You need to know your own weaknesses and read authors who are strong in those aspects. Description is a weak part of my writing. And I hate reading long descriptions, but I have to if I’m to learn how to write those descriptions. If I don’t want to write descriptions, then I just need to stick with drama. I also read popular writers who aren’t that good at description, but I see how they work it out as well.

Read to learn - not to imitate.

Angels by Dr. David Jeremiah

2010-02-05T08:02:00.005-05:00

I really enjoyed this insightful book. Dr. David Jeremiah takes an in-depth look at angels and does it from a Biblical perspective. Jeremiah says, "We ought to try to know as much about angels as God has determined to reveal to us - and then be content to leave it at that. Someday we'll understand more. But try crossing that line now and you can end up doing yourself damage" (22). At the end of that first chapter, Jeremiah points out that the only aim of studying angels is to draw closer to God.

Each chapter is chalked full of Biblical quotes to explain almost every aspect of angels. From the presence of angels to angels carrying us to heaven after death, this book has it all and references for every note and scripture.

Some people may come to this study to look for information about Satan and his demons. There is a great fascination with them. But again, if our eyes are upon them, then they are not on God. Jeremiah only spends the last twenty pages discussing Satan and demons. And once again, it is from a Biblical perspective.

I think this is an excellent book to read and to reference later.

About the book:

What are angels? What is their role in God’s plan? Are they present? Do they appear? Do they give us personal insight about our work, our worship?

Many contemporary beliefs about angels are based on misconception and myth. Dr. David Jeremiah uses scripture to unveil the remarkable truth about these agents of heaven, and their role and work in our world—and lives.

More than 60,000 units of this powerful book have sold in two past editions. This repackage of the original 1996 paperback will surely capture the attention of readers of all ages who seek a broad and thorough survey of scripture that clearly separates fact from fiction as it relates to angels. The book will appeal to the thousands who follow Dr. Jeremiah’s books, and radio and TV broadcasts.

Relevant, little known biblical facts help readers sharpen their knowledge and sensitivities toward the spiritual reality of angels. Dr. Jeremiah’s enlightening findings are supported with illustrations and insights from Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, and more.

About the author:

Dr. David Jeremiah is senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego, and founder of Turning Point Radio and TV Ministries. His radio program is carried on over 2,500 stations worldwide, while the TV broadcast is received by 500 million homes via cable and satellite. The recipient of numerous awards for broadcast excellence, his books have garnered Gold Medallion awards and become bestsellers with The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times. He is a sought-after conference speaker by organizations nationwide.

Buy the book:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601422699&ref=externallink_mlt_Angels_sec_1208_01

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Wisdom of Sherwood Anderson 3

2010-02-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

“He wrote versions of two novels, perhaps drafts of two others, and incalculable amounts - pages, reflections, dialogues, descriptions, notes - that cannot be categorized or retrieved” (65).

Not everything you write is for the public’s eye. You save the best of your best for that. What is important is that you are writing. Write what is on your heart. Write a much and as often as possible. Let me use this analogy. Let’s say you’re a baseball player and you want to make the major leagues. Can you do that if you never play? Of course not. You have to work at your game, getting better, working on weak aspects of your game. And you’re always up to play. You don’t get better by watching TV while other major league hopefuls are out there working at their game. You have to get out there and do whatever it takes to make yourself better. Don’t beat yourself up because every at bat doesn’t turn into a home run. Sometimes you have to strike out, so you can learn what to change for your next at bat.

Wisdom of Sherwood Anderson 2

2010-02-03T05:14:00.001-05:00

“When (Sherwood Anderson) felt he could steal the time, he wrote at the office. In his room at home he acted out his life and sat in silence, but he spent most of his time there - often most of the night - writing” (65).

To be a writer, you have to write. That’s all there is to it. You can’t spend all of your time watching TV, playing video games, or hanging out with friends. You have to write. And if you’re serious about it, you will write every time you have a chance to do it. There are way too many things that can get in your way. Even our own procrastination will get in our way. Sometimes, we just don’t feel like writing. We like to use the excuse of writer’s block. If you’re blocked on one story, work on another one. Anderson wrote all types of things.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

2010-02-02T05:13:00.000-05:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Beguiled
(Bethany House March 1, 2007)
by
Deeanne GistandJ. Mark Bertrand
Again, Brooke snatched this one up and read it. She absolutely loved the novel. The characters were real and she was pulled into the plot by a strong storyline. Her biggest hope is that this is the beginning of a series. It definitely one she will continue to follow. Sorry, but that's all I've got to say, because that's all she said. You can read the first chapter below. Enjoy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her... Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.

Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

If you'd like to read the first chapter of , go HERE

Check out their video:

Wisdom of Sherwood Anderson 1

2010-02-01T17:10:00.001-05:00

I’ve been reading Sherwood Anderson, a Biography, by Kim Townsend. I always try to glean as much wisdom about the writing life as possible. And I was able to glean some words of wisdom from Anderson’s life.

“Anderson had been writing for years, and about himself, but a few years after he arrived in Elyria, he began to do so in order to bring himself into being. . . . Beginning in Elyria, he wrote in order to put one life aside and to discover another. Writing, he later said, was ‘curative’; it helped him face himself, to talk to himself. Reaching others with his writing, even the writing itself, these things were secondary. What mattered was that putting words down on paper enabled him to live. He would give up anything to be able to do it, lose it all - his business, his family, what was left of his sanity if need be. Nor would he pause to consider others’ feelings. . . . writing was his only salvation” (65).

First, let me say that I don’t think writing should be such an extreme effort as Anderson undertook. There needs to be balance in your life. And with that, God should be first, then family. If writing is before either of those, forget about it. You will live a miserable life. Is it no wonder that so many writers turn out to be alcoholics?

Now, on to my points. A true writer can’t help but write. It’s a part of who we are. As a writer, if you don’t write, you cease to exist (or at least you feel that way). Publishing is secondary to the true artist, because an artist will continue to create his/her art, no matter if the public likes it or not. We’re told today that we have to do this and do that; we have to create a platform; we have to have a resume for why we wrote this book. What happened to just letting an artist be an artist and writing what he/she feels the need to write. Sure, it helps to write what others want to read. But should a writer sell out? I say no, but let me write a couple of best sellers and I might change my mind.

I guess it goes back to why a person writes to begin with. Is he/she doing it for the money or because it’s a part of them and have no choice? That is where the real issue lies. I have always been a writer. As a kid I wrote stories on my lined paper that was supposed to teach me how to form my letters the correct way. In high school a creative assignment would turn into a ten page tale with all of the pieces of a great tale. In high school I started writing poetry that was disguised as song lyrics. As a kid I wrote plays that were performed in my backyard and at church. A writer is who I am and if I never published a word, I would still write.

Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

2010-01-22T11:19:00.000-05:00

Sometimes a book comes along that actually impacts your life and gets you to make some changes. DUG DOWN DEEP by Joshua Harris has done that for me. The book is an honest look at the Christian life and how theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy has been watered down over the years. For some people, Christianity has become about “a set of moral standards than belief and trust in Jesus Christ” (5). Harris is calling for people to get back to the deep matters of the Christian life. He says, “I’ve come to learn that theology matters. And it matters not because we want a good grade on a test but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. What you believe about God’s nature - what he is like, what he wants from you, and whether or not you will answer to him - affects every part of your life” (10). He later says, “Theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy matter because God is real, and he has acted in our world, and his actions have meaning today and for all eternity” (15).

As a Sunday School teacher I completely agree with his call to get back to teaching theology and doctrine. I have even asked my class if they would like to work through the textbook, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs. My suggestion wasn’t met with great enthusiasm because I believe the students, like so many others in the church, think that theology equals boring. We have talked about doctrine issues, but I want to go more in-depth with them and teach them the deeper beliefs of the Christian faith. So, Mr. Harris, I have heard your call and am ready to change things as well.

I think your life will be challenged and changed with this book as well. It’s not hard to read and Harris explains the beliefs that make us Christian.

More about the book:

What will you build your life on?
With startling transparency, Joshua Harris shares how we can rediscover the relevance and power of Christian truth. This is book shows a young man who rose quickly to success in the Christian evangelical world before he realized his spirituality lacked a foundation—it rested more on tradition and morality than on an informed knowledge of God.
For the indifferent or spiritually numb, Harris's humorous and engaging reflections on Christian beliefs show that orthodoxy isn't just for scholars—it is for anyone who longs to know the living Jesus Christ. As Harris writes, "I've come to learn that theology matters. It matters not because we want to impress people, but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. Theology matters because if we get it wrong then our whole life will be wrong."
Whether you are just exploring Christianity or you are a veteran believer finding yourself overly familiar and cold-hearted, Dug Down Deep will help you rediscover the timeless truths of Scripture. As Harris challenges you to root your faith and feelings about God in the person, work, and words of Jesus, he answers questions such as:
What is God like and how does he speak to me? What difference does it make that Jesus was both human and divine? How does Jesus’ death on the cross pay for my sins? Who is the Holy Spirit and how does he work in my life?
With grace and wisdom, Harris will inspire you to revel in the truth that has captured his own mind and heart. He will ask you to dig deep into a faith so solid you can build your life on it. He will point you to something to believe in again.

About the author:

Joshua Harris is senior pastor of Covenant Life in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which belongs to the Sovereign Grace network of local churches. A passionate speaker with a gift for making theological truth easy to understand, Joshua is perhaps best known for his runaway bestseller, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which he wrote at the age of twenty-one. His later books include Boy Meets Girl, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is), and Stop Dating the Church. The founder of the NEXT conferences for young adults, Joshua is committed to seeing the gospel transferred to a new generation of Christians. He and his wife, Shannon, have three children.

Buy the book at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421517

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

The Male Factor by Shaunti Feldhahn

2010-01-15T13:39:00.000-05:00

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this book. I was ready to defend males everywhere, but as I read it, I was like, “Yeah, that’s true.” “Okay. I agree.” It just amazed me the detail of information Feldhahn provides and the accuracy of that information. This book goes beyond the men are from Mars, women are from Venus scenario. It shows you why certain actions by women cause certain reactions by men, especially ones that aren’t intended. The book also shows different patterns of thinking.

Here is an example that is so true at our house. My wife will talk about her job non-stop at home and even when we’re with friends. I hardly ever mention my job unless something crazy happened. Feldhahn says, “Men’s tendency to segregate ‘personal’ and ‘work’ is something they do automatically without thinking about it, in part due to their brain structure” (45). That is so true. When I leave work, I truly leave work. I don’t carry it around with me. And she makes the opposite point as well; men don’t bring the personal world into work. One of the rules that Feldhahn focuses on is keeping the personal world out of the workplace or any resemblance of it.

A couple of other things that I liked in the book were this kind of advice. Men want you to get to the point. One quote she gave was, “Don’t tell me about the pain; just show me the baby” (144). She also says that men prefer the conclusion or the bottom line up front because it helps them listen. Another point is “men place a high value on being able to address concerns or offer a criticism directly, without worrying about how someone is going to react” (153).

THE MALE FACTOR is stacked full of details that anyone in business would want to read. It has practical advice and will help you see the world through a man’s eyes. I think this is definitely one for the workplace library.

Summary

Many talented women today risk undermining their careers without realizing it, simply because they don’t understand how they are perceived by their male colleagues and customers.
In What Men really Think, best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn reveals the inner reality behind men’s views — the unspoken expectations that no man would dare to publicly acknowledge, and no woman would learn from an HR department. These revelations include:

• Men’s unwritten ‘rules’ of the workplace
• How men perceive workplace emotion
• What common situations with female colleagues most frustrate men-- and why
• Why revealing clothing can sabotage a woman’s effectiveness
• Why some men think flextime is fine, but equal compensation for it is not

What Men Really Think equips women with the information they need to make informed decisions and compete on a level playing field.

About the author:

Shaunti Feldhahn is a nationally syndicated columnist and the bestselling author of For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men and For Men Only, which together sold one million copies. She holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard, worked on Wall Street and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Purchase the book http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307457721&ref=externallink_wbp_extraordinary_sec_0817_01

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Crime and Punishment Part 1 Chapter 2

2010-01-06T12:47:00.000-05:00

Part 1 Chapter 2

Summary

Raskolnikov meets Semyon Zakharovitch Marmeladov, a drunken clerk, in the tavern. Marmeladov tells Raskolnikov that he had previously lost his position because of his alcoholism before being reinstated. He mentions how his wife was beaten a month earlier by Mr. Lebeziatnikov. Five days earlier, Marmeladov took all of the family’s money and left home, squandering it on alcohol. He is afraid to go home and face his wife, Katerina Ivanovna. Their eldest daughter, Sofya Semyonovna (Sonia), has been forced into prostitution to raise money for her destitute family. Marmeladov is convinced that God will forgive Sonia. Raskolnikov leads Marmeladov home and sees the horrible condition of his family. Although he is in desperate need of money himself, Raskolnikov silently leaves some money on the windowsill. He immediately wishes he hadn’t given the money away, but does not take it back.

Thoughts

I was a little more confused about this chapter, but I figure it has to come into play later. Marmeladov or his family must play a bigger role in this novel and only later will we understand the importance of this one. We really got to see into Marmeladov’s family and what life was like for those living in Petersburg. The poor will do anything to get by, even if that means prostituting out a daughter. And even though Marmeladov knows his daughter Sonia is sinning, he believes that Christ will forgive her in the end, because she really had no other choice. I don’t know if I agree with that. Sin is sin, no matter if there is a human reason behind it or not. God’s law doesn’t bend. But Sonia can find forgiveness in Christ if she asks for it and turns from her ways.

Crime and Punishment Part 1 Chapter 1

2010-01-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

I’m going to read Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky over the next six weeks. There are six parts and 6-7 chapters in each part, so the plan is to read a chapter a day. What I hope to do is discuss what I learn from each chapter. I’m taking the summaries from http://community.middlebury.edu/~beyer/courses/previous/ru351/novels/cp/CPstudy.shtml just to save myself some time on that part. If you would like to read along and discuss the book with me, I more than welcome it. If you’re just finding this link at a later time, go ahead and comment on the chapters and we can keep the discussion going as long as possible.

Part 1 Chapter 1

Summary

The reader is introduced to Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov, a handsome young student. He is hopelessly in debt to his landlady. He is going to see a pawnbroker and is obsessed with not running into anyone on the way. Raskolnikov is in the process of planning the murder of Alyona Ivanovna, the pawnbroker. The thought of the crime disgusts him, but he continues to plan. After leaving Alyona Ivanovna’s, he enters a tavern.

Thoughts

Dostoyevsky does a couple of things with the first chapter. It basically serves as the exposition. We are introduced to the character and the setting. We know that Raskolnikov is planning to do something awful to Alyona and that he is struggling with that decision. We also see the streets Petersburg and the way people lived. We see the poverty and the struggle to make it. The reader is pulled into the story through the character. We want to know more about Raskolnikov and what he is planning to do.

Primal by Mark Batterson

2009-12-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

My neighbor brought this book over to me last Saturday, because it had been put in their mailbox at some point. It was postmarked November 20^th and the guy hands it to me on December 12^th. So, I didn’t have a lot of time to read this one, but what I have read has been really good. Batterson looks at the Great Commandment from Jesus to love God with all of your heart. Batterson breaks the book down into four sections - heart, soul, mind, and strength. He calls it getting back to our spiritual roots, hence the title PRIMAL. This really is a convicting book that gets at the heart of the Christian walk. One of the questions Batterson asks is “do the things that make God mad make you mad?” What, what a powerful question. This is a book that needs to be read and applied by all Christians. This book should be number 1 on your “To Read” list for 2010.

About the book:

We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush—and reignite a primal faith.”

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment.

About the author:

The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com

Purchase the book:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421319

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong by Leslie Vernick

2009-12-11T14:54:00.000-05:00

Today’s book is a little better than the one I reviewed yesterday. This one is called How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong (ISBN: 978-0-307-45849-0) by Leslie Vernick, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years experience, reveals how God uses the imperfections, difference and sins of a spouse to help anyone become more like Christ. Based on the title, I was a little worried about what this one was about or the slant it would take. But it’s really about becoming a better person and being the Christian that God would want you to be. Some examples of the chapters are: “Stop Reacting, Start Responding” and “Center Yourself in God.” The book really focuses on our power to choose and she spends a chapter each on how we should choose to grow and choose to love.

About the book:

There are no perfect marriages or perfect spouses. We know that having a good marriage requires effort and hard work. Yet we often don’t know how to continue to love when we are angry, hurt, scared, or just plain irritated. Nor are we sure what that kind of love is supposed to look like. Should we be patient? Forgive and forget? Do something else entirely? In HOW TO ACT RIGHT WHEN YOUR SPOUSE ACTS WRONG, you’ll find the answers to these questions and more as Leslie Vernick reveals how God uses the imperfections, differences, and sins of your spouse to help you become more like Christ.

Through the insights in this book you will: discover how to respond wisely when wronged; see yourself and your marriage through the lens of god’s eternal purposes; learn how to love and to keep your promises when you don’t feel like it - or when your spouse isn’t keeping his or hers; and understand how to act when love must be tough.

About the author:

Leslie Vernick, ACSW, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who has her own private counseling practice and more that twenty-five years of experience counseling Christian individuals and families from a biblical worldview. She is a popular speaker for women’s groups, couple’s retreats, and professional seminars and is the author of numerous books including THE EMOTIONALLY DESTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS: SEEING IT, STOPPING, SURVIVING IT. She and her husband, Howard, live in Pennsylvania, and are the parents of two grown children.

You can purchase the book by going here: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

This book is part of the VALUE NON-FICTION LINE

Just because the economy is suffering doesn’t mean relationships have to suffer, too. The Value Non-Fiction Line (September 15, 2009) offers insightful books on love, marriage, relationships and personal growth. At just $6.99, WaterBrook Press is offering readers on the most limited budgets, valuable resources to help them grow and succeed in their personal lives.

More Than A Match (ISBN: 978-1-4000-7489-1) by relationship experts, Michael & Amy Smalley, marriage and family counselors who demystify the science behind compatibility tests to help singles in search of love recognize when the right relationship comes along. They also reveal the specific skills that can transform an ideal match into a lasting love.

Fool Proofing Your Life (ISNB: 978-0-307-45848-3) by Jan Silvious, Precept Ministries (Kay Arthur) radio co-host discusses how attempts at coping with difficult people often fails, because they are what the Bible refers to as “fools.” Silvious provides tools to help readers get along and conduct relationships in a way that honors God, while preserving their own sanity.

How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong (ISBN: 978-0-307-45849-0)

by Leslie Vernick, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years experience, reveals how God uses the imperfections, difference and sins of a spouse to help anyone become more like Christ.

What Women Don’t Know and Men Don’t Tell You (ISBN: 978-0-307-45850-6)

by Michelle McKinney Hammond, best-selling author, speaker, singer and co-host, with Joel A. Brooks, Jr., senior pastor of Christian Life Center, clears up misperceptions, providing women with the information they need to succeed in a lasting male-female relationship ─ both while waiting and after the wait is over.

The Value Non–Fiction Line provides readers with invaluable resources at a low cost, and offers priceless insights to help build meaningful relationship.

99 Ways to Entertain Your Family for Free by Mack Thomas

2009-12-10T15:05:00.000-05:00

The Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group introduces 99…times six…practical and up-to-date ways to help families flourish despite present economic challenges (WaterBrook Press, July 21, 2009). The book I was given to review was 99 Ways to Entertain Your Family for Free (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45836-0) by Mack Thomas, bestselling author of The First Step Bible and What Would Jesus Do?. His books have won three ECPA Gold Medallion book awards.

This books offers activities and events to entertain and educate family members of all ages. The book is split into chapters to cover different types of entertainment: indoors, outdoors, around town, just imagine, out in nature, rituals and routines, and holidays. I was excited when I got this book to review, because it was a perfect fit for my family. But as I read the book, I couldn’t help but think that a lot of this stuff we do anyway. It seemed like things you would just look up online if you really couldn’t find anything to do with your family. Then I looked at the price of the book, which is $5.99, and I thought there was no way I would pay that for the book. I might pay $.99 at the Christian bookstore checkout and not complain, but that’s about it. Maybe others will find the book worth it’s price.

You can find out more about the books by going here: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

In case you want to know a little more about the other books in the series, they are listed below.

99 Ways to Stretch Your Home Budget (ISBN-13:978-0-307-45841-4) by Cheri Gillard, nurse and mother of quadruplets. Practical ideas on how families can save money around the house.

99 Ways to Increase Your Income (ISBN-13:978-0-307-45839-1) by Frank Martin, successful entrepreneur and author of over sixteen books. Provides tips to generate more cash, and rebuild or supplement an income, while hanging on to existing dollars.

99 Ways to Build Job Security (ISBN-13:978-0-307-45840-7) by Gary Nowinski, veteran in corporate management and downsizing. Introduces key strategies to help employees keep their jobs during economic cutbacks.

99 Ways to Fight Worry and Stress (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45837-7) by Elsa Kok Colopy, Associate Editor for Focus on the Family Publications. Presents skills to guard rest, dream a little, and dive into truth and more.

99 Bible Promises for Tough Times (ISBN-13:978-0-307-45838-4) by Randy Petersen, seasoned author of more than fifty books and Bible studies. Gives encouraging and wise words found in Scripture to mediate upon.

Written for families and individuals who are hoping to not only survive but thrive, during tough times. These value-packed, applicable resources offer relevant and reliable insights to endure the current economic downturn, and are sure to appeal to families in all stages of life.

God Gave Us . . . by Lisa Tawn Bergren

2009-12-04T15:11:00.000-05:00

I have read the other books in the series to my children and they loved them. These two are no different. I began “God Gave Us Christmas” the other night before dinner, then had to stop half way through. When I was putting my five-year-old to bed, she asked, “Daddy, can we finish that story?” That’s how powerful and well told these stories are. The art by Laura J. Bryant is exceptional and the stories talk about God in a way that is understandable to the children. These books are a permanent part of our book collection as we will read them to our children, then one day to our grandchildren. Read more about the books below.

About the books:

God Gave Us Love: As Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others… even the seemingly unlovable.
In answering her questions, Grampa Bear gives tender explanations that teach Little Cub about the different kinds of love that is shared between families, friends, and mamas and papas. Grampa explains that all these kinds of love come from God and that it is important to love others because…
“Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love.”
This sweet tale will warm the hearts of young children as they learn about all the different sorts of love, while the gentle explanations of each provide a valuable opportunity to encourage children to share with others a “God-sized love.”

God Gave Us Christmas: As Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear begins to wonder… “Who invented Christmas?” Mama’s answer only leads to more questions like “Is God more important than Santa?” So she and Little Cub head off on a polar expedition to find God and to see how he gave them Christmas. Along the way, they find signs that God is at work all around them. Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns about the very first Christmas and discovers that… Jesus is the best present of all.
This enchanting tale provides the perfect opportunity to help young children celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and to discover how very much God loves them.

About the author:

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

Buy the books:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074471

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400071753

Treasured by Leigh McLeroy

2009-12-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

TREASURED by Leigh McLeroy reads like a devotional but with more substance. The stories she tells from her own life are lively and rich in detail. In this book, she takes worldly things that could be collected, ties in stories from her own life, and show how God worked in the Bible in the same type of situation and how He is still working today. This is an easy book to read and can be read as a devotional, even though the chapters are longer than what a devotional usually is. This book would make an excellent stocking stuffer or gift for that person that’s hard to buy for. There is nothing threatening about the book and it will help those who read it in their Christian walk. Please respond here or on Facebook and let me know what you think about the review and if you might purchase the book.

About the book:

In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides readers in discovering evidence in their own lives of his attentive love.

“The idea for the book came from a cigar box filled with odds and ends of my grandfather’s life that arrived a few months after his death. Sifting through the objects in the box, I experienced him in a fresh new way. This made me wonder what treasures might be tucked away in Scripture that could frame God for me in an equally intimate, tangible way. This process also helped me uncover my own “treasures” of my walk with the Lord: objects that remind me of my history with him and his faithfulness to me,” says McLeroy.

Drawn from the pages of Scripture, the author considers twelve such treasures and personalizes their meaning for readers, such as a green olive branch that offers proof of God’s “new every morning” mercy and a scarlet cord that demonstrates his willingness to adopt “strays” of every sort.

Weaving these treasures together with scenes from her personal history, Leigh McLeroy invites readers to discover God’s heart for them and embrace their unique role in his redemptive story. Treasured offers readers a guided experience of God’s love and character and invites them to consider their own treasures that point to their part in God’s ongoing story.

About the author:

Leigh McLeroy is the author of The Beautiful Ache and The Sacred Ordinary. An avid collector and recorder of everyday moments, words, and wonders, Leigh’s keen eye for God’s presence in ordinary life infuses her writing and living with a deep, insistent joy. A frequent conference and event speaker, the author makes her home in Houston, Texas, and posts often on www.leighmcleroy.com and www.wednesdaywords.com.

Get the book:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074815

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Eternity Falls by Kirk Outerbridge

2009-11-20T06:37:00.002-05:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Eternity Falls
Marcher Lord Press (October 1, 2009)
by
Kirk Outerbridge
I enjoyed reading this book. It was exciting, with a lot of action and not a lot of romance, even though there is some. This is the type of book that boys will love to read with all of the different villains and gadgets. This is a good publishing credit for Marcher Lord Press and it's easy to see how they are making a different mark in the market place.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kirk Outerbridge developed a passion for storytelling at an early age. Through years of reading Fantasy and Science Fiction novels, comics, table top gaming and watching endless hours Japanese anime, he developed a keen sense for what made stories enjoyable and more importantly—what didn’t.

While pursuing an engineering degree in college, Kirk endeavored to tell his own stories, choosing writing as the easiest and cheapest medium to master—or so he thought. Several years and several hundred thousand words later, he produced a Sci-fi trilogy that shall never (God willing) see the light of day, but that did teach him much needed lessons about the craft of writing fiction.

After college Kirk returned to his homeland of Bermuda where he reunited with his childhood friend and future wife, Ria. But before marrying his lovely wife, Kirk entered an even greater marriage and devoted his life to Christ in 2002.

With a new found direction in life, writing fell by the wayside but the urge to tell futuristic stories never left. After much prayer and contemplation, Kirk purposed his writing for God’s Will, seeking to draw to Christ those who shared his passions for all things futuristic and Sci-fi.

Kirk currently lives with his wife Ria and 18 month old son Miles in beautiful Bermuda. He is a faithful member of the Church of Christ and is a professional engineer employed by the government.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the future, death is only a problem if you can’t afford the price. Such is the promise of Gentec Corporation’s “Miracle Treatment”, a genetic anti-aging elixir that grants eternal life—or does it?

When a Gentec client suddenly dies of natural causes, the powers that be will stop at nothing to ensure their version of eternity remains unchallenged; even if it means concocting a religious sabotage conspiracy to cover a lie.

With the media about to blow the story wide open, the credibility of Gentec and the lives of millions of clients rest on one man’s ability to uncover the truth.
Enter detective Rick Macey, religious counterterrorist expert and Gentec executive Sheila Dunn’s last hope for salvation.

Now with the clock ticking and the corporate brass seeking their own solution at any cost, Macey must track down a religious zealot out to destroy the Miracle Treatment for good.

But when Macey finds himself not only falling for his client, but confronted with the possibility that the culprit could hold a connection to his shaded past, the truth suddenly becomes a dangerous thing.

Only through a test of faith can he stop the crisis before it’s all too late and eternity falls.

If you would like to read an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Eternity Falls, go HERE

What the Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy

2009-11-18T18:39:00.001-05:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
What the Bayou Saw
Kregel Publications (March 24, 2009)
by
Patti Lacy
We just received this book last week. Brooke is currently reading it, so a review will come when she finishes it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Though Patti's only been writing since 2005, she thinks her latest profession of capturing stories on paper (or computer files) will stick awhile.

The Still, Small Voice encouraged Patti to write after a brave Irish friend shared memories of betrayal and her decision to forgive. In 2008, An Irishwoman’s Tale was published by Kregel Publications. Patti’s second novel, What the Bayou Saw, draws on the memories of two young girls who refused to let segregation, a chain link fence, and a brutal rape come between them.

The secrets women keep and why they keep them continue to enliven Patti's gray matter. A third book, My Name is Sheba, has been completed. Patti's WIP, Recapturing Lily, documents a tug-of-war between a Harvard-educated doctor and an American pastor and his wife for a precious child and explores adoption issues, China's "One Child" policy, and both Christian and secular views of sacrifice.

Patti also facilitates writing seminars in schools, libraries, and at conferences and has been called to present her testimony, "All the Broken Pieces," at women's retreats. She also leads a Beth Moore Bible study at her beloved Grace Church.

Patti and her husband Alan, an Illinois State faculty member, live in Normal with their handsome son Thomas, who attends Heartland Community College. On sunny evenings, you can catch the three strolling the streets of Normal with their dog Laura, whom they've dubbed a "Worchestershire Terrier" for her "little dab of this breed, a little dab of that breed.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Segregation and a chain link fence separated twelve-year-old Sally Flowers from her best friend, Ella Ward. Yet a brutal assault bound them together. Forever. Thirty-eight years later, Sally, a middle-aged Midwestern instructor, dredges up childhood secrets long buried beneath the waters of a Louisiana bayou in order to help her student, who has also been raped. Fragments of spirituals, gospel songs, and images of a Katrina-ravaged New Orleans are woven into the story.

The past can't stay buried forever Rising author Patti Lacy's second novel exposes the life of Sally, set amid the shadows of prejudice in Louisiana.

Since leaving her home in the South, Sally Stevens has held the secrets of her past at bay, smothering them in a sunny disposition and sugar-coated lies. No one, not even her husband, has heard the truth about her childhood.

But when one of her students is violently raped, Sally's memories quickly bubble to the surface unbidden, like a dead body in a bayou. As Sally's story comes to light, the lies she's told begin to catch up with her. And as her web of deceit unravels, she resolves to face the truth at last, whatever the consequences.

If you would like to read the first chapter of What The Bayou Saw, go HERE

Watch the Book Trailer:

Shadow Government by Grant R. Jeffrey

2009-10-30T08:29:00.000-04:00

Nothing scares me more than the actual news and watching the path our government takes. For everyone that believes big government is just getting bigger and we’ll soon be living in a police state, then Shadow Government by Grant Jeffrey is a book you will want to read. People give up freedoms for safety. We keep giving and the government keeps taking. And even scarier, the government also takes without our permission. Do I want them watching and listening to some group who might blow up a skyscraper or airport? Sure. Do I want them listening to me and my neighbors? No. This is not the U.S.S.R. But sadly, it’s where we’re heading. Not just in this country, but in the world. The stage is being set and prepared for the antichrist, and Jeffrey does an excellent job of showing the steps and technology that the antichrist will use. If you feared this was going on, then your fears are founded and you don’t want to miss this book.

About the book:

Security cameras, surveillance of private financial transactions, radio frequency spy chips hidden in consumer products, eavesdropping on e-mail correspondence and phone calls, and Internet tracking. No one is protected, and privacy is a thing of the past.

An ultra-secret global elite, functioning as a very real shadow government, controls technology, finance, international law, world trade, political power, and vast military capabilities. These unnamed, unrivaled leaders answer to no earthly authority, and they won’t stop until they control the world.

In Shadow Government, prophecy expert Grant Jeffrey removes the screen that, up to now, has hidden the work of these diabolical agents. Jeffrey reveals the biblical description of Satan’s global conquest and identifies the tools of technology that the Antichrist will use to rule the world.

Readers will have their eyes opened to the real power that is working behind the scenes to destroy America and merge it into the coming global government. Armed with this knowledge, readers will be equipped to face spiritual darkness with the light of prophetic truth.

About the author:

Grant R. Jeffrey is the internationally known prophecy researcher, Mideast expert, and author of Countdown to the Apocalypse, The New Temple and the Second Coming, The Next World War, and twenty other best-selling books. He is also the editor of the Prophecy Study Bible. His popular television program, Bible Prophecy Revealed, airs weekly on TBN. Jeffrey earned his master’s and PhD degrees from Louisiana Baptist University. He and his wife, Kaye, live in Toronto.

Get the book: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074426&ref=externallink_wbp_shadowgovernment_sec_0908_01

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur

2009-10-29T09:06:00.000-04:00

Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur was a bestseller in 1991 when it was released. I am shocked that I have never heard of the book until now. It is a powerful story about a pastor who is controlled by legalism. He believes the world should see things his way and that he is right in all of his thinking. The church even lovingly calls him The General. What The General doesn’t realize is that through his harshness, he has lost his daughter and is losing his wife. Then a tragedy hits that makes him realize the errors of his ways and that he has lost the ties that he should have had with his family. The theme is so powerful and timely, because so many people force their beliefs on others and tend to forget about grace. There are the big beliefs that shouldn’t be compromised, like salvation through Christ. But so many people get hung up on the minor beliefs, like what kind of music to listen to and what movies to watch or even if you should be allowed to play cards.

The pastor in Wisdom Hunter, Jason Faircloth, begins a search for the only family he has left: the granddaughter kept hidden from him. Soon he finds himself on an international adventure that forces him to look into the depths of his soul. He wants to be better and not fall again, but he must overcome his way of thinking. Just like the promo paragraph says, this novel “explores what it means to break free of Christian legalism - and discover why grace can mean the difference between life and death. The book has been very controversial from the beginning and the author lost his job and much of his missionary support because of it. Yet, the book has endured as a classic because of its timeless message.

Author Randall Arthur is the bestselling author of Jordan’s Crossing and Brotherhood of Betrayal. He and his wife have served as missionaries to Europe for over thirty years. From 1976 until 1998, he lived in Norway and Germany as a church planter. Since 2000, he has taken numerous missions teams from the United States on trips all over the Europe. Arthur is also the founder of AOK (Acts of Kindness) Bikers’ fellowship, a group of men who enjoy the sport of motorcycling. He and his family live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Purchase the book at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601422996&ref=externallink_mlt_wisdomhunter_sec_0908_01

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall

2009-10-16T12:43:00.000-04:00

THE SOUND OF SLEIGH BELLS by Cindy Woodsmall shows that deception is not the way to go. However, just like Esther, God can use that to make something good. Characters are realistic and situations of guilt can really wear a person down. Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry. Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

If you enjoy escaping into the Amish world, then this is a book you will want to add to your collection.

About the author:

Cindy Woodsmall is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

Purchase the book:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307446534

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Extraordinary by John Bevere

2009-10-09T08:53:00.001-04:00

John Bevere, author of The Bait of Satan, Drawing Near, Driven by Eternity, and others has written a new book - Extraordinary. When I began the book I figured it was just going to be another one of those “You can do it” books, but this one goes much deeper than that. He talks about grace and how Christians don’t understand that grace is more than what brought us into a relationship with God. Grace is also the power source for incredible joy, success, and peace in life. Bevere says, “Because of this lack of knowledge about grace, large numbers in the church are still living relatively the same as before salvation and are defeated in many areas of life” (53). He goes on to give the definition of grace according to Encyclopedia of Bible Words. “This grace is a dynamic force that does more than affect our standing with God by crediting us with righteousness. Grace affects our experience as well. Grace is marked always by God’s enabling work within us to overcome our helplessness” (54). He quotes Hebrews 12:28 in support. “Since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably.” Bevere explains, “What was impossible in our own strength, an acceptable and pleasing life to God, is now possible, and grace provides the ability. We are empowered to overcome our shortcomings.” This small piece of the book shows the depth of Biblical knowledge and explanation. This is not a feel good book. It’s an empowering book.

There is another quote I want to bring out that I really liked:

“We must always pay attention to what has been given us by God. A person’s ability to write, teach, preach, sing, compose music, design, manage, organize, lead, interact well with people, and so forth is a gift given by God. If I keep that in mind, it guards me from the deadly traps of pride or envy - pride in thinking I’m better than others, envy in coveting what another person has. . . . So in regard to what we have, we cannot compare our measured results with others. However, in regard to what we do with what we have, we will be judged, and in this we bring pleasure, or a lack of it, to our heavenly Father.”

So, use what God has given you to live an extraordinary life.

Summary:

There’s a question that troubles many believers: “Why am I not experiencing more joy, more hope, more satisfaction, more intimacy, more power, more everything in my Christian life--didn’t Jesus promise that?”

He did promise an abundant life, but too many people are trapped by the curse of “the ordinary.” They have accepted the wrong idea that following God means losing individuality, creativity, and a passion for achieving lofty goals.

Nothing could be further from the truth! John Bevere builds a convincing case, straight from Scripture, for a way of living marked by extraordinary experiences and accomplishments—the life God always intended for his children.

Here is a guide to understanding God’s incredible plans, and how to enjoy a life where he adds the “extra” to “ordinary.”

About the author:

John Bevere is an internationally popular conference speaker, teacher, and author of bestsellers, including The Bait of Satan, Drawing Near, and Driven by Eternity. His award-winning curriculum and books have been translated in over sixty languages and his weekly television program, The Messenger, is broadcast around the world. John and his wife, Lisa—also a bestselling author and speaker—reside with their family in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Visit his ministry website at www.messengerinternational.org.

Find our where you can get a copy of this extraordinary book by clicking the link below. (pun intended)

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307457721&ref=externallink_wbp_extraordinary_sec_0817_01

Word from Matthew Pearl, author of The Last Dickens

2009-10-06T12:47:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

My novel THE LAST DICKENS (Random House) is out in paperback today in the US and Canada! If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, this is a great time to show booksellers support for the book at your local store or online. (You can order at www.matthewpearl.com/dickens/order.html)

If you already have the hardcover, I hope you'll consider picking up the paperback as a gift for someone, and do pass along this email to anyone who might be interested. There is a Readers' Guide in the back of the paperback perfect for book clubs. Your support for the books, as always, means everything.

THE LAST DICKENS, a National Bestseller and an Editor's Choice by the New York Times Book Review, is a literary thriller that begins when Dickens's sudden death leaves his final mystery novel unfinished. His young American publisher James Osgood sets out on a quest from Boston to England to discover how Dickens's novel was going to end, unleashing a real-life puzzle that becomes a matter of life and death. Lots more at www.MATTHEWPEARL.com! A companion volume is also out today: a new edition of Charles Dickens's THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD from Modern Library for which I wrote an introduction and served as editor (more at www.matthewpearl.com/dickens/edwin.html)

If you're in New England, come celebrate the publication of the paperback of THE LAST DICKENS with me at the Westford Library in Westford, MA on October 8 and the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, MA on November 9, as well as at the first literary luncheon for Literary Matters in Old Greenwich, CT on October 27. I will be honoring the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's death by speaking about THE POE SHADOW in Attleboro, MA on October 7. After this summer's trips to Italy and Spain, I'll continue talking about THE LAST DICKENS in translation when I go to Guadalajara, Mexico at the end of November. I will also be in the Plano, TX area (October 14-16) and Irving, TX (October 20) for speaking events about THE POE SHADOW, and will be back in Texas at the end of April/early May when I go to Mansfield, where THE LAST DICKENS will be the city's Book in Common. Details on all of these events and others as they're added at www.matthewpearl.com/news.html ... Because I don't like to clutter inboxes, I only send emails for book publications or events in your area, so check my site for other updates.

Please register and join in the conversation about THE LAST DICKENS at my LibraryThing chat (http://www.librarything.com/topic/74513), where I'm answering questions, and at the full-blown book club discussion at SeniorLearn (http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=840.0), where they are reading the novel section by section and I'm giving my two cents where I can. Plus, I've been blogging! I post my entries--about my books, writing in general and literary history--simultaneously at my Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matthew-Pearl-author/29977879540) and MySpace pages (http://www.myspace.com/quentinclark), so please join one of those and chime in on anything that interests you. You can also follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MatthewPearl

Looking for more reading choices? See below for my latest recommendations.

Happy autumn,

Matthew

If God is Good by Randy Alcorn

2009-09-23T13:29:00.001-04:00

After giving you two great non-fiction books that I was really pumped up about, I’m giving you one this week that I’m a little more reserved about, not because it’s a bad book or has bad writing. I’m going to be honest with you - I had trouble reading this book. I have trouble hearing about all of the bad things that happen to people, especially Christians, that the more I read of this book, the deeper my sorrow went. Yes, I realize bad things happen to good people. We’ve all experienced hurt, pain, and loss in our lives. I like what Alcorn says about suffering and how God works in our lives, but still, I had to stop reading. I just couldn’t take any more. I think this is a perfect book for those who help others, or to have as a reference for when you may need those words of encouragement, or just know that you’re not the only one going through bad things. I think this is a much needed book. Alcorn addresses the atheists who try to use these events to say there is no God.

About the book:

Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us. In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist? These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God. In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise. Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear. As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

About the author:

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries and a bestselling author. His novels include Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written eighteen nonfiction books as well, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. Randy and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and four grandsons.

You can get the book at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421326

You Were Born for This by Bruce Wilkinson

2009-09-17T15:07:00.000-04:00

For the second week in a row I get to bring you a book that I think is one of the best I’ve read in the non-fiction realm in a long time. This one is YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS by Bruce Wilkinson, the author of The Prayer of Jabez. The main thing that strikes me about this book is that it lingers with me long after I’ve read the chapter. I meditate on what has been said and can actually feel my heart transforming to the way God would have it. We all long to connect to God on a deeper level than we do, and Wilkinson shows how the spirit is always nudging us to do the work God would have us to do, but we have found it way too easy to say, “No,” or to pass off the thought or feeling. Wilkinson says, “Now all believers had the Spirit all the time, not just dwelling in them for renewal and comfort, but working through them to accomplish Heaven’s desires for people in need” (27). Another thing that I love about this book is how it shows how God works and it’s not the way we would normally expect.

I do have a criticism. Chapter 1 seems to be a 14-page advertisement for the book, which I don’t need since I’ve already chosen to read it. I’m not sure why the chapter was created this way. It makes more sense to make it an introduction. I’m sure there was a reason for it. I just don’t want you to get into chapter 1 and wonder why I’m so excited about the book. You’ve got to go further and deeper. I’m sure this one will be a New York Times phenomenon, just like The Prayer of Jabez.

About the book:

Anyone can do a good deed, but some good works can only happen by a direct intervention from God. Around the world these acts are called miracles—not that even religious people expect to see one any time soon. But what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need? You Were Born for This starts with the dramatic premise that everyone at all times is in need of a miracle, and that God is ready to meet those needs supernaturally through ordinary people who are willing to learn the “protocol of heaven.”

In the straightforward, story-driven, highly motivating style for which he is known, Wilkinson describes how anyone can be a “Delivery Guy” from heaven in such universally significant arenas of life as finances, practical help, relationships, purpose, and spiritual growth.

You Were Born for This will change how readers see their world, and what they expect God can do through them to meet real needs. They will master seven simple tools of service, and come to say with confidence, “I want to deliver a supernatural gift from God to someone in need today—and I expect to!”

About the authors:

One of the world’s foremost Christian teachers, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa. Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren. They live outside Atlanta.

David Kopp has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson on over a dozen bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jabez. He is an editor and writer living in Colorado.

The Book That Made America by Jerry Newcombe

2009-09-11T11:13:00.001-04:00

I love that I am reviewing a book about the Godly foundation of this country on the eighth anniversary of the Muslim terrorist attacks on 9/11. In THE BOOK THAT MADE AMERICA: HOW THE BIBLE FORMED OUR NATION, Jerry Newcombe is “a definitive volume on the Christian roots of our nation. Those who want to restore knowledge of our Christian heritage have their work cut out. As secularism continues its stranglehold on American education, we move further and further away from retaining our Christian roots.” Being a Christian, an educator, and a history buff, I wanted to give this book my full attention and have loved every minute I have poured through this book. Some things I already knew, but Newcombe takes it even further and gives example after example of how the founders of this nation incorporated God. This is a book you will want to read with pen in hand as I have underlined, marked, and written notes in the margins.

Newcombe breaks the book into four parts. Part one is “The Book That Made America.” This section covers our Christian roots, how the Bible was incorporated from the very beginning, and how God has had his hand upon this country through presidents and other leaders. There is even a 50-page multiple-choice quiz that then gives a detailed explanation of the answers. I scored a 23/50, so I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. But then again, where would I have learned about our Christian heritage? It definitely wasn’t in school or college. Part Two is “The Bible and the Settling of America.” This section talks about the early settlers and how they came to this country in hopes of establishing a nation based on Biblical principles and of bringing the Gospel to the Native Americans. Part Three is “The Bible and The Founding of America.” Obviously, this talks about the Bible’s influence upon the forefathers of our nation and their strong beliefs in God. Part Four is “The Bible and the American Experience.” This section talks about where we’ve come to since those early days and what went wrong. The question that begs to be asked is - can a nation continue to thrive without God’s blessing?

I agree with the press release for this book. “THE BOOK THAT MADE AMERICA will challenge anyone to know the true origin of our Nation and to fight to keep it. Newcombe hopes to educate Americans by providing the facts of history, proving that America began as a Christian nation and American’s have every right to preserve and uphold that heritage. All that is positive in our foundation can be traced back to the Scriptures. Recently, President Obama declared that America is not a Christian nation, while Newsweek announced the demise of Christian America. This book is the answer to America’s critics with the facts of history.”

About the Author:

Jerry Newcombe, D. Min., is senior producer for Coral Ridge Ministries and has produced or coproduced more than fifty documentaries. The host of two weekly radio shows, he has also been a guest on numerous television and radio talk shows - including Fox Business News, C-Span, USA Radio and Moody Radio. He is the author or coauthor of twenty two books, including with Dr. Kennedy, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?, How Would Jesus Vote?, and The Presence of a Hidden God.

Coral Ridge Ministries is a media outreach founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy. Its programming reaches a national television, radio, and Internet audience at www.coralridge.org.

You have some choices:

Go buy the book at the online stores: http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.nordskogpublishing.com

You can reply to the post and WIN ONE OF TWO COPIES!

Summer Reading with Kathleen Y'Barbo, Beth Patillo, and Tina Ann Forkner

2009-08-28T13:41:00.001-04:00

I’m doing something a little different with this post. I’m going to introduce you to three books at once. We do recommend all of them, but take a look at what we had to say about each of the novels.

Summary for The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper

The future is clearly mapped out for New York socialite Eugenia “Gennie” Cooper, but she secretly longs to slip into the boots of her favorite dime-novel heroine and experience just one adventure before settling down. When the opportunity arises, Gennie jumps at the chance to experience the Wild West, but her plans go awry when she is drawn into the lives of silver baron Daniel Beck and his daughter and finds herself caring for them more than is prudent–especially as she’s supposed to go back to New York and marry another man.
As Gennie adapts to the rough-and-tumble world of 1880s Colorado, she must decide whether her future lies with the enigmatic Daniel Beck or back home with the life planned for her since birth. The question is whether Daniel’s past–and disgruntled miners bent on revenge–will take that choice away from her.

Kathleen Y’Barbo is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than thirty novels, novellas, and young adult books, with more than a half-million in print. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she is currently a publicist with Books & Such literary agency.

Review: This is a fast-paced book that is also full of humor. At times I found myself laughing out loud. I can easily see this book as a comedy, perhaps even like some of the classic Disney movies. This is a fun, exciting novel to read. I would recommend this one to anyone, especially if you plan on sitting by the pool or on the beach during these late summer months.

Summary for The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love

Once a month, the six women of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society gather to discuss books and share their knitting projects. Inspired by her recently-wedded bliss, group leader Eugenie chooses “Great Love Stories in Literature” as the theme for the year’s reading list–a risky selection for a group whose members span the spectrum of age and relationship status.
As the Knit Lit ladies read and discus classic romances like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice, each member is confronted with her own perception about love. Camille’s unexpected reunion with an old crush forces her to confront conflicting desires. Newly widowed Esther finds her role in Sweetgum changing and is surprised by two unlikely friends. Hannah isn’t sure she’s ready for the trials of first love. Newcomer Maria finds her life turned upside-down by increasing family obligations and a handsome, arrogant lawyer, and Eugenie and Merry are both asked to make sacrifices for their husbands that challenge their principles.
Even in a sleepy, southern town like Sweetgum, Tennessee, love isn’t easy. The Knit Lit ladies learn they can find strength and guidance in the novels they read, the love of their family, their community–and especially in each other.

RITA Award-winning Beth Patillo combines her love of knitting and books in her engaging Sweetgum series. Patillo served churches in Missouri and Tennessee before founding Faith Leader, a spiritual leadership development program.

Review: We reviewed the first book in this series some time ago. Besides being a good piece of Southern writing, I like the fact that there is a lot of depth to the characters. They become friends and people we care about. My wife said if often felt like you were sitting right there with them and listening in on the conversation. While there seems to be a book about every type of hobby-related ladies group, this one stands out because the characters are easy to relate to and you could see this group gathering at your own church. This is another great read for your late summer perusing.

Summary for Rose House

A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope. Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.
She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.
What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.
A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.

Tina Ann Forkner is the author of Ruby Among Us. Originally from Oklahoma, she now lives with her husband and three children in Wyoming, where she serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation’s board of directors.

Review: Just like the book above, we reviewed the first book in this series when it came out. Forkner once again brings the California wine country to life. But more importantly, she brings the people there to life as they deal with love, heartache and past mistakes. While my wife enjoyed the first book in the series more than this one, she still enjoyed this one. There is a lot of suspense and just enough romance. If you haven’t read the first book, Ruby Among Us, we suggest you start with that one, then read this one.

North, or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson

2009-08-20T13:56:00.001-04:00

Some time ago I introduced you to ON THE EDGE OF THE DARK SEA OF DARKNESS by Andrew Peterson. It was an exciting fantasy book for children of all ages (including 39-year-olds). Well, it was obvious at the end of that book that it would be just the first in a series and the second book in that series is here. It’s called NORTH, OR BE EATEN. In this second installment of the Wingfeather Saga, Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby, mom Nia, ex-pirate grandfather Podo, Peet the Sock Man, and trusty dog Nugget flee north to rebel headquarters. Their escape brings readers to the very brink of Fingap Falls, over the Stony Mountains, and across the Ice Prairies, while villains galore try to stop the Igibys permanently. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return, along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic talking sea dragons.

FantasyBookCritic.com said, Book One was “one of the best fantasy novels in a very long time,” and Book Two contains even more thrills, exploring “themes universal in nature, ranging from the classic good versus evil, to the importance of family, and burdens of responsibility.”

My nine-year-old son is reading this series every night before he goes to bed and is loving the story, the setting, and the characters. I think your son or daughter will enjoy it as well. Who knows? You might even enjoy it, too.

About the Author:

Andrew Peterson is the author of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats. He’s also the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist of ten albums, including Resurrection Letters II. He and his wife, Jamie, live with their two sons and one daughter in The Warren near Nashville, Tennessee. Visit Andrew’s websites: www.andrew-peterson.com and www.rabbitroom.com.

Go get the book: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400073870&ref=externallink_wbp_north!orbeeaten_sec_0623_01

Back to School This Week

2009-08-16T00:09:00.002-04:00

As I look at going back to school this week, I am forced to ponder all of the things I did and didn't accomplish this summer. I guess the biggest frustration is not finishing one of the novels that I set out to complete or finish the typing on some other works. I have been writing a lot as of late and actually have quite a bit done on a novel I hadn't planned to start until the fall. I have come to realize that the key for me is to have a routine and carved out times to write. During the summer, I had so much free time that I didn't focus my energies on my writing. It seems that when I get back into the teacher mode and have less time, I am more focused and get a lot more done. I also think I am inspired more by talking about writing with my students and studying some of the great pieces of literature. So, I am excited about the new school year, working with new students, and getting my writing back on track.

Jubilee Days

2009-08-15T00:14:00.000-04:00

Today is our town's celebration called Jubilee Days. This will be the first time we've been able to go in a couple of years, because we are usually out with my wife's family for the weekend. We had that weekend last week, so we will be able to share in the communities celebration. It's always good to get out and talk with friends and just say, "Hi," to those we haven't seen over the summer. Who know how many story ideas are lurking around the corner?

Reflection on our History Trip to the Greenville, Ohio Area

2009-08-14T03:40:00.001-04:00

As a writer, everything become grist for the mill. You pour as much knowledge as you can into your head so you can use that knowledge to make your writing better. To write historical pieces, you need to see it , experience it, and see the interlocked connections of culture, environment, and history. There are stories on every corner, and when you are learning about the past, or experiencing new places, you have added to that great filing cabinet in your head. As I’ve said before, you need to take advantage of the historical places around you and learn as much as possible. Use that knowledge to create more in-depth works. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my trip into Greenville, Ohio. It’s a time the kids and I will not soon forget and hopefully, it will encourage you to get out and expand your knowledge.

Early Days in Western Ohio

2009-08-13T01:30:00.003-04:00

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about all of the sights we visited, but there’s one more thing I want to say about the Garst Museum. The museum also took the history back to ice age times. There was even the fossils of a mastedon. I had Kaleb pose by them just to show how big the mastedon’s jaw was.

The following is from a pamphlet provided by the museum:
The first people here were nomadic hunters called Paleo-Indians who left flint spear points and tools. Glaciers receded and the climate warmed as people of the Archaic Tradition settled more, cultivated plants, ground seeds and invented the atlatl. Glacial Kame Indians had complex funeral ceremonies and more extensive trade.

I know there have been some novels written about this time period, but it’s neat to actually see the artifacts from that time period. There are two series that come to mind: North America's Forgotten Past series by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'neal Gear and The First Americans series by William Sarabande.

Lowell Thomas

2009-08-12T04:24:00.003-04:00

Until visiting the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio, I had never heard of Lowell Thomas. And on top of that, I always thought Lawrence of Arabia was a fictional person. Boy was I wrong.

I even had my picture taken next to a manaquin of Lawrence of Arabia because I felt so ignorant about this great man. Lowell Thomas was great himself. You can get a glimpse of his life at the Radio Hall of Fame. On another interesting note, if you've seen the movie Public Enemies, Lowell Thomas is the guy on the radio. I believe it's the actually audio of Thomas' broadcasts about Dellinger.

Annie Oakley

2009-08-11T01:11:00.003-04:00

Also in our visit to Darke County, Ohio, we visited the Garst Museum. The museum had an entire section devoted to its hometown hero Annie Oakley. There were all types of artifacts from her life, even down to her chinaware and nightgown. There were guns that she had used and many publicity posters from the Wild West Show. There was also a case of Annie Oakley-inspired memorablilia. I was surprised at all of the books, even modern books, that featured Annie. It amazes me how writers can find so much to write about with these historical figures and when that wasn’t enough, they could bring that character into modern times and create all new adventures.

Homesteading in Ohio

2009-08-10T01:54:00.005-04:00

Also at the Shawnee Nature Center is a log cabin, much like what would have been here in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. See yesterday's post for a picture I took from the wetlands to show what kind of work the homesteaders had in front of them.

These people had to tame the land as they made a living as best they could under tough circumstances. It was a life that was hard and very far removed from our ways of life today.

The Wetlands

2009-08-09T00:50:00.003-04:00

Western Ohio actually marks the beginning of the prairies that extend all of the way to the Rockies. This early part of the prairies was a slow transition from the eastern woodlands, so most of the time the land was swampy and very hard to homestead. Pioneers really had to battle the land to cut out fields and homes. One spot at the Shawnee Nature Center gave information about the plants and how because of the wet grounds, the plants had roots that dug very deep into the ground. So, as a homesteader, it would be very difficult to pull up and cut up those deep rooted plants.

The pictures I’ve included yesterday and today show what this wetland would have looked like. It’s easy to look at this place and envision all of the animals that would have filled this area. I also see the homesteaders trying to tame this land and make it a place to raise a family and make a living in this new land of the free.

Shawnee Prairie Preserve

2009-08-08T04:43:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, we visited the site of Prophet Town at the Shawnee Nature Center. According to the Darke County Visitors Bureau, “this 118-acre preserve is the largest Darke County park.” There are “2 miles of trails that showcase the three distinct habitats of this park: woodlands, wetlands, and prairies.”

This park also has a Nature Center where Kaleb and Malarie were able to see real stuffed animals that are/were part of the western Ohio habitat. I took a picture of the badger because I’ve never seen a badger in real life and I’ve heard how mean they are. Just the claws on the thing would be enough for me to stay away.

Also, Kaleb gave his best beaver imitation. There were also microscopes where the kids could look at bugs and other specimen from the area. I even took a look at a spider and a honeycomb. There was another spot where you could touch and examine bones, skulls, and antlers. It took some work to convince Kaleb to hold this skull for a picture.

Shawnee Prophet's Town

2009-08-07T02:35:00.002-04:00

Tecumseh and his brother established this town just outside of Greene Ville as a place of unity for the tribes worried about the white settlers. This town existed from 1805 to 1808. This spot is now a part of the Shawnee Nature Center. Eventually Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa were asked to move Prophet Town to a place in Indiana. They moved, but the town was burned during the Battle of Tippacanoe.

Again, I rely on Wikipedia for information to share:

Because his father died before he was born and because his mother left his family shortly after, Lalawethika grew up without parents. Lalawethika was then at the mercy of his siblings to teach him the Shawnee ways. Because he was not close with his older sister or older brother, he never learned how to successfully hunt or to be a good warrior, which are essential roles for a Shawnee man. He accidentally lost an eye in a hunting accident. His poor looks and braggart personality also did not win him many friends. As a result, Lalawethika grew up to be the laughing-stock of his community and he turned to alcohol.

Based on Lalawethika's development, it seemed that Lalawethika would never make a contribution to his tribe. However, that changed when Lalawethika was put in trance by the Master of Life. In May 1805, he experienced the first of several visions. He had a taste for whiskey, and in one of his alcoholic stupors he had a vision. After he awoke he began preaching and became a religious leader, and taught that the white Americans were children of the Great Serpent, the source of evil in the world. He also conducted witch hunts against Christian Indians. He forbade his people to use European foods, clothing, manufactured goods and alcohol. He changed his name to Tenskwatawa (The Open Door or One With Open Mouth). In 1808 Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh moved their followers to a new village called Prophetstown (Tippecanoe), near the present-day town of Battle Ground, near the juncture of the Wabash and Tippecanoe rivers in Indiana.

Tecumseh Point

2009-08-06T00:25:00.003-04:00

Across Mud Creek from Greene Ville Fort, Tecumseh burnt fires in protest to The Treaty of Greene Ville. Tecumseh had fought in the Battle of Fallen Timbers but refused to participate in the signing of the treaty.

I pulled the following from Wikipedia so you could learn a little more about Tecumseh:

Tecumseh (Tekoomsē: "Shooting Star" or "Crouching Panther") is believed to have been born on March 9, 1768, just outside the current town of Chillicothe, Ohio. While some historians have located his place of birth at villages further west, modern historians believe this is unlikely as these villages were not yet in existence. His father was Pucksinwah, a minor Shawnee war chief of the Kispoko ("Dancing Tail" or "Panther") branch of the tribe. His mother was named Methoataske and belonged to the Pekowi branch of the tribe and was Pucksinwah second wife. Shawnee lineage was recorded paternally, making Tecumseh a Kispoko. Their tribe was living somewhere near modern Tuscaloosa, Alabama at the time of his parents marriage, having been in that region among the Creek tribe since being driven from homes by the Iroqouis during the Beaver Wars.

About 1759 the Pekowi branch of the tribe decided to move northward into the Ohio Country. Not wanting to force his wife to choose between him or her family, Pucksinwah decided to travel north with her. The Pekowi founded the settlement of Chillicothe where Tecumseh was likely born. Not long after his birth, the family moved again to the village of Scioto. Tecumseh's father took part in French and Indian War during the 1760s, and later in Lord Dunmore’s War; he was killed at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774.

At least five times between 1774 and 1782, Tecumseh's village was attacked by colonials and later American armies as the Shawnee allied with the British during the American Revolutionary War. Following his father's death, his family moved back to Chief Blackfish's nearby village of Chillicothe. The town was destroyed in 1779 by Kentucky militia in reprisal for Blackfish's attack on Boonesburough. His family fled, and moved to another nearby Kispoko village, but their new home was destroyed the following year by forces under the command of George Rogers Clark. The family moved a third time to the village of Sanding Stone. That village was attacked by Clark in November of 1782, causing them to move again to a new settlement near modern Bellefontaine, Ohio.

Violence continued unabated on the American frontier after the American Revolution as the Northwest Indian War. A large tribal confederacy, known as the Wabash Confederacy that included all the major tribes of the Ohio and Illinois country, joined together to repel the American settlers from the region. As the war between the confederacy and the Americans grew, Tecumseh became a warrior and took an active part fighting along with his older brother Cheeseekua. Tecumseh took part in several battles, including the 1794 Fallen Timbers, which ended the war in favor of the Americans.

This is me again. It was after the Battle of Fallen Timbers that the Treaty of Greenville was signed and when Tecumseh burnt his fires across the river. I even took this picture to show how hard it would have been to cross Mud Creek and go from Fort Greene Ville and Tecumseh’s fires.

Fort Green Ville's Alter of Peace

2009-08-05T01:21:00.004-04:00

In the city park of Greenville, Ohio we crossed a swinging bridge and hiked a short trail to a hillside where the Alter of Peace stood. This place was the site of where General Wayne kept a torch burning to symbolize peace as the Native Americans and U.S. officials came to terms on the treaty. (Sorry, I don't know how to turn this picture. If you know, please leave me a comment.)

Painting - "The Signing of The Treaty of Greene Ville"

2009-08-04T00:19:00.001-04:00

This painting hangs in the Garst Museum in Greenville, Ohio just above the fire place in the Garst House Parlor. The following information comes from the free pamphlet Guide to the Painting “The Signing of The Treaty of Greene Ville” by Howard Chandler Christy prepared by the Department of History Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, published by The Darke County Historical Society, reprinted January, 2007.

Howard Chandler Christy’s interest in art began early in his youth. While a young boy he displayed a native talent for drawing. At the age of 20 he went east to make illustrating his livelihood. He contributed to various periodicals, including Scribner’s Magazine, Harper’s Magazine, Collier’s Weekly, Cosmopolitan, and Hearst’s magazines.

About 1920, he turned from illustrating to portrait painting. His list of portraits is a list of many of the noted men of the twentieth century. Presidents, Cabinet officers, Congressmen, industrialists, and a large number of other well-known figures.

The artist established himself as a painter of historic scenes when he produced the large painting, “The Signing of the Constitution.” This historic painting was commissioned by Congress in 1939, and hangs in the national Capital in Washington.

The General Assembly of the State of Ohio authorized the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society to secure a painting of the Signing of the Treaty of Greene Ville in January 1945; instructing that Howard Chandler Christy or some other eminent Ohio artist should be commissioned. Mr. Christy was immediately chosen to paint the picture. The necessary historical research for the scene to be portrayed was provided by the historians of the State Historical Society. The picture was completed in July. After its unveiling at Greenville on August 3, it was to be hung permanently in the state Capital at Columbus.

This is me again. The last sentence makes it sound like the real painting isn’t hanging at the museum, but it sure looked real to me. I guess it could be a reprint, but the texture seemed to be real. I wish I had read the information while I was there, so I could have asked. Oh, well, live and learn.

The Treaty of GreeneVille

2009-08-03T03:15:00.000-04:00

The following two paragraphs are taken from the Visitor’s Bureau booklet; it can also be found on their website:

In August of 1794 , the Legion of the United States, under the command of General Wayne engaged the Indians in northern Ohio at the “Battle of Fallen Timbers.” This decisive battle brought an end to some of the hostilities, and treaty negotiations soon began.

In this monumental fort, the famous Treaty of GreeneVille (also named the Wyandot Peace and Friendship Treaty) was signed by Wayne and chiefs fgrom the Woodland Indian tribes on Auguest 3, 1795. This treaty opened the Northwest territory to white settlers.

There were other historical figures present at the signing of the Treaty of GreeneVille. William Henry Harrison, who would one day be elected president of the United States, was a lieutenant and served as aide de camp to Wayne. William Clark was a lieutenant of infantry. Meriwether Lewis was a new enlisted soldier in the spring of 1795 and reported directly to Fort Greene Ville. Lewis and Clark fought in the same division at the Battle of Fallen Timbers and will be remembered forever because of their expedition into the Pacific Northwest. On the Native American side, there were also notable historic figures. Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) was a chief of the Miami tribe. He was the main war captain of the Indian forces in the early uprisings against the settlers, but eventually called for tribes to make peace with the whites. When the tribes fought against Wayne’s forces, he handed over leadership to Blue Jacket. According to a pamphlet picked up at the Garst Museum, as Little Turtle “signed the Treaty of Greene Ville he declared, ‘I am the last to sign it, and I will be the last to break it.’” Blue Jacket was the leader of the Indian forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. He was “a strong ally of the British from whom, it is said, he held the commission and half pay of a brigadier general.”

Fort Greene Ville

2009-08-02T03:12:00.000-04:00

After leaving the sight of Fort Jefferson, we headed north toward the sight of Fort Greene Ville. We found the sign at the edge of downtown Greenville, right in front of the municiple building. If I understand correctly, that point was a corner of Fort Greene Ville and the fort followed the banks of the Mudd Creek past where the creek forks with Greenville Creek. The fort was built by General Anthony Wayne. It was “the largest log fortified structure ever built, encompassing 55+ acres of land enclosed by wooden stockades and surrounded by 8 blockhouses. The fort stood for six years and was partially rebuilt during the War of 1812” (http://www.discoverourlegends.com/).

The reason the fort was built was because there were more and more whites coming into western Ohio in the 1700’s. The Native American tribes that were already there began to realize that their ways of life were in danger and began to clash with the settlers. President Washington sent General Wayne to handle the uprisings. Wayne built the Greene Ville Fort in 1793.

Fort Jefferson

2009-08-01T03:30:00.001-04:00

One of the great things about life is the unexpected treasures God lays before us. When we get up in the morning, we can have the greatest plans prepared and often we follow those exactly as we planned. But when things take a different turn, it often turns into a blessing.

Well, on a Saturday back in the spring my wife and two youngest daughters spent the day shopping with my mother-in-law. Since my oldest daughter and son were with me and all baseball games were rained out (or I should say, “flooded out), we decided to take an historic adventure. We headed to the Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, Indiana only to find that it won’t be open until June. So, we will come back to that one this summer.

We decided to go to the Richmond Museum because they have some really neat exibits. But, we saw the sign for the “Highest Point in Indiana.” We headed out into the country and drove for mile and miles until we came up on the small community of Arba, Ohio. No chance of finding the highest point in Indiana there, so we turned around. There was a sign going that direction that told us to turn again. I have no idea why there wasn’t a sign coming from the other direction. So, once again we went for miles and miles. We could tell we were gradually going uphill all the way, but there were no signs. Hitting the Ohio lines once again, I decided we would follow the line of colonial forts through that part of Ohio. As you may already know, there was a line of colonial forts from Cincinnati to Toledo, which made it easier for the newly formed permanent army of the United States to make the Ohio Territory safe for settlers. Malarie and Kaleb were up for the adventure, so we headed for our first marker. It was almost like we were on a photo scavenger hunt.

After coming off the country roads and to a main highway, we headed straight for the sight of Fort Jefferson. As you can see from the picture, there was nothing more than a sign, but with a little imagination we could see the fort standing by the marsh lands. This fort was the site of a great Shawnee victory against St. Clair's army. Not until General Anthony Wayne came to "tame" the area did the U.S. forces reclaim this fort.

Go here to find more information about Fort Jefferson.

Things to Come

2009-07-30T09:37:00.003-04:00

I've been a little quiet here this summer. I've been thinking about what I really want to do with this site. The plan is to bring you some helpful articles on writing, history, as well as information about me. I have been looking at writing some historical novels set in the colonial frontier. In doing so, it is important to visit the places you will be writing about and learn as much as possible.

I'm going to start on August 1st with blog posts about the Ohio indian wars.

A Primetime Christmas to be Published in 2009

2009-07-07T12:40:00.003-04:00

The contract is in the mail and with that A Primetime Christmas will be published by Contemporary Drama Service for the 2009 Christmas season. I'm excited about this production, as I believe it is one my Christmas programs ever. Now other churches can use this production to entertain and edify their congregations. I'll post the links to the publication when they are up.

New Update and Free Book Giveaway

2009-06-26T11:59:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted anything here in a while. I've been busy with baseball, writing, reading, and teaching. I'm currently creating a Bible study for my Sunday school class and thinking about going through Lulu to publish it. Has anyone had problems with Lulu that I should know about it. It seems to be just a cost effective as going through a local print shop.

I'm also working on my young adult fantasy, which goes quicky in spurts. I'm hoping to have more time now that baseball is over.

One last thing, I am giving away a free book over at http://seanslaglebookmarkcafe.blogspot.com/ so stop over and put in your name. The book is a young adult fantasy by Donita K. Paul called The Vanishing Sculptor.

Update

2009-06-17T16:04:00.003-04:00

I've got some new book reviews posted over on Bookmarke Cafe. I really suggest reading today's post because I think it's a very important review.

A little update on me: I'm working on a young adult fantasy right now and am pretty excited about it. I'm going by the seat of my pants on this one, so I never know where the story is going. I just follow the main character and report on what happens. The story took a big turn today, so it's going to be interesting to see how it goes from here. I never know how much information to give out, so I'll keep it to a minimum right now.

Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher

2009-06-10T09:13:00.003-04:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Ghostwriter
FaithWords (May 28, 2009)
by
Travis Thrasher
I have really picked some winners to review this month. Ghostwriter is a thrill ride that reminded me of a Stephen King story. The story is fast-paced and is hard to put down, just like the other Travis Thrasher novel that I reviewed last year. I would suggest this book to anyone interested in the supernatural. And once again, this is a great read for the pool or backyard as you relax this summer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

It was during third grade after a teacher encouraged him in his writing and as he read through The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis that Travis decided he wanted to be a writer. The dream never left him, and allowed him to fulfill that dream of writing fulltime in 2007.

Travis Thrasher is the author of numerous works of fiction, including his most personal and perhaps his deepest work, Sky Blue, that was published in summer of 2007. This year he has to novels published, Out of the Devil’s Mouth, and a supernatural thriller, Isolation.

Travis is married to Sharon and they are the proud parents of Kylie, born in November, 2006, and Hailey, a Shih-Tzu that looks like an Ewok. They live in suburban Chicago.

Stop by and visit Travis at his Blog where you can sign up to follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

Also check out the radio interview with Travis on Monday June 8th at BlogTalkRadio/FaithWords

ABOUT THE BOOK

For years Dennis Shore has thrilled readers with his spooky bestselling novels. Now a widower, Dennis is finally alone in his house, his daughter attending college out of state. When he's stricken by a paralyzing case of writer's block and a looming deadline, Dennis becomes desperate. Against better judgment, he claims someone else's writing as his own, accepting undeserved accolades for the stolen work. He thinks he's gotten away with it . . . until he's greeted by a young man named Cillian Reed--the true author of the stolen manuscript.

What begins as a minor case of harassment quickly spirals out of control. As Cillian's threats escalate, Dennis finds himself on the brink of losing his career, his sanity, and even his life. The horror he's spent years writing about has arrived on his doorstep, and Dennis has nowhere to run.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Ghostwriter, go HERE

Scream by Mike Dellosso

2009-06-05T11:45:00.002-04:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Scream
Realms (March 3, 2009)
by
Mike Dellosso
Well, it has been a while since I've joined in the fun at CFBA. And what a great book to start with. I enjoyed his first book - The Hunted. But he has outdone himself with Scream. The action is fast-paced and the plot follows two story lines that converge. The main story line follows the main character, Mark, as he hears unearthly screams on the phone and the person he is talking to later days. The other story line follows a guy who calls himself Judge and his gathering of women as punishment for something in his past. This is one of those books that sticks with you, even after you've put it down. I found myself thinking about the characters and the plot as I was working or coaching or doing something else. I couldn't wait to get back to the book to find out more. This is what summer reading is all about. If you have the time, you could easily read this in a day or in a few days at the pool. I highly recommend this novel!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mike now lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Jen, and their three daughters. He writes a monthly column for Writer . . .Interrupted.

He was a newspaper correspondent/columnist for over three years and has published several articles for The Candle of Prayer inspirational booklets. Mike also has edited and contributed to numerous Christian-themed Web sites and e-newsletters.

Mike is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, the Relief Writer's Network, and International Thriller Writers. He received his BA degree in sports exercise and medicine from Messiah College and his MBS degree in theology from Master's Graduate School of Divinity.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Otherworldly Screams...
A Madman on the Loose...
This Time the Stakes Are Higher Than Ever

While talking to his friend on the phone, Mark Stone is startled by a cacophony of otherworldly screams. Seconds later, a tragic accident claims his friend's life. When this happens several more times--screams followed by an untimely death--he is compelled to act.

Battling his failure as a husband and struggling with his own damaged faith, Mark embarks on a mission to find the meaning behind the screams and hopefully stop death from calling on its next victim. When his estranged wife is kidnapped and he again hears the screams as she calls from her cell phone, his search becomes much more personal and much more urgent.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Scream, go HERE

Saints in Limbo by River Jordan

2009-06-02T10:42:00.001-04:00

Another book to look at for the summer is SAINTS IN LIMBO by River Jordan. This novel is about Velma True. Ever since her husband passed away, Velma’s world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multi-colored threads tied to the porch railing of her home outside Echo, Florida. When a mysterious stranger appears at her door on her birthday and presents Velma with a special gift, she is rattled by the object’s ability to take her into her memories–a place where Joe still lives, her son Rudy is still young, unaffected by the world’s hardness, and the beginning is closer than the end. As secrets old and new come to light, Velma wonders if it’s possible to be unmoored from the past’s deep roots and find a reason to hope again.

This is a suspenseful book that show the God works through those even not in His will. The storyline is interesting and different, but in the end, you may be left wanting more and not feeling satisfied.

Stealing Home by Allison Pittman

2009-06-01T09:41:00.000-04:00

I was excited when I got the chance to review STEALING HOME by Allison Pittman, because it is about baseball. Well, not exactly, but close enough. I wanted to see the baseball world at the turn of the last century. The novel is set in 1905, which is a year before my grandmother was born. Here is the blurb on the novel: the Chicago Cubs are banking on superstar Donald “Duke” Dennison’s golden arm to help them win the pennant. Only one thing stands between Duke and an unprecedented ten thousand dollar contract: alcohol.

That’s when sportswriter David Voyant whisks Duke to the one-horse town of Picksville, Missouri, so he can sober up in anonymity. He bides his time flirting with Ellie Jane Voyant, his unofficial chaperone, who would rather hide herself in the railway station ticket booth than face the echoes of childhood taunts.

Ned Clovis, the feed store clerk, has secretly loved Ellie Jane since childhood, but he loves baseball and the Duke almost as much–until he notices Ellie Jane may be succumbing to the star’s charm.

Then there’s Morris, a twelve-year-old Negro boy, whose only dream is to break away from Picksville. When Duke discovers his innate talent for throwing a baseball, Morris might just have found his way out.

Four individuals, each living in haunted isolation, each harboring a secret passion. Providence brings them together. Tragedy threatens to tear them apart. Will love be enough to bring them home?

Now to be honest, and this is just personal opinion (which all reviews are), I really enjoyed the parts where Duke or Morris had the POV. I got bored with Ellie Jane and Ned, but really found myself engrossed with the other two. Again, I think this is just personal preference. Duke is someone I would want to read about in real life. I think the greatest writing achievement of this novel is Morris. Pittman is able to capture the voice of this character, and the dialect is right on. I could easily see a young adult series based on Morris.

Oh, yeah, there’s romance in the novel. I guess I shouldn’t leave that out, but I feel like the romance is secondary to the great characterization of Duke and Morris. This is a book worth reading and should be added to your summer reading list.

About the author:

Allison Pittman spent seventeen years as a high school English teacher, and then shunned the advice of “experts,” quit her day job and set out to write novels that bring glory to God. She relishes inspiring other writers and leading the theater arts group at her church. She and her husband and three sons live in Universal City, Texas.

Amish Love

2009-05-29T08:11:00.001-04:00

What’s all the hubbub about Amish fiction? Major media outlets like Time and ABC Nightline are covering it, and authors like Cindy Woodsmall are making the New York Times bestseller list regularly. What makes these books so interesting?

Check out the recent ABC Nightline piece here about Cindy and her titles When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and When the Soul Mends. It’s an intriguing look at Amish culture and the time Cindy has spent with Amish friends.

And don’t forget that Cindy’s new book The Hope of Refuge hits store shelves August 11, and is available for preorder now.

The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir

2009-05-28T09:07:00.001-04:00

We’re finally beginning to see books written for men in the Christian fiction industry, which is way overdue. I was told years ago that this was a woman’s market, and it is for the most part, but there are men who enjoy reading fiction as well. Even for my reviews this summer I have some great fiction by male writers that appeal to men. I’ll also have the typical romance and chick lit books that my wife reads. So don’t worry, this blog won’t be discriminating.

Now for my first book of the summer season - THE NIGHT WATCHMAN by Mark Mynheir. This is an exciting book that definitely appeals to men but also to readers of all ages. It is a quick read that can be enjoyed sitting by the pool or lounging in the backyard. The main character, Ray Quinn, is a tough man’s man, who is quick-witted and someone to cheer for. You will care what happens to him as you follow him through the adventures of this first novel in The Night Watchman Private Detective Agency Series. Here’s a quick rundown of the plot - Ray is in love with his partner, Trisha Willis. She gives Ray something to live for—something to hope in. Until a barrage of bullets leaves Trisha murdered and Ray crippled.

Struggling with his new physical disability and severe depression, Quinn turns to whiskey, scorn, and a job as a night watchman to numb the pain. But when a pastor and dancer are found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, the pastor’s sister approaches Quinn for help.

Reluctantly, Quinn takes the case and is plunged into the perilous Orlando. Soon he discovers that, not only was the pastor murdered, but the case may be linked to his and Trisha’s ambush. Torn between seeking revenge or responsibility, Quinn is thrust into the case of his life.

The book also marks a spiritual journey for Quinn. He doesn’t come to God by the end of the novel, which used to be a staple of the industry, but I believe he will make that decision later in the series.

Author Mark Mynheir gives readers his most profound police thriller to date. In a taut cop-style all his own, Mynheir delivers an inside look at the thoughts, feelings, fears, and challenges police officers experience while investigating violent crimes and the lost souls who commit them. A detective with the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Palm Bay Police Department, Mark Mynheir investigates violent crimes and writes Christian fiction. A U.S. Marine with a passion for martial arts and firearms training, Mark has worked on narcotics units, SWAT teams, and myriad high-risk situations. His four novels offer a realistic glimpse into the gritty world of law enforcement and the rarely seen raw emotions behind the badge. Mark lives in Florida with his wife and three children.

Other novels by Mark Mynheir:

Rolling Thunder

From the Belly of the Dragon

The Void

After all of this, I even have better news. Today is my youngest daughter’s birthday. You can read a little blurb about her here. So in honor of her birthday and the fact that THE NIGHT WATCHMAN is a great book, I have a copy to giveaway. So, reply to this post (on either blog; no need to reply to both) and explain why you should get a free copy of THE NIGHT WATCHMAN. Marissa (who is now 5) and I will decide on a winner. God bless and get to reading.

New Letters Call for Submissions - Deadline May 18

2009-05-08T08:12:00.001-04:00

$4,500 IN TOTAL PRIZES, PLUS PUBLICATION,

IN THE NEW LETTERS LITERARY AWARDS

Call for Entries for fiction, poetry, and the essay, by May 18, 2009

Dear Writer,

I want to make sure that you know about the chance to compete for $4,500 in prizes and publication in New Letters, the international magazine of writing and art. The deadline for the 2009 New Letters Literary Awards is May 18. Visit www.newletters.org/awards.asp for complete guidelines. The entry fee of $15 includes the cost of a one-year subscription or renewal to New Letters. Every Literary Awards entry is read anonymously by accomplished editors and writers, and by nationally prominent final judges; New Letters Editor Robert Stewart considers every entry for publication in New Letters—not just the prize winners.

Winner of the 2007 fiction award, Sara Pritchard: “I always enter contests because I like the anonymity of them and because I hate to write a cover letter that tries to sell the story before anyone’s even read it.”

I hope you will decide to submit your work. The Literary Awards are a great experience for new writers and for more seasoned writers who want to succeed in a new genre. If you have any questions, call me or stop by the New Letters offices at University House, and be sure to check out our latest issue of New Letters—it celebrates the work of our 2008 contest winners.

Amy Lucas

Contest Coordinator

New Letters

816-235-1168

lucasamy@umkc.edu

www.newletters.org

Do Your Homework About Publishers

2009-05-07T10:31:00.001-04:00

Do your homework on where to send your work. Sometimes you can send a piece out cold and get a deal, but that is the exception and not the rule. A cold submission means that you haven’t really researched the magazine or publisher and just sent your work to them, hoping for the best. This has worked for me, but for the one publisher who published it, there were many others who rejected it. There have been pieces that I wrote specifically for a certain magazine and those pieces were accepted immediately. And that is what you’re looking for - a perfect fit. You want the right piece of writing in the right magazine. You want a win-win situation for the work and publisher. I’m not saying that you sell-out and write only for a magazine. Write what is inside of you to write, but find the match for that work. If there isn’t really a match, then try to cold submissions, but don’t get discouraged when the rejection slips come in. It’s just part of the process.

A Short Word About Dialogue

2009-05-06T14:28:00.001-04:00

Dialogue has always been a strong point for me. That’s why plays are easy for me to write. I have an ear for how people talk and I can transfer that to paper. Now, I struggle with description, which we’ll tackle another day. You may be the opposite of me. So, how can you get better at dialogue? Here are some pointers:

Listen - When talking with people or in a crowded place, listen to people and how they talk. How do they put their words together, phrases? You may even write some of it down. Once story I remember, now whether or not it’s true is beyond me, is about Quentin Terintino. Before he made Pulp Fiction, he sat in a bathroom stall and wrote down a conversation he heard going on. From that conversation came his most famous movie.

Transcribe - I talked about this above. You have to sit down and write the conversations. One thing you can do is record a conversation, then transcribe it in story form. No, it may not make for a good story, but this is just for practice.

Practice - Practice. Practice. Practice. You only get better at something by doing it. If you know this is your weak spot, do more and learn more. You may never be a playwright, but you will be a better write in your own right.

Any good writing resource can give you the rules for using quotation marks. If you are a writer, you should already have at least one of these reference books in your writing space.

What's Happening

2009-05-05T08:40:00.000-04:00

The picture is of me performing as Vanilla Swirl in “Sister Act” on March 27. I wrote the skit as part of the Renaissance Rally to celebrate student achievement. I also performed as Bret Michaels from Poison. Maybe I’ll post a picture of that tomorrow.

I’m completing a final revision of my novel The Sixth Commandment, which has I have now renamed. Who knows if a novel title will stick all the way through the publication process. I guess only time will tell. I’ve also shifted the novel just slightly to match the locale of some of my other novels. I thought I had finished this novel some time ago, but after being away from it for a time and coming back to it, I’ve found some errors and corrected them. I really feel like there is little more I can do to this book, so hopefully someone will pick it up.

I am also working on some preliminary story ideas, but I can’t decide what form the story needs to take. It may make a better play than novel. Then again, I could write the novel, then base the play on it, or vice versa. It would also make for a nice independent film. I’m not really sure. I’ll keep you updated on the progress. If it comes in novel form, it will be more of a literary novel than a commercial one.

Tis the Season should be out for the Christmas. It’s a collection of four Christmas plays that have been performed in the past and can now be purchased all in one. The book even comes with reproduction rights, just in case your church group would like to perform one or all of them. I think this is cost effective, because you don’t have to buy an entire package or the production rights. All you need to do is give yours-truly a blurb in the program.

A Light in the Darkness and Other Stories is also in the early stages of the publication process. This collection of short stories has the published stories “A Light in the Darkness,” “The Overpass,” “The Toymaker,” and “Faith of a Mustard Seed.” The collection also includes some never-before-published stories. The collection is broken into three sections: The Spirit World; The Real World; and Other Tales. Some of my favorite short work is in this collection.

The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

2009-05-04T13:31:00.001-04:00

THE POE SHADOW by Matthew Pearl is about a young lawyer trying to recreate the last days of author Edgar Allan Poe, which have always been clouded in mystery. After being introduced to Pearl’s writings, I went out and bought this novel along with THE DANTE CLUB, which I look forward to starting. I teach Poe’s stories in my high school classes and in my college literature class. I know Poe’s biography and since I enjoy literary novels, I figured this was the perfect fit for me. I appreciate the details and the references to Poe’s life. Pearl has definitely done his homework. In college I loved doing research and I loved researching Biblical stories and artifacts to write my plays. There are historical time periods and people that interest me and this book gives me the idea that perhaps I, too, can combine my loves of writing and history and literature to create something amazing.

More about the book:

Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has been buried in an unmarked grave. The public, the press, and even Poe’s own family and friends accept the conclusion that Poe was a second-rate writer who met a disgraceful end as a drunkard. Everyone, in fact, seems to believe this except a young Baltimore lawyer named Quentin Clark, an ardent admirer who puts his own career and reputation at risk in a passionate crusade to salvage Poe’s.

As Quentin explores the puzzling circumstances of Poe’s demise, he discovers that the writer’s last days are riddled with unanswered questions the police are possibly willfully ignoring. Just when Poe’s death seems destined to remain a mystery, and forever sealing his ignominy, inspiration strikes Quentin–in the form of Poe’s own stories. The young attorney realizes that he must find the one person who can solve the strange case of Poe’s death: the real-life model for Poe’s brilliant fictional detective character, C. Auguste Dupin, the hero of ingenious tales of crime and detection.
In short order, Quentin finds himself enmeshed in sinister machinations involving political agents, a female assassin, the corrupt Baltimore slave trade, and the lost secrets of Poe’s final hours. With his own future hanging in the balance, Quentin Clark must turn master investigator himself to unchain his now imperiled fate from that of Poe’s.

Following his phenomenal debut novel, The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl has once again crossed pitch-perfect literary history with innovative mystery to create a beautifully detailed, ingeniously plotted tale of suspense. Pearl’s groundbreaking research–featuring documented material never published before–opens a new window on the truth behind Poe’s demise, literary history’s most persistent enigma. The resulting novel is a publishing event that, through sublime craftsmanship, subtle wit, and devious twists, does honor to Poe himself

About the Author
Matthew Pearl is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club and the editor of the Modern Library editions of Dante’s Inferno (translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales. The Dante Club has been published in more than thirty languages and forty countries around the world. Pearl is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School and has taught literature at Harvard and at Emerson College. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He can be reached via his website, http://www.matthewpearl.com.

You can also purchase the book at:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780812970128.html

Aurora by Jane Kirkpatrick

2009-04-30T13:33:00.001-04:00

I have a second book to talk about from Jane Kirkpatrick. It’s AURORA. I really like learning about history, especially if it’s not the typical history one would find on the bookshelves or on websites. I wasn’t sure how much I would like a book about quilts, but I found myself fascinated by the work that went into these great treasures. My grandmother made quilts in the foothills of Appalachia, so I felt a little bit of personal history through these stories, even though Aurora focuses on an Oregon colony from the late 1800’s. Still, a lot of the same techniques were used in both. If you like learning about history and the stories that make up everyday life, then this is the perfect book. This book would also make a wonderful Mother’s Day present.

About the book:

Wrap yourself in a fantastic journey,
a remarkable commitment, and a spare and splendid story

Master storyteller Jane Kirkpatrick extols the beautiful treasures, unknown to a wider public, rediscovered in the Old Aurora Colony of Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. The people and legacy of Aurora, a utopian community founded in the mid-1800s, will stir your imagination, hopes, and dreams; and remind you that every life matters—that our lives are the stories other people read first.

~Featuring~

Unique and treasured quilt pattern variations

More than 100 photographs, many never-before published, from 1850 to today

Cherished stories from Aurora descendants

Rich images of fine crafts from the Aurora Colony and private collections

An introduction by renowned American artist John Houser

Aurora is about the difference every ordinary life can make—and a beautiful celebration of a time and place in which people expressed their most cherished beliefs through the work of their imagination and hands.

Author Bio:

Jane Kirkpatrick is a best-selling, award-winning author whose previous historical novels include All Together in One Place and Christy Award finalist A Tendering in the Storm. An international keynote speaker, she has earned regional and national recognition for her stories based on the lives of actual people, including the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Hall of Fame. Jane is a Wisconsin native who since 1974 has lived in Eastern Oregon, where she and her husband, Jerry, ranch 160 rugged acres.

Go get the book at:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074280&ref=externallink_wbm_aurora_kef_0312_01

A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick

2009-04-30T09:54:00.001-04:00

My wife started this book first, but when very little happened in the early pages she gave up on it. I figured that was fine because she hadn’t enjoyed Kirkpatrick’s trilogy that included award-winning A Tendering in the Storm. Kirkpatrick’s writing is a little more in line with my taste in books because it is more literary. It’s very apparent that this book is personal for Kirkpatrick as she uses details from her grandmother’s photo album to create this tale. If your looking for a fast-paced novel just to pass the time, then you should look elsewhere for your reading pleasure. But if you want a tale right in imagery and characterization, this is the perfect book for you.

About the book:

Returning to her Midwest roots, award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick draws a page from her grandmother’s photo album to capture the interplay between shadow and light, temptation and faith that marks a woman’s pursuit of her dreams. She took exquisite photographs,

but her heart was the true image exposed.

Fifteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele loves nothing more than capturing a gorgeous Minnesota landscape when the sunlight casts its most mesmerizing shadows. So when F.J. Bauer hires her in 1907 to assist in his studio and darkroom, her dreams for a career in photography appear to find root in reality.

With the infamous hazards of the explosive powder used for lighting and the toxic darkroom chemicals, photography is considered a man’s profession. Yet Jessie shows remarkable talent in both the artistry and business of running a studio. She proves less skillful, however, at managing her growing attraction to the very married Mr. Bauer.

This luminous coming-of-age tale deftly exposes the intricate shadows that play across every dream worth pursuing—and the irresistible light that beckons the dreamer on.

About the author:

Jane Kirkpatrick is a best-selling, award-winning author whose previous historical novels include All Together in One Place and Christy Award finalist A Tendering in the Storm. An international keynote speaker, she has earned regional and national recognition for her stories based on the lives of actual people, including the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Hall of Fame. Jane is a Wisconsin native who since 1974 has lived in Eastern Oregon, where she and her husband, Jerry, ranch 160 rugged acres.

Get the book at:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781578569809&ref=externallink_wbm_aflickinglight_kef_0312_01

Clutter-Free Christianity by Robert Jeffress

2009-04-13T04:00:00.000-04:00

I want to introduce you to a book by Dr. Robert Jeffress called Clutter-Free Christianity: What God Really Desires for You. This book addresses the question “When did the Christian life become so complicated?” by showing readers how to partner with God in the process of spiritual transformation by following Christ’s example in forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentment, service and prayer. As worn-out Christians work to reduce the clutter by focusing on the principles of faith, readers will find their spiritual to-do lists shrinking and their love for God increasing. Through solid biblical teaching and practical insights, Dr. Jeffress points readers toward a revitalized faith centered on becoming more like Jesus in action, attitude and affection and helps readers clear away the clutter and reveal the heart of God.

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

When did the Christian life become so complicated?
Your greatest desire is to please God, but with each passing week, your spiritual to-do list grows longer. As you strive to fulfill a never-ending inventory of requirements for being a godly parent, spouse, voter, employee, and more, you feel increasingly disconnected from the God you’re trying to serve.
It’s time to cut through the clutter and get to the heart of what it means to please God. In this liberating look at the core principles of faith, Dr. Robert Jeffress reveals the truth about what God really wants from you–and what He wants to do for you.
Through solid biblical teaching and practical insights, Dr. Jeffress points you toward a revitalized faith centered on becoming more like Jesus in action, attitude, and affection. You’ll learn how to partner with God in the process of spiritual transformation as you choose to follow Christ in forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentment, service, and prayer.
Through a renewed focus on experiencing the kingdom of God right now, you’ll find your to-do list shrinking and your spiritual life deepening. It all comes with embracing Clutter-Free Christianity.Includes a Bible study guide for personal growth and group discussion.

I believe this is a timely book, because we are all very busy. We have Little League games to coach or watch, meetings to attend, church activities other than worship services. It’s like when we do have a moment to sit down and relax, we don’t really focus on what we need to be focussed on.

I am always on the look-out for teaching materials to use with my college-age Sunday school class. I think this book will be perfect for that, especially with the study guide in the back. We all need to get back to pleasing God, instead of looking for how God needs to please us.

Here’s a little more about the author:
Dr. Robert Jeffress is the senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, one of the most historic churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. The author of sixteen books, he is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, live broadcasts of Dr. Jeffress’ weekly messages reach millions of listeners and viewers each week, while his daily sermon series airs on 1,100 television stations and cable systems nationwide. Dr. Jeffress and his wife, Amy, are the parents of two adult daughters.

As always, go get the book.

Marissa, Missionary at Four

2009-04-11T07:57:00.000-04:00

I’m going to take a moment to brag on my youngest. Marissa is in pre-school. We often joke that she's going to be a missionary. Well, Marissa had a kid in her class who had major behavior problems. He got expelled. She told her teacher that she needed to talk to this boy to let him know about the Lord and to let him know that he needed to be good for God. What a sweet thing!

Isn’t it funny that sharing the gospel comes so easy to someone so young? This makes me think of Jesus when He said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” When was the last time I humbled myself to tell someone about their need for the Lord?

The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn

2009-04-10T15:52:00.003-04:00

This is a book I really needed at the moment, because when everything seems to be falling down around us, we sometimes need to be reminded that God is in control and will watch over his children. This is an awesome book that spoke to my soul and I think it will to your soul as well.

Bestselling author Randy Alcorn introduced readers to a revolution in material freedom and radical generosity with the release of the original The Treasure Principle in 2001. Now the revision to the compact, perennial bestseller includes a provocative new concluding chapter depicting God asking a believer questions about his stewardship over material resources. Readers are moved from the realms of thoughtful Bible exposition into the highly personal arena of everyday life. Because when Jesus told His followers to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” He intended that they discover an astounding secret: how joyful giving brings God maximum glory and His children maximum pleasure. Discover a joy more precious than gold!

Story Behind the Book

After years of writing and teaching on the theme “God owns everything,” in 1990 Randy Alcorn was sued by an abortion clinic (for peaceful, nonviolent intervention for the unborn). Suddenly he had to resign as a pastor and was restricted to making minimum wage. Legally unable to own anything, Randy gave all his book royalties to missions work and need-meeting ministries. He and his family have experienced the reality of The Treasure Principle—that God really does own everything, takes care of us, and graciously puts assets into our hands that we might have the joy and privilege of investing in what will last for eternity.

About the author:

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). Prior to 1990, when he started EPM, he served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has spoken around the world and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah Bible College and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Randy is the best-selling author of twenty-seven books (over three million in print), including the novels Deadline, Dominion, and Deception as well as Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home, and Wait Until Then.

Go get the book

Experiencing the Spirit by Henry and Melvin Blackaby

2009-04-10T15:46:00.003-04:00

I reviewed the last book in this series last Easter and gave it high recommendations. I also highly recommend this one as well. It's a perfect gift for a loved one or for your pastor.

Here's more:
The first Christians “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) shaking the gates of hell even in the face of severe persecution. The result: People all around “were filled with wonder and amazement” (Acts 3:10).What can give Christians today the same impact?

God’s Holy Spirit is ready to answer that for us in an awesome way, as Henry Blackaby and his son Mel Blackaby make clear in Experiencing the Spirit. You’ll see how the proof of the Spirit’s presence is our awareness of God’s personal assignments for us, plus our supernatural enablement to carry out those assignments. You’ll find essential clarification on the difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts. You’ll explore the dynamics of being filled with the Spirit through intimate relationship with Him, committed obedience, and radical departure from sin.

Instead of considering what you can do for God with your abilities and talents, you’ll be encouraged here to seek what God wants to do through you supernaturally by His Spirit, empowering you beyond your personal competence and capacities. Release the Holy Spirit’s work at the very core of your experience of the Christian life.

About the authors:
Dr. Henry Blackaby has devoted his life to the ministry. A multi-faceted talent, he has served as a music director, senior pastor, college president, missionary, and later as an executive in Southern Baptist Convention. Blackaby is the author of more than a dozen books with more than one million copies sold, including the best-selling Experiencing God. As the President of Blackaby Ministries, he is a vibrant speaker and the father of Dr. Melvin Blackaby. Melvin serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro in Georgia, where he lives with his wife, Gina, and their three children.

Go get the book

2009 Christian Writer's Market

2009-01-30T17:56:00.000-05:00

Hello, world. I'm at a friend's house, borrowing the computer to post this. I thought I'd be back online at my house by now, but that hasn't happened yet. It's a long story, that perhaps I'll relate at a later date. The reason for today's post is Sally Stuart's 2009 Christian Writer's Market Guide.

I have used this guide eversince she started publishing it years ago. As Christian fiction has gotten bigger, it has gotten harder to break into the publishing industry. And while the book has many pages of book publishers, most publishers won't even look at your manuscript, unless they've met you at a conference or you have an agent. There is an agent listing, but most of them you would already know from the Internet and other writers. So, what makes Stuart's book worth your money? It's the periodical listings. This is where writers can find a place for their work. This is where you'll find that special magazine or weekly insert that needs just your story or article. The book is valuable for that reason alone. The contact person and address is listed and there is a topical listing, so you don't have to look through every listing to find what you need. That being said, I suggest you take some time to look through the listings, because you may find other places where you can write.

If you want to purchase the book, you can find it here.

Ms. Stuart also give updates and great news bits on her blog.

Ms. Stuart also has a website that has a lot of publisher information.

Hopefully, I'll be back soon. Until then, happy writing and reading.

Literature and the Writer as Teacher

2008-09-08T09:56:00.000-04:00

I found the following comments by John Updike very interesting and want to talk about it. Updike says:

The writer as hero, as Hemingway or Saint-Exupery or D’Annunzio, a tradition of which Camus was perhaps the last example, has been replaced in America by the writer as educationist. Most writers teach, a great many teach writing; writing is furiously taught in colleges even as the death knell of the book and the written word is monotonously tolled; any writer, it is assumed, can give a lecture, and the purer products of his academic mind, the “writings” themselves, are sifted and, if found of sufficient quality, installed in their places on the assembly belt of study, as objects of educational contemplation.

I find this interesting, as a writer and an educator. In classes, especially college classes, students want to know why certain stories are studied in class and what makes something literature. I think Updike answers those questions. For something to be considered “literature,” academics have to sift through the story, pick it apart, and find deeper levels. If it stands up to that, it can then be canonized. If it is not found of “sufficient quality,” then it’s considered popular writing and not worthy of academia. One thing that Updike doesn’t mention that is part of the process today is worldview. Living in a postmodern age, critics want the story to reflect their beliefs.

Some may ask, what does it mean to be postmodern? The best definition I can find is from PBS. “Postmodernism is highly skeptical of explanations which claim to be valid for all groups, cultures, traditions, or races, and instead focuses on the relative truths of each person. In the postmodern understanding, interpretation is everything; reality only comes into being through our interpretations of what the world means to us individually. Postmodernism relies on concrete experience over abstract principles, knowing always that the outcome of one's own experience will necessarily be fallible and relative, rather than certain and universal.” Everything is relative. There are no absolutes. What’s right for you may not be right for me. For religion, this means that there is no one truth. All religions have some truth and we should pick and choose which parts of the religion fit the way we see the world. So, for a story today to be considered literature, it needs to be skeptical of any claims and focus on the relative truths of the characters.

Another part of the quote deals with the writer as educator. Now a lot of us are in the education field, which is a nice fit for a writer who isn’t able to write full-time. People today don’t want to read a story just for the sake of the story. This is the information age; they want to be taught something. This is one of the reasons Crichton is one of my favorite authors. He teaches while he tells the story. However, inevitably, readers want to know that an author is saying, what is the point, why did he/she write it? Publishers want us to be an expert on the topic we are writing about. Once at a writer’s conference I pitched a young adult novel to an agent. Her first question was: why are you the person to write this book? The question threw me off a little bit, and had I known she was going to reject the book, I might have said what I thought - BECAUSE I WROTE IT. It’s not non-fiction. I don’t have to be an expert. My job is to tell a good story. In her defense, she was just asking the question of the time. You hear a lot of talk in author circles about platform. The bigger and stronger the platform, the more likely a publisher and reader will take a look at you.

Here’s a last thing to think about: you have to be an expert in your field, but in a postmodern world, everything is relative, so it’s okay to think you’re an expert when you’re really not; you just have to make people think you are. And as a fiction writer, isn’t that what we do? We create a world that is believable, we speak with authority about that world, and we let people see the world through the eyes of our characters. So through that writing our worldview should come out and when people ask us what the story is about or what we meant by this-or-that, we can answer them and perhaps give them an understanding of some absolute truths in a provisional world.

The excerpted is from “Why Write?” by John Updike, from Picked-Up Pieces Copyright 1975 by John Updike and published by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

Could You Be Emily Bronte?

2008-09-05T03:54:00.000-04:00

In 1847 Emily Bronte published Wuthering Heights. This novel has been studies and proclaimed for the last 150 years and her place among the greats is established. Her life was cut short when she died a year later from a tubercular condition. She was definitely raised in a home that promoted the arts, just look at her sisters Charlotte and Anne, and she wrote poetry. So, she probably could have created more novels had her life not been cut short. The question that this brings to mind is - could you be happy with a writing career like Emily Bronte’s? When your life come to an end - whenever that is - would you be satisfied writing just one novel that is remembered for all time, or would you feel cheated?

The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield

2008-09-03T03:48:00.000-04:00

The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield is an amazing book that gives a detailed look into this man’s roots and spiritual guidance. Mansfield takes into account Barack Hussein Obama’s writings, speeches, and interviews. He also gives a detailed look at Barack Hussein Obama’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright. By taking all of these factors into account, Mansfield sheds light on the faith of the presidential hopeful.

I underlined so much of the book that it is hard for me to pick which parts to mention in this short review. For one, Obama represents the religious voice of the political left. During Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004, he made this critical statement that seemed to have gotten lost in the rest of his historic speech. He said, “We worship an awesome God in the Blue States.” According to Mansfield, “No longer, he was saying, would the political fault lines in America fall between a religious Right and a secular Left. Instead, a Religious Left was finding its voice.”

To look at a man’s faith, one has to look at his background and his spiritual leaders. Obama “was raised by grandparents who were religious skeptics and by a mother who took an anthropologist’s approach to faith: religion is an important force in human history - understand it whether you make it your own or not.” Later, Mansfield points out, “We must remember that if he ascends to the presidency in 2009, he will be the first American president to do so having not been raised in a Christian home. Instead, he spent his early years under the influence of atheism, folk Islam, and a humanist’s understanding of the world that sees religion merely as a man-made thing, as a product of psychology.”

Barack Hussein Obama found his faith at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Rev. Jeremiah Wright was giving a sermon called “The Audacity of Hope,” which contained biblical content and social commentary. “Somehow, beginning with the slender hopes of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, Rev. Wright managed to reflect on the injustices of Sharpsville and Hiroshima, the follies of state and federal government in America, and the callousness of the middle class. Despite the broad range of references, or perhaps because of them, a laser of hope penetrated Barack’s soul. At sermon’s end, he found himself in tears.” Obama himself explained this moment in his book The Audacity of Hope: “It came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.”

So, obviously, the next step to looking at Obama’s faith is to look at Trinity United Church of Christ and its pastor Jeremiah Wright. Mansfield walks us through a typical Sunday morning at the church with such detail that one would assume he attended such a service. Of particular note is how race plays into the decor of the church, the retelling of the stories, and the applications of the stories. Jesus is referred to as a “half-naked man of color, who loses His life at the conspiring hands of a corrupt white Italian nation and the coconspirators within His own race.” Mansfield points out that “the white visitor has never thought of the crucifixion story in this way.” Then Mansfield talks about the sermon and “how at any moment . . . a Bible story might be shifted to its racial or political parallel today.”

Then the discussion switches to Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. Anyone who has followed the Obama campaign will know about Wright. Parts of his sermons can be viewed on YouTube and you can hear him declare that “‘God damns America,’ that racism rules the United States - the ‘U.S.K.K.K.A.’ - and that the horrors of September 11, 2001, were ‘America’s chickens coming home to roost.’” Wright even curses in the pulpit. Mansfield goes into the background of Wright and how he came to be the head of Trinity. One of the thoughts that I pulled out of this section and out of Obama’s views is how Christ is projected into the form that fits them. This is in keeping with the times and becoming a pluralistic society. Even Wright’s mentor, James Cone, was accused (by both black and white churches) of “making Jesus into a ‘People’s Messiah,’ who preached a message of political liberation rather than spiritual regeneration.”

A lot has been made out of Obama not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem last year. This is a true statement and you can read about it on Snopes.com. This is what I thought about when Mansfield described the following:

“White Americans might get misty-eyed at the remembrance of Jamestown as the first permanent English settlement on the shores of the New World, but for blacks, Jamestown was where American slavery began in 1619. White Americans could boast of their intrepid founding fathers, but blacks at Trinity Church were urged to remember a compromising generation who spoke movingly of human equality yet who extended slavery. Let politicians tell lies about the glories of World Wars I and II, Wright would insist, but blacks should recall Jim Crow laws and a segregated army that only begrudgingly tolerated the black flying aces of Tuskegee. Having determined to see the world in terms of the oppressors and the oppressed, Wright found America on the oppressor side almost every time.

“Black theology shaped Wright’s understanding of the world and America’s role in it. The U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were never bold, ingenious ends to a bloody war. They were massacres of a people of color by a white nation. America’s support of Israel? No less than white imperialists oppressing a Palestinian people of color through a client state. America’s post-9/11 war in Afghanistan and Iraq? Merely a tyrannical nation sending her people of color to colonize yet another people of color for little more than oil.”

Is there any doubt that Obama may have consciously refused to hold his hand over his heart during the National Anthem? How could someone sit in the congregation Sunday after Sunday, sermon after sermon, and year after year and not be influenced by the preacher? If someone disagrees with that pastor’s views, why would he or she stay? According to Mansfield, “He initially stayed. Even after the sermons of Jeremiah Wright embarrassed him and damaged his presidential campaign. When the press was circling and he found himself in the political crossfire because of another man’s extremes. He stayed because he had found a faith, a people, the vessel for belief that he had longed for. He stayed because Trinity became the font of his political vision and gave him the religious framing for his sense of professional calling. But there was more, and it helps answer more fully the question that many have been asking: Why, didn’t he immediately walk away when the firestorm over Wright arose?” Mansfield answers that question in the next paragraph. “He stayed, too, because he largely agreed with Wright - not with the high-flying, angry rhetoric but with the underlying cause of blacks in the world and the righteous work of setting the oppressed free. And he stayed because, as he said in his speech explaining it all to an unforgiving world, ‘I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community.’ What more could he do? This was his father. This was his tribe. How could he walk away?”

Mansfield later points out, “Even for those who embrace his postmodern faith and political views, there may still be some reason for concern. For instance, he can clearly be at home with anti-American sentiment.” Mansfield does give a balanced view of Obama. He states, “To be a member of a church is not necessarily to descend into mindlessness, and a mind as fine as Obama’s is less likely to accept ideas unexamined than most. That Obama took a public stand when faced with Wright’s diatribes - proclaiming that ‘I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements,’ that he was ‘pained and angered’ by them - is evidence that not everything Wright taught took root in Obama’s life.”

The last thought I want to leave with you is this - “Neither Obama’s conversion nor his years at Trinity would be of such importance, thought, were it not for his belief that faith ought to influence governance, that religion has a legitimate role in the marketplace of ideas. This is not only significant as a break from the traditional secularism of the political Left, but it is critical given the unique religious values Obama carries with him in the political sphere.”

Whether or not you like Obama is up to you. It’s a personal choice that I won’t go into here. What I do think is important is to know about the faith of a man who could be our president and who, at any rate, will be a political force for years to come. This is a book that every informed American citizen should read.

Tomorrow, over on my reading blog Bookmark Cafe, you can read the first 60 pages of the book!

Writing What You Know

2008-09-02T09:52:00.000-04:00

James Baldwin in his “Autobiographical Notes” said, “One writes out of one thing only - one’s own experience. Everything depends on how relentlessly one forces from this experience the last drop, sweet or bitter, it can possibly give. This is the only real concern of the artist, to recreate out of the disorder of life that order which is art.”

This mantra has been taught over and over to writers - write what you know. While I mostly agree with this, I don’t completely buy into it. Of course, it’s easier to write what you know. The topic is something familiar to you, you know the ins-and-outs, and you can speak with authority. I think this also goes toward your interests. If you want to write science fiction, then you need to read science fiction.

However, I differ from this mantra on this point: if I write fiction, I have the right to write about things that are not part of my personal experience. As a male writer, I have to get into the heads of female characters. I am never going to be a female, and it’s not something I can readily experience, especially the thought processes and emotions. Right now I have a serial killer in my story. I’m not going to kill someone so I can write with more authority. My point is that writing only what you know takes away from the imagination. The imagination is what truly creates art. Without the imagination, we would only have non-fiction stories.

I’m not saying that an artist never uses his or her own experiences. We do in every way that we can. I can’t be a woman, but I may have a female character based on a woman I know. We’ve all seen enough violence on TV and in the movies that we have experienced it enough. Also those emotions I put with the character ultimately come from deep within me. That, I think, is what Baldwin is getting at. We dig at those emotions and give the story everything we can to create a piece of art. To be true art, to have a deeper, lasting effect, we must force from our experiences everything we can give, to give the reader something that is at the same time familiar to them and yet foreign.

Creating a Work Space

2008-09-01T09:49:00.000-04:00

We are going to be moving into a new home in a couple of weeks and I get to have my own study for the first time in six years. The plan is to have my library and writings things all together in one place. So, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how I want things set up and how I want the study to be functional and help me get the most out of my writing time. I know it’s going to be better because I can shut my door and be alone to write. No more distractions, except for the fact that the study is just off the living room. But that shouldn’t be too big of a problem since I do most of my writing after everyone has gone to bed.

I came across part of an article by Annie Dillard. The article actually came from her book The Writing Life. I’m going to buy the book because it sounds like something every writer needs to read. In this article, Dillard talks about her study (at the time) - a pine shed. She says, “The study affords ample room for one. One who is supposed to be writing books. You can read in the space of a coffin, and you can write in the space of a toolshed meant for mowers and spades.” Interesting that the study in my old house, until we turned it into a room for the kids, wasn’t much bigger than a toolshed. Then again, neither was the house. Anyway, Dillard goes on to say, “One wants a room with no view, so imagination can meet memory in the dark. When I furnished this study seven years ago, I pushed the long desk against a blank wall, so I could not see from either window.”

While my new study is much bigger than a toolshed, I can see some of the points Dillard is making. My desk will face the wall, so I have fewer distractions. I may hang some of my published works in front of me for motivation and moral supports. Still, I want to be surrounded by books, to be inspired by those who have traveled this road before me. If I need to reference something, or review how a certain author tackled a plot issue, I can just walk over and pluck the book from the shelf. If things go as planned, I will have two desks in the study - one for the computer and one for the writing. I’m excited about this new workspace that is away from the normal traffic of the house where I can have papers and notes all over as I work toward finishing my works. Hopefully, I’ll be able to complete Alter of Death over the next two months, then move into something different and fresh for the National Novel Writing Month frenzy.

So, what is your workspace like? What are some of the things you like to have around you?

Stephen King on the Importance of Reading

2008-08-27T01:20:00.000-04:00

This is something I learned a long time ago, but why listen to me when you can hear it from the king. No, not Jesus or even Elvis. Mr. Stephen King. This is a clip from a Q&A session at Yale on 4/21/03. He talks about the importance of reading to a writer. He says you can't do it. You have to be a reader and read a lot to be writer. They go hand in hand. There are two things you must do as a writer - write and read. Everything else is extra-curricular. I have been reading like crazy since college, but even more so in the last few years with all of the blog tours. That's why I broke up my blogs into writing and reading wings. As writers we need to know what's out there - both good and bad. We have to know why some stories work and others don't. I especially like the last comment King makes about reading a bad book. So, without further ado, here the video.

A Lifestyle for a Healthy Brain

2008-08-25T01:11:00.000-04:00

Everyone should be concerned about their brain lifestyle. By that, I mean we should be worried about taking care of our minds. Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other mind related diseases are prevalent today. We need to do as much as we can to hold those problems at bay as we get older. We want to remain vital for as long as our lives will allow it, especially as writers. You might say, “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. Alzheimer’s is inherited, or nothing stops it,” etc. Actually, there are things you can do and I want to lay it out there for you with five critical factors.

The first factor is physical activity. If you’re like me, you don’t have a whole lot of time to do something on a regular basis. So, let’s try to be a little more practical. If you can do aerobic exercises and swimming, then go for it. You will be much better off for it. Here are some other things you can do. Walk as much as possible. Don’t look for the closest parking spot to the door. Park way out and walk through the parking lot. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Also, take a dance class with your partner or friends. Classes are very popular now since shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” If you’re lucky enough to be in a town where there are classes, sign-up. Others may find suitable classes at the YMCA or community center. Some other suggestions are knitting, gardening, and writing with non-dominant hand.

Next, socialization is very important. You need to remain integrated and involved. One of my college students who is now retired commented that she didn’t really care much about talking to other people until she retired and now she longs for that. We all need that interaction. We were created to be social, so don’t think you have to live the life of a hermit to be a writer. Get out and mingle. What's more, develop hobbies. As a kid I collected baseball cards and would spend hours on end playing and organizing them. Even though I still have the cards and have started my son with collecting, I don’t really do anything with them. I could start that up again or I could find other things to do. Writing is a hobby, I guess, but I think it’s become more than that for those of us trying to do it for a living. You can take up painting, drawing, photography, and so on. The possibilities are limitless. In addition, you need to build friendships and family networks. If you’re out reading blogs, then you are probably out networking and making friends online. That is great, but don’t forget to get out and network among people around you. Expand your boundaries and get to know people you normally wouldn’t get to know. Lastly, do not retire from life - maintain meaning. Even if you retire from your job, find other things to do that are meaningful. Don’t just disappear into your home and become a recluse. For a healthy brain, you must maintain meaning.

Thirdly, find ways to stimulate your brain. The more active your brain is, the better off you will be. We’ve all heard the brain-numbing affects of watching too much TV, so find other things to do. To begin, you can learn a second language. You’re never too old to try. Sign language is considered a second language. Secondly, travel. Get out and see the world. If you don’t have the funds to travel far, then go near. See what your city, county, and state have to offer. There are historical markers everywhere. Thirdly, play board games and puzzles. Children love playing games, so get out some of their board games and play with them. If you know of other adults who play chess or checkers, challenge them to matches. My grandmother played checkers well into her eighties. Fourthly, this may be a little too obvious, but I still need to mention it: read and write. Nothing stimulates the brain like reading a good book or taking part in writing exercises. Write letters, create a blog, write your memoirs, get one of those books that you pass down to later generations and answer those questions, and so on. There are a lot of possibilities. You could also take a literature class at a local university. Fifthly, learn to play a musical instrument. Maybe you’ve always wanted to play the violin but didn’t have the time or money. It’s never too late to start. Go buy a used one and get started. If you don’t want to pay for lessons, get a book to help you. Last, but not least, you can listen to classical music. There is something about this type of music that stimulates the brain. There were doctors years ago who suggested that we should play classical music in the nursery of newborns and that would make them smarter. I don’t know if that’s necessarily true or not, it may just make them appreciate classical music. At any rate, the music does stimulate the brain and you should listen to it when you have the chance.

The fourth factor is spirituality. You know that I’m a Christian writer, so you know where I want to go with this, but if you’re not a Christian, having faith and a regular place of worship is part of keeping your brain healthy. It may not do much for you after this life is over, but it will make your time on earth better. One thing you need to do is pray daily. Not only is confession good for the soul, but you need that interaction with the creator. Earlier I said we were made to be social. We were made to worship God and to interact first with Him, then with mankind. So, prayer is part of our worship and, obviously, interaction. Also, you should attend formal places of worship regularly. There are a lot of reasons why one should assemble with other believers. There is the social aspect as well as the connection you feel with others. The discussions of the Bible and the learning of new things are also healthy. Last of all, everyone should strive for one family/group meal daily. You may ask why this is part of spirituality instead of socialization. You have a deeper connection with family and you need that time to remain connected.

The last factor is nutrition. We hear a lot about losing weight and taking care of our hearts. But nutrition has a lot to do with our brain health, too. We should increase OMEGA-3 fatty acids. Instead of me explaining what this is, look here (if you don’t have time to read the entire article, read the health benefits section). If you think about it, this really makes sense. Since the beginning of time, fish have been the staples of human diets. There was no need to take vitamins because we got the right kinds of nutrients from the food we ate. Things are not like that today. Today most of our eating habits are not that good and even if we do try to eat right, the food isn’t as pure as it used to be. So, unless you can fix more fish for meals, you should really consider taking fish oil. Other things you can do for nutrition is decrease processed foods and bad fat. We used to fix the frozen family dinners, like the big things of turkey, but we have stopped using them and actually try not to eat as much processed foods. One last thing to increase is anti-oxidants, which basically means we need to eat more fruits and vegetables.

I know I’ve given you a lot to think about here, but I don’t think there’s anything unreasonable. Your brain deserves a healthy lifestyle so that it can function longer at a higher level. Physical activity, socialization, mental stimulation, spirituality, and nutrition are essential to maintaining a strong mind.

CBN Interview with Ted Dekkar

2008-08-18T09:17:00.000-04:00

Can you tell I'm enjoying YouTube and GodTube? In continuing my study of other Christian writers and how they do what they do, I came across a CBN interview with Ted Dekkar. I think the interview aired last year, but there is still a lot there. Dekkar talks about why he writes about such topics and he answers his critics that say he is too edgy for Christian fiction. Let's get a good discussion going, so let me know what you think after watching the video.

Karen Kingsbury Interview on The 700 Club

2008-08-17T16:45:00.003-04:00

Karen Kingsbury is the premier Christian novelist today. Her books sell thousands and I will have a review of her new novel Sunset next month on Bookmark Cafe. In my attempts to become a better writer, I am always on the lookout for information on the writer's life and how other writers work. I came across the following interview on GodTube. Here is the blurb that goes along with the video: Author Karen Kingsbury shares her deeply personal story of salvation and how her husband helped lead her to an authentic relationship with Christ. The Christian Broadcasting Network. See more from The 700 Club at http://www.cbn.com. Check out what Karen has to say and let me know what you learn.

Model T Convention Hits Hagerstown

2008-07-28T14:17:00.014-04:00

Okay, I promised more from the Model T Convention. Here are some pictures from Hagerstown.

Model T's took over the streets on Tuesday July 22.

Kaleb and Marissa enjoyed seeing these vintage cars.

We even had music on the streets, like this piano player in front of Welliver's Smorgashboard.

There were all types for all people.

We even took a break to sit on an old-time trolly.

This Model T just happened to park next to a "For Rent" sign. At first I thought the sign was for the car, but it was for an apartment. But it does make for a good photo. Maybe I'll send it to Jay Leno.

Interview with Donita Paul

2008-07-23T04:50:00.000-04:00

Over on my reading blog, Bookmark Cafe, I have been touring DragonLight by Donita Paul. I was able to conduct a short interview with Donita, which is being featured today. And obviously, since the interview gives us some insights into the writing life, I am going to feature it here as well.

To begin, I have to ask the obvious question: where do you get your ideas? This includes everything from the characters to the creatures.
I am a right-brained person. My right brain comes up with the ideas and my left brain knows enough to stay out of the way. If I were even partially left-brained, I could analyze where these creatures come from. But what would be the fun in that?

Are you sad that this is the final installment of the DragonKeeper series?
Not really. I'm ready to explore different parts of the world I created.

Do you have something new in the wings for fantasy lovers?
I am in the middle of writing a new fantasy. It follows an emerlindian girl named Tipper, who live in the same world as Amara, but in a different country and in a different time. Actually before Kale and Bardon's saga. She goes on a quest to search for things that were lost and shares things that are found. Most of the characters are new, but there are some friendly faces.

What is your writing routine?
Wait until the last minute, then push hard.How has your educational background helped you to become the writer you are today?I started out as a teacher. Being around children helped me determine what kinds of thing kids want to read about.

Was there a special teacher or mentor that made a significant difference in your writing?
My mother was a big influence. She was an avid reader and always encouraged me to try something new. She got to read the beginning chapters of DragonSpell before she passed away. Her vocabulary was astonishing. I've had to learn to use the Thesaurus since she is no longer here to discuss the nuances of word choice.

What is your advice to someone wanting to pursue a writing career?
Read, read, read. Find out what makes a book succesful or unsuccessful. Persevere. It takes a lot of work to finish a story, then get it published. Don't be discouraged by rejection. Join a writer's group.

Since I am a teacher and you were a teacher, I have to ask - what do you think about when you look back on your teaching career?
I miss the kids, but I do not miss the paperwork.

Thank you for your time and I pray God continues to bless you.

The World Gets a Little Smaller - And Better.

2008-07-22T18:47:00.004-04:00

This week we had the opportunity to meet some very fine people from Australia. The Model T Ford's 100th Year Celebration & Swap Meet is going on and people from all over the world are here. A year ago my father-in-law sold his model T to a gentleman from Australia. Saturday, my father-in-law (George) came in and we met up with the gentleman, Jack, and his wife, Betty. There were four others with them - I think son, daughter-in-law, daughter, and son-in-law. They told us about their adventures since coming to the United States and how beautiful and friendly our country is. They were also thankful for Goodwill stores and all of the great finds there. They've also frequented antique shops, museums, national parks, and anywhere else they could find. Jack has been in contact with George for the last year and it was great for them to finally meet face to face.
This is Jack, Betty, and George. They actually named the Model T after George. The Model T was made for a doctor. There is even a compartment in it that held the medical bag the doctor used for house calls.

Book Giveaway Over at Bookmark Cafe

2008-07-21T10:50:00.003-04:00

I'm trying to give away books over at Bookmark Cafe with little success. Last week I tried to give away copies of of Love as a Way of Life by Gary Chapman. I had one person respond, so she gets a copy and I'm looking for another winner this week. So, go over and leave a comment.

A Trip to James Whitcomb Riley's House

2008-07-18T10:01:00.004-04:00

The picture is of my oldest and youngest daughters on the porch of James Whitcomb Riley's museum in Greenfield, Indiana. One of the things I would like to do as we begin to do more traveling is to visit the home places of American authors. I want to see where they sat as they composed their works. I want to envision what their life was like. Just as I have been reading author biographies for years to try and glean information about the craft, these sights and tours also give some information. And it's just fun. My guess is that there are historic places close to you that you could visit, or have visited. Why don't you share some of your favorite spots with me? You might check out the National Historic Landmark site to find some in your area, or even the areas you are visiting.

So, what did I learn from my visit to James Whitcomb Riley's Birthplace? One of the main things that sticks out is that some of the things that happened in his poems were taken from his life. I know that's a shock for anyone who writes, but it's still neat to see the connections. The tour guide would have us look at a certain area, or stand in a certain part of the room, and she would recite some lines from one of Riley's poems that went with it. Ideas for writing are all around us, if we just keep our eyes and minds open.

There is a festival in Greenfield every October in honor of Riley, and it's called (drum roll) Riley Festival. Even though he's not very well known today, he was the most popular poet of his day. At the turn of the last century, he was a best-selling author and speaker. Today he has been labeled as a children's author and local color author and probably isn't as well known outside of Indiana. No matter how we categorize him, because we have to fit our authors into their niches, he will live forever through his writings, and isn't that what all authors are truly striving for - a legacy?

Salt of the Earth

2008-07-15T10:39:00.003-04:00

I hear a lot of talking about the purpose of Christian fiction and Christian writers. There are all kinds of opinions - from leading people to Christ to just entertainment. Depending on the piece of writing, I fall all along the spectrum. There are stories that help lead others to Christ. Some are entertainment. But what is really the purpose of Christian fiction? It seems that a lot of Christian writers and publishers are striving to be more and more like the world. They want to be accepted by the world. True, there have been times when Christian writing was the art of the time, but not any longer. In a post-modern world, Christian art will never be at the forefront. But Christian art should still remain Christian. The world needs us, needs our voices, our stories, our direction. They will never admit that they need us, but they do.

I am reminded of Jesus' words, You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. (Matthew 5:13, NIV) Is it unreasonable to think that we are the salt of the publishing world as well? Take a look at salt. It preserves and keeps things from rotting. It's a healing agent, adds flavor, and creates thirst. It's shaken and sprinkled, not poured; it must be spread out, because too much in one place ruins food. Salt is unlike any other seasoning. Salt adds flavor but is obscure. Salt must not loose its taste or it is no longer useful.

Now let's look at salt through the eyes of the Christian writer. We already know that our lives must be as salt to the earth, but what about our writing? Our writing should preserve and keep things from rotting. This is what sets us apart from the world. There is a lot of filth out there, and even if our stories are edgy, they are still above the stories that promote sin. If the truth be known, this is why most people read Christian fiction. Our writing should also be a healing agent. This means we should show people a better way. Our stories add flavor. This is why the publishing world needs us. The stories should create thirst. Readers should want to know more about God or come to a deeper understanding of Him through our writings. Okay, this is the one that is more prevalent today - our stories should be shaken and sprinkled, not poured. What happens if our stories are too preachy? People shut down; they don't want to listen to it. Therefore, the message as to be spread out, sprinkled into the story. Too much ruins the story. We add flavor to the publishing world. People will get our message if it is told in a rich, well told story. However, we must not lose our message. For if we do, we are no longer useful.

So be of good cheer and continue to run the race the Lord has set before you.

Publishers, Editors, and Agents Blog, Too.

2008-07-14T11:09:00.004-04:00

I was directed to http://seedlingsinstone.blogspot.com/2008/02/golden-opportunity-talk-to-top-editors.html where the author, L.L. Barkat, does a wonderful job of listing out some blogs of publishers and agents. It makes sense to me that anyone wanting to be a writer would frequent these blogs and keep a nose to the publishing wind. Barkat has a lot to say about that, so check out the post.

Faith in Fiction, a Bethany House blog by "Dave"
Joe Wikert, Vice President and Executive Publisher in the Professional/Trade division of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Theodore P. Savas, of Savas Beatie (historical titles)
Michael S. Hyatt President and CEO, Thomas Nelson Publishers
Oxford University Press USA
Orca Book Publishers
Simon & Schuster Tradetalk
Zondervan Blog
Goodword Editing, by High Calling Editor Marcus Goodyear
Al Hsu, editor at InterVarsity Press
Dave Zimmerman, editor at InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Press's Behind the Books
IVP's Likewise Books
University of Chicago Press
Penguin Group USA
The Penguin Blog UK
Today's Christian Woman Editor's Blog
Your Writers Group, Waterbrook Editor Mick Silva

Editors' and Publishers' Blogs:
Joe Wikert's Kindleville blog
Christianity Today's Mark Galli
Christianity Today's David Neff
Andy Unedited InterVarsity Press's Ed. Director & Associate Publisher, Andy Le Peau

Agents' Blogs:
Chip MacGregor
Agent Kristin Rachelle Gardner

How to Determine if an Agent, Editor or Publisher is Legitimate:Writers Beware Preditors and Editors (what can I say, maybe they misspelled it on purpose)
Mick Silva's Blog photo, by L.L. Barkat.
And a hat tip to Scobleizer and his commenters for several of the publishers listed here.

Here are some others I've come across and I'll continue to add to this list as other bloggers or I find them on the web:

Kregel, publisher
Lifeway, the blog seems to be more about their work in missions, but some insights can be gained.
Living Waters, publisher
Terry Whalin, agent

Author Shares Her Own Story of Grace

2008-07-11T09:52:00.003-04:00

I was e-mailed the following testimony and thought I would share it with you. It is encouraging to see how God works things for his purposes and all we have to do is be willing to be used by him.

Testimony of Pam Davis, Author and Creator of the Girls ’n Grace Product Line

When you give God the reins of your life, you never know where He is going to take you. As a writer, I wanted to share the message that has dramatically changed my own life. I envisioned myself reaching women who, like me, were academics but had missed out on the pivotal truth of God’s grace. I informed God of this vision and trusted Him for direction. The fact that I am now devoting a great portion of my time to creating make-believe stories for young girls, dressing dolls, and creating web games is evidence of both His creativity and sense of humor. Allow me to explain.

I remember a time in my life when grace seemed completely buried. I grew up in a Christian home, and we attended a wonderful church where I was introduced to the Lord and received His grace for salvation. Sad to say, however, that while this grace changed my eternal destiny, my relationship with Christ stagnated out of my ignorance. I wasn’t ignorant about the Scriptures; I was ignorant about the person of the Scriptures. It’s not that I didn’t try to know Him. On the contrary, I was consumed with the idea that if I just acted like Jesus for long enough, I would really be like Him. When I was just a third grader, I would pull out my little Bible with the ornate pictures and have my Barbie tell all the stories to my friends who had come to play. The only problem, which my girlfriends were quick to point out, was that “Barbie would never say that.” And they were right.

My passion to communicate Christ burned even brighter during my late teen years. I was gung-ho. I was going to be the best Christian on the planet. Ironically, the harder I tried to be the perfect Christian, the more internal death I experienced. Not only did my peace and joy not escalate as I did all these things, the chasm between who I was and who I wanted to be became wider and wider.

After years of studying the Scriptures on my own, three years of Bible education at the university level, and short overseas stints as a missionary, I was experiencing very little life. Eventually, my quest for perfection led me into a very destructive pattern of behavior—an eating disorder, bulimia.

I checked myself into a treatment center where, among a sea of New Age advisors, I was assigned to Gwen, the only Christian on staff. In the third week of the six-week program, Gwen looked at me and said, “Pam, your problem isn’t with food or your family. You simply have a problem with one word in the Bible that you know nothing about.”

Wait a minute, I thought, I know the Bible. Then Gwen continued, “You know nothing of the word grace.” My mind raced, mentally searching the glossaries of my theology textbooks. Then Gwen said, “For you, recovery is simply an understanding of God’s grace.”

I went back to my room and in a moment received the One I had been introduced to as a child, as if He had walked out of the shadows of my soul. For me, it was as simple as admitting, I can’t, and God was saying, “I can.” No more torturing and comforting myself with food for being inadequate. I discovered that I can only receive God’s unearned spiritual blessings when I cease trying to earn them. Christ himself satisfies the emptiness and hunger of the soul. At times God even extends His grace as complete deliverance, as He did for me with my eating disorder. From that moment until now, I’ve never seen food as anything other than sustenance to sustain life.

After Bible college, I took some writing classes and even worked on a fiction novel series based on Ecclesiastes that was never published. I started a speaking ministry called Grace ’n Christ to communicate the saving truth of God’s grace. In 2005, God would use a seemingly ordinary day out with my daughter to expand the borders of this ministry of grace and to bring my childhood penchant for using my dolls as spokeswomen for Christ full circle. As I was serving as the fashion show coordinator for Historic Fort Worth’s American Girl Fashion Show, breaking news concerning a national controversy between American Girl and conservative Christians over the self-empowering “I CAN” campaign, and an alliance with a group who supports a lesbian lifestyle and abortion, forced me into a moment of decision. Since I was the show coordinator, I was interviewed by an ABC commentator, and I told the truth—that I was praying for American Girl that they would support the American spirit, which is based on family values and has a Christian root.

The following day, American Girl voiced their rebuttals to conservative Christians who were threatening a boycott, stating that they would continue their self empowering mantra “I CAN” and not break any alliance regardless of an organization’s pro abortion, pro lesbian stance. What could I do if I had prayed and people were not willing to change? Give up? Boycott? I felt God calling me to a different response—providing a better alternative. The apostle Paul says it best: “God is able to make all grace abound, so that at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor 9:8). Though the task seemed impossible, I declared “I CAN THROUGH CHRIST.”

Since I possessed no knowledge of the doll business, I searched the internet and found a company that claimed to be the largest distributor of baby dolls in the US which has the unique heritage of putting a doll-sized Bible in each doll box. I cold called and got their vice president, who is a Christian man and who took a big chance on me, bringing my request to have a doll made to his CEO. After a week, he called with seemingly bad news. If I wanted to have a character doll made, I would need a story on which to base the doll, a completed story that has never been published. My shoulders slumped. Where in the world could I find a finished story? Then I remembered the fiction series I had worked on so many years ago. I rushed to my garage and foraged through the bikes and Christmas ornaments until I found the finished manuscripts. I sent him the first chapter, all the while basking in the words of Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).

But it takes more than a story to get a doll produced. Commissioning a doll and having it sculpted in China is a costly venture. One afternoon the bad news came. Unless I could raise 30,000 dollars, my dream of a new doll would not become a reality. I sighed, told the company I would pray about it, and headed off to school to pick up my kids. Little did I know that a divine encounter was about to take place. While waiting for my children to be dismissed, I was approached by a woman who had heard about my dream to start a Christian doll company. With a heavy heart, I passed on the latest news about the 30,000 dollar price tag. This sweet woman grabbed my hand and led me to her car, where a check for exactly 30,000 dollars was stashed in her glove compartment. Her husband had given her the money that morning to use as she saw fit—and she simply asked, “May I cosign it to you?” God’s grace is truly sufficient for me.

Time, treasure, and talent: when I gave God my “three fish and five loaves,” my meager resources, I was met with His extraordinary grace, like the renowned doll sculptor Dianna Effner, creating the Girls ’n Grace doll. When board rooms of men gasp at the site of such a “life-like, joyous doll,” I know it is God behind the scenes communicating in practical ways the amazing attributes of His grace. The books have given me a chance to spread the message of grace-filled living creatively. I have had the opportunity to bring some diversity into the mix and to explore other regions, cultures, and historical periods like the 1960’s through the lens of God’s grace. Grace is always the authentic commodity that people seek, yet sadly we tend to substitute God’s authentic grace with a myriad of empty counterfeits. Through the books and dolls, God is allowing my dream to be realized, engaging girls—mothers, daughters, and grandmothers—in the good news of God’s grace, which is exclusively in Jesus Christ. He is the one who gives inexhaustible, unmerited benefits that afford us joy, pleasure, good will, and thanksgiving, with the essential benefit being spiritual life.

http://www.girlsngrace.com/

Get Sydney Clair’s Season of Change and Mesi: A Girl ’n Grace in Africa by Pam Davis
Authentic Publishing March 2008
ISBN 13: 978-1-934-068-50-2/80 pages/softcover/$7.99 and ISBN 13: 978-1-934068-51-9/80 pages/softcover/$7.99

About the book:
Sydney Clair Wilcox is a determined, curious tenyearold trying to keep up with all the changes around her. The year is 1965 and her beloved, big sister, Penny, is moving away to college. In the middle of the civil rights, womens rights, and environmental movements, Sydney Clairs world is changing. Discover how her heart is made ready for the next season of her life and how she prepares for a fragrant friendship that blooms. Similar to the American Girl series model, Girls n Grace follows several characters who are set in modern decades. The unique aspect of this series is not only will girls from other continents be featured, but all of the characters in their series of books will come to know fully the grace that only God can provide.

About the Author
Pam Davis is an author and motivational speaker who views her charge as bringing the timeworn truths of Scripture to life. Pams candid teaching style not only enlightens but also entertains, leaving her audiences with a refreshed desire for the living Word of God. She lives with her husband, Steven, and three children in Fort Worth, Texas.

Reflections of a Free Spirit

2008-07-09T23:59:00.003-04:00

I'll be honest with you. It has been a struggle to write this summer. During the school year I think that if I only had my days free I could get more done. It's amazing how quickly the days get filled. I've done a little writing, but nothing major. I think I have to be more structured. I coached a Little League team and now I'm coaching a tournament team, so a lot of evenings are filled with practices or games. Add in all of the church work, teaching college classes, and hanging out with the family, there isn't much time left. That's why when I interview writers I ask them their routines and how they balance family, work, and writing. I want to know what others do.

Okay, that's enough belly-aching. I would be getting some writing done if I were actually working on that instead of this post. Priorities . . . Priorities. I guess I'm just too much of a "free spirit." I've actually taken learning style tests that back this up, so I do have scientific proof. Just imagine how pitiful I'd sound if I had real problems. Okay, I'm off to write. You have my word count to the right as proof of my progress.

The WIP Is . . .

2008-07-07T15:06:00.002-04:00

Okay, I've decided that my current work in progress will be DEVIL'S BACKBONE. This is a book about some people who open a portal to hell and expose their town to demonic activity. I worked on it in the past, but put it aside. Now I'm going to continue on and see where it goes. I was working on it last night and our cat made some noise in the other room that made me jump. I'm not sure if this will be a young adult novel or adult novel. The main characters are junior high students, but the story also involves the adults around them. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

A Call for Accountability Parnters

2008-07-05T01:18:00.003-04:00

It's late and I'm tired, but I feel like I need to put something on the blog since it's been silent most of the week. I'm going to hit the WIP hard over the next month and see what I can knock out before school resumes. There is so many things I want to write that I have a hard time deciding on one and sticking with it. As usual, I have too many stories going at once and I don't give enough quality time to any of them. I need a NANWRIMO of my own and just hit something as hard as I can.

Okay - here's the deal. I'll continue this debate in my head until Monday. Then I'll post on here what I am going to write and if I can get some accountability partners, I'll see if I can complete the novel (1st draft at least) before school officially resumes in August. That's about six weeks. How about it? Let me know if you're game. I'll be your accountability partner as well and we'll encourage each other in our writings.