Secrets of the Dead

I thought of this for my writing friends, although anyone can enjoy this show. I think my new favorite show is "Secrets of the Dead" on PBS. I've just watched the last 2 weeks, but it has been quite fascinating to see the things they go back over, trying to use evidence from the past to unravel a mystery.

This week dealt with a famous dogfight over Guadacanal during WWII. They pieced together part of a mystery: Why the American pilot didn't shoot down a Japanese ace when he had the chance.

I mention it to writers because it is the type of thing that can really spark your imagination. I won't talk about another episode I saw, because the ideas are mine, ALL MINE! MU-hahahhahaha...

Um, sorry about that. Anyway, check it out if you can get it.

Job Interview

Just a note for any prayers out there y'all can spare. I have a job interview Monday morning, for a position I think would be a good fit. Thanks for the support gang!

Election 2006

To those who could vote and did: You have my admiration and gratitude.

To those who didn't:



Yep, you read that right. Nothing.

Self-Discipline

I've been a bit helter-skelter with this blog over the last few weeks. Part of it are the blog tours that I've committed to, which I enjoy but take up my blogging time. I started a little series on Art and the Bible, which I haven't forgotten about and would like to continue.

I must confess that I've had problems with self-motivation and self discipline lately. You'd think, seeing as I'm still on that great job hunt, that I'd have all the time for getting things done, doing all the writing and blogging I want to do.

Unfortunately, I've dealt with some problems with being a little depressed at times over the last few weeks. I'm sitting at the computer, staring at the screen not really having interest in doing much of anything. I think this is pretty natural, dealing with a monotony of not having much to do.

Anyway, I don't know if anyone particularly cares, but I'm working on some self-improvement things that should translate to keeping up with blogging regularly. I'm notorious for needing a deadline to get stuff done. I just wanted to say that I'm still here, just trying to get my head together. Thanks for hanging with me on the journey.

DKA Day 3, Continuing with Mir

Continuing the discussion about Dragons, Knights, and Angles Magazine with Mirtika Schultz, assistant editor and fangirl of Gerald Butler.

5. What types of stories is DKA looking for? I mean, what would have the best chance of getting published?

Something with a fresh twist and very good prose. We always look for those. We like stories of hope that offer an emotional and spiritual and not just cerebral experience. We want characters who aren't bits of cardboard pushed around to serve a doctrine, political stance, or scientific concept. Make us care about the characters.

I refer your readers to the contest-winning story by Chris Mikesell, "The Unfortunate Purgatory of Arthur MacArthur" for a look at solid, good prose with atmosphere and an interesting character. Plus, it has a hopeful, happy ending (of sorts). Is this a slipstream story? You decide.

I also refer you again to "Damage" by Jane LeBak, an angel story. (Angels, really, as there are more than one.) The twist here: the guardian angel is actually a fallen angel, and one who has critically damaged the fetus to which he is then tethered. Consequences and redemption ensue. And surprises.

We like humor, too. We've published some pieces with a chuckling spirit.

Ultimately, we don't want to be bored and we don't want crappy writing or flat characters. Beyond that, be creative.

6. What are DKA's plans in the future?

To stay afloat. No, really. We depend on volunteer workers and donations. (A good part of the budget comes from the volunteer staff.) If you want to support the CSF community, consider donating to DKA. It's easy. We take Paypal. (Jason's note: see the Paypal link on the left sidebar of DKA)

Besides the matter of survival, we hope to be able to offer higher pay rates. That depends on how much support we get.

Next year, we will host our second fiction contest. Unlike this year's, we may have to charge an entry fee, a minimal one. We had hoped to offer it as a free contest, but funds are low and the reality is that for a good prize(es) to be given, a five or ten dollar entry fee may be required.

We're no different than any magazine with an ethical heart and a fannish soul: We aspire to offer higher quality stories and poems of wonder and magic and space. We pray and we work to improve the magazine. But the long-term depends a lot on what those of you out there do. If you support us and submit good work, we'll continue.

7. I help moderate a site for Star Wars related fanfiction ( www.kotorfanmedia.com). We get some pretty crazy submissions sometimes. What is the most interesting (read: weird, unpublishable) story that you've come across in reading submissions?

We recently read a very strange and incomprehensible story with oodles of math and talk of dimensions. We declined it. Later on, we accepted another rather odd story by the same writer. I fought for that one. I like odd stories, as long as I see evidence of good craft and some character I can relate to or sympathize with or root for or be enthralled by. Good sci-fi concepts will nab me, too, but the execution is often lacking with science fiction, it seems.

Usually, our unpublishable stories and poems aren't that way due to weirdness. They are unpublishable due to poor execution: awkward prose, jarring metaphors, stilted dialogue, cliche plotlines, etc.

8. Do you have a favorite story you'd like to highlight here?

I really loved the ones I mentioned and recommended in a previous question. Those would be my top two.

Others your readers may enjoy: "Sorrow's Shroud" by Rachel Marks (Issue 30) got very good reader feedback and had a redemptive, hopeful ending. The Dragon Keepers, or How the Dragon Spits Fire by Candy Taylor Tutt in issue 31 has a Rudyard Kipling "voice" and is both amusing and rather charming. As a book-lover, I had a soft spot for Tyler McHenry, Middle-Aged Lover of Books by Wade Ogletree.

I wouldn't mind highlighting my poem about Lot's wife, "MONUMENT "in issue 34. A shameless plug, I know.

---

I like this quote from Johne Cook, former managing editor of DKA who wrote the vision statement:

To my way of thinking, dragons represent the mystical, the unknown world, dangerous and magical and huge beyond reckoning. Knights represent the horizontal, selfless but moral humans fighting the good fight with feeble flesh and faith. Angels represent the vertical, messengers of an almighty God, purveyors of Providence, proof of the unprovable, denizens of a supernatural spiritual reality.

I was watching the end of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers yesterday where Sam and Frodo were talking about the story that will be told of them someday. I felt an encouragement from the Lord, telling me "there are still stories of good and evil waiting to be told." I felt it was an encouragement for me to continue with my writing, but I think it applies to DKA as well. Our species needs hope, and it has been a tradition as far back as cave paintings: Telling of the exploits of our heroes to encourage us all. Sci-fi and fantasy seem to do this particularly well. I encourage everyone who reads this to check out DKA and support them if you feel so moved. We need a place for these "stories of good and evil" to reside.

And continue the journey with the other members of the blog tour below.

Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Kameron M. Franklin
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Joleen Howell
Karen and at Karen¹s myspace
Oliver King
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Frank Creed
Christina Deanne
Lost Genre Guild
John Otte

Trick or Treat? Not!

From the incomparable Brad Stine:

Halloween makes no sense. The idea is that if you are tricked, you give out a treat. But it doesn't work because THEY ALL COME ON THE SAME DAY!

Kids: Trick or treat!!

Brad: Ah, but I knew you were coming, so I wasn't tricked. Hence, no treat.

SLAM!

What they should really do is come when you're not expecting it. Like May. At 2 in the morning.

Kids: Trick or treat!!

Brad: (Eyes wide) Well, you got me! Here's a pickle.

(Not necessarily word for word, but you get the idea. From his Put a Helmet On DVD.)

DKA Magazine - Interview with Mirtika

I'm still contributing to the CSFF blog tour featuring DKA Magazine (Dragons, Knights, and Angels). I've interviewed Mirtika Schultz, assistant editor of DKA, f*i*fer, and blog buddy about the nuts and bolts of DKA. Look for how you can submit a story for moolah and the latest space missionary saga!

1. How did you come to be involved with DKA?

I won The Sword Review's fiction contest in 2005, and that got me involved with the TSR site. DKA and TSR are sister publications, both thriving under the banner of Double-Edged Publishing. I had an active blog over at TSR for a while, and I posted in the forum. From my presence there, I was asked to be an editor. I said, "Sure." I hang out much less at TSR, even though I won their recent poetry contest. I spend most of my time and energy at DKA.

2. What is its purpose?

Our purpose is to provide a place for the publishing of Christian science fiction and fantasy short fiction and poetry. We want to offer the CSF community the best we can of the material that's submitted to us. We always hope to get better and better quality creative work to publish.

We also seek to nurture new talent. We offer critique and the chance for some writers to revise and improve. We sometimes publish student work that shows promise. The next generation of CSF writers needs to be encouraged.

I refer anyone who is curious about our "vision" to read the Vision Statement written by Johne Cook and available at dkamagazine.com. Just click on "vision" in the sidebar.

3. If I want to submit, do I have to have a dragon, knight, or angel in the story?

No. In fact, we tend to be glutted on stories with those elements. We crave good science fiction. However, we always will publish good stories with those three titular elements. One of the best of our recent offerings is a pure angel story with a special plot twist called "Damage" by Jane LeBak. Coming up in December (maybe January, I forget) will be a more experimental, odd tale with a space missionary that features a human and a quantum computer.

As long as the story fits our Vision Statement and is not patently offensive to Christians or disrespectful of Christian doctrine, we're happy to look at it. We welcome submissions across the wide spectrum of fantasy and science fiction classifications.

What don't we want? We don't want stories that merely exist to preach. Give us good prose, good characterization, conflict, resolution--the usual craft elements. And don't use the elements in tired, trite ways. A knight off to kill a dragon, and not much more going on but angst and fiery breathing, well, that's a story that will bore us and earn a decline.

The level of religious "preaching" that we tolerate correlates precisely to the level of craft involved. Write a compelling story, and we are less likely to gag at sermonizing.

4. How many submissions does the site typically get in a week/month (whatever time frame you choose)?

I don't know. Honestly, Selena Thomason is the managing editor and the Keeper of the Numbers. Nothing is "usual." Some months we're swamped and can barely keep up. Last month was like that. Some months are dry and we start putting the word out that we need subs.

If you have something good that fits our Vision Statment, then I urge you to send it to us. This is one of our slower weeks, possibly due to so many CSF-ers gearing up for NaNoWriMo and the holidays.

---

Check back tomorrow for more questions with Mirtika. Be sure to check out the site and some of the others from the CSFF blog tour, listed below. And Mirtika has a special offer for any who comment at her blog Mirathon, and I will extend the same offer: Those who leave a comment saying "enter me in the review drawing" will win a chance to receive a free critique from Mir. She isn't just a pretty face, but she has judged a lot of writing competitions and has a keen eye for what makes a good story. She will critique a poem or the first five pages of a story. So leave your comments if that interests you!


Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Kameron M. Franklin
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Joleen Howell
Karen and at Karen¹s myspace
Oliver King
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Frank Creed
Christina Deanne
Lost Genre Guild
John Otte

Blog Tour - Dragons, Knights, and Angels

I've been a supporter of a couple of blog tours. Today is the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) blog tour, brainchild of Becky Miller, highlighting the world of Christian speculative fiction to bring it more exposure. Ultimately, our purpose in discussing CSFF is to show there is a demand for it in the market, and enable that growth to happen.

One site that is working toward that goal is Dragons, Knights, and Angels. It is an online e-zine that highlights Christian spec fiction. I first heard about of it from a writer friend who happens to be a neo-pagan type, so it has become known to a degree outside of Christian circles. I am more familiar with it now due to blog buddies Mir and Chris Mikesell; Mir because she is an editor for the site, and Mikesell because one of his stories won their last fiction contest.

When I first got into writing, I didn't think much about sci-fi and fantasy as genres. My initial writing ideas didn't fit into those "niches". However, I decided to do the first CSFF blog tour just to get my little new blog a little exposure. But in doing so, I found that I always have enjoyed sci-fi and fantasy, it's just that I haven't really thought about it.

I'll bet that a lot of people out there think they don't like the sci-fi or fantasy, but if I mention movies like Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, or Star Wars, those same people would say they enjoyed them. So don't overlook sci-fi and fantasy as reading choices, because you may be surprised. And a good, FREE place to start reading some quality short stories to get into CSFF is at DKA.

Tomorrow I have a little interview with Mirtika, assistant editor of DKA to talk more about it. And the links below are my fellow tour-mates who will have their own unique spin on DKA, so check out a few of them as well, OK?

Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Kameron M. Franklin
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Joleen Howell
Karen and at Karen¹s myspace
Oliver King
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Frank Creed
Christina Deanne
Lost Genre Guild
John Otte

Pastor Hank Leaves His Mark

Our favorite Kanner Lake pastor has the post on the Scenes and Beans blog today! Check it out.

Scenes & Beans: A Different Fall Classic

Amusement

I've been reading Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald. Today I was struck when he was talking about working on the part of our private world involving our minds, wisdom, and knowledge. He talked about our amusement, and in doing so he broke down the word:

A-Muse-Ment

Whoa.

Did you catch that? Once the word was broken down, I was stunned. "A" as a prefix means "not". As an aspiring writer, the muse is very important. "Muse" deals with thinking. So "amusement" refers to a state of lack of thinking.

How often is that true? When we are seeking amusement, it is really involves a lack of engaging our mental capacities. I remember coming home from college and flipping on the afternoon cartoons like Animaniacs. Since I was working in the toy department at Wal-Mart, I joked that I was doing research to see what kind of toys kids were buying. But I really wanted something that helped my mind shut off for a little while between being engaged at school and then engaged at work.

Think about what we do, and if it is really profitable for our mental life. I know we can't be "on" all the time, but how often do we "shut off" for our amusement?

Interesting...

Blog Tour - The Election

I'd like to introduce you to Jerome Teel. He is a self-described political junkie, a lawyer in Tennessee, and now a first-time novelist. This week's blog tour highlights the release of his new novel, The Election.

His tale is ambitious: It involves a Southern attorney defending a murder suspect, a mysterious romance, and a presidential election between Vice President Ed Burke and Republican Senator Mac Foster.

He shows some real promise. The book keeps the pace moving, and there was rarely a time where I wasn't reluctant to put it down. He keeps up the setting well while keeping the action on high gear.

There are a couple of issues that kept me from fully enjoying the book. The characters tend to be stock: The tall, handsome attorney, the bad guy with a goatee manipulating the action behind the scenes. Except for the main character, Jake Reed, the characters all serve the plot and have no growth at all.

The overall plot structure could be taken from what I felt was a standard Christian end-times scenario: A secretive group of businessmen fund the corrupt VP in his presidential bid over the noble Republican opponent so they can take over the world, Illuminati-style. I appreciate that the Republican good guy is very pro-life, but the character is perfect. On the other hand, the VP's wife is Hillary Clinton thinly veiled. I happen to share the author's convictions, but they are dealt with on a very simplistic, surface level. Had depth been added to these ideas, this could have really spoken into contemporary society and politics.

Overall, I do feel it is a solid first effort. If I could write a book that kept readers hooked like The Election, that would be a wonderful start. There is room to grow, so I will keep an eye out for Jerome Teel in the future. If you like political/legal thrillers, he will be an option.

Fun with Telemarketers

Last night I was up to my elbows in cooking dinner. The phone rings, and I don't think to screen with caller I.D. I was looking for the spaghetti noodles when the lady said, "We're conducting an important food survey."


My answer: "Then you shouldn't call during dinner."

CLICK.

Anyone else have a great comeback for these annoying phone calls? List them in the comments, and we'll have a little contest to see which is the best!

30 Days of Prayer for Muslims

This may be bad timing, as it has just ended, but I wanted to highlight the 30 Day Muslim Prayer Focus that occurs each year during Ramadan. It is sponsored by WorldChristian bookstore, which you can find a button for on the right. They produce a booklet that leads you through praying for different areas and people groups of the Muslim world over those 30 days.

This has been a wonderful experience, as my wife and I have participated over the last several years. I especially enjoy the testimonies of what has happened in previous years as the result of the prayers, one of which I'll share now:

Last year an African prayer group of five participating in "30 Days" had the following experience: On the 17th day of prayer during Ramadan, the imam who was leading the local prayers found it impossible to continue praying. Another imam saw in a vision that the local Christians who were praying at the same moment were actually blocking the Muslim prayers. In the vision it was as though both sides were throwing rocks at each other in prayer, but the Christian rocks were breaking the Muslim rocks. The imam even asked the Christians not to pray at the same time as the Muslims. After this even several young Muslims came to faith in Christ.

Next year I will trumpet the Prayer Focus so anyone who would like to get on board can. It is wonderful to partner with our Father in prayer for those that need Him so much. It is also a great learning tool for other cultures and peoples around the world, treated respectfully.

Blog Tour - Like Dandelion Dust

This week's blog tour for the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance involves best-selling Karen Kingsbury and her new novel, Like Dandelion Dust. Just a FYI: Since the CFBA is doing a book a week now, I don't have time and don't get to read every book. However, by our highlighting one book, it raises its profile on the web to help it. Tune in next week for my personal review of the next tour book. I know you can't wait...

And for this week's tour.
About the Author:

USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's #1 inspirational novelist. There are nearly 5 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including more than two million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 30 novels, nine of which have hit #1 on national lists, including award-winning Oceans Apart, One Tuesday Morning, Beyond Tuesday Morning, the Redemption Series and Firstborn Series, and several other bestsellers, one of which was the basis for a CBS Movie-of-the-Week and Gideon's Gift, which is currently in production as a major theatrical release for Christmas 2007.

Karen lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Don, and their six children, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.

About the Book:

A PEACEFUL TOWN...
AN IDYLLIC FAMILY...
A PHONE CALL THAT THREATENS THEM ALL.

Jack and Molly Campbell enjoyed an idyllic life (great house in a fancy neighborhood, high-paying job, and a beautiful little boy) in their small hometown outside Atlanta with their adopted 4-year-old, Joey. Then they receive the phone call that shatters their world: a social worker delivers the news that Joey's biological father has been released from prison and is ready to start lifeover with his son. (It's discovered that Joey's birth mother forged the signature of Joey's birth father, making it a fraudulent adoption.) When a judge rules that Joey must be returned to his father (a man who cannot separatee love and violence), the Campbells, in a silent haze of grief and utter disbelief, watch their son pick a dandelion and blow the feathery seeds into the wind.

Struggling with the dilemma of following the law, their hearts, and what they know to be morally right, the Campbells find that desperation leads to dangerous thoughts. What if they can devise a plan? Take Joey and simply disappear....LIKE DANDELION DUST.


Review by Mimi Pearson

Art and the Bible - Day 5

Make sure you read yesterday's post, because today really is a follow up to this. We're discussint the idea of "the art work as an art work". Seems pretty self-explanatory, until we think of the baggage that is often put on art. We can't just have Christian novels, comic books, or music. They have to be evangelistic. If we aren't reaching people with the gospel of Christ, then art has no value.

Obviously that is extreme, but we can have art for beauty's sake. But concerning the nature of a work of art, what perspectives can we have?

1. Art for art's sake. "This is the notion that art is just there and that is all there is to it". People may say there is no meaning to an art work, that it just is. However, there is always meaning to something we do, it just may not be apparent. Everything speaks of where we come from. We'll talk more on this next time.

2. Art is only an embodiment of a message. Basically it is a vehicle for propoganda. But Schaeffer says that if either the Christian or non-Christian reduces art to just the vehicle for the message, then art is only intellectual and loses its intrinsic art value. If we use a work of art only to get a message across, it is little more than a tract.

3. The artist makes a work of art, and then the body of his work shows his world-view. Schaeffer argues that this is the possibility that holds out that something can be a great work of art. Sometimes we can produce something that is more message driven, and another time we do a work that is more towards pure artistic. Over time, these works will show where the creator is coming from. I think of novelist Brandilyn Collins, whose books have a variety of levels of spirituality. Some are very blatant, as God gives visions to her protagonist. In her newest book, Violet Dawn, the topic of God is lightly touched. Brandilyn has shared on her blog that the story drives the spiritual content, and she's not going to force it in there just to speak an evangelistic message.

Schaeffer has this to say:

How then should an artist begin to do his work? I would insist that he begin by setting out to make a work of art. He should say to himself, "I am going to make a work of art."(emphasis original)

Art and the Bible - Day 4

Back to our regular programming (for a bit, at least). I had to count my "art" posts to figure out what day we were on.

In Art and the Bible, Francis Schaeffer started with explaining a biblical justification of art. The second part is entitled "Some Perspectives on Art", and he lists 11 different perspective that he discusses. He admits this is not exhaustive, but they are helpful ways for a Christian to look at art. I intend to discuss some of them together, but the first one is important enough to discuss alone: The Art Work as an Art Work.

Basically, this is stated as "a work of art has a value in itself". As I said in previous posts, art has intrinsic value just for beauty's sake. It does not necessarily have to have external value. That is the biblical perspective: remember the pillar in the temple that was beautifully decorated, but had no utilitarian purpose.

Schaeffer has some advice for an artist, which I think is a key point for novelists/writers of fiction to keep in mind.

How should an artist begin to do his work as an artist? I would insist that he begin his work as an artist by setting out to make a work of art. What that would mean is different in sculpture and poetry, for example, but in all caases the artist should be setting out to make a work of art.

He goes on to discuss the fact that creativity is an act of worship because our God is the ultimate Creator. To create is one of the ways that we are "made in His image", and just by creating something beautiful, we can honor Him.

Second, an art work has value as a creation because man is made in the image of God, and therefore man not only can love and think and feel emotion, but also has the capacity to create. Being in the image of the Creator, we are called upon to have creativity.

We all manifest this creativity differently. Some creatively solve math problems, or build houses. Creativity is not limited to the artist. We all walk in creativity, even if we all don't feel that we create art. But art is an obvious act of creation.

Sometimes we do lose the the idea of art having value intrinsically. Schaeffer criticizes evangelicals when he says:

I am afraid, however, that as evangelicals we have largely made [this mistake]. Too often we think that a work of art has value only if we reduce it to a tract. This too is to view art solely as a message for the intellect.

Tomorrow I'll talk about three perspectives regarding this idea of art as art.

100th Post - Something Poignant?

Usually 100 of something is a milestone to be celebrated with solemnity. Around SftO, traditions don't always hold sway.

So how about my favorite movie quote of the year so far:

This is the captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence, and then explode.

What movie and what character? Any takers?

Cooking with the Joyners, Take 1

I love my wife.

I just wanted to state that right up front, so everyone had no doubts about this.

Also, my wife has become a good cook. When we got married, I think we could make about 4 things between the two of us. We had to call for help one time on how to boil eggs. Now my wife is not afraid to try new things and comes up with some great dishes to feed all her boys (me included).

But sometimes, she and I both do goofy things in the kitchen.

Today we both had our moments. Sundays are often quiet and relaxing during the afternoon, and we didn't get around to making a nice dinner due to my special project I'll mention below. So it was corn dogs for the boys, and Cambell's Bean and Bacon soup for me. Beccy was deep into a book, so she came in the kitchen and decided my soup looked good, and put some of the same in the microwave to heat it up after mine finished.

I'm sitting down ready to eat when I hear, "Are you supposed to add water to this?"

She had some pretty thick condensed soup there in the bowl, and I got a pretty good chuckle over it.

Course, I had my moment earlier in the day. We had some great tasting Honey Crisp apples, and I decided to try my hand at baking a pie. The recipe called for 6 medium sized apples, but these were pretty large. I peeled and cut 4 of them, thinking that would be fine. I mixed the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and apples together and dumped them into the pie crust.

My pie must have been 6 inches high.

I didn't think that would work very well. But I hate to mess up when I'm learning new recipes and don't know what I need. I didn't want to just take out the extra apples, because then I'd get the sauce all wrong. I ended up dumping all the apples in a strainer, rinsing them all off, and measuring out the right amount of apples before mixing a new batch of sugar and co. to mix with it...

Go ahead and say it: I'm anal. But the pie turned out good!

Slow Week

Sorry that I haven't been much of a blogger this week. I wish I were like my friend Becky Miller and kept up each day with a series. But a few things have conspired against that this week.

One thing is that we've had beautiful weather, and I've been trying to get those last-minute summer projects done before we settle in to cold, grey, and dreary days of late fall and winter. Boy, have I been having fun painting, repairing cement cracks, and the like. Not really. Handyman work is not my cup of joe.

Another thing has been a general disinterest in sitting down and blogging. For those that have been wondering, I am on my 6th week of unemployment. I have had good time and down times while walking this out. God has been faithful to provide for my family, and I am always looking for job opportunities, but the doors don't seem to be opening just yet.

He has also been faithful to keep me encouraged. I have gotten down at times, but He is my sustainer. This week I have been blessed by reading a book, Making Jesus Lord, by YWAM founder Loren Cunningham (I'm actually reading the old version which was called Winning God's Way.) It speaks of laying down our rights to reputation, finances, and life the way we want it, in order to allow Jesus to make full use of our lives. This is where I want to be, and the book was a good reminder.

I plan on continuing my little "Art and the Bible" series, as well as the latest Christian fiction blog tour stuff and other interesting tidbits. I did update my links on the right if you'd like to check those out. And be blessed, all of you saints of God - He loves you!

Blog Tour - Violette Between

This week's CFBA blog tour presents Alison Strobel and her new novel Violette Between.

My friend Rhonda Lewis read this book initially, and as an avid reader of CBA novels this is what she had to say: "A great story of romance, tragedy, and redemption. I can't wait to read more from Alison Strobel."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alison Strobel graduated with a degree in elementary education, and in the summer of 2000 she moved from Chicago to southern California where she taught elementary school for three years. It was in Orange County that she met her husband, Daniel Morrow, and the story developed for her first novel, Worlds Collide.

Violette Between is a poinant story of a true artist. When the love of Violette's life, Saul suddenly died, she died too. Then she meets Christian, who also is morning the loss of a loved one.

As Violette and Christian begin to feel something that they both thought was impossible. Tragedy strikes again. Christian finds Violette on the floor of his waiting room, that she had been painting to look like a New York rooftop restaurant.

As Christian holds a vigil at her bedside, begging her to come back to him, Violette is in a coma, traveling to a place where she meets her beloved Saul. And she finds that she may not want to come back!

What would it be like to choose a place between the past and the present?

Violette Between is a powerful character study of a woman finally relinquishing the past to move on, only to be thrust into the quandry of reliving that life and needing to make a choice.

For Christians, this will definitely make you think about heaven and the consequences of eternal life.

"Delving into the underside of complicated relationships, Alison Strobel takes readers to unexpected places, but doesn't hesitate to deliver redemptiom when needed."
---Melody Carlson, author of Finding Alice

Art IN the Bible

If anyone thinks that the Bible doesn't include any art, then they just need to look a little closer. Schaeffer takes a look at several instances of art in the Bible. Most of the references do come from the Old Testament, which contains more history. The New Testament is more concerned with teaching, so art does not really show up significantly (except for the beauty of the New Jerusalem, with gold and precious stones used to decorate streets).

The first time we see art in the Bible is when Moses is given directions for the tabernacle. In Exodus 25:9, God tells Moses to follow all of the patterns he is given. The Lord goes on to have two cherubim of gold formed (Ex 25:18). There are also candlestick with branches and almond-blossoms coming off of it (25:31-33). These are both examples of representational art. Later in Exodus we see an example of interpretive art: on the skirts of the priests' garments are pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet (28:33). In nature, pomegranates are red. Now purple and scarlet could be part of the growth cycle of the fruit, but blue definitely would not be. Thus, God wants beautiful things associated with His worship, and there is creativity to interpret things beyond the exact of what they are on earth.

In the temple, it was covered with precious stones "for beauty" (2 Chron. 3:6). The stones didn't have a symbolical or representational aspect that required their presence. God just thought they looked nice! Later on in chapter 3, Schaeffer talks about free-standing columns decorated with chains and pomegranates. These columns do not support weight or have a utilitarian significance(3:16-17). Again, they are there for beauty and presentation. This is a good argument for any who would say that art needs to have some purpose, such as evangelism or exhortation. It is possible to create a work of art just because - in order to create something beautiful is reason enough in itself.

There is artwork besides visual art in the Bible. One obvious area is poetry. Much of the Old Testament is written in poetic form, with a lyrical beauty that transcends the original Hebrew and comes across in other languages. Not all of the poetry is psalms and prophecy though, strictly religious subjects. 2 Samuel 1:19-27 is "a secular ode, a poem by David to the praise of Saul and Jonathan as national heroes" (FS p385).

The Song of Solomon is often interpreted as the love of Christ for the church, which is a definitely valid interpretation. However, we must not forget what its original purpose is, which is obviously a love poem. This is inspired Scripture - a demonstration of holy love of a man and woman, enjoying all that God has given them - including a celebration of beauty.

I could go on to discuss music and drama and dance in the Bible, but I think my point has been made. Art is in the Bible, and God has used it both for His purposes (psalms in worship, Ezekiel acting out the siege of Jerusalem as a prophetic word) and for beauty's sake alone. Now that I've established this point, I'll go on next time to discuss what Francis Schaeffer has to say on perspectives of art.

Don't forget, leave a comment to be entered in a book giveaway at the end of this series!

Roamin Through Romans I

I still am teaching Romans in my church's adult Sunday school class. I said a long time ago that I would post a little about our study and any pearls gleaned from it, but I have been pretty negligent in that.

Oh well. Today we are studying Romans 6. As a study guide, we are using Francis Schaeffer's book The Finished Work of Christ, (why yes, I do happen to like Schaeffer :P). In a passage discussing Romans 6:4, he says:

Jesus didn't die on the cross just to die on the cross. Jesus died on the cross in order that we might be redeemed. Likewise, we are not called upon to die daily just in order to be dead; we are called upon to die daily in order that we might experience the reality of being alive in Christ.

There are too many gems in Romans to list them all. And Schaeffer's book is an excellent study guide to go along with the book

Blog Tour - Dark Hour

Today is part of a blog tour for Dark Hour, the most recent book from Ginger Garrett. She is an expert in ancient women history, and she uses her knowledge and research to bring biblical times to light.

And now, a special Q&A with Ginger Garrett:
1.) First, tell us a bit about Dark Hour.
I was praying about what book to write after Chosen, and accidentally left my open Bible on the kitchen table. (A dangerous thing, since in my house, small children and large dogs routinely scavenge with dirty hands and noses for snacks!) As I walked past it, I saw a caption about someone named Athaliah and a mass murder. I stopped cold. I knew it was my story.

Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel--a real woman in history--who tried to destroy all the descendents of King David in a massacre. God made a promise that a descendent of King David would always sit on the throne, and one day a Messiah would come from this line. If Athaliah succeeded, she would break the promise between God and the people, and destroy all hope for a Messiah.One woman, her step-daughter, Jehoshebeth, defied her. She stole a baby during the massacre and hid him. Between them, the two women literally fought for the fate of the world.

2.) What drew you to write biblical fiction?
The similarities between the lives of ancient women and our lives. We get distracted by their "packaging," the way they dressed and lived, but at heart, our stories are parallel.

3.) How much time is spent researching the novel versus writing the novel?
Equal amounts, and I don't stop researching while I write. I have a historical expert, probably the best in the world in his field, review the manuscript and point out errors. The tough part is deciding when to ignore his advice. He pointed out that most everyone rode donkeys if they weren't in the military, but a key scene in the novel involves riding a horse to the rescue. It would have been anti-climatic to charge in on a donkey! :) So I ignored his advice on that one.

4.) Dark Hour takes its reader deep into the heart of palace intrigue and betrayals. Were parts of this book difficult to write?
I left out much of the darkest material I uncovered in research. It was important to show how violent and treacherous these times and this woman (Athaliah) could be, but I tried to be cautious about how to do it. The story was so powerful and hopeful--how one woman's courage in the face of evil saved the world--but the evil was depressing. I tried to move quickly past it. I wanted balance. Our heroine suffers and some wounds are not completely healed in her lifetime. That's true for us, too.

5.) What would modern readers find surprising about ancient women?
They had a powerful sense of the community of women. They also wore make-up: blush, glitter eyeshadow, lipstick, powder, and perfume! They drank beer with straws, and enjoyed "Fritos": ground grains, fried and salted. Many of our foods are the same today, but they loved to serve pate made from dried locusts, finely ground. Ugh!

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One other special for this blog tour - I am authorized by her publicist to hold a contest for one copy of Dark Hour! All you have to do is leave a comment to this post, and I will draw a name by October 9th to determine the winner. (This is limited to this post, so don't get it confused with my other contest on the Art and the Bible series.)

Art and True Spirituality

As I mentioned yesterday, evangelicals are sometimes faulted for being interested just in the Truth or focusing on getting souls saved. The feeling is that "time is short" and we need to be serious about what we do. Writing fiction is just wasting time in imaginary worlds, and don't have "eternal value".

Francis Schaeffer argues in Art and the Bible that "true spirituality includes the Lordship of Christ over the whole man (p 376)." The first point he makes is that God made man and woman in His own image. Who is God but the ultimate Creator? If we are to truly honor God in all we do, it makes sense that we would be creative beings as well.

Too often spirituality in American evangelicalism takes on a dichotomy of body and soul, or sacred and secular. "I don't listen to secular music, only Christian rock." This is actually a Platonic idea instead of a scriptural idea. As Schaeffer says, "Redemption is for the whole man (p 376)." As a saved person, my whole life is under the lordship of Christ. It doesn't stop at the church doors on Sunday, but it extends to my work, my relationships, and everything I do - including my creative aspects. I've said it elsewhere: we don't have Christian plumbers, we have plumbers who happen to be Christians. An author shouldn't be labeled a "Christian" author to give them a special distinction from a regular author. Too often this label only keeps the author from being recognized outside of our Christian ghettos.

The arts and sciences do have a place in the Christian life - they are not peripheral. For a Christian, redeemed by the work of Christ and living within the norms of Scripture and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the Lordship of Christ should include an interest in the arts. A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God - not just as tracts, but as things of beauty to the praise of God. An art work can be a doxology in itself (p 377).

Tomorrow we'll look at examples of art in the Bible.

Leave your comments to be entered in the Deliver Me from Evelyn contest!

P.S. All quotes are from Art and the Bible, book five in A Chrisitan Worldview of the Bible as Truth, Volume 2 of The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer: A Christian Worldview.

Pastor Hank Blogs Again

Make sure to check out Scenes & Beans today - our favorite fishy pastor again deals with the aqueous kind.

Art and the Bible - Day 1

If you were asked to name one of the great Christian thinkers in the 20th century, one name that should be at the top of the list is Francis Schaeffer. I really can't think of anyone who did more to promote a complete Christian/Biblical worldview for all of life. Actually, Schaeffer considered himself an evangelist, with a heart for reaching the jaded college students of Europe. However, reaching that particular group meant having a complete, comprehensive worldview.

I would recommend any of his works. There is a classic "trilogy" of his works: The God Who Is There, Escape from Reason, and He Is There and He Is Not Silent. These books give a solid basis for understanding his theology and some of the basic principles he draws from. Then you can get the complete works of Francis Schaeffer as well - 5 volumes of deep digging; plenty of jewels here to uncover.

In Volume 2 there is a small little book called Art and the Bible. It is only 38 pages long, but it gives a great defense of art in the Christian life.

I will confess that I am not a great one for what may be called "high art": painting, poetry, sculpture, or classical music. I can appreciate classical music better than an abstract painting, to be sure, and I do enjoy these forms. However, I am more interested in what Schaeffer terms "popular art": the novel, movies, popular music, and theatre. There could definitely be a debate about comic books and video games being included here nowadays!

As this blog focuses on fiction, I want to bring what Schaeffer has to say about art to bear on the craft of writing. I think an initial point to make here is that there is a sense out "there" (that nebulous there) in evangelical circles that time is short, and that we shouldn't be wasting our time with fictitious worlds when there is so much going on in the real world. What would Schaeffer say to this? I'll talk about this more next time.

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And as I mentioned last week, to encourage comments I have a little contest planned. I don't know how long this discussion will go, but whoever leaves a comment anytime during this discussion will be eligible to win a copy of Deliver Me from Evelyn, the latest novel from Chris Well. Chris has a quirky, unique style that will draw you in and keep you guessing! So leave those comments people, and you may be the winner!

Review - Violet Dawn

Being a proud original member of Violet Dawn so I could read the story and audition for Pastor Hank Detcher, one of the side characters in the book. I read the book several months ago, but I wanted to wait for the blog tour to talk about it in depth.

"Paige Williams harbored a restless kinship with the living dead."

With that line, the adventure in Kanner Lake begins. I remember Brandilyn sharing that line on her blog one day, and I thought "What on earth could she be planning?"

Never doubt the possibilities when it comes to a Brandilyn Collins book.

Hot tubs are supposed to be sanctuary from the weariness of the world. As Paige slips into her rental's hot tub in the middle of the night, all she is thinking about is getting some rest. But as tendrils of hair wrap around her, she leaps out of the tub, since she is sharing it with a dead body.

The book takes place over the next 14 hours, as Paige frantically tries to deal with her situation. She is concerned with survival. The real murderer is concerned with death. Sheriff Vince Edwards works on finding the truth in the midst of his own trials. Leslie Brymes, young hot shot reporter for the local paper is looking for the big scoop to advance her career.

Brandilyn's tagline is "Don't forget to b r e a t h e..." and this book doesn't disappoint. The opening chapter grabs you, and the final chapter ties the opening round of the Kanner Lake series with a satisfying close - see if you can find the significance of the final words. The suspense keeps you turning the pages, wanting to see what happened next. I remember reading outside of my work on nice spring days, cursing that lunch was over so that I couldn't keep reading.

Besides the twists and turns of suspense that keeps you guessing, the characterization mostly puts you in the place of Paige, Leslie, and Bailey nicely. I felt that Sheriff Edwards major character point was forced in the midst of the action. Otherwise, the characters have good motivation by what they do, and it spills over into the side details about them. Leslie Brymes "in-your-face" nature is shown not only by her determination to get the story, but her bright green VW bug with a pink daisy on it!

Overall Violet Dawn is a wonderful book. It is a good read with interesting pacing and plot, and you have to read it to see fully what I'm saying. So check it out, and tell Brandilyn that Pastor Hank sent you ;)

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I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was going to do a little series out of Francis Schaeffer's book Art and the Bible. The various blog tours I'm involved in changed schedules up some, and it threw me off. Next week I plan on starting this. And I have a little something for those who read this series. Leave a comment anytime throughout the Art and the Bible discussion, and I'll send you a free book! More details coming...

The Dawn of Brandilyn Collins

No, Brandilyn Collins is not a new author to CBA. She has written numerous best-selling novels in the past, as well as a book for writers called Getting into Character. Violet Dawn, the subject of the current blour (BC speak for "blog tour), is only the latest.

I wanted to talk about her blog, and why I think it is one of the best on the web. I've been coming to it daily for well over a year now, and it is a major reason why I now have a ubiquitous blog (but don't blame BC, it was MY idea).

She exploded on the blog scene on 2/7/05 with the post Why Christian Suspense? She explains her desire to share about Christian suspense and forensics. However, over time I believe her blog title, Forensics and Faith, suggests a limit that isn't really there. There is so much more than forensics, but the name is out there and changing it now would be upsetting to many of us BG's (bloggees - BC's term for those who read blogs.)

One of the best things about her blog is her "Never Ending Saga", or NES (there used to be a page devoted just to Brandilyn's invented acronyms and words). Starting on 2/24/05, she takes us on the fascinating journey of her road to publication. The NES was definitely an appropriate title, as she talked about it (with a couple of interruptions) through 6/6/05! You may think that 3 1/2 months is an awful long time to talk about oneself, but this whole tale is VERY interesting for anyone wanting to pursue writing and getting published. We not only learned about the process of writing, getting an agent, and contracts, but Brandilyn would routinely leave us hanging in her story, and we would be tortured all weekend waiting to hear the next part of her saga. We learned the importance of keeping readers interested throughout this story as well.

Since then, she has taken us through many aspects of writing fiction. One brave BG offered up an action scene, which BC took us through step by step in an edit to see if we could punch it up. It was even a collaborative process, with BG's commenting after each post. (See starting 6/10/05) She also discusses point of view (POV), plotting twists, and backstory. All of these are listed on the left side of the blog, for easy reference.

Not only is Brandilyn a great author, she is a wonderful fiction teacher. I know she just returned from a writing conference, and she does an excellent job live. But the blog has been a fantastic tool for me in learning more about fiction, not just in what she says, but how she says it.

Now I continue to be challenged in my writing through posting for the Scenes and Beans blog. And you can too! The initial group of bloggers for the Scenes and Beans runs through December. Starting January 2007, any reader wants to submit a post for a character can audition. If chosen, their tale will be posted and they will receive an autographed copy of Violet Dawn. More details are here.

So be sure to check out her blog. And check back tomorrow for my review of Violet Dawn, in which we discuss hot tubs and VW bugs...

Blog Tour - Violet Dawn

I am very pleased to be part of this week's Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, because the featured book is Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins.

I have talked about this book frequently, because of the unique marketing campaign associated with it. In the book Violet Dawn, one of the characters starts a blog about the fictional town of Kanner Lake in order to draw tourists to the town. Bailey, owner of Java Joint, the local hangout, puts the posts in for the various regulars who post about Kanner Lake. The posts are written by various people who auditioned for Brandilyn through her blog, and one of the authors is yours truly. I share writing duties for Pastor Hank Detcher along with Bob Edwards.

The cool thing about the blog is that it is real time. If you read the July archives for Scenes and Beans, you'll see Bailey talk about an "event" that happens in the town and has brought a lot of publicity (not the kind she wanted) for Kanner Lake. This event is told in the book Violet Dawn.


How cool is that? It is quite a distinctive tool for her book, and it has been a great pleasure to be part of it. Be sure to take a look at it this week, if you haven't already.

I'll have more on Brandilyn and Violet Dawn through the rest of the week.

Heroes Discussion

For any who may be interested, there is a discussion going on at Infuze over the Heroes pilot. There have been some good responses, and yes, I am in the thick of it. If anyone has thoughts related to it, I invite you to check it out (you may need a free Infuze registration to view it).

Disappointing "Heroes"

One of my favorite internet places to hang out is Infuze Magazine. You can find it at the intersection of art and faith. Or by clicking on the link.

They do a great job of discussing movies, television, music, novels, comic books, and video games. They promote creativity from Christians, and being a portal to the entertainment world. I enjoy going there, and I have a habit of checking a few times throughout the day to get the latest updates.

One show that they have been excited about was NBC's new show Heroes. The premise is that random people around the world begin to develop "abilities" that are special. One could say...super. The tagline is "Fate chose them - Destiny will unite them". There is the Japanese corporate drone/comic book geek who seems to be able to control time, the cute Texas cheerleader who burns and falls and gets her hand caught in things like a sink disposal, but doesn't get hurt, and the tortured artist who paints the future.

Overall it looks like a very intriguing show. Since I was the type who daydreamed of flying, saving the people around, and being extraordinary, it seems like a TV show I could finally get interested in.

Except...for one thing. Another character is Niki Sanders, a single mom with a gifted child who is in trouble with the Las Vegas mob for owing money. So to make money, she does what any typical blonde, beautiful American would do: she strips. In her home. On the net. For money.

Ooooo-kay. The creators take a great concept, but apparently think that it cannot fly on its own. So! Let's introduce a character whose main purpose is to take her clothes off and titillate the audience. And she does. Not 10 minutes into the show she is down to thong underwear with her back to the camera. You may ask if the extended view of her skin adds to character development or further the plot...

I am frustrated. I don't want to be a stereotypical "family-values" person who rants and raves about Hollywood. But come on! I would really like to challenge Tinsletown: are you even capable of creating something that is interesting without resorting to the lowest common denominator of sex? As I watch TV (which is rarely anymore), even the commercials show nearly naked women - typically as victims of brutal crimes for forensics shows to focus on (let's add brutality to our sex, yeaaaah).

Yes, there is free speech and freedom of expression. But is there any such thing as "the greater good"? Just because we can push the envelope, should we? We know that sex sells. The only reason I started watching Star Trek: Voyager was, to my chagrin, the character Seven of Nine - a tall, leggy blonde in a tight catsuit. The show later caught my interest, but the only reason I stayed around was due to Seven. But I refuse to do that with Heroes. I've had it. I don't care if I'm the only one to take a stand, but I will not have pornography beamed into my house by my volition.

What does this have to do with Infuze? I hope that as a great resource site for Christians, they can spur a discussion of where people of faith and creativity go from here. I agree with them that Heroes seems like a great concept for sci-fi/comic book fans. But I can only go so far. I plan on seeing it one more time, to see where it goes next week. But I won't be drawn in by blatant images like that. I don't need it, my family doesn't need it. If it continues, goodbye Heroes.

Review - Something That Lasts

I would really like to give props to the author of this week's blog tour, James David Jordan. On one hand, this blog tour is great internet publicity. On the other, he's opening his book up to a bunch of wannabe authors and reviewers, AND published authors as well. Not necessarily the easiest thing to do.

His book, Something That Lasts, spans the 70's through the 90's, following one family's travails through three generations. One single event that happens to Rev. David Parst changes the trajectory of his whole family, and the rest of the book draws out the consequences of his actions. I don't really want to give more synopsis, as the book has a simple premise that is followed throughout the story.

Even though the book stays true to this central core, it is an engaging read. He keeps the pace moving briskly, making one always interested in turning the next page. There is the potential to dwell and slow things down, but he does a good job of staying on target. He makes use of some recurring themes to speak into the lives of the characters. Baseball in particular is a lynch-pin, and it helps the theme resonate greater than if he had simply told the story without it.

His characters are believable, and he shows honest progression through their lives for the most part. The ending turns are a little forced, but not so much that it throws off the finale.

I think for a first time author Jordan has written a good novel. His description and characterizations sometimes suffer from the pace of the plot. He has a habit of returning to familiar images too often - I counted three separate characters who "shoved their hands into their back pockets". Some events were foreshadowed so that the outcome was easily predictable. However, it was an easy and enjoyable read in just a couple of days.

Overall the writing is pretty well done, but I appreciate mostly what the author is trying to accomplish. I read elsewhere that he was tired of Hollywood and other entertainment showing certain mistakes without consequences. Jordan doesn't shy back from showing the problems of his book's premise, and it is a promising direction for a Christian fiction book to pursue.

Blog Tour - Something That Lasts

Puff...puff...puff. Sorry, just trying to catch my breath from all of these tours! They're so successful that they just keep coming.

This is the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance (CFBA) tour for the book Something That Lasts by James David Jordan. This is his first novel, about a problem that tears down a family over generations. He is a lawyer, and has his journalism degree as well.

Be sure to check out the other members of the CFBA for further information on this book. I will talk about it over the next two days, and have a review for it as well. Lots of good books coming out, and the CFBA will keep highlighting them!

Edenstar Day 3

I have a little more to say about Edenstar, the website focus of the Christian Sci-Fi and Fantasy tour for September.

First of all, for those befuddled by the pirate post from yesterday, let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
Edenstar has special features like author interviews and some reviews.

I also want to point out that it talks not just about books, but video games and movies as well. Now, most of this consists of Lord of the Rings materials, in both departments. Actually, I'm surprised they don't have the first Narnia movie listed yet.

Overall, I am impressed with Edenstar's work, and hope to see it expand and continue to provide a great service. Thanks guys!

Buccaneers Attack!

Okay, just ONE MORE Pirate post. I promise... at least for today

Charmin' the beauties
















Cap'n Caleb says "ARRR!"




















When Pirates Attack

Edenstar, Day 2: Piratized!

Aye, Edenstar, is the focus o' the CSFF tour this month. As Me mentioned yesterday, it has (dare Me say) a plethora o' listin's o' Christian Sci-fi and Fantasy products. Madeleine L'engle, Frank Partti, Stephen Lawhead, and o' course Tolkien and C.s. Lewis. Thar be o'er 600 listin's thar.

The site does have a couple o' special features. It has both author interviews and reviews. Ahoy, the re'iew section isn't updated any more due t' time constraints, but it is a 'aluable feature nonetheless. The re'iew section also points t' other re'iews on other sites.

I'll talk a little more about Edenstar tomorrow, and also launch int' the blog tour for a new release. Me hope people like these tours. Let me gi'e big props t' Becky Miller and Bonnie Calhoun for organizin' these e'ents. I know others work on them as well, and t' you Me gi'e my thanks as well, but these amazin' women spearhead e'erythin'. Stop by their blogs and gi'e them a shout, will you? Oh, and be sure t' check out the other ladies and gents o' the Speculati'e Fiction tour below.

Come back later, and you can get this post without the pirate talk. But ye'll ne'er get me buried booty! :D
Jim Black Jackie Castle Valerie Comer Bryan Davis Beth Goddard Leathel Grody Karen Hancock Elliot Hanowski Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Sharon Hinck Joleen Howell Tina Kulesa Kevin Lucia Rachel Marks Shannon McNear Rebecca LuElla Miller Cheryl Russel Mirtika Schultz Stuart Stockton Steve Trower Speculative Faith

There Be Pirates

Some Pirate resources for you today, before getting back with "serious" business. And if ye be complainin', then ye can walk the plank, ya landlubber! Arrrrr!

Lyrics to Reliant K's "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"




The Pirate Quiz, to discover your own pirate name.






Dave Barry on Talk Like a Pirate Day.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

That's right! My favorite goofy day of the year is here tomorrow, Sept, 19th. Time for all of us to swab the poop deck, dig for booty, and call someone a bilge rat. Make sure to say "Arrrrr" at least once tomorrow, and you will make me happy.

If you need help on suggestions on what to do, make sure to check out the site for Talk Like a Pirate Day.

CSSF Blog Tour: Edenstar

Today is the Christian Sci-Fi and Fantasy blog tour. Instead of doing a book review today, we are focusing on the website Edenstar.

If you are looking for a resource for finding quality Sci-Fi or Fantasy from a Christian perspective, then this is a great place to start. The couple,
Bill and Cheryl Bader, used their talents (his - library and cataloguing, hers - web design) to create Edenstar.

From their site:

For Christians who enjoy science fiction and fantasy, finding the fiction we like to read can be tough.

The traditional Christian bookstore shelves science fiction with other fiction. So we sort through prairie romances to find the occasional science fiction or fantasy title.

In the general-market bookstore, Christian science fiction is shelved with other science fiction, if it's carried at all. So here again we sift through inappropriate material to find the books we like to read.

That's why we started Edenstar Books and Games in February 2003. We believe there are many others like us, who would love to read more Christian-themed science fiction and fantasy, if they just knew where to find it.

They have over 600 items listed on their site! They have it categorized in many ways that make it easy to find what you're looking for: Adults, Kids, Videos, Games, and specific categories for Narnia and Tolkien, the foundations of Christian fantasy.

Be sure to check them out, and I will share a little more about Edenstar over the next couple of days. Be sure to check out my friends in the tour below for more CSFF goodness!


Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Bryan Davis
Beth Goddard
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith

Gimme that Old Time Prosperity

I was fairly disturbed at this article about Joel Osteen and his book, discussing the upcoming Time magazine cover story. I happen to be of the opinion that we come to God because we are desparately needy for redemption from our sins, not for our financial needs. What do y'all think?

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By the way, be sure to check out other links in the CFBA on the right. There are many links to Taylor Field's new book Squat. Some have interviews with him, others give their personal reviews. Of course, you can check out the Squat website here.

Squat

Today is the start of the blog tour for the book Squat. This looks like a fascinating book. It is written by Taylor Field, a pastor in inner city New York. He heads up the Graffiti Community Ministries, which is an outreach to the homeless community in NYC.

This is key, because Squat is 24 hours in the life of Squid, an obsessive-compulsive homeless kid who struggles for acceptance. The premise sound very interesting, and with Field's experience, he knows of which he talks about.

Unfortunately, I was a little late in registering for this tour of duty, so I did not get to read Squat ahead of time. It is definitely on my "must check out" list. However, I do happen to have, via the magic of the internet, a handy-dandy review link here for you.

I also invite you to check out the Squat website for more information. One of the great things about this book is that "all author proceeds from Squat will go to Graffiti Community Ministries, Inc., a service arm of the East Seventh Street Baptist Church on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where Field preaches." Now if you wondered about enjoying a fine read but felt guilty about spending a few bucks, your conscience is clear!

"We live in a squat. We don’t know squat. We don’t have squat. We don’t do squat. We don’t give a squat. People say we’re not worth squat."

Busy Times

Over the next couple of weeks there will be a lot going on here (pending Blogger not crashing anytime soon...).

Tomorrow will be the next Christian Fiction Blog Alliance tour.

Next week there will be the latest installment of the Christian Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog Tour.

I am planning on starting a little series out of Francis Schaeffer's Art and the Bible.

And...by the time all that is done, the CFBA should be due again!

Stay tuned!

One for the Wookiees

I have always been a big fan of football, so I have naturally become caught up in the fantasy football movement. My latest team, the Wild Wookiees (don't laugh - if you read my profile you would know I watched Star Wars WAAAYYY too much) opened their season this weekend.

Oh, I guess the NFL did too.

Anyway, W2 managed to open the season with a win. I made the championship game my first year playing, but I lost due to stupidity (pulled Steve McNair and he had his best. Game. Ever.). I haven't been back to the finals since. Maybe this is the year.

In the immortal words of Han Solo, "It's not wise to upset a Wookiee."

Lessons Learned/Unlearned

Check out this link to Breakpoint for more information on the consequences of 9/11.

Nine Eleven

Today is a day that shocked so much of the world. 9/11 has become a date that is marked by two different cultures: by the West it is marked as a day of sorrow and resolve, and in the Islamic world it is often viewed as the day that the arrogance of the West was knocked down by their brethren.

I pray today that those who have lost loved ones on that fateful day, and those lost since that day in the war on terror and the Iraq war, would find peace. I pray for safety and success for those out there on the front lines.

If we learned anything from 9/11, it is that life is fleeting. We make plans to go to work, to fly, and find that everything can change in an instant.

If there is anything that I can offer, it is this: we never know in this world when our time is. So many go through life thinking that if they live a good life, then that is what matters for this life or for getting to the afterlife.

I would say that this is a noble idea, but one that is false. I say this because there is a just God in heaven who has revealed Himself through the Bible. He is our creator. He created us to be in relationship with Him. However, we have sinned, and in order for God to remain just and true to Himself, we all are under His wrath, deserving of the punishment.

People may argue against this, but we all know in our own hearts that we have done wrong at times in our life. We all know that we don't live up to our own standards.

If wrongs are committed, there must be a price paid. So many think that God is not just, because evil people seem to thrive in this world. However, there is a judgment that everyone will go through. These wrongs will demand a price. There is nothing in our own strength that can pay this price.

God is not unjust though, because He provided His Son, Jesus Christ, who came and paid the full price for us on the cross. We can't earn His favor, but Romans tells us we are proclaimed righteous by God "through faith in Jesus Christ" (3:22). It is a legal declaration. We are guilty, but at judgment we can be proclaimed innocent if we just believe. That is the simplicity. There is nothing else.

This world is uncertain. Today could be my day to go, it could be yours. That is why it is important to examine this idea I've talked about today, and choose this day where you will stand. Will you stand guilty by your own actions, or will you stand on the redemption provided by Jesus?

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I would be happy to answer you.

Venus vs. Mars

There has been an interesting discussion on-line regarding sex vs. violence, especially as it pertains to Christian fiction. The first place I saw bring it up was this post, linked by Terry Whalin. Dave Long at f*i*f has picked it up - be sure to read the comments for further discussion. Then John C. Wright enters in, although not directly discussing it regarding the CBA.

As far as my thoughts: I agree that it seems to be a weird dichotomy to promote more violence over sex. If the typical CBA reader is middle America, white, Republican (perhaps a member of the NRA), then it fits the stereotype of war-mongering prudes who want to make sure Janet Jackson stays covered up while bombing foreign countries back to Stone Age status.

However, I like what Wright says about the violence vs. sex aspect of things. Boys grow up dreaming to be heroes, fighting the bad guys and winning. Sex is best a private matter, between one man and one woman. It is easier to portray violence in a way that serves a positive end: the bad guy reaps what he sows and gets it in the end. With sex, it becomes an intrusion into that special bonding. It also can become titillating and tempting to those not strong enough to stand up to such mental description.

Our culture has the sex part backwards, with greater voyeurism and explicit sexuality flaunted from every venue. It is a precious gift that deserves to be respected, even in the novel.

Our culture is also fixated on violence. One needs only to look at the Matrix, Kill Bill, and a majority of video games to see what we are feeding ourselves as entertainment. As Christians, how do we respond? Will we continue to "push the envelope" in Christian fiction, with bad guys who decapitate their victims in their own kitchen? Will we find ways to be creative in showing the battle of good vs. evil that glorifies the Lord and is relevant to our culture? I don't necessarily have the answer, but that doesn't mean I can't ask the question.

High School Musical

I've got three boys, ages six, four, and two.

The two older ones know half of the songs from High School Musical in just 2 viewings.

What is it about this show that makes it so appealing?

It is a fairly formulaic movie, especially since it comes from Disney. The two young, attractive leads fight adversity that keeps them apart and conspires from them auditioning for the title musical.

Troy Bolton is the head of the basketball team, trying to lead them to victory at state and make his coach dad proud.

Gabriella is the new girl in school, a brilliant student who is quickly recruited for the academic team.

After the two of them sing a duet accidentally at a New Years' party, they find that 1. they can sing, and 2. they are attracted to each other.

If you go to watch this movie, try to avoid giving up at this point - because this is the hoakiest moment of the whole film, and pretty painful to watch. I'm not going to give the whole film in synopsis - just wanted to point out this pitfall.

So what is High School Musical's appeal? I don't know why a 4 and 6 year old are enthralled with it. The songs are catchy, but not super. The plot, as mentioned, is cliche. The actors do a fine job, but we aren't talking DeNiro and Streep characterization.

And no, it isn't due to the amazing costumes...

Whatever the appeal to the younger set, there are several things here that I can appreciate. The characters are overall nice to each other. They may make fun of certain things people do, but no one is belittled with snark, as is the custom in our culture anymore. Even the "bad guys" aren't nasty with put downs. They think they're the best and look down on Troy and Gabriella, true, but they could be so much worse.

The girls aren't dressed skanky. The outfits look attractive on the ladies, but we aren't innundated with flesh. This movie targets 9-14 year olds, so this is a VERY welcome development.

The morale of the story it to accept differences and get beyond the boundaries of cliques. The message comes across well without preaching or being overt.

What does this have to do with a writing blog? (It could technically fall under the "goofy" I suppose). It is possible to craft a pleasing, thoughtful story that is popular without resorting to nastiness, blatant sexuality, or violence. Oh, and it has a catchy soundtrack.

High School Musical won't be mistaken for a literary masterpiece. But it is a fun movie that whole families can enjoy. Hopefully more entertainment can be like this. If there was only a way to have a soundtrack for a novel, then THAT would be something!

(Aside - it wasn't like the high school musical I was in. We couldn't dance like this. I was the yokel who learned to sing by belting out Petra in my car, while I was paired with an All Northwest alto singer for a duet. GULP. We pulled it off though.)

The Delicate Dance

Mir posted this article, and it is a must read enough to relink it here. Terry Whalin shares some interesting thoughts on Christian Fiction and the CBA. If you haven't checked it out already, what are you hanging around here for? Go on, git!

Write for Life

I started this blog off of inspiration from my friends at faith*in*fiction. It seemed that "everyone else had a blog", and I was missing out. ;)

This endeavor has been a great joy so far. I've interacted with lots of people. This blog was checked out all over Europe thanks to our summer trip to Germany and the link to the Calling All Nations event. I've received free books thanks to it!

I started it to talk about writing. Sometimes I feel this was too bold of a move. As a writer, I really am a rank amateur. My only publishing credit so far is being part of the Scenes and Beans blog. I don't have the experience to really speak of how to improve your writing.

However, one thing I have managed to do is to network with a lot of cool people. I've been part of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour, which has some very imaginative people. You can find neat links under posts of mine like "Firebird" or Steven Lawhead or here. I've also joined the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, which does a monthly (and soon to be bi-monthly) tour of the latest in Christian fiction. This is an awesome opportunity. If ever you wanted some good links to people and writing, check out all the links in the left hand side under the CFBA. There are 50+ links there, and if I don't have the goods, you can bet that someone there will.

Hopefully I can continue my networking and point people to other good resources out there. I'll let you know when I have new items to explore.

Free Derek Webb

Here is a man putting his money where his faith is. Derek Webb, formally of Caedmon's Call, has decided that the issues he talks about on his latest album, Mockingbird, are important enough to be heard that he is giving the album away.

Free.

Free music.

I don't know how many of you like free stuff, but I for one am interested. But I am mostly interested in hearing his thoughts and entering into a discussion about them. FreeDerekWebb started today. Take advantage of this, and we'll talk more about it later!