Into the Fire

Okay, it's not a given that authors can be anti-social. In fact, some are marvelously out-going and really socially inclined. Some authors are inherently good marketers – a gift that many of us do not possess or do not exercise. It's certainly not that authors avoid contact with their readers unless of course they're world famous and people tend to go all fan-boy or fan-girl over them in public places. 

Actually, I'm not speaking of being really "anti-social" today as a personality trait. I'm kind of taking a jab at authors who don't tend to socialize with other authors who . . . let's just say don't have the sales numbers they do to indicate a particular "success" level. Remember high school cliques? Yeah, like that. 

Well-known authors tend to forget what word-of-mouth can do for the "less successful" author. Believe me, I'm not advocating speaking up for any authors whose work does not appeal to them, but to suggest an author on a personal public forum or type of social media can boost that lesser-known author's credibility to all kinds of readers. It's simply a kind gesture to help another writer whose appreciation for those recommendations is pure gratitude. 

Just something to consider for those who've "made it". 

Father, thank you for your gifts and talents. May we always honor you with how we incorporate them into our lives, and help us to remember to be thoughtful to others all along the way of this journey we call life. Apart from you, we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

There's a message in every novel. It might not be intentional. It might be misunderstood. It might be simplistic, might be complex. Might be hard to determine, might be obvious to all. 

The eternal conflict is always Good vs. Evil. You see it in real life. You see it in films. You read it in books. 

The only variable (which isn't really) is the attempt to change, manipulate, question what is good and what is evil. The reality is you can't change what is good and you can't make evil good. It's been attempted at every level of humanity, but the truth remains and survives the efforts of those who resent the conflict for various reasons. The one problem with good and evil is that some people believe they hold the gold standard to what is good and what is evil.

Only One holds that standard and determines it in every life. Written in His Word, good and evil are clearly defined as are the sources of both. That is the one Truth each person will answer to and for. 

The messages in novels are essentially no different than the "lessons" in non-fiction books. The novels communicate authors' versions of each and the stories reveal which side of good or evil are represented in their characters and plots. It's the eternal message. In the end Good aka God wins. 

Father, we're all desperate for you. I've written that hundreds of times because it's real and true whether we admit to it or not. May I please communicate the truth in my fiction – in some capacity make it real and attainable to glorify you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Three "dead" people come to life in The Last Insurgent (Book 2 in the Michael Wolfe Saga) by J. C. Fields. Two of them are good. One of them is not. 

Michael Wolfe, former Marine Sniper, and his former-Mossad wife Nadia Picard are supposed to be dead. This way they can do the bidding of the POTUS and the CIA with ghost-like protection. Danny McCaffrey, a former IRA bombmaking-specialist, is also supposed to be dead, but he's been inadvertently discovered and confirmed to be alive and a lethal weapon to the highest bidder. He's now involved in working with the Iranians to expose the leaders of the USA, Israel, and western Europe to a deadly virus bio-weapon after testing it on a drug cartel party at the leader's social event.

Needless to say, this can't happen. With the assistance of an elite Scottish soldier, Wolfe travels to the source lab of this bio-weapon to eliminate the target, but complications force them to depart with only half of their mission accomplished. Wolfe blames himself, and the game is on. Locating this target proves difficult, and finally when a real lead is discovered, the situation amplifies with additional suspects they never saw coming. 

Michael Wolfe is a strong character, perfect for a thriller novel. Focused and determined, he wants a plan set with every piece of information available. He's of course a man's man, but his love for his wife is evident and has real merit when he considers how they'll be involved. It helps that she has elite skills and understands the severity of the things they're asked to do. 

If you're a lover of espionage thrillers with clandestine services, a strong hero, and practiced, skilled bad guys, you'll enjoy Michael Wolfe as he pursues The Last Insurgent. Although I didn't, you might want to start with Book 1: A Lone Wolf. 

(Some profanity.)

Father, you are generous with your talents and gifts. Please continue to bless J. C. with lots of stories for his readers, and may he realize from whom his talent comes. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

So appropriate. Love this one by Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart. Love it. 

Thank you, God. Thank you for it all. Desperate for you. Always. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Not that it matters this Monday, but I will have a book review a little later in the week. Today I'm going to do something a little different in its place. I know I've shared the "Foreword" from several of my novels on this blog. This time I'm going to share the Foreword from my soon-to-be published for Kindle/e-readers novel . . . in a love song. Doing it in advance of the book is not something I tend to do, but for whatever reason I decided to do it this time. "Set the stage" so to speak. Hopefully, for some, pique the curiosity in those who enjoy romances. So here you are . . . 

Foreword . . .

There are myriad inspirations cited by novelists when asked to discuss the motivation for a particular novel. Readers repeatedly ask, “How do you come up with your ideas for a story?” Answers will range from the mundane to the spectacular.

. . . in a love song  is a unique romance novel for me for a number of reasons.

First of all, it was inspired by the song “Heard It in a Love Song” by The Marshall Tucker Band on their Carolina Dreams album. I’m a lyrics girl so as I listened to the words of this tune, I couldn’t help but picture the “narrator” as a character in a love story. What kind of guy would he be? And of course from there Dale Rivers came to life with several exceptions to the man in the song. And what kind of female would it take to capture his heart and make him want to settle down? Enter Patricia Edison. And how would life change for them if . . . ?

In the second place I’m not a fan of the typical stack of conflicts often woven into romance novels. There is only one primary conflict in this story of two 30-somethings facing love for the first time in their lives.

Thirdly, this story features everyday life with abundant dialogue as if you’re experiencing conversations externally and internally with them. It’s flirty, romantic, and raw at times, not to “offend” but to be real. There are a few unexpected turns in the story, but really it’s all about the “Big Three”: love, romance, sex. 

Finally, I write Christian Fiction. Unashamedly. One thing you will always find in my novels is the contrast of life lived in the world without Jesus as opposed to life lived knowing Jesus personally. The two main characters in this story have a vague awareness of God but it’s not personal in the beginning.

Having said all of that, if you love straight-up romance, I think you’ll fall in love with Dale Rivers’ and Patricia Edison’s love story. 

Raw, Romantic, Redemptive  

Father, again, apart from you, I can do nothing. Desperate for you. Always. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

     May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Windstorms in our small city are not abnormal and seem to occur at their worst in the months of January, March, and November. However, they can surprise in other months. The worst of the winds come from the east. If the flags are flapping westward, trouble could happen. And often does. 

Usually, when the east wind amps up, power is at its mercy and it tends to bow out under the pressure. Sometime just after 2 AM on Wednesday, the howling, shrieking wind woke me up and almost immediately the power succumbed. Twenty-seven hours later, power was restored and the wind had gone away no doubt satisfied with its impact. About a mile down the road a huge tree stretched out over the road from one house's yard to the opposite side of the road at its neighbor's property line. Lying dead in the road its branches must have reached 20 or 30 feet in the air. I couldn't see through them to the obscured road. 

All that to say I was absent from my computer as a result. No big deal. I doubt I was missed. 

Storms remind us of one constant: we are not in control. We conduct ourselves with intention, and most of us try to do life well and right. Not an easy thing to do, and there are many interferences to those good intentions. I'm not a stranger to doing the wrong thing earlier in life and certainly am not perfect in my present life, but I know storms can bring about nearly every emotion and character trait in people – both good and bad. When they're over, the results vary from the tragic to the mundane, and our conduct can probably be evaluated in equal terms depending on the severity of the storm.

I'm grateful that all this mini-storm produced was a power outage and some downed trees in our area. 

Father, thank you for getting me through the storms of life. I have you to thank for each triumph no matter how small. Apart from you I can do nothing. And I'm always desperate for you. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Feeling like doing more words this fine Wednesday. How about those beginning with the letter "s"?

savage

saucy

scintillating 

sensuous

sensitive

silly

severe

sorrow

seven

sensible 

Your turn. 

Father, thank you for words, for wisdom, for welcoming the lost into the family of God. We're always desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

                   An incredible group. Listen . . . 

Thank you, God, for your artists in music, in writing, in arts of all kinds. You left us with beauty and endowed so many with individual kinds of creativity. I can't thank you enough. We're all desperate for you, whether we know it or not. Please be close to us in our hours of need. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

If you've had the pleasure of reading this Double Barrel Mysteries series by Barbara Ellen Brink, then you've been eagerly waiting for the next book in the series. A Man Can Die but Once is the latest in Barbara's series, and it begins with a dying man. This interesting (and fun) mystery begins with the who did it and how did it happen. 

Blake and Shelby Gunner are expecting their first child soon. However, crime waits for no one, and their private investigation is needed for two cases, but Shelby's hormones near her delivery time are getting to her stamina and brain power, and she's largely on the sidelines for most of these two unrelated but slightly intersecting cases. The police detective in Port Scuttlebutt gives Blake a heads up on what appears to be the murder of his uncle Farley Jones who happens to be the disgusting and often hated mayor of the town. 

A secret relationship in the town is known by only three people until Farley turns up dead in a famous baseball player's cabin outside of town, and the man who is staying there decides to hire Blake to clear his name as a definite suspect if in fact the obvious wound on Farley's head is the cause of his death. 

Barbara always writes clever banter between Blake and Shelby, includes humor, multiple suspects, and includes those characters which can be either wacky, unlikeable, and/or very suspicious. It's always a treat to read her abilities to include drama, laugh out loud moments, and incredibly intertwined mysteries that she resolves well. If you're looking for a great new series to begin, I highly recommend the Double Barrel Mysteries by Barbara Ellen Brink. Start with the first one – they're quick, fun reads and you will enjoy the perfectly selected Shakespearean quotes to head up each chapter. Meeting Blake and Shelby will be well worth your reading time. 

Father, thank you for Barbara and her talent. Please bless her big time as she continues to write for you. Please provide what she needs when she needs it to do as you ask her to do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.