God's amazing artistry and creativity in the Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees in Maui, Hawaii.
Father, words fail at such rare glimpses of your innate beauty and creativity. Thank you is never enough for sharing it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Oh yeah, baby. Since it's our 41st anniversary . . . a perfect song from one of our favorite old groups.
Lord, you've given us a lot of years. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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As a writer, I want to express myself well. I desire to communicate and bring my thoughts to life. As an author, I choose to make pictures with words, dramatize scenes and scenarios, create lifelike characters who stimulate emotional reactions from readers, and aim for a reality that touches the truth of our human existence.
I had to face the fact early on that my life experiences which contributed to the underlying themes of my stories would not afford me the "usual" audience for much of Christian fiction. That conclusion became the impetus for self-publishing my work. Even though I would not use graphics in any sexual situations, my approach to romantic and/or sexual circumstances was deemed too raw for certain mainstream publishers of Christian fiction. They served a particular reading audience and could not be faulted for catering to those readers.
I don't regret my approach to love stories for many reasons, but I would have to say the primary reason is because there are many readers such as myself who perhaps knew the right way to conduct their romantic experiences (as I did) but failed to adhere to that knowledge (as I also did) before or possibly after knowing the Savior of the world. This is the significant factor in why I write redemptive fiction. "Raw, Romantic, Redemptive" is my tag-line. Many Christians need to be reminded that their failures where romance, love, and sexuality intersect can be redeemed, forgiven.
Sometimes reading a good novel can provide the catalyst to righting a few wrongs if it can encourage a hurting heart. Or it can help readers realize they are not alone in their experience(s). Novels have done amazing things to and for readers. There's nothing like having a story touch you deeply.
And, well, writing one that does that for/to someone else? Priceless.
Father, thank you for every word, every story, everything. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;
it will come like destruction from the Lord Almighty.
Because of this, all hands will go limp,
every man's heart will melt.
Terror will seize them,
pain and anguish will grip them;
they will writhe like a woman in labor.
They will look aghast at each other,
their faces aflame.
Isaiah 13:6-8 (NIV)
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Five places we visited on our four-day 1000+ mile road trip!
Thank you, Father, for protecting us along the way, for blessing us with your presence, for giving us the time away. Words never do what you do justice, but thank you so much. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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"All creatures great and small, the great Lord God has made them all." A beautiful, amazing sampling of God's artwork.
Father, how can we ever thank you for the beauty in your creation? Left for us to love and admire. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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The heavenly voice of Sam Cooke. A great oldie.
Father, the wonder of those using their gifts . . . Such beauty. Thank you for it all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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At the conclusion of her fiancé's funeral, Evelyn is shocked by the drama that further rocks her world.
So begins Carrie Stuart Parks' latest release Fragments of Fear.
Evelyn McTavish prefers that people call her "Tavish". She perceives herself differently than she is, has to battle anxiety and panic attacks, sports and clings to crystals, spouts new age mantras, and seems to trust easily except in the case of her wealthy mother who she calls by her first name "Helen". Tavish is also an artist about to experience her first gallery opening.
Helen had a considerable amount of priceless art stolen from her mansion and one of her faithful staff employees was murdered in the process. The insurance company paid off the art theft, but eventually the art was returned to her. In the course of this story we learn Helen has yet to refund the insurance company's money.
When a former client, who canceled a commissioned painting of him and his dog Marley but paid Tavish in full for it, leaves a coded message for her with his dog, the confusion and anxiety in Tavish's life accelerates.
Add to this an FBI agent, more murders, disappearances, explosions, a radio show host, a sweat lodge, and a fake cop. The real police believe Tavish is, shall we say, off her rocker. What they don't realize is she's one determined young woman who knows what's been happening but needs to figure out why she's even incrementally involved. When the FBI agent steps up to believe her, eventual progress is made but not before more injuries, damages, deception, and intrigue. Not to mention amped up fear.
Fragments of Fear presents an interesting character in Evelyn McTavish who slowly becomes aware of needed changes in her life, learns out of necessity to tamp down her constant fear, and finally starts to assert her desire to solve this fragmented mystery even when her life is in real and constant danger.
Any further information would ruin the diverse journey of this story. Carrie creates a unique heroine in this one who must fight her way through her insecurities, fears, some air-headedness, and misguided directions for seeking a peace she hasn't had since her beloved grandmother died. Although I admired Tavish's grit toward the end and her moments of clarity, she didn't really grow on me. Carrie tells a good tale with intricate overlaps in plot points and manages to create tension and suspense well in Fragments of Fear.
Father, you know Carrie's heart, skills, desires, and objectives. Please continue to bless her in your abundance and fill her up with those stories you have just for her to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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"Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord , the Lord is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation."
Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)
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Most or many authors love their editors. I commend them all. I've had some of my work professionally edited. I took some of the advice and made some of the changes. I had one part of a piece looked at by a recommended editor and changed nothing because that particular editor's opinion, although sensible, didn't understand the concept of that particular story.
Okay. I have trust issues with editors. I would like to not have those issues, but I do.
I write fiction that in every aspect of Christian redemption, my novels should qualify as Christian fiction. However, they don't conform to some measures of the genre because of the portrayals of the worldly characters as they truly are and because of the handling of sexual attraction, tension, and challenges as they truly are for the Christian characters. I do not resort to graphics.
The only editors I feel could competently judge my novels would be Christians, simply because an unbeliever has an immediate problem with the basic redemptive concept.
I have a beta reader and friend who, in my mind, is exactly who I need to evaluate my novels with the eyes of an editor. She sends me her in depth notes, opinions (good and not so much), finds my overlooked mistakes, and gives her overall contributions to what she thinks will improve or solidify the story. She knows how deeply I appreciate her work as she reads. What's most important is that I trust her because she understands my voice, technique, and intentions when I write a book. We might disagree on a point or two, but generally they're minor. Before I send her a manuscript, I've gone over it what seems like a zillion times so I always hope there won't be too many flubs.
Editors scare me. There. I said it. That's just the way it is for me. I feel like all they want to do is change the way I write and rip my manuscript apart because it's no good the way it is. I doubt anyone can change that. Now editors and authors who love their editors unite! You can say, "Well, that's probably why your books don't sell and why you don't get many reviews!" Who knows? Maybe it's true! Nevertheless, it doesn't change anything about the way I feel about editors.
Father, you know me. My horrendous flaws and innumerable mistakes. How you manage to love me in spite of me, I will never be capable of understanding. But I'm so grateful for your graciousness to me. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
