Into the Fire

     I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 6:19-23 (NIV)

To continue with the topic of graphic sexual and language scenes in general market/secular literature, we shouldn't omit from the graphics discussion the violence factor and how it's portrayed. Detailed accounts of horrific deeds occur on the pages of murder/suspense/thriller novels. 

First, let's address the sexual and language scenes. The alternatives to reading these are to skip over them, to stop reading the story (which if you've liked it to that point is a disappointment in itself), to try another author, or to migrate to Christian fiction. This last one works well for Christians but not for the secular crowd who usually – but not always – are avid readers of those graphic scenes and don't seem to mind the language. I'm sure the general market has their versions of "clean" fiction too, but it's harder to find in the romance genre. 

The subject of violence is an interesting one because the fact is you can read graphic violence in some Christian novels. Those of us who watched CSI or Criminal Minds on TV are perhaps a little more "forgiving" of those scenes which depict violence. We don't "like" them or enjoy reading them, but we understand their significance within the framework of the particular story. Other readers cannot tolerate any specifics regarding violent content for multiple reasons. Fortunately for them, there are many authors who only allude to violence when telling their crime stories, particularly in Christian fiction.  

I would like to give credit where credit is due in Christian fiction. Having submitted multiple manuscripts multiple times to Christian literary agents and editors (at writing conferences), I can tell you for most of the Christian publishing houses the restrictions for romance novels are rigid. Different ones bend somewhat more than others, but any kind of sexual content is tightly governed. I've concluded these publishers know their niche audience and don't want the rabid comments/reviews that often ensue if their readers deem a story even a bit risqué. Therefore, kudos to Tyndale House for allowing Francine River's The Masterpiece (and others of hers) to portray the sexual sizzling (no graphics) attraction and tendencies of one character and the struggling reactions of the pull to that attraction by the other. So real. Masterfully done – pun on purpose. Next, kudos to Becky Wade for doing such a great job with her romance novels. She captures all the sensations of falling/being in love, and when done right, it's a beautiful thing. I'd also like to mention Kristen Heitzmann who knows how to write real romance with all kinds of unique personalities. Although Secrets and Unforgotten are my two absolute favorites of hers, she's written many others that contain genuine depictions of warring attractions with all the subtle behavioral conflicts and actions that turn to love. 

I'm not sure I have any conclusive remarks to these thoughts other than I fail to understand why the huge amount of written general market/secular romance must be portrayed with the purposely titillating graphic scenes of human beings having sex. In my opinion it degrades their stories and adds nothing of value to the story itself. There can be a fair amount of steamy action (if that's what a reader seeks) without discussing body parts and how they're reacting to another's body parts. Is that really necessary? Add to that vulgarity in depicting sizes and shapes and sounds, and the reader is now in voyeur mode. Bring on the excessive four-letter words, and you have one tastelessly written novel even though without those parts, there's a good story there.

Writing violence consists of choosing how much, how detailed, and to what end in the story. The genres which usually contain violent situations allow for much leeway even in Christian novels. It ends up falling into the category (for Christian authors) of what is acceptable to get the point across without going too far into the evil.

Your thoughts?

Father, help me to listen to your leading and write as you would have me do. I know my assignment(s). Help me to be faithful to my calling. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

There are a few, not counting Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills and Brad Thor, general market/secular authors I've enjoyed reading this past year. These authors wrote some good stories, complex mysteries, some well done romance mixed in with appealing characters. But what continually disappoints is the incessant use of graphic sexual scenes and sometimes an unhealthy dose of foul or vulgar language. In other words most of their novels would get an R rating because of these factors.

I'm not a snowflake. Even though I was raised – and appreciated – that swearing and cussing were wrong, I at one point in my rebellion years taught myself how to not only do it but to get somewhat good at it. Believe me when I say I'm not proud of it. So, although I might not like to "hear" it in the novels I read, if it's not used excessively, I can "take" it – the reason being if it truly fits the character and the situation, it is, after all, realistic, no matter how much we don't like it.

So. What I'm wondering is this: who gets off on reading graphic sexual encounters? And why? It's disconcerting when one realizes that 50 Shades of Grey and that series sold millions of copies when it was notoriously known to be poorly written, but the "hot" sex with BDSM (Bondage, Discipline/Domination, Sadism, Masochism) descriptions apparently captivated untold numbers of women – including Christians! Apparently, there are literally millions of female readers who pursue these passages because no genre in fiction outsells the romance novel, and it's fairly safe to say this genre prevails among the feminine reading population.

More on this topic tomorrow. Any thoughts?

Father, help me to effectively write the contrasts of the world to the beauty of what you created. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

Another of those long ago places I visited. This is Piccadilly Circus in London where I actually called (in a real phone booth) David Hemmings' agent and secured an appointment! Ah, memories . . . 

Father, you protected me from so many things and myself in those days . . . and still do. Thank you is never enough for rescuing me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Ahh, those oldies that sometimes say it all. Fun songs. Fun times.

Father, only you can save our souls. Please bless all those creatively gifted with the saving knowledge of your Son. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Living Lies by Natalie Walters is Book One in the Harbored Secrets Series.

The lovely Lane Kent, a widow with a 5 year old son Noah, operates the Way Station Café in Walton, Georgia, that kind of small town where most everybody knows each other, but they don't necessarily know each other's pain. Helping Lane cook and run the café, Ms. Byrdie, the sheriff's wife and like a second mother to Lane, is a woman of faith and a master at encouraging Lane in her personal darkness. 

Brand new deputy Charlie Lynch, who is Sheriff Huggins and Ms. Byrdie's nephew, has retired from the Marine Corps to create a home in Walton in hopes of a different kind of service and of finding a way to build a family. As he unexpectedly learns after his first highly charged encounter with Lane Kent, she's his neighbor.

Lane blames herself for her husband's death which occurred in a car accident. The darkness she feels permeates her existence and at times she doesn't think she can face another day. During one of those moments her first glimpse of Charlie Lynch temporarily takes her focus away from the blackness, but it returns minutes later when she discovers a dead girl's body.

Living Lies is a romantic suspense that deals with the multiple sufferings caused by depression and anxiety, PTSD in veterans, and what can be an ignorance and/or intolerance of both conditions, while examining the differences and problems in family dynamics. This cleanly written* novel with dark antagonists provides a page turning tale with a few twists.

(*This time by that I mean the writing itself has little if any superfluous expression and relies on basic storytelling in spite of the well done emotional chaos of a few of its characters.)

Natalie Walters is a military wife and her understanding of those things that affect active duty soldiers and veterans shines through in this story. Thank you, Natalie, for capturing the nuances of the things our military face, and thank you, your husband, and your family for the sacrifices you make to maintain our freedom and keep us safe in the USA.  

Father, please continue to bless Natalie and her family in your abundance and fill her up with more stories to tell. May she be blessed in all she does to honor you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

     For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

     Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.

     Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

     Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Romans 1:21-28 (NIV)

I know mine was! I miss you, Dad. You were the best. Father's Day has never been the same without you.

Father, you're the ultimate Dad and Superhero beyond all superheroes. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

                       (From my unpublished novel The Fixer)

Chapter 1

The rain assaulted the trees, the gutters, the double-pane windows, hard and cold, leaving even the midday seeming like the darkness of evening. Unpleasant to watch, she twisted the blinds closed and decided it could be just as gloomy inside as it was outside. Miserable. Chilled inside herself. Darkness triumphed.
      A single tear wandered down her cheek, but she waited until it tickled the line of her jaw before she hurriedly wiped it away. Before she could stop them, they bunched in her eyes and flooded her cheeks and inevitably she gave way to sobbing.
     Without wanting to acknowledge it, she’d been living the last four years of her life for this day. Waiting for it. Almost but not quite ushering it in. She’d expected it, and therefore in her own way she’d made it happen. Knowing as the time progressed how deeply it would hurt. But not really knowing. Because this was way beyond any feelings and all reactions she’d tried so diligently in the back of her mind to simulate. So much more painful than she had inadvertently prepared for—in all that make-believe way she’d anticipated him leaving her—even dared him to do it, she realized now. Too late to correct. Too late to rework in her convoluted mind games.
     Of course the telephone rang. Which sister would it be? One or the other she was sure. It wouldn’t be Dean. No matter how much she wished it was.
     She glanced at the Caller ID and considered whether or not to pick it up, but why prolong the inevitable?
     “Hi, Lamb,” she answered quietly, knowing her voice betrayed her tears.
     “I’m coming over.” Her sister’s voice sustained the quiet.
     “Don’t,” she instructed without much authority.
     “Fifteen minutes.”
     She’d hung up. Darn it! She hurried into the bathroom to repair herself—not going to look the victim here.
     To the minute came the knock on the door before her sister opened it and came inside, almost soaked just from hurrying up to the cozy but spacious screened porch from the gravel driveway.
     They hugged each other after Lamb removed her dampened coat and walked to drape it over one of the kitchen chairs. “Why, Doe?” Tears visible in her eyes. “Dean loves you. You love him. What’s the deal?”
The questions she didn’t ask were the ones that blared.
     “'Why don’t you want to marry him? Why in the world would you ever want to emulate Mom and Dad’s life?’ Those are the real questions you want to ask, aren’t they?” the older sister clipped out a little more loudly than she meant to.
     Lamb looked slightly upward at her taller sister, who of the three of them looked the most like their deceased mother. She kept quiet for an extra moment as she forced herself to take control. “Alright. Why?”
     Doe walked over to the couch and plopped into the soft leather. “It wouldn’t work,” was all she said.
     Lamb sat on the nearest chair. “Because you wouldn’t let it? Why’d you start the relationship, Doe? Why’d you let yourself and Dean fall in love if sabotage is what you had in mind? I’m sorry—I don’t get it. Help me out here.”
     “I can’t explain it.”
     “Huh-uh. That’s not going to get it. Not for me. And it probably didn’t get it for Dean either, Doe. You can’t tell me you don’t love him.”
     “He would’ve left me someday anyway.” Her defenses up, her voice resigned.
     “Why would you say that?”
     “He would’ve, Lamb. Trust me.”
     “I see. Because you would’ve driven him away? What—you’re assuming all men are like Dad was?”
     “Aren’t they? In their own ways? You know Dean. Women are drawn to him.”
     “And he was drawn to you,” Lamb said, her voice strained.
     “For now.”
     Lamb bolted out of the chair. “Well, it just so happens that now is what we have, isn’t it? Now is it! He wanted to extend the here and now. Make it legal. Make it stick. How could that not matter to you?!” She regretted expressing her exasperation with her sister’s twisted view of relationships as she failed to stop the outburst. “You are not Mom, Doe. No matter how much you loved her or even admired her—you’re your own person. Mom was . . . well, Mom was different. You know that. In some ways she was downright weird, Doe, and I don’t mean that disrespectfully. But she was. Who would name their three illegitimate daughters after animals? Who would stick with their unfaithful father until he left us all? Come on, Doe. You had a chance to have a man who loved you and you alone marry you and settle down with you. You’ve been living like a married couple for four years, Doe. Tell me you’ve fallen out of love with him if you have. Tell me!”
     Doe expected her sister’s onslaught, but what she hadn’t anticipated was how the words would ring so true. The emotional brick wall she’d taken years to erect began to slide and shift under their earth-quaking reality. The tears she fought so hard to control came rushing once again.
     “Look at you!” The exasperation merged with compassion. “You’re a masochist. Just like Mom.” She observed it in wonderment. She sat beside her beautiful older sister and held her as she cried. After a few moments, she said, “We’re going to fix this, Doe. We’re going to talk to Dean and fix this.”
     “No!” Doe pulled away from her sister’s embrace. “No. I can’t. I need time to figure this out, Lamb. You may think it’s just a stupid mistake on my part, but you don’t know how ingrained these feelings are. I can’t shed them overnight.” She paused and sobbed. “If I could’ve, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
     Lamb stared at her sister with a numbness settling over her emotions. She didn’t understand. Not at all. As hard as she might try, she didn’t think she ever could either. Why fall in love if only to plot its demise? And that’s exactly what Doe had done. Slowly, methodically, the deeper she fell, the more devoted Dean became, Doe had put the screws to their relationship. Forced him to make a decision when she held back on purpose. He made the only one he could make. This was the result.

Father, thank you is never enough for all you do for me, for all the words, all the inspiration. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

(First posted on 7/8/2008 as "Wind River . . . escape to forgiveness").

The second leg of this week’s CFBA tour once again gave me the great pleasure of reading one of my favorite authors. I’m a big fan of Tom Morrisey’s work from his Beck Easton adventure novels to these last two: In High Places and Wind River. I’m not going to cover his credentials here, but they’re numerous and impressive both in real life and in the writing life.

Wind River is a story about the relationship between a much older man who takes a boy fly fishing, teaching him the ins and outs of catching trout and traversing the Wind River Station high country. One day that young boy who became an excellent fisherman becomes a Marine, gets married, leaves the Marine Corps, and years later receives a letter from that old man to accompany him on one last fishing trip to the Wind River.

Having sustained a devastating experience before leaving the Corps, Tyler Perkins cannot bring himself to share it with his wife. Not only can he not share the experience with her, he can’t even share himself with her. So when the invitation comes in the mail, she encourages him to go, knowing that he needs to.

When Ty arrives at the home of his old friend Soren and his wife Edda, he sees first hand how aged the man has become, still in the long aftermath of a hip replacement, but raring to head for the hills. When the man has a few senior moments before their departure, Ty gets some parting words from Edda, and off they go. Once the two men reach the lodge at the base of the Wind River Station, Soren has come alive and appears to be in his element, rejecting all efforts at assistance or to be confined to settling for the lower level trek Ty thinks appropriate. After some tension between Ty and an ex-girlfriend who now runs the lodge, the two men set out for their adventure.

This is simply the story of two men, one younger, one older, who need to be set free from a past, one distant and one not so distant, with which they seem unable to reckon. Being men of faith but now estranged from their relationships with the One who once set them free, they need to set things straight somehow, and although neither one particularly wants to share their downfalls with the other, out there among the majestic beauty, the rainbow and brown trout, the rugged weather, and God’s own sky, creatures, and elements, they learn they have no real choice but to do so.

Tom Morrisey takes the reader through the assortment of flies, the casting, and the throw backs and catches of fish, lets him see the beauty, smell the clean air, feel the rain, get warmed by the fire ring, and admire the skills of those who know the streams, rivers, forests, and high country as if it’s their own backyard. In the process of doing what these two people have always done when together, confession seeps out into their nights under the shooting stars.

The first chapter is much like a prologue, taking place 16 years before the main story. The second chapter precedes the present day by a few years setting the stage for the current thrust of the main story. There are pages and pages of dialogue toward the end of the story, but it’s entertaining and logical and with a true voice. There are few extras included in this novel which is lean by my standards, a few only mildly addressed conflicts left to the imagination, but the two main characters are easy to visualize and fall for and ultimately we hope they arrive at workable solutions. The ending gives us what we need.

An interesting side note for writers . . . Tom Morrisey does next to no marketing as far as I can tell. Over a year ago he used to occasionally contribute to the now defunct "Charis Connection". Although he has the current news of this new book on his website, a lot of the information on this site is old. He warns that e-mails may or may not be answered due to his being off cave diving or some such adventurous thing, but he’s even less of a marketer than Frank Peretti who gave a decent try at it for being a successful, somewhat reclusive, basically-working-on-other-projects author.

If you want to read a novel which transports you to the haven of the higher country where a river and lake run heavy with all sizes of trout and learn from an expert along your journey, Wind River will take you far away from the hustle and crowded activities of daily life. In that journey you’ll probably find something which inspires you to find forgiveness, not only from the Lord, but from yourself as well.

Father, I would ask that you would continue to watch over Tom Morrisey in his adventurous lifestyle. You have given him a multitude of talents, and I pray his writing would continue to offer your heart to readers. Bless his faith as he pursues those directions you have chosen for him to follow. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.