Into the Fire

(Originally posted on 11/19/2012 as "Playing to your strengths")

Physical strength varies even within people who are the same size. Some smaller people have remarkable strength while some large people show limited physical capability. All kinds of physiques can train to gain strengths, but each individual possesses different talents which aren't always visible in physical demonstrations.

I'm only 5' 4". When I was young and working at the racetrack, I developed some decent strength for my size and weight. Handling Thoroughbreds and tugging on hay and straw bales force you to get tough. You push yourself to do what you couldn't do before you gained the experience and reps.

When writing, you have to play to your strengths as you develop ways to compensate for your natural weaknesses (if you have them). I've been told and I tend to agree that my writing strengths show up in character development and dialogue. No wonder I don't write complex plots, huh? Not to say I can't improve on my natural strengths but good to know I at least have been complimented on them.

I don't have a formula for the weight lifting exercises involved in perfecting your writing strengths, and I tend to shun the instructions that guarantee or suggest a slam dunk approach. All I can offer is keep working out. Read and write – the best exercises for improving your strengths.

Good to know this still applies in 2019, huh?

Father, thank you for all you've given me, inspired me to do, helped me every step of the way, and always rescued me when I fell. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude. None. Not in my language or any human language. Thank you is all I've got and it's never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Another placid winter scene of beauty. As beautiful as it is, I can honestly say I'm glad I'm not there. Lovely to look at though.

Father, thank you for the seasons. You made something beautiful in each of them. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

I loved this movie with a young Johnny Depp. This is an amazing movie but at times tough to watch. I loved it. 

Father, only you can reach those who are lost. Please, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

I'm going to do my disclaimers first. I understand why certain Christian Fiction is labeled "clean" to insure readers they're not going to be presented with smutty literature such as can be found in the general market. Certain genres and sub-genres in the Christian fiction market naturally lean toward "clean" such as the cozy mystery category, but the descriptive label stamping any novels as "clean" reading is specifically for those readers who are typically demonstrative in their demands and requirements for their novels. Whether those demands are based on the desire to escape the depravity we often witness in the world or if it's from a self-righteous definition of what holiness should be in Christian reading, there are plenty of novels in the Christian Fiction spectrum to meet and satisfy those demands.

My question is this: Is the opposite of "clean", "dirty"? I cannot think of one book in the Christian Fiction genre that is "dirty". I can think of many that address difficult subjects, complicated characters who stretch between very good and noble to harsh and evil and everything in between – of course it depends on the genre. 

Some readers will not read thrillers or certain suspense or mystery novels because they object to violence, especially any kind of graphic descriptions. Other readers are enormously sensitive to realistic depictions of sexual attraction and temptation – even in romance novels. 

While some of us who write in the romance/love story genre prefer realism and addressing the challenges that romance/love entails, there are readers who prefer not to look at this from the world's point of view and just see it addressed from a Christian viewpoint. This limits any contrasts between the two and can sterilize the portrayals of types of characters. Plus, it can make the already formulaic romance genre even more predictable. Having said that, if this is what readers want to read, there are multiple options available to them. 

My point here is for those of us who don't necessarily meet whatever that "clean" attachment to fiction might mean, I refuse to tag the "dirty" label to our work.

Maybe what we need is a clearer definition of "clean" in reference to Christian Fiction – besides the obvious "no graphic sex or profanity" – and maybe "no graphic violence". Any ideas?

Father, we're all desperate for you. And we have much in common for being so different. The fact remains: Apart from you, we can do nothing. Thank you for so much grace and benevolence. As always, thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

. . . Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

     Then the disciples came to Jesus, in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

     He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 17:18-21 (NIV)

Five things I wish I'd never given away:

My soft leather black boots that went all the way up – yes, all the way. Loved them. (Saw them in "Vogue" magazine.)  

My grey double-breasted lined wool cape. It was so cool. I miss it.

My large stack of LPs – those are records – vinyls to you youngsters. Oh my. I can't believe I gave them all away.

A couple of my favorite novels – actually, I didn't intend to "give them away". I just never got them back from whoever "borrowed" them.

I'll just say another pair of grey leather knee-high boots to conclude, and there were a few other pieces of clothing. 

All of these were given away a long time ago, but I still wish I hadn't done it.

Lord, you've given me an abundance, but I miss those things I never should've given away because they were special. Thank you for them all and everything since. You've been so gracious and generous to me. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

So. Readers and writers of Christian Fiction, do you see any change(s) in the novels offered in this genre? Do you think "Indie Publishing" has opened the door for less formulaic and more realistic expression of life circumstances in the stories? Are you reading anything "new" in the flavor of Christian fiction? 

Some of us have long pontificated on the necessary broadening of the spectrum of Christian fiction in multiple ways. Do you think it has happened or is it in the process? Do you still want to see change, more change, or different kinds of change(s)?

Your opinion is valuable.

Father, we who know you want to honor you with all we do. We want to represent you as you intended. Apart from you, we can do nothing. Please help us to be the ones you want us to be, realizing all you intended for us to be and to do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Winter looks like this is some places. Not where I am – at least not yet. How do you feel about snow?

Father, you gave us the seasons, and they all serve a purpose and look differently all around the globe. Your creativity is endless. Thank you for it all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A scene from one of my favorite movies (Benny and Joon) starring a young Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Aidan Quinn. 

Only you can save souls, Lord. Only you. Please, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Beautiful cover, beautiful writer, Sibella Giorello offers another complex story to the collection of Raleigh Harmon novels. 

From the moment The Wind Will Howl began, I got that sinking, melancholy feeling that this Raleigh Harmon story was going to be painful in more ways than one. And it truly was. No one experiences soul-deep sadness, alerted tenuous multi-faceted fear and anxiety even while maintaining uncanny inner strength, than Raleigh.

In this story Raleigh is in turmoil. So in love with Jack (her FBI fiancé), but the trepidation of her mother being released from the mental hospital she's occupied has interfered with any excitement or expectations for her so far date-less wedding. Fearing what lies ahead with her mother, who often doesn't recognize Raleigh as her daughter, she still decides it's her responsibility to make sure she's well cared for – and that means bringing her to her aunt's house which she's sharing with the elderly and wealthy Eleanor while her aunt (Charlotte) is on one of her crazy new-age retreats.

Raleigh gets tangled up in a corpse underwater. Turns out the young dead man is from the Makah Tribe located at the northwest tip of Washington state. So how did he get dead in a Makah death ritual in Seattle? Raleigh's encounter spurs her on to investigate, but the female Seattle Police Detective wants none of Raleigh's help even though it could help her with the case and intends to cause Raleigh unearned grief. Meanwhile, Raleigh's aunt sends her a client for her private investigation. Jack flies Raleigh to visit the Makah reservation and drops her off. Trouble shrouds her investigation and distances her from Jack.

Jack is in love, and he's all man. When Raleigh becomes non-committal concerning their wedding date, he steps back. Heartache, fear, and convincing herself she doesn't care that Jack's been silent fill her waking moments while she isn't totally absorbed in the two investigations. When terrifying trouble finds her, she calls Jack – her hero. Tragedy nearly strikes to rip them apart.

The Wind Will Howl captures the essence of Raleigh's life to date. It's filled with her familial uncertainty, the hurtful condition of her mother, the emotional fear created by that burden, her genuine love for Jack combined with her panic about the disarray in her life. 

Sibella Giorello writes stunning prose, complex plots, insightful dialogue both spoken and internal with incredible humor speckled with superior malaprops, and fascinating peripheral characters. Sorrow oozes through Raleigh, faith rises up when she needs it most, and she's definitely happiest when she's spending time with Jack – but it scares her because nothing truly good seems to last in her life. The Wind Will Howl brings every kind of emotional challenge for Raleigh and threatens her life more than once. The final scenes are both shocking and near perfect.

Sibella's Raleigh Harmon Series, from the prequels to this one, presents incredible stories with the best female character in fiction today boosted by superior writing. Recommendation for this series is off the charts. I don't rave about authors, but there is simply no denying this talented author her due. 

Father, you know Sibella's heart and soul, her needs and trials, her hopes and desires. Please bless her deep, Lord, inside and out. Cover her and keep her safe from all harm. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.