Not the best shot of it – taken from my phone. The colors are far more brilliant, striking, and the picture clearer. Nevertheless, hope you find it as attractive as I do. I know it's print ready now. When exactly it will be released, we shall see. Soon . . .
As I always say, Lord, thank you is never enough and I thank you for every word, every thought, every inspiration. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
Acts 2:18 (NIV)
With special thanks to:
Patrick Morgan: always a Marine, Police Officer, Detective, SWAT. He’s all that and more. How he helped me is beyond measurement. All mistakes, procedural or otherwise, are mine. I could not have written this novel without him.
Gary Bergsma, DVM
Debra Mairet: you’re special. In so many ways. Thank you.
B. K. Jackson, Brenda S. Anderson: thanks for major encouragement.
Sibella Giorello: writer extraordinaire, thank you.
Karin Kaufman: “Cozy Mystery Queen”, thank you.
Prayer and Perseverance Warriors: Jan Fischer, Debra Mairet, Debbie Anderson, Verna Sorlie, Brenda Anderson, YoYo, and all others who went to the Father on my behalf. So grateful.
Pastor Matt, thank you for the prophetic word that got me going again. You can’t know how much I needed it.
So, Lord, no words to tell you how deeply thankful I am. You keep me inspired. Apart from you, I can do nothing.
Thank you, Michael and Joseph for your love and encouragement. Love you so much.
Thank you, Donovan. Love you, son.
Aidan, fellow reader, love you.
These pages that begin or conclude a book generally don't mean a lot to a reader unfamiliar with an author's private life, but, for me, these are critical pages needed to give credit, recognition, appreciation, and love to all who contribute to the creative process. Truly can't thank these – named and unnamed – enough for their various participations.
Always and ever, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Well, Race is just about ready to roll in print and e-book forms. I'll be sharing the cover with you very soon. It's been a few years since I had a print book releasing. Destination and Sweet Release are only available in e-books. Hope to have them in print one day too . . .
Father, thank you is never enough, but I offer it from my heart. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
An author's voice is often what separates one from another. Our expressions might resemble those of other authors, and our plots often do, but our voices are uniquely ours. Readers choose those authors they enjoy largely based on an author's creative voice. Some authors are capable of writing in different genres able to sustain the right amount of tension and the "required" distinctions in whatever genre they've invested their efforts. If they're an established author, they usually have a particular following who's willing to read whatever they have a mind to create.
Robert Liparulo went from bona fide thrillers with a speculative element in them to outright speculative novels with a thriller element. I love Robert's voice and style. Travis Thrasher wrote romantic novels, speculative novels, teen-focused literature, supernatural novels, and a few darker speculative novels. He's versatile without a drop off in whatever genre he chooses. Travis has a great voice. And of course there are many others who've chosen to explore their creative energies in different genres even though it's considered a "no-no" in some publishing circles.
When I began my latest novel Race, I figured it had to have that "police procedural" feel to it in order for me to attempt it. Calling it a murder mystery (which essentially it is) contributed to that stymied feeling which had me setting it aside so many times before finally finishing it. It's not surprising to note it's the shortest of my published novels (approximately 92+K words). I've only written one that's shorter which was a genuine struggle to do. Needless to say for my comfort zone to not be totally infringed upon, there is a romantic element in Race. For this love story author to switch genres took a considerable and elongated effort, and it remains to be seen how it will be received – especially by those who love good mysteries.
I don't think an author can completely abandon or discard his/her creative voice (nor should they want to do so), but, depending on the genre and the characters, that voice has to maneuver through the subtleties and nuances of the required tensions of a story and might need to undergo or attempt some changes in order to do it. Generally, the conversations in a romance don't translate well to a murder investigation. The male and female characters always must be distinct, but sometimes in certain investigative circumstances they might not be easily differentiated until that character is established.
Finding the right voice for my protagonist wasn't difficult, but it felt different for me. Whether or not it will actually "sound" different to those who've read my other work . . . we shall see.
Father, thank you for every word, every story, every bit of inspiration. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
And so the Lord seeks those who are lost – as we all are before we know Him. Thank you, Jesus.
Question for you readers of fiction: Does the release of a novel that takes place in one season but is released in a different season bother your sensibilities? Does a novel taking place in the summer but released in the winter matter to you? Or vice versa?
Would it matter "less" if a summertime story is released in fall or winter than a wintertime story released in the summer?
For me, it can matter because I wonder why. However, if I elect to read the novel "out of season", it won't matter at all if I like the story.
I had hoped to release my summertime novel at the appropriate time, but it wasn't to be. I could delay its release, but I'm not going to do that.
Your thoughts?
Father, I yield to your timing. Thank you for it all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.
Proverbs 22:2 (NIV)
This is one of my favorite covers. Place Called Home by Brenda S. Anderson is the 11th novella in a collection of The Potter's House Books.
Tessitura (Tessa) Chanson runs away from her traveling musical ministry parents with her handsome boyfriend because the sheltered and imposing lifestyle of her Christian parents seems overbearing to her. Little does she know this handsome guy wants to possess her and by leaving the protection of her "over-protective" parents she discovers exactly what losing that protection has meant to her.
Using her neighbor's genuine friendship, she escapes the emotional abuse, which hints of a possible physical threat, of her captor boyfriend after months of preparation. Her plan isn't foolproof and when she thinks she spots her ex's truck on the highway as she's on the final leg of her journey walking to her aunt's secluded cabin to hide, she dives into the roadside woods and hurts herself. Turns out the truck doesn't belong to her ex but to another guy who's there to rescue her – something neither he nor she realizes.
Nate Brooks knows the facility called Our Home for homeless youth is full and he's been warned: "No more rescues right now!" There aren't a lot of choices left for this young terrified woman with an ankle injury except for his "reformed" school bus at home. Facing his parents with this need won't be easy either.
Place Called Home addresses the manipulative, controlling process of an abusive boyfriend, the desire to be independent without knowing how to accomplish it, and the unique requests the God of the universe will often make to those who are willing to hear His voice. The pratfalls of having experienced abuse always figures into an individual's effort to trust someone again, to establishing any relationships, and to find some element of self worth in the process of healing. Brenda handles these challenges with realistic characters and their reactions and keen insights.
Place Called Home is a quick read with quality characters and situations and a satisfying conclusion – not to mention that fabulous cover!
Father, please continue to bless Brenda in all her work done for you. Fill her up with inspiration and the time and energy to do as you ask. Watch over her, Lord, in the Name of Jesus, Amen.
I thought I might give you a "cover reveal" today, but things have not progressed in the timeline I expected. The cover is in fact finished, but due to a technical difficulty caught at the last minute by my Project Manager, the production will be delayed for a few days for the necessary correction. Not a big deal except for the fact that my PM was sharp enough to catch it! She's gifted in what she does. No one else noticed the error.
I can't speak for other authors as to what their hopes are for their novels. I know some are strictly focused on quality entertainment and anything else is a peripheral reward. (This goes for both Christian and secular authors.) Others of us hope the particular way we create the story will deliver some thought provoking or reinforcing possibilities.
I previously reported that my latest novel Race was written in starts and stops over a period of years because I froze up on it more than once, but I also couldn't shake the idea for it which in my case meant the Lord wanted it written. If you've ever ignored or pretended you didn't get the message the Lord has spoken to you, then you know how persistent, relentless, insistent He can be. You can choose the way of disobedience, but time is never a factor for Him. He doesn't give up.
It wasn't that I didn't want to write it – it's that I didn't think I could write it. As I said before, I still don't think I'm qualified to write a murder mystery. But such as it is, Race is releasing soon and I will share the cover with you shortly. I think it's beautiful.
All of that to say this: I have no idea why there have been some delays. That's not the norm for Redemption/Reliant Press. They're a professional machine when it comes to producing books. They are undergoing some significant changes and an overhaul, but that's only been realized in the last couple of weeks. My PM thinks there's a significant spiritual reason for the interference with Race, so in that respect it will be exciting to learn what God has in mind for this novel.
Anyway, soon you'll be seeing my cover for Race. Hope you'll like it as much as I do.
Father, I trust you. Period. Not always easy although it should be. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
