I can't figure out what's behind the falls on the rocks just above the cave-like opening. Perhaps you can see it clearer than I can? People? Statues? Anyway, this waterfall just seems to spring out of the rocks.
Father, hidden places of beauty on this earth to remind us of your creativity . . . So welcome. Thank you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
The one and only Etta James with the oh-so-smooth and lovely At Last . . .
Oh, Lord, thank you for those whose voices give us a hint of heavenly sounds. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
I suppose the love we have for our favorite fictional characters originates in the love we have for certain people characteristics and personalities, their talents, and what we admire and/or respect. We cannot ignore their physical attributes or their sex appeal if established. Nor can we eliminate the genre factor.
My friend and author Brenda S. Anderson unlike me will read a variety of genres, doesn't prefer the romance genre, although she's written some good ones, but instead enjoys reading and writing "women's fiction" – which she knows is not my favorite. Because of her preferences, I think it's safe to say certain romances probably won't produce those characters she might consider her favorites.
The truth is I love romance, but I don't read a lot of the romance genre because so much of it fails to provide me with the characters and situations I find enticing – which is really why I write them. I think some of the formulaic conflict in the romance content is overdone and consequently feels unreal. Which brings me back to The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers and two of my new favorite characters . . .
Roman Velasco: I love him. Yes, he can be a Type A jerk, but mostly because he has that self-preservation and fear of love thing goin' on big time due to a tragic childhood filled with sorrow, loss, and inner rage. Talented artist, bad boy beautiful, brilliant mind, cynical to the max, and seeking more than the riches he's acquired with his art and loose lifestyle. He hires a "good girl" to be his personal assistant and can't understand why he's enthralled with her – especially after realizing she loves Jesus. That vulnerable streak is barely there, but it surfaces more than he wants to admit. He's a sensuous character who commands each scene without trying to.
Grace Moore: I love her. She wants so desperately to avoid making another mistake, filled with guilt from her marriage and subsequent divorce and the way she became a single mother in spite of treasuring her precious little boy. Roman has no idea she's had a tragic event and hard childhood and after her bad and hurtful marriage also has self-preservation issues. She knows Roman would be bad for her, but every time he really looks at her, she can't deny what she feels. She wants stability, he provides emotional chaos. She's vulnerable but strong in the Lord and well aware of what could happen to her if she succumbs to her attraction to him. I could relate to her fear and guilt and her being drawn to that bad boy artist.
So what is it that makes a character one of your favorites?
Father, thank you for allowing us to experience a taste of creativity. Thank you for those who honor you with their gifts and talents. We're all desperate for you whether we know it or not. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons
and daughters to demons.
They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
Psalm 106:36-39 (NIV)
We who read and we who write all have our favorite fictional characters. Whether we discover them in a favorite novel or create them in one of our fictional stories, there are some who rise above the rest for us. Why is that?
We're talking novels today and, hopefully, some of you will relate to my reasons for loving the characters I do.
Best character ever in the thriller/espionage genre: Mitch Rapp. Mitch Rapp starts out on a mission. He's determined to thwart evil, he's lost big (his fiancée died in the Lockerbie bombing), he's intelligent, tough, a man's man even in his post-college youth. He trains hard, is athletic, a crack shot, isn't deterred by his torturous instructor Stan Hurley, and has a rapport with his female CIA handler (Irene). He speaks without a filter, hates politics and most politicians, and is exceptional in every aspect of being an operator having had to learn the hard way in his first assignments. But, what attracts me to Mitch besides his physical attributes, of which he has no shortage, is that hidden streak of vulnerability, his deep sense and definition of good and evil, and a higher plain of morality when it counts. There's a sensitivity there which is rarely exposed. In other words, he hasn't lost his emotional thread of decency and can feel deeply when forced to come to terms with something that touches him. He does not become a sociopath in spite of what his job requires. I love Mitch Rapp.
Best female character in a mystery/suspense: Raleigh Harmon. Raleigh's life is filled with sorrow, her adoptive father and childhood OCD genius best friend, who becomes agoraphobic after a terrifying incident in their youth, providing the only joy and releases in her life. She's basically without her mother who suffers from schizophrenia, refuses to acknowledge Raleigh as her daughter except for rare moments of warmth, while always embracing Raleigh's older sister. There is ongoing pain in her life throughout her childhood, after a huge personal tragedy, and during difficult times and results in her FBI career. She's skilled, intuitive, witty, brilliant in her chosen abilities in forensic geology, and oh-so-vulnerable. She longs to be loved which is her innate femininity, she's lovely to look at, but she's tough as nails and a risk taker when it comes to her job. Her tender heart is easily sabotaged and continually broken by her mother. Raleigh Harmon is easy to love and cheer for in her hard struggles. I love Raleigh Harmon.
We'll delve into this more on Monday . . .
Father, thank you for giving writers the inspiration to create meaningful characters and stories. So much truth about our humanity can be glimpsed in good character portrayals. Apart from you, we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
As many of you know, I don't read reviews until after I read a novel. And then only occasionally – and mostly if I really like the particular novel, I'm somewhat interested in how others felt about it. Or if I really don't like a book, I might examine a few reviews.
The Masterpiece so far has garnered 1214 Amazon reviews, 2% of which are 2-star reviews and another 2% of which are 1-star reviews. 85% of them are 5-star, 8% are 4-star, and 3% are 3-star reviews. I read a few of the 1 and 2-star reviews just to see what the problem was according to those readers. Here are some of their key words: predictable, boring, repetitive, unscriptural.
Please tell me what romance/love story isn't "predictable"? The only kind I know of that isn't "predictable" are secular, morose stories that end in tragedy. "Boring" – strictly a matter of opinion, and I found nothing boring about the characters or the story. "Repetitive" – some events were recalled and emotionally revealed in conversation instead of narrative. "Unscriptural" – this floored me. The legalism in some Christian reviewers and the misunderstandings of the author's intent actually make me angry.
Many authors will dwell on the negative reviews and others argue that the 1 and 2-star reviews are the most valuable. What those reviewers often fail to realize is their opinion is just that. The difference between someone who writes a 5-star to the person who writes the 1-star is a matter of personal preference. Many of the 1-star reviewers include snide comments which do nothing for proving a point other than revealing they're rude and want to be recognized for not liking a book.
I've said here before that writing a 1-star review says more about the reviewer's character than it does about the story or the author's writing ability.
I admit I was shocked at the 1 and 2-star reviews of The Masterpiece. I understand if you prefer Francine's other novels and don't particularly care for this one. That's the hazard of the reading world, but there were only one or two who adequately explained their opinion.
Anyone who knows me – even just through cyberspace – realizes I'm an emotional, passionate person. I can cry at commercials or anything else that hits that soft spot in my psyche. If I like something, I express it. If I love something, I tend to viscerally describe it. For whatever reason, this is who the Lord made me to be. If I don't care about something, I can be aloof, but if you question me as to why I don't like that something, you'll no doubt get an emotional response.
That's why I love to read and write novels. Stories include emotions, the more depth there is to any character, the more an attachment can form and elicit that investment we readers of fiction establish with a character.
The Masterpiece hit me hard. Rarely does a book do this to me. I have now read it twice and will probably read it again. It touched my soul. I can't expect it will do that to you nor can I guarantee you'll enjoy it. The hero and heroine occupy a unique place in my heart that I won't soon surrender. (How does any sane person admit that?) So my incredulity at the low rated reviews was intense, and I actually left comments to counteract their points just because.
I know when others build up a book to the point I have done, it makes another reader wary. How could anyone like a novel this much – right? Well . . . I do. And I'm not speaking from a technical writing point of view. Nope. I'm speaking from making characters come alive and touch your heart. Apparently, some weren't touched at all. I'll never understand that.
Father, thank you for Francine's ability to capture the essence of two people who were severely wounded, needing redemption, each other, and most of all You to cement who they were and where they belonged. Please continue to bless her for her insights into the human soul. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Breathtaking beauty.
God, you've put such beauty out there for us to find. Amazing grace. Thank you for it all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
A great song by the silky voiced Lou Rawls.
Father, please help all who don't know you to find your Son. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers is indeed a masterpiece. I loved this novel. I can't even explain how much at this time, but I'm going to try to give you the gist of it in this review.
Artist Roman Velasco answers the front door of his magnificent, secluded Topanga Canyon mansion with barked orders to get lost addressed to Grace Moore, his personal assistant applicant sent by the temp agency, who arrives at the precise time of their scheduled appointment. In spite of the rocky beginning, the multiple cuss words, his temperamental anger flares, Grace agrees to a two week commitment because she needs the job. As it turns out, he's impressed with her in more ways than he cares to acknowledge to himself. After all, "She's not my type." This excuse worked for him because she was accomplishing more than the previous short-lasting applicants – including she made great coffee.
Roman Velasco uses a pseudonym for his paintings and only his real initials for his famous graffiti art which adorned buildings and bridges around San Francisco. A "former" gang-tagger raised in the Tenderloin district, his only friends died young, and losing his mother the hard way marred his life. Signing his graffiti with his real initials, he became infamously known as "the Bird", no one knowing the famous and wealthy Roman Velasco were one and the same.
After a sad childhood, Grace Moore sacrificed her scholarship to UCLA while she tutored and made possible a graduation certificate for her ex-husband before he became her ex. She became a single mother who lived with the family who intended to adopt her son Samuel before she changed her mind at his birth to keep him.
He's the unapologetic bad boy artist, amazingly talented but not using his true abilities. She's the good girl, regretful for every horrible mistake she's made and determined not to make any more, renewing her faith in the Lord and scrambling to somehow gain her independence with her infant son while trying desperately not to fall for the artist who looks like a work of art himself.
Francine Rivers captures these characters with a beautiful precision, but let me say this: if you've grown up surrounded by a loving family devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ, you might not understand these two. If you've never experienced the pull, persuasion, and power of the world, it might be hard for you to truly grasp the struggles these two face or identify with their conflicts. Their backgrounds are shockingly harsh, their reactions to them different, their anguish real and deep-seated. The one's intense anger drives him while the other suffers with her magnified guilt driving her. (And I mean no harm or insult for those fortunate enough to have the Lord's people and meaning surrounding their youth into adulthood. God has His purpose in all things.)
Their verbal exchanges reflect their positions. Roman doesn't answer to anyone but himself. Grace will not be dominated or compromised. She speaks of Jesus and God-things. He mocks her or makes cynical comments. She sees the magnificence and joy in beauty while he chooses to ignore it after observing the colors and tones. And yet she fascinates him. And he confuses and attracts her like a magnet – adding to her guilt.
There is exquisite characterization of the main and peripheral characters, uncommonly good dialogue both verbal and internal. I loved Roman and Grace. Deeply. The story lingers while reading it and now that it's done, I can't let it go. I went back to read the first few pages again just to feel the beginning of this masterpiece once more. I think I want to read it again – and I rarely ever do that. (I believe Kristen Heitzmann's Secrets and Unforgotten were the only two I read over and over again about three times in a row.)
For me at times there were intermittent tears at the sorrows in the hearts of these characters and how getting past so much hurt can seem insurmountable. But there were also laugh out loud moments observing their consternations. The frustrations of being unable or unwilling to communicate the truth for fear of rejection or abandonment contributed to the heartbreak and losses in the lives of these two. The utter exertion it took for them to share their lives, to speak their honest feelings, was often excruciating for them because of their guarded and carefully constructed walls of self-preservation. As a reader, I wanted to hurry them forward, but it was not to be.
A near tragedy changes everything in a way but not in another, and the things they both fear the most become the impetus for a radical reversal.
Francine alternated from present day to their past traumas as the story moved along giving the reader each of their histories in small doses filling in the colors of their lives. How the characters intertwined proved interesting and sometimes surprising with an incredible possible twist revealed near the end. With a fulfilling conclusion, The Masterpiece proves its impressive title. I'll say it again. I loved this story. Cannot recommend it highly enough. It's not a story you will soon forget.
Kudos to Tyndale Publishing for allowing a great writer and storyteller to produce a full length novel without cutting it short.
(Be sure to read the author's note and explanation of the cover with its unique multi-meaning.)
Father, I ask that you would continue to provide your abundance and anointing in Francine, that you would keep the inspiration coming, and give her the energy and everything else she needs to keep producing the beautiful, touching stories you have just for her to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV)
