Into the Fire

Passionate thoughts about the world of writing and the Power of God

  •  

       
    0_groups_and_outings_wardie_school_class_1950s

    You who know me can imagine what a stunning conclusion it was when I finally figured out my novels and manuscripts in progress would probably not fit into the current CBA fiction. A longtime avid and abundant reader of Christian fiction, you'd think I would've noted the restrictive nature of the stories I read. But being obviously slow on the uptake, I thought these stories could include a little more pop, a few more dashes of realism.

    Mike Duran in this post made some astute observations about the majority of CBA authors. Those who comprise this stable have a lot in common besides their gender and age range. There is a type of writing that is produced by these talented individuals and their editors for their particular publishing houses. That's not to say they're identical in their styles and certainly not in their voices, but there are far more similarities in the books produced than there are differences. In other words there is a uniformity of language and lack of certain circumstances that identify them with a type of work.

    Now is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. Then it's a good thing? Well. Not necessarily.

    Restrictions and requirements set a tone and determine the direction publishers want to take their products in hopes of appealing to their "masses", their niche groups in the market. And this is certainly and adamantly their right. I've wondered "aloud" here multiple times (as Mike voiced) why this is enough. Isn't there room for a bit of stretching in this market?

    Nevertheless, I am who I am as a writer, but that puts me in a crazy place. Kind of un-typed for where I thought I belonged.

     

    Lord, you know where I am, where I need to be, and where you want me. I want to be where you want me. End of story. 😉 In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  •  

                  
    62AE2810D814267D32354CE48E170

     

    Okay, I'm a bit amazed at all the caterwauling about the replacement refs in professional football. It absolutely stuns me how the horrific bad calls that the "real" refs made through their years of officiating in the NFL are now suddenly ignored and instead they've become the creme de la creme of refereeing football games. In spite of game-changing wrong calls they made on any given Sunday, Monday, or Thursday games, not to mention the Super Bowl(!). It's absurd. When former Raiders' and Buccaneers' coach Jon Gruden in the most somber of tones decries the "Touchdown" call in Monday Night Football's game as "tragic" for the Packers, I stood there with my jaw-dropped, dumbfounded expression and realized how pompous the NFL icons have become.

    Let me tell you what's "tragic": Children with cancer and other fatal diseases, USA soldiers getting killed by the Afghani police they're instructing, our embassies being torched by Jihadists after murdering and violating our ambassador and three others, innocent civilians and children dying from bombs lobbed into Israel by their "neighbors". You get it?

    When the union demands exceed what is reasonable – as they so often do in this country nowadays – they should not be rewarded with contracts from businesses. That includes the NFL. Get over yourselves. You're part time employees who officiate a game! A. Game. Greed isn't pretty no matter who's dressed in it.

    Unbelievable.

     

    God, sometimes I don't know what to say. I'm sorry for my own wrong perspectives, my own sins, my own "blown calls" in my life. And may your perspective be the one that's most important to me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

  •  

    Because I got nuthin' today and these two fine people have very interesting things to say from two different perspectives. Highly recommended reading:

    http://mikeduran.com/

    http://brendaandersonbooks.com/blog/

     

    Father, your blessings abound in so many directions. Thank you for loving us and directing our steps. We're all desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  •  

                 
    1218055919yP5XRR

    The big ACFW Conference in Dallas, Texas, is over, and you can find the winners of the Genesis Contest here:

    http://www.acfw.com/genesis/2012_winners

    And the Carol Award Winners:

    http://www.acfw.com/carol/2012_winners

    Lots of recognized novelists at this large fiction conference. And many pre-published hopefuls ranging from first timers at a conference to veterans pursuing their first contract.

    . . .


    Spurensuche-in-big-apple-ab-montag-zeigt-vox-die-free-tv-premiere-der-siebten-staffel-csi-ny-gross
    

    This week begins the big Fall Premieres for some of my favorite television series. Not all of you are TV buffs. I most certainly am among those who genuinely look forward to several shows on network television. Mostly crime shows. No "comedies". Would much rather watch forensic gore than listen to and watch raunch and perversion that isn't even remotely funny.

    . . .

            
    Free_Anniversary_Greeting_Cards2

    The big deal for the day: my guy and I have been married for 34 years today. We've "been together" for 38, but we won't go there. We got saved two years apart, me shortly after we were married, and him a while later . . . It's good to be in love. Thank you, Jesus, for getting us through our rugged struggles, our terrible baggage, our history, and bringing us finally together in our hearts and souls. Any good in us and by us is due to you, Holy Spirit. And we thank you - which is never enough.

     

    Father, thank you. For it all. We're always desperate for you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

     

     

  •  

    This is what the Lord says —

     your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

    "I am the Lord your God,

     who teaches you what is best for you,

     who directs you in the way you should go.

    If only you had paid attention to my commands,

     your peace would have been like a river,

     your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

    . . .

    Isaiah 48:17-18 (NIV)

     

  •  

                             
    Bigwhy

    I have some friends who will vote for Obama. Not many but a few. I've read all of their quotes researched from the left-wing media amidst their distrust and criticism for places such as FOX News and leaders of the Conservative media. The main problem I've found with their "research" is most of it has been debunked by facts and truth. So it can't be facts and truth which are leading them to vote for the most destructive president this country has ever known.

    http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama#.UFsQT41lQ18#LPFWLP_S

    The common denominators of these individuals who want to see this man re-elected are as follows.

    They're major supporters of unions, refusing to see that these organizations which, in their origin were necessary and good, have become a powerful political funneling of funds for the Democrat party and philosophies, their demands exceeding what companies can financially sustain over time and causing otherwise worthwhile companies to experience bankruptcy with some businesses hiring out work from overseas. If a business can't sustain the overhead of employees, they will either fold or seek employment they can afford.

    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/aug/31/barack-obama-i-owe-those-unions/

    They hold a grudge against the wealthy regardless of who they are and how they got their money unless those wealthy people spout support for and favor higher taxes for themselves and others of means even though the wealthy 2% of the US population pay 90% of current taxes. They ignore the fact that the comments of Warren Buffet about more taxes for the wealthy don't expose the fact that he is battling the US government/IRS over something like 90 million in back taxes. They refuse to acknowledge that none of these people offer to pay more without being required to do so and they all use legal tax loopholes to avoid paying even higher taxes. Most of the people I know who resent the wealth of some pay very few taxes and are entitled to the same loopholes, family tax credits, and multiple exemptions.

    From the liberal NBC:

    "Updated 3:45 p.m. – Mitt Romney paid an effective tax rate of about 14 percent last year, his campaign said Friday while also announcing that the Republican presidential nominee had paid an average annual effective tax rate of about 20.2 percent between 1990 and 2009."

    For some reason I cannot understand why these people think "the government" owes them all kinds of things. However, they also fail to reason that "the government" is made up of them and us and shouldn't be entitled to spend our money on frivolous, ridiculous studies, creating absurd social programs more than we already have formed, putting the acquired debt over $16 Trillion.

    Some think we're racists when in fact if there's the race card being played, it's from the left. We don't need to use a person's race, ethnicity, or religion to prove he's a bad president. We simply look at his record since he took office.

    I've tried to capture the mentality of people who cling to government to meet their needs and champion their dependency in this post:     

     http://hopeofglory.typepad.com/into_the_fire/2012/05/liberal.html.

    It's difficult to imagine the character of people who will accept, promote, and kill a baby ready to be born because at the last minute a mother decides she doesn't want the child. It's murder, abortion, and there's simply no other way to describe it. The methodology is barbaric, the motive is over-the-top selfish, and it's inexcusable. And if it's a baby at that stage of pregnancy, it's a baby at conception. Adoption is available and is the kindest way to "unload" a child. The rape excuse is always used, but adoption is still available without the victim ever having to see the child. The abortions performed for rape are the fewest of its procedures. Adoption is the only choice that keeps a mother from killing her child. The child is also the victim. Abortion is big business, and it's a business that puts life and death in the hands of people and not with their Creator where it belongs. If you want the plain facts about abortion with clinical descriptions so you can be truly informed, please go here:

    http://abortionfacts.com/online_books/love_them_both/why_cant_we_love_them_both_18.asp

    Care for the elderly? No. His healtcare will monitor health issues in all people, and the welfare of the elderly will be at the bottom of the list for care.

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81497.html

    I cannot understand how people can ignore the condition of this country and believe in an administration which has acquired more debt than ever before in the history of this nation.

    The Quote of the Decade:
    "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
    ~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006 

    http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/05/morning-bell-16000000000000/

    The sources cited here give facts not fiction. Sad to say the facts have not influenced the liberal base. Only God can break through with Truth for all of us who are seriously looking for it.

     

    God, please remember the cries and repentance of your people. We thank you for our beloved country. We thank you for allowing us the privilege of living here. We're all desperate for you and you alone. Your righteousness. Your Truth. Your holiness. Your justice. Thank you that we can come before you because of the Blood of Christ. We love you, Lord God Almighty. Please have mercy on us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

  •  

    My favorite Seattle Seahawk: Marshawn Lynch

    Five novels in my TBR pile (and there are more) in no particular order: Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin; 40 by Travis Thrasher; The Making of Isaac Hunt and Loving Cee Cee Johnson by Linda Leigh Hargrove; and one I'm waiting on from the CFBA, A Hearbeat Away by Harry Kraus.

    My favorite Seattle Mariner: Michael Saunders

    My favorite gum: Eclipse (Green)

    My favorite Sunday meal: my dad's spaghetti (real Italian). I miss you Mom and Dad. And Dick.

     

    Father, hug my mom and dad and brother for me. Thank you for blessing my life with them. They were the best. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

     

  •  

                                  Shapeimage_20

     

    "Nothin' you can say can tear me away from my guy . . . "

    Happy Birthday, Baby!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twhMp9N7nak

    God, pour out your Spirit upon Michael. Take care of all those things I can't. Love on him, Lord. Thank you for the godly man he's become. Thank you for the love we share under your banner. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

     

  •  

                           
    176970493

     

    There's no question Susan Meissner is one of the finer writers in the cadre of CBA novelists. With unique storylines and elegant prose sporting a touch of humor added like just the right spice, Susan tells stories that gain intimacy with her readers. The reason for this is because she's able to capture the less often viewed emotional makeup of humanity in many of its various forms. The Girl in the Glass, published by Waterbrook Press, is Susan's newest release, and it falls squarely in the Women's Fiction genre. The trend in this novel and the four preceding this one has been to tell a story that moves back and forth between a historical connection and a contemporary reality.

    Marguerite (Meg) Pomeroy's nonna, deceased when the story begins, has left a lasting impression on her granddaughter concerning the beauty and mystery of Florence, Italy. Meg's dad has promised to take her there someday, but "someday" seems to have come and almost gone without them ever getting the opportunity to visit the city together. Following her parents' divorce and her dad's remarriage, Meg begins to realize what she's always assumed would eventually happen is very likely not going to become a reality in her life as an editor at a publishing house of travel books. Until one day her dad makes arrangements to stop by her "borrowed" cottage to tell her he's "working on" getting a trip together. His seriousness convinces her hoping heart it might actually occur this time.

    When Meg receives an urgent communication from her father not too long after his visit with a ticket to Florence, she only has minutes to decide if she'll throw together enough for a trip, somehow make the necessary arrangements for cat-sitting not to mention send an emergency email to her employers, to the city she longs to see and be able to meet him there. With unusual arrangements to get her to the airport, she flies off to Italy. Her only connections there are the brother-sister team (Lorenzo and Renata) of several travel books her publisher has produced including one they're presently working on and a hopeful writer (Sophia) Meg wants to publish. Expecting to find her father when she lands, she's stunned to realize he didn't come.

    Relying heavily on Sophia's accomodating ways as neighbors in the same building to Lorenzo and Renata, Meg glides into a relative comfort zone as Sophia gives her an insider's look at the magnificently beautiful city of Florence. Having almost sold her publisher on the possibility of doing the book Sophia is constructing which claims she's from the infamous Medici line, there are a few roadblocks to overcome in order to make Sophia's dream of exposing the art and beauty of Florence from the whispered appreciations of the under-known Medici Nora Orsini.

    Throughout the story, Meg's loneliness is exposed, her attractions to certain males noted, but her passions stilled until she accepts a definition of love which fluctuates between reality and fantasy while discovering the beauty of a city which seems to define her soul.

    The historical meditations of Nora Orsini punctuate the contemporary story as it unfolds. The concluding chapters of this story are quite different from what I expected which is why I stated that Susan Meissner has a flair for the unusual in her storytelling. The ending itself works for the book, although the getting-there seemed a tad rocky for me.

    While not my favorite of Susan's work, The Girl in the Glass has some lovely and thoughtful passages, exposing the intricate workings of family connections, seeing what we want to see vs. hoping for what we don't see, and ultimately finding a satisfactory way to accept what is without degrading it or letting it excuse what can't be changed. Life's inner workings often leave us in the lurch, but we can choose to find beauty and love life in spite of it all. The faith elements are thin but when they surface become poignant. After reading this novel, perhaps Women's Fiction isn't a genre I embrace, but Susan's readers won't be disappointed.

     

    Father, please continue to bless Susan with the opportunities to use her skills. Thank you for her efforts to make stories both elegant and unique without subtracting the commonplace. Bless her, Lord, in all she does for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.     

     

  •  

                       
    My_weird_thoughts

    What's with all the shaved chests on guys? Actors, what is with that?

    After all these years, all these many years, how is it that the sport of baseball has yet to find anyone to design a cup to fit baseball players? I mean, come on. These mal-adjusted cups must be repositioned all the time? Give me a break. Or batting gloves that must be re-fastened after every swing or non-swing of the bat? Really?

    You know how women are, right? Because a man now has a "Man Cave", I think women will also want a "Lady Lair". I think I should have that copyrighted, don't you?

    So what weird wonderings are you up to?

     

    God, thank you that you smile. Thank you for laughter. You knew we'd need it. Please help me keep fun in the picture of my life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.