Into the Fire

A Life Intercepted by Charles Martin is one of his older novels. 

Matthew "the Rocket" Rising has an incredible arm and is a two-time Heisman Trophy winner on his way to what appears to be an amazing professional football career. He and the love of his life are planning to be married and at the moment in their lives when everything is golden, the horrific happens and Matthew heads to jail for perverse crimes he swears he never committed.

While first governed by deep hatred and raging anger after entering prison, he slowly learns that those qualities are doing him no good and have done nothing to help him deal with his innocence. He knows the evidence portrayed an extremely hard to deny case against him, but he has no recall of what he's accused of and complete and stark surprise at the circumstances in which he woke up on that fateful morning. 

Twelve years later, he is released after making a real friend while incarcerated of one of the prison guards who broke through his resistance and got him throwing the football and working out again. He's the only one Matthew will miss when he leaves.

On Wednesday's post I wrote about how special and unique it is when a writer creates true brokenness in a character or characters. Charles Martin excels at writing "broken." The devastating loss that Matthew Rising has experienced, the utter desolation that his fiancée lives with . . . well, suffice it to say, it's real pain written well. 

Charles is good at making the reader favor Matthew's version of his claims, gaining the sympathy of the reader and injecting a character early who seems totally capable of somehow framing him for the crimes. While some would share his fiancée's doubts, I probably would not so she became a bit unsympathetic to me. What she needed from Matthew was one thing only he could do, and because of his forever love for her, he agrees to do it.

The ending is exactly how it should be. You just can't take a reader through that incredible, lifeless, excruciating kind of pain detailed in this story only to leave them with that. It's a worthy conclusion to a special novel.

Always highly recommend Charles Martin for gut-wrenching, powerful, and meaningful stories.      

Father, only you know our hearts, minds, spirits. Only you minister truth to us. Thank you for the beautiful gift of writing you've given to Charles through his own pain. Please continue to bless him and his family in your abundance. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Something a little different for this Throwback Thursday: I'm giving you the Foreword to this novel (available for e-readers only) today, a general explanation of my views . . .

FOREWORD [to Sweet Release]

Be warned: this is Christian fiction. From start to finish.

We are constantly besieged with what the world calls “love.” This book was written as a stark contrast to the multi-layered attempts of the world to define love. When I began this novel, I had no idea it would take the direction it did, but as with all of my writing, I trust the Lord has the contents in His beautiful, creative hands, and I am so blessed to go along for the ride.

Love, romance, and sex are the subjects of endless books, films, television shows, and various other media efforts. Some of those efforts are educational and informative, others are purely for entertainment, and yet others demonstrate the most perverse nature of mankind. In Christian literature authors in the non-fiction arena strive to inform us about God’s intentions for us in love, sex, and romance. They try to diligently address the “normal” as well as the terribly destructive roadblocks to achieving freedom in learning to love at the spiritual, emotional, and physical levels. It is a divine task given the nature of our souls and the condition of our world.

Since God is Love (1John 4:16), and since He is the Creator of lovemaking (Genesis 2:24-25), it is my heart’s desire to give readers a picture of the way relationships should be in contrast to what the world tries to sell us as the “real” thing. Christian couples are not immune to the hard sell of the worldly style of love, romance, and sex. Many have never been presented with a contrasting viewpoint. To me that’s tragic.

Every now and then I need a novel that illustrates the goodness, passion, and the lighter side of being a human in love. A story of people finding love, working through their pain or hardship, finding real truth and meaning in their lives . . . Having said all that, I give you Sweet Release and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Most of my writing is for adult readers, and this novel is no exception.

Father, thank you is never enough. Please keep me going in the direction you designed just for me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

From this author's point of view, in order to write "broken", you have to be or have been broken. For a short or long time, you had to have "been there" where everything hurt so badly you thought it might never go away. That the pain was so intense, it took your breath away, your appetite for food and everything else gone. Broken. And to capture that in words and portray it in a character or characters to allow the reader to experience the depth of such sorrow in the soul? It takes a special kind of writing. So few can do it well. 

That kind of writing if done correctly is not melodrama. It feels so real, the reader has to set the book down to remind him/herself this is fiction, it's a story. But those readers know how deep that pain must be because they can feel it from the words on the pages.

Writers can do this "from a distance" to that kind of pain, but then it's just imagination. In order to convey true soul-searing pain, you have to have felt it that deep. And that is this author's opinion.  

Father, above all, you know that pain. And you know when each of us experiences it. You, Holy Spirit, are the Comforter and only you can provide the kind of comfort each of us needs in the midst of that pain. Jesus, you're the Friend that sticks closer than a brother. Only you can knowingly walk alongside us when we're in that kind of pain. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

This beautiful theme song from the eclectic film Con Air sung here by Trisha Yearwood. Love this song. 

Father, thank you for the beautiful songs and lyrics and musicians. You've made music so powerful. You speak through much of it. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Things said to authors:

"You should write a book about this." (Fill in the blank.)

"How long does it take you to write a book?" 

"How do you get your ideas?"

Silent responses:

"No, I shouldn't." 

"Seems like forever."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." 

Hey, it's Monday. Hope yours is a good one.

Father, help me finish this book I'm working on because it literally is taking "forever." I'm desperate for you always, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

If you do not stand firm in your faith, 

     you will not stand at all.

Isaiah 7:9b (NIV) 

 
Fatal Domain by Steven James is Book 2 in A Travis Brock Thriller Series.

If you've never read a Steven James novel, prepare yourself to read a real "book." And by that, I mean he writes good-size novels with plots so complex you can't imagine him being able to tie all the threads together – but he does. And he does it with precision. 

Travis Brock was devastatingly burned by a house fire and has the scars to prove it. He lost his wife in the fire when he couldn't save her. (Broker of Lies). He works as an elite redactor for the Department of Defense and notes that "secrets are his business." He's now in a small elect group led by Colonel Clarke which includes a female "Adira" (former Homeland Security/Secret Service), and another male "Gunnar" (former Army Ranger). Their task is to commandeer something that could devastate national security from an IT firm manipulated by a billionaire Robin Hood type trying to save the world through a breakthrough pharmaceutical product. To say it's complicated is an understatement. 

As it turns out, as dangerous as their assignment is, it's only the beginning of shocking revelations and tests of character, determination, and endurance with outlandish twists and a lot of personal evaluations and reconfiguring of right and wrong, the big picture, the horrors of "studies," and the evils of various mindsets. 

It wouldn't do to give away pieces of this lengthy story, so I will conclude this review with my opinion that the sequel to Broker of Lies is far better and reveals many aspects of how dangerous the quests of pathological choices can be in the name of "the greater good." Men and women playing God and striving to make the decisions only He can make demonstrate the worst and most deceived of humanity. 

I've read most of Steven James' novels, all of The Bowers Files, and Fatal Domain includes the most and the best explanations and references to biblical principles and particular scriptures without intoning a "religious" voice than all of his previous novels that I've read. A welcome aspect to the wicked characters and concepts in this story. 

Highly recommend this Master Storyteller's Fatal Domain. 

Father, please continue to guide Steven James' work, his artful writing, and bless him and his family in the ways they need it most. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Once upon a time – a long time ago . . . My caption for this old photograph: "Is that so?" 

Thank you, Father, for my life, my childhood, and bringing me through those years where I couldn't find you in my rebellion. Thank you is never enough for rescuing me from myself. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

I know I write in the genre in which I should be writing. However, if – and that's a big IF – I could write in another genre, I'd be a thriller writer. There's nothing like a good thriller! 

The problem with genre labels today is that publishers insist on labeling many suspense novels "thrillers" when they are not. Thrillers are indeed a particular kind of novel. The incredible sense of pacing, the detailed background, the remarkable research to make them believable, and the courageous characters that draw the reader deeply into the story: now those are thriller novels.

That's not to degrade suspense novels. To sustain suspense is a talent in itself while the protagonist(s) attempts to solve a mystery/problem/crisis with burgeoning opposition and unique pressures. Good suspense novels are a pleasure to read.

So that's where I'm wandering this Wednesday.

Father, thank you for all that you've given me to do. May I succeed in doing it. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

                      The lyrics say it all. 

Father, one more time: intervene for us and bless this One Nation under God. You're the only One who can give us redemption for a season until the final chapter. Please, Lord, God Bless America. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.