Into the Fire

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

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Passionate: right or wrong. Writes love stories with a passion. Raw Romantic Redemptive

  • Why I Test the Sexual Writing Waters . . .

     

    Who wants to read erotica? Apparently there is a significant audience for this infamous genre with some literary agents professing a “love” for it. Hmmm. Well, I don’t—want to read it or write it. However, I do want to include sexuality in the relationship quandary. How could I not?

     

    Can we be real here? Two adults, Christians, fall in love. Some practice complete abstinence as in not even a kiss before they say “I do”. Others not so much but do abstain from “becoming one flesh” until the “I do-s” are said. Whatever. Take your pick. If either member of those couples never ponders their future sexual experience, we’ve got issues. People in love can’t stay away from each other. Heck, people who aren’t in love but are “in relationship” can’t stay away from each other. Sexual attraction dominates much of early relationships.

     

    Here’s the deal. Sexual relationships can do a lot of damage to people. Take a look at this biblical passage:

     

    “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

     

    1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NIV)

     

    “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” On a cross Jesus endured crucifixion to pay for our sins. He bought us. He didn’t buy us so we could play around with others’ bodies. He owns our bodies. We are not our own. When someone else uses our body for his/her pleasure without God’s permission, it’s sin. They have no right to it. Conversely, when marriage unites a couple, they belong to God and each other.

     

    Daily most of us experience sexual bombardment. On magazine covers at the grocery stores. At work observing discreet attractions or secret conversations since sexual harassment rules the day. On television—even watching the news, commercials often show us Victoria’s Secret. How can we deny the temptations to be stimulated by these different opportunities? Lust is prevalent and obvious and celebrated. It is “the norm” not the exception.

     

    So. I write to contrast “the norm” to “the exception”. To illustrate the differences in a relationship formed with or without God. To allow the power of being a sexual person its due in the pages of story. To demonstrate sexual passion can be overwhelming. To delve into the challenge of it all and the nature of humankind. The wonder, the angst, the joy, the sorrow, the disappointment, the damage . . . all of it.

     

    That’s why I do it.

     

    For what it’s worth.

     

     

    Lord, this is all part of your “not wasting anything”. Thank you for that. You’ve been so gracious to me. I’m desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

  • The Sexual Part of Being . . .

     

    It’s easy in the sense of putting words on a page to write sexual scenes. For Christians it’s loathsome because so much of what’s put on pages of literature can be obscene, defiling what God intended for good. Sexuality is not broadcast in Christian fiction. It’s not the focal point of romance novels nor does it get much mention unless there’s a rape, an unexpected pregnancy (usually a teen), the prospect of abortion, the topic of pornography, a reference to the sexual slave trade, prostitution, or some other kind of loose living.

     

    Small children of both sexes run around under sprinklers or in their homes together without clothing. They know no shame until it’s time to learn it. The freedom of being naked is no longer free. Why? Because of sexuality and what it elicits in others.

     

    Who remembers the awkward onset of puberty? Anyone recall being uber-aware of their changing bodies? And feeling like an alien around slightly older members of the opposite sex? Or was that just me? The sexual part of being comes stealth-like for some, is forced upon others, or casually lopes into existence like a playful colt or filly. It’s inescapable, and for most of us it arrives with hefty baggage thrown open to contain bursting insecurity and mounds of self-consciousness.

     

    Why? The fall.

     

    In the garden the first man and his woman had no need of garments because there was no guilt or shame. They belonged to each other for their pleasure and they worked together in harmony. After sin, their perception darkened. They looked at each other differently. Their sexuality no longer existed as a pure endeavor, a holy merging, but was tainted with all the evil thoughts foisted upon them by the enemy of their souls. And the battle for sexual purity in the lives and bedrooms of Christian couples remains to this day. The challenges to enjoy this act of love, to stay faithful to a wife or husband, still cause differences and arguments, separations and divorces. The act of love can easily become the act of lust, ruining faithfulness, creating double standards, and destroying people of both genders in its wake.

     

    Few examine their sexuality. It is what it is we often think. Some base assessments on our bodies, how we appear, the weight we gained. Some gauge it on our ability to attract attention from the opposite sex and develop it accordingly or subdue it as best we can. We’re never free of it. We rate it. We hate it. We wish for it. We feign indifference to it. But it’s still there. We are sexual beings—at the simplest level it’s because we have a gender. At the most complex level we pervert it.

     

    It’s hard for me to imagine there were never any hang-ups about sex. What a price was paid in this arena when the first man and his woman gave in to doubting God.

     

    Sexual appeal . . . I can’t see writing romance and love stories without it being present. Ignoring it in attraction makes a work dishonest. We are what we are, and we remain sexual beings. Hot or cold in the world of sexuality doesn’t change our status in creation. It needn’t be emphasized or graphically presented to make its presence known, but pretending it doesn’t exist? Not in this world.

     

     

    Father, I can’t pretend to understand your much higher ways. I just can’t do it. You’re more than this finite mind can imagine. Far, far more. I praise your majesty and infinite ability to be divine. Forgive me for my failures, Lord. There are so many of them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

  • Beauty v. Sex Appeal

     

    Visiting the physical attributes of people, and consequently fictional characters, I’ve concluded there are two primary categories for description which can be conveyed in stories in innumerable ways through the selected words of their authors. These categories fall under beautiful/handsome, or lack thereof, and sex appeal.

     

    By sex appeal I mean the person is attractive in their general appearance and manner rather than primarily by their decisively good looks. Those who have it exude a presence which surpasses their looks. Sex appeal in conduct is often “inferred”, sometimes subtle, although most think of it as being overt in actions. Not always.

     

    As with beautiful characters, those with sex appeal can be good guys or bad guys depending on how the author wants to work the audience. With female sex appeal the standard usually centralizes on their bodies.

     

    Of course characters with sex appeal may also be drop dead gorgeous, but they don’t have to be. Let me give you two actors who qualify for emitting sex appeal in certain roles but don’t fit the massively handsome description: Russell Crowe and Donnie Wahlberg. You can disagree with my choices, and I might find yours unappealing as well. It’s difficult to find agreement on universal beauty and something as personally attractive as sex appeal.

     

    In Christian fiction sex appeal is often played down but if not is usually implied by the description of the character. In rare cases such as Lance in Kristen Heitzmann’s Secrets; Unforgotten; Echoes, Lance’s behavior, as much as his appearance, gives him real sex appeal. In Lisa Samson’s The Passion of Mary-Margaret, Jude personifies sex appeal, and we feel Mary-Margaret’s attraction to the young rogue.

     

    In my seventh novel Breath of Life the primary POV belongs to a divorced male in his mid-30s facing the prospect of falling for a virtuous woman. These characters are depicted as having both beauty and sex appeal. The story deals with the battle of a roguish gentleman who’s been around the block multiple times facing up to sexual restraint for the first time in his life while also confronting the choice of belief in God.

     

    Once again the genre and the author often determine whether or not either of these factors becomes any kind of focal point in the story.

     

    Any thoughts on my disjointed theory?

     

    Father, you know how we are, what makes us who we are. We ask for more of you and less of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

     

  • The Beautiful People?

     

    My writing friend, who shall remain nameless at this time, brought up an interesting point about Christian novels. She suggested that the protagonists and/or heroines seemed to be drop dead gorgeous—in other words, “the beautiful people”. To quote her:

     

    “What message does it send to the reader when your characters are model perfect? If you have physically ‘beautiful’ people in your book, there should be a reason OTHER than driving that initial attraction.”  

     

    Her words do ring true in many circumstances. Inarguable in fact. So. What’s the reason for this?

     

    Let’s look at film. Even the most beautiful and most handsome of actors often get “scuffed” up to detract from their looks to play certain characters. Some of them simply can’t hide their physical beauty no matter how much makeup goes to work on subduing it. And spread across the big screen, the less attractive people often play villains and seem perfectly cast in those roles. The ugly duckling prospects often blossom into magnificent mallards through the course of story. And let’s be honest here, don’t we all enjoy viewing beauty or what we perceive as beauty? However, likewise, if that beautiful creature becomes a sordid villain, we can just as easily hate the beauty for tricking us into finding it pleasing.

     

    Looking to the bible in reference to women:

     

    “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

     

    I find it interesting that when Jesus is described in Isaiah, it makes reference to his appearance:

     

    “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2b (NIV)

     

    Fascinating to note how physical attractiveness is downplayed in these two important passages.

     

    And certainly Christians note but often fail to remember that God looks at the heart of an individual. How He chooses to create is related to how He intends to use an individual, the plans He will set in motion if that person turns back to Him for their purpose and role in this life on earth. He is no respecter of persons.

     

    As a little girl, I can testify to feeling ugly. And I’ve certainly never ever felt “beautiful”. But I also confess I make many of my characters attractive and since I write love stories, these characters do appear to be beautiful or handsome to one another. It’s supposed to be representative of the “eye of the beholder” concept, but clearly many of my characters aren’t lacking in the looks department.

     

    Perhaps the genre can be indicative of placing emphasis on physical descriptions of characters. I know many authors who write thrillers downplay these descriptions. And other authors explain they like the readers to fill in any blanks other than perhaps the stature and size of a character.

     

    Romance requires attraction. How that “attraction” is executed isn’t limited to physical descriptions of characters. Some of you readers may recall an older suspense series written by Terri Blackstock (Cape Refuge Series) where one side of the heroine’s face bore the scars of being caught in a fire as a child. The other half of her face and her spunk attract the local Police Chief who must discover the perpetrator of a crime. By using the “ugliness” of scars and the “beauty” that remained, Terri tapped into multiple levels of basic attraction, human pain, and love.

     

    Where there is attraction, it seems there must be some attention paid to what comprises that reaction between characters. At some point, a physical attribute usually shows up. How often or how detailed is the author’s choice and/or preference—and the result produces the reader’s favor, disdain, or indifference.

     

    Part of this process can be negated by the full portraits on book covers. From comments on various blogs, the full-on face revelations aren’t particularly appreciated by many readers who also enjoy letting the words in the stories paint the portraits of the characters. (Publishers apparently disagree about their popularity.)

     

    “The beautiful people” appear on the pages of all kinds of novels—the reactions to that probably varied. Do “beautiful” characters offend you in your reading? Any thoughts about “the beautiful people”?

     

     

    God, we know you see our hearts, and we know that you own the creative process. You are no respecter of persons, and we thank you for that. Help us to see with your eyes, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  • Sunday’s Offerings

     

    When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

    Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

     

     

     

     

  • Political Leaders?

     

    A  Washington DC  'airport ticket agent' offers some examples of  'WHY' our country is in trouble: 
     
    1. I had a New Hampshire Congresswoman (Carol Shea-Porter) ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window.  (On an airplane!) 
     
    2. I got a call from a Kansas Congressman's (Moore) staffer (Howard Bauleke), who wanted to go to  Cape Town.  I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information,  and then he interrupted me with,  ''I'm not trying to make you look stupid,  but Cape Town is in Massachusetts ..'' 

    Without trying to make him look stupid, I calmly explained,  ''Cape Cod is in Massachusetts ,  Cape Town is in South Africa .''

    His response — click.. 
     
    3. A senior Vermont Congressman (Bernie Sanders) called, furious about a Florida package we did.  I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando .  He said he was expecting an ocean-view room.  I tried to explain that's not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state.

    He replied, 'Don't lie to me!, I looked on the map, and Florida is a very THIN state!!''   
     
    4. I got a call from a lawmaker's wife (Landra Reid) who asked,  ''Is it possible to see England from Canada ?''

    I said,  ''No.''

    She said,  ''But they look so close on the map." 
     
    5. An aide for a cabinet member (Janet Napolitano) once called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas ..  I pulled up the reservation and noticed he had only a 1-hour layover in Dallas…  When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said,  ''I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between gates to save time.''  (Aghhhh) 
     
    6. An Illinois Congresswoman (Jan Schakowsky) called last week.  She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 a.m.,  and got to Chicago at 8:33 a.m.

    I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn't understand the concept of time zones.  Finally, I told her the plane went fast, and she bought that. 
     
    7. A New York lawmaker, (Jerrold Nadler) called and asked, ''Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?''  I said,  'No, why do you ask?'

    He replied,  ''Well, when I checked in with the airline,  they put a tag on my luggage that said (FAT),  and I'm overweight.  I think that's very rude!''

    After putting him on hold for a minute, while I looked into it. (I was dying laughing).  I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , Ca. is (FAT – Fresno Air Terminal), and the airline was just putting a destination tag on his luggage. 
     
    8. A Senator John Kerry aide (Lindsay Ross) called to inquire about a trip package to Hawaii .  After going over all the cost info, she asked,  ''Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii ?'' 
     
    9. I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman, Bobby Bright from Ala who asked, ''How do I know which plane to get on?''

    I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, ''I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them.'' 
     
    10 Senator Dianne Feinstein called and said, ''I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola , Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?''

    I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola , FL on a commuter plane.

    She said, ''Yeah, whatever, smarty!'' 
     
    11 Mary Landrieu, La. Senator, called and had a question about the documents she needed in order to fly to China .  After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded her that she needed a visa.  "Oh, no I don't.   I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.'' 

    I double checked and sure enough, her stay required a visa.  When I told her this she said, ''Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!'' 
     
    12 A New Jersey Congressman (John Adler) called to make reservations, ''I want to go from Chicago to Rhino,  New York .''

    I was at a loss for words.  Finally, I said, ''Are you sure that's the name of the town?''

    'Yes, what flights do you have?'' replied the man.

    After some searching, I came back with, ''I'm sorry, sir, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a rhino anywhere."

    The man retorted, ''Oh, don't be silly! Everyone knows where it is.  Check your map!''

    So I scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, ''You don't mean Buffalo , do you?''

    The reply?  ''Whatever!  I knew it was a big animal.''

    Now you know why the Government is in the shape it's in! 
     
     
     

  • Don’t mess with my Prologue(s)!

     

    The amazing conclusions of literary professionals never cease to amaze me. What so many seem to deem unacceptable, undesirable, and somehow equivocate into “bad writing” raises not only my attention but often my ire.

     

    Prologues have managed to gain the negative attention stigma by supposedly savvy editors with disdainful exclamations or sarcastic questions such as “Does anyone really read prologues?” Well, yes, many people read them when they appear in the first few pages of a novel. And don’t find one single objection to them.

     

    If I had to invent a complaint about a prologue, my only one would be to please not make it too long. That’s it. And even that one only applies if it’s filled with too much history prior to the story.

     

    What could possibly be “wrong” with a prologue? Some insist the story must begin with Chapter One and to just put the prologue information there, but I can tell you when that’s done without noting the degree of separation from Chapter Two, it can be very confusing.

     

    As readers, do you seriously have objections to prologues?

     

     

    Lord, I’m so grateful your grace is sufficient for me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  • Waiting . . . beneath the Night Tree

     

    Nicole Baart’s beneath the Night Tree is the third in a series that begins with After the Leaves Fall, followed by Summer Snow, but this novel easily stands on its own. Published by Tyndale, beneath the Night Tree is available now.

     

    I assume some of the fullness of this story about single mom Julia DeSmit, her rambunctious and ebullient five year old kindergartner Daniel, and her old-beyond-his-years brooding 10 year old half-brother Simon, abandoned by her same loveless mother Julia refers to as Janice, and Julia’s beloved paternal grandmother Nellie, appeared in the previous books. However, we get a fair picture of this 24 year old woman who feels old at times in spite of her heart-pumping relationship with boyfriend Michael who is studying several hours away to be a doctor. We feel her restrained wanderlust which reflects that common desire of many young people to escape burdensome responsibilities that can make them feel like they’ll never accomplish anything worthwhile in their lives and/or that they’ve somehow missed out on just the fun part of being young. We sense it’s something her estranged mother never grew out of and instead forfeited any life with strings attached to pursue her selfish lifestyle.

     

    Julia helps hold the disjointed family together with her dead end job at their small town’s local grocery store while escaping her lack of fulfillment by indulging her photography skills and ventures. Having never had to deal with Daniel’s absentee father since she told him she was pregnant, she’s stunned to receive an email from him after all this time expressing his regrets and asking if he’s a father. In spite of her outrage Julia responds with one affirmative word, and suddenly her life explodes with emotional chaos.

     

    The infusion of anger, the adjustments she’s forced to make, the hope she holds out for her marriage to Michael, and the aging of her grandmother all combine to drive Julia to take refuge in something she hopes will work yet knows it can’t.

     

    I think Nicole did a meaningful job of portraying this young woman even though at times Julia feels older than she is, she also acts that way, but at the same time her youthful emotions and silent tantrums belie her age. The innate angst, defiance, self-doubt and persecution, hopes and dreams, the nagging responsibilities that compose your life at that age when you realize this is the life you’ve made for yourself—all those things combine to force daydreams of running away to assert your fierce independence, but in reality you know you can’t and at the heart of things you really don’t want to anyway. Leaving behind all that you love couldn’t produce anything of value—she only has to look as far as her mother to see that ugly picture.

     

    Even though this story isn’t “new” and is therefore predictable, the beauty of how it’s told makes it a worthwhile journey into the lives of this small family. This is pure women’s fiction adorned with a lovely landscape of words yet still keeping that comfortable, relatable air of honesty and homey quality. The male characters take a backseat to the voice of Julia who fleshes them out with prejudice or favor depending on her mood. I wish the story could’ve been longer in order to expose these characters even more deeply and thoughtfully which I have no doubt Nicole could easily have done well. This is where word counts cut off so much more than they reveal.  

     

    The significance of the “Night Tree” appears about two thirds of the way through the story and brings all kinds of symbolism to this reader, but I’ll leave that to the imagination of other readers who choose beneath the Night Tree for their true reading pleasure. 

     

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    Father, continue to bless Nicole in her public and private life, and I pray, Lord, that you would intensify your relationship with her. Give her stories to tell without limits and the time to tell them. Keep her strong in you and in your mighty power. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

  • NEWSFLASH!

     

    “Will we influence the world for Christ, or will the world influence us? …. The central issues of our time aren't economic or political or social, important as these are. The central issues of our time are moral and spiritual in nature, and our calling is to declare Christ's forgiveness and hope and transforming power to a world that does not know him or follow him. May we never forget this.”

     

    Billy Graham, Honorary Co-Chair, Mission America Coalition / U.S. Lausanne Committee

    From an interview with Christianity Today, posted 1/21/11

     

     

    From Vince Flynn:

     

    In November, at the end of my last tour, I was diagnosed with Stage III metastatic prostate cancer.  Just a few years ago, this diagnosis would have been a death sentence. Today, specialists are making great strides in the areas of hormone therapy and immune response, and there are several very promising drug trials that are changing the landscape of how prostate cancer is treated.

    My treatments are working very well, and my near term prognosis is extremely good. In other words, I have more than a few Rapp novels left in me. My attitude is strong, and I feel better than I have in years. I am blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful wife, family, and great friends who have been extremely supportive. My faith has seen me through the darkest moments, and early on, when the diagnosis was not entirely accurate, things were very dark indeed. I am also blessed that I live in a part of the country that is known for great medical care. I have a wonderful group of doctors who are confident that I can beat this thing. For those of you who have gotten to know me, it will not be a surprise to you that this is a battle I do not plan on losing. As with any cancer, this is serious, but the good news is that I have lots of options for slowing this thing down, and then hopefully killing it.

    I am currently working with Brian Haig on our joint novel and have started the next Rapp novel that should be out in October of 2011. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers, and I will try to keep you posted as things progress.

    Keep the Faith,

    Vince Flynn

     

     

    Father, we acknowledge the biggest problem in every country in this world is sin. Plain and simple, we all need your forgiveness for our many sins. We need your Blood to transform us, make us clean in our rebirth. Help all of us who know you to dig into your fellowship, to work and search for more of you to hold us together. May we present ourselves to the world as humble people who’ve walked where the lost have walked and come to the end of ourselves. We’ve been found by the Holy One and may the changes in us be a resource for all of those who need you, for those you’re calling.

     

    Father, I add my prayers to those who lift up Vince Flynn for healing. I pray your power and authority would be visible in his life. I ask that your touch would bring a physical healing and a renewed testimony. I’m thankful for what you’re doing in his body and his spirit and I ask that you would continue that process according to your perfect will. Please watch over him and keep him safe from all harm. Please comfort and encourage him and his family as they walk through this trial together. I ask it all in the Name, Authority, and Blood of Jesus. Amen.

  • The Conundrum of Readers or “What Readers Want” . . .

     

    Part Two

     

    The limos v. the ordinary rigs . . .

     

    There is no question that Christian fiction reaches a specific audience. Mixed in with that specific audience are those who want more from the genre. Amidst both groups are the “ordinary rigs” readers. They’ve sampled the offerings of CBA and over time have grown tired of the same old, same old. The little sprints into fantasy and sci-fi, “men’s” novels, and those stories which the limos insist don’t sell in CBA do not reflect a huge resource of readers who shop online or in the Barnes & Noble or Borders stores. They reflect a diminishing number of consumers who go to the “Bible bookstore” to find their reading material.

     

    The limos think they’ve bonded with their audience when in fact they’ve bent and mutilated stories to fit into what they assume their readers want. By so doing they’ve catered to that select number—which is not small within this industry—but in fact is limited. They’ve chosen to address the other varied and inestimable audience as “not a good fit for us”. In other words they’ve ignored them/us.

     

    Almost everyone I spoke to at my local writers’ conference last year wrote fantasy. Fantasy at a Christian writers’ conference! Were they so naïve as to not understand that “it doesn’t sell well” in CBA? Or was it that they believed the great number of fans in all of current literature could support their work?

     

    There is an element of the tried and true readers who do not require anything more than “the same”. Good for them because there’s plenty of it. And they should have it. But make no mistake: they’ve been pegged and accommodated by those who think they know what readers want: a formula with specific plots and ordered writing. The facts probably run closer to this: give them a good story and they could care less how it’s written. That’s why they’re satisfied with formulaic, predictable fiction in their chosen genres.

     

    Isn’t that what all readers want? A good story? Well. Yes and no. A bunch of other readers embrace unique styles, different voices, unusual approaches, meaningful characters covered in depth, to name a few characteristic choices of those shunned readers. I could name the current writers in CBA who offer these things, but what’s the point? The fact that they’re out here offers hope to some that the veil might be tearing. Right?  

     

     

    God, I’m here in this place where you have me. Waiting on you. I’m desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.