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

  • Future Attractions . . . and Meditations

    Monday, August 30th: Interview with top literary agent Chip MacGregor

     

    Soon-coming review: Never Let You Go by Erin Healy (co-author with Ted Dekker in Burn; Kiss; Award-winning editor)

     

     

    Meditations . . .

     

    I’ve had enough disappointments in my life—you know the kind where you redefine dreams, tone down your hopes, reduce your desires to ignite a beautiful drama and settle for a possible adventure. In fact I’ve had enough of those experiences to get to the place where any successes that come along temper my reaction to them. Subdue me.

     

    That admission might sound like I’m ungrateful. On the contrary. My Lord and my God rescued me from utter despair, gave me life which couldn’t exist without Him, and through His Spirit teaches me daily about myself without condemnation. Amazing God. The gratitude I feel and express surpasses the meager words I’m able to utter or write. Nothing compares to the thankfulness I experience every time I consider how gracious He’s been to me, this hapless sinner bent on independence as a young woman, tromping into unknown territory and, similar to the old Eagles’ tune, in some ways becoming that witchy woman. Blatant evil frightened me, but the subtle stuff won me over for a season. Still can if I’m not vigilant and on guard for the clever snares. The Holy Spirit constantly whispers His staggering warnings, and in my devotion to Him, I want so desperately to heed and obey those generous illuminations.

     

    When the surprises come, the affirmations I crave and maybe don’t need as often as I’m convinced I do, I know who gets the credit for providing those sweet delicacies. I know Him. Because He made a way for me to meet Him. He made it possible. He secured me. He tolerated my inexperience, my over-the-top exuberance and the resulting messes, and my anger when this spoiled child complained that He wasn’t getting my messages. Shame on me—only He didn’t handle it that way. He waited. His patience gave me time to learn, to see from His eyes in quick little bursts which revealed how small and near-sighted and short-sighted my vision really is in the eternal big picture. He changed me from an infant to an adolescent—but with less petulance. I can’t say I’ll ever become an adult in the Spirit, at least as long as I’m tethered to my sinful core, but I love the Lord Jesus Christ because I know who He is. Certainly not in all His fullness or in His magnificent glory, but in His Shepherd-of the-sheep way, of which I might be the blackest in behavior, and in His Redeemer way, because no one needed it or still needs it any more than I did and do. I know how words don’t get it at all when it comes to what He means to me or anyone else who dares to reach out to His forgiving arms, who dares to believe He is, was, and always will be, exactly who He said He was and is.

     

    Whatever He does, that thing at that moment is really all that matters in all of the hearts who lean in on Him. Who seek the strength of His undaunted anchor. Who cannot be changed by the whims of wicked humans. Who is always ready to listen to the lost if they’ll just set aside their pre-conditions and their lack of repentance and their refusal to admit they’ve gone the wrong way, that their hearts led them astray, that they need a Savior.

     

    I’m desperate for you, Lord of heaven and earth.   

  • Believe it: Wonders Never Cease

    The thing Tim Downs has established in every novel he’s ever written is he’s never short on good dialogue, unusual characters, and unique plots. Wonders Never Cease is a distinct break from the Bug Man series in an original standalone with plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments and its share of stereotypical characters to keep the flavor of this supernatural tale from being taken too seriously while pointing out the ironies of both “religious” establishments and unbelievers concerning the supernatural.

     

    Leah, a precocious six year old, attends an expensive Episcopal private school in the “City of Angels”, aka Los Angeles. During “See and Say”, Leah shares her observation of an angel’s actions she witnessed in the aftermath of a horrible car accident and again during an evening at the UCLA hospital where her divorced mother, Natalie, works as a nurse along with her mother’s live-in boyfriend Kemp MacAvoy who also works as a nurse. Leah’s accounts of angel sightings cause a parent-teacher meeting which results in another meeting with the school’s counselor. Labeling Leah everything from an imaginative child to a potentially dangerous student, Natalie is astounded at the reactions to her sweet daughter’s explanations.

     

    How the angelic sightings mesh into the story of Kemp MacAvoy, aka Bobby Foscoe, the narcissistic and conniving boyfriend, proves both disgusting and amusing as he finagles a plan to make millions using a comatose mean-spirited actress who happened to be in the car wreck where Leah observed her first angel.

     

    Kemp’s antics and smug self-assurance belie his stupidity due to his prideful assessment of his good looks, intelligence, and medical skills. Meanwhile, it takes Natalie far too long to realize what a waste the man sharing her house is and how little he cares about her, let alone her daughter.

     

    The most endearing character is the hospital janitor, Emmet, who outsmarts the team of bloodsuckers Kemp assembles to make sure they get as much money as they can from the actress’s recovery. Emmet’s ability to ignore Kemp’s demeaning attention and eventually manipulate the arrogant manipulator made me snicker. The conclusion to the story is clever but no surprise.

     

    Tim Downs allows the reader rotating POVs from Kemp, Natalie, and Leah. Leah’s voice sounds slightly masculine to me, but her conduct is definitely female.

     

    Since there’s zero to like about Kemp, and Natalie presents a kind of weak and whiny character with poor judgment making it difficult to find real empathy for her, and Leah’s sullen brief appearances give us little to root for, the story drags a bit until Emmet becomes a viable character. Tim Downs has little trouble doing humor or irony, sarcasm or wit, so this slight risk of a novel which is difficult to categorize will most likely appeal to a wide variety of readers who prefer a quirky little story with spiritual implications. Not sure devotees of the Bug Man books will be quick to favorably respond to this Wonders Never Cease effort.

     

     

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     http://timdowns.net/

     

    Father, you’ve blessed Tim with amazing skills. May he continue to honor you with them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  • Aftermath . . .

    The recent series on change in the CBA/Christian publishing arena provided several different perspectives from professionals in the industry. Comments from individuals presented both agreement and additional views.

     

    In the aftermath of this important topic I’m reflective of different aspects of the discussion. I continually learn things about myself and my thinking on this topic as others give their opinions and state their convictions.

     

    So. Here are some of my thoughts in the aftermath . . .

     

    The publishers of CBA material can certainly produce anything they desire on their dime. However, if they truly want to reach all of their potential audience, they will seriously consider the limitations of the reach of the majority of their fiction.

     

    Any writer should desire to produce the best he/she can possibly write after understanding grammar and the skills of the writing craft. This will invariably be different from writer to writer.

     

    The marketing skills of CBA publishing might be their weakest link.

     

    Okay, on the additional topic where so many believers also disagree is in the labeling of fiction as “Christian fiction” and the separation this presents in secular bookstores (i.e Borders, Barnes&Noble) and for readers. “Christian” bookstores aren’t the normal stops for unbelieving readers. And unbelievers generally aren’t looking for anything with a predominant or obvious theme related to Christianity. If the story is vague enough and merely suggests the possibility of Christianity, most unbelievers won’t react negatively if it’s a good story. If the spirituality leaves the door wide open to a universalistic probability, all the better for an unbeliever, speaking strictly from their worldview.

     

    Knowing God ministers in ways only He can do, no one can blame the writer who is a Christian to approach writing his story in different ways. God appoints our roles in the broad spectrum of His arts and asks only for our obedience and our best efforts. The criticism for those who step outside the boxes man has designed for Christian writers comes from people who, for whatever reason, take offense at another’s chosen path, assuming the author must be heeding his flesh rather than instructions from the Spirit.

     

    The variety factor should allow the writer to pursue the direction God has given him without criticism from his fellow writers and his readers. “Should” being the operative word.

     

    Father, if all we do is aim to please you with our obedience, that’s all that should matter. If we’re wrong, correct us. Help us to follow you and not attempt to go beyond what you have for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

  • Seeking . . . Admission

    Some of you who’ve attended a Christian college or university might have experienced a rude awakening. Not all who attend know Jesus. And if they’ve known Him, not all will follow Him at school or off campus. As in many cases across our country, the siren song of independence that comes with “going away to school”, even if that simply means living on campus instead of at home, brings with it a new reality and a potentially very different world. In Admission, published by Moody Publishers, Travis Thrasher presents Jake Rivers and his friends at large on a Christian college campus with little or no intention of following rules and buckling down to study for their degrees. As the story unfolds, the title makes me first think of the process for “admission” to any college or university, and then makes me wonder just exactly why these young men chose this particular one, but in the aftermath of their final spring break together, the admission Jake seeks is far greater than the requirements list to being accepted at a school.

     

    I attended the University of Washington for a year and a quarter. That last quarter was after my three month adventure to Europe and constituted one class. School wasn’t my thing even though I did well in it. My worst dreams, and they’ve been reoccurring, consist of being back in school, being late to a class because I can’t find it, etc. You know the kind. When I didn’t get any of the classes I wanted for the following spring quarter, I found a way to work with horses. Race horses. Over thirty years later, we have two in the back “yard”, and I’m done working. Yay! The point being I didn’t meet a lot of Jakes and Carnies and Alecs at college, but I certainly met them at the racetrack over the years.

     

    Admission follows the rebellious Jake and his even more wild and unpredictable “best” friend Alec through their binges and ventures which consist of mostly drinking and smoking but occasionally requiring the assistance of a few drugs. One of their friends, Carnie, the big quiet guy whose words are measured and usually hit a home run when he decides to be vocal, becomes distant and unavailable after a few parties and events that seem to go way the wrong way.

     

    In the midst of all the trouble Jake manages to get into, he meets his dream girl who happens to take the “rules” of both college and Christianity quite seriously. Jake’s fun-loving, fun-defending antics serve only to alienate her even though “something” exists between them, something Jake definitely yearns for without wanting to scale down any of his lifestyle.

     

    When Jake winds up in the hospital, Alec decides to plan a spring break to remember, but eleven years later Jake is forced to face what he absolutely cannot remember about that “camping trip” with his buddies. When Jake accepts an unusual “job” to find a man’s daughter last seen with his old “friend” Alec, strange things happen to the old friends he finds in order to search for Alec. Through the journey backward to those days, Jake and the friends he locates must confront the event that changed their young lives forever.

     

    Travis paces this story perfectly taking the reader back and forth from the rip-roaring drunken escapades of boys and a few girls with no regard for rules and little respect for authorities forward to the present-day Jake and his friends “all grown up”. Jake’s honest and significant transformation makes a quiet but bold statement for real change, and by the time we get to the end and admission of this strange mystery in his life, we’re both relieved and hopeful that Jake’s stance will ultimately impact his old friends in some lasting way and that Jake can finally make peace with himself about his regrets and find the love he always wanted but wasn’t ready to receive.

     

    Once again, even though this novel was published in 2006, Travis Thrasher delivers a poignant and realistic account of a group of young people who think they can live “free” while being in total bondage. If you’ve got a son or daughter or young friend who’s headed away to college, this book should be required reading. Telling it like it is, Travis doesn’t shrink back from the dirty details. There’s so much truth in this story, revealing the shallow consciences or pious judgments of different sets of young adults who often grow out of these things—or sadly never do. Some people prefer being disillusioned.

     

     

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    http://http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=admission+by+travis+thrasher&sprefix=Admission+by+&ih=10_1_0_0_0_1_1_0_0_1.93_440&fsc=-1

     

    http://thejourneyiseverything.blogspot.com/

     

     

     

    Father, thank you for the honesty seen in Travis’s writing. Thank you for the courage he displays in showing both sides of humanity. Thank you that he allows the gospel to be present without pressure. Thank you for the talent you’ve given him. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  • Sunday’s Offerings

    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, though Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

     

    Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV)

  • Looking for . . . A Friend in the Storm

    Every now and then people need to either give or receive a book with something inside to encourage them or give them hope in the storms of life. Not in the mood for heavy duty reading or clichéd writing, we search for just the right “note” to enrich a life that’s suffering or down or experiencing hopelessness.

     

    With simple but meaningful poetic rhyme, Cheryl Ricker creates the different settings and tones of hurt and hope in her debut short gift book that will touch the hearts of all who are tempted to lose hope in the pain. Using brief but potent quotations from a variety of sources coupled with scriptures to make them profound, this little book speaks to the downtrodden or hurting souls in all of us. Life throws us mean streaks, but Jesus takes the hits with us and reminds us of our futures with Him.

     

    Although not a devotional, A Friend in the Storm could serve as one. This little book can be a one sitting read or a meandering meditation. The elegant truths captured in Cheryl’s poems will keep you pondering the closeness of Jesus no matter how bitter or testing the trial. Her writings transport the reader to the eternal, taking the load off the present and restoring hope in the ultimate future.

     

    If you’re looking for a worthwhile gift book for any occasion but one that offers meaningful yet simple hope, A Friend in the Storm is a definite choice.

     

    (Published by Zondervan but printed in China.)

     

     

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    Father, you have kept Cheryl close to you through thick and thin, hard and easy, and she looks to you for her comfort and direction. Please continue to lead her and keep her steady. Bless her, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  • Exploring the many . . . Rooms

    Among the many endorsements for Jim Rubart’s debut novel Rooms, published by B&H’s Pure Enjoyment Fiction, is this comparison noted by Robert Liparulo: “Part The Screwtape Letters, part The Shack”. I would probably compare the novel to Randy Alcorn’s Edge of Eternity and The Shack.

     

    The thought-provoking story gives us Micah Taylor (the combined names of Jim’s two sons), the young and cocky, wealthy Seattle computer software entrepreneur who with partner, and now love interest, Julie, owns and operates RimSoft and shucks and jives with the wealthy jetsetters of the world. When Micah receives an unexpected letter explaining the death of a distant uncle, Micah learns he’s inherited a house in Cannon Beach, the location of a horrific memory and tragedy for Micah. He can’t figure out why this uncle would leave him anything, let alone a house.

     

    When he musters the courage to examine the house, convinced he will sell it and dreading his return to the city of the tragedy, the trip puts a slight wrench in his plans with Julie. Little does he know what he’ll encounter when he walks inside the exquisite home left to him by his strange Uncle Archie. It fits him perfectly, drawing him into its ambiance with an enormous familiarity he can’t believe.

     

    The story describes the journey, the fight, the seeking, the ignoring, the confusion, the pain, and the battle involved in restoring Micah’s soul. It demonstrates the difficulty of the “rich man” getting into the kingdom of heaven. The house of many rooms captures Micah’s heart and soul and twists and turns it, exposing his struggles and weaknesses, his desires and failures, while letters from his dead Uncle Archie keep him pursuing answers and a more meaningful life. He learns to count the cost of each of his decisions and whose voice really matters in his life. He discerns the value of genuine friendship and true love. The question always gnawing at him is how much can he have of the two worlds he shares without sacrificing either one. Meanwhile, time shifts, memories fade and reoccur, people come and go and take on different roles, and what and who he is, what he owns and his position in life, experience hiccups and holidays leaving him in a bizarre and constantly changing frame of mind and existence.

     

    Genre-wise this is supernatural speculative fiction without really feeling too speculative.

     

    Jim Rubart owns and operates Barefoot Marketing, is a gifted and entertaining speaker, and is one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet. He claims he wrote this story as much for himself as for readers, suggesting Micah Taylor lives in all of us.

     

    Writing-wise, Rooms is straightforward, but I know some of you will absolutely not believe I’m saying this: it’s a bit too long for me. It’s got that first novel feel to it, does get a little preachy (which many of us do with our first novels), uses several well-worn clichés, and after a few too many instances of Micah’s zigzagging faith, I got a little fatigued with him. The strength of Jim’s efforts was to take an unlikable Micah Taylor and quickly allow us into his pain in order to generate sympathy. It works to a point, but, as I mentioned, I tired of his inabilities to grab hold of the deceptions after experiencing some real progress in his faith journey. Probably the most meaningful scene for me came toward the end with the farewells between Micah and his “friend” Rick. Jim has the skills to improve and he’s well on his way to writing more novels with his second one, Book of Days, to release in January 2011 also from B&H. Don’t be surprised to find several copy-editing errors in this book. A solid effort for a debut novel. Jim's well on his way.

     

    You can learn more about Jim Rubart here: http://www.jimrubart.com/index.html.

     

     

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    Father, you know Jim’s heart and soul. You know how he works to honor you in his family, in his business, and in his writing. I pray for many continued blessings upon him and his family. Lead in him in your ways everlasting. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  • Interviewed

    One of the two Brendas, who took the time to comment on the recent series of prospective changes in CBA/Christian publishing, suggested the possibility of a singular definitive site for reviewing Christian fiction. The difficulty of that taking place on one site might be a conundrum because of the extreme differences in genre preferences. For example, you will not likely ever see “bonnet books” reviewed here. And where you see those kinds of novels prominently reviewed, the likelihood of finding thrillers or perhaps “horror” novels appearing on their sites is as probable as snow in July. I realize what Brenda probably is hoping for is a site where reviewers gather to post their well-designed opinions of each genre, creating a resource for readers looking for just the right novels in their genre of choice.

     

    Sources for many different kinds of reviews are both Fiction Addict (http://fictionaddict.com/) and my favorite Josh Old’s site The Christian Critic (http://www.thechristiancritic.net/), who also contributes to Fiction Addict. Lots of different novels and non-fiction reviewed on these sites.

     

    I’ve had the pleasure of receiving a sterling review of my second novel The Famous One by Josh Olds at The Christian Critic (http://www.thechristiancritic.net/2010/08/15/the-famous-one-nicole-petrino-salter-2/), and we did a podcast together a week ago which Josh just made available on his site: http://www.thechristiancritic.net/2010/08/16/nicole-petrino-salter/. Josh is a skilled interviewer, and I appreciated the questions he asked of me. I hope if you have time to listen our time together, you’ll “tune in” to our discussion.

     

    For those who enjoy honest, detailed, and meaningful reviews and thoughtful interviewers, I recommend visiting The Christian Critic where Josh talks to first class authors such as Tosca Lee, Robert Liparulo, Travis Thrasher, and many others. I’m honored to even be in their proximity. If you do take the considerable time to listen, please leave a comment here or there if for no other reason than to acknowledge Josh’s work in creating a great site for Christian book reviews, interviews, and just an all-around good place for Christian authors and readers to visit.

     

     

    The Famous One

     

     

     

    Father, you’ve given Josh wisdom and skills at his young age. You’re using him in many ways, and his service to you is plain and honorable. Please continue your blessings and directions in his life, and may he always serve you first. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

  • Living in the moment of . . . Every Breath You Take

    Travis Thrasher is a genuine enigma: a bona fide romance writer and the author of real horror, although it tends to be called “supernatural suspense” in CBA circles. The man’s got it goin’ on in the romance department without succumbing to the metro-sexual ambiance. Unafraid to break writing rules, he does what few CBA authors do. He defies conventional nonsense—er, wisdom—and gets published anyway. Because of that alone, I’m a huge fan. Besides that, I love his voice and his approach to stories.

     

    I admit I didn’t care for Isolation, and Broken didn’t work real well for me (for reasons explained in my reviews), but I loved Ghostwriter, Blinded, and his only self-published work (so far) Every Breath You Take. I’ve got several of his still to read, and it’ll be a pleasure to immerse myself in whatever style he dons for his next book in my stack.

     

    If you remember the angst of your twenties when every word is tinged with symbolism, the lyrics of songs dramatize multiple meanings in your life, especially with certain individuals, and every look or gesture contains hundreds of implications, then you will “get” Every Breath You Take on one level. If you’re a parent of a child you envision growing into a young lady or a young man one day and all that parenting entails, including the innate fears involved with raising children, you will understand the drama of Every Breath You Take on a completely different level.

     

    Travis Thrasher decided to publish this novel himself for the reasons he explains in his Author’s Notes. Suffice it to say, there were a few different thoughts that went into his decision. When I learned this novel was his effort at self-publishing, I sent him a check for my numbered and signed copy. I bought the 80th copy of Every Breath You Take. Because I’m self-published, I wanted to support his decision. It was a no-brainer for me, and I’m not disappointed.

     

    Slightly reminiscent of the television series “Touched by an Angel” and/or the older Whitney Houston/Denzel Washington film “The Preacher’s Wife”, we realize Thomas Rowe is getting an unusual second chance to see the daughter he was forced to leave at the tender age of 26. Kayla Rowe’s life has always felt unsettled and incomplete because of her loss. Relationships for Kayla expire, reunite, and never quite feel like “forever” even though there’s a measure of love involved.

     

    One musician, Billy Davis, stirs up all kinds of emotions, angst, fear, and dread because of indefinable feelings Kayla just can’t seem to articulate to herself or to him. He falls inescapably in love with her and the songs they share mark their unique relationship and their constant turmoil in their search for something solid. Kayla loves Billy, but . . . what keeps her moving away from him instead of towards him?

     

    It’s impossible to tolerate the ups and downs and passionate fervor of this kind of love story if you’ve never withstood the depth of emotion involved in finding your way with the one you love when you’re young and can’t see beyond the next moment, let alone ten years down the road. When you can’t seem to find what it is you’re supposed to do in this life, and you wish someone could tell you: This is it. Even if you disagree. Travis includes it all in this story. It might drive you crazy to follow Kayla’s journey to her ultimate decision, but if you remember what it’s like to experience that passionate confusion, you’ll realize Travis got it and nailed it down. Remember what it’s like to live in the moment with . . . Every Breath You Take.

     

    With songs as the landscape and the essence of music as the backdrop to this story, with love so intense it flames out and rekindles, and with the misunderstood order of lives coming to a decision, Every Breath You Take captures all kinds of emotions ranging from a father’s love to a lover’s dread. Whether or not you enjoy the ending, somehow it fits.  

     

    While the aspect of heaven is assumed in the story, the portrayal of Christianity is absent from this endeavor. Mild profanity is present.

     

     

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    http://thejourneyiseverything.blogspot.com/

       

     

    Father, you’ve given Travis his heart. You’re there for him always. Bless his efforts to give you glory through his writing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.    

  • Aiming for destruction in . . . The Malacca Conspiracy

    Don Brown, former Lieutenant Commander Don Brown, JAG Corps, operates his private law practice in North Carolina and writes novels about the US Navy. His latest release, The Malacca Conspiracy, leads off this week’s CFBA Tour. Attention!

     

    If you’ve never read a Don Brown novel, you could start with The Malacca Conspiracy, but if you really want to get involved in this author’s frame of mind or point of view, you’d be robbing yourself of some dynamite reading if you don’t start with Treason, move on to Hostage, and conclude the trilogy with Defiance. Then, because you no doubt will have added Don’s work to your must read list, throw in Black Sea Affair before you read The Malacca Conspiracy where you’ll be reunited with Lieutenant Commanders Zack Brewer and Diane Colcernian. You won’t be sorry either way.

     

    The Malacca Conspiracy constitutes a complex plan to disable the United States of America with specific targeted nuclear attacks organized by the top Indonesian General Suparman Perkasa who plans to reign as the Islamic leader of his Muslim nation. In order to set the plan in motion several things must happen, and when certain oil buys take place in the middle of the night, the connection to terror attacks in the critical shipping lanes of the Straits of Malacca brings major cause for alarm at the White House.

     

    Don Brown has never shied away from establishing who today’s world terrorists are. Politically correct is not in his vocabulary and thank God for that. Like Vince Flynn, Don writes unafraid and portrays fanaticism at its most zealous extremes.

     

    For those of us who’ve waited for Zack and Diane to resurface, they finally meet in what they hope will be a positive reunion, but almost immediately they find themselves separated once again by horrific events. And it gets worse. Plenty of action occurs as we watch The Malacca Conspiracy begin to take shape. An obscure character holds the keys to intervention but is terrified and confused as to how or if to do it.

     

    With plenty of tension and bouncing around the globe, the hours tick-tock away under a madman’s threats while the president scrambles for answers and swift responses from his amazing military forces. A truly patriotic story with solid action and real Christianity in operation at the highest levels, The Malacca Conspiracy presents a viable possibility with chilling precision resulting in a meaningful and touching ending for Don Brown fans.

     

    One might wonder at a particular choice and the results of a member of the conspiracy in a final act of martyrdom because of the survival of key people in the story. As a reader, I’m relieved at the results, but it might seem like an unlikely or gimmicky end to the intention of the perpetrator.

     

    Some of the set-up to this complicated plot takes time, but if the reader is willing to wait a bit on the real action, it explodes in a flash bang. Words come crisp as a snapped salute in the height of tense moments and compel the reader to hurry through the pages. Pure military fiction with just enough swagger and romance to draw in a variety of readers.

     

     

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    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310272157

     

    Father, I continue to pray for Don to be unflinching in his stories. I ask for your continued blessing upon his life, his work, his writing, and in everything that is precious to him. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.