A Change of Scene

by Grace Bridges


It's amazing what a change of scene can do for a writer's tired brain. I've just been away for a couple of weeks' summer break, and have found myself refreshed for the tasks ahead.

My inspiration comes from the sea. But I can see that from my desk at home, too. So what's the difference? I think it has become very difficult to write at home because of multiple distractions inherent in living someplace.

I can't rush off and take a trip every time my writing suffers, though! I began to consider what steps I might take to eliminate distractions at home. Here are a couple of things that are working quite well for me at the moment:

• No desk. That's right, just set the laptop on the lap it was built for (on a lap tray so you don't get hot legs from the fan), and sit on a chair in the middle of the room. I even found an armless one to be best, because that means the only place for my hands to be is on the keyboard. Instant increased productivity.
• Failing that, the desk must be clear of clutter at all times. No to-do lists, no bills to be paid, no books to read, no munchies. Nothing. And don't give in to the temptation to put anything there. I have now reserved a place for things that need my attention - far away behind me on the other side of the room where they can't interrupt me.
• Long walks. An hour or two a day does wonders for perking up the imagination, to say nothing of the health benefits.

In these small ways I try to change the scene even when I spend most of my life in my bedroom office. Let's make this a life worth living. Let's kill procrastination and reach those goals we've set ourselves, by removing all obstacles - even if one of those is the familiar home we sit in and the detritus of decades on this planet.

What can you do to change your scene today?

SUNDAY EDITION

Coming Up This Week

Monday

Grace Bridges: A Change of Scene

Tuesday

Christine Lindsay: Research, Research

Wednesday

Mary Hawkins

Thursday

Valerie Comer: Review & Giveaway: Masquerade Marriage

Friday Devotion

Shirley Corder: Who ARE you?

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Contest Giveaway Winners

Christine is the winner of Lorita Boyle's book, Bathsheba's Lament (LeAnne's post, January 20).

Congratulations Christine!

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New Book Release

Lisa Harris' thriller, Blood Covenant, Book Two in the Mission Hope series set in Africa, is a February 2011 release from Zondervan.

Paige Ryan and Nick Gilbert are trapped in an overpopulated African refugee camp where an outbreak of measles erupts and renegade soldiers block their only way out. Desperate for vaccines, they must put their own lives in the hands of God as they fight for the safety of the refugees under their protection.

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Upcoming Book Releases

Lisa Harris' historical, An Ocean Away, set in Africa and New York in the early 1920's, will be a March 2011 release from Summerside Press.

Catherine West's debut novel, Yesterday's Tomorrow, set in Vietnam, will be a March 2011 release from Oak Tara Publishers.

Kathi Macias' contemporary set in Saudi Arabia, People of the Book, Book Four in the Extreme Devotion series, will be an April 2011 release from New Hope Publishers. Forced to choose between family and faith, her choice may also become life and death.

Mary Hawkins' contemporary set in Australia, Justice at Baragula, Book Three in the Baragula series, will be a May 2011 release from Ark House Press.

Jeanette Windle's contemporary set in Afghanistan, Freedom's Stand, the sequel to Veiled Freedom, will be a May 2011 release from Tyndale.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen's book, Helena's Legacy, will be a June 2011 release from Ark House Press.

Christine Lindsay's historical set in India circa 1919, Shadowed in Silk, will be a Summer 2011 release from Whitefire Publishing.

Kathi Macias has a Freedom series involving human trafficking coming soon from New Hope Publishers. Deliver Me from Evil (October 2011); Special Delivery (January 2012); The Deliverer (April 2012).

To find more International Christian Fiction books, please visit our Recent Releases page, Backlist Titles page and our International Christian Fiction wiki.

DEVOTION - Conflict: Great in our stories and not so fun in real life

by Narelle Atkins

One thing I’ve learned as a fiction writer is that I need compelling conflict in my stories. My characters need to have conflicting goals and face obstacles as they strive to achieve their story goals. It’s a universal truth in storytelling and true for all fiction genres.

Like many new writers, I discovered early on that my stories lacked conflict. I write romance and romance readers want to journey with the hero and heroine, experience the struggles they face, and cheer as the characters overcome problems on the way to their happily-ever-after ending. Conflict is an essential component of a story. Whilst fiction writers must learn to make life difficult for their characters, to make them suffer and struggle to achieve what they want, we’re not usually comfortable with conflict in real life.

In 1971, Malcolm Fraser, a former Prime Minister of Australia, made a famous quote: ‘Life wasn’t meant to be easy’. We live in a fallen world and, at times, we all make selfish decisions that hurt others. Our world is full of suffering and we can often feel powerless to instigate change and show Christian love to our neighbours. World peace is perceived to be a worthy but unobtainable goal as conflicts arise within and between nations. We have polluted our environment and many of us wonder if it’s too late to reverse the ecological damage. As Christians, we will have conflict in our relationship with God during the times when we are rebellious and sin instead of following God’s will for our lives. Thankfully, Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23-24 (NIV) ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.’

Peace is one of the fruits of the spirit that Paul mentioned in Galatians 5:22. In Matthew 5:29, Jesus said ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.’ In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4:6-7, he said ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.’

It can often feel like God’s peace is elusive in our busy and chaotic lives. Conflict arises in relationships and sometimes it can be a matter of opinion where there’s no clear way to discern who is right or wrong. In a recent sermon at my church, we were asked to consider the following question: Is the issue or the relationship more important? The Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:18 ‘If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live in peace with one another.’ Conflict is inevitable and my prayer for you is that you’ll live in peace and follow God’s will for your life.

Interview with Don Brown

Cathy West here, chatting with our newest ICFW member, Zondervan author, Don Brown.

CW: Based on the information on your website, you’ve got an interesting history. It’s easy to see where your story ideas come from. Can you give us a brief rundown, and explain how you ended up writing fiction?

DB: I never had a desire to write fiction until about seven years ago. It all started when I attended an “Epiphany Party” in early January of 2003. After the party, I sent a handwritten note to the hostess, complimenting her on the party. She wrote back and said, “That was the best thank you note I ever read. You should write a book!” So the next day, I got out my laptop and started banging away on a yet-to-be published historical fiction. I had no clue what I was doing, but it was a barrel of fun. True story!


CW: For those of us not familiar with the US Army/Navy terms, would you tell us exactly what a JAG Officer is?
DB: Put most simply, a JAG officer is a lawyer serving as an officer on active duty in the United States armed forces. JAG responsibilities can range from trying courts-martial, to preparing wills for soldiers and sailors, to giving advice to a commander on international law issues. My last job, at the Pentagon, was to draft legal recommendations to the Secretary of the Navy on officer personnel issues. So the jobs can vary within the JAG Corps. Each of the five branches of the military has its own JAG Corps, although Navy and Marine Corps JAGs are often interchangeable.

CW: Did you begin writing with the goal of pursuing publication or did that come later? Share a bit about your writing journey with us.

DB: Well, I mentioned the “Epiphany Party” experience around January of 2003. I really just started writing based on that note I got, and discovered that I loved it. I wasn’t specifically thinking about getting published. About two months after that party, as I was working on my first manuscript, I saw an ad in a newspaper in about a writers conference at Ridgecrest, near Asheville, NC. With a partially-complete manuscript, I attended the conference and met some interesting people, including Chip MacGregor, a crackerjack literary agent who at the time was with Alive Communications, the group that represented Jerry and Tim in the phenomenally successful Left Behind Series. Chip wanted to see my scraggly manuscript, which wasn’t near completion, and I reluctantly agreed. After reading through it, he said, “This is a good idea. You should finish writing it, hire a professional editor, and come back next year.”

That’s exactly what I did. I finished the novel, hired an editor, Anna Fischel in Winston-Salem North Carolina, and did everything hat Anna suggested that I do. When I came back the next year, with the novel complete, all excited about selling it, Chip was not there! By happenchance I struck up a cord with Al Gansky, an exciting military novelist who at the time was under contract with Zondervan. Al wanted to look at my now-complete novel, a WWII Historical Fiction entitled “Destiny.” He read through it and said, “This is pretty good. I think we can get this placed.”
I was stunned. Then Al asked, “What else ya got?”
I said, “Al what do you mean what else? It just took me 18 months to write this thing.”
He said, “You’ve got to have something else to show to the publisher.”
So on the spot, I said, without much thought, “Well I used to be a Navy JAG officer, so maybe I could write a JAG series.”
Immediately, the light bulb went on with Al, and he snapped his fingers and said “That’s a great idea!”

So to make a long story short, Al pitched the idea to Zondervan, and they liked the JAG idea, although the novels had not yet been written. So I started writing, and then was awarded a two-book contract for TREASON and HOSTAGE, the first two books in the NAVY JUSTICE SERIES.

TREASON, book one in the NAVY JUSTICE SERIES, was released in 2005, about two years after the Epiphany Party. So for me, it was a relatively fast track to publication, and rather unexpected. I was blessed and fortunate.


CW: Why Christian fiction over the secular market?
DB: I have three objectives when I write. I’ve shared these before, but please permit me to share them again. First, as a novelist, I have an implicit contract with my readers to entertain. To do that, my goal is to build tension on every page in a way that will make the reader want to turn the page, and feel satisfied with the ultimate resolution.
Second, I want to educate readers about geo-contemporary issues that are relevant to our world today. For example, in MALACCA CONSPIRACY, I hope that my readers can, in a fun way, learn about a part of the globe that is both exciting and also strategically important to the United States, and the free world, but that is at the same time, largely ignored in our public schools and our universities.
Finally, I want my stories to be saturated with a biblical world view, one in which biblical truth is manifested throughout, subtly, and in which my readers leave inspired to do what is right. One of my favorite life verses is Deuteronomy 6:18. “Do the right thing.” I want to place my characters in a position where they must ultimately, chose what is right in accordance with Biblical teaching. I hope this will inspire my readers to do what is right when facing trials in life that, as James says, we all must face. This is where my Christian beliefs come in as a novelist. Even still, I am not targeting just the Christian market per se, but rather all markets where readers enjoy stories of international intrigue.


CW: Your books take us to places like the Middle East, Europe and Russia, and your last release, The Malacca Conspiracy (Zondervan, June 2010), takes place in several intriguing settings – Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as the US. Have you been to these places yourself?

DB: I’ve been to Europe and the former Soviet Union. Not to Asia yet, and I’m hoping that’ll come with the first NYT Bestseller! ;-)

CW: What do you enjoy most about creating stories that take place in other parts of the world?
DB: To be honest, I love the research and I love learning. For example, when conducting research for my latest release, MALACCA CONSPIRACY, I learned a lot about the powerful and devastating Boxing Day (December 26 for our American Readers ;-)Tsunami that struck in the Andaman sea in 2004, when it struck the region of Aech on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. The epicenter was in the Andaman Sea, near the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean off the Western coast of Sumatra. But the quake was so powerful that tsunami waves shot to the west, over a thousand miles, all the way across the Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa.

Interestingly, though, when the tsunami passed the strategic Island of Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean – which is featured in the novel – because the waters around Diego Garcia are so deep, people swimming in the water off Diego Garcia barely even noticed it, even though the tsunami was swarming around the island on its way to Africa, where it killed people in Somalia and other places in Africa.
As it turned out, this research did not become a major part of the storyline, except as part of the peripheral backdrop for setting up scenes in Sumatra and Diego Garcia. This sort of thing happens very often during the course of writing a novel, at least it does for me. You research something that turns out to be fascinating, but it does not become a major part of the storyline. I still enjoy this sort of thing because I guess I’m a compulsive trivia nut.


CW: It sounds like some of your books would make great movies. Is that a possibility?
DB: Thanks for saying that. I’ve heard that a bit. We came pretty close a few years ago with TREASON and HOSTAGE. Part of the issue, I’m told by film people, is that my books would translate into very high-budget movies, because of all the actions scenes and various venues around the world. We’ll see what happens.

CW: What are you working on now?
DB: THUNDER IN THE MORNING CALM, due out in hard copy in the summer of 2011, is the first book in Zondervan’s PACIFC RIM SERIES. Set largely in North and South Korea, it’s about a US Navy intelligence officer, Lieutenant Commander Gunner McCormick, who is haunted by the fact that his grandfather, who he never knew, disappeared in the Korean War more than sixty years ago. When in a classified meeting he learns of TOP SECRET rumors that the North Koreans may still be holding some elderly Americans from the war, he decides to do something about it. For a number of reasons, I’m more excited about “THUNDER” than any book I’ve had released so far!


CW: Looking back on your journey to publication, what advice would you give to not-yet published authors?
DB: Three things. First, I heard Davis Bunn once say that you can’t be a writer unless first you are a reader. So it’s important to make the time to read different authors, to get a feel for how others who have been successful approach the craft.

Second, you must write every day. The adage that “practice makes perfect” is true. And just like a basketball player can’t get better without constantly practicing jump shots, a writer can’t get better if writing is only a once-a-month endeavor.

Finally, I advise every writer serious about publication to find at least one good writers conference and attend at least once a year. At a good writer’s conference, the aspiring writer has a chance to intermingle with literary agents, published authors, and acquisitions editors from major publishing houses. Prepare for the writers conference. Compose a sharply drafted proposal, then take that proposal to a conference and shopping it among decision-makers who have the power to help you get that contract. The writers’ conference is an absolute must in my judgment, and don’t stop if at first you don’t succeed.


CW: What can we find you doing when you’re not crafting your next legal thriller?

DB: You can find me doing a lot of things. Going to court. Fishing. Church Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings. One of the things I love most is coaching my son’s youth basketball team. We’re undefeated and tied for first right now, and playing the defending conference champions this weekend. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes!

CW: And finally, the question I’m sure we all want to know – do you still get to wear that uniform?
DB: I wish I could still squeeze into it! That’s my New Year’s resolution!

Thanks so much for being with us Don, and we look forward to hearing from you again here at ICFW!

Don Brown, a former US Navy JAG Officer, is the author of the bestselling novels TREASON, HOSTAGE, DEFIANCE, BLACK SEA AFFAIR, and MALACCA CONSPIRACY. On Thanksgiving Day of 2009, four years after it's release, and in the wake of tragic events at Fort Hood, TREASON soared to #1 in the world on the prestigious Amazon bestselling list for fiction, where it remained for ten days. In August of 2010, Brown's latest release, MALACCA CONSPIRACY, rose to # 2 on that same list. His next release, THUNDER IN THE MORNING CALM, is due for release in the summer of 2011. Click here to view the trailer for THUNDER IN THE MORNING CALM. Don lives with his family in North Carolina.

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Educated in Bermuda, England and Canada, Catherine holds a degree in English from the University of Toronto. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. Catherine and her husband live on the beautiful island of Bermuda, with their two college-aged children. Catherine is a member of Romance Writers of America, and American Christian Fiction Writers, and is a founding member of International Christian Fiction Writers. Catherine’s debut novel Yesterday's Tomorrow, will release in March, 2011, through Oak Tara Publishers.

Creating Three-Dimensional Characters with Lynne Gentry

A little over two years ago, my close writer friend and I, Lynne Gentry, started working on a medical thriller series together that is set in Africa. Lynne is not only a writer, but is trained in both speech and theater and works as an acting coach, so I found her insights into characterization fascinating. Not only did she help bring our characters to life, but she taught me how to go deeper into understanding my characters. So for today's post, I asked Lynne to share with us how we can create three-dimensional characters.

Here is what she has to say:

What is a well-drawn character and how do you draw one? While these questions are tackled at every writer’s conference, it’s easier to bag the wind than nail down the one thing that makes a character real in a reader’s mind.

Why?

Because characterization requires layers…lots of them. That one elusive device or trick that makes a flat character three-dimensional doesn’t exist. It takes many tools to fashion a person the reader will care about. I’d like to share a simple tool I’ve added to my writing craft box, one I picked up from twenty years of helping novice actors excel on the stage.

According to Albert Mehrabin, a noted expert on nonverbal communication, only 7% of what we communicate is communicated with words. The other 93% is communicated with 55% body language and 38% vocal intonation. Where do these alarming numbers leave wordsmiths like us? Up a creek…unless we learn to manipulate our words in order to give our characters movement and sound.

One quick and easy way to make progress toward accomplishing this feat is with costuming.

Far too often we dress our characters in jeans and a shirt and send them forth in our WIP without further consideration. But taking a moment to select costume pieces that either restrict or increase a character’s fluidity of movement can create mental body language specific for that character. Simply by adding body language, we’ve increased the believability of a character’s dialogue by 55%.

How does costuming work? For the stage, I can take a stay-at-home mom who’s comfortable in her sweats and costume her in a suit and heels and suddenly she moves like the CEO of a major corporation. Can this happen on the page? Absolutely.

In her stunning debut novel, The Russian Concubine, Kate Furnivall gives an example of costuming’s influence upon a character’s fluidity of movement. When Alfred, an uppity Englishman, makes his stage entrance in the middle of a filthy Chinese market, he is dressed in a cream linen suit. Immediately, the reader sees a man desperate to keep himself pristine. Ever tried to keep a toddler’s sticky hands off of your white blouse? Then you have a mental visual of how Alfred would move to protect his clothes in this uncomfortable environment. And it is in our mental movements of Alfred that he suddenly becomes…more real.

Want to know more about creating characters that leap from the page? Visit my StageWrite blog and follow along as we investigate ways to use costuming to create well-drawn characters and then use costume changes to create that illusive character arc. Or if you are the impatient type and would rather not have this information piecemealed out, order the Paper Doll CD and hear the whole spiel.

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LISA HARRIS is an award-winning author who has over twenty novels and novella collections in print. She and her husband, Scott, along with their three children, live near the Indian Ocean in Mozambique as missionaries. When she’s not working she loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, and heading into the African bush on safari. You can find out more about her latest suspense novels here.

Book Review: Digitalis by Ronie Kendig and book giveaway

Digitalis (Barbour, January 2011) is Book 2 in Ronie Kendig’s Discarded Heroes series. A fast paced romantic thriller set in the US and Israel that will keep you turning the page until the very end.

Colton “Cowboy” Neely is a former marine who joins the elite black ops Nightshade team. He is tormented by horrific flashbacks that have put loved ones in danger, and his parents look after his young daughter when he’s away on overseas missions.

Piper Blum is hiding out in the US, and living in fear that the assassins searching for her father will find her. She meets Colton whilst working as a sales assistant.

Colton is drawn to Piper, and for eight months he regularly purchases towels at Piper’s counter. When Piper finds his lost daughter in the store, he finally has an opportunity to get to know her better.

Both Piper and Colton have secrets they can’t risk exposing to each other. The stakes are raised when the men looking for Piper’s father close in on her and Colton’s team are called in to protect Piper.

There is strong emotional conflict in the story, and the secrets between Colton and Piper cause massive complications in their romantic relationship. The characters are engaging and the faith element is intrinsic to the plot as the characters struggle to trust God in a world where bad things keep happening and they don’t know who they can trust. I recommend Digitalis to those looking for an action packed and compelling romantic thriller.

I really enjoyed reading Digitalis and Ronie has kindly offered to give away a copy of Digitalis (US residents only). By commenting on today’s post you can enter the drawing to win a copy of Digitalis. The drawing will take place on Wednesday, February 2 and the winner announced on Sunday, February 6. Please leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

Ronie Kendig grew up an Army brat, married a veteran, and they now have four children, a Golden Retriever, and a Maltese Menace. She has a BS in Psychology, speaks to various groups, and mentors new writers. Her debut novel, a spy thriller, Dead Reckoning, was nominated for an INSPY Award, and the first book in the military thriller series, the Discarded Heroes, Nightshade, received a Lime Award from The Christian Manifesto. Her third novel, Digitalis, released January 2011 and will be followed by Wolfsbane (July 2011) and Firethorn (January 2012). Ronie can be found at www.roniekendig.com or www.discardedheroes.com

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Narelle Atkins writes contemporary inspirational romance. She resides in Canberra, Australia with her husband and children. To learn more about Narelle, please visit her website.

A note of encouragement

I’m wondering if there are any authors reading this blog who feel they could do with a little extra encouragement right now. Some of you might be riding high on a wave of writing success – perhaps you have a book due for release this year and other exciting speaking and writing opportunities happening. But perhaps some of you are still waiting for that elusive publishing contract or struggling to finish that work that is there in your head but just doesn’t seem to want to take shape on the page. Still others of you might have that publishing contract but are hard-pressed to know how best to promote your book and achieve better sales figures. There is no doubt that, alongside the joy and fulfilment of being an author, the challenges and frustrations abound.

Yes, we need encouragement – but I have found I often need to ask God to open my eyes and ears to see and hear it! It might be my strange personality, but sometimes I find myself so ready to hear the negative comments and allow the difficulties inherent in the whole writing journey to drag me down. I can even miss completely the encouraging word someone is trying to say to me by listening instead to that cynical voice in my head that says, ‘They can’t mean that! That can’t possibly be true about your writing!’ Do you, like me, need to choose to focus on God and receive his encouragement more often, both directly and through others?

I love reading God’s word each day. I keep reading until I believe I have found that particular message of challenge or encouragement or comfort God has for me at that point and I try to meditate on and interact with that word as my day unfolds. For example, recently I read the following words from Isaiah 51:16 that are particularly apt for those of us who speak and write:

I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand – I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’

As God’s people in 2011, how encouraging it is to know God will put his words in our mouths as we listen to him and that we can then allow them to flow out to others!

But I believe God also delights to use friends and family – even strangers – to bring unexpected snippets of encouragement our way. In one day recently, I received a phone call and two emails that had all the hallmarks of a loving, understanding God about them! First off, the phone call was from a ninety-seven year old lady I have met only once who had finished reading my third novel ‘Laura’ and, in her words, ‘just had to phone me’ and say how much she had enjoyed it. Then an email arrived from another lady I have met only once who had just read my first two novels, ‘Heléna’ and ‘All the Days of My Life’ straight through in a couple of days and couldn’t put them down. This email was followed soon after by one from a lady in New Zealand, who had gone to endless trouble to try to get hold of my second novel, having enjoyed my first so much, and finally was contacting me here in Australia to send it to her. I was touched by her keenness and perseverance and greatly encouraged yet again.

So as I write this, I am praying God will open your eyes and ears too to receive the encouragement you need for your journey. May 2011 be a year of great joy and fulfilment as you write what God has laid on your heart and gifted you to write!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney, Australia, and has four published novels, ‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days of My Life’, ‘Laura’ and ‘Jenna’. For more information, please visit her website, http://www.jo-anneberthelsen.com/.

SUNDAY EDITION

Coming Up This Week

Monday

Jo-Anne Berthelsen: A note of encouragement

Tuesday

Narelle Atkins: Book Review - Digitalis by Ronie Kendig and book giveaway

Wednesday

Lisa Harris: Creating Three-Dimensional Characters with Lynne Gentry

Thursday

Catherine West

Friday Devotion

Narelle Atkins: Conflict - Great in our stories and not so fun in real life

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Upcoming Book Releases

Lisa Harris' thriller, Blood Covenant, Book Two in the Mission Hope series set in Africa, will be a February 2011 release from Zondervan.

Lisa Harris' historical, An Ocean Away, set in Africa and New York in the early 1920's, will be a March 2011 release from Summerside Press.

Catherine West's debut novel, Yesterday's Tomorrow, set in Vietnam, will be a March 2011 release from Oak Tara Publishers.

Kathi Macias' contemporary set in Saudi Arabia, People of the Book, Book Four in the Extreme Devotion series, will be an April 2011 release from New Hope Publishers. Forced to choose between family and faith, her choice may also become life and death.

Mary Hawkins' contemporary set in Australia, Justice at Baragula, Book Three in the Baragula series, will be a May 2011 release from Ark House Press.

Jeanette Windle's contemporary set in Afghanistan, Freedom's Stand, the sequel to Veiled Freedom, will be a May 2011 release from Tyndale.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen's book, Helena's Legacy, will be a June 2011 release from Ark House Press.

Christine Lindsay's historical set in India circa 1919, Shadowed in Silk, will be a Summer 2011 release from Whitefire Publishing.

Kathi Macias has a Freedom series involving human trafficking coming soon from New Hope Publishers. Deliver Me from Evil (October 2011); Special Delivery (January 2012); The Deliverer (April 2012).

To find more International Christian Fiction books, please visit our Recent Releases page, Backlist Titles page and our International Christian Fiction wiki.

DEVOTION: Exasperated - Ray Hawkins

Dear Lord,

            Do You ever get exasperated with Your redeemed? I mean, there must be times, humanly speaking, when You must scratch Your head and wonder. I don’t mean any disrespect and if I’m being a bit familiar I do apologise. What I’m trying to say is, we pray and pray that You would be with us on our journey and when things go wrong wonder if you have taken any notice of our prayer.

Here I am sitting on the side of the road waiting for the highway service van to come and fix my tyre. I should have been able to do it myself but it seems the tools have been taken out of the car.

Still, I should be thankful, I suppose. When the tyre blew the car never flipped over or hit another. My mobile phone works out here. Glad I had that intuition to put it in the case. But these inconveniences makes a person question if You took stock of my prayer. Then again, maybe I equate prayer with a non hassled, non disturbed, warm and fuzzy day. I prayed before this journey that You would watch over me and here I am complaining as though You had left at the last petrol station. Lord, do I subconsciously think of You as my personal ‘Blessing Machine’ whose responsibility it is to keep trouble and me separated? Maybe, Heavenly Father, I’m missing a critical factor in all this. Does it get under Your skin when You want us to discover spiritual principles in our situation only to hear us whinging and carrying on?

Well, Lord, its time I became a little more sensitive to what You are trying to get through to me. This roadside seems like a good classroom in which to begin. I probably will not graduate as life is a long school term. However, I may become more bearable to my family as I have a more believing attitude about Your presence in whatever comes.

Amen!

And Lord, I want to apologise for my unbelief.

Amen and amen!

Raymond N. Hawkins
ray.haw3819@bigpond.com

Raymond N Hawkins (Tasmania) is a retired Churches of Christ (Australia) minister. He is married to Mary, a multi-published author. They are parents to three children and ‘spoilers’ of 5 grandchildren. Ray still preaches at a newly formed Baptist Church and as other opportunities arise. He helps at their son and daughter-in-law’s sea horse and fresh-water fish farm. He and Mary have experienced three short-term mission trips to African countries as well as ministered in the U.K.

Bathsheba's Lament--Book Giveaway!

Bathsheba’s Lament is set in ancient Israel about three thousand years ago, and yet Lorita Boyle’s debut novel is highly relevant to today when Christian leaders often fail us and sexual harassment by those in positions of authority of trust is all too frequently in the news.


Like many of us, Boyle had been told a version of 2 Samuel 11 and 12 that portrayed Bathsheba as the evil seductress, deliberately bathing where she would be seen and desired by the king. Boyle writes, ‘We wanted to hold onto our view of David as being almost sinless to the detriment of the power of the grace of God in our lives.... Surely, Bathsheba must have been somehow complicit in this relationship because David could not have fallen so far as to actually take a married woman against her will and rape her. And not just any woman, but the woman married to his "mighty man" Uriah, a trusted "general" if you will, in his army, and the daughter of his other "mighty warrior" Eliam, who was the son of Ahithophel, one of David's greatest counselors.’ And yet, she points out, this was a time when David should have been off at war. He didn’t seem to even know who Bathsheba was. By the customs of the time, she had no choice when he sent for her.


Boyle also examines the role of David’s trusted advisor Ahithophel. “When you trace Ahithophel's story, you see a man who works with [David’s son] Absalom to plot the downfall and death of his king--why?? I believe it is his vengeance against David for raping his beloved granddaughter and dishonoring her, and killing his beloved adopted grandson, Uriah. Check out 2 Samuel 16:20-17:4 and note his advice to kill David. In one translation, you get the idea that he was ready to lead the troops himself to see David dead! David had to have done something very bad to have incurred Ahithophel's hatred that finally expressed itself so lethally.”

Boyle says she has ‘known and prayed with a number of women sexually abused by their fathers. I also have known a number of women sexually abused by their "pastors" and youth pastors, and other trusted men in their lives, including a college prof who insisted on sexual favors to receive good grades.’ Thus she chose to approach this well-know story in a fresh new way.


LeAnne Hardy recently had the opportunity to ask Lorita about the writing of Bathsheba’s Lament.

LH: What do you hope that readers who have experienced sexual violence will take away from this book?


LB: My prayer is that they will find hope in Bathsheba's story and be able to see their need to forgive their abuser. There is a saying "unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." In my own life (I had a very emotionally and verbally abusive father), and in the lives of others I know, the only way out of bitterness, anger and unforgiveness is to forgive. I also know how Jesus is ready to help us to do this if we're willing. I think many people do not forgive because they do not understand that forgiving someone DOES NOT mean you in any way agree that what they did was right or deserved. In fact, to forgive, you need to first admit that what was done to you (especially in the case of abuse) was wrong, was painful, and was undeserved, and speak this out - or write this out. But ultimately, to be free of those who've wounded us in some way, we have to "untie" the bonds, as it were, by forgiving them and releasing them into God's hands, to receive his "justice" and "vengeance." In essence, when we forgive we're handing the person over to God to extract whatever vengeance is deserved, and to receive it in his timing. This does NOT mean that a woman never seeks to have her abuser brought to justice within our own system. If a woman is raped, she should have the rapist arrested, so that our own justice system can work for her. Bathsheba lived in a very different time than we do, although many women in this world still live in a cultural system very much like hers. But Jesus was very clear when he gave us "The Lord's Prayer" - "forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us."


LH: What do you have to say to readers who have been disillusioned by the failures of Christian leaders like David?


LB: I understand how we do, and to some extent should, hold our leaders to a higher standard. But the truth is we are all fallen creatures in desperate need of a compassionate and loving God, and Savior. I also believe our expectations of our leaders are often beyond what anyone could ever live up to. We may be disillusioned, but we also are called to forgive. We serve a God who is full of grace towards us. I pray we may give that same grace to others, it is such a precious gift to receive and to give!


LH: How did you go about the historical and setting research?


LB: I used the Internet, many books, and also IVP's Women's Commentary of the Bible, which was a wonderful resource. Eugene Peterson's Leap over Walls on Psalms of David was a good resource as well. Someday, I do hope to visit Israel myself!


LH: I loved all the psalms that you included. They were so significant in the context. What was most difficult about the research and what did you enjoy the most?


LB: Honestly, there's not a whole lot that's been found about that time in history, and you'll find there's a lot of controversy around David and his very existence! So that was the hard part. The most enjoyable was finding the bits and pieces of history of that time I did find and even a possible diagram of his palace. Honestly, sometimes I got so caught up in reading my resources that I had to discipline myself to write!

LH: Thank you, Lorita. May Bathsheba’s Lament touch many hearts. To read my review of Bathsheba's Lament, including excerpts, check out my blog.


Lorita has graciously agreed to give away a copy of the book. To be eligible for the drawing, make your comment here by Sunday 23 January 2011 and include your e-mail address, substituting (at) and (dot) for the usual punctuation. All readers are eligible for an electronic copy. Unfortunately, a print copy can only be sent within the U.S.


(This giveaway is void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.)
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LeAnne Hardy has lived in six countries on four continents. Her books for young people come out of her cross-cultural experiences and her passion to use story to convey spiritual truths in a form that will impact lives. You can find out more at www.leannehardy.net .

Truth and Tears

I was listening to Tim Keller teach recently. What he said struck a chord with me and I think it has application to this wonderful world of fiction. He spoke from John 11, the passage telling of the death of Lazarus. We all know the true story and hear it most commonly on Easter.

What I find so interesting about the passage is the different ways Jesus responded to the identical question. When Jesus shows up, Martha launches her misery: "If you would have been here, my brother wouldn't have died." In a way, Martha represents all of us (or all of our characters). We just need to fill in the blank with our own bleak circumstances. "If you would have been here (because in our weakness, we think as if he's been absent in our time of pain), ______ wouldn't have happened! Jesus responds to that great truth proclamation: "I am the resurrection and the life!"

A few verses later, we see Jesus facing Mary, who raises the identical question: "If you would have been here, my brother wouldn't have died." But this time, other than to ask a simple question about the location of the body, Jesus is silent. He cries. Tears, rather than truth became his response.

Truth and tears together are necessary and they are perfectly married in the ministry of Jesus. Both are needed. Sometimes one response, sometimes the other. Discernment is needed to understand whether the person in front of us is a Martha or a Mary. Is it time for a proclamation of truth or simply to be quiet and weep? Is it time for truth or tears.

Great fiction combines both. Fiction may be "made up" and thus not true, but we all know that fiction reveals truth in a way that non-fiction never can. And it's wrapped in a story involving conflict and tears that touches the heart of our readers.

In John 11: 5 we see it clearly stated that Jesus loved Martha and her sister. Outside a small circle of John and Peter, we do not see this kind of intimacy expressed in Jesus's relationships. I love this. His love is expressed in truth and tears.

So is our fiction!

So let's get out there and love our readers with both.

Grace,

Harry

Book Review: Scared by Tom Davis

Scared (David C. Cook, 2009) is Tom Davis’ debut novel and the first book in his A Novel on the Edge of the World series. A powerful and intense story that will stay in your mind long after you read the last page.

Stuart Daniels is a washed up photojournalist who receives a prestigious award for a photograph he took on assignment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo nine years earlier. His experiences in the Congo still haunt him, he’s dissatisfied with his life in New York, and his marriage is in trouble. To save his career, he returns to Africa to cover the Aids epidemic in Swaziland.

Adanna is a twelve year old girl living in extreme poverty in Swaziland. She has a dream where she is visited by an illuminated man and given a special gift. She lives in a small tribal community who are scared by the disease ravaging their people, and her family is suffering from malnutrition and often have no food to eat.

The story follows the faith journeys of Stuart and Adanna, and the supernatural element is an organic part of the story. Stuart questions his beliefs and values as he is challenged by the harsh reality of life for the villagers. Adanna’s faith is tested as she endures unspeakable horrors, and life becomes more difficult for her as the story progresses.

If you’re looking for a nice story with a happy ending, then Scared is not the book for you. The story is based on real life experiences, and the desperation and heartache of the local people is not watered down. The ending is both satisfying and tragic. After reading Scared, you can’t help but feel emotional and wonder what you can do to help other children in the world like Adanna.

I recommend Scared to those looking for a gritty and compelling story with a strong take away value. Scared was a 2010 Christy Award nominee and the sequel, Priceless, was released in 2010. To learn more about Scared, please visit Tom Davis’ website www.scaredthebook.com

Narelle Atkins writes contemporary inspirational romance. She resides in Canberra, Australia with her husband and children. To learn more about Narelle, please visit her website.

Home Free - A Short Story of Redemption

Bimbo felt her life was dreary. It’s not that she expected much out of life, but ever since her mother died she felt like her own life was slowly slipping away. For the past 6 months her days consisted of waking at the crack of dawn to fetch water from the stream a mile and a half away, feeding the chickens, sweeping the entire house, including her step mother’s room, washing her little brothers and sisters, and all this before 7am, when she had to prepare the day’s meals.
She wiped the sweat off her brow and adjusted her wrapper. She blinked as the smoke from the wood burning stove hit her eyes. Mama, I miss you so much. If you were here papa’s wife wouldn’t be treating me like her personal slave.
“Bimbo! Bimbo! Where are you?”
“I’m coming Papa.”
Bimbo blew the smoke out from under the pot and hurried to her father’s side, wondering what it was he wanted this time.
Papa was sitting on his favourite chair, the one Aunty Felicia sent from London. There was a man Bimbo didn’t recognize sitting next to him.
“Ah, Bimbo. This is Uncle Felix. Your Aunty Felicia’s husband’s junior brother all the way from Abuja.”
Bimbo knelt to greet Uncle Felix. “Good morning sir.”
“Hello my dear. How are you?”

Later that night Papa called Bimbo to his room to tell her that Aunty Felicia had sent a ticket for Bimbo to come and live with her in London. Aunty Felicia was willing to send her to school and take care of all her expenses. All Bimbo had to do was help Aunty Felicia look after her new baby from time to time. Bimbo thought this was a brilliant idea, especially as her stepmother was severely put out by the prospect of losing her house girl.

Nine months into her stay in London, Bimbo couldn’t really tell whether her life was any better than it was back in Nigeria. Granted she had a few luxuries, like not having to walk miles for water or manually grind beans for moi-moi, but this wasn’t the life she envisioned. The promise of furthering her education never materialized. Aunty Felicia wasn’t the same effusive person she appeared to be whenever she came to Nigeria. Now she was cold and impatient with Bimbo and only spoke to her in barking commands. Bimbo spent all her time looking after the baby and cleaning the house. And the cold, oh the cold seemed to seep deep into her bones every time she got up each morning. The only bright spot in her life was Mrs. Anderson from next door.

Bimbo met Mrs. Anderson 2 months after moving to London. Mrs. Anderson was a Jamaican woman who had taken to inviting her to church each week. Bimbo wanted to go, but Aunty Felicia forbade her from associating with the woman. Bimbo couldn’t understand why, as Mrs. Anderson was so sweet, kind and motherly. And thankfully she didn’t give up on inviting Bimbo to church.

One Sunday, when Aunty Felicia had gone to Scotland for a week with her family Bimbo went to church with Mrs. Anderson. Within minutes she was crying as the service and ambience evoked memories of Mama. Mama loved the Lord and never missed church until she fell seriously ill. She made sure to teach her children about Jesus, but left them to make up their own minds about God. Bimbo hadn’t been in a church in years. She was soon sneaking out to join the Anderson family for services as often as she could. Two months after attending her first service, she offered to help the Children’s Church attendant to look after some of the younger children. The little girls were so cute but it seemed as if their mothers' couldn’t keep their hair tidy, so when she next got the opportunity Bimbo took the time to braid the little girls’ hair. Before long most of the mothers in the neighbourhood requested her services to do their daughters’ hair and she soon amassed a modest fortune.

When Aunty Felicia found out she was livid. She threatened to report Bimbo to Immigration and have her deported back to Nigeria.
“You ungrateful little girl! Do you think I brought all the way from Nigeria to start a business? After all I've done for you this is how you repay me? If you know what’s good for you, you will spend your time looking after Felina and doing the housework and stop wasting your time doing people’s hair.”
Bimbo was aghast. “Aunty I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that-“
“Upset me?!” Before she knew it Aunty Felicia had slapped her. Hard. Leaving a mark on her face. She marched into Bimbo’s room, snatched her handbag and took out the hundreds of pounds that Bimbo had made and saved over the past few months. She turned to look at Bimbo’s stricken face and pointed a finger in her face.
“You will see!”

Bimbo didn’t fall asleep until well after 4am. She tossed and turned as her tears trailed her face and wet her pillow.
“God, what did I do wrong? First Mama died, then Papa’s wife treats me like a slave and now Aunty Felicia, who was so nice to me, is treating me like I’m dirt. God, if you’re real like Mrs. Anderson says you are please rescue me from this prison.”
It seemed she’d only been asleep for 5 minutes when she was roughly shaken awake. She opened her eyes, disoriented. It was Aunty Felicia. Could Bimbo be mistaken or wasn’t her gleeful expression incongruous with the vehemence of her movement?
“Wake up! Useless girl. There is someone waiting for you in the sitting room.”
Bimbo got out of bed as quickly as she could. Without taking the time to brush her teeth or wash her face she pulled on yesterday’s jeans and a rumpled t-shirt.
There were 2 white men, one in what appeared to be some kind of uniform and the other in a dark brown, ill-fitting suit.
“Miss Obaitan we’re from the UK Border Agency. We understand that you’ve been in the country illegally for nine months. Could you please come with us.” It was a statement, not a question. Aunty Felicia had a malicious smirk on her face as Bimbo was led away.

Five hours later Bimbo was sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth in a holding cell. Her face and neck were sticky with dried tears. She was so scared and as her stomach growled she realized that she hadn’t eaten all day. But then she didn’t think she could hold anything down even if she did have something to eat.
She pulled her legs up on the hard mattress attached to the wall and laid her head on her knees as her eyes pooled with fresh tears.
Oh God, just yesterday I prayed that You would deliver me from prison and now barely a day later I’m stuck in an actual cell. God what did I do wrong, eh? What now? I’m so afraid. I don’t know what to do. Please fight for me God. Please. They say You are a merciful God. I beg please fight for me.

For hours nothing happened. Even though the cell had no windows and Bimbo didn’t have a watch she knew it would be dark by now. The suspense of not knowing what was going to happen was worse that the thought of being deported. She wished they would hurry up and just take her to the airport. Evidently God had given up on her too.
The clink-clink sound of a key in the cell lock forced her out of her reverie. It was Mr. Ill-fitting Brown Suit. Bimbo looked up, petrified now that her fate had been decided.
“Miss Obaitan you do understand what you did wrong. Don’t you?”
Bimbo’s mouth was so dry it felt as though her tongue were stuck to the roof of her month. The only response she could give was to blink rapidly. But Mr. Ill-fitting Brown Suit seemed to understand.
“I know that if I let you go you will not voluntarily return to Nigeria, but I am willing to do so.”
“Eh?!”
“You seem like a nice girl. You will not be deported today, but you must do all you can to sort out your stay in this country. If you do anything that brings attention to you I will have you on the next plane to Nigeria. Do you understand?”
“I can go?” Bimbo whispered, incredulous.
“Yes. You can go.” He held the door open for her to pass through. And as she did he said, “Walk out of the second door on your left and don’t look back.”

Bimbo followed his directions and once she was out in the dark night she ran as fast as her short legs could carry her. She stopped when she could run no further and knelt down where she was and screamed. “Thank You God for standing up for me. Thank You.”

She was on a British Airways flight back to Lagos 2 days later. Voluntarily. She felt this was what the God who had arisen on her behalf would want.

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Ufuoma Daniella Ojo is a Software Training Project Manager, trusting God for the subsequent publication of her first novel.

SUNDAY EDITION

Coming Up This Week

Monday

Ufuoma Daniella Ojo: Home Free - A Short Story of Redemption

Tuesday

Harry Kraus

Thursday

LeAnne Hardy: Bathsheba's Lament and book giveaway

Friday Devotion

Ray Hawkins: Exasperated

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Upcoming Book Releases

Lisa Harris' thriller, Blood Covenant, Book Two in the Mission Hope series set in Africa, will be a February 2011 release from Zondervan.

Lisa Harris' historical, An Ocean Away, set in Africa and New York in the early 1920's, will be a March 2011 release from Summerside Press.

Catherine West's debut novel, Yesterday's Tomorrow, set in Vietnam, will be a March 2011 release from Oak Tara Publishers.

Kathi Macias' contemporary set in Saudi Arabia, People of the Book, Book Four in the Extreme Devotion series, will be an April 2011 release from New Hope Publishers. Forced to choose between family and faith, her choice may also become life and death.

Mary Hawkins' contemporary set in Australia, Justice at Baragula, Book Three in the Baragula series, will be a May 2011 release from Ark House Press.

Jeanette Windle's contemporary set in Afghanistan, Freedom's Stand, the sequel to Veiled Freedom, will be a May 2011 release from Tyndale.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen's book, Helena's Legacy, will be a June 2011 release from Ark House Press.

Christine Lindsay's historical set in India circa 1919, Shadowed in Silk, will be a Summer 2011 release from Whitefire Publishing.

Kathi Macias has a Freedom series involving human trafficking coming soon from New Hope Publishers. Deliver Me from Evil (October 2011); Special Delivery (January 2012); The Deliverer (April 2012).

To find more International Christian Fiction books, please visit our Recent Releases page, Backlist Titles page and our International Christian Fiction wiki.