Call of the Creator: Fantasy Writing from a Christian Worldview

Today is my day over at the group blog, The Cheesecake thickens. If you're new around these parts and wondering what that's about, it's a little place those of us who have "graduated" from the New Authors Fellowship (and graduation means having landed a publishing contract) now blog together for the sake of readers and writers alike. Today's post is reflective and quiet, which is a bit of a departure for me, but I hope you will stop in. I felt there was no other topic upon which I could write, with so many people around me mourning the loss of family, friends, colleagues, babies, even pets. May you have a week full of unexpected joy! http://thecheesecakethickens.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/just-a-step-away/

Hello friends of the speculative arts! Have you ever had an idea that just won't leave you alone? I keep trying to ignore the concept of creating an annual event for lovers of fantasy, science fiction, and other "weird" stories--for people who also happen to be  trying to live their lives with their faith emblazoned upon them for all to see--but the idea keeps rearing its head no matter where I try to tuck it. And so, here is the first public introduction to this idea: FaithandFantasyCon2012. Here's the concept as I see it: For a couple of days, authors, filmmakers, artists, musicians, fans, anyone at all interested, really, would come together to celebrate what about the speculative arts can serve as a conduit of our worldview to the world, in ways that are effective, winsome, and just plain cool. A time to discuss how to live as a person of faith who also happens to love things not of this world.  It would be a time to encourage one another, that ...

For those of you who read my Facebook posts over at Rebecca P Minor, Author and Artist may have seen my update that I have "earned out" on my inaugural effort at published fiction, The Windrider Saga . (Meaning my publisher has been able to recoup the cost of producing my book through sales.) Now, this is not a giant amount of money that has moved around, since I am dealing with a small publisher who is using print-on-demand technology, but it is significant in that Diminished Media has been able to help me make available a book that isn't leaving them in the red, given the staggering number of books in the publishing industry that never "earn out." I am pleased that I have a very good chance of significantly surpassing the average performance of speculative fiction in the Christian market. That all being said, however, I am keenly aware that I have reached the point where you might call the honeymoon over. Many authors I have spoken with have a strong star...

Earlier this week, my comrade in arms Diane Graham posted on her blog about her sales numbers on her inaugural novel, I Am Ocilla . Diane has challenged herself to sell a minimum of eight hundred copies before December, in an effort to justify the cost for her publisher to enter her book into the Christy Awards for 2013. When Diane had first embarked upon this challenge, she spoke of how the average Christian Speculative Fiction book sells about three hundred copies in a year. Three hundred copies. I remember watching movie not that long ago--the disaster movie 2012. It wasn't very good, but we had gotten it from Netflix and wouldn't have anything else until we returned it, so I figured we might as well see it through and get our money's worth. Anyway, one of the characters in the story is a writer--a guy who poured himself into his book, and apparently wrote a pretty good book--that only ended up selling about four hundred copies. He basically lost his wife over his ...

Today, I found out Marcher Lord Press author Morgan L Busse posted a new review of the second book of my Windrider Saga on her blog. Drop by Morgan's little corner of the universe and check out her thoughts on A Greater Strength . And while you're there, why not read some of her other posts about life and faith? I'm sure you will come away with an appreciation of a tender-hearted woman of God if you do. Thanks, Morgan!