Call of the Creator: Fantasy Writing from a Christian Worldview

I freely admit, this is going to be a little bit of a non-post today--most of my brain cells went into signing my first case of books last night in order to ship them out to those who have ordered and paid for them. It was definitely cool to see a whole pile of books arrive in a heavy box! As much as the release of the individual ebooks that comprise this print edition of the Windrider Saga are just as "real," there's nothing quite like hefting that first paper book. The rest of the brain cells I had left last night funneled into creating a post for my day over at The Cheesecake Thickens. We newly published authors who are writing together at TCT are working hard to build a consistent audience for the blog, so we would all be deeply gratified if you dropped by. My post for today reflects on what it takes for a dreamer to become a doer. Easier said than done, right? http://thecheesecakethickens.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/dreams-are-not-enough/

I've had this niggling little idea in the back of my head for a while now that I keep pushing away like I would a cat that's trying to rub on my chin while I'm reading. But, like that metaphorical cat, the idea is persistent, so I may just have to think about it in a more serious way to quiet the noise in my mind. What is this notion? It has to do with the way those of us who write speculative fiction mourn the fact that at Christian writers conferences, we always feel like the red-headed step child. We don't quite fit with Amish fiction authors, romance writers, and the mom-lit crowd. In an effort to remind ourselves we're not alone in our freakishness, we band together. We like our zombies, our swords, and our dirigibles. We don't even ask that you understand. But I can't help but feel like it's high time we speculative fiction authors stop fighting the current for recognition and respect. Don't get me wrong--I am very glad for the strides the ...

Isn't it funny, how the people who seem to be making the most powerful impact for God's kingdom seem to be the people who were once the furthest from it at some time in their lives? Whether reformed criminals, lost idol worshipers, or those forced into moral bankruptcy by desperation, it truly does seem those who have walked in the deepest darkness have amazing potential to erupt with light. My own journey has not been so dark as many, but it seems like perhaps the time may be coming where my teenage brush with the occult may be part of what I have to offer to the body of Christ. That idea will likely raise some eyebrows, but it's still where I find myself at the moment. A women's bible study group that I meet with has had quite a bit of talk about the uncanny emerge in our discussion time lately. Honestly, I didn't think that much of it. I simply tried to steer the discussion away from any unfounded ponderings on the activities of people's deceased loved ...

The day has finally arrived! The print edition of The Windrider Saga is now available in a print edition. As of this writing, the only retailer that has the book is Amazon , but it should be available at Barnes and Noble in the very near future as well. For those of you less-well acquainted with this set of stories, a little explanation may be in order. The stories in the ebooks ( Divine Summons and A Greater Strength ) had their first incarnation as serial fiction--stories I wrote for monthly issues of Digital Dragon Magazine, and then for my blog. So the novel-size book you can get today on Amazon won't read exactly like a novel. It is episodic, by the nature of the original format. Hopefully, though, it will be the fun read it's meant to be. Anyone who took a gander at the podcast interview I posted before will realize that the original release date for this book (January 31st) came and went. Alas, that's how it goes when all the folks involved are doing this as a ...

There are a lot of little ways people are working very hard to get my book some visibility right now, and I wanted to be sure you folks know about them--with all the effort that has gone into these promotions, I am excited to promote them. First of all, a huge shout-out goes to Tim Ward for his interview with me over at The New Authors Fellowship . He is doing a book giveaway of copies of The Windrider Saga , which you will want for the cover art alone, even if you've already read the stories. Check out the blog and find out the particulars of how to enter. While you're over at NAF, I'd be deeply honored if you would follow the link over to the podcast interview Tim did with me, co-hosted by my awesome critique partner and friend, Ruth Mills. The podcast is a bit of a marathon, but even if you catch just a bit of it, that would flatter me immensely. If you don't go to NAF, you can go directly to the podcast here at Holy Worlds. Last, but not least, if you haven...

It is with great pleasure I take this moment to reveal to you the current object of my admiration. If I could play an antiphonal fanfare for double brass quintet as an introductory piece of music, I would. Anyway, I have been waiting for weeks now to reveal to you the absolutely phenomenal cover art that will grace the front (and back) of my print version, volume I, of The Windrider Saga . So without further ado... I want to thank the staggeringly talented  Christina Hess for her inspired painting, and the always accommodating and gifted Jon Mills for his classic text layout. I am richly blessed to work with such gracious and artistic people. And because you dropped by, I will also include an image of the full cover that will wrap the book. After all, the way Christina designed it to continue Majestrin's wing onto the back cover is way too cool to skip. So keep an eye out! February 29th, the print compilation goes live. It will be available from Amazon and Barnes and ...

As I read about people submitting their books for consideration for awards like the Nebula or the ACFW's Carol, I have come to realize something. I don't take myself very seriously as a writer. This is clearly going to be a stumbling block for me, because being a new author is almost as much about self-promotion as it is about writing, or so it seems. When your reach is in its developing stages, like mine is, you have to constantly remain on the lookout for new connections you can make. That becomes incredibly hard when you look at your work and question whether anyone would actually like it. Now, there are people out there who are probably stamping their foot at me and saying "Don't be a ninny! You have two novellas out there and a novel under contract. Doesn't that tell you at least SOMETHING?" The trouble is, I've been very good at ignoring real evidence for a very long time. For example, as a child, I lived life cringing in fear, fear that stem...