Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #25

Welcome to the 2013 Summer Scavenger Hunt! This hunt has 32 stops and runs 5/17-5/19/13. If you make the loop, reading unique content from 31 different authors, and fill out the Rafflecopter form at Stop #32, you'll be in the running for an iPad Mini (loaded with all our books), or one of two runner-up prizes---all 31 of our new releases in paperback.

Some authors are offering additional prizes, so be sure to read each post thoroughly to be in the running for everything that's available. The contest is open internationally too!

If you've JUST discovered the hunt, I recommend you start at Stop #1, found at LisaBergren.com. But you can also begin here, and keep rolling. Just be aware that if you win, you need to email Lisa Bergren (within 24 hours) the COMPLETED phrase in the correct order (which you construct by gathering clues at each stop). If Lisa doesn't hear back from you with the correct phrase within the time limit, she will move on to the next winner that Rafflecopter draws. Ready? Here we go...

Meet Jill Williamson

Jill Williamson is my personal hero when it comes to writing, and she's a great friend. I first discovered her work when Marcher Lord Press published her Blood of Kings trilogy (By Darkness Hid, To Darkness Fled, From Darkness Won). Then I met her at an American Fiction Christian Writers conference, where she pitched my debut novel, Failstate, to her agent, Amanda Luedeke. Simply put, Jill is awesomeness personified!

Haven't heard of Jill before? Here's her official bio:

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens and lives in Oregon with her husband, two children, and a whole lot of deer. Visit Jill online at www.jillwilliamson.com, where adventure comes to life.

Personally, I'm in awe at the amount of detail and forethought that Jill puts into worldbuilding. It's not an easy trick, creating a new reality from scratch. When Jill does it, you can tell that she's put a lot of hard work and effort into it. And today, she's going to "pull back the curtain," so to speak, and show us how she does it. So, without further ado:

Creating the Future by Jill Williamson

Ever read a book that transports you to the future? That was the challenge I faced when working on my latest novel Captives, which is a dystopian story that takes place in the year 2088. I needed to create a futuristic storyworld that felt real. Here's how I did it.

1. I drew a map.

Maps always get my imagination going. Captives takes place in the future in what was once the ski resort of Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. So, I started with an actual map of the ski resort and added my futurist city. This way I was able to meld the past with my imaginary future. Lots of cool story ideas came from this map. Click on it to zoom in.

 2. I wrote a history for a controlling government that's hiding a secret.

Dystopian novels are cautionary tales in that they take fears from our real world and make them a fictional reality. I had a head start in this area because I already knew what I wanted my storyworld to be like. And it was all Beth Moore's fault! Want to know why? Check this out: 

Once I knew I was writing a futuristic Babylon, I wrote a history of how the Safe Lands came to be such a place. The important thing to remember when creating any fictional government, as dastardly as they might seem, they really do believe they are doing the right thing for the survival of their people. If they're just plain evil for no reason, the story won't feel as realistic.

3. I created technology.

This took some work, and I thank my Facebook followers for helping me brainstorm. Glass can project any image in The Safe Lands, as can human skin. I created SimTags, which are microchips that people can get embedded into their skin to create SimArt, which are virtual tattoos. Also, since everyone is sick, they use personal vaporizers (which are like electronic cigarettes) to take their meds or any other substance like stimulants or candy.

It was pretty fun to make up this stuff, and the combination of it all helped bring the storyworld to life. Check out the official book trailer my publisher made to see what I mean.

Jill's new book, Captives, is simply awesome. Young people have been kidnapped from their homes and taken to an ironically named city, the Safe Lands. But those lands are anything but safe. Can the victims make it home again? Or will the Safe Lands be the end of the road? (I've already read it and loved it!) It is available at bookstores or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Book Distributors, and at a bookstore near you.

AND NOW, YOUR NEXT STEPS:

Write down this clue: through
 

Have it written down? Great! Now head on over to Jill Williamson's website for your next clue!

But wait! For stopping by, I have a special bonus for you!

A few years back, some friends of mine (the folks of Tangled Blue) recorded a  special song, On What Has Now Been Sown, for the release of my first book, Failstate. Well, I'd like to share that song with you. Just click here and fill out the form, and you'll get your free music. It's really, really fun group and I highly suggest you check them out.

Thanks for stopping by!

Failstate Blog Tour!

Yesterday, Team Novel Teen did a blog tour for Failstate. You know how people show you pictures of their kid? Well, I'm posting links to the blogs that participated. Because I'm egocentric like that. :D

ADDLibrarian said,"Robin, aka Failstate,  is a Fantastic character, and Otte really nails the male teen psyche in a way that can be rare in Christian fiction."

Bookworm said, "Holy Cow, what a book! Okay, there have only been a few books that pull me in as this one did to the point of ignoring those around me."

Jessica at my story shelf said, "Failstate is a great start to a series that both guys and girls will enjoy. Now, bring on the movie!"

Jill Williamson did a two-parter. She interviewed me and did a review today, in which she said, "Now, this is what has been missing from bookstore shelves! John Otte’s Failstate combines mystery, action, humor, romance, and faith all in one rip-roaring superhero tale."

 And over at Virtuous Girlhood, Miss RJ had this suggestion: "And to any moms reading this? If you have teenage children then you need to buy this book for them. I promise you that they will love it."

This was a blast! Thanks, Team Novel Teen! Thanks for all of your kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed Failstate.

Have you enjoyed it recently? ;)

CSFF Blog Tour: Happy Trails

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that I usually try to post all three days of a blog tour. And I wish I could say that I had some dynamite content for the third day of the Night of the Living Dead Christian blog tour. Unfortunately, I don't have any such content (dynamite or otherwise) for this month.

Instead, I'm posting to say good-bye, farewell, amen.

No, I'm not shutting down my blog. I'll still continue to share stuff about my writing and the books that I'm reading. But in recent months, it seems like I'm being stretched more and more thin. I've come to the sad realization that something has to give and, after a lot of consideration, I've come to the conclusion that the first thing to give is my participation in this blog tour.

I want to make this clear: I've loved my time with all of you. I've been exposed to some phenomenal fiction because I've participated. I would not change anything that's happened for the world.

But this is the end, my friends. I hope all of you continue to help share the good word about the good books that populate the Christian speculative fiction genre. God's richest blessings to all of you!

CSFF Blog Tour: "Night of the Living Dead Christian" Day Two

Part of the reason why I love Matt Mikilatos's books, such as Night of the Living Dead Christian, so much is because of how profoundly uncomfortable they can make me. The same thing happened while I was reading Imaginary Jesus, which examined the false idols we construct for ourselves and then try to dress up as Jesus Himself.

In this book, though, Mikilatos tackled the uncomfortable topic of what the Christian life is supposed to look like. According to the Bible, we're supposed to have new life in Christ, but do we really? Using the imagery of horror movie monsters, Mikilatos unpacks a number of ways that Christians fall short of the life we could have.

Maybe we're zombies, mindlessly shuffling along while we follow a supposedly wise leader. Or we could be werewolves, people who succumb to based instincts that should be under control. Or vampires, folks who live only to gratify their own selfish thirsts. Whatever the case, Mikilatos takes the time to show us what each of these monsters look like in real life. He holds a mirror to our faces and asks us what monster we are.

This is especially true in the epilogue, where Mikilatos lists off a number of different monsters (some in the book and some not), along with defining characteristics. When I read through them, I recognized myself as being a number of different monsters. For example, I'm pretty sure I'm a Gargantuan (and not just because of my height). I can be something of a glory hog, even if I pretend not to be.

So what about you, folks? What kind of monster are you? Admitting to your monsterhood is the first step in being fixed.

Go check out what the other tourists have to say.

Gillian Adams Julie Bihn Red Bissell Thomas Clayton Booher Thomas Fletcher Booher Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham Morgan L. Busse Theresa Dunlap Amber French Tori Greene Nikole Hahn Ryan Heart Bruce Hennigan Janeen Ippolito Becky Jesse Jason Joyner Carol Keen Leighton Shannon McDermott Rebecca LuElla Miller Nissa Joan Nienhuis Crista Richey Sarah Sawyer Chawna Schroeder Rachel Starr Thomson Steve Trower Fred Warren Shane Werlinger Nicole White Dave Wilson

CSFF Blog Tour: Night of the Living Dead Christian Day One

I've been looking forward to this one for a while now, ever since Matt Mikalatos hinted at it back during the Imaginary Jesus blog tour. He had me at "Lutheran werewolf." I couldn't wait to find out what this new story would be about.

It turns out that Night of the Living Dead Christian is an excellent theological romp through a horror movie parody. My goodness, that's an odd way to describe a book, isn't it? And yet it fits.

Just as in his first book, Mikilatos is the star of his story. It starts with Mikilatos on patrol as part of his neighborhood watch. He discovers a mad scientist and his android companion rigging up some sort of experiment to a streetlight. When activated, this brings a swarm of zombies into the neighborhood. They're being chased by a werewolf. Soon Matt finds himself caught up in a quest to help the werewolf (who turns out to be his neighbor, Luther Martin) become fully human and fully alive. Along the way, they encounter more zombies, a recovering vampire, and enough silly scenes to keep me laughing the whole way through. But at the same time, it left me thinking. In short, it's a great book because it not only entertains, but it makes you wonder: how alive am I in the faith?

Truth be told, I was both worried and delighted that one of the main characters would be a Lutheran. We're an underrepresented bunch in Christian fiction and I always love it when we show up in some way, shape, or form. But at the same time, I wondered what would happen with this Lutheran werewolf. Would Mikilatos get the theology right?

For the most part, I think he did. I did wince at the description of Luther's interactions with his father. I know it was hyperbole, but let me assure you, most Lutherans aren't quite as fanatical as Luther's descriptions of his dear old dad. Some, maybe, but that's another subject for another day. And, for the most part, Mikilatos nailed the theology pretty much spot on (although I did have a little quibble with something that happened in the epilogue, but it's so minor that it's really not worth mentioning).

On the back cover, Relevant Magazine described Matt Mikilatos's writings as "Monty Python meets C. S. Lewis." I think that's an apt description. It's a fun read, but just as deep as anything Lewis might have concocted. After reading two of Mikilatos's books, I'm a devoted fan. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Go check out what the other tourists have to say:

Gillian Adams Julie Bihn Red Bissell Thomas Clayton Booher Thomas Fletcher Booher Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham Morgan L. Busse Theresa Dunlap Amber French Tori Greene Nikole Hahn Ryan Heart Bruce Hennigan Janeen Ippolito Becky Jesse Jason Joyner Carol Keen Leighton Shannon McDermott Rebecca LuElla Miller Nissa Joan Nienhuis  Crista Richey Sarah Sawyer Chawna Schroeder Rachel Starr Thomson Steve Trower Fred Warren Shane Werlinger Nicole White Dave Wilson

Pencils Up!

Okay, so not many people stopped by to play my game of "Retell the Fable." That's okay. I know I've been away from the Blog Tour scene for a while.

So the assignment was to take one of Aesop's Fables, chosen by me at random, and find within it the basis of a story. The fable chosen was The Stag at the Pool, which has a listed moral of What is worth most is often valued least.

Before I share my idea, I'll name Blog Tour Overlord Rebecca LuElla Miller as the winner. Just because. Although Christian Miles definitely deserves runner up too!

So what did I come up with? Well, after reading the fable, I couldn't help but notice a distinct parallel between the foolish stag and an Old Testament character. The Stag, while fleeing the lion, winds up getting his antlers caught in a tree. While fleeing an enemy, the main character winds up getting his head caught in . . .

Hello there, Absalom.

So what is it that Absalom overlooked, something that's worth a lot more than he valued it? And how can we take the story of the Stag, merge it with Absalom's story, and come up with something different?

This is what I came up with:

In a far off kingdom, there's a king who has two sons. The younger is a strong warrior type, brash and out-going, a real ladies' man, whose personal livery bears the symbol of a stag. The older is a bookish sort, not very out-going but prone to charitable actions. Younger brother constantly mocks older brother and his ways, especially since the older brother's symbol is that of a lion ("More like a mewling kitten," is a constant jibe). Instead, the youngster is always going out on adventures and garnering glory for himself.

Then an enemy something-or-other (wizard maybe? Then it could be a fantasy) does something bad. Really bad. And when the King doesn't seem ready to do anything about it, the younger son takes matters into his own hands and . . .

Wait a minute, that's the beginning of Thor, isn't it?

Well, you get the idea. Something happens between the younger son and his dad, something that drives a wedge between them. It prompts the Stag to rebel against the King. The King tries to fight back, but the Stag proves too much for him. He steals the throne and expels the King. He ignore the Lion completely, figuring that his brother can do little to stop him.

The King tries to reclaim his throne, only to lose badly. The Stag proves too much for him. The King is either killed or exiled (depending on how dark I feel like going). The Stag consolidates his power, or at least tries to. But then his brother stands up against him. The Stag scoffs at the Lion's threat, until the entire kingdom rises up with the Lion. It turns out that the Lion's actions, caring for his subjects, has won their support. Faced with a revolt, the Stag flees, only to wind up being taken down by his subjects and made to pay for what he's done.

The spiritual payload would be something from John 13, maybe. The idea that the greatest in the kingdom is a servant. That sort of thing.

At least, that's the idea I came up with in 48 hours. Not much, but there you go.

CSSF Blog Tour: "Corus the Champion" Day 3

So here we are, wrapping up the tour for Corus the Champion by D. Barkley Briggs and it occurs to me, it's something of a miracle that we're even having this tour in the first place. After all the first book was published back in 2009 and then the original publisher (the name of which escapes me) canceled before published Corus. But then Living Ink Books stepped in and re-released the first book and has been publishing the rest. And fans of well-written

Now I'm not saying this to knock the aforementioned anonymous-by-way-of-forgetfulness publishing house. Instead, I think this is a great lesson for writers when it comes to patience.

I've never met Briggs nor spoken to him, but I can only imagine what he was going through when his series died. It must have hurt. And who knows how long he waited before Living Ink stepped in and performed a little resurrection. But I'm sure those intervening months or even years were tense. Maybe Briggs wanted to throw in the towel and move on to something different. But he didn't. He hung in there. And the result is a fabulous book that makes me want to read more.

So for all of you pre-published authors, don't despair. Remain patient. Your time could be coming soon too.

Go check out what the other tourists have to say:

Gillian Adams Noah Arsenault Beckie Burnham Morgan L. Busse CSFF Blog Tour Carol Bruce Collett Theresa Dunlap April Erwin Victor Gentile Nikole Hahn Ryan Heart Bruce Hennigan Christopher Hopper Jason Joyner Julie Carol Keen Krystine Kercher Marzabeth Shannon McDermott Rebecca LuElla Miller Eve Nielsen Sarah Sawyer Kathleen Smith Donna Swanson Rachel Starr Thomson Steve Trower Fred Warren Phyllis Wheeler Nicole White Rachel Wyant

CSFF Blog Tour: "Corus the Champion" Day 2

Okay, so I've got nothing. Perhaps I've been out of practice too long.

See, after reading Corus the Champion by D. Barkley Briggs, I couldn't help but think how really cool it was that Briggs was able to take the Arthurian legends and twist them in a new an unique way. It's always fun to see a classic myth twisted in a new and unique way (hence why I'm rooting for my friend Christian Miles to get his book published. Post-apocalyptic Arthur FTW!).

Except as I started trying to organize my thoughts, I realized deja vu. And on the second day too!

But maybe it bears repeating. As many Christians have pointed out in the past, most myths contain within them a kernel of truth, echoes and reflections of deeper spiritual principles that God has woven into the very fabric of reality, principles that haunt us and have to be expressed in some way. It's our fallen nature that wraps those echoes in non-Christian images and themes. Folks like Briggs or C. S. Lewis simply peel away the garbage until the truth remains.

Shall we have some fun, folks? Almost three years ago, I reminisced about an assignment that was given out by a friend of mine on a previous blog tour. Mirtika challenged us to take a myth or fable and find a way to baptize it and make it Christian.

Let's try it again. I have in front of me a copy of Aesop's Fables and I'm going to pick one at random. What I want you, dear reader, is think on the themes and images of said fable, search for Scriptures that parallel it, and come up with a germ of an idea for a story.

And I'll put my money where my mouth is. I'll post my idea on Thursday.

So here we go. Drum roll please.

I'll trust that you're creating a drum roll somehow.

The Stag at the Pool.

So have at it. Come back and share what you come up with. The person with the best story idea gets . . . I don't know. Bragging rights. My eternal admiration.

In the meantime, go see what the other tourists are up to:

Gillian Adams Noah Arsenault Beckie Burnham Morgan L. Busse CSFF Blog Tour Carol Bruce Collett Theresa Dunlap April Erwin Victor Gentile Nikole Hahn Ryan Heart Bruce Hennigan Christopher Hopper Jason Joyner Julie Carol Keen Krystine Kercher Marzabeth Shannon McDermott Rebecca LuElla Miller Eve Nielsen Sarah Sawyer Kathleen Smith Donna Swanson Rachel Starr Thomson Steve Trower Fred Warren Phyllis Wheeler Nicole White Rachel Wyant

CSFF Blog Tour: "Corus the Champion" Day 1

You know, I'd like to bill this as my triumphant return to the Blog Tour. But I'm not exactly sure what I'm triumphant over. Certainly not the calendar, as I originally posted this three weeks early. And, truth be told, I suspect that the blog tour has done just fine without me. So hey, everyone, I'm back.

What brought me back was Corus the Champion by D. Barkley Briggs. When I heard that we were going back to Karac Tor, I signed up immediately. Yes, I'm selfish like that. I couldn't wait to read this book (which, in the interest of fairness, was provided to me for free by the publisher).

The Barlow boys are still in Karac Tor. They've defeated the witch named Nemesia but things are not going well. For the Horned Lord is out to break Corus the Champion and then the rest of the Hidden Lands. Each of the boys have a role to play in trying to bring him down, but it's going to cost them, some of them dearly, as they seek a way to stop their enemy.

I have to be honest, I had a really hard time getting into this story. I think it has something to do with the fact that I read the first book almost three years ago. I remembered bits and pieces of it: one of the brothers has magical music, there was an adventurer named Creed who had a magic sword that didn't like it when he lied, and that's about it. For the first third of the book, I was trying desperately to play catch-up. It made for slow going. I seriously thought I wouldn't be able to participate in the tour because I'd still be reading. But once I got past the midway point, things picked up and I obviously finished in time.

That said, this book felt a little muddy to me. I enjoyed it; the storyline involving Ewan engaged me the most. The other plots seemed too connected to the overall plot (which I have largely forgotten) and for the most part, the book felt like the middle chapters of a larger epic and I felt more than a little lost. Maybe it would have helped if I read the first book again; alas, it has since disappeared from my house!

I'm not saying that this is a bad book. Far from it. Briggs did a fantastic job building a believable world and some very fun characters. Creed is still a favorite. And it was enough to make me want to keep traveling in Karac Tor when I get a chance to read The Song of Unmaking. Hopefully it won't take three years again.

Go and see what the other tourists have to say:

Gillian Adams Noah Arsenault Beckie Burnham Morgan L. Busse CSFF Blog Tour Carol Bruce Collett Theresa Dunlap April Erwin Victor Gentile Nikole Hahn Ryan Heart Bruce Hennigan Christopher Hopper Jason Joyner Julie Carol Keen Krystine Kercher Marzabeth Shannon McDermott Rebecca LuElla Miller Eve Nielsen Sarah Sawyer Kathleen Smith Donna Swanson Rachel Starr Thomson Steve Trower Fred Warren Phyllis Wheeler Nicole White Rachel Wyant

CSFF Blog Tour: "The Ale Boy's Feast" Day Three

So here we are, the final day of the tour surrounding The Ale Boy's Feast by Jeffrey Overstreet.

As I sat down to start reading this book just a few days ago, one of the things that I had to remind myself was that the Keeper is not God, Auralia is not Jesus, and that I shouldn't go looking for allegorical Christian connections in this book. I mean, I've made that mistake many times. Many, many times. So I was bound and determined, this time through, to keep an open mind, not slide into the simplistic x=y allegorical formula that's tripped me up in the past, and see what the story had to say.

And I'm proud to announce that I didn't have that problem. Instead, I came up with a new one.

Toward the middle of the book, I started to wonder, Is this book truly Christian?

But before we delve into that too deeply, let me just say . . .


Now I'm not questioning Jeffrey Overstreet's faith. Far from it. I've learned long ago that you can't do that, that only God knows what truly goes on in a person's heart, soul, and mind. But as the characters delved into the deeper meanings and mythology behind the Keeper(s) and their larger purpose in the Expanse, I started getting uncomfortable.

Part of it came from some discussions that Scharr ben Fray had with his brother Ryp or with Cal-raven. For example, in Chapter 10, Ryp and Scharr get into a discussion of the Keepers, how Cal-raven was taught to put his faith in it. Ryp observes that if Cal-raven discovers that his faith was founded on a lie, he might cling to it all the harder or let go and despair.

Scharr ben Fray's response worried me a little:

We see the suggestion of a shape among the stars. We give it a name, even though that shape is only a fiction. It's how we've always assembled our myths and our religions. We do this to comfort ourselves about all we do not understand. But surely this isn't an empty pursuit. If it helps us face the day, why fight it? We all choose stories in which to root ourselves. Why not choose the story that enables us to flourish?

Later on, while talking with Cal-raven, Scharr basically says the same sort of thing: it doesn't matter if what we believe is based on a lie, just so long as it is helpful. At least, that's how I read it.

Now maybe I had elevated Scharr ben Fray into something that he wasn't. In the previous three books, he seemed to fit the "wise wizard" archetype, the guy who speaks the deeper truths in a book. In The Ale Boy's Feast, he's definitely not that. At least, not from my perspective. But given that that seemed to be his role for the series, it stung a bit when he seemed to say that religions were built on myths that don't necessarily have to be true.

Can you understand why that made me just a tiny bit uncomfortable?

I'm relatively sure that Overstreet is not including Christianity in that description. I'm hoping that he isn't viewing the Bible as filled with myths that don't have to be true to be "true" in a deeper sense. If he is, then this isn't the most orthodox Christian books.

Which actually brings me to another problem I had with the overall series. Overstreet's central thesis seems to be that Art (with a big "A") is meant to point us to a deeper reality (which Overstreet calls "the mystery," an oblique reference to a divine figure). True beauty shows us that there is more to this world and can lift us beyond the pain and garbage of the world and help us find a connection to Someone Deeper.

And that is true, I suppose. Art can inspire us, uplift us, help us feel and experience a connection to God. But can Art help us overcome the garbage that keeps us from God?

The sad thing is, Overstreet's book, while true in a generic sense, didn't strike me as all that Christian. His "mystery" could be any sort of divine figure or even impersonal divine energy. I could see a lot of non-Christians read this book and agree with everything in it . . . and come away completely unchanged. Maybe I'm being overly critical, but that's where I wound up after finishing the series.

Now, having said that, let me reiterate: I did enjoy this book, as I did all the ones that came before it. Overstreet has a great sense for storytelling. His prose is lyrical. And he kept me guessing to the very end (and even beyond). I would gladly read whatever he writes next and I would eagerly anticipate it. But at the same time, there were a few areas where I felt this whole endeavor fell short.

Go and see what the other tourists have to say:

Gillian Adams
Red Bissell
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Shane Deal
Chris Deane
Cynthia Dyer
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Inae Kyo
Shannon McDermott
Shannon McNear
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler

CSFF Blog Tour: "The Ale Boy's Feast" Day Two

So in spite of painting our entire basement yesterday morning, I still found time to finish reading The Ale Boy's Feast by Jeffrey Overstreet. And I have to say, I'm glad I did. A lot of what Overstreet set up in the previous three books were resolved. Characters were reunited with loved ones or found resolution in their predicaments. Futures were hinted at. A lot of them died (a surprising number; I was beginning to wonder if this was written by Joss Whedon at one point). But in the end, I think I finally have a handle on the message that Overstreet has been trying to deliver.

And that's been a long time coming.

It seems every time we do a tour on one of his books, I wind up confused over who Auralia and the Keeper is. In the previous three books, I kept landing on a Christological meaning for Auralia and thinly-veiled allegory for the Keeper. Even though I was told that wasn't correct after the first time around, my mind kept drifting back to it. This time, I managed to restrain myself (the end of Raven's Ladder helped). And in the end, I think I'm okay with where we wound up.

Although, truth be told, there were some troubling statements that, left on their own, have me worried. But I'll delve into that tomorrow.

The upshot is that this was a satisfying conclusion to a really good series. I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to read them all from start to finish (my to-be-read pile is threatening to consume a good portion of our house at present). But I've certainly enjoyed my sojourn in the Expanse.

Go see what the other tourists have to say:

Gillian Adams
Red Bissell
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Shane Deal
Chris Deane
Cynthia Dyer
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Inae Kyo
Shannon McDermott
Shannon McNear
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler

CSFF Blog Tour: "The Ale Boy's Feast" Day One

I feel a little unready for this. Part of the reason was because I thought I was going to get a review copy of this month's book, namely The Ale Boy's Feast by Jeffrey Overstreet. So I kept waiting for it and waiting for it until I realized, about a week ago, that said review copy wasn't coming. So I put in a reserve at a nearby Barnes and Noble and ran to go get it. I am not complaining about the lack of review copy. I'm just saying I didn't get my hands on this book until recently. As of right now, I'm only about 2/3s of the way through the book and I'm not sure when I'll get it finished. My family and I are in the middle of a home improvement marathon (the actual work, not the TV show), so it might not be until Tuesday or even Wednesday.

So I figured what I'd do is talk about my raw impressions of the book. I have no idea how the many plot threads will finally tie together. I don't even know that they will.

My initial thought is that I should have started preparing for this final book in the Auralia's thread series a lot earlier than I did. I'm not talking about getting the book earlier. I mean I should have read the previous three. I only read Raven's Ladder a year ago, but apparently that was too long to trust my memory. I remember King Cal-Raven. I remember Scharr Ben Fray. I remember Krawg and Warney and Jordam and Cyndere. And I remember the titular ale boy. But all of the minor characters? Yeah, I don't remember most of them. Worse, I don't remember how most of those main characters were left at the end of the last book. The first third of this book left me completely lost and, I'll be honest, a little disgruntled. It's one thing to dump a reader mid-series into a plot with a few characters. It's entirely another when your cast numbers in the hundreds. Even now, I'm still not sure I know who everyone is, and that's problematic for me and, I would think, problematic from a craft stand-point. This means that absolutely no one can board the story late. Someone picking up this book would have absolutely no idea what is going on and, I think, would stop reading midway through.

That aside, I am liking what's happening. The stakes are high for the myriad characters and Overstreet's prose is excellent, as always. I just wish I wasn't so lost.

Well, come back tomorrow and see if I have any more thoughts rattling around in my brain. Maybe I'll be done by then, maybe I won't. We'll just have to see.

Go and check out what the other tourists have to say. Hopefully they all finished the book (unlike me):

Gillian Adams
Red Bissell
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Shane Deal
Chris Deane
Cynthia Dyer
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Inae Kyo
Shannon McDermott
Shannon McNear
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler

CSFF Blog Tour: "The Resurrection" Day Three

So here's the thing. I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to blog about today regarding Mike Duran's The Resurrection. That Easter-related post I mentioned on Monday? Yeah, I pretty much made it up. I got nothing along those lines.

At best, what I have is a gut-level reaction to Duran's afterword regarding the existence of ghosts. He acknowledges that most Christians don't believe in ghosts, but then raises the possibility that they could exist. Maybe. Duran even cites some Biblical evidence for the potential existence of ghosts.

His three examples? The appearance of a post-mortem Samuel to Saul and the witch at Endor, Moses and Elijah chatting with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, and the fact that, when the disciples think Jesus is a ghost, He corrects them but doesn't tell them to stop thinking ghosts are real.

After reading the afterword (after the afterword?), I was less than impressed with these examples. Sure, Samuel and Moses show up after they died, but who's to say that God didn't grant them a temporary release from their heavenly rest? As for Elijah, he didn't exactly die, now did he? Unless "taken up into heaven by a fiery chariot" is some weird Hebrew euphemism I'm unaware of.

As for his final example, I don't buy it. Here's the passage in question:

³⁶ While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

³⁷ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. ³⁸ He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” (Luke 24:36-39, New International Version, ©2011)

On the surface, it might seem like Jesus is allowing the possibility of ghosts. After all, if ghosts didn't they exist, why wouldn't Jesus say, "It is I myself! Touch me and see. Oh, and while we're on the subject, ghosts don't exist, so get over it."

Except . . .

Except this isn't exactly what you would call a teachable moment. The disciples have just received a pretty major shock. Seeing dead people come back to life can do that to people (i.e. Chapter 4 of this month's book). This isn't exactly the time to confront faulty beliefs regarding life after death. Instead, the point of Luke 24 is that Jesus is simply, really, completely alive. The point isn't that He's not a ghost. That's only secondary. The point is resurrection.

Duran's evidence of a maybe is sketchy, and that's a best-case assessment. I realize that's not the point, but this was sort of the cherry on the top of a less-than-impressive book.

Now does that mean that I'm against ghosts in Christian fiction? Believe it or not, I'm not. It didn't faze me at all when . . . well, what prompted Duran's afterword to come after the story. Sorry. Spoilers and all that. Anyway, speculative fiction is all about dancing on the end of a tree branch. If someone can skillfully jig without losing a step, I'm all for it, especially if it can provoke some thoughts in the old theological corners of my brain.

Go and see what the rest of the tourists have to say:

Noah Arsenault
Brandon Barr
Red Bissell
Book Reviews By Molly
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Wanda Costinak
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Janey DeMeo
Cynthia Dyer
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Katie Hart
Joleen Howell
Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McNear
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
Gavin Patchett
Sarah Sawyer
Andrea Schultz
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Dave Wilson

CSFF Blog Tour: "The Resurrection" Day Two

As I said yesterday, there was one factor in Mike Duran's The Resurrection that kind of bothered me throughout the story, and it had to do with the way people doubted whether or not the titular miracle was real. But before I delve into that too deeply . . .


Just to be on the safe side. I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but better safe than sorry, y'know?

Okay, so let's review. Faithful Ruby Case goes to the funeral of a young man named Armando Amaya, held at Goldman's Mortuary. It's conducted by a Roman Catholic priest (I'm assuming) and afterward, Ruby goes up to the coffin to pay her respects. She briefly touches the body, praying for Mondo and his family, and after she turns away Mondo comes back to life.

When Pastor Clark finds out about this seeming miracle, the first thing he does is go to the cops to find out if they've learned anything. And they haven't. Nobody seems to know what to make of this event, if it's real or a hoax or what.

The whole time, though, I kept grinding my teeth because, from where I was sitting, there was a question that someone should have asked, one that could have easily settled the whole real vs. fake debate right away. But before I ask it, let me explain my background and why I thought of this.

As my bio says, I'm a Lutheran minister serving in Minnesota. This past June, I hit my 10th ordination anniversary. In those 10 years, I've done more than my fair share of funerals. I think I did somewhere around three dozen or so while I was at my first parish (I don't keep track of the actual number; that'd be kind of morbid). As a result of my track record, I got to know one of the funeral directors pretty well and every now and then, I'd talk shop with him and he shared some techniques for preparing a body for burial.

So one night while reading this book, I asked myself what I would do if I were in Pastor Clark's shoes. And I realized, I wouldn't go to the cops first. No, I'd go to the funeral director and ask one question:

Was the body embalmed?

That's the key right there, and it's a question that's never answered in this book and, I think, should have been. To doublecheck my hunch, I actually spoke with two other funeral directors on the way back from a committal this past week. I told them about the book, explaining about the titular resurrection, and asked what they thought.

They were pretty skeptical, because they explained that in Minnesota, a body has to be embalmed if it's going to be an open casket funeral. It's actually state law. One of them put it this way: "By the time people get to us, they're dead. And if they aren't, they will be by the time we're done."

And that's what bugged me about this book. I don't know if whatever state Stonetree is in has similar laws, but if Mondo had been embalmed, then this is definitely a miracle, no doubt about it.

Now I realize that would take away some of the mystery around Mondo's resurrection. But the guys I spoke to actually mentioned two possibilities. A body can be refrigerated instead of embalmed. And in Mexico, apparently the tradition is to do no embalming unless the body is going to travel somewhere else for burial. Given Mondo's name, it's possible that he wasn't embalmed for that reason, thus allowing for the doubt to continue.

So why am I bringing this up? Because it's a massive question, one that I think should have been answered. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking, "Why isn't anyone (other than reporters) talking to the guy who prepared Mondo's body? He'd be able to settle this matter once and for all!"

Just kind of bugged me. That's all.

Go and see what the other tourists have to say:

Noah Arsenault
Brandon Barr
Red Bissell
Book Reviews By Molly
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Wanda Costinak
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Janey DeMeo
Cynthia Dyer
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Katie Hart
Joleen Howell
Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McNear
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
Gavin Patchett
Sarah Sawyer
Andrea Schultz
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Dave Wilson

CSFF Blog Tour: "The Resurrection" Day One

Maybe it's just me, but I'm thinking that this month's book should have been scheduled for next month. I mean, I did the math last week and realized that April's blog tour will fall smack in the middle of Holy Week. What better time to discuss Mike Duran's book, The Resurrection? I mean, I could have discussed the connection between Easter, this book, and 1 Corinthians 15:12-21, thus giving me some "warm up" for Easter Sunday. But no, this had to fall in the early days of Lent, when my mind is befuddled from my yearly caffeine fast. Sigh. Missed opportunities.

Okay, so I'm only kidding. Truth be told, there's no way I'd be able to participate in a blog tour during Holy Week. Stress levels and all that. Hence why I'm abstaining next month. So instead of wallowing in might-have-beens, let's discuss the book instead (which I received for free for reviewing purposes).

This story centers around two people in the small west coast town of Stonetree. The first is Pastor Ian Clark, a young minister who is struggling with his faith. He's faced some pretty difficult crises before landing at Canyon Springs Community Church and now he's had enough. He's ready to quit it all and leave, but one thing stops him from carrying out his plans, namely the person of Ruby Case.

Ruby is a faithful church member, fairly ordinary in most regards, but one day, something extraordinary occurs. She somehow resurrects a dead man through a touch. It's not something she planned. It's not something she understands. But this one act forces her and her reluctant pastor on a collision course with primal forces that control the area, forces that will demand death before they are satisfied.

In many ways, this story reminds me of This Present Darkness only without the angelic warriors zipping all over the place. And in my eyes, it actually pales in comparison a little. While I enjoyed reading this, I couldn't shake a feeling of "almost." The story almost makes it. The conflict almost completely engages me. While Duran writes the story with a great deal of passion, it seems like he doesn't quite make it from "okay" to "great." It's an okay read and that's about it.

I think part of the problem is that Duran doesn't quite focus on one aspect of his story. Is this a story about spiritual warfare? Is it a story about the place of miracles in modern-day faith? Is it a story about maintaining faith in the face of difficulties? The answer is yes to all three questions, and that only muddied the waters of the story just enough that it kept me from being completely engaged. Plus there was a problem that I realized with the story, one that I'll discuss at length tomorrow.

So in the end, I guess I'd have to say that this is an okay story. Not phenomenal but not awful either. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that, but there's only one way to find out. Go and see what the other tourists have to say:

Noah Arsenault
Brandon Barr
Red Bissell
Book Reviews By Molly
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Wanda Costinak
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Janey DeMeo
Cynthia Dyer
Tori Greene
Nikole Hahn
Katie Hart
Joleen Howell
Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McNear
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
Gavin Patchett
Sarah Sawyer
Andrea Schultz
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Dave Wilson

CSFF Blog Tour: "The God Hater" Day Three

So in my odd first day rambling review, I mentioned that I thought that The God Hater by Bill Myers was a bit timely. Here's the reason why:


While the kind of artificial intelligence that Myers describes is probably a ways off yet, we just saw a computer trounce two Jeopardy champs on national TV. And while Watson got flummoxed a few times by the questions, it definitely was a step toward true artificial intelligence. Obviously Ken Jennings understood that as well:


Most telling for me was the fact that as I was watching the episodes with my family, I kept referred to Watson as a "he," not an "it."

This was also kind of creepy since TIME magazine's cover story a few weeks ago covered the Singularity movement:

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, the Singularity Movement is the belief that soon and very soon, humanity will be able to create a computer system that will actually surpass the combined intelligence of every human everywhere. The date they're predicting? 2045. Yikes.

But let's be honest here, some of what Myers describes is already happening. I mean, I already have a virtual community of computerized people living on my hard drive, and I know I'm not the only one:


Now granted, the Sims aren't as sophisticated as Alpha and the rest of the crew in The God Hater, but again, it's a step in that direction. Very soon, we're going to need to start asking a difficult question: can a computer program be considered "alive" in the same way as a human being? Can a group of scientists build a soul?

If I'm honest, I'd have to say I don't know. For a while, I was firmly in the "no" camp. But the more I think about it, I wonder if it isn't possible. After all, human parents create beings with a soul all the time. Does soul-giving have to be biological? I'm guessing it would take a lot of work to create the first truly sentient computer program, probably as much as it takes for a human being to gestate and be born. Does the fact that scientists are involved and that each step of the process is deliberate and thought-out negate the soul-giving?

It's a hard question and, like I said, one we may have to tackle in the near future, along with others like it. For instance, if AI programs are truly "alive" and have souls, how does original sin factor in? Does it at all? Does what Christ did on the cross apply to them if it does?

Wow. Too much for one day. But I know I'm not the only one who'd like to know if machines can have souls. This guy would too:



Go and see what the other tourists have to say:

Noah Arsenault
Red Bissell
Thomas Clayton Booher
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Rachel Briard
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
April Erwin
Amber French
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McDermott
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
MollyBuuklvr81
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Nicole White
Dave Wilson