Love IS the Answer

by Peter Leavell, @PeterLeavell 

God, are You good? Are You everywhere and know all things?

Yes? Then why does evil exist? (Theodicy)

Evil: Harm. Injury. And the decision to cause harm and injury. Enter the villain.
What overcomes evil? Gumption? Bacon? A can-do attitude? All good thing—maybe even great—but that’s not the Biblical, or even the philosophical answer.

Love: A feeling of constant affection for a person. The great commandment and the golden rule. Enter the hero.

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So Why Write A "Christian" Novel?

By Rachel Hauck

I started building new characters for a new story the other day and as I considered the journey on which my characters would embark, I thought, "Why do I write Christian novels?"

Christian stories get kicked around for being preachy, soft, not well written. Often its friendly fire, too. Accusation from within our ranks.

Sadly at times, those accusations are not without foundation.

Yet, I've read plenty of books in the secular market that were not well written. They were soft. Preachy.

Word on the street is 50 Shades of Grey, the top selling novel of all time, is not well written. I've not read it so I can't personally attest, but criticizing a whole publishing space, Christian publishing, for being "not well written" falls a bit short.

There are many amazing Christian novels, very well written and inspiring.

Yet I can't launch a dog into that larger fight, you know?

It's too broad. Too generic. Too ambiguous.

I have to stay in my wheelhouse. Write what's on my heart. Write WHO I am.

So that's why I write novels with my Christina faith in mind.

Because I cannot deny the hope that is within me.

I want to write stories that inspire people to seek out Jesus.

That give the readers hope. Inspiration.

I write in the romance genre and of all Christian novels, romance has taken the biggest hit.

Critics proclaim Christian romance novels create unrealistic expectations and send women off to fantasize about what they don't have.

This is from More To The Point by Russell Moore:

A lot of this genre, though, is simply a Christianization of a form not intended to enhance intimacy but to escape to an artificial illusion of it. Granted, there’s no graphic sexuality here. The hero and heroine don’t sleep together; they pray together. But that’s just the point.

How many disappointed middle-aged women in our congregations are reading these novels as a means of comparing the “strong spiritual leaders” depicted there with what by comparison must seem to be underachieving lumps lying next to them on the couch? (Newsflash: They can do that every week by comparing their husbands to the pastor!)

This is not to equate morally “romance novels” with the grave soul destruction of pornography. (Shew, glad he cleared that one up!) But it is worth asking, “Is what I’m consuming leading me toward contentment with my spouse (or future spouse) or away from it? Is it pointing me to the other in one-flesh union or to an eroticized embodiment of my own desires? Is this the mystery or a mirage?

Trust me, Mr. Moore's, you don't need a Christian romance novel to point out to some "middle age woman" that her husband is an underachieving lump on the couch.

Women can get that image from a myriad of places if that's what she's looking for.

However! In a Christian romance novel, our characters deal with their own weakness and frailty, and each one, hero and heroine, has their own journey with God.

My characters rarely if ever "pray together."

Christian novels inspire hope. To trust God's will and pleasure in each of us. I've heard from readers and not one has ever said, "I read your book and now I can't stand my husband."

In fact, here are a few examples from readers. All three of these women wrote me from other countries. Indonesia. Poland. Brazil.

After I read your novel. I promise to myself to keep love (my husband) with my way. Unconditionally. Just like Jesus did. I don't expect anything in return. He can love me with his way. I tell to my friend about this also. to encourage them to do the same thing.

I didn't think the Gospels had anything else for me. I'd read them. But after I read your novel, I changed my perspective and I sat and prayed for a long time.

(This reader was 17) I didn't know Christian romances like this existed. I can't wait to read more. I'm going to tell all of my friends. And tonight, I'm going to pray for you.

Tear. Lots of tears while reading these letter.

Do you know how long it might have taken me as a missionary to impact these women in the same way one story did?

Look, I love our missionaries! We need boots on the ground. But look at the power of story to get straight to the heart.

Christian romance inspired them to love. To be kind. To pray. To hold to their virtue. To wait for "the one" God has for them.

I pray for my books to make a difference in this age as well as the age to come. I want them to last for eternity! Not just this life.

That's why I write Christian novels. I'm selfish I guess. I want to put my hand to what will endure forever! Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has written eternity on our hearts.

I'm not saying every Christian novelist has to write "Christian" novels. Please hear me on this. Each one of us must follow the calling on our heart.

I have many Christian author friends making a difference in the secular market!

I'm saying this is why I write Christian novels.

Those letters from international readers beat any best seller list or award. They affirmed what I do and why.

So why do you write what you write? You write the stories on your heart! All I ask is that you seek the heart of Jesus before, during and after.

Write what will endure. Write to entertain. Inspire. Draw the reader into hope.

Now go be brilliant!

***

Rachel Hauck lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery pets.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, she worked in the corporate software world before planting her backside in uncomfortable chair to write full time eight years ago.

She’s the author of EPCA and CBA best sellers, RITA and Christy nominated books. 

She also co-authored the critically acclaimed Songbird Novels with platinum selling country music artist Sara Evans. Their novel Softly and Tenderly, was one of Booklists 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals.

Rachel serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, a conference speaker and worship leader.

Rachel writes from her two-story tower in an exceedingly more comfy chair. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

Visit her web site: www.rachelhauck.com.

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Once Upon a Time by DiAnn Mills

Once Upon A Time

By DiAnn Mills
It wasn’t a dark and stormy night. Thunder didn’t rumble, and lightning didn’t streak across the sky. 

In fact, it was a summer day in Houston—99+ and the pool felt wonderful, splashing and laughing with my grandchildren.

“Mimi, will we always be able to swim in your pool and play together?”

“I hope so,” I said.

“What about when you’re really old?”

“You might have to help me get in and out of the pool.”

He showed his muscles. “I can do that.”

Little boys can do anything.

I smiled. Our dialogue prompted a story idea . . . What if a man, named Daniel, had been raised by his grandparents, and now that man looked after the two who had loved and cared for him?

Not very exciting so far.

What if Daniel was a Houston police officer, and his parents had been lawbreakers. 

Still not suspenseful.

What if his mother was in prison for killing his father? Because of her betrayal and abandonment when he was a toddler, he couldn’t give his heart to a woman.

Better, but what’s the story?

What if his grandfather was a victim of Alzheimer’s, and he’d been scammed of several thousand dollars? The grandson/police officer was committed to ending the crime.

Now the idea is simmering.

The grandmother was feisty, witty, lovable, and knew how to use a gun. She was my kind of woman, but what role would she play in the story?

In an effort to end an elderly scam, what if the grandson/police officer was forced to combine forces with a female FBI agent, who had a few control issues going on? Add a felon to the threesome, a guy no one could trust and yet he had inside information to the elderly scam. Per FBI, the threesome had to work together to solve the crime. Who could they trust?

I shook the mix and out rolled Double Cross, a story about betrayal, greed, unforgiveness, and a generous dollop of unexpected love.


My story idea didn’t evolve overnight, but it did begin with a single what-if thought and a five-year-old little boy. 

When I took the premise and set my characters and plot in Houston, my city, it came alive. 

It’s important for me to drive the same streets as my characters, see their homes, eat at their favorite restaurants, select the Starbucks they’d frequent, listen to their dialogue, and learn their unique problems, challenges, strengths, and goals. Story is birthed in truth, a single thought that is credible. When I look around me, I see potential for real people, real stories, and real victory.

Once upon a time, a story idea dropped into a writer’s mind . . . 
 

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

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Game of Love

Peter Leavell

Peter Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing's Best award for First-Time Author. Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. For entertainment, he reads historical books, where he finds ideas for new novels. For relaxation, he writes westerns. Whenever he has a chance, he takes his wife and two homeschooled children on crazy but fun research trips. Learn more about Peter's books, research, and family adventures at www.peterleavell.com.

If God has told you to write, and writing wants you, then you have no choice. You must write.

Coaxing someone to pay money for your work—to become a published author—is brutal. An impossible dream. Your writing must be quality. But it’s worth it. How do snatch the public's disposable income with your story?

The game of publishing is like the game of romance. You have to learn the language.

My goal was to marry this girl. But first things first. I had to ask her on a date.

I marched across the college cafeteria straight for her. She was so cute, it made me sweat. As I approached, her cheeks reddened and she smiled.

Oh please, let this work. “Are you going skating tonight?”

Her brow rose as her large eyes enveloped my world. “I wasn’t planning on it. But…” She let the word drift between us.

I clutched my stomach and stumbled away. How could she reject my date proposal, despite the obvious attraction? At the exit, I spun and saw a look of hurt and confusion in her eyes. Why would she feel pain? I was the one she turned down. 

I grew up with two brothers and no sisters. To say I didn’t understand the dance between men and women is, well, an understatement. I didn't get the language. 

This girl was too cute to let go. I learned a little more about what I did wrong. Form the words differently. Will you go skating with me? She was my audience. I wanted her to buy me, aka spend her life with me. After a year of talking with her, I learned her language.

Writing is similar. You can’t use feminine grunts and strength or masculine looks and wiles to publish a book. It takes practice to learn the art. Yes, there are hurt feelings and bitterness along the way. Yes, you cry and shout. At times, moments are sweet and precious. But don’t forget the end goal—a well-written book someone is willing to pay money to read.

At the end of the year, the cute girl was cornered in the botanical gardens in Des Moines, Iowa. I dropped to a knee and opened a box. Inside was a Precious Memories figurine, an Eskimo giving his girl a block of ice. I Only Have Ice For You. Attached to the block was an engagement ring. And I knew the words my audience would respond to. Will you marry me?

She said yes.

The amount of work to become a great writer can be discouraging. The dance between readers and authors is difficult to understand. You must learn the language. Study the craft of writing, though, because becoming a published author—much like getting married—is the thrill of a lifetime.

April 2015

Philip Anderson keeps his past close to the vest. Haunted by the murder of his parents as they traveled West in their covered wagon, his many unanswered questions about that night still torment him. 

His only desire is to live quietly on his homestead and raise horses. He meets Anna, a beautiful young woman with secrets of her own. Falling in love was not part of his plan. Can Philip tell her how he feels before it’s too late?
With Anna a pawn in the corrupt schemes brewing in the nearby Dakota town, Philip is forced to become a reluctant gunslinger. Will Philip’s uncannily trained horses and unsurpassed sharpshooting skills help him free Anna and find out what really happened to his family out there in the wilderness? April 2015

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Love, In the Room

by Marcia Lee Laycock

A little boy named Bobby is purported to have said - “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”

When I read that quote I wondered about what that little boy would hear. The laughter of his siblings, the chatter of the adults; the snoring of his grandfather asleep in his favourite chair perhaps, or the cooking preparations going on in the kitchen; the whine of a new puppy or the mechanical sounds of electronic gifts already opened?

Or perhaps that young and obviously very discerning little boy was hearing something more ethereal. Perhaps he was hearing angels singing praises to the Christ Child, or the words of the Magi as they presented their gifts. Perhaps he was hearing the booming voice of our heavenly Father announcing the arrival of his Son on this earth. Or the voice of Jesus Himself, saying, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Those are indeed the sounds of love, a love so deep it is impossible to comprehend it. And that Love is present with us, in the room, because the Child whose birth we celebrate embodies love and gave us the greatest gift of all time, through a sacrifice performed on a cross in a tiny country in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago.

That little boy knew the secret to finding that Love. It’s a matter of shifting our focus from earthly things to things spiritual. In the rush and flurry of the Christmas season it’s easy to forget the fact that it is, in its essence, a spiritual time. It’s a time to reflect on the birth of a Saviour, a time to ponder our relationship with Him, a time to seek His forgiveness and grace.

Perhaps opening a Bible would be a good place to start, if you want to find that Love. The story is told in the very beginning of the New Testament. Matthew 1:18-23 reads: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about ... All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God with us.””

God, with us. Love, with us - in a room full of the joy of Christmas or in a homeless shelter; in a school room or an office tower; in a hospital or a grocery store; on a bus traveling across the country or a plane taking people home to their loved ones. He is always with us, everywhere.

So this Christmas, take the time to stop opening the presents. Sit back and just listen. Ponder the Christ Child.

Perhaps you too will discover that Love is, indeed, in the room.

****

Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. Her second novel, A Tumbled Stone was recently short listed in the contemporary fiction category of The Word Awards. Her most recent release is the first book in a fantasy series, The Ambassadors.

Marcia also has two devotional books in print and has contributed to several anthologies. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan.

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers of faith can be downloaded for FREE on Smashwords  Just use the code, GM35V

Or, if you are in the mood for an inspirational Christmas short story, download Missing Christmas - Just use the code ZS54J to get if for FREE.

Visit Marcia’s Website to learn more about her writing and speaking ministry.

 

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