Tuck: Surprisingly Satisfying

(Tuck by Stephen Lawhead. )

Those of you who have been following my posts on Facebook and Twitter know already that reading this book has been a struggle. It is honestly not my cup of tea and to say I enjoyed it would be deceptive. As a whole, I did not enjoy it. I'm not a big fan of this particular type of literature. But my own preferences and even enjoyment are irrelevant to the review process. A reviewer to be effective must be dispassionate in her evaluation.

Given that, I would have to say that Stephen Lawhead is certainly a master storyteller. I was impressed by his pacing. Too many writers of action-adventure fiction feel "conflict" must always involve a physical battle. One has little time to rest between fights and you feel like you are being pushed at top speed from one to another. Lawhead, however, interspersed periods of calm in between the battles. These were times when we could learn about the backstory and get to know the characters somewhat.

I have to say the characters, while distinctive, were not terribly well developed. I must preface the following by saying I have not read the other books and perhaps having read them the characters might have felt more solid. However, in most other ways this book stands on its own. I found most of the characters sort of stock stereotypes. Rhiban is heroic. Merian is beautiful and spunky. Alan is a scamp. And Tuck - well - Tuck is a classic hybrid warrior priest with Rosary in one hand and a stout staff to smash your head in the other. I do not consider that a positive character, but that's irrelevant to this review. However, I did like how Tuck recovers his Christianity at the end. I will say no more and spoil the story.

This is why I said the story was surprisingly satisfying. Throughout the book I was steaming over this supposed priest, quoting scripture and praying for the deaths of others. The number of commandments broken, the deciet, the hatred, the violence were hardly in keeping with that of a servant of the one who would not lift a hand in his own defense and healed the ear of the soldier sent to kill him. Tuck had more of Joshua than Yeshua in him. However, at the end, the victory comes as he rediscovers his call.

I would have liked to have seen this foreshadowed. I would have liked to have seen some sort of self doubt, questioning, or guilt. There were moments, but they were rare. A favorite scene in the book for me was at the end of chapter two when Tuck passes some dead soldiers and says:

"May God have mercy on their vile and wretched souls," Tuck whispered hastening away, "and grant them the peace they have denied to others." Thinking better of this crabbed prayer, he added, "Welcome them into Your eternal kingdom--but not for my sake, Good Lord, no--but for the sake of Your own dear son who always remembered to forgive His enemies. Amen."

I would have liked to have seen more moments like that in the book and fewer of Tuck praying for the arrows to fly true and "find their marks." The arrogant assumption that God must necessarily be on ones own side in a political conflict certainly has lead to great destruction of lives, communities and entire nations.

Interestingly enough, for me the most interesting and endearing character in his own way was King William. His misguided, but noble and sincere, attempt to atone for all the deaths he and his father had caused in battle was sad and touching. I would have liked to have seen more of this character. I suspect he is a more significant character in the other books. He comes across as a slightly clueless, reluctant warrior which is honestly more engaging than the cock sure Rhiban.

I warn potential readers that the book has a very high body count. Killing and bloodshed are glorified if in a "good cause." So, if that type of violence bothers you, then you might stay away from this book.

However, if you enjoy a well crafted medieval war story, this realistic re-telling of the Robin Hood myth is worth your time. Meanwhile check out the other sites on this tour.

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Keanan Brand
Rachel Briard
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Terri Main
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Epic Rat
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

Review of Tuck by Stephen Lawhead - The Process

(Tuck by Stephen Lawhead. )

Okay, I have not read this book yet. Finals, bad health, cat ate my computer, pick your excuse it all works. Anyway, I am going to read it tomorrow and then post a review on Friday, but I thought you might like to take an inside look at the process. So, let me tell you what I am doing and thinking right now.

First, I take a look at the cover. It's a nice hard bound cover. The design is simple but elegant. I see it is book three in the King Raven series.

Oh great. Once again, I'm reviewing a book in a series where I haven't read the other books. Of course, it may stand alone. It should stand alone. Every book should be able to be read on it's own merits. Okay, maybe that's just me venting because I didn't read the other two books.

I see this is Stephen Lawhead as author. Pretty big name for our little blog tour. Now, I'll check out the cover copy on the back.

The first thing that hits me is a quote "Pray God our aim is true and each arrow finds its mark"

Oh no, not another "God is on our side and all those human beings on the other side are evil demons from the netherworld and not sons and husbands and fathers with fathers, wives and sons who will weap over their deaths" type of book. Getting a little tired of the Christian publishing world ready to justify any type of violence but will shudder if someone even mentions a sexual topic. Okay, more venting. Doesn't mean this book is really like that. I would like to see more speculative fiction that doesn't involve battles and massive killing sprees. But I'll reserve judgement. And that is a personal matter of taste and not something relevant to the excellence of the writing or story.

Apparently, this series follows the adventures of Rhi Bran also known as King Raven and is told from the perspective of Friar Tuck.

Okay, another retelling of the Robin Hood mythos. What an enduring legend. The idea of a band of outlaws, who use robbery as a form of social commentary and civil disobedience. Wonder about the theology of robbery as a means to help the poor. By the way, I wonder if they have Men in Tights available on demand.

Seems like it is a story about a rebellion to find a homeland for the peoople of Elfael.

Sounds tedious right now. Supposedly set in the latter 11th and early 12th centuries. Probably glamourizes that whole bloody era, turning local politics into a morality play of some sort with clear villains and heroes when the real characters of history are rarely either. I feel uneasy with stories set in historical times dealing with historical events which never actually happened. But then I do like the Brother Cadfael mysteries which do that. So, this might be like that. Again, I need to reserve judgement until I read the book.

Now, to read the book. I will be posting updates on Twitter and Facebook as I read the book tomorrow. Realize that these will be purely personal responses and not to be confused with a reasoned evaluation of a book based on its own merits and not my subjective responses, but you might be interested in the process.

Meanwhile, check out what others are saying about Tuck at these other blog sites:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Keanan Brand
Rachel Briard
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Terri Main
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Epic Rat
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

Flashpoint is an Amazon Bestseller

Frank Creed's ground-breaking Christian cyberpunk novel Flashpoint (The Writers' Cafe Press, 2007) passed a major milestone yesterday. It was listed as the top selling religious science-fiction/fantasy book on Amazon.com, the world's leading online bookseller.

The rankings, which are updated hourly showed Creed's book leading sales of the popular Dragonkeeper series by Donita Paul and the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.

“I nearly fell off my chair when I saw that,” commented Creed. “I am hugely happy about this especially in light of what's coming next.”

Creed is referring to the publication of War of Attrition, the second book in the Underground series later this year.

Flashpoint tells the story of a brother and sister living in the Chicago Metroplex of 2036 in a world where all religious devotion regardless of sect is considered terrorism. Taking the “street names” of Calamity Kid and eGirl, they join a “muscle cell” of the underground church tasked with protecting – within the limitations of the “Agape principle”- Christian believers from persecution through the use of non-lethal weapons and spiritually empowered cybernetic implants.

For more information about Frank Creed or The Underground series, visit http://www.frankcreed.com

Self Publishing: Everybody's Right - Sort of

If you want to stimulate a vigorous discussion among a group of writers, just raise the question of self-publishing. Almost immediately, they will gather into one of two camps. One camp sees self-publishing as the salvation of the written word. The other camp sees it as the death of literary quality. Truth be told, both are right.

The problem with highly polarized questions is that they force out the more reasoned evaluation that exists at some point between the the extremes. Self-Publishing is no exception to that rule. Rational discussion degenerates into open warfare between those claiming that self-publishing democratizing publishing providing the reader with a greater variety of reading materials than the traditional publisher driven system can provide and those claiming that self-published inevitably means poor quality.

The ugly truth is that both sides speak the truth just not all of it. Self-Publishing does create a greater variety of materials than is economically feasible for traditional publishers to produce. This is particularly important for writers and readers of niche literature. For instance, a traditional publisher warehousing thousands of copies of each book cannot afford to publish books of interest to only a few hundred people. However, the self-published author can write that book about underwater basket weaving and underwater basket weavers everywhere will rejoice to find new patterns for their seaweed baskets.

Using the internet as a distribution pipeline, readers with special interests can find the types of books they want and writers with a drive to write that type of literature can reach that audience. So, while sales of books in bookstores and through traditional publishers are down, there is no lack of publishing, buying and selling the printed word.

It's a beautiful world where self-publishing has saved the written word from extinction, then. Right?

Sorry, not quite. The other side claims, with some strong justification, that self-publishing is degrading the overall quality of printed materials. They say, that it is true we have more printed material available to readers, but just having more garbage doesn't make it any less smelly. The traditional publishing system of editors and editorial teams acting as gatekeepers produces higher quality writing and produces a better physical product.

I agree completely that most self-published material fails to meet even minimum standards of acceptability in terms of literary skill. Likewise, the physical product tends to be poorly edited and poorly designed.

When the only one deciding if a piece of writing deserves publication is the writer, there exists a huge hole for the devil to creep in. Who of us are truly objective about our own writing? We give birth to a book and it is our pride and joy. Like proud parents it is perfect in our sight and what isn't perfect, well, that just adds to the special-ness of the little tyke.

Unfortunately, most self-publishers are motivated less by a desire to fill a niche not being filled by the traditional media, but by impatience and incompetence. They don't want to go through the long process of pitching a book to multiple editors, then revising, editing, rewriting the manuscript until it is ready for publication. I can heat up a three-course meal in the microwave in 10 minutes. Why can't I get published like that? Well, I can. Just upload the text, choose a few designs, and after a few keystrokes and mouseclicks, you too, can be a published author. And you don't have to hear any editor telling you that your manuscript is not yet ready for publication or (horror of horrors) that is just isn't very good.

So, where does this leave us? It leaves us with and "embarrassment of riches." Self-publishing brings to the reading public many quality books each year that traditional publishing could not (or would not) publish. Certainly, those of us you enjoy Christian speculative fiction often depend on self-published materials to feed our hunger for the genre.

However, without any gatekeepers, all sorts of low lifes rush into the courtyard. The consumer has to be even more critical in evaluating their book purchases. They can no longer depend on a publisher to pre-screen the writing or to proofread the manuscript. They have to be more involved in the process of making an informed purchase. Perhaps, that is the biggest benefit that can arise from self-publishing.

Magic, Mensa and Mayhem: Don't read it in a library

Magic, Mensa and Mayhem by Karina Fabian is not a good book to read in a library. Last week I read through the book in my library, receiving disapproving looks from the librarian with every snicker. I rarely laugh out loud when I am reading, but the antics of the characters in this book did it for me.

Magic, Mensa and Mayhem is part of a series of stories written by Fabian, featuring Vern, an immortal dragon cursed by St. George to do good works. Most recently, he has been doing those good works in New Mexico as a private detective specializing in crimes related to magic. A portal between our world and the world of Faerie opened up creating a commerce between the two worlds. Vern, along with Sister Grace of the Faerie Catholic Church, fights evil on both sides of the portal usually resulting in saving one of the two worlds.

Vern's most recent (nonpaying) job is to babysit a bunch of “magicals” on a trip to a Mensa convention. Riding herd on pixies, brownies, fairies, an Indian trickster named Coyote and a Valkyrie named Brunhilde, may be in Sis. Grace's words: “ the toughest job we've not gotten paid for.”

From there the romp includes averting a dozen crises from invisible brownies to averting an interdimensional war sparked a rivalry between two fairies.

The strength of Fabian's writing lies in creating memorable characters populating improbable plots that seem perfectly credible as you read them. She has the unique ability to wrap a parody around a strong believable plot.

The stories are written in such a way that they can be read and understood easily without having read any of the other books in the series. However, in some ways, this leads to the only flaw in the story. Fabian frequently interrupts the flow of a scene by a long aside about something which took place in a previous story. Sometimes this works, but many times it is not necessary to know that bit of the backstory to understand the current plot. This is a hard balance for the writer of a series to strike. I suspect that as more books and stories about Vern emerge, Fabian will find that balance.

I can recommend this book heartily, but be warned: Don't read it in a library!

Meet Karina Fabian: The Woman Behind the Dragon

Karina Fabian is the Author of Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, a glorious romp featuring a Dragon P.I., a Nun and a bunch of Magical creatures at a Mensa Convention. I'll be reviewing the novel tomorrow, but today, let's meet Karina:

1. Tell us a little about yourself? I know it is vague, but it gives the reader a chance to get to know the woman behind the dragon.

There's not that much to me, really. I had a happy childhood with loving parents and a terrific and beautiful sister. College was fun, then I did 4 years in the Air Force, where I met the love of my life, Rob, and we now have four terrific kids. We'll have been married 19 years in November, and I love him even more than when we first got married. I admire him even more, too. He's still in the Air Force--a Lt. Col. now--so we move every couple of years. I love the adventure. Most of my really good friends are online, which is wonderful since we do move so often.

I'm a Mensan and a notorious punner. I love to play with characters and clichés. I've been writing professionally for about 13 years, most of it non-fiction, but started concentrating on fiction in the last couple of years. I aspire toward getting that NYC publisher contract that will get my books on the shelves, but in the meantime, I enjoy the relationship I have with the publishers at the smaller presses I am working with now.

2. Give a short summary of the premise for MMM. (I know the dreaded elevator pitch)

I'm going to cheat and give you the Publisher's Weekly review because I think the author did such a great job of summarizing it: Religion and humor suffuse this well-imagined and densely plotted comedic mystery, based on a short story of the same title. Cursed by St. George to serve the Faerie Catholic Church, dragon detective Vern now sleuths in the mundane world. His latest (unpaid) assignment is to babysit a group of faeries attending a Mensa meeting. Vern quickly has his claws full juggling crises, from invisible brownies to two elves whose rivalry threatens to become interdimensional war. Distinctly memorable and occasionally silly supporting characters, from Brunhilde the Valkyrie to Native American trickster Coyote, steer the action. While the conclusion sticks perilously close to genre formula and the narrative is jumpy throughout, most readers will forgive the clichés (and Vern’s groan-worthy puns) and chuckle all the way through.

(Incidentally, the ending was supposed to stick close to genre--it's a parody, after all.  )


3. Give us a little background on the Vern stories.

Each one is a mystery, usually in the noir style of Sam Spade, but the cases involve magic and myth. Sometimes, some very disparate myths get combined. "Amateurs," which earned honorable mention in the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2008, mixed a legend about the fairies taking the form of insects to fight their war and the Biblical plaque of locusts. Another, "Christmas Spirits," (for sale on my website) is a play off A Christmas Carol. I also have a few fun vignettes with Vern dealing with humans, especially Mundane humans. The novels get a little more complex. After Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, I have Live and Let Fly, a super-spy spoof. All are told from Vern's POV, which I adore writing. I love indulging my snarky side--I don't let it out very often.


4. People are often interested in the writing process. Where did you get the idea for a Dragon PI?

I'd heard about an anthology called Firestorm of Dragons. I wanted a story in it, so I racked my brains for a unique take on dragons, running them past Rob. After a fruitless half an hour, we went to watch "Whose Line is it, Anyway?" with the kids. It's a silly comedy improv. While watching a parody of a film noir, the thought came to me that I could do that with a dragon. Vern was born.

I built the world around Vern, giving him the background to fit a down-and-out, cynical detective: losing a fight to St. George, being dragooned into service of the Church (thus unable to earn money), getting exiled to the Mundane side of the Gap... the usual with a fantasy twist. For the first story, I gave him a simple mystery that turned into a save-the-world thing. "Dragon Eye, PI" made it in Firestorm, and I have two more stories coming out in anthologies later this year: Book of Tentacles (Samsdot, July 2009) and Mother Goose Is Dead (DragonMoon, 2010)

A lot of my ideas come from prompts--a call for submissions to an anthology, a suggestion from a friend, or some movie I've seen or legend I've read. Since I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer, I usually daydream about it, then just sit and write.

5. Have you faced any opposition from Christians related to the injection of magic into your stories? How do you respond to that?

No, I haven't. I must not run in that group. The closest I ever came was a woman at a booksigning who said I was writing about Satan. I told her, "He's not from Revelation. Not enough heads." She said all dragons are Satan. So I directed her to the other great books on my table instead.

I think if anyone had a problem with my books, I'd just direct them elsewhere. My stuff isn't for everyone, after all, and I'd be a fool to think otherwise.

6. What other writing/editing projects have you done other than the Dragon PI stories?

Infinite Space, Infinite God: Thought-provoking sci-fi with a Catholic twist (Twilight Times, 2007; available on Amazon). An anthology of 15 sci-fi stories with Catholic themes or characters; a 2007 EPPIE winner for best Sci-Fi

Leaps of Faith: Christian sci-fi...because God and science do co-exist (The Writers Cafe Press, 2008) 14 stories of science interacting with the Christian faith. 2004 EPPIE finalist for best anthology

I also have a trilogy under consideration, am working on the second Infinite Space, Infinite God, and am writing a Catholic Sci-fi novel.

7. What would you like to add about the book or yourself?

Magic, Mensa and Mayhem was a lark for me to write--something funny and silly and very low-key. I'm amazed and honored at the response it's gotten. I hope folks will like the subsequent books and stories. Vern is such fun and the world is so rich that I intend to write about it for a long time.

Incidentally, if you like Vern, please join the DragonEye, PI, website, www.dragoneyepi.net. You get a free copy of "Amateurs" plus a subscription to the DragonEye, PI, newsletter.

Wrting: A Lonely Life - NOT!!!!

When I was in college journalism classes, you learned to write by being herded into a typing (yes, I'm that old, and they were manual typewriters) room, given some facts for a news story, given a 30 minute deadline and set to work. Later working on newspapers and in radio stations, and eventually in academia, the collegiality of those social writing environments were both stimulating intellectually and comforting emotionally.

You could bounce ideas off each other, ask for help, or take a break and catch up on the office gossip, which sometimes was oddly refreshing. Just the knowledge of these other writers working around you made you feel not so much alone in this great endeavor to share words and ideas with the world.

I sometimes wonder why it is that I can produce 50,000+ words of fiction during National Novel Writing Month and barely get half that done any other time. But I know why. It's the knowledge that any time I sit down at the keyboard and begin that wrestling match with my characters and plot that there are thousands of other people doing the same. And they aren't just nameless, faceless people. I get burnt out or tired or need some inspiration or a question answered, I can click over to the discussion board and take part in a "word war" or give a suggestion or two about names in the future or philosophize about whether dystopic fiction is depressing or hopeful, or just share the frustration of the writing life.

One would think with all those digressions, that productivity would wane. Yet, the opposite is true. Just as that short gossip break in the middle of covering a big story or working on that course outline in a face-to-face setting can be the refreshing break you need to push through, seeing that "wordwarrior1978" didn't quite hit your high score for the day, or simply answering the question, "What is your character doing right now?" can help me get that second wind to push through to my daily writing goal in a way working alone cannot.

So, where is all this leading? Modern internet technology, what has been called Web 2.0, has created tools for us to move away from the isolation many of us can feel as writers. We are in a position to encourage one another, hold each other accountable, motivate, inspire, stimulate, assist and even provide those "water cooler" moments of diversion that refresh.

While social networking like Twitter, Facebook, Shoutlife, Linked in and MySpace, not to mention more traditional networking like discussion boards and email discussion lists can become a time sink if restraint is not exercised, they also can provide the writer, especially the writer who works at home, with a social support network.

For instance, say you are on Twitter with a lot of other writers in your own area of expertise. You need some piece of information. You post your question. It may just sit there. Or someone might "tweet" back with an answer. Or while you are writing, a tweet comes through telling you a friend just sold the article they have been working on, and you have been following their progress. That is an encouragement for you to keep writing.

So, here is a proposal. Begin to build your own writing support network. One online resource is the Lost Genre Guild Discussion Board . People are dropping by there all day long. Lots of tips and encouragement and a great place to ask questions. The Lost Genre Guild Email Discussion Group is another source for connection through the day.

Twitter is the world wide water cooler. 140 characters to say what you are doing, ask for prayer, seek advice, or just share your day. Great for "word wars" and other writing games. You don't know what a word war is? It's simple, you post an announcement for writers to start writing at a certain time until a certain time. At the end, compare word counts. You can follow me on twitter at Terrimain . Also, if you think about it post some encouragement throughout the day. Quotes, jokes, praises are always welcome.

Then there are the bigger social networking site. If you want to connect with me, you can at Facebook and Shoutlife.

Maybe together we can create a powerful social network of writers that cuts across the various technologies providing support, encouragement, inspiration and help to each other. It can be like the newsroom, just without the clatter of the typewriters.

Cyberpunk Author Frank Creed to appear in Second Life

Christian Cyberpunk Novelist to Speak

Award-winning Christian Cyberpunk author Frank Creed will be appearing in Second Life, Tuesday, January 20 at 7 p.m. For Second Life residents the direct link to the location is http://slurl.com/secondlife/North%20Bound%20Marina/226/25/24

This will be an informal discussion in which Creed will share about his writing, his life and the state of Christian speculative fiction. Questions will be entertained by Creed. Afterwards, plans include virtual surfing and socializing.

.Creed is the founder of the Lost Genre Guild, a group of writers, editors and publishers of different types of speculative fiction with a Christian worldview.

"Christians own the copyright to demons and angels and spiritual warfare," notes Creed. "Yet, the bookshelves of Christian bookstores are almost totally devoid of speculative fiction except for some fairly sanitized young adult fantasies. Nevertheless, there is a small, but growing, group of writers and independent publishers using modern technology to make quality Christian speculative fiction available."

Creed is the author of Flashpoint and War of Attrition, both published by Writer's Café Press. Set in a future where fundamentalist Christians are considered terrorists, these books follow the exploits of a group of supernaturally cyber-enhanced resistance fighters using nonlethal weapons in an attempt to protect members of the underground church from the "Neros" or agents of the government seeking to crush the resistance and "re-educate" their members.

"I guess I created the first Christian Cyberpunk novel identified as such," says Creed. "There was a series of books published in the 1990's which might qualify as the first, but they were never marketed as cyberpunk."

In addition to writing the novels, Creed also helped co-author a role playing game based on the stories.

"I'm a gamer from way back. So, it was only natural for me to want to create an RPG where my readers could enter the world of The Underground," Creed explains.

Flashpoint has received critical acclaim and won several awards including: Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year (Elfwood 2006), CFRB Best Novel Toured Award (2007), finalist for the Pluto Award for the Best Science Fiction Novel Reviewed, and was nominated for the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Clive Staples award.

"Jesus understood the power of the story to communicate in his world. We are creating the parables of a new generation," says Creed.

For more information email Terri Main at webservant2003@yahoo.com

Lost Genre Guild: Discussion Board

Okay, I have to admit that I'm not a great fan of discussion boards. I prefer email discussion groups. You don't have to go anywhere. You are answering your email anyway. Simple. But I have to say the LGG discussion board is great.

First, it is easy to use. So many discussion boards today are tied to social networks so you end up logging in and clicking through a bunch of different links before you get to the board. LGG can be accessed directly at http://www.lostgenreguild.com/phpBB3/index.php

When you get there, you can see all the forums at a glance. You can see which ones have new posts since your last visit and which do not. Simple, right? One click on the forum name and the threads are easy to scan and those with new posts are flagged.

You have a powerful text editor for your posts to make them look pretty. Okay, that might not matter to some people, but others of us like that.

But the attraction of this board is not purely aesthetic. We have a great group of people contributing to forums on science-fiction, horror, fantasy, writing issues, marketing and theology. There's a forum for "Shameless Self Promotion" and two "private" critique forums. The critique forums are password protected so that material posted there is for critique only and not published for the general public. You can request access to these groups.

The depth of experience of the regular posters to the board also make this a high quality discussion. There are many published authors, publishers, magazine and ezine editors, teachers and even a scientist. Lots of good help.

So, drop by. You can read the posts without having to register, but if you are interesting in Christian Speculative Fiction, we invite you to join in the conversation.

Lost Genre Guild : A personal journey

Usually, during these blog tours, I give a good objective review of the book or website. Sometimes, I include a philosophical essay or interview. Today, I'm going to do something different. I'm going to get personal, because the Lost Genre Guild literally changed my life and restored something I thought I had put away forever.

I began writing my first science fiction story during the summer between 6th and 7th grades. I pounded away on my mother's 1939 Royal typewriter on some story about a time traveler from the 20th century and one from the 22nd century getting stranded in the 21st century at the home of their grandson/grandfather, the only non-scientist in the bunch. Unfortunately, I had a premise, but no story, but it started my love affair with writing in general and speculative fiction writing in particular.

By the time I hit college, I had all sorts of unfinished stories mostly Twilight Zone and Star Trek (original) inspired. In college my attention drifted to journalism, but still writing the occasional short story and saying, "When I get out of college and have the time, I'll get back to fiction writing." Out of college, I landed in radio and was writing commercials and promotions and news. And I said, when I get time, I'll write fiction.

I lost my job in radio (like Johnny Fever of WKRP said, "They all fire you eventually.") So, I had the time and set up shop as a full-time freelance writer. But I had to pay the rent. Advertising, stringing for a local radio station and writing magazine articles paid the rent. And I said, "When I have the time, I'll get back to fiction."

I wrote some stories, even started a novel or two. Tried to take the Writer's Digest Fiction Writing course. For awhile, I taught creative writing and could justify my time writing as an example to my students. But, I went to work in PR and had to write press releases and brochures. And I said, "When I have the time, I'll get back to fiction."

I got my dream job, teaching full-time, tenured at a college in a small town in the Central Valley of California. It took a few years to settle into the routine. For several years I drove 30 miles one way to work. And I came home worn out and I said, "When I have time, I'll write fiction."

My schedule cleared and I moved closer to the college. I began teaching more classes online. I got involved in internet ministry and was designing a bunch of ministry web sites and said, "When I have time I'll write fiction."

Then about five years ago, I joined the Fellowship of Christian Writers email discussion group. My fervor for writing was rekindled, but by now I said, "I'm a nonfiction writer. I just don't have the talent or skill for fiction writing. At one time I thought... but no more." But I was a whiz at marketing, and posted several things about marketing one's writing. Those items caught the eye of Frank Creed, founder of the Lost Genre Guild. He invited me to join the email discussion group. I told him. "I'm not a fiction writer. But I do love to read speculative fiction, and I'll help out any way I can."

The first several months, I felt out of my depth, fearful of contributing much beyond some marketing ideas because I was not a fiction writer. Then I noticed that while there were plenty of sites for Christian Fantasy which sometimes included science fiction, there were very few for science fiction. So, Wayfarers Journal was born. Since I had an ezine, I figured I could at least try to write something for it. I did, but didn't need it because I had plenty of better material available.

But it got my fingertips itchin' to do more fiction writing. So, all these folks at LGG were talking about National Novel Writing Month and the craziness of writing a novel in a month. So, I decided to try. My first effort was not spec fiction oriented, but I visited that forum a lot during the time and surprised myself by doing a credible job with a mystery Death Gets an "F" . Nothing to write home about, but hey, it was finished and it had words on a page and didn't read too badly.

By the time the next Nano came around, I had written three more short stories and was reading for a speculative fiction novel. Dark Side of the Moon was begun. This week, over a year later, I am within 10-15 hours of finishing the first draft. It ain't too shabby. I am working with Frank Creed and The Finishers off and on to get it into publishable shape. Frank is a fantastic writing mentor and coach.

So, I encourage you, even if you have deferred your own dreams of writing, to get acquainted with the Lost Genre Guild . Visit the website and drop by our forum and maybe join the Yahoo Group . Who knows, it may change your life as well.

Read what others are saying about LGG on the tour


Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Courtney
Frank Creed
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Joleen Howell
Jason Isbell
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Lost Genre Guild
Mike Lynch
Magma
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Mirtika
Hanna Sandvig
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Timothy Wise