Comes a Horseman

Hello All. In the interest of having something to write about besides my frequent trips to the doctor or e.r., I will now be occasionally reviewing new books by Christian authors. As some of you know, and the rest of you don't, I am attempting to complete a novel. This journey has led me to some interesting places and has allowed me to meet some new and nifty people. Part of this journey has been an exploration of the Christian book market.

I was very turned off in my teen years by Christian novels because the market was dominated by romance fiction. Now, I'm all for romance, but it can get old in novel form, kind of like Nancy Drew(read one, you've read them all). I ate up the early Frank Peretti's because they were new and different. But there wasn't much else out there in the Christian book world that I wanted to read. So I kind of gave up on it. I worked at a Christian bookstore in college. I can't recall any book from that time that made me want to read what I was selling. I'm sure there were some good books out there, but I had no way of knowing which ones were worth the money.

So, back to the present....In researching my market(since I am writing Christian fiction) I have discovered a whole new world of Christian fiction, and frankly, I'm kind of excited about it. While there is still plenty out there for the romance fans, there are many more authors trying to make the Christian book market a more diverse place.

Hanging out at sites for Christian writers has given me a new perspective. It also lets me know what or who I should be reading. This month's buzz is for Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo . It is about a pair of FBI agents on the trail of a conspiracy involving the Anti-christ. Now I know what you are thinking(especially you, splitcat), that does sound formulaic, but after reading the Amazon reviews I think I must read it. Generally, I don't pay much attention to the hype that the publisher provides, they obviously want the book to sell. However, if someone takes the time to write a review, they must have liked it. It apparently is in the top 100 bestselling thrillers on Amazon, and seems to be one of those rare books that lives on the boundary line between Christian and secular, appealing to a wide variety of people. Apparently, the movie rights have also been sold recently. The brief excerpt I read on Mr. Liparulo's website definitely made me want to read more. Once I've actually read the book, I will let you know what I think. It would make me very happy to find more Christian authors to enjoy.

I must say that it is encouraging to know that Christian fiction, as well as fiction by Christian authors(yes, there is a difference) is making itself known to the rest of the world.

A quiz

Quiz results of Which Classic Story Role do You Play:


- You Are The Outlaw
"Sure, I'll do it. My
way."

Just because you do not conform to the same laws
and rules as everyone else does not mean that
you are a bad guy. You travel your own path,
separate from those around you, with your own
reasons for doing what you do. Because of this
and your own nature, it goes without saying
that you are generally misunderstood. That does
not matter much, though, as people love you for
being who you are. You are pretty well set in
your ways and have no real intention of
changing. This can come across as a flicker of
arrogance if your not careful. You do what is
right for you, and God help anyone who stands
in your way.

Which Classic Story Role Do You Play?

Stuff

First I'd like to give a shout out to Lindsey for helping me today. Due to her help I have been able to sort through a box of paper from my past. I stumbled across quite a bit of poetry I wrote in High School. I was going to post some of it, but its really bad. I went through a phase of writing silly poetry. I may post some in the future, if I'm bored. But then I came across a poem I wrote a few years ago that is one of my favorites. So even if you think it's no good, I like it, so there.

In the middle of it all
Under cloudy trees and bluish skies
In medias res
On the sea green grass
The wind stirs and sighs and heaves
And the sun shines brightly in its heavens
And I sit with my back against the rough bark
Of some unknown tree
That stretches skyward without bending or swaying
Its arms stretching to encompass the earth
In its far reaching embrace.

I watch the world from this vantage point
Wondering and waiting
Sheltered from any storms that fill the sky
With purple clouds and gray rains.

I often sit and think about the tree behind me
I have almost forgotten what it looks like
I think it has leaves of gold
And I think it’s really tall
And in the spring I feel it bleed.

Sometimes I fell like turning around
But I am comfortable and warm.
With my back turned the wind might blow
And the storms may rage
And I may find myself unprotected.

Then the winter comes
And I grow cold
And some compelling force
Turns me around
Until I am kneeling in the snow
And my tears fall like raindrops
And they warm the earth below me
And my blessed tree covers me.

I hope you enjoyed that.