Category Archives: Steel Chronicles
Let Me Tell You About “The Telling” — Day 1 Book Review
Okay, so “The Telling” — an excellent and very bold entry in the genre of Christian speculative fiction by one of the premier writers and bloggers out there, Mike Duran. But, before I get into my review of this book, let me say something from my heart.
Our very own moderate of this most excellent blog tour had this to say about Christian speculative fiction:
The term speculative includes the various forms of fantasy (urban, epic, dystopian, etc.), science fiction (space opera, techno, cyberpunk, etc.), and supernatural suspense or thriller (terms for types of horror). Christian speculative fiction is written by a Christian, but not everything written by Christians qualifies as “Christian.” Rather some element of the story needs to be distinctly connected with what it means to be Christian. Perhaps the characters are predominantly Christian. The plot might revolve around something distinctly Christian. Or the themes may relate in a specific way to the Christian faith. And here is the point that separates Christian fiction, I believe, from all other fiction. Christian fiction speaks the truth about God. Other fiction can speak the truth about morals or the way the world works or what makes a person love or hate or live on the edge. Other fiction might be silent about God. Other fiction might speak a lie (though undoubtedly the author believes that what he’s written is true) about any of these things. Only Christian fiction speaks the truth about God.
Rebecca LuElla Miller
I have spoken several times on the current state of Christian Speculative Fiction at, of all things, apologetics conferences (Apologetics is the field of the defense of the truth of the Christian faith). I have often mentioned that Michael Hyatt, Chairman of the Board of Thomas Nelson, once commented that Christian Speculative Fiction was the fastest growing genre in Christian fiction.
Well, my friends and colleagues, we are on the verge of seeing Christian Speculative Fiction (CSF) disappear from our universe. Well, maybe not all CSF, but at least very good, well written, bold, edgy CSF that dares to push us outside of our tidy little blue police boxes into a world that is much larger on the outside than on the inside. (Let he who has ears listen! While wearing a fez, of course because fezzes are cool!)
Maybe I’m overstating this, but I have watched as very good, in fact, excellent authors of CSF have fallen by the wayside in the past two years because of poor sales in this genre. This is very puzzling if CSF is the fastest growing genre! I don’t have an answer for why sales are poor. Because, books we have reviewed on this blog tour, even those considered weak, have all been far better than most mainstream Christian fiction. Of course, I am biased since I am also an author of CSF.
I’ll touch more on this later, but I would ask you, the reader of this review, to go out today and purchase a copy of “The Telling”. Show the publishers that this genre is viable and alive and, dang it, necessary! If CSF goes away, we will all be awash in a sea of blushing Amish brides and morally ambiguous lawyers and serial killers. Not to say there is anything wrong with those sub-genres. But, CSF pushes the envelope; pushes the mind; stretches the heart; and challenges at the intersection of our faith in Christ and its friction with the real world of evil and postmodernism and secularism. We desperately NEED Christian Speculative Fiction. Go buy it! Now! Today! And, start with “The Telling”.
I enjoyed Mike Duran’s “The Resurrection” and in my presentations I use it as an example of an excellent utilization of apologetics in CSF. And so, I was eagerly awaiting his second, and unfortunately for now, last book from Realms. (See above diatribe.) I did not know what to expect and Mike Duran has caught me off guard. He shocked me and kept me guessing far into the book.
Let me say this. Mike Duran is not afraid to stretch the boundaries of theology and our interpretation of the Bible. His depiction of the forces of evil in this book are some of the most creative and imaginative I have seen in a while. And, his interpretation is believable and did not offend me in anyway. But, I did not read this book to underscore Biblical inerrancy. I read this book to be challenged and to be entertained and it delivered on both counts.
And, I believe it is the job of those of us who write CSF to do just that. Challenge the reader. What do you believe as a Christian? Why do you believe it? Let me show you a world in which we push those boundaries. Did I make you uncomfortable? Good! Now, figure out why? Test your own belief system and see if it can withstand similar scrutiny.
I will not go into too many details on day one but I will say that I enjoyed “The Telling”. It creeped me out, for want of a better phrase. And, it presented the horrendous nature of Lucifer’s minions in a way I will not soon forget. And, that is as it should be! We should not forget that evil is alive and well and living AMONG us. Perhaps even in our nursing homes and assisted living facilities!
Here is how it begins. Zeph Walker has a gift. He calls it “the telling”. During his childhood, this gift was miraculous and was soon abused by his parent for the sake of fame and money. Then, something horrible happened to Zach and he turned his back on his gift. It is now years later and he is living in the small town of Endurance. It is a quiet, lazy town on the edge of Death Valley. But, appearances are deceiving and the first event that sends Zach back into the battle with evil is the discovery of a dead body remarkably identical to him in almost every way. What is going on?
Soon, we meet Tamra and her grandmother, Annie. Annie lives in Marvale Manor, an assisted living facility. Annie is convinced that something is very wrong with her friends and neighbors. They are changing. And, she is not referring to the usual changes of aging. These changes are far more sinister. Are Annie’s suspicions warranted or is she merely falling prey to the paranoia of senility?
Tomorrow, I will do deeper into the numerous characters Mike Duran has developed for this story and the plot. On day three, I will discuss his “theology”, if you will and his unique take on the denizens of hell!
But, in the meantime, go buy some Christian Speculative Fiction! Today! Now! What are you waiting for? Here is Mike Duran’s link:
Book link – http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Mike-Duran/dp/1616386940/ (or some other link of your choice)
Author Blog – http://www.mikeduran.com/
Author Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/cerebralgrump
Participants’ links
http://tdtwr.wordpress.com“> Jim Armstrong</a>
http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/“> Noah Arsenault</a>
http://www.AdventuresInFiction.blogspot.com/“> Keanan Brand</a>
http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/“> Beckie Burnham</a>
http://kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com“> Brenda Castro</a>
http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/“> Jeff Chapman</a>
http://www.theiemommy.com/“> Christine</a>
http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/“> Theresa Dunlap</a>
http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/“> Victor Gentile</a>
http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/“> Nikole Hahn</a>
http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/“> Jason Joyner</a>
http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/“> Julie</a>
http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/“> Carol Keen</a>
http://emileightherebuilder.blogspot.com/“> Emileigh Latham</a>
http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/“> Meagan @ Blooming with Books</a>
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/“> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a>
http://annamittower.blogspot.com//“> Anna Mittower</a>
http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/“> Kathleen Smith</a>
http://www.mindsinger.com/“> Donna Swanson</a>
http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/“> Jessica Thomas</a>
http://christiansf.blogspot.com/“> Steve Trower</a>
http://www.fantasyandfaith.com“> Dona Watson</a>
http://www.shanewerlinger.com/“> Shane Werlinger</a>
http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/“> Phyllis Wheeler</a>
Just a Reminder: I am giving away a limited number of FREE copies of my first book, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye”. Just fill out the form below and I promise I will not flood you with email! All I ask is that if you like the book, purchase a copy of the second book in my series, “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” releasing on October 16, 2012.
FREE copy of “The 13th Demon”!
On October 16, 2012 the vampires arrive!
“The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” will be available on that date. But, you may not know much about Jonathan Steel or his encounter with “The 13th Demon”. So, I am going to put some of my promotional copies of “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” to good use. I have a limited amount of copies and I will send you a copy for FREE! No strings attached. I will NOT use your contact information for anything but to mail you a signed copy of “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye”.
All you have to do is to fill out this form and send me your mailing address. I will send you a copy of the book as long as my copies last. All I ask is that if you like the first book, on October 16th buy the second book! I’d love to see “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” hit the best seller list and prove that Christian fiction is for real. This book is an alternate view of vampires and is different from any previously published view that I am aware of. It is an inspirational answer to the Twilight series, the vampire diaries, and so on.
So, let me hear from you and see if you can get your hands on a FREE copy of the first book in the Jonathan Steel Chronicles.
There is Power in the Blood!
There is Power in the Blood!
Power to make a man Undead!
Power to build an Army of Monsters!
Power to unleash Vampire Majick!
But, there is also Power in the Blood:
Power to Forgive
Power to Redeem
And, Power to Save!
Join Jonathan Steel as he battles the 12th Demon in a battle between the power of Unnatural Blood and the Power of The Blood that Redeems! It is a battle that has raged for millennia; a battle to unleash an army of monsters on the unsuspecting world; a battle between the ultimate forces of good and evil.
Can Jonathan Steel save Josh Knight from the Vampire’s Feast?
Can Jonathan Steel elude the deadly attacks of the assassin, Raven?
Can Jonathan Steel defeat Vivian Ketrick and Rudolph Wulf, the “12th Demon”?
Find out in “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” available now for pre-order and in stores on October 16, 2012.
The Event is coming and soon, we will face an army of Undead!
Unleash the Power of the Blood!
“The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon”
Welcome to No Compromise For the King Participants
Welcome to my blog. If you came here as an attendee of the conference here are two links you might want to check out. One tells a little bit about me and my ministries and the is the blog containing links I mention in my presentation:
https://brucehennigan.com/2012/04/19/you-just-aint-right/ will tell you more than you want to know about Bruce Hennigan.
https://brucehennigan.com/2012/04/21/christian-speculative-fiction-links/ contains the links I mention in my Apologetic Presentation.
And, Finally, here are some additional comments I thought about adding to my presentation AFTER I recorded it.
https://brucehennigan.com/2012/08/12/free-writing-conference-this-friday/
Blessings
I’m on the Radio Today!!!!
Today at approximately 130 PM CDT I will be interviewed on “Gate Beautiful” blog talk radio at this link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2012/08/16/gate-beautiful-radio-show-august-16th-2012
Check in online and hear me talk about my upcoming book, “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” and my current books, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” and “Conquering Depression.”
The Writing Life — Overwhelmed??!!!
Recently at a book signing, I was asked the question that all writers get. “What is the writing life like?” or “How do you find time to write?”
Let me give you a snapshot of my life, right now. I never anticipated the writing life would be like this. I feel overwhelmed much of the time. But, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Let me say at the outset what I tell anyone who asks about time management. You don’t FIND time to write, you MAKE time to write. If you are serious about writing, you MUST sit down and carve out very specific times in your week to write. Some authors choose to write for a specific period of time, say, six hours a week. Other writers choose to write a certain number of words per day, say 1000 words per day. It doesn’t matter which pattern you choose. The point is to set aside a time for writing and then WRITE. Don’t check email. Don’t read blogs. Don’t read a book. WRITE. From the moment you sit down before your computer or your legal pad, WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
Eventually, you will find yourself surrounded by DEADLINES. Some may be self imposed. Others are imposed by your publisher or a deadline for a blog for which you write. Deadlines are GOOD. True, they are a necessary evil, but they force you to MAKE that time to write.
Now, I find myself dividing my time between FOUR processes. First, there is the process of IDEAS. Second, there is the process of ROUGH DRAFT. Third, there is the process of EDITING. And, finally, there is the process of MARKETING.
Let me give you a sneak peak of my past two weeks.
In the IDEA area, I have already shared my experience at the International Christian Retail Show. In the aftermath of a divine appointment at the ICRS, I am in the process of developing ideas for not just one book, but an entire book series. This means research into the subject matter; examining competing works; looking for that unique “hook” that will make this book different from others; and collaborating with my co-author and mentor on the final content of a book proposal.
Also, in the IDEA area, I am working on two other fiction books and two other non-fiction book series ideas. Two publishers have expressed an interest in these books. And, if I don’t get something to them soon, they will move on.
In the ROUGH DRAFT area, I am finishing up my fourth book in the Chronicles of Jonathan Steel for Realms. I turned in my third book in December and I have until the end of this year to complete my final draft of “The 10th Demon: Children of the Bloodstone”. I am setting aside an entire week in August to write everyday for six days.
In the EDITING area, I can count on spending January through April of each year heavily editing the book that will be released in October of that year. This editing process consists of an initial edit for story substance. I work with my editor and his suggestions are legion, but always right on the money. For two months, I will rewrite and edit the final draft to fit my editor’s suggestions. This takes hours and hours of my time. After this initial edit is done, my editor returns the line edit.
The line edit is a tedious line by line edit for such things as grammar and spelling. My editor(s) will make suggestions and I have to go through the document line by line and either accept or reject the suggested changes. Line by line. The entire manuscript. Literally, thousands of changes. Yes, it is tedious and it takes days! Now, once this line edit is done it is now April and I’ve been working on this final manuscript for at least three months. But, it doesn’t end there. Along about July, the galley proofs arrive.
The galley proofs are the final printed version of the book with the layout, fonts, pagination, title page, etc. Once again, I have to go through the entire book, word by word. On my first book, the software program used to lay out the book omitted an entire three pages. If I had not gone over the manuscript word for word, I would have missed it. Once I approve the galley proofs, the book is on the way to the printer and it is out of my hands.
In the MARKETING phase of the book, which covers the months from April through the release in October there is a LOT to do. First, I have to pick key scenes from the book that might be useful for the cover. Since I am an artist as well as an author, I visualize the cover and I make suggestions of exactly how a prospective cover will look. I am very fortunate to have the graphic team working on my books at Charisma. They produce some awesome covers and it is as if they have read my mind.
Second, once the cover is on its way to completion, I have to think about the back of the book and come up with “copy”. This is the blurb, or “sound bite” that will hopefully motivate a prospective reader to open the book and read the first paragraph. It is the “elevator pitch” so to speak. Once the back copy is completed then it is on to the endorsements.
Third, beginning in June, I must come up with a list of prospective authors who are asked to read my book and give me an endorsement. This is the trickiest part of the deal. Without good endorsements, my book will languish in limbo. Advice time. If you are an author, become a member of a blog tour in your genre. For instance, I am a member of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour. This means that I have to read a book once a month and post a three day review on my blog. So, in addition to the other tasks in the MARKETING section, I must maintain and update this blog often. The blog tour drives readers, and authors, to my website. I contacted some of these authors and some of them agreed to read my manuscript and provide an endorsement. I have discovered this process is VERY important. If you just give your publisher a list of possible authors to endorse your book, the author is very likely to delete the request and never give it another thought. Also, I’ve learned to remind the author there is a deadline for the endorsement!
By late July, the upcoming book is done and in the hands of the printers. Now, the promotion phase begins. I am now looking at how to promote the release of my next book, “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” for its October release. Note that my first book was released in October, 2011; the second book is being released in October, 2012 and I have worked on it most of this year; the third book final draft is waiting for editorial evaluation in late 2012 and will be given back to me for editing in January, 2013; and I am currently writing the fourth book for completion by December. Literally, I juggle four books in a year’s time.
You see why I feel overwhelmed. My main concern is to make the time for each one of these important phases. And, it is amazing how many “things” I spend my time on that can be eliminated from my schedule. I do miss reading books. It is very difficult to work into this kind of schedule the simple pleasure of spending time with a good book. Now, when I read, I feel the pressure to hurry up and finish the book so I can post a review. I very seldom have the time to just sit down and savor a good book. I do miss that.
So, there you have it. I am currently in the IDEA phase; the ROUGH DRAFT phase; and the MARKETING phase. I can forget about heavy EDITING until January. But, it is coming and I’m loving every overwhelming minute of this journey. It can be done if you are willing to make the commitment and to pay the price of long, hard hours of work. If you have the passion to be a writer and the discipline to be a published author then go for it. When I get an email from a reader of “Conquering Depression” telling me the book “saved my life” it makes it all worthwhile.
Check out my “other” blog!
I just posted on “Just the Write Charisma” blog about something from my childhood that encouraged me to become a writer.
Check out the blog here.
And, this is the image I was referring to as I stepped out onto the Path:
Weekend Roundup!
Now, this is a week to remember!
It started out with two incredible days at the International Christian Retail Show. I was able to meet Mr. Strang himself, the founder of Charisma Media and to see my mockup of “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon” at the Charisma Booth. I met Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee, Charles Martin, Os Guinness to drop a few BIG names as well as singer and songwriter Matthew West. I learned that the future of publishing, at least in Christian retail outlets, is NOT dismal but is HOPEFUL. And, of course, the BIG development is the one I cannot speak of yet that has to do with future books by yours truly. Here is a picture with my Charisma editor, Deborah at the ICRS:
Saturday, my good friend and financial adviser, Kevin Murphy of Ameriprise held a brunch featuring my book, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye”. Sherry and I were expecting maybe a dozen people to show up but the room was full with around 50 attendees! I was stunned.
Kevin asked me to speak and answer questions. I talked about the development of my writing career to date and the process of writing “The 13th Demon”. And, I brought along a copy of that old reliable book I had co-authored, “Conquering Depression”. I was stunned when over half of those there wanted a copy of that book! Kevin took names and agreed to purchase copies and send them to those who signed up. I am continually amazed at how this little known book continues to change lives everywhere I go!
Last Sunday, Mark Sutton and I spent six hours working on a plan for a future upgrade to “Conquering Depression” and the developments of the week at the ICRS impacted the future of that book!
And, just now, I finished putting the final touches and making the final changes to the galley proofs of “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon”! That book is now on its way to the printer with the cover and back design in place and the book endorsements tucked onto the first page. I am now making plans for the book launch.
For now, the book launch is planned for Friday, October 19th at the Well, the coffee shop of Brookwood Baptist Church in Shreveport. Like last year, we will have refreshments, giveaways and I hope we have another huge crowd. I have also scheduled a book signing at First Baptist Church Orlando for October 27 and 28. If you know of a book store that might be interested in having me for a book signing, just contact me and let me know. Get me the contact information and I’ll turn it over to Charisma. God is SO good. He is in charge and His plans are so much grander and more satisfying than we can ever imagine!
Here are some pictures from this weekend.
CBA/ICRS — Tosca, Ted, and Charles, oh my! The Afternoon Part 2
Now, after lunch, the fun began!
I ran into Debbie Strang at the Charisma Media booth and she took me over to a shelf and showed me a mockup of my upcoming book, “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon”. I cannot begin to tell anyone what it is like to hold your next book in your hands! It was awesome as you can see by my smile in this picture.
Then, Atalie, part of the Charisma team, told me that Matthew West was signing copies of his CD single RIGHT NOW! So, having just heard Matthew, I followed Atalie and got in line. She had to leave to go meet with the next author for his book signing and asked me to get her an autographed copy. It was interesting standing in line for a short while with her and a team member from Tyndale and listen to their “inside scoops” of prominent authors such as James Scott and lots of romance writers whose names you would instantly recognize. Then Atalie was off and I was standing in front of Matthew West. I told him how much his song meant to me and how I appreciate his desire to tell the stories all around us. He then looked at the card with my book cover on it (12th demon) and asked all about my book. He took a card and said he would read it when it came out. We’ll see!
I then took Atalie her CD and headed over to the FaithWords booth to get in line to see Tosca Lee and Ted Dekker — the biggest names right now in Speculative Christian Fiction.
Now, several weeks ago, I wrote a review of “Thunder and Rain” by Charles Martin. He is, without a doubt, one of my favorite top 5 authors. As I walked up to the booth, I spied a pile of “Thunder and Rain” books. I was stunned! Was Charles Martin here? I asked the man piling up the books and he pointed right behind me. There was Charles Martin talking to his wife. I had just missed his book signing. But, being an opportunist, I grabbed a book and, like a trembling fanboy, asked Charles to sign my book. He was gracious and funny and signed my book while I hemmed and hawed and tittered and giggled. I finally got control over myself and we had a nice conversation about his writing, his books, and the fact I was an author.
Then, heart pounding, I got in line for Tosca Lee and Ted Dekker. I handed Tosca my card with my book cover on it because I had written my name and my wife’s name on the back. At my book signings, I always have people write down the name they want the book dedicated to. This avoids any misspellings. Now, while in line, I spied “The Sanctuary”, Ted Dekker’s newest solo book and the front cover was suspiciously similar to the cover of “The 12th Demon” with an arched doorway just as my book had. I spoke with Tosca and Ted both about my book and when Tosca turned the card over, Ted’s mouth fell open. He jerked the card out of her hand and stared at MY cover. Tosca said something about how much it looked like his newest book cover. Ted looked up at me.
“Who did this cover?”
“The awesome graphic designers at Charisma Media.” I replied.
“This is better than my cover!”
So, here is a shout out to the graphic designers at Charisma. Ted Dekker loves the cover design for MY book! Way to go! I walked away proud to be an author for Charisma!!!
And, at that point, I had to leave and go pick up my daughter at the airport. But, it was an incredibly, unbelievable, fulfilling day at ICRS. And, tomorrow will be better!
International Christian Retailers Show Weekend
This weekend I am flying down to Orlando. Again.
I visit Orlando, Florida about six times a year. First, there is Walt Disney World which I visit about four times a year. Second, there is my co-author, best friend, and former pastor Mark Sutton who is now involved in his own ministry to Haiti (link). Third, my publisher, Charisma Media is in Sanford, Florida just north of Orlando and I like to visit them once or twice a year. It’s good to put a face to the name and it is good to get a feel of the organization for which you write. And, the people at Charisma are outstanding!
But, this trip is special. I will be attending the International Christian Retail Show. What is that? Here is a description from their website:
The International Christian Retail Show is where the Christian resources industry meets – and there are a lot of reasons why. There is no other time or place where so many people, products, services, media, authors, artists, and craftspeople are gathered together in one place.
To say this gathering is awe inspiring, daunting, and, yes, exhausting is an understatement. Exhibit after exhibit from all kinds of publishers, retailers, marketers fill the Orange County Exhibit Center and it will take three days to see everything. But, what I really love about this gathering is the chance to see and hear new media. Concerts and film showings will go on the entire time. My wife and I were fortunate to attend the 2008 gathering and we were stunned to hear a concert one evening that featured Jeremy Camp, The Annie Moses Band, Nicole Mullen, Natalie Grant, and others. All in one concert!!! I can’t wait to see what is in store this year.
So, join me each day beginning Sunday for a report from the exhibit floor of the International Christian Retail Show and I’ll tell YOU what to expect in the music and book stores this fall!
UPDATE
If you happen to get your hands on the ICRS magazine for July look on page 72! Awesome ad!
If you want to get in touch with me, I’ll be on the exhibit floor Monday and Tuesday. Just use the contact button to send me an email, a test message, or give me a call.
Get one of my cards:
See you there!!!!
Bruce Hennigan 
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