by Jason Joyner | Jul 7, 2007 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
I find I don’t have time to read all the books that the CFBA has to offer, so I often just support the tour by posting the pre-fabricated post. Later this summer I’m really socked in with reading commitments. However, after reading this blurb I’m thinking that
Island Inferno could be a pretty good testosterone fest for those so inclined. Christian men have testosterone too! I say we let Chuck do his take on a prairie romance…
Never mind me. Here’s this week’s tour:
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
by
Chuck Holton
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chuck served four years in the Elite 75th Ranger Regiment–the same unit profiled in the movie “Black Hawk Down.” Chuck saw combat in Panama in 1989. After leaving active duty, Chuck flew helicopters in the Wisconsin National Guard while attending the University of Wisconsin.
In 2004, after ten years as a stockbroker, Chuck left that profession to pursue full-time writing. At the same time, he began working as the “Adventure Correspondent” for CBN.
He is the author of five books, including A More Elite Soldier, Bulletproof, and
Allah’s Fire, the first of three books in the Task Force Valor series.
Today, Chuck, Connie, and their five children live on a farm in Appalachia, where Chuck now pursues his varied interests of farming, writing, adventure travel and public speaking, among other things.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
TASK FORCE VALOR
EXPLOSIVE ORDINANCE DISPOSAL–THE BOMB SQUAD
As the global war on terror heats up, the U.S. deploys a team of highly trained special operators overseas to locate and neutralize threats, bringing EOD expertise to dangerous missions that have no room for error.
A DEADLY EXPLOSION
A new specialty explosive is on the black market: ITEB looks like water, but when it’s exposed to air, the effects are lethal! The United States government is frantic to keep it from our shores. Staff Sergeant Euripides “Rip” Rubio knows how destructive ITEB can be. He has already risked his life to thwart a horrific terrorist plot involving the chemical. Now Task Force Valor heads to Panama, on the trail of an arms dealer who plans to use ITEB to make a killing…literally.
AN ADVENTURE ABROAD
Fernanda Lerida is a University of Florida grad student who jumps at the chance to join a biological expedition to a mysterious former prison island. But the snakes, bugs, and crocodiles are soon the least of her worries as the group stumbles upon something they were not meant to see. To Make matters worse, Fernanda soon finds herself alone and being pursued by an unseen foe.
A RISKY RESCUE
When Rip’s path collides with Fernanda’s, they find themselves caught in the midst of a brutal turf war. Can they use the chaos to their advantage, or will one false step set the entire island ablaze?
“Island Inferno is a boy-meets-girl story. But in Chuck Holton’s world, boy meets girl in the middle of a jungle at 25mph. hanging under a parachute with an assault rifle strapped across his chest. You’d better plan on reading this in one sitting. And once you’re done, you’d better give yourself time for your pulse to calm down.”
—-TOM MORRISEY, Author of Deep Blue, and Dark Fathom
by Jason Joyner | Jun 27, 2007 | Blog, fiction, writing craft
I didn’t realize when I started this journey that there are hazards involved. Sure, I could expect a few brave writers would be taken down by a cruel attack of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Others might succumb to Writer’s Cramp. Paper cuts can be pretty vicious in the right setting, mind you.
Undaunted, I proceeded. Unaware of the dangers awaiting me as I pursued this craft. Alas, I have fallen into this trap, and I am not sure how to free myself from its grip.
I’ve become a critical reader.
It seems that honing my craft has trained my eye for certain things to look for in a book. I do it unconsciously. I’m looking for active verbs, strong adjectives, and tired cliches. I analyze what I am trying to enjoy. I think it is a natural process-handymen usually start out by taking things apart to figure out how they are built. Novels operate under a similar pattern.
Before I tried to understand writing, I wouldn’t recognize a change in POV if you hit me with it (I wouldn’t even know what a POV was). The author could head-hop and hip-hop for all I cared.
Now I’m reading an otherwise really good book, but the POV changes in each new paragraph keep pulling me out of the fictive world the author is trying to portray. I have to stop and figure out where I am: “What? I thought it was Suzy who was the POV character. Now it is Joe.”
I’m really not trying to be so picky. It is operating under the hood anymore. I read, and I critique.
“Oh, that works.”
“What were they thinking?”
“Brilliant!”
Thinking back, there were sage writers who warned of this pitfall. Your reading may not be the same, they said. Ah, how I wish I could go back to the innocence of reading a bad novel and not knowing it…
On the other hand, I don’t think so-but be warned, you who strive to write. This fate could befall you as well!
by Jason Joyner | Jun 27, 2007 | Blog, fiction, writing craft
I didn’t realize when I started this journey that there are hazards involved. Sure, I could expect a few brave writers would be taken down by a cruel attack of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Others might succumb to Writer’s Cramp. Paper cuts can be pretty vicious in the right setting, mind you.
Undaunted, I proceeded. Unaware of the dangers awaiting me as I pursued this craft. Alas, I have fallen into this trap, and I am not sure how to free myself from its grip.
I’ve become a critical reader.
It seems that honing my craft has trained my eye for certain things to look for in a book. I do it unconsciously. I’m looking for active verbs, strong adjectives, and tired cliches. I analyze what I am trying to enjoy. I think it is a natural process-handymen usually start out by taking things apart to figure out how they are built. Novels operate under a similar pattern.
Before I tried to understand writing, I wouldn’t recognize a change in POV if you hit me with it (I wouldn’t even know what a POV was). The author could head-hop and hip-hop for all I cared.
Now I’m reading an otherwise really good book, but the POV changes in each new paragraph keep pulling me out of the fictive world the author is trying to portray. I have to stop and figure out where I am: “What? I thought it was Suzy who was the POV character. Now it is Joe.”
I’m really not trying to be so picky. It is operating under the hood anymore. I read, and I critique.
“Oh, that works.”
“What were they thinking?”
“Brilliant!”
Thinking back, there were sage writers who warned of this pitfall. Your reading may not be the same, they said. Ah, how I wish I could go back to the innocence of reading a bad novel and not knowing it…
On the other hand, I don’t think so-but be warned, you who strive to write. This fate could befall you as well!
by Jason Joyner | Jun 27, 2007 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing THE DIVINE APPOINTMENT (Howard Books June 5, 2007) by Jerome Teel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Jerome Teel is a graduate of Union University, where he received his JD, cum laude, from the Ole Miss School of Law. He is actively involved in his church, local charities, and youth sports.He has always loved legal-suspense novels and is a political junkie. He is also the author of The Election, another political thriller that we reviewed November of ’06. Jerome and his wife, Jennifer, have three children…Brittney, Trey, and Matthew…and they reside in Tennessee where he practices law and is at work on a new novel.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“They aren’t hiding just one something, but a bunch of somethings…”
Small town southern lawyer, Elijah Faulkner is a dying breed…an attorney that actually takes pleasure in fighting injustice by working hard for the little guy. But when he takes on a case to defend a philandering doctor with a pregnant wife in a seemingly open-and-shut murder trial, Eli is not so sure he is on the ‘right’ side.
Back in Washington D.C., supreme Court Justice Martha Robinson has died, presenting an unprecedented opportunity for conservative President Richard Wallace to impact the direction of the highest court in the land. He believes God put him in the presidency for just such a time as this…to make a Divine Appointment. Not everyone is thrilled with the president’s nominee, however. And some will stop at nothing, including murder, to prevent his confirmation by the Senate.
A lobbyist with a vendetta, a small-time Mafioso, an investigative reporter with a Watergate complex, and a powerful Washington political machine combine to create a fast-paced suspense novel that explores the anatomy of a murder, and the ripple effect that it creates across the country.
“Jerome Teel has crafted an intriguing political thriller…nice twists and turns to keep you reading. he paints vivid mental pictures that bring characters and locales to life.”–Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee’s 7th District
by Jason Joyner | Jun 27, 2007 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing THE DIVINE APPOINTMENT (Howard Books June 5, 2007) by Jerome Teel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Jerome Teel is a graduate of Union University, where he received his JD, cum laude, from the Ole Miss School of Law. He is actively involved in his church, local charities, and youth sports.He has always loved legal-suspense novels and is a political junkie. He is also the author of The Election, another political thriller that we reviewed November of ’06. Jerome and his wife, Jennifer, have three children…Brittney, Trey, and Matthew…and they reside in Tennessee where he practices law and is at work on a new novel.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“They aren’t hiding just one something, but a bunch of somethings…”
Small town southern lawyer, Elijah Faulkner is a dying breed…an attorney that actually takes pleasure in fighting injustice by working hard for the little guy. But when he takes on a case to defend a philandering doctor with a pregnant wife in a seemingly open-and-shut murder trial, Eli is not so sure he is on the ‘right’ side.
Back in Washington D.C., supreme Court Justice Martha Robinson has died, presenting an unprecedented opportunity for conservative President Richard Wallace to impact the direction of the highest court in the land. He believes God put him in the presidency for just such a time as this…to make a Divine Appointment. Not everyone is thrilled with the president’s nominee, however. And some will stop at nothing, including murder, to prevent his confirmation by the Senate.
A lobbyist with a vendetta, a small-time Mafioso, an investigative reporter with a Watergate complex, and a powerful Washington political machine combine to create a fast-paced suspense novel that explores the anatomy of a murder, and the ripple effect that it creates across the country.
“Jerome Teel has crafted an intriguing political thriller…nice twists and turns to keep you reading. he paints vivid mental pictures that bring characters and locales to life.”–Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee’s 7th District
by Jason Joyner | Jun 20, 2007 | Blog, CSFF, fantasy, fiction
Well…
This was certainly an interesting CSFF tour. There were some opinions expressed that generated some heated discussion at times. I think overall most of the conversation has be productive and helpful. A little of the tone was not exactly what I would hope for in a group of Christians, but we are far from perfect and will hopefully grow from the experience.
My overall impression remains that Sharon Hinck’s The Restorer, the focus of the tour this week, is an ambitious work that really seems to resonate with a female audience in general. I wouldn’t say male readers shouldn’t approach the book, but I could not connect to the writing or the main character. It seems that one intention of the book is to open fantasy up to women who may not otherwise consider it. In this circumstance I think the book has great potential, and would be pleased to see this happen. I already know of one female friend I will give the book to.
I’ve made an effort to check all of the people listed in the tour at least once, and some I’ve visited multiple times. I’ve tried to pull some of the interesting content together. Please don’t be offended if your posts aren’t here: I had to stop at some point!
Marcus Goodyear wonders about the purpose of the tour.
John Otte (starting with 6/17 and following) provides a great interview with Sharon and is a guy who liked it.
John Ottinger brings things together with grace.
Karenee loved it and responds to a negative review.
D. G. D. Davidson (6/18-6/19) posts a critical review and some thought-provoking essays (to say the least). I may not agree with them, but they are an interesting read.
Wayne Thomas Batson (6/18-19) discusses blind praise versus flames, and challenges us to do everything in love.
Tina reviews the book and pulls questions from its discussion guide to answer on her blog. An unique approach to the tour!
I have all the links for the other tour participants on 6/18/07’s post. Check out the others (Hanna Sandvig’s is worth it for the art and pictures alone…)
