Wayfarer's Journal

This month's CSFF tour is focusing on Wayfarer's Journal, an e-zine published by Terri Main - professor extraordinaire, and one of my most valued professional contacts. I could say we were colleagues, or even friends, but our connection has been mostly "in the biz". Often I have vastly appreciated her wise words in blog articles and mailing list posts. We both belong to the Lost Genre Guild, a group of writers dedicated to Christian speculative fiction. Do yourself a favour and Google it :)

Being a sci-fi freak, I am immensely grateful for the existence of this zine. Fantasy's okay, and I read a fair bit of it too, seeing as it comes with the spec-fic territory. But, except for Lewis and Lawhead, it doesn't make my spirit fly like good SF does. Of course, L&L both wrote SF too. Hang on, I'm getting off track.

As Mike Lynch said in his post, Christian sci-fi has often been the unwanted stepchild of Christian publishing. It's so hard to get anywhere with this genre. I'm glad at the recent wave of fantasy successes, but the Trekkie in me still wonders when SF will have its day in the sun.

Sites like this can only help the cause. Sure, as a new venture, there are still things to work out. The dynamic nature of a webzine takes some getting used to, but don't go thinking you've seen the whole site at one glance. There's more to it than that.

I encourage all writers of SF to contribute to this paying publisher. And even if your story is only slightly SF, you can still try, as Steve Rice said. Terri took my story, although there was only a passing mention of aliens. However, she is very mainly interested in hard sci-fi.

check out what the other bloggers are saying, too:

Brandon Barr Jim Black Justin Boyer Amy Browning Jackie Castle Carol Bruce Collett Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Jeff Draper April Erwin Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Jill Hart Katie Hart Michael Heald Jason Joyner Kait Carol Keen Mike Lynch Margaret Rachel Marks Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Mirtika or Mir's Here John W. Otte John Ottinger Rachelle Steve Rice Cheryl Russel Ashley Rutherford Hanna Sandvig James Somers Steve Trower Speculative Faith Jason Waguespac Laura Williams Timothy Wise

Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell

I’d heard this book was controversial, and that it doesn’t fit easily in any one genre. I’d heard it was sensual and violent in places, and that there were people who had problems with it. Did it put me off? Nope. Rather, it intrigued me. I’m a fan of genre-bending – and genre-blending! Thus, the idea of a fantasy/supernatural romance tale linked to racial issues and the colonisation of America, among other things, provided plenty to provoke my curiosity. But it wasn't at all what I expected after what I'd been hearing.

Unlike most romances, this story begins with a wedding, a fine introduction to the culture and traditions of the tribes. Their normal world is introduced in vibrant colour and passion. It is only after their marriage that Loic and Satha must face the greatest challenges: separation, captivity, abuse, and battles within themselves.

The story is told from alternating viewpoints of both main characters, in such a way as to carry the story onward from the moment the other paused in their tale. There is a wonderfully clear distinction between two points of view; so clear as to make the apparent breaking of the “one-POV” rule irrelevant. The changing viewpoints are easy to follow; at every moment it is clear who is speaking. Their characters influence the words they tell, giving each narrator their personal flavour. This makes for a varied and colourful narrative of the continuous story flow as seen by two highly unique individuals – each of them strong-willed and stubborn.

At the beginning, I was simply plunged into the strangeness of the world described, and the passions of the two tellers. Yet as the tale moved on, parallels to America’s turbulent early years as a colony became more and more unescapable. The same is true of the commentaries revealed about the white man’s enslavement of other races.

The book is also brimming with Biblical allusions, direct quotes, and shadows of more ancient histories. As it moves towards the climax, spiritual elements flood into Loic’s life, and Satha’s too. Though still parted, their stubborn hope begs to be rewarded.

And the end is not really the end. It is as if a section of a larger history has been told, and much more is to come. Yet the story is complete and gives a sense of fulfillment, while leaving many questions to ponder regarding actual history, Christian parallels, and the deeper spiritual message hidden in every line of the manuscript.

Yes, this is a highly unusual book – in my eyes, typical of the new wave of Christian speculative fiction in its refusal to fall into a tidy category. What’s more, Wind Follower is anything but predictable. It is not a comfortable tale, but it is a solemn, mystical adventure, displaying the hero’s journey to his own heart, and the heroine’s discovery of her beloved’s faith in the midst of impossible circumstances. This one will make you think for sure.

Check out other reviews this week at Blog Tour Central!

I love Stephen Lawhead.

Seriously. There’s no other author on the planet who has contributed so much to my daydreams, my literary enjoyment, my personal fantasies, and my writing aspirations.

When I daydream, I often find my thoughts drifting off to vanished Atlantis, to faraway Fierra, fantastic Albion, historical Istanbul, present-day Scotland, or the misty hills of Wales and Ireland. Charis and Taliesin, Orion Treet, Quentin, Aidan the monk, James and Jennifer, and the mysterious Mr. Embries aka Merlin – these populate my imagination and provide an extended family for my own Faith and Mariah and Caitlin and Blake, and all those others bouncing around in there since my childhood – Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. Kirk and Spock. Kardia and Gaal. Aslan and the Professor. Need I say more? No doubt Bran and Will and Mérian will soon join their ranks as they go down in literary history.

I believe it was about seventeen years ago when Taliesin was first placed in my hands. Ever since, the effect of alternating viewpoints has fascinated me. Taliesin’s tale, told in third-person, and Charis in first, may seem hard to get into at first, but it’s more than worth the effort. And later, after they meet, the reason for telling it thusly becomes clear: it is Charis penning both their stories.

Stephen is largely responsible for my literary education. I used to hate English in school, but when it came time to pick books to analyse for examinations, I chose Arthur above those schoolroom classics the teachers wanted to insist on. And so at the age of fifteen I dedicated much time to memorising passages about battles fought with prayers, and the sword coming loose from the stone in Arthur’s hand to the displeasure of the gathered lords. In my mind I can still see the candle-lit scene where the young king steps into the church, sword in hand, as the lords are observing the Christ Mass.

And so, how could it be otherwise? Every word I write myself is spurred by the aspiration to such depth of feeling as Yarden “talking” with the empathic fish on the planet Empyrion, or Taliesin singing his son to life and prophesying over him, or Aidan’s first view of the Golden City from a Viking vessel. Dome’s final destruction, Myrrdin’s conversations with the wolf, the Cymbrogi’s pursuit of the Grail, incredible journeys to the Holy Land. I do earnestly wish that Stephen would write more sci-fi – that early stuff was brilliant – but I tip my hat to the continuing flow of novels from his pen. Each one is a gift to the world.

I am writing this away from home, so I have none of these books on hand to refer to just now. But they are engraved in my memory forever. Will I ever attain such sparkling prose? I do not know. In any case, I am blessed with a shining example.
Thank you, Stephen.

Other participants in the CSFF tour for Scarlet:

Trish Anderson Brandon Barr Wayne Thomas Batson Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Jeff Draper April Erwin Linda Gilmore Beth Goddard Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Jill Hart Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Timothy Hicks Christopher Hopper Becca Johnson Jason Joyner Kait Karen Dawn King Tina Kulesa Mike Lynch Margaret Karen McSpadden Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Mirtika or Mir's Here Eve Nielsen John W. Otte John Ottinger Lyn Perry Deena Peterson Rachelle Cheryl Russel Ashley Rutherford Hanna Sandvig Chawna Schroeder James Somers Rachelle Sperling Steve Trower Speculative Faith Robert Treskillard Jason Waguespac Daniel I. Weaver Laura Williams Timothy Wise

"Scarlet" by Stephen Lawhead

(This post is part of the CSFF blog tour and is double-posted at the Lost Genre Guild. A full list of participants can be found below!)

For a lifelong fan of Stephen Lawhead’s poetic and moving tales, every new book is a feast for the heart. Last year I read “Hood”, a necessarily brutal introduction to the rough world of the Brits and Normans of a thousand years ago. If that first volume in the King Raven trilogy was a little hard to get into, then it served to lay superb groundwork for this second one. Readers moving from the first book to the second will already know that the hero we have known as Robin is in fact Rhi Bran y Hud, and that our adventures do not take place in Nottingham, but rather in the March Forests of Wales in the times when the Normans began to overrun Britain and impose their cruelly weighted laws upon the Cymry. With this in mind, “Scarlet” grows beyond fantasy and becomes a living, breathing possibility of history.

The journey begins with Will Scarlet in a dark, damp cell awaiting the noose. He tells Odo the priest the entire tale of how he came to join the forest community, and the daring adventures accomplished in the company of his canny lord. Raids on forest roads embarrass the hard-nosed Franks again and again, rousing their ire and inspiring the band of rebels to ever riskier feats of bare-faced cheek, until Will is captured one unlucky night. But this is not the end of the story. I do confess that I began reading and soon after flipped through the back pages to see if Will escaped the impending execution; however, this information was not to be had in that part, and I was forced to find out in the usual way as events unfolded that did not disappoint in the slightest.

One of the most astonishing things about this book is the masterful style of writing. Now, we all know that Lawhead has always given us the very best of prose and adventure. Long have I modelled my own writing inspired by his example. But here, he has raised the standard by several rungs – most visibly in the changing viewpoints within the story. Aspiring writers are invariably told not to attempt this – let alone switch between first and third person narrative – because it’s almost impossible to pull it off without disturbing the natural flow of storytelling. But master that he is, Lawhead has accomplished it with flair. Only the most skilled of authors may break such rules and succeed at it, turning an apparent transgression of style into a many-faceted shine for the tale – thus dragging the reader happily helpless into the rush and flow of what would no doubt be called swashbuckling if this was a pirate tale. I guess young Rhi Bran is a pirate of the road, so the comparison may stand.

Speculative elements are found in the mysterious foresight of old Angharad, whose musings are reminiscent of prophets and druids. Her rituals and prayers seek a supernatural response to see through a complex and confusing matter facing the forest tribe she mothers.

“Scarlet” owns at once the familiarity of the traditional Robin Hood legends and a truer realism of earth and blood and honest-hewn humanity. Rather than the sanitised Robin and the Merry Men known to most of us, Lawhead has instigated a new tradition likely far closer to the truth of those turbulent times. A desperate folk having lost their livelihood and a desperate king denied his rightful throne are more than motivated to irk the strangers who cast them from hearth and home. The end of this book is not the end of the tale – there is another tome to come – but within these pages reside political intrigues, spiritual epiphanies, and tear-jerking romances to shake the world and change it almost beyond recognising by the time you turn the last page. This will be a joy to fans old and new, bringing back memories and hints of the world of Taliesin and Merlin, now long resting in the past. A hard journey taken with humour and zest, twisting into heart-warming surprises – a banquet for the soul, with the hope of more to come.

Trish Anderson Brandon Barr Wayne Thomas Batson Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Jeff Draper April Erwin Linda Gilmore Beth Goddard Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Jill Hart Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Timothy Hicks Christopher Hopper Becca Johnson Jason Joyner Kait Karen Dawn King Tina Kulesa Mike Lynch Margaret Karen McSpadden Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Mirtika or Mir's Here Eve Nielsen John W. Otte John Ottinger Lyn Perry Deena Peterson Rachelle Cheryl Russel Ashley Rutherford Hanna Sandvig Chawna Schroeder James Somers Rachelle Sperling Steve Trower Speculative Faith Robert Treskillard Jason Waguespac Daniel I. Weaver Laura Williams Timothy Wise

Thursday's collection of Faith Awakened stuff

Cheryl's review at Amazon.com

David's Day 5 post at CFRB

And some other things you might not have seen yet:
Interview with Lena Nelson Dooley about Faith Awakened and other things

Pre-publication reviews at faithawakened.com (some are not yet posted elsewhere)

The Faith Awakened video collection at YouTube

I won't be around to collect links from Friday night - I'm flying back to Germany and I intend to sleep as much as possible on the way. Back to work on Monday... sigh. New Zealand is a wonderful place, everyone. More than that, it's home to me and Lord willing, I will come back and live here next year. Catch you on Sunday!

Yet more reviews of Faith Awakened!

The response this week continues to be overwhelming! Here are the new blogs for today:

David Brollier's Day 4 at CFRB

Rachelle's review at Sojourner's Journey

Melissa's review at Bibliophile's Retreat

Bruce's review at BruceThinx

Virtual Book Tour de Net:
Karina's review
Karina's interview

Reviews also continue to appear at Amazon: here's the whole collection. I'm very pleased to see people tagging it as "christian science fiction" - there aren't many books in that category, making it easy to collect comapratively high tag counts.
Have fun surfing!

Day 3 of the Faith Awakened blog tour

Here are the new comments for today:

David's Day 3 post at CFRB

Cathi's article on hot topics in Faith Awakened

Cathi also posted the synopsis at her blog.

Rachelle also wrote a thoughtful new review at the Amazon page.

Thanks guys!

Blog Tour Day 2 - Faith Awakened

For the second day of this blog tour, a number of people have been active... here are the links:

Review by Frank Creed at A Frank Review

Review by Delia Latham on her website

Day 2 comments by David Brollier at CFRB

Review by Lyn Perry at Bloggin' Outloud

Cathi H's review repeated at Gather.com


And don't forget the reviews showing up at
the Amazon page for Faith Awakened (please add yours there if you can!)

and its Lulu page where you can get the e-book free!

Thanks everyone for taking part! Let's see what happens next...

Faith Awakened Blog Tour begins!

This week it is my great honour to have my book featured at the Christian Fiction Review Blog tour! Already, comments are popping up all over the Web. I'm going to try and collect links to them all here - If I've missed yours, just let me know and I'll add it...

David's Day 1 Comment at CFRB

Caprice Hokstad's blog

Cathi Hassan's blog

Carole McDonnell's blog

AND... the big surprise of the day... Faith Awakened has appeared at Amazon!
Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1430311118/

This is actually a real miracle as we had a few glitches in the publishing process during October, and yet it has appeared at the planned time.

It's not too late to take part. You can download the e-book free from http://stores.lulu.com/grace1034 - if you write an original review (at least 200 words) and post it, I will send you a free copy of the book! Or a T-shirt, mousepad, soundtrack CD... whichever you prefer.

I'm greatly looking forward to the rest of the week with you all! Hugs all round :)

New Christian Novels out in November

Here is the November 2007 line-up of new Christian fiction releases! Time to add a few books to your Christmas wish list or find a great gift for a loved one. Be sure to stop by and visit the websites of the following authors. Enjoy!

1. A Christmas to Die For Book 2 in The Three Sisters Inn series by Marta Perry from Love Inspired Suspense. A holiday season among the Plain People swarms with hidden danger when an inn owner finds herself the target of a killer.

2.A Matter of Trust by Lisa Harris, from Heartsong Presents. With Ty back in her life, will Kayla be able to trust him when a dark secret comes to light and all evidence of the crime points to him?

3.Faith Awakened by Grace Bridges from Lulu Press and Waitemata Books. In virtual stasis to escape a deadly virus, an ex-slave in Ireland finds far more than just survival.

4.Just Jane by Nancy Moser from Bethany House. Historical novel about the life of author Jane Austen.

5.Standing Strong, Fourth and final book in the Homeland Heroes Series by Donna Fleisher from Zondervan. Four warriors. Two rival gangs. Is faith enough to win peace on the streets of Kimberley Square?

6.The Love of His Brother by Jennifer AlLee from Five Star, a division of Thomson Gale. A young, pregnant widow finds more than just support when her black-sheep brother-in-law comes home.

7.Within This Circle (mass market size) Sequel toA Vow to Cherish by Deborah Raney from Steeple Hill Books. After her mother’s death from Alzheimer’s disease, Jana McFarlane struggles to cope with her roles as wife and mother.

Happy reading~

More New Zealand

News - old news and new news...
I just wanted to let you know that things are going really well on my NZ trip - I'm outta here next Friday, but I have plenty of time before then if any of you are in the Auckand area and want to catch up. Guess what - I'm going to be on the radio on Friday!! There's going to be an interview between 10 and 11am on Rhema (Auckland 1251 am - not sure of the other frequencies...) and there will be giveaways if you want to listen out for that.

Later the same day there's an online chat at FabianSpace - 2pm on Friday November 2 for everyone in New Zealand, and for the rest of you, 9pm US-EST on Thursday November 1. It will run for two hours. Yes, New Zealand is 17 hours ahead of you! I think I told some people last week that it was at 4pm, well that was wrong, I'm sorry! I hope you can make it! All you have to do is follow the direct link from www.faithawakened.com, type a username - anything you like, but preferably one I'll recognise you by! - and click the button to enter the chat room. I look forward to "seeing" you there!

here's some more pics to keep everyone happy...



Sheep grazing on an inner-city volcano slope



Auckland city and harbour seen from One Tree Hill at sunset. See those bumpy hills everywhere? They're all volcanoes. We have 63 of them in town...



I went to a wedding on Saturday - this is a church family I know rather well :)



Written in stone, a dedication in paradise (Great Barrier Island again)

The Best Part of New Zealand

This week I had the chance to visit one of my most favourite places on earth - Great Barrier Island. Not the Great Barrier Reef - that one's thousands of km away in Australia, and we're in New Zealand right now in case you hadn't noticed yet. :P I do wonder if it was the same explorer that named both, and must question his logic... Folk from GBI here in NZ often find that their mail goes to Australia before it gets to them!
Well, anyway, I lived on GBI for a few months in '01 and look back on that time more than fondly. I worked as a volunteer at a Christian camp called Orama, which is where I stayed this time too, of course. It's tucked away in a sheltered valley at the end of a long ocean bay, an hour's drive from the island's main airport.
I took some interesting video footage of the air journeys in a little 5-seater plane - can't upload that at present with the connection speed I have here, but watch for it in a couple of weeks when I get back to Germany.
Anyway - this location's great significance in my life includes the fact that it's where I began writing Faith Awakened. The first thing I wrote in my big hardcover notebook was the title - I knew that right from the start - and here I penned about a third of the original chapters. Not the prologue - that came last year in Germany. But hey. Here's where it began.

The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers - CSFF Tour

Courage and a heart for adventure drive twelve-year-old Aidan Errolson, shepherd boy from Longleaf Manor. When the bark of the bog owl echoes from the forest and across his father’s well-tended pastures, Aidan dreams of wild places still untamed and quests not yet pursued. So begins the adventure that is The Bark of the Bog Owl, Book One in The Wilderking Trilogy. Written by Jonathan Rogers and releasing in September, The Bark of the Bog Owl follows Aidan’s progress from shepherd boy to national hero.

Aidan is the youngest son of Errol, a great warrior and landholder, descended from the first settlers of the land of Corenwald. The Corenwalders have always been a nation of pioneers and adventurers, carving a civilization out of the swamp and tanglewood of their island realm. But their success in taming the wilderness may prove the greatest threat to Corenwald's survival. In their new-found comfort and prosperity, King Darrow and his noblemen have begun to lose sight of the principles of freedom and justice on which their kingdom was founded.

Corenwald's deliverer, according to the old prophecies, will be not just a new king, but a Wilderking, who will ascend to the throne from Corenwald's wildest places. Only the Wilderking can balance his people’s civilizing impulses with the wildness that gives Corenwald its vitality. Aidan’s life changes forever on the day Bayard the Truthspeaker arrives at Longleaf with an astonishing pronouncement: it is Aidan’s destiny to be the Wilderking.

But not just yet. Many trials and adventures will mold the shaggy-headed shepherd boy into the man who can bring Corenwald back to its former glory. Aidan’s passion for adventure and heroism blossoms with his friendship with Dobro Turtlebane. Dobro is one of the feechiefolk—a tribe of half-civilized swamp dwellers who fight too much, laugh too loud, cry too easily, and smell awful. Aidan’s courage—not to mention his surprising talent for catfish grabbling and alligator wrestling—wins the feechiefolk over, despite their deep mistrust of “civilizers.” And when the warships of the mighty Pyrthen Empire land on Corenwald’s shores, it is Aidan who reminds his countrymen of a courage they had forgotten they possessed.

This initial installment in The Wilderking Trilogy is sure to capture the hearts of young and old, boys and girls alike. Written in the same fashion as The Lord of the Rings or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Bark of the Bog Owl, as the author says, will help “direct a God-fearing boy’s sense of adventure and warrior spirit – his God-given wildness.”

Check out these other participants on this tour:
Brandon Barr Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Janey DeMeo Merrie Destefano or Alien Dream Jeff Draper April Erwin Linda Gilmore Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Jill Hart Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Christopher Hopper Becca Johnson Jason Joyner Karen Dawn King Mike Lynch Rachel Marks Karen McSpadden Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Eve Nielsen John W. Otte Lyn Perry Deena Peterson Rachelle Cheryl Russel Ashley Rutherford Hanna Sandvig Chawna Schroeder James Somers Steve Trower Speculative Faith Donna Swanson Daniel I. Weaver Laura Williams Timothy Wise

Now that I've been at home for just over a week, I'm beginning to remember the things that make us NZers something different. There are things to treasure in our culture, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

Did you know that a Kiwi is a native bird, round and stubbly? The famous Kiwifruit was named after it, I guess because it's round and stubbly too. We the people also call ourselves Kiwis, and the fruit is never called anything but Kiwifruit, except for very old people who used to know it as a Chinese Gooseberry, which is what it actually is.

Did you know that the word "taboo" comes from our native Maori language and originally meant "holy, untouchable"?

Did you know that the kumara is a national vegetable, like sweet potato, and it tastes best baked in an earth oven (hangi) buried with hot stones?

Do you know the difference between rugby league and rugby union, and can you discuss the pros and cons of each? Perhaps you've seen our team, the All Blacks, performing their haka (war-dance) before a game? I bet you didn't know that the words of the war-song describe a man emerging from a kumara pit where he'd hidden from his enemy.

I guess that's enough for today. The picture above is the upper end of the Waitemata Harbour, seen from a residential area in the central west North Shore. The one below is the wide part of the harbour just inside its opening, looking from the city wharf area to the southern North Shore.

My Sea

Today I spent some time walking around town, and ended up at a small knobbly hill overlooking an expanse of beach on one side and the city harbour on the other. These are places I've had in mind while writing certain passages in Faith Awakened, although I was far away on the other side of the world when I wrote them. Originally, the story was set in New Zealand, but I shifted it to Ireland when it was half done, to increase global interest and give it a character perhaps more easily recognised by American readers.

Well, anyway, I was there on the beach and the hill, and suddenly I knew I wanted to come back here to live again. It was plainly obvious in the moment I jumped down from the promenade to the rough sand. Because this is my sea. Oh yes, I've seen plenty of sea elsewhere. It's just that it wasn't mine. These are the beaches where I played as a child, where I learned to swim and row. The smell of salt and seaweed hangs heavy in the air, and the wind whips my face and makes me feel alive again.

That's all, really... but I wanted to show you some pictures of my sea.

FLASHPOINT by Frank Creed

“It’s just a little book,” I said to myself after opening the package, “I’ll get that read in an hour or so.”

How erroneous.

This “little book” is so chock-full of action that I had to give it far more time than would be usual for one this size. There are some scenes you have to read over again and again, just for that stunning visual effect in your mind. Ever heard of ground-breaking fiction? This is it. Hot stuff! I had to let it sink in for a few days before I could think about writing a review…

Christians on the run from state troopers who are authorised to lock them up. Brother and sister plunged into an underground they never could have imagined. Supernatural powers given to those who believe. Super-technical gadgets combined with holy extra-sensory perception bring the children of the King to their fullest potential. Matrix-style slow-mo bullet-dodging peppered with Bible quotes.

Yes, I can guarantee you won’t have come across anything like this before. Breathtaking action mingles with ultimate devotion, and reality can resemble a video game at times. Or was that the other way round? Hackers surf the cyber-world to outwit security systems. Love is still the greatest power in the universe.

Bursting with vivid neon colours and the sounds of the future, Flashpoint will take you places in your soul you’ve never been before. A treat not just for your mind and spirit, but for eyes and ears as well. A sympathetic array of characters has no other choice but to rely on divine connections to make it through each day.

One interesting aspect is the spiritual and technical reconstruction of the human mind and soul, making it impervious to fatigue, cold, heat, pain, you name it... and aware of the spirit world. If only it were really so easy… but whyever not? Why not combine spirituality with technology to create a super-Christian? This is heavy stuff, and our heroes are challenged beyond anything they’ve ever known before. But – and this is important – they sure do seem to have an immense amount of fun while they’re at it.

A tale that was ten years in the making is certainly something extraordinary. This huge investment of Frank Creed’s time is one that is paying off in the quality of his finished work. Let’s just hope the next one doesn’t take so long!

P.S. In the days immediately after reading this book, I was pursued by brightly-coloured sci-fi dreams, and one night even delivered a package deal: the main plot and concept for a new space-opera novel, complete with four main characters and several key scenes. Quite different to Flashpoint, but seemingly quite full of action. Look out for the Saga of the Seven Planets…

Grace Bridges, reporting from a 747 somewhere over Mongolia, but it's dark, so I can't say for sure... :)

FLASHPOINT - About the author

About the author - Frank Creed

Frank currently works two jobs. He is an associate
at Subaru of Indiana Automotive (builds Subaru engines) and when he finishes at SIA, he devotes
the majority of his waking hours to writing and promoting. Currently he is working on the sequel
to Flashpoint, War of Attrition and working with a small group of authors on other Underground
projects including Role-Playing Game designer Mike Roop on a Flashpoint-based RPG (due for
release in 2008). Frank is an active member of FaithWriters, a Christian writing group and
participates in weekly writing challenges there. The Lost Genre Guild™ is a group founded by
Creed to gather writers and artists and promote the lost genre of Biblical speculative fiction (sci-
fi, fantasy, thriller, cyberpunk, end times, time travel, etc. from a Christian world view). There
is a very good definition of Biblical speculative fiction at Wikipedia.  

Random Flashpoint Facts

You can get more information from a few of the interviews Frank has done:

      1. Flashpoint Interview
      2. Interview at Blog Critics by Carol McDonnell
      3. Interview at Novel Journey by Gina Holmes


Other Information:
      Frank has his own newsletter: The UNDERGROUND that can be subscribed to at www.frankcreed.com/TheUnderground.html
-this newsletter has been praised: "I honestly think that it's the best newsletter I've ever read"
said author Polly Harris
      The official website at www.frankcreed.com
      Writers Blog at frankcreed.blogspot.com
      Book Review blog at afrankreview.blogspot.com
      Shoutlife page at www.shoutlife.com
      His new book website at www.booksoftheunderground.com



Links for purchasing book:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Flashpoint-Book-Underground-Frank-
Creed/dp/1934284017/ref=sr_1_1/104-7700737-8213530?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191301005&sr=8-1

The Writers Cafe Press: www.thewriterscafe.com/projects.html
if readers want free shipping within the US and Canada, plus a signed copy of Flashpoint

The book is also available at many other online stores. By using the ISBN, the book can be
ordered into a brick&mortar store as well, if it is not already on the shelves.

FLASHPOINT by Frank Creed - The Tour Begins

CSFF Tour: THE RETURN by Austin Boyd

This book was almost impossible to put down, which certainly made it easy to get through at high speed – which was good, since I got it just last weekend and hurried to read it in time for the blog tour. At first I was skeptical of “just another astronaut story”, but this one is anything but.

A far-reaching tale of bravery versus deception – story strands run through Earth and Mars, looking through the eyes of various characters scene by scene. We are plunged straight into the action, and although this is the third book in the series, it didn’t bother me at all that I haven’t read the first two – this one is complete in itself, and contains snippets of backstory as the characters remember prior events.

Admiral John Wells and his team are hard at work on the Mars base, and he is dealing with the loss of his family six years previously. The discovery of a mysterious second Mars base and its connections to a fertility cult are enough to occupy the NASA astronauts’ attention. Meanwhile, that cult’s leader on Earth is gearing up to fulfill his twisted dreams, spoken to him by a bodiless voice – and the fate of hundreds of teenage girls is in the balance.

This is not your usual astronaut story. It’s filled to bursting with unusual happenings and peculiar inventions – such as a tooth transmitter, an interactive virtual copy of a dead man, an alien hoax, messages in garden patterns, surprise appearances, fresh vegetables and a wagon train on Mars, and an international chase back on Earth. The topic of clones is also very well handled, showing that each is an individual soul even though their bodies are identical.

It’s a space tale with real warmth, humanity, and spirituality. Unlike the Apollo 13 brand of story that depicts space as empty and brutal, Mars is described as a good place to be, and the people living there change and grow through the pages just like the people on Earth. Occasionally you’ll need a fairly big stretch of the imagination to accept the outcome of particular situations, but that’s only a minor niggle and for me, made the whole ride a lot more fun with its unexpected twists and hitherto hidden opportunities. Yes, this story is about space exploration, but first and foremost it’s about people, about hope, and about the ultimate victory of good over evil. Expect the unexpected!

Take a closer look at the book's Amazon page here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/157683946X

Other participants on this tour: Trish Anderson Brandon Barr Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Valerie Comer Karri Compton Lisa Cromwell CSFF Blog Tour Gene Curtis D. G. D. Davidson Janey DeMeo Merrie Destefano or Alien Dream Jeff Draper April Erwin Linda Gilmore Beth Goddard Marcus Goodyear Jill Hart Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Christopher Hopper Becca Johnson Jason Joyner Kait Karen Dawn King Tina Kulesa Rachel Marks Karen McSpadden Rebecca LuElla Miller Eve Nielsen John W. Otte Lyn Perry Deena Peterson Rachelle Cheryl Russel Chawna Schroeder Mirtika Schultz James Somers Steve Trower Speculative Faith Laura Williams Timothy Wise

And by the way... Today, my first-ever author interview has been published! You can check it out here: Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog - anyone leaving a comment there will be in to win a free copy of my book.

Name That Planet!

I'm writing a new novel with the working title "The Saga of the Seven Planets". The first planet is called Monday, and our hero and heroine escape from slavery there to go on an epic journey. As you've noticed, there are seven planets in total.

The planets are based roughly on the seven days of Creation in Genesis, but I don't want to name them all after days of the week - the analogy falls down at some point.

So can you help me?

Here's a list of the planets and their individual qualities:
1 - Monday; cloud-covered, chilly, only day and night, slave planet
2 - Airless rock, our heroes stop here for a short time to rest - doesn't necessarily need a name
3 - Oceania, air and water, no land masses


Here are the ones I really need help with:
4 - Plant life, tropical forest, loads of fruit; here our heroes meet the villain, who nearly keeps them from travelling on
5 - Like 4, but with birds and fish; here our heroes fight with temptation and nearly have an immoral scene
6 - Highly refined culture and technology; various races and cities with different characteristics; here our heroes visit many places and learn about racial diversity
7 - a holy planet, visited often by pilgrims from 6. Home of the Great King who sent our heroes on the journey.


So get your thinking caps on! The best suggestions will win either a Faith Awakened mousepad, or a Faith Awakened soundtrack CD.

Jack Stinson's "High Street" - an interview with the author

This week the CFRB is hosting a tour for the book "High Street" by Jack Stinson. I read it some weeks ago and then sent some questions to Jack - here are his answers:

What was your motivation for writing High Street? What got you started?
The story came to me as I was working with the homeless in an inner-city church ministry here in Columbus. I saw several young men and women (really boys and girls) that were only 18 or 19 and already so very messed up because of very poor decisions and the traps of the enemy. I wanted to tell that story.

Which target audience did you have in mind as you wrote? Has this changed since then?
The target was Christians and non-Christians. Everyone. No, that hasn't changed. I'll explain more in the next answer.

What do you want to accomplish with this book? How do you hope it will affect your readers?
I want to write fiction that causes the non-Christian think about the more important things in life: God, death, and the truth of life. In this particular story, I also wanted to make Christians understand how easy it can be to get hurt in this world. Sometimes we get very judgemental about people 'deserving' their situations. I wanted a main character that Christians would 'root for'. Also, I hope that it will make Christians more aware of how they can help others. (Also, if you're a teenage Christian or the parent of one, I hope it scares you a little...I hope that's OK!)

Your book is completely without spelling mistakes. Even bestsellers usually have a few! How did you do it?
A Christian editor in my church did a good edit on the final manuscript for me, and then my wife and daughter proofread it a couple of times each. It was a lot of hard work.

Tell me about your publisher, Infinity. I haven't heard of them before. How did you find them, or did they find you?
Infinity is a wonderful publisher for those going the self-published route -- I found them searching on the Web. I was given proof copies of the draft book to check...I was able to say what I wanted on the cover and then have changes made after I got the proof book. They charge a reasonable price both for their service and for the books later. I'm quite happy. I just had a book of short fiction, Hard Pursuit, published with them this summer and everything went great.

I see you live in Columbus yourself, where the book is also set. Does this mean that the places described are in fact real locations - the homeless shelters, the churches, the colleges, the woods, the motels, and of course High Street?
Yes. High Street is a very well known street here in Columbus. When I first went to college here years ago (at Devry Institute of Technology) I was not a Christian at the time. I went to those college bars... Later, during my last year of college, I was back around those college bars on High Street passing out Christian tracts with other Christians. Then much later (several states, two children, and two decades) I was helping in a church ministry going to the Open Shelter, Faith Mission, and so on. The church and the college were not real, but everything else was. The bridge on the cover is the bridge that Jamie walked many times in the story.

Your book has been described as a modern-day Prodigal Son story. But yours has a different ending. How come?
I've been asked that many times...some folks were shocked by the ending and it took them a while to decide that they really liked it... All I can say is that this is the story that came to me. It was the story that I wanted to write. I actually wrote the last page first, then went back and wrote the other 85,000 words...

Jamie's absence seems to cause a change to his family's spiritual life. How do you intend this apparent cause-and-effect to come across to your readers?
So many times it takes something bad or traumatic to make people think of God. I don't like the bad or traumatic things...but that's how it is so often.

Check out other posts at CFRB Central!

The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka - Part 3

CSFF Blog Tour: The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka, Day 3


As the tangled threads of story come together in the last part of the tale, I have finally realised what a master storyteller Bryan is. Hints dropped throughout previous pages are now gathered up, questions are answered, and surprises abound – such surprises as make perfect sense, built upon the scraps of history we know already. Nevertheless, the astonishment is great. It is a masterful weaving of carefully laid clues and precisely revealed secrets, creating the build-up to an inevitable climax. The power of prayer is an ever-present awareness as the pastor fights in the Spirit for the life of his faraway daughter, even while parishioners berate him for his apparent lack of action.

This is a strong theme that comes up again and again: God is strongest in weakness, and his wisdom is foolishness to those on the outside. More than once, a decisive victory is attained by giving up, by surrendering to evil – yet it is this apparent powerlessness we see overcoming that very evil. Christ crucified, the beginning and end of every struggle.

The twists in the end of the tale are violent, redemptive, and shocking, yet they are appropriate to the overall drama. Climactic swordfights are entrenched in a spiritual reality that impacts the warriors even during the highest moments of tension. Although the thrusts and parries are quick and sharp, the slow-motion “camera” effect reveals the truth in their hearts in the blink of an eye, in the flicker of a flame, in a sudden recognition of reality.

After victory won, the stunning pace of action gives way to rest and relief – a slight anticlimax follows, though this is quickly balanced out. Hope is seen through tragedy, and Packer gains everything he set out to seek. This is the stuff of golden dreams, of allegory, fantasy and fairytales, and the hero has come to his reward. There are plenty of questions left over afterwards, though – more than enough to furnish the books to follow.

I was interested to note that Bryan studied under Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland – no doubt this has contributed to the depth of his personal spirituality that shines through every page he has written. The government of Nearing Vast, while providing a firm foundation for a fanciful realm, also bears more than a passing resemblance to the somewhat bumbling bureaucracy of European authorities. (I should know – I work for one!)

Summing up: This book is not like anything I’ve ever come across before. It’s an absolutely unique mingling of real biblical Christianity with a fictional, historical-type fantasy world. Take a look. You won’t regret it.



Here are the other participants:
Trish Anderson - Brandon Barr - Wayne Thomas Batson - Jim Black - Justin Boyer - Amy Browning - Jackie Castle - Valerie Comer - Karri Compton - Frank Creed - Lisa Cromwell - CSFF Blog Tour - Gene Curtis - D. G. D. Davidson - Janey DeMeo - Merrie Destefano - Jeff Draper - April Erwin - Linda Gilmore - Beth Goddard - Marcus Goodyear - Russell Griffith - Jill Hart - Katie Hart - Sherrie Hibbs - Christopher Hopper - Jason Joyner - Kait - Karen - Dawn King - Tina Kulesa - Lost Genre Guild - Terri Main - Rachel Marks - Karen McSpadden - Rebecca LuElla Miller - Eve Nielsen - John W. Otte - John Ottinger - Robin Parrish - Lyn Perry - Deena Peterson - Rachelle - Cheryl Russel - Chawna Schroeder - Mirtika Schultz - James Somers - Steve Trower - Speculative Faith - Jason Waguespac - Daniel I. Weaver

The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka - Part 1

CSFF Blog Tour: The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka, Day 1


I’m going to approach this review a little differently to others. After reading about a third of the book, my head is already jammed so full of impressions and sensations that I have to stop and write some of them down before I go on. As I write today, I have not read the whole book, so bear in mind that I may be a bit scatterbrained as I survey the churning plot thus far.

Packer, our not-so-intrepid hero, has failed at much in his life. On the other hand, it seems he has also suffered unjustly for obeying his conscience to attack an evil man he was meant to respect. Discarded by the spiritual leaders he longed to join, he applied himself to learning the sword, and now seeks to sneak on board a pirate ship in pursuit of the giant Firefish that could bring prosperity to his peasant village.

By now, there’s been gallantry and humiliation, cruelty and devotion, hatred and miracles for Packer – all in the space of just a few days. All described vividly and precisely, so that it’s almost like sitting in a movie theater – you can see the glint of moonlight on swords and the depths of depravity in the villain’s black eyes, in the same way that a film director orders camera shots to zoom in on particular aspects. And the villain is a woman, by the way, a rather unusual touch.

But the most extraordinary thing about it is that it’s full of the Bible. The kingdom of Nearing Vast is apparently a Christian one, the heroine’s father is a pastor, and Scripture quotes and allusions are found again and again. These people may live in a fantasy world, but their faith is ours, and their Book is just like the one on your own nightstand. And they are doing their best to follow Jesus, just as you and I are doing day by day.

This may seem an unusual combination – and indeed, it is. The story is fully anchored in both the rich fantasy world, and in the utter familiarity of Christian living. But it’s not awkward in the least. It fits. I just read a mind-boggling scene in which Packer, challenged once again to fight for his life in the depths of the pirate ship, considers the parallels between his own situation and that of Adam in the Garden of Eden. I really can’t do it justice by this description, but it is most astonishing. Trust me. And come back tomorrow to see what else I discover as I read on.

Here are the other participants:
Trish Anderson - Brandon Barr - Wayne Thomas Batson - Jim Black - Justin Boyer - Amy Browning - Jackie Castle - Valerie Comer - Karri Compton - Frank Creed - Lisa Cromwell - CSFF Blog Tour - Gene Curtis - D. G. D. Davidson - Janey DeMeo - Merrie Destefano - Jeff Draper - April Erwin - Linda Gilmore - Beth Goddard - Marcus Goodyear - Russell Griffith - Jill Hart - Katie Hart - Sherrie Hibbs - Christopher Hopper - Jason Joyner - Kait - Karen - Dawn King - Tina Kulesa - Lost Genre Guild - Terri Main - Rachel Marks - Karen McSpadden - Rebecca LuElla Miller - Eve Nielsen - John W. Otte - John Ottinger - Robin Parrish - Lyn Perry - Deena Peterson - Rachelle - Cheryl Russel - Chawna Schroeder - Mirtika Schultz - James Somers - Steve Trower - Speculative Faith - Jason Waguespac - Daniel I. Weaver

Infinite Space, Infinite God: Blog Tour - Interview with Karina Fabian

Right now, Karina's giant blog tour is on! You can find out more at www.fabianspace.com.


I got Karina to answer some questions...

Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Since I'm a character-driven writer, I don't write myself into them, but sometimes, we share things in common. My characters tell me who they are--sometimes, they are like me (though not in any way I plan) and sometimes, they are like I'd want to be or wish I could be, and sometimes, they are very different.
I have written scenes or events that are very similar to things that have happened to me. It's interesting to see how the character reacts. Where I may get timid and cry, my character gets angry and strikes out or cool and resolves the situation with grace. That's one of the things I love about writing--getting to live someone else's life in a socially acceptable fashion. (grin)

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Besides than living other people's lives?
Rob and I had met through a mutual friend, Jeff, who knew we both loved Star Trek. In fact, while I was showing Jeff all my Star Trek stuff (I was big into it then), he stopped me and said, "You have to meet someone!" He called Rob and handed me the phone. I said, "Live long and prosper!" He said, "I'll be right over!"
I was a new lieutenant in the military and had gotten my first paycheck that day, so we all went out to dinner, and shopping and goofing around. At that time, I was not thinking of romance, but just hanging out with new friends. So when Rob slipped his arm though mine when we were walking to the car. I didn't know what to do, so I slipped my arm though Jeff's and started skipping and singing "Follow the Yellow Brick Road." It only took a minute before both of them were doing the same.
Rob said he knew then that I was the one for him!


How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I've never claimed to be sane, just able to hide it well.
More seriously, writing and sharing my stories keeps me happy and emotionally stable. When you're doing what you're meant to do, the world seems to run with you.

How do you choose your characters' names?

Most of the time, the character chooses them--often with interesting stories as well. Joshua Abraham's Lawson--with the apostrophe, thank you--was named for his great-grandfather, a runaway slave who names him self for the Emancipation Proclamation--Abraham's Law. (The apostrophe is because his mom is a stickler for grammar.) My dragon Vern d'Wyvern was named by a pope who was better at holiness than humor.
When I have a lot of side characters, I try to figure out their nationality or heritage and look up names in a phone book from that area.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Steven (14 on Aug 22nd), Amber (12), Alex (8) and Liam (7). If I never had a story published, an article written or a book printed, I'll have created wonderful things because I have birthed them.


If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I'm never any good at answering this question. I don't want to be an animal. I love sentience. However, if I had to be classified as an animal, I'd probably be a beaver, since I'm always doing something. It's a joke with my friends that, once we're comfortable in our friendship, I start cleaning their house when I visit.


What is your favorite food?

Really good Italian. Escargot when it's done right. It used to be pizza, but this year, I've done so much writing and working online with chats and groups that we've ordered way too much. I have half a pizza in my fridge right now and I can't even look at it.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

In the mental act of writing: transitions, because that's when my characters want to take a nap or read a book or do something that translates into * * *. So I go do something mindless for awhile and try to imagine what they'd be doing next, or I whine to my husband or my best writer friend, Ann Lewis, and they give me that one question or idea that lets me move on.
In the physical act of writing: typos. I have terrible typing, and my "new" laptop has been to the shop twice for faulty keyboards to no avail, so now I'm just living with it. I've also found that as I get older, I don't catch the typos like I used to. The only way I can combat this is to read things forward, then out loud, then backward, then give it to friends. This works well for stories and manuscripts, but not for casual mail or fast-deadline. Then, sorry to say, I do my best and take my chances.
In the "financial" act of writing: finding markets. I didn't major in English because I was no good at analyzing stories and I'm not much better at analyzing markets. So I do my best, talk to other writers and just keep plugging.


What would you like to tell us about Infinite Space, Infinite God?

Infinite Space, Infinite God is thought-provoking science fiction with a Catholic twist. I'll let you go to the website for synopses of the stories, the book trailer, and just about anything else you'd like to know about the book. http://isigsf.tripod.com
The thing I'd most like folks to know, however, is that just because the theme is how the Catholic faith meets the moral and social challenges of the future, it is not targeted to Catholics only. We've had overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics of all faiths, and it won the EPPIE award for best science fiction--competing against secular works.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

About Karina (with her blog): www.fabianspace.com
About Infinite Space, Infinite God: http://isigsf.tripod.com
About Karina's Dragon Eye PI universe: www.freewebs.com/dragoneyepi
On MySpace: www.myspace.com/karinafabian

CFRB Tour: The Duke's Handmaid - my review

I didn’t hesitate in buying this book after discovering it’s all about a planet with two suns and the lives of the people there. As I began to read, I found it hard going for a while – the incredible pace of the first few chapters, combined with a crash course on the customs of Byntar, was a fair challenge. But it was worth it. Once I grew accustomed to some very original peculiarities of grammar and speech, I was immersed in this alien culture and better able to see the depth of the characters amidst a great deal of action.

This is not a tale for the squeamish. There are scenes of intense violence, revenge and cruelty that actually made my skin crawl. Any culture that practices slavery must needs be a harsh kind of environment.

Yet through it all sparkles the character of Keedrina, the heroine. She longs only to be the bond-slave of the young Duke and wear his fetters to serve him. It is not an easy road she chooses, but he wins her heart at first sight, giving her an endless motivation to seek her goal.

It is a gripping story, well-told and obviously based on a large world-building project. In fact, it reads like a fairytale in many places as it sways between horror and passion. At the end, some issues are still unresolved, but there is apparently a second book. I won’t spoil the story’s hapy ending for you. Enough to say that this fancifully woven tapestry is not even remotely like any other book I’ve ever read.

It doesn’t read like a Christian story at all. The hero and heroine, and many other actors, all show a strong sense of morals and justice, but the gods mentioned incidentally are local ones and don’t seem to do much. So although the author is a Christian, I’m sure this book could make it on the secular market.

Check out what else is going on at http://cfrblog.blogspot.com!!

A whole bunch of questions

Andrea tagged me, and as it happens I was just wondering what to do with myself.. so here goes:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I don't remember. Bit of a drought on tears just now.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING
Sure

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Anything is fine except salami

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Just wait. I will...

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I sure hope so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
No. But I do use irony :)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yep

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
There would have to be a LOT of money waiting for me afterwards.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Chocolate Weetbix Minis

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Sometimes

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Um, er... depends.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Cookies, goldrush, hokey pokey

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? whether they are paying attention

15. RED OR PINK? Eww. Neither

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
That I'm single!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Everyone, actually

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO LINK THIS BACK TO YOU?
YES

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS (Or Kilt) AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue shorts, bare feet

20. WHAT WAS The LAST THING YOU ATE? A homemade hazelnut praline (at a party)

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
my cats talking to the pigeon on the next-door windowsill

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Royal blue

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Jasmine, cat fur, hot bread

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
I don't remember. Probably my flatmate

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO LINKED THIS TO YOU?
Of course! She gave me years of work to do! :)

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Rugby, gymnastics

27. HAIR COLOR?
brown

28. EYE COLOR?
blue

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Now and then, but they are SUCH a pain to get out that I don't often bother

30. FAVORITE FOOD(S)?
Tagliatelle with creamy tomato sauce and seafood; anything with chocolate; a good ripe rockmelon

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy ending all the way.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
King Arthur

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
blue

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Viennetta; strawberries and cream; Prince Ludwig cake (a Bavarian gateau consisting of thin layers of chocolate cake alternating with thin layers of chocolate cream)

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
No idea

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
likewise

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka; Perelandra by C.S. Lewis; Lord of the Rings (in German)

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't have a mouse pad. My cat ate it.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
Nothin’

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
My cat when she comes to say hello; the doorbell when friends are expected

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Neither. That's all before my time.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Spain, I think, if you go by distance. The most remote place was probably Timbuktu.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Ask my friends

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Auckland, New Zealand

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Any of them

CSFF Blog Tour - FEARLESS by Robin Parrish

It's certainly been interesting watching the blog posts discussing the question - what genre does this book really belong to? Fantasy? Superhero? Suspense? Supernatural? I haven't been able to get hold of it myself yet, but you can watch the video trailer and see if you can get closer to discovering the truth... and I have to say, my interest has risen dramatically after hearing that it might not be "just one of those suspense books" but something supernatural too. After all the marketing in the suspense direction, this came as a surprise - but I guess I'll have to read it now...



Link to the book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764201786

Other tour participants:
Trish Anderson Brandon Barr Wayne Thomas Batson Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Valerie Comer Karri Compton Frank Creed Lisa Cromwell CSFF Blog Tour Gene Curtis D. G. D. Davidson Merrie Destefano Jeff Draper April Erwin Linda Gilmore Beth Goddard Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Russell Griffith Jill Hart Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Christopher Hopper Jason Joyner Karen Dawn King
Tina Kulesa Lost Genre Guild Rachel Marks Rebecca LuElla Miller Eve Nielsen John W. Otte John Ottinger Robin Parrish Lyn Perry Rachelle Cheryl Russell Hanna Sandvig Chawna Schroeder Mirtika Schultz James Somers Steve Trower Speculative Faith Jason Waguespac Daniel I. Weaver