Reprinted by permission from SharperIron.org. Confessions of a Classic Performer I grew up on a farm without animals—domesticated animals, that is. Wild cats came and went like vagrants seeking shelter for a few months before setting off in search of something better. Those cats especially liked our classic circa 1900 red barn. As a boy, I remember sitting in the barn’s hayloft while dust motes danced in shafts of sunlight at my feet. Peering up at the cavernous ceiling, I imagined that I was inside a massive cathedral until the flutter of wings drew my attention to a four-paned window inset into the peak. Birds that had been trapped inside the barn fluttered against the glass panes in search of a way out. (Photo, clockwise: Adam, Kim, Laura, and Julia) In many ways, aren’t we all like those birds before we meet Christ—trapped in the “barn” of self? No, I’ve…
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November 8, 2008 Dear Reader, Do you ever wish life would slow down? It’s almost mid-November, and here I am working on my second newsletter already. What’s the status of Fatal Illusions? Kregel has said that the novel will be their “lead fiction title of the season,” so I’m getting excited. Right now, a copyeditor is fixing typos and other mistakes. I will have two more opportunities to read the novel: once after Thanksgiving (I can make minor changes) and around Christmastime (I’ll be checking page proofs only for mistakes). The novel goes to the printer at the end of January, and Kregel’s official release is sometime in March. What else is there to do? I need to finish writing my dedication, acknowledgments, and the Reading Group Guide (discussion questions for reading groups). Several “endorsers” (established novelists) will read the novel and hopefully write positive reviews and recommendations. Review snippets…
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