Tenth Plague Cover Unveiled
Finally, the cover of my next novel, due out on January 15, is here. What think ye? Special thanks to the designers at Kirkdale Press (Logos) for their hard work.
Read moreYes, I’m Thankful
Note: I’m taking a brief hiatus from my series on clean speech due to Thanksgiving plans with family and related time constraints. I plan to return to the series next week. In the meantime . . . I decided to compile a list of some of the biggest reasons for me to be thankful; that way on Thanksgiving day I’m not just stuffing my face with turkey. I’m actually approaching the occasion with a heart befitting the season. My Wife Kim got only a little sleep last night due to a nasty cold (of course, just in time for holiday travels) and a migraine. Yet she always keeps moving forward: getting stuff done, taking care of all of us. Whether she feels like it or not. This past November 2 marked our sixteenth wedding anniversary. Sixteen years—how is that possible? She has put up with me and fed me and…
Read moreIn Defense of Clean Speech in Christian Fiction, Part 5
See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. Flawed Arguments Most Christian novelists would agree that God prohibits His children from using unclean speech in everyday dialogue. But some apparently think their novels fall into a different category. One that is beyond biblical critique. “He’s a bad cop,” they say, “and for him and my story to be realistic, I wouldn’t be doing him or the story justice if I sanitized the language. I wouldn’t be intellectually honest.” They are, after all, seeking to depict reality. They are creating art. And art is honest, they say. Though plausibility is important in good fiction, this logic is flawed. Let’s take a closer look at their arguments for using unclean speech. 1. I want my novel to be realistic. This is fiction. No readers seriously want stark reality in the form of foul language—that’s depressing. They want the impression of reality (the…
Read moreAcknowledgments Page Due Today
Today I turn in my acknowledgments page for The Tenth Plague to Kirkdale Press. My wife just checked it over (I’m terrible at seeing my own typos). This is the page where I thank all those special folks who helped me with research and especially encouraged me along the way. Getting this novel to publication was one big, uphill climb, my friends. But I’m almost there. I’m getting closer to that long-hoped-for release date on January 15th! Praise God for helping me through each step of the way. I feel like I’ve run a marathon. Or two.
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