Beat Up Your Books!

I got a kindle for my birthday this year. Well, actually it was a combined birthday present for me/father’s day present for my husband. I love books, he loves technology, a match made in heaven. If you don’t know what a kindle is, it is an electronic reading device, in other words, a computerized book. It’s very cool. You download a book from online, and the nifty little machine fits in your hand like a book. You can take it anywhere. It stores up to like 1,000 books in less than the space of one normal-sized novel.

I do adore my kindle. Over fifteen years ago I did a graduate school project on the future of the book. Experts theorized that such a device was coming, and it’s amazing to see that the future is now here. However, I’ve already discovered some problems with my kindle.

First of all, we have a family of five and one $350 kindle. That means only one of us can be reading it at a time. The kindle will save your place in multiple books for multiple readers, but still, unless you’re reading out loud, only one person can actually be reading it at any given time. With regular books, one of us reads it, and then we can pass it around. We can all sit at the pool and read simultaneously, without much fear of the book being ruined by the water, since after all, we can generally replace it for under $10.

I love to pass around books that have blessed me to friends that will be blessed by them as well. Do my books get beat up? Sure they do. Do they get lost? Sometimes. But, the purpose of Christian books is to minister to people, to help them see something they’ve never seen before, and possibly even change their lives. The power of story is immeasurable. I think Jesus illustrates that in his use of parables. Stories go deep. They touch our emotions. They can touch each person in a unique way. When I finish a good book, the first thing I want to do is share it with someone else.

I’ve even started buying my favorite books in bulk and giving them out as gifts. It’s a great way to bless my friends, encourage authors, and stimulate the Christian publishing world at the same time.

Are your books sitting neatly preserved on a shelf? What’s the good in that? Send them out into the world and let then fulfill their destinies!

God Speaks Throughout History

I’d like to go back to the question of why Christians prefer novels set in America. Is it because it was the “good old days,” safe and clean, with nice little Baptist and Methodist churches who held socials and box lunches? Is it too scary to visit the Church of England, or the Huguenots Church, or worse yet (gulp!) the Catholic Church.

God is able to speak through any time period. People throughout history have gone through the same sort of struggles we do, and sometimes came to the same conclusions despite the name on their church buildings. I’ve noticed that God is giving many authors creative ideas on how to approach difficult periods in time.

For example, if I had to name one period in time I would like to avoid, it would be the Regency period. I have no patience for the repressive nature or societal pressure of that time. Yet, I just read an excellent book called Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen set in Regency England. In the story the heroine discovers that there are more important things in life than the opinions of society, things such as sacrificial love and obeying God.

In Siri Mitchell’s A Constant Heart, her heroine has to learn to stay constant in her faith and values despite the preening and debauchery of the Elizabethan court around her.

In Golden Keyes Parson’s novel, In the Shadow of the Sun King, her French Huguenot heroine learns that she battles not so much against the flesh and blood of the French Catholics, but against a spiritual enemy. She also finds surprising help at the hands of a Catholic nun with a compassionate heart.

My book is set in the medieval period. Many people don’t like this time because of its “dark” nature. However, my character longs for a true relationship with God despite the hypocrisy and corruption in the church around her. Seeing her heart, God leads her months away from her home in England to a unique Italian convent where she is able to develop the relationship with Him that she so desires.

There are many ways in which God can speak to us. I am very excited that He is moving in fresh ways through new authors with unique voices who aren’t afraid to branch out and tackle tough issues that have faced the body of Christ throughout history.

Blue Enchantress Review

I just finished reading Blue Enchantress by M.L. Tyndall. I couldn’t put the book down. It featured humor, romance, and adventure on the high seas all tied together with a beautiful story of redemption.

By far my favorite aspect of the book was the exquisitely flawed heroine, Hope Westcott. She pulled me in from the very first page. Never before do I recall meeting such a sin-ridden and self-destructive main character in a Christian novel. Tyndall does an amazing job of weaving her complex and broken personality, providing the insight and motivation to make you fall in love with her and cheer her along.

Hope Westcott is one of the most memorable and inspirational characters I’ve ever encountered. She is real and vulnerable and longs for love and attention from the wrong sources just like so many young women I have met. Partnered with godly and handsome but wounded hero, Nathaniel Mason, there's never a dull moment between these two.

All this takes place on the beautiful seas of the Caribbean. The story opens with Hope being sold at a slave auction to the highest bidder. Nathaniel is forced to part with half his fortune to rescue the wayward heroine who has only ever shunned him. Next comes a hurricane, a shipwreck, a deserted island, pirates, and plenty of other action packed surprises. Add in a good dash of humor and an ample serving of romance, and this book is sure to please.

Tyndall is able to create a light and enjoyable read while taking a deep look into the human condition. Incredible! The spiritual content of this book is powerful and compelling, and will leave you feeling truly inspired.