Spiritual Concepts Outside the Box

What does it mean to be a Christian Writer?

I've asked myself that question many times, and I think there may be as many definitions as there are Christian writers. lol. Some insist if the story doesn't talk about Jesus, it ain't Christian. Others say if the writer is a Christian, then what they write is Christian fiction. Those are probably the two polar extremes. I mean, by that last definition, the Twilight series is Mormon fiction, right? Hmm.

I'm starting to think I've been going about this question backwards. Trying to define what a Christian writer is so I can decide first, if I fit that definition, and second, if I want to. So far I have only managed to outline the spectrum of beliefs and I'm not sure I see myself within the spectrum I've identified or not.

But honestly-- for myself, in my small writing world-- isn't the more important question, what kind of writer am I? Not that my spirituality isn't important. But that's much less a question to me. The question really is what stories am I trying to tell? What is the message in them? What do I as a writer have to say about life and spirituality? I think those are the questions I should be asking myself at this point.

Why do I write?

What is the message I want to share?

Those are the questions that will help me define the rest.

Review: Walking Man by Narciso Zamora

When Narciso Zamora runs away from his parents' home in Peru at age fourteen, he has no idea that God already has a plan for his life. After living in the streets, working here and there, stealing what he could when it was convenient or there was no work, he met a family who changed everything for him.

Zamora began spending time at their church, and suddenly, the message he'd been hearing sunk in. He studied theology and began a ministry that spanned decades and miles, taking him on foot through the jungles of South America on journeys that often lasted for days. Pressing on through extreme poverty and persecution, Zamora and his family planted churches in Peru, Ecuador, and Chile. Walking Man is the testimony of his life and experience.

While a simple story, Zamora's tale paints a stark picture of his life in Latin America as a pastor and missionary. His determination and commitment in the face of disaster are heartwarming, as are the testaments of God's faithfulness to provide to him and his family.

Review: Out of Her Hands by Megan DiMaria

Things are not happy on the home front when Linda Revere discovers her adult son is dating the wrong girl. But Nick's cagey behavior and sudden disappearances aren't the only disturbance in Linda's world. New challenges seem to pop up daily at work, where she is office manager of an upscale photography studio, and her family still reels from the recent loss of her mother-in-law. To top it all off, her best friend and confidante is moving across the country. It seems like the harder Linda works to hold things together, the more out of control they get. What does she do now?

Linda's sense of humor and spunk drew me right into the story. It was easy to understand the challenges she faced and sympathize with her struggles. This is a story any mom can relate to. The themes of loyalty and family are refreshing and satisfying.

Though probably more of a mom read than a teen read, I think younger readers can still enjoy the story-- both Linda's 18 yr old and 22 yr old children are significant characters in the story, and were really easy for me as a reader to connect with.

Review: In Between by Jenny B Jones

Sixteen year old Katie Parker is not too excited when she discovers she's moving to a new foster home in In Between, Texas, home of the Chihuahuas. And to top that off, her new "dad" is the pastor of one of the local churches. Not exactly consistent with Katie's formerly religion-less life. At her new school, she finds herself at home with the other outsiders. At least, so she thinks. When one late night stunt turns to trouble, Katie finds herself sentenced to time with her new nonGrandmother-- Mad Maxine. Could things get any worse? And does the God thing really work?

Jenny B Jones tells Katie's story with just the right mix of tenderness, humor, and sarcasm. It was an entertaining read, one I didn't want to put down from the minute I read the first page. Katie is lovable and endearing-- and even Mad Maxine really gets to your heart. She's a trip.

There are three books in the Katie Parker Production series. A new series by Jenny B Jones will be out next spring... can't wait to learn more!

Review: The Shack by William P Young

When his youngest daughter, Missy, is abducted during a family camping trip, Mack descends into the depths of The Great Sadness. It surrounds him constantly, muting the rest of his life to a colorless gray. Not even his daughter Kate's own struggles with Missy's death are enough to snap him out of it.

But in the middle of a treacherous ice storm, Mack receives a strange note signed simply "Papa" that invites him back to the shack where Missy's murder took place. Is it a cruel joke? A wicked game played by Missy's killer? Or something still more terrifying-- is it an invitation from God, whom Mack's wife lovingly refers to as "Papa?" Determined to find out, Mack journeys to the shack looking for answers, and what he finds leaves him forever altered.

Young's tale is, if nothing else, a worthy read. It is thought-provoking, challenging, and insightful. Personally, I didn't agree on every theological point, but the main idea of the story is so central to faith: Is the God who allows unspeakable tragedy to occur still a loving God? That question alone makes The Shack worth exploring, whether you've wrestled that giant in your own life (yet) or not.

Review: An Irishwoman's Tale by Patti Lacy

All her life, Mary Freeman has been alone. She is estranged from her family in Ireland and unable to please her ailing adoptive mother. But all that changes the day she meets Sally, an open Southern lady, whose warmth and affection begin to draw Mary out of her lonely shell. But Sally's friendship carries a price with it-- and Mary isn't sure she can face her haunted past, even with Sally's combined strength. A family crisis forces Mary's hand, and Sally accompanies her back to her homeland, back to her roots, to face the terrors of her past.

This novel is based on the life experiences of a friend of the author. I find I'm always more interested in a story if I know it is based on real people. To be honest, women's fiction isn't really my preferred genre-- but this was one read I am not sorry about in any way! Great story. Really winning characters. Quite a bit of it detailed Mary's growing-up years, so YA readers may be interested in it from that perspective. Overall, the story is very nicely done. I'd definitely read it again.

Review: Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck

Caroline Sweeney has never really done anything big for herself. When her mom left the family, she devoted herself to caring for her dad and brother, then took a job to help a failing local cafe. But when the cafe's owner dies and leaves the establishment to Caroline, just when she's been offered the job of her dreams, Caroline is floored. As she struggles to make her decision, life, or... as she comes to realize-- God-- throws her a few curves she wasn't expecting, but which make her choices and His plan perfectly clear.

Rachel Hauck's writing is always lively, light, and humorous. I laughed out loud several times in the course of the story. Strong spiritual values are woven in through the plot, but without being preachy. The setting felt real and genuine, very truly southern.

The story of Caroline's best friend Elle has just been released. It's called Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck. That one is definitely on my reading list as well. (which somehow seems to keep getting longer rather than shorter!)

Review: Fire Dancer by Colleen Coble

Tess Masterson is not afraid of parachuting into the inferno of a forest fire, but uncovering the secrets surrounding her parents' deaths may undo her. But when a string of fires started by a dangerous arsonist show connection to her family, she may not be able to let the past remain hidden.

This is the first book by Colleen Coble that I've ever read, and I really enjoyed it. She really makes the reader experience the emotional struggles of the characters. The plot was deep and with lots of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages.

If you read and enjoyed Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, I think you'd like this one. It's a little bit different in genre, but the style and some of the themes were very similar.

Review: Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin

Chase Walker doesn't remember a whole lot about his own early childhood. He doesn't even know his own name or remember his parents. But when a young boy turns up alongside the railroad tracks in his small South Carolina town, he must help discover the boy's identity. It's kind of a story of how sometimes what you're looking for is right under your nose to begin with.

I'm a Charles Martin fan-- he is my favorite author of Christian fiction (Catherine Marshall still remains my favorite). His characters are engaging and unforgettable. His stories are full of the warmth of the south. Good stuff.

While I still prefer When Crickets Cry over anything else by Charles Martin that I've read, Chasing Fireflies was a great story. I liked the story of the main character wrestling with the holes in his own past juxtaposed with the story of the young boy, whom he calls Sketch.

One of the reasons I think I liked When Crickets Cry better was that it showed the events of the past, then showed the story unfold at present. Chasing Fireflies had a lot of history that unraveled in the story, but more in a narrative experience, with the main character relating the story to the reader, rather than the reader experiencing it as a flashback or other kind of scene.

It was still a great story, and I enjoyed reading it.

Review: Georgia On Her Mind by Rachel Hauck

Macy Moore, Beauty High School's Miss Most Likely to Succeed, has everything she's ever wanted. But when her catch-of-a-boyfriend drops her for another girl and she loses her dream job a few months before she has to emcee for her class reunion, she begins to question everything.

Then out of the past comes the guy she always wanted, and a job that's too good to pass up, but both seem tenuous at best. With the help of Macy's friends, the Single Saved Sisters, she seeks to get her life back in order.

In Georgia On Her Mind, I enjoyed Macy's upbeat, humorous voice. She was open and genuine. Her friends were fun and interesting. The settings felt real and believable. Rachel Hauck has several books out since this one, and in fact, a new one coming out in July-- Love Starts With Elle-- that you won't want to miss.

Rachel Hauck's style is engaging and lively. She tells a deep story with a sense of humor and great characters that you will want to remember long after you've closed the book.

Review: Maggie by Charles Martin

Since I read and reviewed The Dead Don't Dance, the first book in Charles Martin's Awakening series, last week, you might want to skip this review if you're haven't gotten around to reading it yet and plan to. Because it will be awfully difficult to review Maggie, the sequel, without giving away how things go...

Maggie begins seventeen months after the previous story ends. Dylan Styles and his wife wrestle with their losses and the continued desire for children of their own. But a sinister force begins wreaking havoc on their sleepy South Carolina town. Dylan struggles to protect his family and friends, but there are some forces that no one can be protected from.

I think this one stands as my second-favorite of Charles Martin's books. Well, the ones I've read so far. He has a couple more out that I haven't read yet. But I liked how the pieces of the plot puzzle built as the story progressed and then snapped together. The characters were engaging, as always. I like how Charles Martin's stories incorporate Christian values into the story without giving the reader the feeling of being preached at. Nicely done.

Review: The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin

When Dylan Styles discovers his wife is pregnant, it's like a dream come true. But their preparations for his son's arrival end with tragedy that shakes Dylan to his core. Even with the support of friends and community, Dylan is uncertain how to find his way through his grief, how to wrestle with the deep questions of his heart.

One of the things Charles Martin does so well is creating the sleepy rural town, full of bright, vibrant characters. Dylan's best friend Amos was a favorite of mine from the moment he set foot on the page. Koy, a student, was another of my favorites. Really, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a character that didn't really come to life for me. Another of Martin's strengths (and I enjoyed this so much in another of his novels, When Crickets Cry) is his interplay between husband and wife. I loved the descriptions of how they'd interact together, and sort of the quirkiness of the relationships.

Early in The Dead Don't Dance, Dylan begins teaching again, and begins to share in the lives and stories of his students. While that isn't the central plot of the story, if you enjoy inspirational teaching stories, like LouAnn Johnson's My Posse Don't Do Homework (which was the basis for the movie Dangerous Minds), give this one a read.

Review: Wisconsin Blessings by Becky Melby and Cathy Wienke

Wisconsin Blessings is the story of three women all carrying heavy hurts from their pasts whose lives are changed by a renewed faith in God and blossoming romances beyond what they had ever hoped for.

The stories are told in three separate parts, each following the one before it. I'm not much of a romance-reader, but I enjoyed these as a nice break from the norm. They are light-hearted for the most part, and easy reading. The kind of book I'd take with me into a bubble bath for a few chapters.

I had the pleasure of meeting Becky Melby at last year's annual American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Dallas, and she gave me a signed copy of this book. I've been meaning to read it since the conference, just kept getting side-tracked. I finally finished it this week!