There’s probably no more dishonest atheists than there are dishonest Christians. Or dishonest dentists. Or dishonest cattle ranchers. Atheists don’t have a corner on the market of dishonesty. However, pretending there is a good reason to live while denying the existence of anything eternal is just… unrealistic. Or blatantly dishonest. Which is probably why I’ve [...]
Author and editor Lyn Perry recently talked about whether offering free sample chapters is a good marketing strategy for authors. Apparently, they don’t work for Lyn. I don’t like to read portions of books or samples of stories. Those extra pages at the back of a novel to entice you to buy the second book [...]
People keep telling my wife and I we’re “empty-nesters.” Last month our fourth and final child was married. Alayna and Martin rent a little house about a half-hour drive south of us. Despite being a bit of a scatterbrain, Alayna’s managed to pay her own way through college, hold down two jobs, and start her [...]
Things happen in life that don’t fit neatly into our theology. So why do we expect our fiction to? I was thinking about that after reading THIS REVIEW of my latest novel The Telling. The author gave it three-stars, called it “eerily good,” and said some very nice things about the story. Nevertheless, they had [...]
Guest blogger: Jill Domschot A while back, out of irritation, I posted this open letter on Facebook: Dear Male Authors of Christian Fiction, please stop creating female protags to fit your particular male fantasy of The Helper Wife. While a minority percentage of women are actually like this, these women have a downside, which you [...]
I’m giving away four signed copies of The Telling at Goodreads. Drawing ends on July 4th. If you’re not a member of Goodreads yet, this might be the perfect time to join up. And if you do, make sure to add me as a friend. Goodreads Book Giveaway The Telling by Mike Duran Giveaway ends [...]
Perhaps the worst part of writing is the criticism that will come. It’s inevitable. Publish something and someone’s bound to not like it. Social media only compounds the issue, empowering reviewers with star ratings, Likes, and Top Reviewer statuses. You invest blood, sweat, and tears in your novel only to have someone you’ve never met [...]
A shapeshifter keeps barging into my current novel. Even though I love shapeshifter mythology, I’ve been reluctant to include this one. Why? Because of The Law of Archetypes. Okay, it may be an unwritten law, but some folks seem to hold to these laws tenaciously. By way of example: I happened to describe to someone [...]
One of the most common objections to allowing expletives into Christian fiction is that of potentially “stumbling weaker brothers.” The argument is based off of two sections of Scripture: I Cor. 8: 9-11 and Romans 14:13-23. It usually goes something like this: Everyone is not at the same level of spiritual maturity. Those who are [...]
If the entertainment industry is any indication, modern man desperately needs to “escape.” It’s understandable when you consider how bleak things can appear — globally, economically, and existentially. What better way to forget that you don’t have a good job (if you have one at all), your love life stinks, your knees are shot, an [...]
