Four years ago, I woke abruptly before dawn with a Scripture blaring in my brain. Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. (Ecclesiastes 11:1 NIV) The verse was so unmistakable that I dragged myself out of bed and wrote it on an index card — a card [...]
There is a move afoot to overhaul our understanding of what it means to be a Christian. This trend is only new insofar as it is now being spear-headed by professing believers, as opposed to secularists or religious antagonists. Exhibit A. I recently commented on a post in Patrol magazine (an ezine of art, culture [...]
Last weekend at the OCCWF Conference, writer pals Merrie Destefano, Rachel Marks, and I sat at Waterbrook acquisitions editor Mick Silva‘s table for lunch, along with five other aspiring authors. If you’ve never attended a writers conference, these lunch settings can be quite awkward, full of fevered pitches, anxious wannabes, and well-meaning but overly-chatty writer-types. [...]
Having purchased a dilapidated house stockpiled with junk and intermittent antiquities, upon inspection, a friend of ours knew exactly who to call. Which is why several weeks back I found myself sifting through a cobweb-laden garage, where I extricated this baby — an Underwood typewriter circa early 1900’s. It’s in awful shape, as you can [...]
So I’m on record about being suspicious of Amazon reviews. But the disparity of reviews concerning James Rubart’s new book Rooms, takes the issue to another level. Apparently, Amazon offered a free download of the book without indicating it was a” Christian” book and many readers felt deceived. Which is why the reviews (as you [...]
Evangelical Christians are fond of saying, “It’s not about religion, it’s about relationship,” meaning a relationship with God. That’s intended to sound liberating, and indeed a real relationship with God should be. The problem is, however, we usually go on to define relationship with God in terms of religious duties and practices — church attendance, [...]
This morning, on our way to church, Lisa and I stopped into our local Barnes and Noble and purchased a copy of Gina Holmes‘ new book Crossing Oceans. Lots of buzz surrounds Gina’s first novel, and for good reason. But as I held the book and thumbed through its chapters, my mind was elsewhere. Back [...]
If you’ve been around the publishing industry for any time, you’ve probably heard the name Rachelle Gardner mentioned. In “agent years,” I suppose she’s a youngster (although I hear agents age mature fast). But with her extensive background in the publishing industry — which include marketing, sales, freelance editing, acquisitions and editorial — Rachelle has [...]
When perusing Amazon reviews of Christian books, the first reviews I will go to are the negative ones. I made that admission in a recent writer’s group and, to my surprise, several other authors agreed! But why is this? The answer is simple, and one I wish more of us would admit: The Christian reviewer [...]
If you’re looking for evidence of the politicization of the scientific intelligentsia, you need look no further than the renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Either that, or he’s veering dangerously close to a biblical worldview. From the UK’s Times Online, Don’t talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking: THE aliens are out there and Earth had [...]
