Thank God for Fox Faith

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Okay...here goes...yup, I'm a movie-holic. There, I admit it!

I recently grabbed a copy of Ted Dekker's Thr3e DVD. I'll get to the movie in a minute. Before it even started, I was glancing at my wife with big buggy eyes shaking my fist and shouting "Yes!" as loud as I dared with the kids fast asleep in bed. Why, pray tell. The trailer for HOUSE, the joint project that Dekker wrote with Frank Peretti.

Now, I'm not going to try and start one of those online debates about who is better (Peretti or Dekker, I see it on almost every post about House), but I have to say that I haven't been this excited about a Christian release in quite some time. Thr3e was good enough, it was a great book by a good author, but House is SO much better for our cause that it has me salivating with anticipation and begging the heavens that it shows in a nearby theater.

So, why am I so excited? Well, first off... if you haven't read House, you should. Rarely do two masters of a genre even try to work together (and if you read all the extras about the project you'll hear about how much of an adjustment for both of them that really was), but even less rarely does it result in such a great Speculative Fiction story. If you want a "haunted house" story, then this is a great read. Now we get to see it in the movies!

Now, Fox Faith releases are typically shown in limited release. House opens in October (I believe) and I don't know how many theaters will host it, but this is the sort of work that can attract folks outside the Christian audience. I was pleasantly surprised enough to find the local blockbuster (which only has 1 copy of Peretti's Hangman's Curse or The Visitation) had a whole row of Thr3e available. How much better will House do?

House will feature true "horror" imagery. I won't give away the story for those who haven't read it, but there is a very dark character with supernatural powers, a labyrinth of haunting rooms and hallways, demonic creatures rising out of black fog, etc. These are the sorts of "images" that your unknowing secular audience is going to see, say "wow", and consider watching. The ultimate story in House is a Christian story. But, like most of their work, it isn't preachy so people will be able to enjoy a chilling tale while walking away with a positive message of hope, love, and faith.

Simply put, we need more publicity for the genre like this.

Thr3e was good enough in and of itself. Some of the plot variances from the book were very noticeable, but also done very well and in a way that HELPED the movie avoid a lot of unnecessary back story conversations that would have dragged down the action. I would recommend it for two reasons: 1, rent or buy it just to show everyone that there IS an interest in supporting Christian film (and also fiction since these are all adapted from books) and 2, it's a good, clean movie.

I imagine everyone who pens a novel at least entertains the hope for a few moments that maybe one day, his or her story could become a movie. Well, if the Christian community stands behind our Spec Fic authors when their books become movies, we are all doing our part to make that possibility a little more likely when something we publish makes it into print.

(Another great example is Robert Liparulo. A rookie author, his Comes a Horseman has already been optioned as a film. I believe his follow-up GERM has been as well. These are books being optioned into movies WHEN they're published, not years afterwards.)

So, thank God for Fox Faith because every new film they produce from our lost genre is one more step in the struggle to break this baby open and prove to the publishing world that WE WANT SPECULATIVE FICTION!

CSFF Blog Tour Presents:

. . . The Sword Review

What is it?

The Sword Review is one of Double-Edged Publishing Inc.'s (a not-for-profit company) several speculative fiction ezines/ projects. At the forefront of TSR is the fantasy and sci-fi stories, poetry, reviews and essays written by a variety of authors; featured selections must meet strict standards of quality at the same time as respecting traditional values and Christian principles.

Behind the scenes TSR is a-buzz with activity, for instance, every published piece has a forum attached. And there are the columns, with their wide variety of topics. The discussion forum topics range from the usual to featured writing to news to general chat.

Okay, that was really dry; now really, what makes The Sword Review so special . . .

Flip open the cover and inside are all manner of treats. Features are usually updated twice weekly. In this issue a couple of my favourites:

1. a sci-fi by G.K. Werner: "ME Control" looks ahead to a time when educators are held responsible for the behaviour of their students! Teachers, just imagine if technology could be used to ensure that all learners were open and ready to . . . well . . . learn. No fidgeting, no staring out the window, no whispering, no passing notes, no playing with the pet mouse hidden in a desk for hours, to the delight of the rest of the students and hours before the teacher notices (the last not mentioned in the story, merely taken from my own experience!). I gotta tell you, the description of the students and teacher, while frightening, still gave me pause.

2. Joan L. Savage "Sarah’s Stone" is a well-crafted fantasy about a little girl whose father is taken by local goblins. The imagery in the story is wonderful, e.g. as Sarah nears the land of the goblins, in search of her father, she enters the forest where "The trees waved angrily, standing straight and thin and cruel, their leaves sharp and pointed. They would beat her with their whip-like limbs." I won't give away anything but what a lovely story and beautiful ending.

3. "Criticism, Revision and Concept Integrity" written by Marcie Lynn Tentchoff who is a guest writer at a local sci/ fantasy convention, is an informative essay all about receiving literary critiques. Part of Tentchoff's role at this convention is presiding over writer workshops and in this essay she provides 11 points that will be of value to any writer receiving feedback about their work.

There is much more offered every week at The Sword Review. Check it out and see for yourself at http://theswordreview.com/contents.php

Other blogs that you will want to read for a different take on TSR:
Jim Black
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
April Erwin
Kameron M. Franklin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia and The Bookshelf Reviews 2.0 - The Compendium
Terri Main
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Daniel I. Weaver
Russell Griffith
Jason Waguespac
Holly
Brandon Barr

Writer's Life

I wrote something for the blog at work today, but forgot to bring it home. But then I found a book-shaped package in my mailbox.

They say this day only comes once in an author's life, and I believe it. But that it would be today? I had no idea.

Today I held the first print copy of Faith Awakened in my little hot hands. Okay, so it's a pre-pre-preview copy. Just so I can check the formatting and find any last spelling mistakes. Okay, so it doesn't quite look how I imagined it would.

But it's my book. It's a Lost Genre book. Where I try to explain my own life's failures through a complex screen of virtual realities and reasonings. I had to write it. It helped heal me.

Even if today was also the day I found out it didn't even come close to finalling in the Genesis. :)
A printed book is still a printed book...

I can post the other blog tomorrow if you like. Or send it to the list, that might be better.
It's been one heck of a week, I can tell you that for sure. God be with you all.

Light at the Edge of Darkness Podcast: Frozen Generation

This week's Podcast featured Andrea Graham's Frozen Generation:

Come to a future where terrorists smuggle frozen embryos and combat technology that seeks to destroy their souls.

Afterwards, Andrea answers questions about her story and concept. Also note that those who listen to this podcast are entitled to a special offer for the Light at the Edge of Darkness book.

Click here to download. Click here to add this podcast to your Itunes.




There will be several future additions of this show featuring stories from Frank Creed, Daniel Weaver, V.B. Tenary, A.L. Fuchs, and Karen McSpaden. The show will appear approximately once every two weeks. Our next edition will feature Frank Creed's Chairman on June 3 at 6 PM.