Sequel Review: Through Chaos

Well, I had to slip in one last post before the end of the year, though this review is a month overdue. This is the third book in the Chronicles of Sarco Christian sci-fi series by Joshua A. Johnston, and I would highly recommend it. If you're looking for the first book in the series, you can find my review of Edge of Oblivion here.. 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.*

The Short

Through Chaos
Chronicles of Sarco, Book 3

By: Joshua A. Johnston

4.5/5 Stars

What: The crew of the Hattan find themselves facing a two front war that only they can win.

Recommended to those who like: Christian, Allegory, Sci-fi, Space Opera, Space Battles, Ensemble Casts

The Long

I always approach the end of a series with a certain amount of trepidation. Will it finish well? Or will it bust. That underlying anxiety is heightened when I get the chance to review a copy of the book for the author.

All of my fears were unfounded with regard to this series, however. Mr. Johnston did not disappoint. The allegorical elements continued to be well-executed, the sci-fi backdrop remained rich and vibrant, and I can imagine no better way to send off some of the characters I've grown to love in the series. My only complaint was that it got a little challenging to keep track of all the characters that had joined the story, especially since it had been several months since I had read the first two installments.

Nevertheless, I would highly recommend this series to fans of Christian sci-fi/space opera. You'll find that it's hard to beat.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

"A Wrinkle in Time" (2018) Part 2

I started last week with some thoughts on the plot and characters of the 2018 adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. This week, I'll be finishing up my review/rant with thoughts on thematic and cinematic elements of the movie. This does contain spoilers. 


Thoughts--Themes
Obviously, everyone has a different thought on the theme of a book, so I can only speak from what A Wrinkle in Time did for me as a novel and what it did for me as a movie.

The movie picked up on some themes of the novel--the iconic love conquers all, for instance--and light vs. the darkness.

Light vs. darkness took an interesting twist in the movie adaptation. The discussion of giving into evil is turned into invasion of evil--an interesting choice for a world that doesn't seem to believe in a devil any longer. People's role in giving in to evil, choosing to satisfy their inner greed and jealousy, is sidelined for a theory that something from the outside comes in and fills the emptiness. It's a subtle change in nuance.

Unsurprisingly, they opted to eliminate Scripture references from the cinematic adaptation. While not shocking, I thought at least one of the quotes (John 1:5) would have been pertinent to the themes expressed in the movie. I was also mildly surprised at the neglect of referring to the Mrs. W's as angels (or even stars)--it seemed an interesting part of backstory that was cut out. It would be a far stretch to call the novel a Christian novel--it's really rather Universalist, listing Christ right next to Buddha as a warrior for the light. But someone would have thrown a fit over religion if it had been included, I suppose.

I was also disappointed that the concept of tessering was not explained further. There's a really interesting explanation in the book that's rather iconic and I thought they had set up a nice play into it with Meg's folding note she received from her father, but I suppose they thought it was a little overfull for a kid's movie.

On a really petty side note, I was also bummed that they didn't include one of my favorite lines--"Like and equal are not the same thing at all!" The neglect of it plays into the overall botching of the Camazotz plotline. I thought it would be an interesting play considering the increased diversity of the cast. (Which they didn't beat into your skull, so it worked nicely. It felt pretty organic, really, so points for that.)

Thoughts--Movie Stuff

Alright, here we get to the part that I don't usually get to review--the cinematic appeal of things. Overall, I felt the movie was just too bright. It's a sci-fi movie, so it'll by necessity have loads of CGI, but it felt like it went out of its way to be bright, obnoxious, and almost overly stimulating. Camazotz (with the exception of IT), felt just the same as Uriel, which was ludicrous. The portrayal of IT was unconventional, but creative--a series of neuron connections instead of a disembodied brain. I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of it, but hat tip for the neurons firing.

The music, overall, didn't impress me. It just felt overwhelming and climaxed a bit too much for my taste (every little thing got a music climax). The actual plot climax didn't feel like it got a deserving score. That being said, some of the tunes repeated rather nicely.

The CGI was good, though that's not always saying much anymore. There wasn't too much that took me out of the movie with thoughts of, "Holy cow, that's a green screen!". I'm still not sure why the changed the pegasi-creatures on Uriel into flying cabbage monsters, but I'd heard about that in reviews, so it didn't shock me too terribly much.

Alright, I think I finally got all the ranting out of my system. Any thoughts? How's NaNo going?

NaNo 18: The Deep Breath Before the Plunge

Hey, look, I found a way to sneak LOTR into this post! 

So, I wasn't going to post before the event actually started, but I find myself needing to let out some fears before we embark on the mayhem that will be NaNoWriMo 2018. And, if I'm being honest, it's more for myself than anyone else--because I know, deep down, that in less than a week I'm going to be snowed under in a morass of self doubt and sleep deprivation that makes me question why I'm writing in NaNo.

I guess here's my answer now, future self:

You need it.

This is for you. Not for your ego, or your pride, but for your sanity--just like running.

Will you publish anything? Maybe not. Probably not, even, with how allergic you seem to be editing. And that's fine. But you know how much better you feel when you're writing.

It's your outlet for all those hopes and fears, doubts and worries, tensions and joys you accumulate all day. And while you were absolutely right when you signed up for that half marathon that you need to stop staring at your screen so much and enjoy the outdoors and be active, you also can't just ditch the whole creative side of your brain for nearly a year. You've been there. You've done that.

For better or for worse, you like stories. You grew up with them, learned from them, were shaped by them. And now, you need them to come out. It's how you get the tension out. It's how you subconsciously work through problems. It's how you bring to life all those random thoughts that flit through your head over the course of the day, and you feel better for it.

Deep down, you know this.

You also know you work better on a deadline.

Don't tell me you don't--I've seen just about as much of your past as you have. When was the last time you did something early? (Other than your tax return debacle--look how that turned out! <okay, maybe that's not a good example, but I'm sticking to it>)

You need some way to transform all your daily struggles into something you can actually grapple with, and this is the best way I've figured out. (If you find out something else in the next couple of weeks, let me-us?-know, okay? But I doubt it).

So write like the world depends on it, because you never know, it just might. The story world will depend on it, if nothing else.

Don't let your past failures hold you back. Last year was last year. Each day is new (even if you're like my current self and couldn't sleep last night and just decided to restart the day at 5 am and have now been up close to 28 hours straight. Still a new day. Kind of.)

I guess what I'm driving at is just go for it (Just do it is to cliche. And possibly trademarked.) Write. Write for yourself if no one else. The worst that's going to happen is some carpal tunnel.

From one sleep deprived R.M. to her audience (possibly including another sleep-deprived R.M.), good luck and happy writing!

"A Wrinkle in Time" (2018) Part 1

Be forewarned: I'm discussing the recent adaptation of  A Wrinkle in Time. If you've been following the blog for long, you know it's one of my favorite books and things could get messy. But here goes. This article does contain spoilers for both the book and the movie.

Overview
For those of you who don't know, A Wrinkle in Time follows the sci-fi adventures of Meg Murray, a young girl who is out to find her father who went missing in an inter-dimensional/space travel experiment. She's assisted by her younger brother, Charles Wallace, school friend/acquaintance Calvin, and three mysterious women: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. Their travels take them to various planets, where the children discover that there is a great evil in the universe which is even now trying to gain control of Earth. Meg and company must rescue her father from a planet that has given into this evil, while also not falling prey to it themselves.

Thoughts on the Movie--Plot
I promise that I really do have some good things to say about the movie. Firstly, the first two thirds of the movie did a good job of sticking to the book's plot and even the last third did a fairly good job of doing so. It was definitely recognizable as A Wrinkle in Time. 

They decided to add a couple small scenes that I felt changed the tune of things a little bit, but overall felt fine. Some were necessary for transporting the setting from the 1960's to the modern day and worked well. Why they decided to change when Mrs. Whatsit enters the story is beyond me, but it didn't hurt anything other than the general flow.

The last third of the movie saw some more significant changes in plot. They got rid of the Aunt Beast plot line, which I felt wasn't a bad choice as far as run time for the movie. Sure, I think there's a lot of thought that went into that bit, and it might not be as bad as Tom Bombadil in Fellowship of the Ring, but it's easy to remove without sacrificing terribly much of the story arc. I think leaving it out did harm Meg's character arc a little, but such is life.

Where the plot really made me unhappy was the plot on Camazotz. It went from being a planet that had been under control of The Black Thing to being The Black Thing/(The) IT itself. It went from this utterly creepy place in the book, filled with grays and a subtle mechanical-ness and off-ness to this gaudy, overwhelming, almost Alice-in-Wonderland place. It didn't feel evil. It utterly lost the chill it had of being a planet under The Black Thing's control--because part of the plot was that was what was about to happen to Earth. Rather, it became this abstract, trippy place that I wouldn't have been sure was evil if the Mrs. W's hadn't pointedly told us that. The use of the Man with the Red Eyes is the primary victim in the portrayal.

Sadly, the climax was a weak point in the movie. Rather than facing IT being pivotal for both Meg and Charles' development as people and the showdown being truly terrifying, I never felt that IT had much of a chance. Also, the voice they used for IT did not do much for me--the creepy, monster-esque voice had nothing on the calculating voice of Charles Wallace as portrayed in the book.


Thoughts--Characters

As far as characters go, they really did a good job with Meg. Overall, she's predictable as the same girl from the book, and I really felt that she was the same character, despite significant differences in appearances. There's always something lost in translation from page to screen, but they did a good job overall of staying true to her character, even if (as mentioned above), they might have done more with her story arc. For how well they did with Meg, I really wanted to like the movie more.

Unfortunately, Meg was the only character they really transferred well. Calvin wasn't terrible, but he felt...flat. You learn virtually nothing about him in the movie and there's not much to make you like him other than the fact that he befriends Meg. He has some tragic backstory about not being able to please his father, but we don't even get much about that. In the book, there's this really endearing scene where he calls home to make sure his mother knows he'll be missing dinner, even though he just gets yelled at by one of his many siblings. It makes you love him, and there's nothing similar in the movie.

Charles Wallace bugged me, though I'm still trying to figure out exactly why. He's explained to be a prodigy, but we don't see much of that. He also doesn't have much of a character arc. In the book, his character development centers around hubris. He doesn't even have much to be proud of, because we don't realize how smart he is.

Now we reach the point where I get onto my soapbox. The main downfall of this movie for me was the portrayal of the Mrs. W's. Mrs. Who transfers fairly well (though they have her quote weird things--give me more Shakespeare!), but then they have her talk without quotes so much that it loses its touch. Sadly, she's the best of the three ladies.

Mrs. Which as portrayed by Oprah does very little for me. In the book, she's mysterious, in the background, and generally elusive. In the movie, they seemed to want Oprah to take the lead. Fine, but they totally got her character wrong. Yes, it's biased, but I'm a book purist. I might have been okay with it if they had offered significant improvement over the novel, but they missed the mystery of her character to balance out the more outgoing two. (And omitted the wordplay of Mrs. Which appearing as a witch, one of many such omissions).

However, the most egregious violation of character was Mrs. Whatsit. Mrs. Whatsit goes from this comforting, warm, outrageous character to a snooty, snobbish, stuck-up prom-queen-esque disaster. (I know, I know, I'm overprotective of the book.) Really, I enjoyed a good portion of the movie, but I could enjoy very little where she was in it.

Join me next week for discussion on the themes and cinematic elements of the movie, as well as for NaNo kickoff!

Did you see the movie/read the book? What did you think? Am I overreacting?

Reflections: Work

Some foolish person somewhere once said, "Choose something you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life."

I don't know where they were working, but I find that a little too good to be true.

You see, when I'm not writing, I'm doing my "real" job as a veterinary technician. And I love it. There's nowhere else I'd rather work, no other team of coworkers I'd rather have, no other job I'd rather do.  It's challenging, rewarding, heartwarming, fun, enjoyable, and (though it sounds terribly cliche) my passion. I can't imagine doing anything else full time, even writing.

But it's work. To steal a quote from the Princess Bride, "Anyone who says differently is selling something."

Even on this week dedicated to  my profession
, where my awesome workplace insists on showering all of us techs with food and coffee and gifts, it's work.

Holding down a Mastiff that's dysphoric and unsure where it's at when it's waking up from anesthesia is work. Pulling up a downed horse using ropes is work. Scooping manure is work. Dragging yourself from your warm bed at 2 AM to go anesthetize a cat that ate a thread is work.

It's not glorious. It's sweaty. Hot. Sometimes miserable. Heartbreaking, when all your effort goes to waste.

You see, we seem to think that work is a bad thing. That putting forth effort, that striving with all our might, that throwing our backs into the ropes, is the worst thing that could happen. That trying to learn the names of 30 different drugs and how they work is torture. Work. It's an ugly word.

But is work really a bad thing? What if we rephrased "work"? What if we chose "strive" instead? Working isn't bad. Drudgery is bad. Working only for the money is rather dismal (and I suspect that's what the author was truly driving toward). Don't get me wrong--you should do something you enjoy, something you're good at, something that gives you purpose. 

But would our goals really give us purpose if we didn't have to strive for them? Give them everything we have? Would our jobs be as rewarding if they came easily to us?

That's the true drudgery we ought to avoid.

So, rather than avoiding work, let's find work that really satisfies. A job to which we can apply our efforts with our whole hearts--whether that's writing or something else entirely.

 Go find something worth putting your soul into, even on days when it feels like really dull work.

NaNo 2018 Intro

I can't believe it's been a year since I've written anything in a WIP. I've...missed it. But I must confess, I fear sitting at my computer November 1st about to engage in the insanity that is NaNoWriMo and finding that my entire ability to write has disappeared.

That being said, I've found that doing things that I fear (because of the possibility of failure) are some of the most rewarding things I've ever done. And also the craziest, but, you know...

Will I write 50k? I don't know. That's a lot. And the years I really set out with 50k in mind tend to be the years I faceplant. Instead, I think I'm going to take my 2016 approach--the last time I won. I'm going to set out to write at least 6 days a week and shoot for a wordcount of 20k. It doesn't have to be a cohesive novel. I'm not going to plan it out. I have a main character, and a concept, and that's about it. We'll see what happens.

How will posting work on the blog? I'm really happy to have posted 3 weeks in a row now. (Wow, my life is getting sad. But we're improving.) I hope to keep it up. I'm thinking I might try some story snippets this year. My story idea is a little disjointed, which might make it good for some snippets.

Anyways, NaNo is about having fun. And if it keeps me busy and gives me a bit to think about other than work, I'll take it.

Even if my novel is essentially about anesthetizing mythical creatures. Because I have no life.

Are you participating in NaNo? What's your story about?

Friday Fiction Fix: Courage

The Short

Courage
Book 1 of The Legacy Chronicles

By: Lauren H. Salisbury

4.5/5 Stars 

What: A slave woman must evade an alien empire to save her son's life.

Recommended to those who like: Sci-fi, Christian, allegory

The Long

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*

It's been a horribly long time since we had a book review on The Book Hound, but I can think of no better book to come back on. Courage is the sort of book that the blog was designed for--imaginative Christian speculative fiction that's written to excellent standards and provokes deep thought in the reader. (Also, I'd like to give a shout-out to Ms. Salisbury for being patient with me for the overly long time it took me to review her book. She's a saint.)

In the future, humans have been enslaved by the powerful Esarelian Empire. In spite of their daily hardships, many of them maintain hope and faith in the God from Old Earth. One such couple is Elias--a man who will fight to the end for his family and their community--and Gilla--who wishes to pass on her strong faith to her children. But before their next child can be born, their world is turned upside down and Gilla must have the courage and faith to protect her son.

The resulting story is imaginative, colorful, and rich with life. Once I finally sat down to read it, I flew through the (digital) pages. While insightful readers will discern quickly what Biblical story the novel parallels, the characters feel like truly living beings with their own motivations, emotions, and thoughts. While the allegorical nature of the plot makes some points predictable, the setting gives the story fresh life and insight.

The story does at points rely on strong telling rather than showing, but I found that the writing overall was of good quality and added to the story. 

The Bottom Line: A great pick for readers who enjoy sci-fi with an allegorical twist, I would recommend Courage to readers who are looking for a relatively quick and enjoyable read with rich characters and intriguing settings.

The 2018 Tolkien Tag

It's Tolkien Week again! To celebrate, I'll be filling out the blog tag from Hamlette over at Edge of the Precipice. (And don't run too far--I've actually got a book review lined up for next Friday!)

1.  What's your favorite Middle-earth story/book?
This one depends entirely on my mood. Ready for something lighthearted? The Hobbit. On a drive or somewhere where I need to gnaw on something for a few hours? The Silmarillion. Feeling dark and upset at the world? The children of Hurin. 

In short, there's a Tolkien for just about every one of my moods.


2.  Do you have a favorite subplot?
I don't know if it counts as a subplot or a book since it came out as its own story, but Of Beren and Luthien out of The Silmarillion is definitely my favorite.
3.  What's your favorite theme in Tolkien's books?  (Can be in one specific story, or overall.)

I really like the idea that history is made up of individual people who do great things (or even seemingly simple things that end up being monumental). It gives me hope for  doing the little things in life.


4.  Do you have a favorite weapon from Middle-earth?
Probably Anduril--it's hard to beat its history. I really wish there were more named bows from Middle-earth, however. 


5.  Would you like to be a hobbit?
Let's see, I like to eat, farming doesn't sound too bad, I'm happy to have a simple life, and I don't mind going barefoot, so...sure!

6.  Do you have a favorite romance/couple?
That's a nearly impossible pick between Beren and Luthien or Faramir and Eowyn. I don't like romance as a general rule, but Tolkien writes dang good romance. 

7.  What's your favorite Middle-earth creature?  (Can be "real" or "imaginary.")
Oliphants! Mostly because Samwise likes them so much.

8.  What character do you look the most like?
Ooh, I don't know that I look much like any character since I cut my hair. We'll go with some hobbit--my love of food shows a little bit.

9.  Are there any books about Middle-earth or Professor Tolkien (but not written by him) you recommend?
I have not actually read any books about either the author or the place, unless you count the works edited by Christopher Tolkien. It's a deficit that I'll have to make up sometime.

10.  List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotations from the Middle-earth books and/or movies.
Alrighty, here we go again! As always, I've tried to avoid duplicating my answers from previous years:

-"What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?" (Gandalf)

-"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend," said Aragorn: "you still speak in riddles."
"What? In riddles?" said Gandalf. "No! For I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to; the long explanations needed by the young are wearying." 


-"Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!" (Eowyn as Dernhelm)

-"Fool of a Took!" he growled. "This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking-party. Throw yourself in next time, and then you will be no further nuisance." (Gandalf)

-"What course am I to take?"/ "Towards danger; but not too rashly, nor too straight." 

I hope you enjoyed my answers. Be sure to check out the rest of the festivities going on over at The Edge of the Precipice this week and be sure to stop back in here next week for a sci-fi book review!

Reflections: It Doesn't Get Easier

One of the activities that took part of my time away from writing this spring was training for my first half marathon.

Don't ask me what I was thinking when I signed up for it. I was always the kid in gym class who hated running, and while I've run a 5k most summers for the past few years, I've never called myself a runner. I'm someone who runs, not a runner. (There's a difference. Or at least there was before I hit double digit mileage).

A friend and I decided to sign up to celebrate her college graduation and so I found myself freezing in a picnic shelter on a 15 degree morning in January with about 100 random strangers who were all smiling and getting ready to run. They had a bunch of hi-tech gear and didn't seemed bothered by the cold. There was a guy training for the Boston Marathon, a few retirees who looked like they could kick my butt in just about any sport, and an entire other assortment of strangers who looked like they were born to eat up the mileage.

Meanwhile, I was thinking of my warm car, the fact I had skipped my coffee that morning, and trying not to compare my gear with everyone else's. It consisted of a pair of off-brand sneakers from a local supermarket, discount workout pants that I hadn't tested yet, two old sweatshirts, a homemade wool hat, and a ten year old bargain brand fleece jacket. I was still freezing in spite of the sweat percolating underneath all the layers.

The terror of being there was real. By nature, I'm an introvert--and by introvert, I mean, "can go three days without seeing people and be perfectly fine" and "would rather exile myself to a desert island than have to go to social events".

I found a pace group that I thought I would fit in with (it was the second slowest running group, so it was mostly retirees who were talking about how many marathons they were going to do that year) and tried to smile.

The groups started leaving and I began to trundle down the icy, snow covered park path with the other crazy people. In spite of having been trying to get in shape for the previous couple of months, the cold air felt like it was knifing my lungs and the pace group was a push for me. I spent the last 2.5 miles of my 3 mile run chanting to myself, "Warm shower, hot coffee. Warm shower, hot coffee..."  At the end, I collapsed in my car, turned the heat on full blast, and tried to warm up from my sweat-soaked bargain clothes.

And I had to train to run 10.1 more miles.

It seemed impossible, but I figured I wouldn't judge the effort off of the first run I did. It would get easier, right?

A few months later, each run was still hard. The darn things just kept getting longer! Now I was running 5 miles two evenings a week over still-icy pathways and my weekend mileage was climbing. The first day it was warm, it rained so hard that water was running off my elbows and I had to slog through puddles that came up to my ankles. In spite of the 60 degree temperatures, I was colder than that first run. The next week, I face planted in the middle of a street and bruised my knee so I couldn't run for a week (which really sucked because the weather was finally nice).

Then came the moment I had secretly feared: my longest run to date. When you've only ever run 6 miles, 8 is terrifying. And due to traveling on the weekend, I opted to run it alone. I plugged in my earbuds and tried my best to jam out as I ran through campus--deserted,since all the students were on break. Used to the cold, I had dressed too warmly and I was panting for the last 3 miles, trying to tough it out. I was rewarded by the feeling of euphoric runner's high and I let out a shout of victory when I got back to the car. My knee buckled out from under me and I still grinned. It had finally gotten easier! I was finally enjoying running! I mean, sure, the cotton-dry mouth had sucked, but I had gotten a runner's high. 7 miles in I had belted out the words to "Walking on the Sun" as I came down the home stretch. It was great! I was going to do this!

I stretched out, then climbed in the car. At first, I thought it was just the runner's high wearing off, but the fuzzy feeling in my head could only mean one thing: my blood sugar had bottomed out. Even though it was only a ten mile drive home, I felt terrible and had to fight just to stay focused on the road. I rushed in the house, feeling nauseated and light-headed, hoping I didn't pass out before I could get some sugar in me.

I was out of juice (my go-to pick me up) so I resorted to eating sugar cubes. The fuzzy feeling abated and my ears slowly stopped buzzing and my hands stopped shaking.

And then disaster struck. I ran to the bathroom and vomited up all the sugar cubes I had just eaten.

10 minutes later, my sugar crashed again.

Cue more sugar cubes.

Barfing.

Repeat for two hours.

But wasn't it supposed to get easier? Wasn't running supposed to be easier now than on that first cold morning? Why was it still so hard, even when I just did 2 mile "recovery" runs? (And who decided, "Hey, you know what people training for a half marathon want the day after running insane mileage? More running! Yeah, that's a great idea!" 'Cause I officially don't like that person.)

I seriously doubted my ability to run the race after that night and, if I hadn't been running it with a friend, I'm sure I would have backed out after that night.

The next few runs I went on, I was scared and dispirited. I didn't want every run over 6 miles to feel so miserable--after all, I had a lot of them left. That's when someone mentioned in passing, "You know, it doesn't get easier--you get stronger."

That thought changed my whole training mentality and I'm trying to let it seep into the rest of my life, too.

No matter how bad or good of shape you're in, it still takes effort to run 5 miles. What changes is that you become stronger to get there. The run, the circumstances, don't get any easier. They don't change; you do.

You can draw on all those scraped knees, missed quiz questions, and bad days to become stronger. It won't make it easier when your car breaks down twice within a week of moving while work is a disaster. Rather, you'll be strong enough to handle it (even if there is a little maniacal laughter along the way). And, if you aren't strong enough to handle it, God's still there for you.

Long story short (we'll omit a few more scraped knees and one black toenail), I finished my half marathon with a pained smile on my face and doubled over two steps after the finish line, exhausted, but stronger than I was back in January. And yes, half of my equipment was still from the supermarket, if you're wondering.

Mere Christianity: The Reality of the Law

As an aside: If you, by chance, are moving and happen to be without internet for a few weeks and have posts planned to auto-post, it pays to double-check that they will actually post themselves for you, rather than leaving your readers hanging for a better part of the month. Sorry for the gap, folks! Regular posting will resume Friday.

In this chapter, Lewis returns to his argument that humans, though they know how they ought to behave, behave differently, which is different than the other laws of nature (such as gravitation). Furthermore, he puts forward the notion that these differences are born not of necessity or personal convenience. For example, "I am not angry...with a man who trips me up by accident; I am angry with a man who tries to trip me up even if he does not succeed." Why should one be different than the other? Lewis points back to the natural law, or Law of Human Behavior as the rule by which we judge the world.

Discussion:

Lewis states: "...the behavior we call bad or unfair is not exactly the same as the behaviour we find inconvenient and may even be the opposite." How do you argue that we should do things that are not always convenient and may even be hurtful in the moment (such as telling the truth)? Do you ever find this hard to do?

Mere Christianity: The Law of Human Nature and Some Objections

Summary

These are the first chapters that truly get into the meat of the book. In chapter 1 (The Law of Human Nature), Lewis argues for the existence of God by stating that we all, when in an argument, appeal to a law greater than ourselves, whether we are conscious of it or not. We appeal to fairness, or, in a greater sense, right over wrong. While we might argue, for instance, that we can cut in line because we have more pressing matters than the person we cut in front of, it is a rare person who argues that the rules of not cutting in line don't matter. 

Lewis argues that this instinct or urge must come from somewhere and that it is similar across all cultures. (He supposedly delves into this more in The Abolition of Man, which I haven't gotten around to reading yet; it sounds like an interesting read). Lewis further points out that, unlike other natural laws (such as gravity), this law of morality is not universally followed, though it is universally acknowledged. We might appeal to fairness, but we try to find ways to get out of being fair when it benefits us. Rather than saying that fairness doesn't matter, we still try to uphold it, even though we know we're going to fail. It's a rather peculiar thing that I'd never thought about much.

 In the second chapter (Some Objections), Lewis addresses some well-thought counterarguments to his position. First, he points out that one might argue that this law of morality is merely a herd instinct. However, what happens when morality comes into conflict with another instinct (such as the need for food)? How does one instinct win out over the other? Mustn't there be a third inclination (the moral law) that judges between the two which is appropriate? Otherwise, why would people rush to someone's aid who is calling for help (or at least feel they ought to go help, even if they don't)?

The other counterargument he addresses is that the law of morality is merely a taught convention. He firstly points out the similarities between moral standards across cultures as compared to other standards (such as dress or which side of the road is appropriate to drive on). Then he argues that, even if morality is taught, it is more akin to mathematics than anything else. Truth about the moral law can be discovered and implemented, judged against one's internal conscience. If you say that many moralities are better than that which the Nazis held, what standard do you judge it against? Your own? Do you merely prefer it, or do you truly think it right? Most people would say they are convinced of their own morality mirroring a true morality--again, a comparison to a "gold" or true standard.

Discussion

Where do you think conscience comes from? What role does it play in our walk with God and does it change if we are Christians? If so, how?

Author Interview with Joan Campbell

Give a warm welcome to Joan Campbell, South African author of The Poison Tree Path Chronicles.
Book 3, Guardian of Ajalon is set to release in September (Click here to preorder). In the meantime, you can check out Chains of Gwyndorr (review or purchase) or Heirs of Tirragyl (review or purchase).

The Poison Tree Path Chronicles are traditionally published through Enclave, a small Christian publishing house. What made you choose this route of publication? What makes it challenging or rewarding?

It wasn’t so much that I chose this route as that this was the door that opened for me. I had approached some publishers in South Africa, but the Christian book market is quite a small one and there wasn’t an interest in niche fantasy books. The bigger Christian publishing houses in the States also weren’t interested because I didn’t have a ‘platform’ or following. But Steve Laube of Enclave liked the manuscript and he was the one who finally offered me a contract. My biggest challenge is probably that I live so far away from my main audience in the USA. It’s difficult to do book giveaways with cute prizes, like so many other authors do, or meet up with readers and fellow writers at conferences and events.

 How did growing up in South Africa influence the Poison Tree Path Chronicles? Do you have other life experiences that influence your writing significantly?

A theme that emerged in the books (particularly the first book, Chains of Gwyndorr) is that of class division and discrimination, and also the resentment and hatred that this could foster in the victims thus perpetuating the cycle of hatred. These are very much elements that I see playing out in my own society. I guess a lot of my own personal struggles also play out into the lives of my characters. For instance, the way Shara is drawn to using the alluring Cerulean Dusk Dreamer rock to discover more about her past reflects some of my own temptation to fill the empty places inside myself with the things of the world. 

How does your faith play a role in your writing? Do you ever struggle to balance storytelling and faith? 

My Christian faith and the joy I find in my relationship with God is a large influence in my writing. I see now that this is the bedrock of many of my stories—God’s love for us and our incredible worth in His eyes and the great lengths that He goes to in order to draw us into a relationship with Him. At times I have struggled with the balance of storytelling and faith. I don’t want my writing to feel contrived and forced to impart a specific—Christian—message. First and foremost I want my books to be great stories, which readers can enjoy whether they discern a deeper meaning or not. In this I had to learn to trust myself. My beliefs are such a core part of who I am that they will come through in my writing – I don’t have to force it.

What's your writing routine/habit like? (Do you have a certain time or way you like to write, or just write as inspiration strikes?)

I’m a pretty slow writer really. Somehow late afternoon has turned into a good time to write. So on days where I’m free (I aim for at least 3 afternoons a week) I make myself a coffee at about 4pm and sit down (usually outside) with my laptop and read the last section I wrote. This gets me back into the flow of the story. Then I just immerse myself in the story and begin to write, seeing where it takes me. I don’t do all much planning, although I do have a broad idea of where I want to take my characters. But I enjoy being surprised by my own plot and characters – that’s what keeps the writing fresh and interesting for me. I don’t like writing under pressure which is why NaNoWriMo would never work for me. Rather, I love the slow, gentle and creative unfolding of a tale – the artistry and magic of storytelling.

And finally, if you found yourself alone in a dark, scary alley, what fictional book character would you summon to help you and why?

Without a doubt it would be Lohlyn, my character from Heirs of Tirragyl and the secret protector of the queen. She has incredible reflexes and, in one scene, takes on a whole unit of soldiers. Her father was one of the Charab (King’s assassins) who are known to have unrivaled skills with bows, knives and pretty much anything sharp. He trained his daughter to be as good as—if not better—than the male assassins. So Lohlyn would be fantastic to have at your side in a scary situation!

Mere Christianity: Introduction

Welcome to the Mere Christianity read-along. I'll be covering one-two chapters each post, approximately one to two times a week. This week we'll be covering the Preface and discussing the context of the book. In addition to the book, I may occasionally reference The Great Courses: Life and Writings of C.S. Lewis by Professor Louis Markos. 

Preface and Background

Mere Christianity is a bit of a different book. It's heady and theological (don't come into it expecting it to read like The Chronicles of Narnia), but it also has a curiously familiar and conversational quality to it. No doubt this is partly due to the fact that is adapted from C.S. Lewis' audio talks over the BBC radio from 1941-1944, during the height of WWII. The result is a conversational book that tackles tough topics in an understandable way. The times also show through in the book; references to military action and analogies to war are quite common and likely would have struck a chord with listeners (and later, readers).

In the preface, Lewis starts out with a somewhat long summary of how he decided to edit the book--it's obvious he put an extraordinary amount of thought into it, even obsessing over contractions--but he then gives way to a much more intriguing discussion on his reasoning behind the book. He has set out to explain Christianity in its most basic form--something that anyone who calls himself a Christian can agree on. He explains that he has deliberately tried to avoid controversial issues and leave those to the reader to understand. I find it particularly encouraging that he sent the most heavy theological portion of the book to members of other denominations to be reviewed (Lewis himself was an Anglican).

He ends with a fantastic opinion on denominations, which you can find in the discussions below. I have frequently referenced the analogy in discussion with friends and it has helped a couple understand my position (a firm member of a denomination who believes its doctrines are true and correct while also understanding that others must be fully convinced of their own convictions).

Discussion One

Lewis writes: "It is not for us to say who, in the deepest sense, is or is not close to the spirit of Christ. We do not see into men's hearts. We cannot judge, and are indeed forbidden to judge. It would be wicked arrogance for us to say that any man is, or is not, a Christian in this refined sense...We must therefore stick to the original, obvious meaning. The name Christians  was first given at Antioch (Acts 11:26) to 'the disciples', to those who accepted the teaching of the apostles...When a man who accepts the Christian doctrine lives unworthily of it, it is much clearer to say he is a bad Christian than to say he is not a Christian."

How does judging a person's salvation differ from judging their actions? When is it acceptable to judge someone's actions if they're a Christian? What if they're not a Christian? How do you address these situations if they think they need to be addressed?

Discussion Two

Lewis writes on denominations: "It (basic or mere Christianity) is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms...The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in...above all, you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and panelling. In plain language, the question should never be: 'Do I like that kind of service?' but 'Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?'...When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall."

What role should denominations play in Christianity? Is there a good reason for them? How should we address differences in the church? How did you choose your personal denomination? Is being non-denominational its own kind of organization, statement, or theology? If Christianity doesn't have denominational organization, how should it be organized?

The Book Hound is Back!

After a long and (mostly) unintentional hiatus, the Book Hound is back--hopefully without any further significant interruptions for the foreseeable future. However, as I mentioned in my last (woefully inaccurate) update, I'll be dropping to one post a week (usually Fridays) just to make it more manageable on myself. Life's gotten a little bit busy lately, but I still want to continue to spread word of great Christian Speculative Fiction.

That being said, there are things outside the Christian Spec Fic genre that I want to read (or in the genre that I want to re-read). That means that it's going to be difficult for me to post a review of a new book every single week.

Since I'm taking a hiatus for a while from novel writing, that means I need something new to fill in the gaps left between reviews (after all, I can't talk about my half marathon experience every day or my baking adventures every day, or even the craziness that is living on call every time I need to post).

So, for the next few months, I'm going to be hosting a "Summer of C.S. Lewis" read-along. I'm going to be starting with Mere Christianity  and then we'll take it from there. On read-along weeks, I'll post my thoughts on a chapter (or two), then a few discussion questions, favorite quotes from the chapter, etc. We'll see how long it takes to get through Mere Christianity and if we're liking the format, then maybe move onto another Lewis book or something else entirely.

Thanks so much for your patience! If you've emailed me in the last few months, please know that I'll be working to catch up on missed emails over the next couple of weeks.

I'll see you next Friday for the introduction to Mere Christianity!

Hound Dog Harmonies: 30 Pieces of Silver

We're back after an unintentionally long hiatus! I originally intended to post this for Holy Week, but it's still technically the Easter season, so I guess I'm not that far off.

Song: 30 Pieces of Silver

Artist: Theocracy

Genre: Christian Metal

Listening Suggestion: Car jam session that's willing to take an introspective turn.

Selected Lyrics

What’s the price you’ve named?
Well is it money, power, acceptance, or fame?

When all the world is asking you to sell your soul
And to deny the cross for silver and for gold
The kiss of Judas or the bended knee?
Vainglory or humility?
The ultimate goal

All the treasure in the world so blinding
30 pieces of silver shining
Tell me what’s the price you seek
To place the kiss of death upon His cheek?

You can find the whole song on YouTube if you're interested.

The Long

This is the song that made me fall in love with Theocracy. Like so many of their songs, it's a little heavy on the thrashiness at points, but it also has some better driving guitar lines. 

Most importantly, however, it has some lyrics that stopped me in my tracks and made me take a long, hard look at my soul in a way that Christian music rarely does.

So often during Holy Week, it's easy to point our fingers and scratch our heads at Judas. This guy walked with Jesus himself. Knew him. Ate with him. Was one of his closest friends. 

And then, he decides to out him for a measly price at the first chance he gets. And not just out him--but hand him over to be killed in one of the most brutal forms of execution ever invented. What was this guy thinking?

And then we stop, pause, and take a turn inward. If we were in Judas' shoes (or perhaps sandals, as it were), what would our price be? 

And, like Peter, we cry that we would never deny the Lord. That we would die for Him. 

Until we think about that unkind word we said to our coworker, or the places our thoughts strayed that they should never have gone, or the dark desires of our hearts that come along when we don't expect it. And then we remember every time we've not shared Christ's love, every time we've put our own desires before taking time for God, every time we've failed. 

Every time we've cashed in our 30 pieces of silver.

Pastors in Fiction: Ealdor

A bout of stomach flu and a 50 hour work week later and I'm back! Sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoy this installment of Pastors in Fiction, which features Ealdor from The Darkwater Saga by Patrick W. Carr.


Book: The Shock of Night, by Patrick. W. Carr. Christian fantasy.

Personality: Humble, good listener, non-judgmental.

What he brings to the table: Ealdor is a key player in the protagonist's life. He helps him to work through his PTSD-like symptoms following a war in which he was involved. He's always available for confession and is quick to help the poor, even refusing donations for his dilapidated church and telling Willet (the protagonist) to spend his money elsewhere to help others.

Pastorly/Worship Notes: We don't see Ealdor perform any sort of public service, but he frequently performs the rites of confession for Willet, as well as haeling (which seems to be somewhat similar to communion). He belongs to the Merum order of the church, which is the oldest in existence.

Ninja Status: Blue belt. I probably would give him a yellow belt, but at the end of the second book, a substantial secret is revealed about Ealdor that earns him some bonus points for secrecy.

Further Discussion: 

I love Ealdor as a character, though he plays a rather minor role in the first two books of the series. His mysterious nature opens many questions but also reveals some secrets regarding Willet Dura's own puzzling condition. He fulfills a role that I haven't seen in very many books for a pastor, Christian or otherwise. While he often is a friend and confidant for Willet, we also see him using that role in an "official" manner by performing private confession and absolution. As someone who prefers a more liturgical/traditional style of worship, it's encouraging to see that same style of worship positively portrayed in a book (without having it shoved down your throat).

I think Ealdor's role also opens up an interesting discussion on the role of pastors in people who have been traumatized. No matter how often Willet comes, he's open to the idea of providing comfort and absolution on a spiritual--and personal--level. Perhaps my reading has not been terribly broad in scope, but I can't say that the spiritual care of people suffering from a terrible past has been discussed in many books.

Ealdor isn't the only interesting religious character in this series, either. Mr. Carr does an excellent job of portraying all sorts of different shades of devotion in the church--from those who stress forgiveness, to those who employ nearly militant tactics. For each expression, there are also varying degrees of trueness of heart, from those who are after only personal gain to those who are truly selfless, and everyone in between. It's a refreshing take on the portrayal of the church.

February/March Blog Update

Hey folks!

I know it's been a bit spotty around the blog here for a while. That's what happens when you're working 45 hours a week and trying to keep up with housework, I suppose. I'm also trying to re-evaluate where to go with the blog now that I'm taking a bit of a momentary step back from writing full-length fiction.

The Blog from Here

After some self-reflection, I've decided that I'm going to be stepping back posting from twice a week to once a week for the time being, at least for the next few months. Posting once a week lately has allowed me to enjoy some other hobbies of mine, get caught up on housework, and has generally made blogging more enjoyable and less straining for me. 

I'll still be doing similar posts to what we've been seeing on the blog lately--Reality, Meet Fiction; Reflections, etc. I'll also be posting book reviews on a  more regular basis than I have been lately, though not as frequently as I have previously (it turns out I relied on public transportation and times between classes for reading more than I thought I did). However, how often I do that will depend on a few factors. It could be every other week or once a month. One of those factors will be how you respond to the questions in the next section.

Where I'm Asking for Input

The Book Hound started out as a way for me to build an audience for a dream of one day publishing some of my own works of fiction. That dream's on hold for the moment for a number of factors I don't care to go into right now (notably, I'm tired of editing and I don't have a great, fresh novel idea at the moment, so I need some serious time to recharge my creative juices). 

As such, many of the post series I started out a couple of years ago aren't quite as applicable as they once were--such as detailing my writing process or talking about forms of publication. You'll notice that many of those have been replaced by reflections on real life and the continued emphasis on spreading news about good Christian speculative fiction. 

I still want to keep up the emphasis on Christian spec fic, but I do want your input on what sort of things you would like to see on the blog. Do you like Reflections? What about Hound Dog Harmonies? 

Also, while I'm taking a small break from noveling, would you be interested in something like a short story series? (I make no promises, but I do  have an idea or two for some serial-style fiction.) 

Would you be interested in a read-a-long? (Reading a book together with discussion questions posted). I would even be nice and pick something you have a prayer of finding in stores. This might be something fun to do with a book like The Screwtape Letters. 

I guess what I'm asking is, what sort of things keep you coming to the blog, make you think, make you smile, or give you something to talk about? And, if there's something else you want to see, what would it be?

Sound off in the comments! And thanks for your patience!

Friday Fiction Fix: "Thr3e"

Well, it might be Tuesday, but it's been a while since we've had a book review. Note to any other book bloggers--don't save all your book reviews on your computer without backing them up somewhere where you can access them with a loaner computer. 

The Short

Thr3e

By: Ted Dekker

5/5 Stars (And Possibly a Favorite)

What: A seminary student finds himself the next target of a serial killer.

Recommended to those who like: Thriller/suspense, Christian, teen and up.

The Long

I read this book a couple of years back and enjoyed it--though it scared me pretty good at the time, too. Now, a few years later, it still sets me on edge, but I was also able to more fully appreciate the theology subtly discussed throughout the book. It was a surprisingly good pick for the start of Lent. 

Kevin is a young seminary student leading a somewhat normal life, if overly organized. He attends classes, has thought provoking discussions with his professors, and reads voraciously. The only thing his professors absolutely cannot know is that he has a past to hide. 

It's not the sort of past that naturally comes with converting to Christianity, either. It's the sort of past where a serial killer can call you up and ask you to confess your sin tot he world--or he'll blow up your car. 

The resulting read delves deeply into the nature of sin and the two natures of mankind without seeming to get too theological or sacrificing suspense and plot. Really, it's a story that's Christian at its core without being preachy or contrived at all, the way books are meant to be. 

Given that the book does deal with a serial killer, I would recommend it to mature teens and up only. It doesn't involve gratuitous violence, but it can be quite dark at times. 

The Bottom Line: This suspenseful book combines some great action with deeper theological truth in an organic and meaningful way; highly recommended to fans of suspense who are interested in a Christian message.

Reflections: Define Yourself

It's hard to believe it, but I've been out of school for nine months now, working a full-time job and
finding out more about myself every day.

My day job is that of a veterinary technician/veterinary nurse with a focus in anesthesia. I'm one of the newest employees; the youngest, least experienced person in my department; and I just entered phase two of the three-part training program that will end with me answering emergency calls in the middle of the night and dropping 2000 pound horses by myself. I'm determined, hungry to learn, and stressed to the max.

At some point this week, it dawned on me that part of my stress is due to the fact that I am no longer quite the person who started nine months ago. I don't have any of the labels that meant so much to me before graduation.

"Honors Student" and "Good Test Taker" don't mean much here. It doesn't matter what my GPA was, what my test scores were, or even that I can tell you the life cycles of about 20 different parasites. I no longer study for hours into the evening on a regular basis. I don't eat, sleep, and breathe books for class.

That's not to say that my education was a waste or those skills that I developed aren't useful; I use them every single day--hourly, in fact. I still need to know the physiology of the heart, understand how the drugs I use work, and be able to identify anatomical structures for epidurals.

But what I saw myself as--a good student--isn't important here. Being a good student set me up to be a good vet tech, but it can't be my end-all be-all. My self esteem can't come from good grades on tests, or seeing my name on the dean's list.

And it's hard to find my definition of self in a workplace where feedback is hard to come by and where I'm trying to compare myself to techs who have been in the field for ten or twenty years and are amazing at what they do. I don't have a little box to tick to say that I'm doing a good job. Each day, I try to find how I can affirm that I'm good enough. That I'm living up to the definition of whatever I'm trying to define myself as.

And there's the catch, isn't it?

At the end of the day, those vocations we have will change. Student changes to employee. Son changes to Father. CEO changes to retiree.

We can't be the perfect <fill in blank here> in the limited time we have; even if we had unlimited time, we'd never be perfect. It's futile to try. Chasing these things, we'll never be satisfied. We'll always come up short. We'll always be yearning for something more if we seek fulfillment in these transient things in life.

Instead, we have something else we can define ourselves as; something that won't change. Because that definition comes from outside of us. It's placed on us by Someone else, who doesn't have an impossible to-do list of incredible things for us to do. That name is a Child of God.

Jesus died and rose for us, and, at the end of the day, that's all the definition we need for ourselves. It won't change whether we're single or married, whether we're the best at our jobs or the worst at our jobs. It won't change whether we're students or teachers.

Because we're His.

And one day, I hope that I'll more fully understand why that's enough for me.

Reality, Meet Fiction: Sporting Events

Reality:

This week is a big week in American sports. The Superbowl (championships for the National Football League--American Football, of course) was on Sunday. This Thursday marks the kick off of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, which should be interesting as well. 

Regardless of how sporty you are (personally, I'm watching the Yukon Quest sled dog race over football), these events give some insight into national mentality. 

Not only does it show that we have enough time, leisure, and extra money to pay people millions of dollars to play for our entertainment, but it offers insight into what Americans value. 

And you don't get much more American than the Superbowl. Home celebrations center around greasy, overly sweet, and spicy foods accompanied by mass amounts of pop and (depending on the group) alcoholic beverages while yelling at the television. The event itself is subject to huge marketing, with some people just watching it for the commercials. Beyond this, it focuses largely on many typical American things, notably the military; this year, a WWII vet did the coin toss at the beginning of the game and, as for many big sporting events, there was a flyover by the Air Force at the start of the game. National pride definitely shines through in American Football, in spite of any politics that may have taken center stage earlier in the season.

Fiction:

How can you utilize sports or recreational events to show part of your world's culture? Do they compete for religious reasons? Or is it pure entertainment? 

Are there stereotypes about people who are fans of a particular sport? (Loud, obnoxious, nerdy, fanatical, etc.) Are certain sports more popular than others? Are nations associated with a particular sport? (It's American as baseball and apple pie).

What sort of marketing goes into the sports your culture values? How does that reflect on the culture at large? 

Are there stereotypes of people who compete in different sports? Are they considered violent? Stupid? Smart? Patient? Skilled? Graceful?

What's your favorite sport to watch? Are you looking forward to the Olympics?

Hound Dog Harmonies: "Flood"

The Short

Song: Flood

Artist: Jars of Clay

Genre: Pop/Soft Rock

Listening Suggestion: While on your way to do something stressful.

Selected Lyrics

Rain rain on my face
It hasn't stopped
Raining for days
My world is a flood
Slowly I become
One with the mud


But if I can't swim after 40 days
And my mind is crushed
By the crashing waves
Lift me up so high
That I cannot fall
Lift me up
Lift me up when I'm falling
Lift me up I'm weak and I'm dying
Lift me up I need you to hold me
Lift me up and keep me from drowning again

You can find the music video at YouTube. Please pardon the 90's/ early 2000's feel. 

The Long

This is one of my favorite songs for when I'm having a rough day. It's perfect for the days when you feel like you've got nothing left. With the water imagery and the reference to 40 days, it calls to mind the story of Noah (or of Jesus in the wilderness) and the times God has saved his people in the past. 

The song also has a beautiful cello/strings section in the middle of it that accompanies the lyrics quite well. It's pretty suitable for most musical tastes (unlike some other songs I've featured). While it's not particularly heavy hitting theologically, it can be a nice pick me up on a hard day. 

What's your favorite song when you're having a bad day?

Computer Trouble

My computer was on the fritz most of last week (which is why there was no Friday Fiction Fix). Normal posting will resume this Friday once I have a chance to sit down and work on some articles. Thanks for your patience!

Reality, Meet Fiction: Transportation and Weather

Reality:

It's been a snowy winter here in the midwest and we aren't even in the depths of the season yet. This is the first year I've owned a car, so it's given me a new perspective on how weather affects transportation.

For college, I moved one state north. While we don't get terribly much more snow here than I did back home, peoples' attitudes are quite different. In my home state, we were regularly given updates on road conditions by county and the roads were sometimes completely closed to allow for the plow trucks to clear them faster. People tend to drive quite slowly and carefully. Mention of a snowstorm sends people running to the stores for bread and milk days in advance.

Here, people just charge out into the snow with seemingly no concern for their own safety. Snow plows are rarely seen (or used, from the looks of the roads some days). Traveling is entirely at your own discretion. Rather than using "rumble strips" (a textured strip of pavement that makes a loud noise when you drive over it) only on the sides of the road, they're present in between lanes/directions of traffic as well. And it's a good thing--you frequently can't see the lines on the pavement.

Fiction:

How can you leverage the intersection of travel and weather in your story? Does your character know how to drive on snow? Does the airport have de-icer for airplane wings? Do roads close down when it's snowy? Does the rental car come with an ice scraper to clear off the windshield? What are your characters' opinions of what weather is safe to travel in? Do characters in a certain region own different vehicles to make travel easier?

Of course, even space has weather. How do solar storms impact spaceflight? Does your galaxy have seasons of planet alignment that are more favorable for travel?

Friday Fiction Fix: "The Skin Map"

The Short:

The Skin Map

Bright Empires, Book 1

By: Stephen R. Lawhead

5/5 Stars

What: An unremarkable young man is sucked into interdimensional time travel by none other than his great-grandfather.

Recommended to those who like: Time travel, interdimensional travel, loosely Christian.

The Long:

I picked up this series mostly because I was intrigued by the cover of the last book, The Fatal Tree. I don't know that I would've picked up the series off of the title and description of The Skin Map, but I'm happy that I did! As usual, Mr. Lawhead brought a rich and poetic tale to his readers.

Kit Livingston is an average Londoner. He has a girlfriend, fights traffic on the subway, and trudges about his life without much enthusiasm--until his great-grandfather appears to him in a back alley.

Suddenly, his life is turned upside down. Following the mysterious ley lines, he is taken on an adventure through both time and space. But what starts out as a merry jaunt quickly turns dangerous--it turns out he and his great-grandfather aren't the only ones who know the secret of the ley lines. And those people will stop at nothing to get the most prized possession of the travelers, the skin map. 

What could've been a simple McGuffin-esque story turned into a multi-layered story that had some characters I truly cared about by the end. Some of those characters take surprising turns in their arcs and choices, which was delightful to read. 

The plot itself was engaging and kept me hanging onto every page. This was aided by rich writing--take it or leave it; the style may be a little extravagant for some tastes. 

I would consider the story loosely Christian in light of some of Lawhead's other works. It'll be interesting to see how (or if) he continues to develop that element throughout the rest of the series. 

The Bottom Line: I'd recommend The Skin Map to fans of weird fiction that goes off the map into time travel and urban legend. 

What's Your Character's Perfect Morning?

I'm on late shift, but I'm up early. I pet my dog absentmindedly, enjoying the warmth under the covers
before I have to crawl out into the cold. He starts grumbling at me after a few minutes of belly rubs, demanding his morning walk. I smile and grump back at him in a groggy, sleepy voice before throwing off the covers and hurrying off to the icy bathroom to dress for the day.

He's bouncy when I get back. Eight years hasn't dampened his spirit too much, though he's more reluctant to go out in the cold. It's warmer than it has been in weeks though, and I happily let him drag me down the salted steps into two inches of fresh, dense snow. It doesn't blow and drift like it has for the past few weeks. My boots nearly squelch into it, rather than sending up little powdery puffs of ice crystals that sting my hands and lungs.

The black and white beast at my side has a spring in his step, grateful for the relative warmth. He darts from tree to tree, leaving massive tracks in the snow that are hastily followed by my skidding boots. Sunrise, pastel with the promise of more snow, eases its way over the horizon, casting everything in a soft glow.

After our morning ritual is over, it's time to go home. We tromp up the steps and kick the powder off of our feet. The smell of coffee wafts out the door, but I have to feed the beast first. He happily crunches through his kibble and slurps down his water before my lunch is packed. I throw his ball a few times while I wait for my bagel to toast, then settle back in the recliner to watch the fat flakes drift down as I munch on my breakfast and sip my steaming hot coffee.

I have just enough time to read a chapter or two of a book, which I crack open. One hand holds warm coffee, the other the smooth pages of a paperback. The dog throws himself at my feet, and, lacking a third hand, I rub him through the thickness of my fuzzy socks. He sighs contentedly, and I match him. It's a brief pause in the silence of the snow before the day's mayhem begins.

Soon, there'll be beeping monitors and whining, anxious dogs. Hissing cats and barking surgeons. It'll be hard to reclaim this moment's peace and quiet. But for now, it's time to enjoy the moment and be thankful for it.

What would be your main character's favorite morning? 

What's your favorite sort of morning?

Sequel Review: "Heirs of Tirragyl"

As with all sequel reviews, I have attempted to keep this review spoiler-free. However, I would recommend picking up and reading Chains of Gwyndorr prior to reading this book. 

The Short

Heirs of Tirragyl

Poison Tree Path Chronicles, Book 2

By: Joan Campbell

4.5/5 Stars

What: Shara's on the run, but she faces a choice about where--and with whom--she will place her trust.

The Long

I was really looking forward to this sequel, and it didn't disappoint. Shara is really growing on me as a character, and I think we need more like her in Christian fiction. She wants to do the right thing, but she frequently trips herself up. It's a freshness much need in a genre that tends to be clogged with paper cut-outs who are too perfect to be true. 

Similarly, many of the characters we're introduced to in this book are just as well crafted. I love reading about their motives behind what they do and what makes them conflicted in their actions. Nyla, The Raven, and Elxa were engaging characters for me to read about. 

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and how it switched between the multiple story lines. It was always hard to tear myself away from the pages and I was almost always eager to return. 

The Christian element in this book was slightly more pronounced in this book, but it avoided hitting you over the head with a sledgehammer or becoming preachy. I look forward to how that plot element will continue to develop in the final installment.

This book does contain some themes that are more suitable to teens and up (visiting bars with scantily clad women to find leads on other characters, trained assassins who have interesting views on morals, etc.). However, the writing style is very straightforward--perhaps a little too much at times. (Okay, so I've been on a Tolkien streak lately with my reading and it's spoiled me). 

The Bottom Line: An engaging fantasy with excellent characters and Christian undertones, I'd recommend Heirs of Tirragyl to fantasy fans who are looking for plot and characters over flowery prose.