For November’s drawing, I will be giving away a free copy of The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers. Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award, this is one of the most powerful Christian novels I’ve ever read. Current and new subscribers to my mailing list will be entered in this free drawing. Please invite family and friends to sign up today.

I’m thrilled to report that Kregel has scheduled Fatal Illusions for a blog tour at the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, of which I’m a member. The blog tour will be July 6-8, 2009.

In other news, the novel arrived in my mailbox today. I have two weeks to read it again and make any last changes. We’re getting closer to the end! After this stage, I will read the novel one more time—this time checking only for glaring errors.

Reprinted by permission from SharperIron.org.

Confessions of a Classic Performer

I grew up on a farm without animals—domesticated animals, that is. Wild cats came and went like vagrants seeking shelter for a few months before setting off in search of something better. Those cats especially liked our classic circa 1900 red barn. As a boy, I remember sitting in the barn’s hayloft while dust motes danced in shafts of sunlight at my feet. Peering up at the cavernous ceiling, I imagined that I was inside a massive cathedral until the flutter of wings drew my attention to a four-paned window inset into the peak. Birds that had been trapped inside the barn fluttered against the glass panes in search of a way out. (Photo, clockwise: Adam, Kim, Laura, and Julia)

In many ways, aren’t we all like those birds before we meet Christ—trapped in the “barn” of self? No, I’ve never been trapped in a physical sense. In fact, I experienced a Christian background many might envy: godly parents and siblings; fundamental, Bible-preaching churches; and a quality Christian school education. But like everyone at birth, I was trapped in my sin as much as any drug addict. Though God spared me from the more obvious pitfalls of a life without Christ, He gave me just as much saving grace as He extends to anyone who calls upon Him. For that I am indeed thankful. more…

November 8, 2008

Dear Reader,

Do you ever wish life would slow down? It’s almost mid-November, and here I am working on my second newsletter already. What’s the status of Fatal Illusions? Kregel has said that the novel will be their “lead fiction title of the season,” so I’m getting excited. Right now, a copyeditor is fixing typos and other mistakes. I will have two more opportunities to read the novel: once after Thanksgiving (I can make minor changes) and around Christmastime (I’ll be checking page proofs only for mistakes). The novel goes to the printer at the end of January, and Kregel’s official release is sometime in March.

What else is there to do? I need to finish writing my dedication, acknowledgments, and the Reading Group Guide (discussion questions for reading groups). Several “endorsers” (established novelists) will read the novel and hopefully write positive reviews and recommendations. Review snippets of Kregel’s choosing will appear in promotional materials and somewhere in the novel. A Kregel publicist plans to discuss a marketing plan with me soon. Book signings? Radio interviews? Blog tours? I’m not exactly sure, but I guess I’ll find out. more…