by Jason Joyner | Jun 12, 2014 | Blog, human trafficking
I’m sick.
I’ve caught the fever. Well, you won’t notice with a thermometer. But I have come down with World Cup fever.
As an American soccer fan, it doesn’t generate as much excitement here as other places. But when I was in Germany in 2006 when they hosted the Cup, it was incredible.
Super Bowl? World Series?
Nothing.
Not compared to the World Cup played in a soccer mad country like Germany then or Brazil starting today as they host the 2014 Cup.
But as excited as I am to see some amazing soccer, I’m also saddened. Because I know with all the spectators and chaos, there’s going to be something going on in the shadows.
Events like the World Cup are prime times for sexual abuse and child prostitution/sex trafficking.
Numbers are hard to come by since it is conducted in the dark places, but it is well-known phenomena at large events like this for an increase in human trafficking, forcing people into prostitution against their will.
Thankfully there is much more awareness about this issue all the time. According to Free the Slaves, Brazil has an innovative program to help stop forms of human slavery.
There has also been a major campaign to educate visitors that it is illegal to pay to have sex with anyone 17 and under in Brazil. It’s A Penalty has used media all over Brazil, and their videos have even been shown on flights to Brazil.
So what can we do at home to make a difference against human trafficking during the World Cup?
First of all, if you’re watching a game, take a moment to pray for the vulnerable street children and others who could be prey to a trafficker. Let’s enjoy the football but be mindful to intercede for those who could be in harm’s way.
If you want to be more educated about this or support a group fighting human slavery and child exploitation, check out my Twitter list of organizations and people involved in the fight.
Here’s to an exciting and safe World Cup for all the people of Brazil!
by Jason Joyner | Jun 9, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
As I continue to write and revise, I am learning all the time. What a surprise – we don’t learn it all at once. I know all of us writers can say that.
When I hired a freelance editor this winter to help me with my manuscripts, one of the things he picked up on was my chapter endings. Early in the story I had a tendency to wrap up the scene at the end of a chapter instead of leaving people hanging for more. Toward the end of the book I did better with the cliffhangers, but I needed to stretch it all the way through the book.
I saw his point and worked on making sure I did more to make people want to read on. But then I started watching the show Arrow on the CW network.
Holy hanging by a thread, Batman.
The show is a modern version of the DC Comics superhero Green Arrow. They’ve made him gritty, realistic, and the show is a mix of adventure and adrenaline mixed in with some amazing story hooks.
And cliffhangers.
The bad guy shows that he’s got a new trick up his sleeve. The one person that was killed – are they really dead? On and on it went, never a dull ending.
There is not an episode that doesn’t end leaving the viewer crying, “More!” That worked when we were catching up on Netflix, but now that my boys and I are caught up, we’re stuck waiting.
And we’re dying.
I thought I had the trick of keeping a reader hooked figured out, until I started watching Arrow. Now I know what it is really like. Of course the types of media are different and the type of episodic programming of TV doesn’t fully translate to writing a novel. I can’t have such major events happening each chapter.
But it doesn’t hurt to try.
So Ben Wolf, mr. freelance editor (who did a fantastic job BTW, I would highly recommend him), we’ll see what I can come up with now.
Check out this video for a slight hint on what Arrow is like each weekend.
by Jason Joyner | May 13, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
The tragedy is unthinkable.
Three hundred girls – teenagers who are the hope of their villages and pride of their families – ripped from their school by terrorists posing as the soldiers who should protect them from the terrorists.
The horror that the girls and their families in Nigeria are dealing with is truly terrible. We complain in the West about so many things, but how often does something of this magnitude happen?
It is heartening to see the world shine a light on Nigeria and put pressure to get them back from the monsters known as Boko Haram. It shows the power of social media to amplify something until it is picked up by the wider world.
A key is to keep this in the spotlight so people can pray and continue to advocate until all the girls are home. Western media is so quick to move onto the next big outrage, so it is imperative that we keep bringing up these girls and not back down.
If you want to talk about this on social media, use the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
Thanks for taking a moment to remember those who need deliverance in such a hard time.
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There’s still time to get entered for my book giveaway of Jill Williamson’s Captives. Leave a comment on this post before May 19th to be entered to win.
by Jason Joyner | May 1, 2014 | Blog, blogging, fiction, spoiled for the ordinary
What do you do for an encore?
Welcome to the new Spoiled For The Ordinary 2.0. I’ve been hanging out at my old location since ’06, but it was time for an upgrade. So here I am on WordPress, ready to go.
I’ve grown so much since I started to blog. I guess it is time for this to do so as well.
I will continue to talk about issues of faith as well as the ins and outs of fiction. Oh, and I like to have some fun in between. That’s the focus of the blog: faith, fiction, and fun.
As I looked back to my first post, this line stuck out to me:
I serve a big God, a God of adventure and life. I serve in His kingdom, and because of that reason alone, I have been “spoiled for the ordinary”.
That still sums up what I want to do here.
To celebrate, I want to give something away.
I’ve got a brand new copy of Captives, the first book in the YA dystopian series by awesome author Jill Williamson. She’s crafted a great story, and I want people to know about it.
All you have to do is leave a comment on any post from now until May 19th. I’ll choose a random winner to receive Captives.
Thanks for stopping by. Let’s not be satisfied with ordinary. Let’s do this.
by Jason Joyner | Apr 23, 2014 | Blog, blogging, CSFF, more blogging, new home, to everything a season
As the Christian Sci-fi and Fantasy Tour concludes our May feature with the science fiction book Numb by John W. Otte, I have something to share.
This is the last time Spoiled For The Ordinary will be in the CSFF Tour.
Yep.
I’ve been involved since almost the beginning, but some things are showing their age, and it is time for something new.
Don’t take that wrong. The CSFF Tour is going strong and needs to continue.
I’m talking about my Blogger home.
I’ve been doing Spoiled since 2006. There have been ups and downs with my blogging, but I’ve stuck with it.
But it’s time for a new home.
Spoiled For The Ordinary 2.0 will be at www.jasoncjoyner.com starting May 1st.
The focus will still be on Faith, Fiction, and Fun, but it’s time to move to a cleaner WordPress layout and my own domain name. Oooh, fancy pants.
I hope you’ll join me there.
Look for the first post on May 1st, and I’ll announce a giveaway at that time.
Thanks for the memories CSFF Tour. I’ll see you at my new home.
by Jason Joyner | Apr 22, 2014 | Blog, CSFF, John W. Otte, Numb, reviews, speculative fiction
Usually, being numb is not fun.
I can attest, as I currently have a pinched nerve that is affecting a couple of fingers on my right hand. BTW, if you see any typos, I blame it on not feeling the keys.
But one author saw something different in that idea. Thus, the new adult science fiction book Numb by John W. Otte.
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Crusader is numb.
He doesn’t feel emotions or pain. This makes him the perfect instrument of God’s divine judgment, as divined by the Ministrix. If he stays obedient, he will earn his justification and receive pardon for his sins.
As one of the Ministrix’s top operatives, he is used to success. But when he is charged with killing Isolda Westin, something happens.
A rush of emotions.
Suddenly Crusader can’t process with his usual clinical coldness. Instead of killing Isolda, he kidnaps her to discover the secret of this strange failing. But doing so will damn his soul.
What is a holy assassin to do?
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What an intriguing premise! The good news is that John delivers on all fronts: characters, plot, and the science fiction setting. Set against a war between the atheistic Praesidium and the holy church Ministrix, the novel finds Crusader striking down heretics and protecting the Church’s interests.
His name is appropriate, yes?
Crusader is a driven character and his resistance to emotional or physical pain is something he leans on heavily to accomplish his mission. When he freezes with the feelings that Isolda triggers, he doesn’t know what to do. The conflict keeps the reader guessing and intrigued throughout the book. The action keeps careening through space stations and starships.
Not only does the action hold attention, the characters have depth so they aren’t just plot puppets. Isolda has strengthens and doubts, and Crusader wrestles with these pesky feelings that he hasn’t had to deal with before.
Finally, the ideas that Numb introduce are very thought-provoking. The Ministrix believes that Christ came down from the Cross as a conquering Lord, ready to impose His will after defeating death. This idea gives the brutal treatment of Ministrix opponents a logical justification. There’s a fringe group that has different beliefs, and their quest to avoid the heavy hand of the Church plays into the conflict as well.
Overall, John Otte has written an intelligent and exciting science fiction novel with a sincere wrestling of spiritual issues. Any sci-fi fan should enjoy this book.
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If you’d like more on this book, see Becky Miller’s post for all of the participants and updated info.
