by Jason Joyner | Aug 3, 2009 | Biblical worldview, Blog, fiction
For all my friends interested in fiction, you NEED to read (no option here) the article “A Lost Art” by Richard Doster. There are many great statements to spur us on in our quest to write and write well.
A teaser:
When pressured to tame her “grotesque” characters and to sanitize her Southern Gothic fiction, [Flannery] O’Connor balked. She’d seen the sentimental drift in Christian writing, and it was, she said, “a distortion that overemphasized innocence.” And innocence, when exaggerated in a fallen world, not only mocked the true state of man and society, but the price that was paid for their redemption.
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by Jason Joyner | Jul 6, 2009 | Blog, fiction, links, miscellaneous
A bonafide Jason sighting!
June was a hopping month, no doubt about it. Between home and work, I didn’t have much sit-down time for blogging. Didn’t really have much thinking time to write something interesting.
Hopefully July will be better. It should, but a book I should be reading by now isn’t here yet, so that’s not a good sign.
In lieu of originality, here are some interesting reads from the Net:
Brandilyn Collins: How to stab someone at a dinner party. Natch.
Mary DeMuth: Should Christ-followers read fiction?
Mike Duran: Dracula as Christian fiction?
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by Jason Joyner | Jul 6, 2009 | Blog, fiction, links, miscellaneous
A bonafide Jason sighting!
June was a hopping month, no doubt about it. Between home and work, I didn’t have much sit-down time for blogging. Didn’t really have much thinking time to write something interesting.
Hopefully July will be better. It should, but a book I should be reading by now isn’t here yet, so that’s not a good sign.
In lieu of originality, here are some interesting reads from the Net:
Brandilyn Collins: How to stab someone at a dinner party. Natch.
Mary DeMuth: Should Christ-followers read fiction?
Mike Duran: Dracula as Christian fiction?
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by Jason Joyner | Jun 24, 2009 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, reviews
The latest book in the CFBA tour is The Firstborn, by new author Conlan Brown.
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When the Nazarene died on a cross 2000 years ago, the ancient writings record tombs that opened up, and dead who rose to walk again. What was unknown was those who rose awakened with a gift. Some could see the past, some the present, others the future. They were meant to be a guide for those who followed, but the different perspectives led to conflict and separation into three different orders.
When the orders meet to work out issues, one leader dies and another disappears. Three disparate members of the groups must band together to discover the mystery of the battle within the Firstborn, as well as a looming tragedy of a suicide bomber within the United States. Will the different sides find unity in order to thwart the danger, or will an evil they can’t see destroy them first?
Conlan Brown delivers a palpable action/adventure thriller as his first novel. The pages shouldn’t stop turning, as he keeps a fast-paced suspense moving (maybe careening!) along from San Antonio to D.C. and rural West Virginia. The book starts with one of the Firstborn as a kidnapped hostage and the rescue, and the ending provides a capstone fitting for a summer blockbuster.
I think it is fitting that during the summer season of movie thrillers that this book comes out. It is a good distraction and easy, entertaining read. The characters are given various traits to make them stand out, but they don’t come across as deeply developed. There are some themes that are clearly shown, but they almost get drowned out by the bullets and fists that are frequently flying. It also becomes a little disturbing to see these “Christian” groups with fully armed militias running and gunning. I appreciate an exciting adrenaline-fueled adventure, but the premise went a little over the top at points.
Overall, I thought it was a solid debut for the author. The book should appeal to guys who like explosions and lots of action, which doesn’t always happen in the Amish/prairie romances of other CBA fare (I’m sure the inability to use modern detonators hampers an Amish action romp) or other adrenaline junkies. There were problems in characterization and plausability that I’m confident can be developed in further work. I’ll be interested to see what Mr. Brown comes up with next.
If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of The Firstborn, go HERE
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by Jason Joyner | Jun 24, 2009 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, reviews
The latest book in the CFBA tour is The Firstborn, by new author Conlan Brown.
–
When the Nazarene died on a cross 2000 years ago, the ancient writings record tombs that opened up, and dead who rose to walk again. What was unknown was those who rose awakened with a gift. Some could see the past, some the present, others the future. They were meant to be a guide for those who followed, but the different perspectives led to conflict and separation into three different orders.
When the orders meet to work out issues, one leader dies and another disappears. Three disparate members of the groups must band together to discover the mystery of the battle within the Firstborn, as well as a looming tragedy of a suicide bomber within the United States. Will the different sides find unity in order to thwart the danger, or will an evil they can’t see destroy them first?
Conlan Brown delivers a palpable action/adventure thriller as his first novel. The pages shouldn’t stop turning, as he keeps a fast-paced suspense moving (maybe careening!) along from San Antonio to D.C. and rural West Virginia. The book starts with one of the Firstborn as a kidnapped hostage and the rescue, and the ending provides a capstone fitting for a summer blockbuster.
I think it is fitting that during the summer season of movie thrillers that this book comes out. It is a good distraction and easy, entertaining read. The characters are given various traits to make them stand out, but they don’t come across as deeply developed. There are some themes that are clearly shown, but they almost get drowned out by the bullets and fists that are frequently flying. It also becomes a little disturbing to see these “Christian” groups with fully armed militias running and gunning. I appreciate an exciting adrenaline-fueled adventure, but the premise went a little over the top at points.
Overall, I thought it was a solid debut for the author. The book should appeal to guys who like explosions and lots of action, which doesn’t always happen in the Amish/prairie romances of other CBA fare (I’m sure the inability to use modern detonators hampers an Amish action romp) or other adrenaline junkies. There were problems in characterization and plausability that I’m confident can be developed in further work. I’ll be interested to see what Mr. Brown comes up with next.
If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of The Firstborn, go HERE
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by Jason Joyner | Jun 9, 2009 | Blog, books, CFBA, fiction, reviews
The latest book for the CFBA Tour is Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher.
Dennis Shore is the latest, greatest horror writer. His books have sold millions, but since his wife’s death he has been unable to write at all. Desperate to keep up with medical bills, he sends in a manuscript from an undiscovered writer, Cillian Reed, and it becomes his latest smash novel, with critical acclaim. He is already haunted by the guilt of his crime, but the true author begins harrassing Dennis. First with words, then with demonstrations, Dennis becomes caught up in his own horror story. Will he find the way out, or will he become like too many of his characters before him?
There’s been a few books I’ve read on the topic of a horror writer unable to write anymore. From the contemplative (Dave Long’s Ezekiel’s Shadow) to the humerous (Rene Gutteridge’s hilarious Boo series), it seems like a rich theme to mine. Ghostwriter aims for the straightforward suspense/horror aspect.
I had a hard time with this book on several levels. The main character Dennis Shore is not someone I wanted to root for. He stole the manuscript, so he brought things on himself to a degree. There was some mild sympathy in the loss of his beloved wife, but they didn’t tug the heart strings. The antagonist Cillian Reed and his friend Bob were similarly thin, without much to recommend them as fully developed characters.
Suspense is built up at times, but it starts slowly and builds in a disjointed fashion, as Dennis wrestles with his wife’s death. There is a point to this, but in my opinion it distracted from the flow more than it provided emotional punch.
There is a major twist that is handled very well-it surprised me and renewed my interest in the book for a while. It ended up being too little too late. The ending turns quickly and felt pretty contrived to me. Too convenient to bring around a happier ending.
If readers have an aversion to violent imagery, there is some in this book. It seems appropriate for a mild horror novel, and it is not excessive by my reckoning, but sensitive people should be aware.
Overall, I was fairly disappointed and struggled to finish the book. Ghostwriter has an intriguing premise and some moments that work, but overall there weren’t many goose bumps on my arms by the time I hit “The End”.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Ghostwriter, go HERE.
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