Dee's Labor Day Christian Fiction Weekend Roundup

1. Anne Rice speaks about New Orleans racial legacy. Great article.

2.Check out Focus on Fiction. I have a review of Tia McCollors' A Heart of Devotion on there. Let me tell you I will be buzzing Tia's second novel throughout next year. She has me hooked already. Did I tell you I'm with Focus on Fiction now?

3.For the last two weeks most people who have come to my site have come to read my entry on Anne Rice's next novel, Christ the Lord out of Egypt. Thanks, for stopping by. I hope you see that we have more to offer here.

4.This week I will post my review of Creston Mapes'Dark Star: Confessions of a Rock Star Idol here and on Amazon. Creston, here's a headsup. :)

5.Marina Woods, my partner in mercy here at Christian Fiction, will be planning the 23rd annual Romantic Times Magazine Booklovers Convention in Daytona Beach, Florida. May 2006. She's busier than me.

6. A September Book Recommendation- Linda Hudson-Smith's Sacred Sons. BET New Spirit. Romance in Color(another place you can find my reviews) has a great interview there. I reviewed this book for Romantic Times.

7. Christian publisher Baker Publishing Group will match all donations made by its employees for the Katrina relief efforts, with donations distributed through International Aid. Maybe Dave Long at Bethany House(a part of Baker) will set up a tip jar at Faith*in*Fiction for us to donate and help the cause. Just a hint, don't ask Dave.

8. Deanne Gist cracks top ten in CBA

September 2005 CBA Bestellers List

Ranking Title Author/Publisher
1 (5) Just Above a Whisper Lori Wick, Harvest House, p
2 (7) Fame Karen Kingsbury, Tyndale, p
3 (11) The Revelation Beverly Lewis, Bethany House, p
4 (14) One Tuesday Morning Karen Kingsbury, Zondervan, p
5 (15) Monster Frank Peretti, WestBow (Nelson), c
6 (18) Redeeming Love Francine Rivers, Multnomah, p
7 (19) Moonlight on the Millpond Lori Wick, Harvest House, p
8 (26) Breaker's Reef Terri Blackstock, Zondervan, p
9 (32) Beyond Tuesday Morning Karen Kingsbury, Zondervan, p
10 (37) A Bride Most Begrudging Deeanne Gist, Bethany House, p
11 (40) Evidence of Mercy Terri Blackstock, Zondervan, p
12 (42) The Ezekiel Option Joel Rosenberg, Tyndale, c
13 (44) The Rising Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins, Tyndale, c
14 (49) Oceans Apart Karen Kingsbury, Zondervan, p
15 The Covenant Beverly Lewis, Bethany House, p
16 Unforgotten Kristen Heitzmann, Bethany House, p
17 Redemption Gary Smalley & Karen Kingsbury, Tyndale, p
18 Seasons Under Heaven Beverly LaHaye & Terri Blackstock, Zondervan, p
19 A Perilous Proposal Michael Phillips, Bethany House, p
20 London Refrain Bodie Thoene, Tyndale, p

More news and hints for later. Now I have to install a washer and get back to my WIP. I have to make up a lot of time. Hopefully one day I will be newsworthy.

Writing to see what the end's gon' be,
Dee

Separate, But Equal: How Large is God?

DeWayne Wickman of USA Today wrote an article, A religious man — not right, not left, about TD Jakes stance on Christianity and politics.

Gayle White, Staff Writer The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, asked Bishop T.D. Jakes: "We[journalists] have arguments about whether we're a Christian nation. ... How do you advise your congregants?"

Jakes: "I don't think we are a Christian nation. And I don't think we were meant to be. ... As we continue to try to politicize God, or market God, or say that America is Christian, or that God is with one (political) party, or that God is here and not there, it only further points to the fact that we don't understand how big God is — and how great God is.

How Big God is?

This revelation spoke to me. Outside of my agreement with Jakes statement I thought this issue of what is God or limiting God is relevant to christian fiction as well.

In what ways do we limit our writing?

A while back I used to only write with African American characters, but when I thought about my life and the fact that I have white, moroccan, egyptian prayer partners, confidants,friends and cousins(married into the family,) a latino ex(Selah's father is Puerto Rican,)catholic sister-in-laws, muslim brother-in-law, dating a french speaking panamanian, and even had a filipino college roommate, who prayed to a golden buddha that set next to her constant supply of Jack Daniels in her clothes closet and who used my hair relaxer on her very straight hair... If you live in Atlanta long enough you can't just stick with people that look and beleve as you do. So I've tried to incorporate other ethnic enclaves and other religious beliefs in my stories.But i still fall short. I would love to write a story about a religious right white business man trying to find his place in a pc world and trying to find a quiet spot in his teenage infested home to decipher the secret codes and maps in the Book of Revelations that John Hagee has mapped out. I see this man feeling uncomfortable everytime he has to gas up at the pump or buy a dip cone at Dairy Queen. Then HR hires him a new administrative assistant-an angry black woman, who is one boot away from kicking her no-good evangelist husband out on his holy ear except for the fact that she has made her new bosse's plush office her temporary lodging until her husband either gets a paying job or move out. One night she finds the businessman's realms of the spirit map tucked away in his inbox and she deciphers the code. But then he fires her once he realize that she's been sleeping there. And then after she's gone he sees the decoded map. And now he needs her back. Wouldn't that be great?

I digress...

What ways do you find yourself limiting God in your writing?

Writing to see what the end's gon' be,
Dee