Remembering 9/11

It's been ten years since terrorists attacked the United States on our soil. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at work when we received word that a plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers. My co-workers and I turned on the television to see the second plane fly into the other tower. I couldn't believe my eyes. After years of military duty and changing threat codes as often as I change clothes, I suspected war was imminent, just not in my home country. After the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, the decision-makers in the state have become more cautious, so they ordered the state buildings evacuated. They additionally ordered the state law enforcement to begin immediate patrols in case Oklahoma was a target.
That day changed the lives of every American. We rose up as one and declared we would not be intimidated! We will never remember the names of the terrorists who flew the planes into the Twin Towers or the Pentagon. But we will never forget the words of Todd Beamer, a passenger on United Airlines flight 93. "Are you guys ready? Let's roll!"

I know, I know...

I know I've been missing in action from this blog for several months. But I have a good reason. Really, I do! I've recently signed a contract with Harbourlight Books to publish my newest work, Chasing Christmas. It is scheduled to be released around Christmas 2012. Until then, I'm working on edits. I'm fortunate to have Lisa McCaskill as my editor. And I must say she is splendid. She is making this story sing! Once the editing process is complete I'll post a blurb on this blog. So stay tuned...

As always, I welcome comments and questions.

Steven

Just my thoughts...

Have you ever shopped at a large bookstore for Christian or Inspirational Fiction only to find that the store's shelves are lacking in that particular genre? I have more times than I can count! Frustration builds as I turn to the thousands of shelves that hold books with bad language and explicit sexual scenes while only a handful of shelves are home to what I refer to as "clean works." I know that the stores stock their shelves with titles that they believe will sell the best. I know it's a business. But my mind questions whether society has stepped so far back that the only books that sell are the ones not suitable for buying, let alone reading. It only takes a few minutes watching television to realize that society now sees profanity as acceptable. How many times have you heard the term "sex sells"? What happened to the "family friendly" shows? Do filmmakers even consider making a G-rated picture anymore? One that isn't a cartoon? Do authors think twice before they write that word that makes their readers blush? Do they care that children may pick up their book and flip to the bedroom section that gives explicit details?

I care. And I know hundreds of Christian authors that refuse to stoop to that level.

Have parents stopped caring what their children read or watch?

My philosophy is this: If my books are not suitable for the entire family to read, what the point of writing it? Even action/adventure novels, such as the ones I write, don't have to have the characters speak like a sea-weary sailor. (I apologize to the men and women of the U.S. Navy for I know that not all of them talk this way. It's just I needed a cliche and that one fit.)

But this thought I hold close to my heart: As the Word of God unfolds in front of our eyes, as the countries surrounding Israel want nothing more than to blast God's people from the face of the earth, a new day is coming! When God's New Earth comes to be, take comfort in knowing that the bookstores will stock nothing but Christian and Inspirational Fiction! Hallelujah!

Just my thoughts...

Tell me your thoughts.

Great Book!!

Deception is the first book of Randy Alcorn's that I've had the joy of reading. How did he pass under my radar for so long?

Deception is easy to read and keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. This book was the first in a very long time that I didn't want to put down. I lost hours of sleep as I turned page after page. I'm an avid reader (I read as many as ten or more books in a month) so my saying that Deception held my interest to where I cringed when the clock struck the midnight hour (I have to be up very early in the morning to get to work) is is a compliment that says bunches.

Deception is an intriguing story that follows Homicide Detective Oliver Justice Chandler as he tries to untangle the twists and turns surrounding the death of an unpopular professor. If that isn't enough, Chandler struggles with many problems in his own life such as alcoholism, mending a relationship with his estranged daughter, his general dislike for journalists, and having to question himself when some of the clues point to him. His closest compadres, who happen to be journalists (an additional conflict) are relentless in their determination to introduce Jesus to the heart-hardened Chandler, who blames God for the death of his wife. To me (as a Christian first and a career crime fighter second), Alcorn described the personality and thoughts of a cop perfectly.

I will most certainly read more of Alcorn's books and, after reading Deception in record-breaking time, I'm sure each one will not disappoint.

Great book!

As an amateur historian of the Civil War era, I found that The Curiosities of the Civil War by Webb Garrison to be a valuable resource for those who thirst for more knowledge of the Great War Between the States. Mr. Garrison's book goes beyond the textbooks to include information that is not found in most study guides. For example, most textbooks do not speak of Old Abe, the pet bald eagle of the Eighth Wisconsin Regiment. Mr. Garrison details how Old Abe used to perch on a red, white, and blue shield while encamped. Old Abe was just one of the many pets that accompanied the many fighting regiments. A rooster and a bear were some of the more strange animals that followed their adoptive families into battle. 

The textbooks focus on the major campaigns of the war. The Curiosisties of the Civil War goes beyond those campaigns to give insight into the men and women of the war. Distinctive headgear of the armies, the sounds and sights of the battlefields, and prisoners/hostages are just a few topics discussed. 

Do you know how proud Abraham Lincoln was of his height? Mr. Garrison described how the six foot, four inch Lincoln used to measure his height against other tall men in the Army of the North. Rarely was he the shorter of the men being compared, but there is at least one time where he looked up to another man. Do you know the height of the man who stood taller than Lincoln? Do you know his name and rank?

Did you know that Lincoln was the only President of the United States that has even been under fire in a time of war while in office?  

The Curiosities of the Civil War is much more than a textbook. It is a must read for anyone who has even the slightest interest in learning more about the war and the people who fought it. The Civil War remains the single greatest war that helped define our great country.   

Seeds of Summer by Author Deborah Vogts

Wow!  As many if you know I don't read many romance novels--inspirational or otherwise.  But Author Deborah Vogts has written an amazing book in Seeds of Summer, the second book in her Seasons of the Tallgrass series.  A well-written book, her characters come alive on the page as we watch the characters face turmoil and despair. I don't want to give away the ending (you need to read it for yourself), but the words "warm, fuzzy feeling" comes to my mind about the way the plot ends.  Very few books strike the soft place in my heart where I want to keep reading and not put the book down.  Seeds of Summer is one of the few that I couldn't stop reading.
  
You can purchase your copy here: http://www.christianbook.com/seeds-of-summer-seasons-the-tallgrass/deborah-vogts/9780310292760/pd/292761?item_code=WW&netp_id=683685&event=ESRCN&view=details

Amazing Conference!

Hello all,

I am safely home from one of the best conferences in North America. Even though it snowed on us every day (in May, nonetheless!) the Colorado Christian Writers Conference has to be labeled as one of the best in the country. The picturesque setting is like none other and the instruction was superb. If any writers are looking for great fellowship with other writers, a place to learn the craft, and a setting that is not hard on your eyes, this is it.

I was also blessed to be named one of the seven writers to participate in Author Robert Liparulo's Intensive Fiction Clinic. Not only did I get to meet one of my favorite authors, I got to learn from him! A class like none other.