WINTER by Keven Newsome ~ Gothic, If Not A Gothic Tale Exactly

As we approach All Hallows Eve, now called Halloween, I’d like to turn to Christian fiction that takes a bit of a darker approach. 

Winter Maessen didn’t ask for the gift of prophecy. She’s happy being a freak — but now everyone thinks she’s crazy. Or evil. Goths aren’t all the same, you know. Some are Christians — Christians to whom God sends visions. Students at her university are being attacked, and Winter knows there’s more than flesh and blood at work. Her gift means she’s the only one who can stop it – but at what price?

Excerpt:

Winter heard footsteps. She looked to either side expecting someone else to come walking around the Ancient. But no one came and the footsteps continued. Cold chills came over her and she sat up straight. She had been here before…déjà vu. These footsteps meant something. This time Winter knew the danger was real.

Her time had come. All her premonitions and dreams of the past week had been leading to this moment. Now that it was happening, she had no doubt God had orchestrated everything. If only she could understand before it was too late. She stood. Adrenaline rushed through her body.

“What’s wrong…” she whispered to herself…Davis was about to say that.

“What’s wrong?” Davis asked as soon as the very same words had escaped Winter’s lips.

“Someone’s coming, I hear footsteps.” That’s what she was supposed to reply.

“I don’t hear anything,” he said, his voice betraying his confusion. He stood and watched her.

Winter looked toward the history building, where the footsteps seemed to come from. But she saw no one walking to the Ancient. She moved and searched all around the tree, but no one came from any direction. Yet she could still hear the footsteps.

“You’re freaking me…” she whispered.

“You’re freaking me out,” Davis said from right behind.

Reviews:

“Few things are as thrilling as finding a new writer whose talent for storytelling is obvious from page one. Well, meet Keven Newsome and prepare to be thrilled. If his chilling debut novel, WINTER, doesn’t leave you breathless and wanting more, you better make sure you have a pulse. Well developed characters, an intriguing, fast-paced plot, top-notch craftsmanship – WINTER (and Keven Newsome) delivers in spades.” Robert Liparulo, author of COMES A HORSEMAN, GERM, the DREAMHOUSE KINGS series 

“Newsome has delivered a taut thriller with a supernatural edge in WINTER. It starts as a slow burn and builds to a gripping climax and the last scene will leave you ready for more. The character of Winter is complex, compelling, and sympathetic and the dual storylines work to great dramatic effect. Well done.” Greg Mitchell, author of THE STRANGE MAN 

“In your hands you hold a treasure, superbly crafted and spirit driven. Keven Newsome has written a story that delivers on every level and is so powerful you’ll want to read it more than once. Hollywood needs this manuscript. Winter is that good.” Matt Koceich, author of THE SENDING

How Keven came up with the idea for this story.

WINTER developed as the emerging of several different story ideas.  I knew I wanted to write a story that told the fall and redemption of a character through two different time lines. I also knew I wanted to write a story with a lead character having the gift of prophecy. A third idea, writing a college story with a girl lead, led to the development of both the characters Winter and Summer. But it wasn’t until all three of these began to merge that WINTER was actually born.

Looking back, it’s easy to see how the three ideas were always meant to be one. But I can’t really pinpoint where those three ideas came from. It’s cliché to say that God gave me the story, but in essence it seems like that exactly what happened. On my own, I wouldn’t have had those three ideas. And on my own, I would have never thought to combine them as they were.

But even though God may have revealed the story to me, let me be clear that it took years of hard work and dedication to hone my craft and learn enough about writing in order to bring that story to life in a way that would make God proud. God instructs us to “study to show thyself approved.” Inspiration may be His, but He doesn’t call lazy people who expect him to do the work for them. If God’s given you a story to write — awesome. Now work your tail off so that you don’t embarrass Him.

What Keven hopes readers will get from the story:

WINTER tells the story of a life, broken and destroyed through the cruelty of this world. It’s the story of a person who is the most unlovable and unusable in the world, being taken and transformed into something extraordinary by God. The story is told in two timelines. In the secondary story, we follow Winter’s first year of high school. She has to deal with the slow death of her mother and learn to live with her estranged father. Through these circumstances, she slowly declines into the Goth subculture and experiments with witchcraft. But in the primary story, we follow her first year of college. Here we see that she has been changed by God. And though she’s been shaped by the tragedies of her past, God still loves her and still wants to use her.

And it’s exactly this past that makes her uniquely qualified to take on a Satanic priest.

I want everyone who reads this to be encouraged that no life is too broken to be used by God, and that God will continue to pursue you even in the lowest depths of your life. The reader should be inspired to not dwell on past mistakes or hurts, but to look forward to what God can do in spite of it all.

Author Bio:

Keven Newsome is a graduate student at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is pursuing a Master of Arts in Theology specializing in Supernatural Theology. He writes stories that portray the supernatural and paranormal with a Biblical perspective. Winter is his first book. He currently lives in New Orleans, LA with his wife and their two children. 

Keven is also the founder and administrator of The New Authors’ Fellowship and produces music and video through Newsome Creative.

Readers can reach Keven at:

www.KevenNewsome.com

www.facebook.com/thewordcrafter

www.twitter.com/kevennewsome

Purchase Links:Amazon (Kindle included). http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Keven-Newsome/dp/0987653105/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319395093&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble (Nook included). http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Winter–Keven-Newsome?keyword=Winter%2C+Keven+Newsome&store=ebook

Sony Reader. http://ebookstore.sony.com/search?keyword=Winter%2C+Keven+Newsome

Interview with Chila Woychik About Her Tome ON BEING A RAT

Tis’ a weird kind of season. All Hallows Eve apporaches or as some call it Halloween. So, it’s fitting to be interviewing Chila Woyckik about her peculiar work, ON BEING A RAT And Other Observations. Then again, we are called to be a peculiar people. Of course this is an interview swap, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing Chila’s interview of me up on her blog in the near future.

Now on to this very unique interview…

Nike: Chila, I’m not sure how we ran into each other. I think on Facebook. I felt I’d found a kindred spirit. Many things you’ve said about Christian fiction echoed what I’d said. I love Christian authors, yet in my heart, I feel a great deal of Christian fiction writing is not as good as that in the general market. For me, it’s not enough that the book is squeaky clean. I want it to be a good read. However, I’ve seen vast improvement in Christian fiction writing in the last year or so. Groups such as American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) are pushing writing courses and have put huge effort into setting up critique groups for the purpose of improving the writing and polishing the manuscripts of their members. I lead one of the ACFW small critique groups and I’m proud of the contribution I make there to improve the quality of Christian fiction writing. What are your thoughts on this?

Chila: I think that’s fantastic.  I’d love to see all writers everywhere, especially those who claim to follow God, begin to challenge one another to be the very best of the best.  We all tend to say we strive for that—to be the best—but the honest truth is that we often stop far short of reaching that goal, for whatever reason (the biggest factors seem to be ignorance of good writing form, laziness, impatience, and for Christians, isolationism and an inability to truly relate to those not of our little circles). And I echo you in that I hold nothing against Christian authors per se—I am one!  May we each write what we feel we must write, and may we focus on the writing essentials rather than our differences in style, belief, or whatever it is that tends to so often divide us.

When I started in this business 2+ years ago, I certainly had my rose-colored glasses on. I soon found that many in the Christian realm were uber-critical of just about anything being offered in what they’ve termed “the general market.” The only problem with that is what they’re offering (in the “Christian market”) simply doesn’t measure up to what’s available in the real world. And to add insult to injury, defending substandard Christian books because “they don’t have swearing and sex in them” is about as lame as we can possibly get. I’ve seen fantastic general market books that have little to no swearing and no sex, yet because they’re not specifically Christian, they’re discounted.  And that’s sad.  As I’ve often asked, what are Christians afraid of? Is their faith so fragile that to read a bang-up general market book with a strong modifier or two would be akin to sacrilege in their eyes? I certainly don’t see evidence in the Scriptures that God would get upset about us reading something that doesn’t have “praise Jesus” in every paragraph, or even something that happens to diverge from foundational Christian truth.  No, the God I read about isn’t that way at all.

Much of the white noise I’ve been hearing from dissenters from those groups is that they simply don’t feel they should scrub their manuscripts of the gut-honest humanity that gives soul to their work.  They want to write from their heart, to our current society, in a way that rings true to their target audience. So, maybe another organization needs to spring up to fill in the gap? I’m not sure.  But  I truly fear we compromise our creativity when we feel pressured or threatened to write in a certain way, by a set of someone else’s preconceived guidelines, especially the “spiritual” ones.

Nike: I support Christian fiction ebooks and those coming out from small houses with my online presence and via my pocketbook by purchasing and reading these novels. Again, I find that in many cases the quality of writing needs improvement. I’d like to see small press publishers encouraging authors to take workshops and to get into critique groups. I read a riveting small press novel that did get some attention in alternative Christian fiction circles. This novel was fresh, exciting, and bold in ways that eludes many traditionally published novels, but the writing could’ve used some basic work. What direction do you think small press authors should take?

Chila:  I think what we all have to remember is that there isn’t, and neither should there be, a sort of “imprimatur” go-to group for Christian writers.  Writing groups abound.  Writers have options like never before.  At Port Yonder Press, we’ve begun something called our TEAM PYP mentored writing groups.  Our mentors are high-quality authors including an editor from a top-notch large general market publishing house, and a Nebula Award nominee.  I’d love to see dozens of these kind of mentoring groups develop.  And I suppose we’ll always have “writing that needs improvement” on all sides of the fence: whether we’re discussing books from smaller or larger presses (readers constantly refer to Twilight as an example of a NYT bestseller that contains writing that “needs improvement”).  Small press owners should simply keep improving, as should everyone else. There’s not a single or easy answer for that situation, and it certainly isn’t limited to small presses.

Nike: What’s up these days with Port Yonder Press? And how did you arrive there as Managing Editor?

Chila: I started the press and continue to manage it, hence the titleJ.  Port Yonder Press is a fun little diversion for me that takes up a whole lot of my time. And I’m constantly reviewing and renewing our vision to produce the best, most engaging books in a variety of genres. Now that I know my way around the process a bit, know where I’m heading, and how I want to get there to some degree, I’ve come up with a few ways and means to assist me in reaching those goals.

TEAM PYP (mentioned above) – started in July of this year. The immediate goal is to develop stronger writers, while my long-term vision for this is to possibly publish the very best of the best out of these groups, if not the first year then maybe the second.  Initially, our goal is to break into the general market with compelling short stories that get noticed.

BEYONDARIES  is Port Yonder Press’ online magazine set to debut this winter & will focus on all-things-writing from a general market perspective (not religiously focused at all, but writing-focused). Interviews, books, writing tips, art/illustrating tips, and more, from a fresh perspective.

What I’m finding is a need to re-educate Christians who want to be competitive in the larger “marketplace,” in the realm outside their little church groups and small reading circles.  Christians are coming out of the woodwork, wanting to influence society-at-large with great writing, period, no soft-soap preaching, no “evangelistic message,” just award-winning writing.  And I’m all for that!

The IndieGalaxy Publishers Association – is a loose-knit organization I recently began wherein I gather a number of small presses together for shared marketing goals and small press dynamic helps. I hope to hit this harder next year, but do see potential benefit arising from this venture.

Nike: You’ve said you’re looking for “fringe fiction” to publish at Port Yonder and you’ve given authors as reference points such as China Mieville, Margaret Atwood, and even Sylvia Plath. These are all general market authors. Is there anyone in Christian fiction writing like this today?

Chila:  Not that I know of, but then, I seldom read Christian fiction anymore. I simply don’t have time to wade through yet another book that sounds and feels like so many other Christian books available.  But I think a few Christian authors are probably trying.  Unfortunately, it’s likely they feel a certain kind of external restraint knowingly or unknowingly put out by certain organizations, whether Christian organizations, publishers, or book distributors such as the CBA.  Nothing quashes creativity like guilt or restrictions, I’ve found. Mature Christians should be the freest and most creative writers of all, able to tackle profoundly intense and difficult subjects, and unbound by all but their own consciences and understanding of truth.

Nike: If a Christian women’s fiction, science fiction, or literary author wanted to take a huge risk in their writing, what practical advice would you have for them?

Chila:  Push aside everything you’ve heard (outside of basic grammar rules), and write.  Your boundaries are waaaay out there, not that little fenced in area you’ve been standing in. Run and romp in the outer court and have a ball!  Never violate your conscience (and there’s the rub), but know why your conscience is telling you this or that. Know beyond your church beliefs or what you’ve been told.  Know beyond what that group or individual tells you.  Be beyond.  And write! 

Nike: You have a new book out that’s on my to-read list and I’m excited about reading it, mostly because I think I’ll learn more about you. Tell us about ON BEING A RAT and Other Observations.

Chila:  ON BEING A RAT is a wild and sometimes random run through a lot of universal themes, mostly from my perspective, but from what I’ve heard, readers find it easy to relate to as well.  The lyric essay is one of my very favorite forms, and the heart of creative nonfiction handily lends itself to it.  So basically, ON BEING A RAT takes a flying leap through life, writing, and nature via lyric essays and poems, light prose narrative and odd observations.  I’ve addressed a variety of themes, but again, that’s the nature of the lyric essay: unpredictability and an almost stream of consciousness jaunt from one topic to the next.  I believe the book itself will be an education for those unfamiliar with the form, and I hope to some degree it will be a good example of such. But more importantly my hope is that it will inspire writers to expand their boundaries and get at least a small glimpse of the creativity they can engage when writing in their favorite genres.

One male reviewer recently said this while reading it, “My writing was boring and flat this morning. Then I read a bunch of your book (had to tear myself away because of a word count goal) and then my writing improved greatly, flowed out, and even felt eloquent. Thanks for your beautiful writing and encouragement to tell my story while I still can.” Someone else said, “This is the most purely satisfying new author that I’ve encountered in over two years.”  Very encouraging words.

ON BEING A RAT is DIFFERENT.  It really is. Don’t expect it to be like anything you’ve ever read, but I do hope you get a chance to read it! J  Official release date is early January, though it is currently available with the old cover on Amazon.

On a final note, I’ll be taking 2012 “mostly” off, to hone both my writing and publishing craft, to take in seminars and workshops, to learn.  BUT, submissions will still be open at Port Yonder, and we’re looking for the very best soft and hard science fiction, fringe fiction, fantasy, and creative nonfiction we can find.  I think I have 2 or 3 books slated for publication, but that’s all.  It’s time to truly kick our desire for excellence in gear!

Purchase Links:

Amazon (including Kindle). http://www.amazon.com/BEING-RAT-Other-Observations/dp/193560046X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313273633&sr=1-3

Interview with Dr. Mark Corescu, antihero of The Corescu Chronicles by Ellen C. Maze

What a unique opportunity to be interviewing Dr. Mark Corescu, a 370 year old vampire, as we approach All Hallow’s Eve. I’m getting chills running up and down my spine. Dr. Corescu is the hero (anti-heor?) in two novels by Ellen C. Maze: THE JUDGING and DAMASCUS ROAD, both in the series The Corescu Chronicles. Normally this blog concentrates on murder mysteries, detective stories, and the like. However, I believe Dr. Corescu has left enough dead bodies (at least one a night for more than 300 years!) in his wake to warrant this interview.

Nike: Dr. Corescu, may I call you Mark? Am I correct that you started out in your long life as a village priest in Hungary (also known as Transylvania) in 1640? At that point, you were devoted to God, but one day you woke up and your village was on fire. What happened to your village and what happened to you that day?

Mark: Yes, Mrs. Chillemi, please call me Mark. You have heard correctly, regarding my distant past. Although I subconsciously suppressed my past for centuries, recently my origins as a priest have returned to my memory in full detail. On the night of which you speak, not only was the village on fire, but so was the chapel where I slept. Immediately, my mind raced to the only other resident of the house—an orphaned boy named Miki, of whom I was quite fond. I searched for him desperately, and only when I had nearly given up hope, did I see him slumped over a pew in the sanctuary.

In retrospect, I know that this priest’s God urged him to abandon the rescue—the boy was dead. But I was headstrong and certain that I could save the boy’s life. Or perhaps I desired death—to join Miki in the hereafter—who knows? In any event, my decision proved to be a dreadful error of judgment.

As I approached the boy, I saw Satan for the first time; a steaming, burning creature with red eyes and sharp fangs. The creature I later knew only as “The Other” came close as I collapsed from smoke inhalation. When I awoke some time later, The Other had transformed me into a vampire and the priest, Markus Corescu, was dead.

Nike: Four centuries later, you are basically masquerading as a medical doctor. Can you tell us about your main purpose in life at that time…the ritual you called “the judging?” Did you really believe you were serving a “higher purpose?”

Mark:  Of course I was serving a higher purpose—I was doing the will of God. Why else would I have a burning desire to destroy evil mortals? I am drawn to them; from states away I sense their evil deeds and their darkest thoughts. With barely a thought, I slip into their lives— sometimes crossing hundreds of miles in an instant—and when the deed is done and they have had a chance to repent, my gut is filled with their blood, and I return to my own abode just as easily. Every night for nearly 400 years, a wicked miscreant of mankind died in my grasp. God gave me this ability, He ordained it. Could the devil have such power?

Nike: Then equestrian/artist Hope Brannen enters your life and things begin to change for you. How so?

 

Mark:   Hope. [Mark sighs.] Obviously a magnificent trick of the Creator, crossing her path with mine. If I hadn’t met her, if I hadn’t fallen for her, you and I would not be sitting her having this interview.

You have no doubt heard the old adage, “love at first sight”? Try not to laugh, but when my eyes landed in hers that first time in my office, I knew God had sent her into my life. Mrs. Chillemi, it may be hard for you to understand or appreciate, but before that moment, I never desired a woman—not in the way a mortal man would, anyway. Yes, [Mark chuckles lightly] in more than 370 years, I felt no need for a female partner. Before I was transformed into this creature, I managed the lusts of the flesh as well as any man of the cloth, but afterwards, those parts of my body required for sexual endeavors ceased to function. So you see, it wasn’t that unusual for me to only see women as potential servants, or if they were evil, potential judging victims. But Hope Brannen…she appeared to my vampire vision as an angel, surrounded by a glow that called me as surely as a moth to a flame. As if God drew a line around her and said, “This is the one, Mark.”

 But you asked me how she changed my life. My answer? In every way imaginable.

Although not religious herself, Hope’s incessant probing into my life and history eventually caused me to recall everything from my birth into the mortal world, to my entrance into the immortal one. Hope’s meddling with my servant Paul caused him to break away and commit a heinous murder without my consent. I, of course, cleaned up his mess, but by the time one emergency had been calmed, Hope had brought her preacher-friend, Tony Agricola into my world. Oh, how that man challenged me. Without a word, his mere presence caused me to doubt my purpose. Eventually, I sat down and heard him out. The rest, as they say, is history…

Nike: Now Mark, what did you think of Tony Agricola? He was the only truly good character in THE JUDGING. He reappears as the hero in DAMASCUS ROAD where he lures Paul Black, a new vampire with intense bloodlust, to you in Germany. Now that seems like a recipe for disaster. How did you handle the arrival of Tony, Hope, and the ravenous Paul Black when they burst into your life?

Mark:  By this time, I have been resting, wilting—perhaps dying—in the house I purchased on a huge lot of land in the Black Forest for almost a year. I kept a mental tab on all of the players involved in my life, and so when Tony and Paul headed for my hiding place, I was aware of them. Unfortunately, I was also quite incapacitated by self-induced emaciation. After facing my demons, and still quite blood-thirsty, I decided I wouldn’t eat at all. Perhaps I wanted to punish my Creator, but everyone knows that does no good. God watched me suffer, He sent me words of encouragement, but He never delivered me or set me free. So by the time the two were close, I decided to allow Paul to rejuvenate me.

You ask what I think of Tony Agricola? I respect him; he knows his God, and he has conviction like I’ve never seen. Do I want him near me? Ask me another time. No one likes to be told they are sinning when they’re only doing what they were made to do!

Paul arrived to my side first—according to plan actually—and he restored me with his blood. When I could stand, he and I went on quite a rampage, feeding on Gypsies who poached the forest. Am I ashamed? Yes, but at the time, it was glorious. At least until Tony and Hope showed up, reality returned, and I resumed a more humble stance…

You know the rest. I am still working out the details, but unlike Tony, I will no longer starve myself. As long as I am in this cold, bloodthirsty tent, I will feed it well. God and Tony, both, will have to live with that.

Nike: Mark, you wouldn’t mind concocting a bit of mischief I’m sure. So, why don’t you tell tales on author Ellen C. Maze who created you? What’s the worst thing she did to you in these stories?

Mark:  Ellen enjoys playing God with my life. She tempts me mercilessly. Note the time I sat alone on my couch, distraught over the emotions involved with falling in love with a woman, not hungry, minding my own business, and Ellen sends Paul in to offer up his blood. Am I supposed to turn that down? Am I able to turn away from the sweetest liqueur offered only to the gods? Why would I want to? Because Ellen placed Paul there, and wrote him to do what he did, the kid spends a great deal of The Judging sick in bed. When he recovers, his mind has become unhinged and he performs monstrous acts on the other characters. I blame Ellen for the entire affair.

And you haven’t seen what she does to me in Book Four, Anathema – sicking Hope Brannen on me, causing her to throw herself at me again and again, tempting me to take from her that which I refuse. Oh, God, I hope I can continue to resist. Hope doesn’t want to die from my bite, but it could very likely happen. Foolish woman…

Nike: Okay, Mark, let’s get seasonal. We’re coming up on All Hallow’s Eve. As a former priest, does that feast day have any meaning to you? Would it have meaning to you as a vampire? Of course, it’s become the popular holiday of Halloween today. If you were going to dress up for Halloween, what would your costume be?

Mark:   All Hallow’s Eve had no draw for me in my mortal life, but over the centuries, I have attended the ceremonies when it suited my needs according to the judging. My existence is never fun or joyous, so actually participating in something the mortals find entertaining would not appeal to me. Still, you have been such a gracious hostess, I desire to humor you and answer your question.

If Hope and I were to attend a Halloween Ball here (for the local people of Germany have blended Halloween with Walpurgisnacht—night of the witches), I would dress as a Catholic Priest. The irony would be too much for me to resist.

Purchase Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Judging-Corescu-Chronicles-Book-One/dp/1617520225/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_5

http://www.ellencmaze.com

Author Bio:  

An admitted vampire/paranormal fanatic, Ellen uses her experience in that subculture to bring the Light into the vampire genre. Addicting and delicious, Ellen’s brand of story-telling is rife with deep character study and honest emotion. Her first novel, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, earned her not only over 100 5-star reviews online, but the distinction of being a “Pioneer in the Genre of Edgy Christian Fiction,” weaving gothic horror elements into the biblically-based worldview. Rabbit has been Top-Ranked #1 by customers on Amazon in six different categories, and Ellen’s new series, The Corescu Chronicles, is hot on Rabbit’s trail.

Can Christians Do "Bump In The Night?"

As October progresses toward the infamous Halloween celebration at month’s end, I’m tossing around a few questions.

Can Halloween be redeemed?

What is the olde Christian observance of All Hallows Eve about?

Are Christian horror novels an oxymoron?

First, what about Halloween celebrations? My daughter’s eighth grade class at school is anticipating Halloween. Most will wear costumes, thought some feel they’re too old and will trick or treat with their friends in jeans and a sweat shirt. This is an evening that drifts into early night when they go around in groups without parental supervision and they’re all up for it, bigtime. Teachers usually don’t give homework on Halloween so kids can get out early and get their sugar fix. My husband and I don’t have any safety fears on Halloween. Our neighborhood is quite benign.

I’ve always been torn over Halloween. We adopted our daughter at the age of six out of a situation of abuse and neglect. Before coming to live with us she’d not gotten to do many things other children get to do and she begged us to be allowed to trick or treat. We caved. From ages six through 11 we accompanied her as she trotted around the neighborhood as an angel, a Chinese lady, a cat and other non ghoulish things. Age 12 was a biggie. All her friends were going around without their parents. We relented and allowed her to go out after school with her friends but she had to be in by supper. For supper she stayed in her costume and we all walked down to the local pizza parlor where some sort of pink supergirl, a monster bride, and a few Star Wars characters were munching on their slices. After eating, my husband and I stood out in front of the pizza parlor longer than we’d have liked to, allowing our daughter to feel as if she were hanging out with her friends after dark. This is the positive social side and family fun side of Halloween. I look to Joseph in the Old Testament who worked within the idolatrous culture of Pharaoh’s Egypt.

Although I’m a post modern, urban Christian, I’m also quite orthodox theologically. I raise my hands in worship, go bazonkers over hard driving Christian rock music, and adhere to the Apostle’s Creed. I’ve long been fascinated by the observance of All Hallow’s Eve in the church. All Hallows Eve (October 31st) is the night before Hallowmas (November 1st, now called All Saints Day). Protestant churches understood “saints” as it’s used in the Bible to mean all God’s faithful. As early as the 7th century the Anglican Church and Church of Scotland observed All Hallows as a solemn day to commemorate all unknown saints who had gone on to heaven, especially those who had been martyred, as does the Roman Catholic Church. In the Byzantine rite it is observed the first Sunday after Pentecost.

So, what about Christian horror novels? Not to mention Christian horror movies. Apparently there is quite an audience ready to gobble these up. Explicitly Christian horror stories featuring fear, dread, the grotesque, ghost and vampire stories, Gothic tales, dark fantasy, weird occurrences, chillers that go bump in the night are not a rare occurrence any more. There are Christian publishing houses that feature such stories (Marcher Lord Press, Treasureline Books, and others) by Christian authors for Christian readers with a Christian world view.

2011 Inspy Awards Finalists or "Short List" in the Mystery/Thriller Category

Congrats to all Inspy Awards finalists in the Mystery/Thriller category. I see all are familiar face who have engaged readers for quite a while now. You are all winners. Best wishes to all!!!

Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand, Bethany House, July, 2010

Darkness Follows by Mike Dellosso, Realms, May, 2011

Digitalis by Ronie Kendig, Barbour, January, 2011

Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins, B&H Publishing, May, 2011

The Bishop by Steven James, Revell, August, 2010