March First is Self-Injury Awareness Day

I’m the stepfather of a cutter. I belong to a Shoutlife.com group where I can use my experience to help people with the issue of self-injury. It's not always abusive parents at the root of the problem. When my stepdaughter’s mom and I found out in the late 1990s, we were surprised and worried. We attended church and sent her to a good Christian school—all the right things.

Self-injury victims are people with whom you and I socialize. It’s a sad social commentary on our culture that so many in this generation become hooked on physical pain by emotional suffering.

Then there are other cases. Secret child abuse, even in some houses with Bibles on coffee-tables, is beyond ugly. Neighbors have no idea. It needs to be discussed, revealed, and healed, not gossiped, lampooned, or closeted. Because of people like two Shoutlife friends who are open about their cutting on Shoutlife blogs and groups, there is now far more awareness and even Websites dedicated to cutting. If you know anyone who needs Biblical advice, send them to speakdontbleed.com

I've dedicated War of Attrition: Book Two of the Underground to cutting and child abuse victims, and name four individuals. They are: my step-daughter, Shoutlife's Annie-Bannannie, Cassandra, and a third Shoutlife member, Tiffany, who's been open about her childhood sexual abuse. In fact Tiffany’s full name will become public on the dedication page, at her request, when the book is released. I gave one of my Characters, Corazon Forrero, AKA Lethe, a backstory based on Tiffany's.

If such small things as the dedication page and character backstory in a novel can raise awareness for such hurting people, I’m sure all my literary friends I don't name won’t mind if I shine a little bit of God's healing love into these dark places.

On Meeting Donita Paul

A moment of which mere authors don't dare to dream. Enjoying dessert with the Queen of Christian Fantasy is memorable in itself, but her rave review about fainted me like a high society lady in a black-n-white movie.

One of life's high points occured in 2008. I'd met the best selling christian fantasy author since C.S. Lewis. Donita Paul, online about three years ago, and she recently suggested we meet locally for coffee while she visited town.

On a crisp autumn evening we sat at cafe tables enjoying dessert and coffee--my wife and I, with she and her adult son. In parting--after a full two hours that I will long treasure--I gave her sci-fi-fanboy son a copy of Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground. She wrote me shortly after at Shoutlife.com where we share membership to say she swiped my first novel from him to read herself!

I know, right?

A few weeks later I discovered the following brief review on my Amazon page:

Christian Science Fiction at its Best, November 13, 2008 By Donita K. Paul (http://www.dragonkeeper.us) - See all my reviews I recommend this book. Not often does an author integrate Scripture into fiction in a way that does not belittle the Word of God or damage the fictive dream presented in the story. Frank Creed has created a world in which the reader can believe that the power of the Word is used by these fascinating and believable characters. The demonstration of faith is natural not contrived. Young believers, reading this futuristic tale, will witness Christians in action against foes that represent real opposition present in our world today.

: ) Ahhhh!

Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground (novel)
First Place, Best Sci-Fi Novel, 2006, Elfwood
First Place, Impress Award, Christian Fiction Review Blog Tour
Finalist, 2007 Pluto Award, Yellow 30 Sci-Fi
Nominee, Clive Staples Award, 2008 Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour

Frank's other fiction awards:

The Last Newspaper (short story)First place, 1983, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Annual High School Creative Writing Festival

Light at the Edge of Darkness (three short stories in this Biblical speculative fiction anthology)Top-Ten Readers' Choice Award, 2007, Predators and Editors


Faith,
f

Global Warming's Effects on the South Pole

Here's an amazing AP story about the South Pole ice cap melting far faster than expected. I expect to see sea-levels threaten coastal cities in my lifetime, and it's scary what the coastlines will look like for next generations. But that's okay, it's not our problem, right?

Long ago I’d read that the Farmer's Almanac seventy year cycle explained apparent climate differences. It’s taken the passage of years to compare the winter family photos from the 1940s to what we see now. Global Climate change is real.

Christians in the US are so mistrustful of science, and pundits have preyed on our fear of the future. It's hard to believe the depth of our subculture's knee-jerk reactionism evident on the Web. From those still in denial about climate change, to homeschooling mothers raising their kids to believe all scientists are liars.

Many in our subculture fear science--even of science fiction. I'm glad I've not had to debate much of this in an apology of my own fiction, but just getting Christian science fiction accepted by major Christian publishing houses has been a long battle. It's only just occurring.

It's said creation is God's second book. I’m ashamed that we have not taken better care of His gift: Eden, and that so many of us see environmentalists as enemies. But I’m not surprised. We live in a fallen world, and being saved doesn’t mean we don’t sin.

Miller, Gerke, and Creed at the Novel Journey Blog

Christian Speculative Fiction Panel--Part One

Along with the Christian Science-Fiction & Fantasy blog tour’s Rebecca Miller and Marcher Lord Press’ Jeff Gerke, I was invited to be part of a speculative fiction panel at the Novel Journey blog. Please drop by for a state of the Christian genre discussion, part one of two. http://noveljourney.blogspot.com/

Faith,
f

Flashpoint Dilemma

Danger Will Robinson . . .


I want to sell books. Tons of books.
I want the buyers of my books to enjoy them.

Sound like a no-brainer?

I like it when people place my book on lists of "must-read cyberpunk." I like it when I get good reviews from readers.

But, I don't want to "trick" people into purchasing Flashpoint only to discover that its characters are overtly Christian which. in turn, makes them mad about forking over $10 for the book.

This has occurred a couple of times on amazon. The most recent review I received very clearly delineated the problem.

Good book with a caveat, February 9, 2009
By Bill P "Midnite" (New York, NY)

When I first purchased this book from Amazon, I had found it appearing on list after list of "Great Cyberpunk Novels." Being a fan of the genre, I checked out the reviews, the few that were there gave high praise. So I bought it. When it arrived I knew from the first page that either I or the reviewers missed something. As it is now obvious from the subsequent reviews & articles, the author is a devout Christian. As soon as you begin reading this will become apparent. As someone with similar beliefs, I figured that couldn't be that bad. I was in for a surprise.

The plot, characters & writing style are quite excellent & this leads to a compelling and entertaining story. I enjoyed many elements of the book. The idea that in a one-state future, Christians would be branded as extremist terrorists intrigued me. The character castes also served to draw me in. The downside is that between almost every beat (and sometimes in the middle of an action sequence) the writer decides to insert a heavy-handed 'preaching session.' Don't get me wrong, in no way does the author say 'believe this' or 'think that', but he almost awkwardly inserts phrases or descriptions that would pull me right out of the story, make me put down the book & take a breather. Lines like "The new king of the hill is Liberator, and Liberator says treat everyone how you'd like them to treat you." Momentum & tension is also lost when you can envision these characters with a constant condescending smile that parents reserve for dumb children.

It breaks down like this: The closer you are to the author's beliefs, the better this novel is. When it came down to it, this book just makes 4 stars.

Even with all that is said above, I still finished satisfied with my purchase. I believe the author would be better served to tone down portions of the book, he'd be more likely to actually connect to those who don't already agree with his world view. He has too much raw talent to risk alienating any potential readers.

I write for a specific audience: people who enjoy sci-fi, people who wish they could find sci-fi that portrayed a Christian worldview, people who grew up in the church.

I never downplay nor hide my worldview not even if it will sell more books. I want the readers/ purchasers of Flashpoint and the upcoming War of Attrition to get their money's worth, to enjoy not be uncomfortable with the Christian characters—

On the other hand, I don't want to admonish those who feel FP deserves to be on must-read cyberpunk lists — don't want people to stop saying good things about the book that may convince others to read it. I just want everyone to be satisfied.

What a dilemma . . . what to do?

Knighted by the Queen of Christian Fantasy

"The Best in Christian Science Fiction" is the title of Donita Paul’s Amazon review of my first novel, Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground. Ms Paul is the best selling Christian fantasy author since C.S. Lewis. She’s a retired school teacher who knows her literature.

This is a moment of which I’d never had the courage to dream.

Funny thing is, because Christian bookstore publishers, an elite group, cannot sell sci-fi, and because I’m published by a small independent press, less than a thousand copies of Flashpoint have sold.

I’m the head literary critiquer for a manuscript evaluation service. I’m a ghostwriter. Flashpoint’s been nominated for, finaled or placed first for four Christian fiction awards, including the coveted Clive Staples Award, where I’m competing against Donita herself, and Stephen Lawhead.

Flashpoint touches readers. But because Christian bookstores can’t effectively market sci-fi, the downturn in this economy has me losing my home.

That’s all right—if He cares for the birds of the air, I will survive. Book Two of the Underground will be released later in 2009. One day this genre’s fans will discover their favorite fiction online. Until then, they will keep shopping secular shelves.

Look for some Underground short fiction at the Wayfarer’s Journal and Double Edged Publishing free e-zines this year to tide-you-over until War of Attrition is released.

And, who knows . . . Legacy just may return.