Star Wars VII; what's in store?

There was once a young boy who was playing on the floor in his Grandfather's house when all of a sudden he saw something that stirred within him a dream of fantasy stories embracing the power of good versus evil and the triumph of light over darkness. That boy was me, and that something was the movie Star Wars IV: A New Hope.

Have you heard the news? Disney bought out LucasFilm and in 2015 they are going to continue the Star Wars saga with a new film that will pick up where the original movies ended.

Some fans are worried that Disney will mess this up, but considering that Steven Spielburg's right-hand lady is at the helm... I think this is going to be fantastic. Disney proved with At World's End, and with the Voyage Of The Dawn Treader that they can do classic, darker films that do not just appeal to kids.

So what is in store in Star Wars VII? I am going to put my vote out there that Disney produce the Thrawn trilogy, based around Timothy Zahn's original novels.

What do you think? Will the blue-skinned master strategist finally make a film appearance?

Character names--potential often left unexplored

Merlin, Voldemort, Frodo, Captain Nemo, Lancelot, Aslan... when you hear these names they immediately draw you into other worlds. They are distinct in their application to stories we know and love.

There is a trend with some editors at publishing houses that seems to ignore the power of original character names; names that have been invented by the author. In Christian fantasy there is little encouragement to be creative with names. I was pushed a few times to change several of my characters' names in The Sword of the Dragon series, but I think it is essential to creating a story world that people are drawn to and will live on as a classic.

When readers are finished with the third book in my series The Sword of the Dragon, I think they will not be able to hear the names of Specter, Oganna, Cromlin, and Valorian without their minds racing back to The Sword of the Dragon series.

Q: What character names have the power to pull you back to a favorite book or series?

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz: controversy and adoration

Few fiction books, that I can think of, have garnered such praise and loathing as The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Originally published in 1900, this little book spun a fascinating tale full of simple lessons bound up in great storytelling.

Last year I bought myself an iPad and learned, much to my chagrin at first, that I love reading books on it. When I was a kid, probably no more than eight-years-old, a well-meaning older couple practically forced my siblings and I to watch the movie Wizard of Oz. I was horrified by it, and my siblings had nightmares I'm sure. The film felt so dark, so evil, and the white witch was called a 'good' witch. This ran so contrary to what the Bible showed concerning witches that even at that young age I was appalled.

But a few months ago I found The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz as a free iBook, and, having now read a number of fairy tales and fantasies, I decided to try it. Suffice it to say I found the author's style whimsical and fascinating. The story itself was made by the characters and their curiously simplistic, yet moralistic dilemmas. I loved it. I thought it was great. I still hate the movie, but the book was a fun read.

The author, L. Frank Baum, wrote in his introduction to the book, "...Yet the old time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as 'historical' in the children's library; for the time has come for a series of newer 'wonder tales' in which the stereo-typed genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated..." He went on to say that "...The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz was written solely to please the children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out."

It is a fascinating premise upon which Mr. Baum wrote his fairy tales, and one which, I believe led to the mixed reception of both the book and the movie. (There was a play as well, but it has no real bearing on this article). In the first book, there are four witches mentioned. Each is known by the direction their kingdom lies on the compass. Mr. Baum created two 'good' witches, and two 'bad' witches, and of course the good 'wizard' of Oz.

The Christian community largely rejected the movie upon its release, which may have contributed to its initial flop. And years later a lawsuit was filed against a school that included the book in the library. Many people turn up their noses at that kind of a reaction, but I'd like to revisit the issue, especially in light of my reaction as a child.

In a past blog post I considered the issue of the author's worldview in their stories, and I argued that Tolkien's Middle Earth ran largely contrary to his Roman Catholic belief system because it was polytheistic, etc. I received a very strong response to that conclusion, but I still stand by it. I have enjoyed Tolkien's stories, as I've enjoyed Harry Potter, and now The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, but worldview is powerful in a story, especially when directed at young readers. They are impressionable and need Christian values reinforced, not skewed. As an author of young adult fantasy novels, I am striving to create stories that reinforce Christian values and worldview. There is an ocean of literature pushing readers to think 'inclusively.' As an author I have a responsibility to help readers think intelligently and stand on what is true.

What are your thoughts on good witches? And do you see writers holding true to their worldviews, or compromising?

The Lord of the Rings: Secular or Christian Fantasy?

My recent post received several comments regarding my classification of The Lord of the Rings as a secular fantasy and I think it's time to address the issue. What makes a story Christian? Is it honorable characters, clean story, or an accurate representation of the Christian/biblical worldview? I believe a story is Christian if it attempts to stay within the Christian worldview, which I will attempt to demonstrate The Lord of the Rings does not.

1. The Bible condemns sorcery; there is no such thing as a 'good' wizard.
2. The world Tolkien created is polytheistic; one mighty god and various lesser gods created the Earth and one of them warred against the rest. This brings Tolkien's world closer in illustration to the Greek mythology rather than biblical teaching where God alone created all.

Tolkien dismissed claims that his books were an allegory. He wrote fantastic fairytales and meant for them to be enjoyed as such. An important fact is that Tolkien stated in his introduction to The Lord of the Rings that he did not mean it to be an allegory. Why then do people turn around and say that Tolkien did write it as allegory? Yes, his Roman Catholic background played into the story, but to present an allegory was neither his intention, nor his result--and on another note, Roman Catholisism teaches salvation by works (contrary to Christ's message). There has been a trend in the CBA of publishing books on "Finding God in..." These titles (the ones that stand out in my mind) include The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Matrix. I believe it is because we want to justify supporting or promoting secular inventions that we find appealing. But if we have to justify them shouldn't we rethink what we are doing? And if we have to write a book on how to find God in decidedly not Christian stories, shouldn't we ask what motivates us to do so? The Lord of the Rings falls into the same pot as Harry Potter; we have a dark villain practicing sorcery, and a valiant hero who also practices sorcery. That is not to say that Tolkien's story lacks merit (I believe it has much) but it doesn't attempt to deliver an allegory and should, therefore, be accepted as a fairytale.

In contrast to this, consider the Narnia series. No one that I have met denies the strong allegory in those stories. Christ and His sacrifice were presented in a powerful way and any 'magic' wielded by heroes/heroines seems to be accredited to Creator God. In fact, some secular readers are uncomfortable with the allegorical elements. And I know some have been uncomfortable with elements in my novel. Why? Because if an author writes the gospel truth with conviction, delivering the truth to the best of their ability in their fictional stories, it will convict the unbeliever.

In my writings I have attempted to attribute strength to the Giver of might. My inspiration for the 'magical' elements where the heroes and heroines are concerned, are the biblical accounts of Moses and Aaron, and others. God gives power to those who serve him.

Now I know many people will disagree with me on my perspective on LOTR, but I am only basing my conclusions on the author's stated intent. If you wanted Tolkien to call it an allegory, sorry but he didn't; he did the opposite.

P.S. I am a fan of Tolkien's work. He was a master storyteller.

Can't help but wonder...

Can't help but wondering...

A couple weeks ago contract negotiations with AMG Publishers closed with pleasing results. In a short while I will be ending production of "Swords of the Six" and transfering that privilidge to AMG. The publisher expects to release "Swords of the Six" this November and I find myself wondering, with great anticipation, what the new cover will look like and the new interior design. The publisher agreed to use the same artwork, so I can expect to see the dragon image on the new book.

I am eager to begin promoting the new book--and the forthcoming two sequels. The success of my self-published book gives me great hope that, once released, I can continue to give it into the hands of fantasy readers everywhere. I've noticed that most of my readers are fans of secular series such as Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings. But, now, with AMG backing my series I expect to grow my audience with readers of Christian Fantasy (Dragons in Our Midst, The Door Within, and Narnia).

AMG Publishers asked me to provide material for sales, marketing, and book cover copy, and catalogue information. They had some pretty challenging requests, namely succinct sales lines/pitches. Here is a glimpse of what I worked out:

1. Described my book in 25 words
   A dragon prophet seeks justice and hatches human daughters from eggs, paving with holy sacrifice the path to conquering an ancient evil.


2. Described by book in 50 words
   Betrayed in ancient times by his choice warriors, the dragon prophet sets a plan in motion to bring the traitors to justice. One thousand years later he hatches human daughters from eggs and arms them with the traitors’ swords. Either the traitors will repent, or justice will be served.

This has been a great year. I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in the coming months!