Yes, the blog tour is over, but I just found a great interview with author Eric Wilson over at Associated Content: Suspense Author Eric Wilson Talks About the Division Between Secular and Christian Fiction, Book Reviews, Dean Koontz, Blog Tours, and Being a "Hack"
I've written for Associated Content for some time now--- they pay writers around $3 for articles, plus paying for page views. If anyone out there is an Associated Content member, please comment with your user name/whatever name you use there so I can add you to my favorites. You might also add a link to your contributor page at AC.
GOAT UPDATE: my fainting goat, Luna Bug, was very sick after being caught in the rain (the other goats wouldn't let her in the shelter). She couldn't use her hind legs and was dragging herself around. Since she's pregnant, I despaired of getting her to live long enough to have her baby. But yesterday, she was able to get up on all four legs without my help and walked around. She may get better after all (as long as I keep her in a stall by herself.)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson, Day Three
Eric Wilson's Family Fought Reds
The most interesting thing I found on author Eric Wilson's web site was his bio, in which he tells that his parents smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. I wish he'd elaborated on that, it's interesting.
For the younger set, I thought I'd tell a little bit about Bible smuggling and the Iron Curtain. In the Communist view of things, Christianity is the enemy. It's competition to their own ideas, for one thing. And so Communist regimes have tended to be murderously hostile to Christians.
In the Communist revolution in Russia, the Bolshevik leader V. I. Lenin was so hateful against Christians that he ordered that the Grand Duchess Elisabeth, the sister of the Empress, be murdered even though she had become a nun and worked among the poor. He said she was even more dangerous than other aristocrats because of her Christian service.
(These events in Russia were anticipated in 1917 by the events of Fatima, Portugal, in which three shepherd children witnessed a vision of Mary in which, among other things, she warned that Russia would spread her errors throughout the world.)
The story of the horrors inflicted on Christians by the Communists, and upon people in general, is every bit as horrible as the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime. But it isn't told very often since it is an embarrassment to American Progressives. One story is of a woman who was told she was going to be sent to a labor camp because her father was a priest. She told them that her father was a farmer, not a priest. The authorities demanded how she knew her father wasn't a priest, since her mother was a Christian and had gone to the church. The woman was sent to the camp on this lame excuse.
Vampires and Christians
During the blog tour some of the participants have questioned whether Christians ought to write about vampires at all since vampires are evil. This is my two-cents on it. Christians can and do write about evil, and that includes writing about vampires --- look at the example of Bram Stoker, who wrote 'Dracula'.
Also, vampires are a fictional creature and each vampire-author's vampires operate by different rules. Some vampires can live without human blood, some don't have to kill their victims, not all are able to control human minds. Most vampire-authors make their vampires able to turn humans into vampires without the humans consent. Therefore, it is possible for a Christian to write a story including a good vampire--- even a Christian vampire. I have even read a story where a Catholic priest was made a vampire against his will (though he quit being a priest at that point, even though he only fed from volunteers).
(I've had the idea kicking around my head about vampires who subsist on communion hosts, since communion hosts are, in Catholic teaching, the Body and Blood. Lutherans could probably use the same fictional concept, since they have similar beliefs, but any Protestant/Evangelical might use that concept since after all God is perfectly free to sustain the 'life' of a Christian vampire by communion wafers no matter which theological belief about the sacrament is correct. If anyone thinks I should actually write the story, encourage me in a comment and I may do it. UPDATE: so far, one vote in favor.)
Some blog tour posts worth viewing are:
Vampires and Christian Fiction by Rebecca LuElla Miller
KM Wilsher reviews Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson
Haunt of Jackals Day 3 by Keanan Brand
Links to other blog tour participants
BLUE ARMY conspiracy: The motto of the Blue Army is 'One World Praying'. In the EWTN coverage of the 'One World Praying' event at the Blue Army shrine, one of the speakers mentioned a previous 'One World Praying' event where they went to Russia and asked both Orthodox and Catholic Christian groups to participate in the worldwide prayer event. They also asked Muslim groups to participate with their Muslim prayers, and they also were televised in that event.
Muslims are not Christians--- they believe Jesus Christ was a prophet only, and that Mohammed was a greater prophet. While Christians cannot compromise their faith on the issues on which Muslims and Christians differ, perhaps praying together as fellow religious believers will cause many Muslims to soften negative attitudes about Christianity and leave them more open to the Gospel.
The Catholic Verses by Dave Armstrong is now available as an e-book. Dave Armstrong was a Protestant campus missionary who became a Catholic. The Catholic Verses explores 95 Bible passages which historically have divided Catholics from Protestants, and which, Armstrong claims, support Catholic teachings. Armstrong also includes extensive quotes from the Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther (not the same dude as Martin Luther King) and John Calvin. This book is great for helping Catholics and those considering becoming Catholic discover the Biblical basis for the faith. Protestants who want to know what Catholics believe and what the Biblical basis for those beliefs are can also use the book if they don't mind the Catholic convert's point of view. (Too many Protestants/Evangelicals, when explaining why Catholicism is allegedly not Biblical, make big mistakes about what it is that Catholics really believe, such as the Evangelical author I read who believed that Purgatory was a second chance for the hell-bound soul. Actually, it's only the person who is destined for heaven who might go to Purgatory--- it's a place to get cleaned-up for heaven.)
The most interesting thing I found on author Eric Wilson's web site was his bio, in which he tells that his parents smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. I wish he'd elaborated on that, it's interesting.
For the younger set, I thought I'd tell a little bit about Bible smuggling and the Iron Curtain. In the Communist view of things, Christianity is the enemy. It's competition to their own ideas, for one thing. And so Communist regimes have tended to be murderously hostile to Christians.
In the Communist revolution in Russia, the Bolshevik leader V. I. Lenin was so hateful against Christians that he ordered that the Grand Duchess Elisabeth, the sister of the Empress, be murdered even though she had become a nun and worked among the poor. He said she was even more dangerous than other aristocrats because of her Christian service.
(These events in Russia were anticipated in 1917 by the events of Fatima, Portugal, in which three shepherd children witnessed a vision of Mary in which, among other things, she warned that Russia would spread her errors throughout the world.)
The story of the horrors inflicted on Christians by the Communists, and upon people in general, is every bit as horrible as the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime. But it isn't told very often since it is an embarrassment to American Progressives. One story is of a woman who was told she was going to be sent to a labor camp because her father was a priest. She told them that her father was a farmer, not a priest. The authorities demanded how she knew her father wasn't a priest, since her mother was a Christian and had gone to the church. The woman was sent to the camp on this lame excuse.
Vampires and Christians
During the blog tour some of the participants have questioned whether Christians ought to write about vampires at all since vampires are evil. This is my two-cents on it. Christians can and do write about evil, and that includes writing about vampires --- look at the example of Bram Stoker, who wrote 'Dracula'.
Also, vampires are a fictional creature and each vampire-author's vampires operate by different rules. Some vampires can live without human blood, some don't have to kill their victims, not all are able to control human minds. Most vampire-authors make their vampires able to turn humans into vampires without the humans consent. Therefore, it is possible for a Christian to write a story including a good vampire--- even a Christian vampire. I have even read a story where a Catholic priest was made a vampire against his will (though he quit being a priest at that point, even though he only fed from volunteers).
(I've had the idea kicking around my head about vampires who subsist on communion hosts, since communion hosts are, in Catholic teaching, the Body and Blood. Lutherans could probably use the same fictional concept, since they have similar beliefs, but any Protestant/Evangelical might use that concept since after all God is perfectly free to sustain the 'life' of a Christian vampire by communion wafers no matter which theological belief about the sacrament is correct. If anyone thinks I should actually write the story, encourage me in a comment and I may do it. UPDATE: so far, one vote in favor.)
Some blog tour posts worth viewing are:
Vampires and Christian Fiction by Rebecca LuElla Miller
KM Wilsher reviews Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson
Haunt of Jackals Day 3 by Keanan Brand
Links to other blog tour participants
BLUE ARMY conspiracy: The motto of the Blue Army is 'One World Praying'. In the EWTN coverage of the 'One World Praying' event at the Blue Army shrine, one of the speakers mentioned a previous 'One World Praying' event where they went to Russia and asked both Orthodox and Catholic Christian groups to participate in the worldwide prayer event. They also asked Muslim groups to participate with their Muslim prayers, and they also were televised in that event.
Muslims are not Christians--- they believe Jesus Christ was a prophet only, and that Mohammed was a greater prophet. While Christians cannot compromise their faith on the issues on which Muslims and Christians differ, perhaps praying together as fellow religious believers will cause many Muslims to soften negative attitudes about Christianity and leave them more open to the Gospel.
The Catholic Verses by Dave Armstrong is now available as an e-book. Dave Armstrong was a Protestant campus missionary who became a Catholic. The Catholic Verses explores 95 Bible passages which historically have divided Catholics from Protestants, and which, Armstrong claims, support Catholic teachings. Armstrong also includes extensive quotes from the Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther (not the same dude as Martin Luther King) and John Calvin. This book is great for helping Catholics and those considering becoming Catholic discover the Biblical basis for the faith. Protestants who want to know what Catholics believe and what the Biblical basis for those beliefs are can also use the book if they don't mind the Catholic convert's point of view. (Too many Protestants/Evangelicals, when explaining why Catholicism is allegedly not Biblical, make big mistakes about what it is that Catholics really believe, such as the Evangelical author I read who believed that Purgatory was a second chance for the hell-bound soul. Actually, it's only the person who is destined for heaven who might go to Purgatory--- it's a place to get cleaned-up for heaven.)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Gay Marriage: No Dissent Allowed
If you've been watching the soap opera 'One Life to Live', you may have noticed the odd election storyline. Viki Banks decided to run for mayor. Obviously she was meant to be the Democrat since her opponent was labelled the 'family values' candidate and was arrested for his crimes before the election. At that point Viki's longtime enemy Dorian Lord stepped into the ring.
Dorian is hardly a family values candidate and has chosen as her main issue gay marriage--- hardly an issue in a mayoral race. Viki also is pro-gay marriage, as is every other character on the show.
I am a Gay person, though I am a Christian first and follow the teaching of the Church regarding my behavior. I used to enjoy the rare gay storyline on a soap or other television show. But now in the gay marriage age politics has reared its ugly head and now all gay characters are required to be stereotypical gay activists who spend all their time spouting the party line--- and all straight characters go along with it.
Before gay characters became a fact of soap opera life, gay people used to say they wanted to see characters like themselves on the soaps. I'm still waiting to see a character like myself--- a gay person who has chosen chastity in obedience to God. But my kind isn't welcome in the propaganda-land of modern television.
What is the thing with gay marriage anyway? Marriage is a sacrament. A sacrament is an exterior sign of an interior grace. And grace comes only from God. Therefore people who don't believe in God have no reason to want any sort of marriage whatsoever--- without God no interior graces can exist.
For someone to advocate for gay marriage, they must believe in a God--- but a God who lacked the courage to tell mankind that the sacrament of marriage was meant to include same-sex couples. Is there anyone out there who believes that picture of God makes sense?
When a government official or a judge demands that the sacrament of marriage should be revised into a government social program that includes same-sex couples, it reminds me of the Romans of the imperial age, who believed their Senate had the power to declare their deceased emperor Caesar Augustus to be a god. Before long you had the Emperor Caligula claiming to be a god while yet alive. Is there anyone out there who believes the Roman Senate had the power to turn Augustus into a god? Then why do we believe that current authorities have the power to compel God to change the requirements for a sacrament?
As a gay person and a Christian, I hate the gay marriage movement because gay marriage is a cheat on gay people. Gay marriage is not a legitimate form of the sacrament of marriage and no government official can make it so. And I don't like the fact that the media has decided that no opposing voices on gay marriage is to be allowed, not even on a fictional show. [Read this blog post quick before the Obama administration gets around to making the internet 'neutral' by taking away the free speech of fishy freaks like me.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLUE ARMY Lina Lamont Cell: The story of the new Catholic church in Kazan, Russia. At the Blue Army shrine there are a number of national Pilgrim Virgin statues, including one dedicated to the nation of Russia. On a visit to Kazan, Russia, a leader from the shrine was asked by the mayor of Kazan, Ilsur Metshin, what they needed to do to get the Russia Pilgrim Virgin statue to Kazan. The leader suggested that a church be built for the city's 300 Catholics (Catholics are a minority in Russia, where most Christians are Orthodox.) On the next visit to Kazan, a large Catholic church was under construction. Ilsur Metshin, the mayor who authorized the funding and construction of the church, IS A MUSLIM.
Dorian is hardly a family values candidate and has chosen as her main issue gay marriage--- hardly an issue in a mayoral race. Viki also is pro-gay marriage, as is every other character on the show.
I am a Gay person, though I am a Christian first and follow the teaching of the Church regarding my behavior. I used to enjoy the rare gay storyline on a soap or other television show. But now in the gay marriage age politics has reared its ugly head and now all gay characters are required to be stereotypical gay activists who spend all their time spouting the party line--- and all straight characters go along with it.
Before gay characters became a fact of soap opera life, gay people used to say they wanted to see characters like themselves on the soaps. I'm still waiting to see a character like myself--- a gay person who has chosen chastity in obedience to God. But my kind isn't welcome in the propaganda-land of modern television.
What is the thing with gay marriage anyway? Marriage is a sacrament. A sacrament is an exterior sign of an interior grace. And grace comes only from God. Therefore people who don't believe in God have no reason to want any sort of marriage whatsoever--- without God no interior graces can exist.
For someone to advocate for gay marriage, they must believe in a God--- but a God who lacked the courage to tell mankind that the sacrament of marriage was meant to include same-sex couples. Is there anyone out there who believes that picture of God makes sense?
When a government official or a judge demands that the sacrament of marriage should be revised into a government social program that includes same-sex couples, it reminds me of the Romans of the imperial age, who believed their Senate had the power to declare their deceased emperor Caesar Augustus to be a god. Before long you had the Emperor Caligula claiming to be a god while yet alive. Is there anyone out there who believes the Roman Senate had the power to turn Augustus into a god? Then why do we believe that current authorities have the power to compel God to change the requirements for a sacrament?
As a gay person and a Christian, I hate the gay marriage movement because gay marriage is a cheat on gay people. Gay marriage is not a legitimate form of the sacrament of marriage and no government official can make it so. And I don't like the fact that the media has decided that no opposing voices on gay marriage is to be allowed, not even on a fictional show. [Read this blog post quick before the Obama administration gets around to making the internet 'neutral' by taking away the free speech of fishy freaks like me.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLUE ARMY Lina Lamont Cell: The story of the new Catholic church in Kazan, Russia. At the Blue Army shrine there are a number of national Pilgrim Virgin statues, including one dedicated to the nation of Russia. On a visit to Kazan, Russia, a leader from the shrine was asked by the mayor of Kazan, Ilsur Metshin, what they needed to do to get the Russia Pilgrim Virgin statue to Kazan. The leader suggested that a church be built for the city's 300 Catholics (Catholics are a minority in Russia, where most Christians are Orthodox.) On the next visit to Kazan, a large Catholic church was under construction. Ilsur Metshin, the mayor who authorized the funding and construction of the church, IS A MUSLIM.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson
When Jesus was resurrected, ancient scripture says many rose from the grave. Today, 36 from this group of undead remain. Known as the Nistarim, they are here to watch over the world.On the Amazon.com page for Haunt of Jackals, this description caught my attention. Bigtime. And it wasn't because of the error where it says Judas 'hung' himself--- it should read 'Judas hanged himself'. (Which reminds me of my theology teacher's example of the misuse of proof-texting: 'Judas went out and hanged himself' with 'Go thou and do likewise'.)
When Judas hung himself, his blood mysteriously gave rise to another group of undead: the unholy Collectors. Now very much alive, they feed on souls and human blood.
This is a great example of using an odd little bit of history/theology--- the fact that 'many rose from the grave' at the time of the resurrection--- as a hook for storytelling. This could have been done in any work of vampire/undead fiction. This particular one is published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publisher, but the idea could have been used in secular fiction as well, there would just need to be more swear words.
Is the book great? Don't know. I was too late to get a free review copy (was one offered?) and I'm way too poor to buy one on my own steam. If you want to know more about the book from someone who is actually well informed (and someone who blogs promptly on blog tour day), go to the review at The Least Read Blog on the Web. Other sources of info are: Eric Wilson’s Web site - http://www.wilsonwriter.com/ and
The Undead Trilogy Web site - http://www.jerusalemsundead.com/
There are also a goodly number of reviews at the Amazon.com web page for the book.
The Usual CSFF blog tour gang:
Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jennifer Bogart
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Amy Browning
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
nissa_amas_katoj
John W. Otte
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher
Cat Update: Niki the cat--- or is it Viki? anyway it's the grey cat with a black spot on the back of her head---- who has been missing for about five months, came home today. Niki and her littermate Viki are the aunt and mother of my late and much lamented disabled cat, Claudius. I don't know for sure which was the aunt and which the mother, for years the only way to tell Niki and Viki apart was that when they were together one was friendlier, and one had a more distinct stripe on her tail. It was only this year that I noticed that one had a black patch on the back of her head, which was good because then Viki (or Niki--- the one without the patch) ran away and it was good I had a way to tell which was which that didn't require both of the cats to be present.
BLUE ARMY-Lina Lamont Cell: I've been a member of the Blue Army for some time now. The Blue Army forms local Prayer Cells, but of course as a person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder I wouldn't be very able to participate in one even if there were one locally available. So I've converted this blog into a Blue Army prayer cell just for me and for anyone who accidently stumbles on to this blog. I've made a commitment to put up short bits on my blog posts on: the message of Fatima (which is the message of Jesus Christ) and the culture of life, as well as opposition to socialism/communism and the culture of death. Blog posts with Blue Army updates will have a 'Blue Army' label (tag) like this one does.
This last Sunday there was a One World Praying event televised on EWTN, from the shrine of the World Apostalate of Fatima/Blue Army. Among the many things about the broadcast which intrigued me was the story of how the new Catholic church in Kazan, Russia got built. I will share the story in my next Blue Army update.
Is the Virgin Mary Impeccable (incapable of sin)? Dave Armstrong gives the Catholic answer to this question, which may surprise many Protestants/Evangelicals.
Obit: Spinelli the Kitten
No, it's not Spinelli (aka 'The Jackal') from General Hospital that has bit the big one, but Spinelli the kitten, sole surviving son of The Grey One 2, who has died suddenly of some cat illness.
He is survived by his mom, The Grey One 2, his foster-mom Tohru, and his former obsessed stalker, Kitten-Thief, his kitten-buddies Grey, Maru, Crooked-Tail, Claudius 2, and the orange-and-white unnamed kitten, and his person, nissa_amas_katoj. He was a friendly kitten, and not afraid of the dog.
I hope he's having fun pouncing on Jesus's robes in heaven.
He is survived by his mom, The Grey One 2, his foster-mom Tohru, and his former obsessed stalker, Kitten-Thief, his kitten-buddies Grey, Maru, Crooked-Tail, Claudius 2, and the orange-and-white unnamed kitten, and his person, nissa_amas_katoj. He was a friendly kitten, and not afraid of the dog.
I hope he's having fun pouncing on Jesus's robes in heaven.
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