M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 59

Story Review: Faith by Chris Kennedy, From For a Few Credits More Anthology

 

[image error]Spoiler Free Summary: Faith by Chris Kennedy is the 15th story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.  Andrews is a prisoner who’s being recalled to duty? Why? The job will probably get him killed, and prisoners are handy sacrificial pawns. He’s thrust into a Suicide Squad style mission, and when he lands, he realizes this kamikaze mission has taken him home, a place he’d never want to return to.

Character: I’m actually of two minds about Andrews. As a character arc, he’s solid. He’s a man without hope trying to stay alive. The reason this doesn’t quite work for me personally is the end.  His decisive moment for me would have been much more satisfying if his arc were different. What’s the choice? Come on folks! I’m still trying to get a good anthology some plug, so go pick it up and decide for yourself if the end is satisfying.

Exposition: This maybe wasn’t as good as messenger (or another I’m still yet to review), but it was very good. This story was an experience without much exposition even with the first person narrative, which is just impressive.

World building:  This world was the second-most enduring world in my imagination (again, there’s another story coming that I loved). The world where this mission is really stuck with me, and it wasn’t just an alien planet for the sake of being different, it was a well-thought-out plot device. I think this is the best aspect of the book.

[image error]Image of Mr. Kennedy taken from his website for review purposes under Fair Use Doctrine. 

Dialogue: If I’m being fair, this was pretty standard for the genre. None of their voices stand out to me, but the dialogue wasn’t wooden or stilted. Sure, there were a few wise cracks that got a smile out of me, but it wasn’t wit of the century. Overall, it wasn’t bad.

Description: The world building to the story made this segment seem that much better.  I can tell the world building was stronger because I didn’t feel dragged down by the description. However, the details that pop into my head are a credit to the author’s ability to make the world feel real.

Overall: Some might see the end coming, but for me, military sci-fi is all about the action. This book has it, and it gives us compelling characters to follow through that action. I hadn’t read anything from Kennedy himself, but I know his reputation, and this story shows how well-deserved it is. It’s a fun story that keeps your eyes glued to the page.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Sonnets For My Savior 19

Insanity

They took the ark and thought themselves mighty,

but even their own god fell on its face before it.

They were stricken hard by the hand of the Almighty,

indeed the people of every city they sent the ark grew sick.

They knew the source of their pain,

and returned it to the people of Israel.

But their hardened hearts remained the same,

And when they thought to test God again, the fell.

Their god and three cities suffered at the God’s hands,

so they must have seen His power.

Yet they still thought to invade Israel’s lands,

rather than repent in that same hour.

They never once thought to look at the cause of their fault.

Instead they kept attacking God’s people, and they kept getting the same result.

 

Rest

I seek you, Lord, that I might rest.

This world offers me tribulation.

Yet You have overcome, so we are blessed.

For your work, we offer our dedication.

Let us not grow weary,

so we might reap if we don’t quit.

Even when our eyes grow bleary,

We can carry on if you permit.

We who wait for You may have our strength renewed.

We shall walk and not faint.

So we offer Him our gratitude,

and do his work with joy and not complaint.

We lay our burdens on You,

so that You might use us to accomplish all You want to do.

 

He Prepares Us

Joseph was sold,

and his master put him in charge of the household.

The master put him in prison because of what he was told,

and the keeper put him in charge of all the prisoners, young and old.

The Lord was with him,

and whatever Joseph did, the Lord made it succeed.

But these trials weren’t on a whim,

they were preparation for a future deed.

For he was called to manage Egypt’s food

when the land was in need.

So all the suffering that had ensued,

prepared Joseph for that time indeed.

Though men treated him with what evil they could,

God never failed to use it for His good.

 

How I See the One He Gave Me

Behold, you are beautiful, my love.

Behold, you are beautiful.

God has blessed me form above,

With a wife who’s loving and wonderful.

She has captivated my heart

with one glance of her eyes.

I knew she was for me from the start,

and, together, we would spend the rest of our lives.

Her love is a well,

from which I drink deeply.

Fear of lonely nights, she did quell,

and I rejoice for her greatly.

How precious is the gift You gave.

May we love one another until we sleep in our grave.

 

He Is Lord

Praise him who is Lord of the Sabbath.

Praise him who was chosen to rule over everything.

The day will come when he returns in wrath,

and all knees will bow before the King.

He and the Father are one,

and he gives eternal life.

He was crucified for what we have done,

but he was risen, so we can be free of strife.

For we are one under him.

His obedience covered our iniquity.

Without his life, our world is dim.

Without his grace, we have no certainty.

Peace and Grace to those who follow the Lord.

For those who do so will surely receive their reward.

 

Why We Can Be Well

We were redeemed with precious blood.

We are dead to sin and alive in righteousness.

Though we face trials of fire or flood.

We rejoice, for our endurance is proof of our faithfulness.

God gives us peace like a river.

This assurance surpasses all comprehension.

Even undeserving, we were cleansed by our redeemer.

Though blameless, he died without hesitation.

We take comfort that we shall always be with Him.

We give thanks to His name.

We anticipate fully knowing, though our current vision is dim,

for our debt was taken by Him who is without blame.

This is why it is well.

This is why it is well.

Fools For Him

 

We are fools for Him

We let go the need to seem wise in a man’s eyes.

A man’s opinion might change on a whim,

but we look to God, who is wise beyond wise.

We don’t demand signs,

but they are there if one just tries to see.

For any who seek will surely find.

But those who refuse to look will never be free.

We don’t debate wisdom.

Because God’s foolishness is still greater.

For God’s rule is above the highest earthly kingdom,

and he has no need for any debater.

So we let go and focus on His grace.

We rely on Him and keep our faith.

The Repressed Audiobook is finished!

Greetings all,

[image error]I’m happy to report that the Audiobook for Repressed is in ACX’s review process and will hopefully be available within the next two weeks!

Kenzie worked extremely hard. She took all of my direction with grace and eagerness to match the narration with my imagination. This is all any author can truly ask of an audiobook’s producer. I think she did a fine job. She might not have the best equipment (I don’t actually know her setup, so I truly mean might). However, her drive to get the story read the way I wanted it was wonderful, and I think if more authors give her a shot, she’ll only improve as she gains opportunities.

I’ll post another blog when the title is actually live on Audible and iTunes. At some point, I’ll also have another batch of free books at that point (Audible codes I can use to gift you a copy of the book).

I was joking today that my goal was to write so many books, people would have to read them just to get them out of their way. Only, that’s not actually a joke.  I’m still adjusting to a new life schedule (and loving that), but I work on the craft, and I work to create new stories.

[image error]For example: with Repressed all the way done, I’m going to start working on the text to Hazel (which I’ll talk about next week). I got the first ten or so pages, and I’m astounded at how cool the art looks. So I’ll get issue one prepped for Collin.  Then I actually have to start formatting Sojourn in Captivity and the flip-book featuring Sojourn and Repressed, which will give me a fourth physical book to offer to readers at conventions.

If I just keep churning out titles I believe in, it’s just a matter of time before sales grow more consistent. Pray for me that God blesses me with the strength to endure and the patience to continue.  I still believe this is what he put me on earth to do.

I’ll continue to keep you updated on how things go, and I’m so grateful to you all for your support.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Story Review: Messenger by Nick Cole, From For a Few Credits More Anthology

 

[image error]Spoiler Free Summary: Messenger by Nick Cole s the 14th story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.  Tom Kyle was the sole survivor of Hastings Ridge. He found faith. But he’s still struggling to make sense of the massacre he’d escaped. Then he was sent on a mech with no weapons to a planet, where this new life was. All life is precious, and Kyle means to protect that life, even against another company.  Whether he lives or dies matters far less than the fact that he fights to protect life.

Character: Kyle resonates with me. I had to look up his name, but this story had a lot of power. He’s struggling with being a survivor, which is, unfortunately, something a lot of veterans have to deal with. He’s determined, and he’s sympathetic. I like that we first see him through the eyes of his former commander, then through his reflective self, then through the eyes of another character (spoilers). This really put a lot of emotional power in this story even though it’s not very long.

Exposition: This was awesome in that it was nonexistent. From one point of view, it might be a lot, but everything we learn, we learn from the viewpoint of characters who are deep in their conflict, and all we see, we see through the eyes of some wonderfully developed characters. We learn about them as they learn about each other.

World building:  This story didn’t have a lot of that. Where most of the other stories sought to play in the world and look at different aliens (which is cool), this story focused on a real, human emotion with tremendous impact.  It’s not a story designed to wow you with scope and detail. What it did for me is make me think about how I feel about combat and how others view it.

[image error]Image of Mr. Cole taken from his website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Dialogue: This story didn’t really have any. Oh there’s a flashback story I think, but not really enough to evaluate fully.

Description: Die hard scifi fans might be disappointed. I’ll admit, this is a bit thin on description, but there’s reason. As you read one perspective and then another, you start to understand how it all fits together, and too many descriptive beats or blocks of description would have taken away from the emotion.

Overall: This reflective story gives the reader a tremendous sense of loss with an uplifting message (no pun intended) of hope, and that makes this story truly powerful. I’m not sure what general fans of the universe would think, but I think fans of speculative scifi might really appreciate this little glimpse of characters trying to deal with real trauma and loss.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Sonnets For My Savior 18

With All Our Hearts

How does one praise a God so wonderful?

How do we show our gratefulness?

What voice can sing a song a fraction as powerful?

What deed can show an ounce of as much faithfulness?

What number of prayers compares to infinite blessings?

What amount of service compares to Jesus’s sacrifice?

What amount of money can pay for the joy He brings?

What can we give that compares with His gift of Paradise?

Our hearts overflow with the love that He’s given.

We can only hope our deeds bare any worthy fruit.

We were doomed unless we were forgiven,

for Christ has pulled our souls from disrepute.

So how do we thank him; how do we even start?

We simply praise him always and with all of our hearts.

 

Give Me Rest

We are weary and burdened;

let us come to you for rest.

We turn to you when we are frightened;

Hear us, Lord, and grant our request.

We’ve risen early and stayed up late in vain;

we pray grant us sleep.

In times of suffering, our hearts in pain,

we turn to you, our souls to keep.

Now, in peace we lie down and sleep.

You alone, make us dwell in safety.

Watch over us, Lord, your humble sheep,

We submit to your will in humility.

We release our ambitions; All selfish efforts we cease.

Instead we lay our burdens upon You in hopes of peace.

 

Never Let It Leave

The peace in my heart is more than I’ve ever known.

It fills me and makes me glad.

The Lord has made soft my heart of stone.

Now I see things as I never had.

You’ve made it so I can forgive others.

You’ve helped me be content in any situation.

You’ve provided for me the fellowship of brothers.

This wonderful feeling can only be the gift of salvation.

My heart’s desire is that this feeling never fades,

for I know the emptiness that was before.

Today your glorious grace pervades,

and I hope this joy grows more and more.

Let it stay in my heart forever.

Let it never leave me, no, not ever.

 

Full of the Spirit

When grace replaces the rage in my heart,

I offer thanks, for I know You are with me.

When I begin a task I had been afraid to start,

I offer thanks, for I know You are with me.

Your strength replaces my weakness.

Your grace covers my iniquity.

Your wisdom turns my cleverness to foolishness,

but trust in You turns my madness to sanity.

When I worry not for myself, but for Your will,

I offer thanks, for I know You are with me.

When my heart might shatter, but instead remains still,

I offer thanks, for I know You are with me.

When Your Sprit fills me,

anxiety falls away, and I give thanks, for you have made me free.

 

His Power

We exult in the all the Lord does,

for there is no one like Him.

He gave up His Son for those He loves,

so we glorify God in prayer and hymn.

He is the one God who can do all things.

No feat or thought is beyond his capability.

He created the rivers from which good water springs.

Through Him even the barren gain fertility.

No army can defeat Him.

No government can censor Him.

No power can defy Him.

No wicked can escape Him.

We pray to Him in any hour,

for no trial or need is beyond His power.

 

Him Crucified

There is nothing but Christ, and him Crucified.

This is where our Salvation rests.

Only in him does our faith reside.

Where we failed, he passed all the tests.

His perfection, for our iniquity.

His obedience, for our rebellion.

His strength, for our frailty.

Our life, from his resurrection.

Some may not understand.

They may count our wisdom as foolish.

But those who rely on their own strength can’t comprehend the might of God’s hand,

so they are blind to what His will can accomplish.

But our faith doesn’t rely on the wisdom of men.

Instead we hope in God’s power, Amen.

 

Patient

How patient is the Lord of all,

how slow to anger?

How long does He wait for us to hear his call,

for our devotion to Him, He is eager.

Still he waits and forgives over and over again.

His gave His Son so he might pass over our transgressions.

He endures the fickle hearts of men,

who even still refuse to offer their confessions.

Abounding is His steadfast love,

waiting for all to reach repentance.

Gracious is the Lord above,

Offering every man the opportunity for acceptance.

Do not let him wait anymore,

God is waiting, so what are you waiting for?

An Amazing Gift! The Results From Caught’s Birthday.

Greetings all,

[image error]There are simply no words to express how overjoyed I am. To say the giveaway was successful would be an understatement. I’d like to walk you through how things went.

The event kicked off with a start that already had me thrilled.  Ninety-seven people downloaded Caught. I’m always happy when I get a lot of downloads during free events, and that was just amazing.

Day two brought similar results as eighty-two people downloaded the book. I was on cloud nine.

When I set up the giveaway, I also set up a BookGorilla campaign. I’d used them a few times before, and I wondered how things would change if the book was free. I went to church and then we got to my in-laws’ place. I brought up my phone, expecting to see another hundred or so downloads.

What I saw first was the bar graph KDP uses to show sales. The bar for that date was much higher than the others. Much. Higher. I zoomed in and touched the bar: More than 300 people downloaded the book. I jumped off my seat, telling my family what was going on. I rushed to Caught’s Amazon page and learned I was ranked seventh in my category (Paranormal Suspense).

[image error]I would have been out of my mind with joy if it had stopped there, but that bar just kept going. I saw that I had 500 downloads and moved up to fifth. 748 downloads later, I had landed in the top three. Number 3 in my category.

Monday came, and 183 more people downloaded my book. The campaign finished Jan. 30, and fifty-seven more people had downloaded the book.

In total, 1,166 people downloaded the book. There just aren’t words. I could say thank you 1,166 times, I could say it 1,166 times 1,166, and it wouldn’t be enough. To all of you who picked up the book, THANK YOU! I hope you enjoy it.

If I shut off the overjoyed artist for a moment or two, I can talk about the overall goal. The first goal was to get about 300 downloads. Well, that goal got obliterated. The next goal is one that I’ll have to track.

[image error]You see, it’s common for people to simply grab up a copy of a free book. Who wouldn’t? The hope is that any percentage actually read the book. My hope is about 100 people read the book. I can’t really track that, but the last metric gets to the main hope of the campaign. Every author hopes for the most cherished thing they can have. Purchases are nice. Compliments are wonderful, but the thing that really helps an author is a review. My goal for this? 10 reviews.

I’d love for all of those to be glowing praise for my creative mind, but if I get ten scathing reviews, it would still be a successful campaign in my eyes. I’ve already seen a bit of reaction. My Goodreads page for Caught shows two new ratings: One two star and one five star. I can live with that sort of breakdown.

Th campaign hasn’t even been over for two days, so the fact that two people have already rated the book  is just amazing. Now all that’s left is the wait.

Even if I don’t get any reviews, it’s just amazing to see that so many people have at least shown the interest in Caught to download it. I can only hope everyone who tired it enjoy it. Whatever you think of the book, I just want you to know how grateful I am. You’ve made a silly old dreamer so happy, and I don’t even know how to show my appreciation.

Bless you all.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Story Review: Blood of Innocents by James Young, From For a Few Credits More Anthology

 

[image error]Spoiler Free Summary: Blood of Innocents by James Young s the 13th story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.  Bolivar Thompson just bullied a client into a $10 million contract. Each time they get closer to the objective, things only get more complicated, and just reaching the planet they need to get to will leave his team changed forever.

Character: Bolivar is a pretty solid character.  He’s a little bit arrogant and a little bit of a jerk, but it works for him. I wish he were more proactive and competent. His fatal flaw frustrates me in regard to how it relates to the plot, but I got a kick of of the story as I was reading it. (So I had to scan back a bit to recall the plot. This provides me an opportunity. This story, like many in the anthology, were not bad. I measure that by how well the characters stick with me.  So Lessa, Ruth, Rand, Vin; those characters stick with me. They own a place in my heart. The next level down are the characters I remember by talent or skill. These are like the guy from Tron or the cop from The Women’s Murder Club.  I remember things about them, but they only bring up images or good feelings.  This is still cool, but not next-level characters.  Next down are characters like Bolivar.  These are guys I like while I’m reading, but then after time (in this case six months), they fade away.  Sure, if I read it again, I’d like it, but it doesn’t hold up in the test of time. That’s unfair considering it’s taken six months to review all of these, but this anthology has a great character that has stuck with me for that long (and will for more).  So when I say a character wasn’t bad, that’s what I mean.

Exposition: If I liked the story, this was minimal. I can’t stand stories that get lost in exposition or description. I’m a man of motion, and I want a plot that moves, this story does that. My problem is that I felt like the cliffhanger ending let me down (I hate all cliffhanger endings).

World building:  This was good. I didn’t feel lost, and most of the elements in the book helped me better understand the world around me. It was well thought out and showed this universe through a window I could understand.

[image error]Image of Mr. Young taken from his Amazon page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Dialogue: This is where Bolivar’s personality was on display. It felt a bit like watching a good episode of House, only instead of investigating a disease, they were working on a contract. The dialogue had a wit and humor that I liked.

Description: This story gave description from a point of view better than others I remember. You were always in Bolivar’s head, and the description was another place where his personality shown, especially when describing the other aliens in the story. I got a kick out of this.

Overall: You have to be okay with cliffhangers if you’re going to like this story. It’s entertaining with a, perhaps inappropriate, humor. It has some emotion to it, and more drama than action, but this story’s charm is in it’s character interactions, which I personally liked. So if you like a touch of House and a touch of character drama, you’ll like this story.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Sonnets For My Savior 17

Turn Away

Turn away from your sins

regardless of their name.

The path to righteousness first begins

By seeing each sin as one and the same.

Do not seek to weigh one sin against another.

Do not claim another’s sin is worse than your own.

For the Lord in Heaven, your almighty Father,

equally hates any evil seed man has sown.

Worry more about the plank in your own eye

and less about the speck in your brother’s.

Repent of your own sins, lest you die

while in your pride, you were lost judging others.

Repent and seek salvation through Christ our Savior,

because you’ll only find Hell seeking your own foolish favor.

 

Fill Out Hearts With Trust

We offer our prayers and petitions with thanksgiving;

let our hearts not be anxious, but trust in You.

Your strength and faithfulness are unending;

You will strengthen and uphold us just as You say You do.

The peace You give us is perfect and true;

let us not be worried, upset or afraid.

When our anxiety was great, and we were blue,

Your consolation brought us joy, our fears did fade.

We pray to You, asking for aid,

but let us do so with faith and trust.

Help us remember that every promise You have made

has been kept, for You are just.

You hear all the prayers of Your faithful;

therefore, we have no reason to be doubtful.

 

Everyday Blessings

A child’s smile at bedtime,

a wife’s kiss in the morning,

fill my heart for such a long time

and send my hear soaring.

How wonderful are You, God, to bless me so.

A friend’s chuckle at a jest,

makes my heart glow,

and I feel so blessed.

How wonderful You are to me.

Every breath is a gift.

All these things You give for free,

and, my heart, these blessings uplift.

How glorious are Your blessings each day,

but the greatest is Your love, which can never be taken away.

 

Beyond Human Understanding

Who can know Your will?

Who could fathom your plans?

Yours is the wisdom of infinite skill.

Yours are the mightiest of hands.

Your plan was made before You spoke the universe into existence.

Your plan was complete before You even uttered a single word.

There are none who can bring Your song dissonance.

For everything that happened did so exactly as You preferred.

Foolish men scheme unaware of Your design.

Men of little faith question why You allow certain things.

But there are no mortal words that can accurately define

the inscrutable, unknowable greatness Your sovereign judgement brings.

Let us remember that Your wisdom surpasses understanding,

so we can trust in Your grace, for it is everlasting.

 

Endure

We may suffer for a little while,

but He will restore us and make us strong.

Though trials and issues may pile,

He will see you through, for, to him, you belong.

We should rejoice when we face these trials,

for these tests produce perseverance.

Even if our journey spans miles and miles,

God can carry us through any distance.

We are not discouraged,

for He is with us wherever we go.

For in His strength, we find courage,

and in his wisdom, for there is nothing he does not know.

So we strive to endure all things,

trusting in His grace and the peace that it brings.

 

Service For You

I see moments of fellowship as obstacles.

I see chances to bear fruit as impositions on my time.

When I have the chance to speak of your chronicles,

instead I sinfully try and make the moment mine.

How selfish of me to see opportunity as inconvenience!

How horrible to see this chance to serve as a bother!

Help me, Lord, to remember Your Son’s deliverance.

Help me follow His example, Heavenly Father.

Each moment is a blessing,

for it is a chance to glorify Your name.

What should ever be more pressing,

pride, money, or fame?

These fleshly things will all pass away,

but blessed is the one who takes advantage of the chance to serve and obey!

 

Your Power, Not Mine

Why trust in my mind,

when Yours was the one that created all things?

What is the strength of all mankind,

when compared to the King of Kings?

Wisdom is made foolish.

Strength is made weak.

What can we ever hope to accomplish,

without He who promised the world to the meek?

Our own ability, compared to His, is small.

Let us instead seek him in times of peril.

Trust in Him, who created all.

Trust in Him, who defeated evil.

We cannot hope to find our power within,

but true might comes only through putting faith in Him.

I’m In A Podcast!

Greetings All,

A while back I did an interview with Short Story Book Club.  I’m honestly a huge fan of this interview. First, it focuses on The Power of Words, which I still have free Audible codes for if you’d like to email me for a copy of it. She specifically read my story, Stealing Freedom, but we also talked about the First Amendment, the role of science fiction in society and my time in the military.  I honestly think it’s one of the deeper stories anyone’s done about me in some ways. I hope you’ll all check it out. Please like and share the video and subscribe to the podcast. As a note, TW’s name is a bit off, but I’ve spoken to Donna, and she’s working on fixing it (it may be fixed already).  Let me know what you think. If anyone has any questions for me after listening, please feel free to ask in the comments below.  It was a fascinating discussion.

 

 

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Free Book! Happy Birthday Caught!

[image error]Greetings!

I’m not actually that big on birthdays, but I like accomplishing things. Caught’s birthday is Jan. 28, and to celebrate my book’s second birthday, I’m giving it away for free!  The Kindle version of Caught will be free on Amazon from today until Jan. 29 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

I sincerely hope you give the book a try. Please recommend it to readers. I’d recommend this book to fans of horror, paramilitary novels, or superhero movies. It’s easily the most action packed book I have. It’s also easily the darkest book I’ve written. I think all the reviews for this are high (I don’t remember many bad ones. There was one that was deleted.)

Which brings me to my hope. I’d be eternally grateful for any reviews. One of the reasons I wanted to give away books for free on their birthday was to hopefully generate some reviews. If you’ve read it, please consider a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or both.

I look forward to hearing what you think. It’s so cool to think that I’ve had one book out for about four years and Caught has been out for two.  Now I have seven titles available and three more heading your way. It’s so cool seeing what God’s grace has provided. I look forward to this year and the rest to come. I hope you do too.

You can grab your copy here or the link above where I first name the title.

Thanks for reading,

Matt