M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 64

Sonnets for My Savior 5

A Family Under God

Let husbands love their wives with a sacrificial love;

let husbands love their wives as they love themselves.

Let wives respect their husbands as heads just as the Lord is head above;

let your scripture be the source for guidance into which the family delves.

Let children be obedient and honor their parents;

let them be raised in the Lord’s discipline and instruction.

Let Your word and Your teachings be parents’ primary arguments

to guide them to a life free from the evil one’s seduction.

Let family members bear with each other and forgive

just as the Lord has forgiven us.

Let their worship for You outlive

any personal distrusts.

Let families live only in accordance to Your will,

so that love and blessings from their hearts overfill.

 

Appreciation

Let us give thanks to the Lord with all of our hearts

and proclaim all of His wonderful deeds.

We owe all we have to Him who gives all one needs;

We know that once You have one’s soul, from You it never departs.

He is our rock and our salvation,

so let us always keep him near.

His presence means we need not fear

the curse of eternal damnation.

He grants us our strength and makes us strong,

and to His people He gives peace.

We give thanks to the God from whom all things flow.

He has passed over the sins we have committed, indeed every wrong.

Through him we receive a release

and await the new lives he will, eventually, bestow.

 

An End to Suffering

We pray for Your day to come fast,

for that day, You will wipe the tears from our eyes,

and death will no longer last.

Mourning, crying, and pain will cease on the day You arise.

Even if we suffer for a time,

we rejoice despite the pain

because the age to come will be sublime.

Therefore our endurance is not in vain.

From the character endurance breeds comes hope,

and hope does not put us to shame.

Even if we feel we can’t cope,

we will put our trust in Your holy name

We await Your return eagerly,

for on that day, from suffering we will be free.

 

Faithful

Oh gracious God, You keep Your ears open for our supplications.

Your love is steadfast with those who love You and keep Your commandments.

You are faithful and provide ways to escape our temptations.

You provide for us and heal us from our ailments.

When we seek You with all our hearts, we find you.

When we come and pray to You, You hear.

Let us hold fast to our hope, for when You make a promise, You always come through.

We exalt You, Lord, for to us You are dear.

In times of temptation, we take heart in Your son.

Even if some are unfaithful, your faithfulness remains.

Even when we suffer, we trust in your will, which will always be done.

We were trapped in sin, and You have broken our chains.

Thank you for being merciful and true

and we give thanks for all the glorious things you do.

 

Trust in Your Wisdom

Your Wisdom is pure;

Your judgements are unsearchable.

Though we may doubt, you are always sure.

The depths of your knowledge are unmeasurable.

Fear of You is the beginning of knowledge;

to shun evil is understanding.

In times of sadness, let us pledge

to offer You praise that is abounding.

Should we encounter disappointment,

let us see it as an opportunity

to glorify your sovereign judgement

and conduct ourselves with dignity.

Any one can praise You in times of gladness,

but blessed are those who praise You even in times of sadness.

 

Doers

We know it isn’t enough to know.

Our fathers and ceremonies are not what count.

With all we do, we are held to account,

and we will reap what we sow.

You, Lord, measure our heart,

so the rule of law is not where our salvation lies.

Any person who relies on himself dies,

but those who put their faith in Christ are held apart.

Those who do the law are justified;

righteousness doesn’t come from listening.

Even those who haven’t heard it can be a law to themselves if they do what is required.

Those who know the law but break it show themselves falsified.

The disobedient will find the obedient condemning.

For those who receive grace through faith are the ones who are desired.

 

Call Me

Here I sit in my iniquity;

call me please, so with You I may sit.

To claim not to need You is fatuity.

I am a sinner, so to You I submit.

I am sick;

You are the only physician who can heal me.

Rebuild me, Lord, brick by brick,

and leave my transgressions in the debris.

I listen for Your call,

for I can not escape my sin.

Let me hear You before I fall,

for there is nothing good in my skin.

The table of tax collectors and sinners is where I should be,

so please sit with us and share the truth that sets us free.

s

5 Star Reviews for The Power of Words!

[image error]Greetings all,

As promised, I’m sharing the reviews that The Power of Words is getting. I’m happy with what I’ve heard so far.

We have one five-star review from Woody, who called it a dynamic, compelling collection.

We have another five-star review from Grady Harp of The San Francisco Review of Books. Honestly, this was just so wonderful to have a book review site that doesn’t charge and didn’t get any money say such great things about.  Grady himself is a top contributor and a Hall of Fame Top 50 Reviewer. To have someone with that sort of reputation call the anthology ingeniously crafted is just such an honor.

I’m always happy for reviews, and these are just more blessings for which I thank God and of course those who took the time to write the review.

I still have free Audible versions of both The Power of Words and Caught, and if you’d like one (or both), just shoot me an email.

Thanks for reading,

V/R

Matt

The October Book Cover of the Month Begins!

It’s been a fun two years, but at the moment, running this contest takes more out of me than I have to give. So with that said, I want to announce that I will finish this year’s bracket, but after that, I’m going to, at the very least, take some time to enjoy being married and figuring out what normal looks like. This can be fun, and most of the time it is, but there are times when I fall behind, and catching up takes time from writing, editing, or even marketing. These are all things I have to do. We’ll see how things go, but at the moment I feel like I’m taking a break once I finish this year.

Speaking of finishing this year, this month is one of only two months left. That means November will have two brackets: the normal Book Cover of the Month bracket and the Wild Card round for the Book Cover of the Year bracket.  Be on the lookout for those.

For now, let’s send this contest off with a bang!

[image error]

Sorcerers’ Web by Lucia Ashta joins 31 brand new covers this month.

You can vote all the way through the tournament, supporting the covers you like best through each round. I like to make sure people get the credit they deserve, so please show your support. Please vote and share as much as possible to get people a chance to pick their favorite.

As always, I’d appreciate it if you tag the authors and artists if you know them. I try to tag or friend every author I can, but sometimes it’s hard to track someone down. Max participation is a huge deal to me. The more people who vote, the more recognition these authors and artists receive, and I want this to be as legitimate as possible.

[image error]Image taken from Pixabay.

If you are the author, let’s remember to be good sports! 1) Please feel free to message or contact me at any time. 2) Please feel free to like, share, text, ask for support, and call everyone you know. I absolutely want max participation. However, if you’re going to offer giveaways or prizes, please offer them for voting, not just voting for you.

Also, while your summoning your army of voting soldiers, please make sure you ask them to vote in every match. Part of the idea of this is to get exposure to as many artists and authors as possible. By all means, if you can get 1,000 people to vote for your book, do it. Just please also send some eyeballs to the other matches.

A final note to authors and artists: I currently have links to the books’ Amazon pages. If you’d prefer I switch that link to sign up for your newsletter or like your social media page or whatever, just send me the link and let me know. I want this to help you. I want this to be as helpful as possible, so whatever you need me to do to facilitate that, just let me know.

I hope you keep having fun. Please, vote, share, and discuss as much as possible.

All you have to do now is head over here to vote!

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Story Review: Forbidden Science by Terry Mixon, From For a Few Credits More Anthology

[image error]Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful (scary but not dangerous) night. Enjoy the trick-or-treating!

Spoiler Free Summary: Forbidden Science by Terry Mixon is the eighth story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.  Jeff Peters is a graduate student about to work with a professor as part of Peters’ doctoral studies. Instead of being able to choose a professor he’d like to work with, he’s been recruited … by a complete nut job. At least, that’s what he thinks. Professor Xaltar is as eccentric as his is intelligent, which is saying something.  The problem is, what they’re working on could be destructive in the wrong hands. In fact, even if his dean learned about how far the experiment has come, it could spell trouble.

 

Character:  Jeff and Xaltar feel so much like Marty and Doc Brown I can’t help but love them. They’re every bit as funny as they are charming. Fans of Back to the Future will love this story, and people who didn’t well, do those people exists?

Exposition: The book started out pretty heavy in this category.  I was honestly not into it for the first part of the story because I was getting information shoved down my throat, but once I got to those two characters interacting, I forgot all about my annoyance and just enjoyed the fun.

World building:  This is another of the stories I felt stood on its own. If there was some connection to the universe that I missed, I didn’t feel like it. The story is expertly contained to the plot and the characters of this tale. It doesn’t expand much as far as I can tell, but I get the feel for what’s going on, and given that the experiment is a big deal in this universe, I understood the stakes.

[image error]Image of Mr. Mixon taken from his web site for review purposes under fair use.

Dialogue: Much like with Back to the Future, the dialogue was the star of the show. I had several laugh-out-loud moments usually based on the interaction between the main characters. It was lively and entertaining.

Description: I don’t remember much, which means there wasn’t a ton of description (which I, contrary to most fans of scifi, appreciate). No, the details didn’t stick with me, and I couldn’t tell you so much as the hair color of either main character. Other fans of the series will have to decide if that bothers them or not. It doesn’t bother me. I got a good story, and a three-page description of a ship didn’t get in the way of the ship blowing something up.  (NOTE: I’m not saying those things happened, I’m just using that as an example.)

Overall: This story was just pure fun. It’s my second-favorite story in the whole anthology. It’s Back to the Future in a futuristic setting. If you like wit and zany fun, this is the story for you.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Sonnets For My Savior 4

Unworthy

I deserve punishment;

You granted me grace.

I deserve banishment,

but still in Your kingdom, I have a place.

I can not do anything to erase my transgressions,

nor is there anything in me that is right.

Yet still You call me one of Your possessions,

and You bless me with the light.

I was blind until you gave me sight;

I was dead;

I could not be worthy of You try though I might,

so Your Son gave me His worth instead.

My salvation is only possible because of your love.

Thank you, My Lord, who rules from above!

 

Let it be Known

He turned water to blood,

but still Pharaoh’s heart was hard.

He brought frogs, gnats and flies, and the livestock died in the barns and the mud

but still Pharaoh’s heart was hard.

Boils, hail, locusts, and darkness he cast upon land,

but still Pharaoh’s heart was hard.

Then all the firstborn were taken by His hand,

and some may ask why He made Pharaoh’s heart hard.

Pharaoh was raised so that God’s power might be known.

He has mercy on whom He shows mercy,

but some are set to be examples.

Our mighty God rules over all from his throne.

His plagues were sent to eliminate controversy.

Those who doubt must remember these displays of power were only samples.

 

Let My Seeds Grow

Do not let my heart be a path.

You, my Lord, can cover the road with fertile soil.

If my heart is on rocky ground, soften it, so I do not earn your wrath.

If my heart is surrounded by thorns, plant in it still, Lord, even though it is a toil.

Produce grain in me, a hundredfold, sixty, or thirty,

even if I should only be a harvest of one.

Please do not stop sowing, Lord, even though my heart is dirty.

Plant in me again and again, until my heart is won.

Do not let any birds snatch your seed away.

Let my roots go deep into the ground.

Don’t let persecution cause my faith in you to decay.

Let your word be all to which I am bound.

Let me grow in you.

Sow the field of my heart until I am made new.

 

How Great

How great is your sovereignty, Lord?

Every decision comes from You.

How great is your mercy, Lord?

You save us despite all that we do.

How terrifying is your judgement, Lord?

You reprove and discipline those whom you love.

How terrifying is your wrath, Lord?

Vengeance is yours to repay from above.

How immeasurable is your patience, Lord?

You are slow to frustration.

How immeasurable is your love, Lord?

While we were sinners, Your Son’s death gave us salvation.

How great you are!

How great you are!

 

Cleanse Me

I’m covered in the filth of my own nature.

My flesh overrules the desire of my soul.

Despite my wish to serve only you, my sin is in control.

Have mercy, Lord, for I am a sinful creature.

I am prideful, selfish, and lustful.

I serve my body when I wish to serve you.

I am unable to stop or help myself through

this constant failure of which I am so regretful.

Your blood is all that can wash my life clean.

Only Your spirit can set me free.

Only through You can I be made right.

On my behalf You can intervene.

Let me be your devotee.

In service to you, let me find my true delight.

 

Let Us Be Gathered

You sowed good seeds in your field,

but your enemy sowed weeds among them.

You let both grow so that our wheat we might yield.

Once the crops are harvested, the weeds You will condemn.

Have Your angels harvest us.

Let us be gathered into the barn.

The end of the age will be as thus,

but blessed will be those who to You are sworn.

Let us shine like the sun in the kingdom of our father;

gather for yourself all those who believe.

You can sow good seeds and no other.

Let those who have eyes see and perceive.

Please don’t cast us as weeds into the fire,

for to be with You, Lord, is our greatest desire.

 

Glory in Obedience

Let our hearts be closed to greed.

Let them be filled with honesty.

Let our actions be examples of modesty.

Let us give what is owed and to all who are in need.

Your name is as Holy as your person;

let us not profane it.

Let us not seek vengeance, no matter what transgressions people commit.

Let us not cause a person to stumble or make their situation worsen.

Let us be holy, for You are holy.

Let us glorify You in our obedience.

Let our love for You be reflect in our love for one another.

Let us love all, both the mighty and the lowly.

Let us deal with our neighbors with love, peace, and expedience.

Let us treat all with respect, as if they are a sister or brother.

How About Another Free Audiobook? The Power of Words is Live!

[image error]Greetings All!

I’m happy to announce that The Power of Words is now available as an audiobook!

What that means is I now have free Audible download codes for both Caught (I have 17 of those left) and The Power of Words (25 free copies just waiting for a willing listener).  I think Lisa Negron and J.M. Needham did a fantastic job.

Ok, so you might be wondering what happened to TW Ashworth. As it turned out we weren’t a good fit. He’s a pro’s pro and was working hard to help us align our creative vision, but we couldn’t get on the same page, so we amicably decided to part ways. J.M. came in on short notice and did a wonderful job under an insane deadline.

If you’re interested in either (or both) audiobooks, please don’t hesitate to email me or PM me on either Facebook or Twitter. I’d love it if you’d give these books a chance.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Story Review: Emancipation by Mark Wandrey, From For a Few Credits More anthology

[image error]Spoiler Free Summary: Emancipation  by Mark Wandrey is the seventh story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.  Jim Cartwright leads a team of CASPers tasked with taking down a group of slavers set on using or even killing 400 Aku, an alien race Jim means to keep alive. Can Jim take down the slavers without harming the slaves? What happens if those who paid his team aren’t interested in the collateral damage?

 

Character:  I like Jim.  He’s a classic white-hat with strong morals much like Captain America. I think characters with depth and flaws are great, but it’s nice to see a good ol’ fashioned good guy once in a while. The other characters in this story contribute to the feeling as well. Most of these characters are charming.  The villains might be a tad 1980s (bad slavers who just do bad), but I don’t mind so much, especially considering Jim.

Exposition: The exposition of this story was solid. Sure, Wandrey gets into the world a bit more, but that’s to be expected since he’s been playing in the universe for a while.  But he never dragged me down with details I didn’t need or information that could have been presented in a better way.

World building:  It’s obvious Wandrey knows his world. He was able to toss me the details I need without going to far into depth. Where it feels like most authors just sort of stayed in the context of the story, Wandrey uses his knowledge of the universe to add scope to his story without dragging the pace down.

[image error]Image of Wandrey taken from his website for review purposes under fair use doctrine.

Dialogue: This was solid. I don’t really remember any particularly piffy lines, but I do remember the dialogue helped move the plot and got me to smile once or twice. The dialogue between Splunk, a Fae, and Jim was particularly charming.

Description: I actually think this was the strongest aspect of this story.  Wandrey’s story felt like I was there, and that doesn’t happen much with me. Great little details to add a visceral feel combined with subtle adjectives when the pace was fast. Scifi tends to drag the reader down with details and description. Wandrey has that part figured out.

Overall: This is a great, motivating (in a military sense) story with just the right mix of action, adventure, and humor. Jim is a great character to hang out with, and the visuals in this story really do draw a reader in.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Sonnets for My Savior 3

Only Through Him

It was He who came down to teach and call sinners to repent,

and it was He who willingly took all of our transgressions.

He ministered to us and taught us great lessons,

and through His sacrifice, the price for our sins was spent.

He is the way, and the truth, and the life,

and those who love him are saved.

He freed us from our sins, to which, before Him, we were enslaved.

How could they not know you, Jesus? How cold they offer such strife?

We can not reach the Father in any other way.

We can not earn salvation by any thing we do.

Without you to speak for us, our spirt and body will decay.

Only because of your sacrifice, we are made anew.

Keep us with you, Lord; please don’t let us stray.

The only path to Heaven, Jesus, is faith and believe in you.

 

What Happens When We Are Weak

His power is made perfect.

The Spirt gives us aid.

The grace He provides to His elect

is sufficient for me, so I am unafraid.

Now let us boast about our weakness;

Let us be content in all situations.

For He who can cure blindness

can surely remove all frustrations.

He is my life, and He is my power.

When I am weak, then I am strong.

When He is with me, I need not cower,

Nor need any whom to him they belong.

He is all in life we ever need.

We are more than conquerors through him, indeed.

 

How

You forgive us when we do wrong,

only for us to hurt you again.

How much pain have you taken for the likes of men

even though we’ve been sinners all along?

There is nothing in us that is good

even though our hearts desire to do your will.

How is it you forgive us still

even though we’re incapable of doing what we should?

Your grace and love are boundless.

Your mercy is without end.

You give it all to those who don’t deserve you.

That you are great is doubtless,

so on You alone we depend.

Please help us love how You love, forgive how You forgive, and do as You do.

 

Without Comparison

What is man beside He who created the universe?

What claims can man make to the face of He who hung the sun?

There is nothing man can say to bargain or coerce;

there is no feat to undertake and no deed to be done.

His very name is holy, and we were born into sin.

He is upright in all of his judgments.

Just what do we imagine we could do to win

the slightest amount of pride or any compliments?

Indeed, we all fall short of His glory.

Our redemption is through His son.

Therefore belief in Jesus is obligatory

because righteousness is given, not won.

Do not seek the self to save.

Instead trust in Him whom God rose from the Grave.

 

Commander

Only say so, and it shall be.

For the commander says go there, and the soldiers go.

If He says, “Open your eyes,” the one to whom He spoke shall see.

He can cast down what was high, and lift up what was low.

His words were power, for He spoke with the authority of the Father.

Blessed are any who obey.

Heed his instruction, and listen to no other,

walk in his path, and do not allow yourself to stray.

The paralyzed stood when He said stand,

and the dead woke when He said rise.

Even the ocean in the storm complied with his demand.

He who believes in Him never dies.

Obey the commander just as all these other things.

Listen to He who rules, and enjoy the life that obedience brings.

 

Lift Us Up If We Fall

He stepped upon the surface of the sea;

His feet were as steady as on dry land.

Through the wind and waves, His disciples saw firsthand

a figure walking toward them and felt the urge to flee.

But one among them asked to join the master,

and the Lord bade his servant to come.

Only steps did Peter travel before to doubt he did succumb;

Jesus pulled him up and kept him from disaster.

Lift us up, oh Lord, if we begin to sink,

and forgive us the doubts that cause us to fall.

Even if we should slide past the brink,

please save us from the squall.

If we find a fear and then begin to shrink,

let us have faith that you raise all of those whom you call.

 

Your Holy Instructions

Let us act as you have instructed;

Let us do as we should.

Let us honor the house into which we were inducted

by abhorring evil and holding fast to all things good.

Let us give affection to all of our brothers

and show honor to all.

Let us have zeal and serve you above any others,

and give help and hospitality to any saints who call.

Let us not seek revenge, but instead act with compassion,

for vengeance and wrath are yours and yours alone.

Instead, let us present ourselves in a giving fashion,

for only with good can evil be overthrown.

Let us exemplify these Christian actions with every breath we take,

so that we may live not for ourselves, but only your sake.

Finishing on a High Note! Baltimore ComicCon Was Amazing!

Greetings all,

I’ve been pretty busy with all of the new things going on, but now I have a moment or two to talk about what went on at the Baltimore ComicCon, which was the last stop on my 2018 tour.

The short version, it was without-a-doubt the most successful convention I’ve ever done. I mean this by every measurable standard.

[image error]Bre picked up The Power of Words and never put it down. Then she geeked out with my fiancee over Wicket purses.

First, I had copies of The Power of Words on hand, and they flew off the table! I already have some reviews and ratings, and I’ll share those here in the next few weeks.

 

Conventions are always fun, but when you combine the normal fun with a positive number of new readers, it’s honestly such a great boost emotionally.

I sold out of The Power of Words. I almost sold out of every book I have, which has never come close to happening.

This year as a whole was pretty rough in a lot of ways. With conventions, I had a few where I only managed a handful of sales. I met more new readers at this event than all the rest of my tour combined (and then some)!

I feel truly blessed that so many people showed an interest in my work. I’m grateful to God for his glorious blessing and, more so, sending so many wonderful, kind people to meet me and give a silly dreamer’s work a try.

[image error]Mykel got The Power of Words as well as Caught and The Journals of Bob Drifter . Then we had a lengthy, fantastic conversation about writing. 

I thank all of you who stopped by the table and picked up a book (or three). I truly hope you enjoyed them, and I’d love to see your reviews and/or ratings. Even if they’re critical, any feedback is good, and any review is wonderful.

 

That concludes my 2018 tour on just such a wonderful note. My fiancee and I are planning ways to put build on life together, and that means slowing down a touch on conventions for next year. We’re making decisions on which ones (and there won’t be many) we feel we have to attend, and I’ll get that information to you once we make those decisions.

As always, I’m just so happy to know people are out there who even feel like giving these books a chance. You have my promise I’ll keep working to get better and deliver stories I feel are entertaining and hard to put down.

Thank you for supporting my dream.

Thank you for being such great people.

Thank you, as always, for reading!

Matt

Story Review: Contract Fulfilled by Tim C. Taylor, From For a Few Credits More anthology

[image error]Spolier Free Summary: Contract Fulfilled  by Tim C. Taylor is the sixth story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.  Saisho Branco is in over his head. His day starts off waiting to find out if he’ll be blasted by missiles, and things only get worse from there. He’s stuck with the team he’s on, and Captain Sue Blue and Major Sun Sue seem determined to get him killed. He just has to make it until the end of the contract. But what happens when the contract is fulfilled?

 

Character:  The characters in here are a charming kind of crazy. I like that the crew members of the ship are out-of-the-box thinking and clever. They grow on you as the story progresses. I can’t call them memorable.  True, it’s been a good while since I’ve read it, but some characters stick with you. These characters aren’t bad at all; they just don’t stand out against some of the others in this book (see future reviews).

Exposition:  This I remember being not just the strong suite of this story but also one of the stronger in the whole book.  Taylor doesn’t beat you with history or hidden context, instead he gets to the heart of real action scifi and lets you enjoy the story. This is mostly due to the fact that it’s short fiction. Sure, in longer work, a reader would want context and depth, but in a shorter story, we just want to go for a ride, and Taylor gives us one.

World building:  This is another story that I enjoyed for the sake of it. It’s a fun sort of buddy-cop story that has a few charming moments. I think a solid few of the stories in this anthology felt that way, but if you like those kinds of stories, this anthology is for you. The alien races can get a bit deep, but that’s not really a bad thing for a universe as deep as this. It just makes it a bit hard for a person who’s not familiar with it. The benefit of short fiction mentioned in the previous segment is the curse of world building, but I think Taylor made the right choice.

[image error]Image of Tim C. Taylor taken from his web site for review purposes under fair use doctrine.

Dialogue: This story has some fun banter that maybe doesn’t have the most wit, but this is where Branco’s arc did the most of the work. Also, where a lot of story hide (badly) some exposition in the dialogue, this isn’t one of them. It’s fun. It got me to chuckle a few times, and it’s where I saw the most of Branco’s growth with the crew.

Description: Any time one feels like a story zipped by means that the author didn’t drag the reader down with details. I can’t claim it was visceral because some of the scenes didn’t stick in my mind (which I mentioned above), but I can say that I churned through this story. This makes me believe it was an intentional choice on the part of Taylor. He gave us everything that let us keep a fast-paced fun story, willingly letting go of the deeper context, which isn’t a bad choice in shorter fiction.

Overall: While I can’t remember the details, I can remember the feeling of this particular story. I had fun with it. Sure, some stories were more powerful, that’s not a knock on a story I read quickly and liked while I read it.

Thanks for reading,

Matt