M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 65

Announcing the September Book Cover of the Month!

Hello everyone,

We’ve just wrapped up another month. It was great to see a new cover bracket happen!

We had 2,520 votes this month. It was another slower month, but part of that is because I didn’t have the time I normally have to get word out. For that, I’m sorry. Still, it was decent month, and the winning cover stood out before I ran out of time.

The September Book Cover of the Month is…

[image error]

 

Of Fire and Storm by D.G. Swank! If you’re curious about how I felt about the book, check out the Facebook post that I posted when this book first landed on the bracket, here.

Let’s look at the stats!

Swank  received 181 total votes.

As runner up, Sorcerers’ Web by Lucia Ashta gets a second chance to claim the title in October’s bracket.

But for now, let’s look at this month’s winner!

Amazon:

(START BLURB)

Book two in the Piper Lancaster series in the Curse Keepers world.

Just when Piper begins to accept her new role as demon slayer, a fresh threat rises.

People are disappearing, and Piper is sure a sinister, otherworldly force is at play.

Add to that ghosts who show up out of thin air, warning her of a danger she won’t be able to outrun, and a freaking bevy of supernatural creatures hiding in the background, and Piper suddenly has her hands full. Especially when the new creatures aren’t demons, or ghosts and she has no idea how to deal with them.

Or whether or not they be good little monsters, or bad.

There is one man who has the knowledge she needs to survive but she can’t even count on him. Why? The bastard left town.

One thing is certain: a big bad demon’s come to town and Piper has to stop him—but she needs help to do it.

If only she could figure out whom to trust…

(END BLURB)

I’ve added Of Fire and Storm to my TBR. (For those who are new to the deal, I buy the Book Cover of the Month to read and review in the future. I buy all the winning covers. I’ve already bought August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January, and December’s book.

Here’s Swank’s Facebook page. Give it a like if you’re curious about her and her work.

[image error]The October Book Cover of the Month is coming along, and that contest will launch Nov. 1.

I will continue to identify and select covers for each day from Amazon’s New Release section for fantasy and science fiction. If you follow and like my Facebook page, you can see what covers will make the bracket.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Testimony: Sonnets for My Savior 2

Six Days

With words He took nothing and created everything;

six days, and all that was done was good.

The day, the night, earth and seas did His power bring,

six days, He worked and all was made as it should.

Vegetation and plants He made, which all yielded seeds

six days, which can be measured by the stars He also made.

Then He created the fish and birds and animals of all breeds;

six days, He spoke, and His work shall never fade.

Then He made man in His own likeness,

and gave Him dominion over all other creations.

six days He worked, and all was flawless,

six days He created with nothing but His orations.

He gave man and woman blessings of faithfulness.

Six days he worked, and He needed nothing more than declarations.

 

The Lessons From The Master

He promised the poor his kingship;

He said those who mourn will always be comforted.

He offered the earth to the meek of his fellowship;

Let our hearts and his lessons never be parted.

Those who hunger for righteousness shall be filled.

Those who offer mercy will receive it.

Praise our Lord Christ, through whom the prophecies will fulfilled,

To you, dear Jesus, and your teachings do we, your servants, commit.

He took the things said to those of old,

and clarified them so we may know

the truth and context of what was told.

With Him we learn and hope and grow.

Let us follow his teachings and commands.

Let us follow him, every woman, child, and man.

 

The Glory

To Him who saved the Israelites from the Pharaoh of Egypt,

to Him goes the glory always.

He is perfect and mighty; to Him goes the praise;

For He raised His son from Death, now empty is the crypt.

To Him who delivered Jerusalem in fulfillment of an oath,

To Him goes the glory forever.

His love and mercy always endure, come whatever.

For he is the God of jews and gentiles both.

To him who gave us the profits, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Moses,

God of Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham,

He who judges and has mercy, He who curses and blesses,

He who granted Salvation, His son was the lamb,

the glory goes to Him who sees humanity through its distresses.

To Him goes the glory, He who calls himself I AM.

 

Redemption

What a glorious thing I’ve been given

from the God-man incarnate from above.

It matters not how much I’ve striven,

Only His grace, which was given from love.

Even though I am undeserving,

He paid the price for my transgressions.

His care for me is ever unswerving;

All I can give back are my confessions.

He is my Savior for what he’s done;

His substitution is my redemption.

His blood and sacrifice my soul have won;

His death the key to my adoption.

I accept you, my Savior, in my heart,

With that and repentance my new life and sanctification start.

  

The Armor

Let us clear away our hypocrisy that we may fight free;

let righteousness cover our hearts, Lord, so temptation can’t get in.

Let your good news grant our feet certainty, so we won’t slip by a single degree;

Let us trust in you, and let that trust cover our bodies and keep us from the darts of sin.

Let us always remember we are saved, let doubt never enter our minds;

Help us to train, oh Lord, to study your word like a blade master trains with his sword.

Help make your word a part of us, for we know that he who seeks finds;

Let us recall the right verses when we face temptation; then victory over sin will be our reward.

Let us wear your armor, Lord, and never remove it;

Let us be guarded by you always and never let down our guard.

We pray to be alert, Our Father, lest to our own natures we submit.

We pray to be alert, Our Father, lest our walk with you be jarred.

Let us stand with you always and trust in your grace.

Let us wear your armor, Lord, and let us walk in the faith.

 

Willing

We are able, Lord, we are able;

They spoke to him to gain his favor.

They wanted the left and right seats of his table,

but they did not understand our Savior.

They did not understand the true cost

of service and submission.

He was about to die for the Lost,

and they would suffer on his commission.

They did indeed find the glory they sought,

but not before paying the price.

The value of service is what the master taught,

and they learned so well through his sacrifice.

Now we are asked if we are willing;

let us be so for all the days we are living.

 

Rule Us

Let us humble ourselves to your mighty hand;

let us strive first to be righteous.

To seek to do or accomplish for ourselves is erroneous,

for you exalt, in due time, those who do as you demand.

Let us trust in you with all our hearts

and think first of how to glorify you.

For without your will, there is not point in what we do

We seek your kingdom and scripture to be our ramparts,

Our own works count for nothing beside your great plan.

The true blessing is to submit and trust in your grace.

Let us do so, oh Lord, and bring you to smile.

For we know disobedience is where our sin began,

and it was obedience of your son on earth that this original sin is erased

because our own understanding is not worthwhile.

Would You Like a Free Audiobook? I’m Celebrating Caught’s Audible Release

Hey all,

[image error]I’m so thrilled to announce that Caught, narrated by Shawn Compton, is officially available on Audible.

To celebrate, I have 25 free copies of this version, so if you like audio books, free stuff, and horror, feel free to send me an email.

Shawn did an amazing job. I was super picky about the narrator I wanted for this story, and Shawn simply nailed Caden. If you’ve read the book, you’ll know that Caden is simply a huge challenge to pull of, and Shawn did it. I’m so lucky to be working on this project with him.

I’m always overjoyed to hear my characters come to life. I love audio books. The let me re-read stories so I can catch up before the next book in the series comes out (looks at Brandon Sanderson). They also let me basically double my reading pace on the drive to work.

I hope you’ll decide to give this book a try. You can use one of your codes, or you can even start and Audible account today and get a free copy of any book (it’s just mine’s better for the season). Of course, you can also just email me and ask for one of the copies I have. The first 25 to ask win.

Thanks for reading,

V/R

Matt

Story Review: Luck of the Draw by J.R. Handley and Corey D. Truax, From For a Few Credits More anthology

[image error]Spolier Free Summary: Luck of the Draw  by J.R. Handley and Corey D. Truax is the fifth story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.  Ivan Petrov is a shadow of the man he was, and the man he was wasn’t much to begin with. Drunk, in debt, and in trouble with loan sharks, his life takes a turn when his association with said loan sharks makes him the perfect tool for Boudicca, a bounty hunter tracking a much bigger fish than a simple bookie. But Ivan’s trial in this new bounty hunter mission may just be the first step to his path to redemption.

NOTE: Corey and J.R. are both friends. I was also honored to be a beta reader for this project. These facts do not change my honest opinions of their work.

Character:  Ivan and Boudicca are solid characters. Ivan’s arc is the more interesting of the two. Ivan carries the story. His trial for forsaken to self-actualized is a great one. He’s witty, but he has flaws that both frustrate and charm.

Exposition:  While some might be hidden in the dialogue (backstory), the exposition on this story is wonderfully light. I’m not overwhelmed with info I don’t understand. All the info I need, I get just when I need it.

[image error]Image from J.R. Handley’s social media profile for review purposes under fair use doctrine.

World building:  I don’t know who reads what review first, so I have to keep reminding folks that I’m new to The Four Horsemen Universe, which was created by Chris Kennedy.  If anyone’s read the series and this anthology, I’d like to see what they think.  The fact is, I enjoyed this story in and of itself.  Sure, there were some terms I didn’t understand, but this story did a great job of helping me understand what I needed. Yeah, if I  knew more, I’d probably enjoy it more, but unlike some stories from this book, I don’t feel like I’m missing something.

Dialogue: This story doesn’t quite have the amount of clever banter I like in a story, but the dialogue is realistic and appropriate. There were a few zingers I liked, and this is the medium through which Boudicca and Ivan bond the most. That makes it a valuable part of the book even though it’s perhaps not the strongest.

 

[image error]Image of Corey D. Truax from his blog for review purposes under fair use doctrine.

Description: Heavy scifi fans would probably want more, but I was more than satisfied with the visualization of this story.  The movie theater in my head was more than happy with the descriptive beats and use of senses. Lots of stories focus on visuals and ignore the other senses. This story gives a sense of touch and sound as well.

Overall: This is another story that had a great Lethal Weapon feel. (I know I mentioned that in a previous story, but I’m not sure which off the top of my head.) I have to admit, I wish this story were another 20,000 words, but it’s a satisfying vignette. I consider this my third-favorite story in the entire anthology because of it’s character and charm.  Fans of a good ‘ol fashion 1980s buddy cop movie will love this.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Testimony: Sonnets for My Savior Week 1

Selfless Savior

He gave food, so the 5,000 could eat;

He raised up the 12, so that they my spread his word;

The sick he made well, and the broken he made complete

He carried his cross to the end, undeterred.

On the night of his betrayal he washed the Apostles’ feet;

He even cleaned the heels of Judas, who would betray him;

All sinners with love he would greet;

Only a loving Christ could do so and still accept a fate so grim.

He was the king of all kings;

He was the Lord of all Lords;

He could have summoned angels to lift him on their wings;

Instead he chose to die on the cross’ wooden boards.

If we only accept him, we would never die.

We can live forever, and his death and resurrection are the reasons why.

 

Graciously Giving

Praise our God for his endless giving.

Only he could rain mana from Heaven and purify water.

Let all of his servants rejoice and sing.

All we have is thanks to our Heavenly father.

Solomon asked for only Wisdom,

but God granted him wealth, possessions, and honor also.

His love is boundless, and his power is awesome;

Only from Him do any blessings flow.

He truly is my shepherd, and I shall never want for anything;

I need not worry over what to eat, drink, or wear.

He will give us all things if his commandments we are obeying;

Only seek righteousness first and ask humbly in prayer.

Trust in the Lord, and seek to win his heart.

His greatest gift is his presence, from which the saved are never apart.

 

Merciful

He could have burned Adam the moment he ate from the tree;

He could have left Joseph to rot in a cell.

We were born into sin and deserve eternity in Hell.

No act can redeem either you or me.

How many times did his nation, Israel, turn away?

What mortal would be betrayed so many times and still be so giving?

What right do we have to keep on living;

when we stubbornly refuse to obey?

Because of all we’ve done, we have no right,

yet God sent his son to pay the price

His mercy is shown in what he chose not to do.

Those of us born into darkness are saved by one born of light.

Through Jesus we are forgiven every wrong and every vice.

His mercy is shown in that, despite all our sins, his love stays true.

 

Righteous Ruler

Let us not hope for your leniency

if we do not honor your rule.

Praise your mighty sovereignty.

This Earth is your footstool.

Let all obey you and follow your will;

let us respect your judgments and trust in your ways.

The grace you grant us is our greatest thrill;

let all those on earth worship you all of our days.

Your plans are not for disaster, but for our good;

our hopes are in you, command us however you see fit.

Please let us be good servants and do as we should;

Those who do not accept and obey you shall be cast into the pit.

We submit to your authority; we joyfully serve

our father and king in Heaven, who we do not deserve.

 

Thy Will

Let it be done; let all things be as you design;

let everything we do be well done and pleasing.

In our hearts as an altar, let your will be enshrined;

let the delight we have to serve you be unceasing.

Please take away our pride, which could rebel against your desires,

and grant us faith in your loving grace, which is without end.

Let us keep that faith through all that transpires,

for there is no wrong you can’t right or ill you can’t mend.

We are not resigned to your direction,

nor are we faithless in our prayers.

Rather, we take pride in our subjection,

and surrender to you our cares.

In you we place all our trust,

for you are our righteous father, who is never unjust.

 

Remember to Glorify

We turn to you when our hearts are aching;

we look to you in times of stress.

We bow before you when our hearts are breaking;

we fall to our knees when those over us oppress.

We glorify your name when you offer us deliverance;

we praise your might when you remove us from harm.

We offer thanks when our suffering is held in abeyance;

we sing of your might when our enemies you disarm.

But let us also praise you when we have plenty;

let us not forget you when our bellies, hearts, and wallets are stuffed.

Let us be ever humbled by every morsel, ounce, and penny.

Let us remember to praise you lest you feel rebuffed.

We will always call on you, our God, when our hearts are overcome with sadness;

but let us never forget to also praise you when we are filled with happiness.

 

He Is

He is great and abundant in might;

He is infinite in his understanding.

He is our ruler above, so let us do as he is commanding.

He is loving, just, and right.

He is sovereign, magnificent, majestic, and glorious;

He showers gracious love to those who take refuge in his power.

Before him, his enemies tremble and cower;

Those whom He is with are always victorious.

He is long in suffering and thinks no evil; he is love

He is gracious and rich in faithful truth;

He is, he is, merciful and strong!

He is the Lord of all, and he reigns from above;

He is the ruler of every man, woman, and youth.

He is flawless and perfect, and he is never wrong.

 

The Pattern

Let us glorify you, our Father, and let your name be honored by each and every one,

for we, your servants, await  for your kingdom to appear.

Let us serve you and do as you command, and let all that you wish be done;

As above so below, let what is there be so here.

Praise you, Lord, and grant us all that we need,

and forgive us for the things we have done.

We offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us by inaction or deed,

and help us see, so that we might avoid any temptation.

Deliver us from the devil and our own sinful disposition,

for you reign in glory from now until forever.

Let us kneel before you in humble submission

from life until death without fail whatsoever.

Let us honor you and offer supplications in the night and in the day,

let us seek first your kingdom and righteousness because this is how we pray.

The Art of a Heist: A Few Tricks For Outlining

Greetings all,

[image error]Since The Power of Words is up and running, I thought I’d take a moment to talk about a method of plotting.

Plotting is a tool I and other authors use to plan out how the story unfolds, and a heist story, is a specific type of plot.

When I started writing my contribution to The Power of Words, I saw in my imagination a mother who had to pay insane amounts of money just to be able to say, “I love you” to her daughter. That gave birth to the idea of this mother hatching a scheme to shut down the system that regulates the Communication Act of 3748.

I did some research (some would call it binge watching Leverage, but I call it research). This led me to believe there are key plot points in any good heist story.

[image error]Screen image of Now You See Me for study purposes under Fair Use Doctrine. 

One: Introduce the team.  Different stories do this in different ways, but nothing really starts until the readers meet the team.  Ocean’s 11 spends the first quarter of the movie on this while Now you See Me spends about five minutes. But this is the first real part in any heist story.

Two: The plan.  Now this is a debatable part of the plot as sometimes the ultimate plan is hidden.  For instance, in Now You See Me, no one really knew what they were ultimately up to, but I argue the viewers still clearly knew that team was after a Robin Hood angle. Sure, the ultimate plan was hidden, but there’s usually some identification of what the team is after.  In Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn: The Final Empire, he just came right out and said it. Again, there was a mystery here in that the readers didn’t know the real plan (more on that later), but there was a clear objective stated. Ocean’s 11 did this as well.

[image error]Screen shot of Ocean’s 11 for study purposes under Fair Use Doctrine.

Three: The confrontation of the antagonist.  Most stories do this in a blunt way. The brains of the outfit and the cop or mark face of in a direct manner. There’s even usually a dare of some sort.  Ocean’s 11 shows this when Danny Ocean faces Terry Benedict.

Four: The weak link. Most heist stories identify some sort of flaw or hole in the plan. It’s usually a person, but can sometimes be a fulcrum on which the plan hinges. Yen get’s injured in Ocean’s 11. Jack Wilder dies. The other way this happens is when there is a character who seems like a bad fit for the team.  Ocean’s 11 actually does this too in that Linus seems at times antagonistic.

Five: The collapse. There might be some who want to insert “the rehearsal” before this, and I wouldn’t immediately argue.  I’d like to state, however, that while a number of heist stories have a rehearsal (Gone in 60 Seconds, Inception), this is more something many heist stories do, but it’s not what I would call a requirement. However, if you’re writing a heist story, you need everything to fall apart. The trick is, it has to sell.  You need the viewer/reader to be ultimately convinced that the plan failed and the movie/book is about to end on a downer.  This usually happens with the team caught or taken down (Ocean’s 11). It sometimes happens when the object in question seems gone or missing (Inception). Either way, everything has to fall apart spectacularly.

Six: (The Most Important) The twist. And this is what makes or breaks a heist story. You need that plot point that has the reader saying, “I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!” It can’t be forced. It has to be unpredictable without being unbelievable. It has to be something that the reader can connect either just before or right as the twist happens.  In The Final Empire, we learn that the plan wasn’t really the plan we thought it was. In Ocean’s 11 (and honestly most other heist stories) we realize that getting caught was actually a part of the plan. Some do both. If this is satisfying, then you’ll have readers singing your praises. If it doesn’t work, well, there’s always the next story. Right?

[image error]Screen image from Leverage for study purposes under Fair Use Doctrine.

Seven: The victory lap. Once the loot is distributed or just as the opponent realizes he’s lost, the crew has to have their moment in the sun. Leverage actually has the team inevitably find some way to obscurely smirk at the mark as he’s taken away in cuffs. The Now You See Me crew get’s a literal final sendoff. Sometimes it’s more subtle. The victory lap in The Final Empire is actually a letter. Here the author is letting the brains of the outfit or the outfit as a whole gloat for a moment.

So there you have it.  I’d challenge anyone to watch any great heist movie and identify these seven plot points or (a thing I truly challenge you won’t be able to do) show any heist story in which one of these moments is missing.

Do I think Stealing Freedom, my contribution to The Power of Words, holds up? Honestly, yeah! I’m darn proud of this story. I won’t be so egotistical as to say it’s as good as any of these, but I think the twist (hehe, singular? No, my friend, I mean to say, twists) are immensely satisfying. You could of course buy the anthology, read the story, and judge for yourself.

Thank you for reading,

Matt

 

Story Reviews: Boss by Scott Moon and Leverage by Josh Hayes, From For a Few Credits More anthology

[image error]Spolier Free Summary: It may appear as though I’m just piling stories together to catch up on reviews, but the truth is I don’t want to catch up. I need a solid cache of stuff to review. I don’t like Wednesdays to go by without a review because that’s one of the staples of this blog.  The reason, then, I am putting these two stories together is because I consider them two parts of the same story. I also think this was one of the stronger stories in the anthology. I’ll get to that later.  Boss by Scott Moon and Leverage by Josh Hayes are the third and fourth stories in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.

Johnny Boss is after his former team member Jessup, who reportedly killed a peacemaker and stole an immensely valuable slate (memory card). Everyone wants it; Jessup has it, and he’s hidden well.  Catching Jessup might be easy, but keeping him is hard enough with a rival company after him. The fact that Johnny’s XO is ready to make a play for the big chair isn’t much more helpful.  Mac was on his way to being a Peacemaker before one mission with a particularly brutal training officer caused him to decide otherwise.  The individual being brutalized? That would be one Jessup, who Mac discovers is on his planet and in much more trouble. These two stories fit nicely together to give a great narrative from two points of view.

[image error]Image of Scott Moon taken from his website.

Character:  Mac stood out from the group, but the characters in both of these stories all have a depth that’s rare in short fiction. In fact, both of these stories are pleasantly character based. Boss is a man trying to keep control.  Mac is a man who sticks to his principles, which is why I’m drawn to him.  I like neutral character arcs, and Mac is a great example of how it’s done.  Sorry, that was probably author-speak.  I like stories that revolve around characters who change others.  Think about the arc to Winter Soldier.  Cap’ didn’t change, but his actions changed others. Mac has that same feel, so if you like the kind of story where a man stands up for what he believes in, this is your story. The complexity increases because the characters’ motivations are clear. There’s probably only one true antagonist. The rest are just folk trying to get by.

Exposition:  Both of these stories were fantastic here. I got the background I needed without slogging through backstory. Sure, I need a bit of info to keep me from wondering what was going on, but I only got the explanations I needed. The fact that these stories were so tight and well controlled really makes me believe these two authors worked closely together on the project.  I don’t know if they did or not, but I sure think so.

World building:  I wasn’t as lost as I was in the other ones. Sure some of the terms had me checking what I knew, but not too many. It’s possible that these characters are more connected to the rest of  The Four Horsemen Universe, which was created by Chris Kennedy,  but if it is, it would only be a bonus to fans of the universe.  These stories (standing together) are worth reading alone.

[image error]Image of Josh Hayes and family taken from his blog. 

Dialogue: Hayes was probably a bit stronger than Moon in this regard, but they both probably could have been a tad better. It wasn’t stilted or jarring in either story, but there were points where the dialogue was clearly just a chance to give a bit of exposition.  Stilted? No.  But I’d say forced in some places.  Again, it’s not a criminal amount. In fact this is the only real place I have any negative criticism for these stories. One might have a little forgiveness for this seeing as though the stories are relatively short (and tiny when you’re someone like me used to reading 400-page monsters.

Description: I think I’d have liked a bit more detail.  The visuals were great.  It felt like a movie theater in the action sequences.  But just a touch of description here or there would have taken these stories to an even higher level.  That said, if I’m asking for a bit more, fans of hard science fiction are probably going to feel like there isn’t enough.  I was happy with it though.

Overall: These stories stand out from the anthology because they are connected. (As far as I’m a novice in the world. Every story here might be connected, but I don’t see how other than they’re all in the same universe. Fans of deeper stories will like the combination of these tales, and they’ll be rewarded with clever endings and great hero moments.  I like this story combo more and more as I think on it, and that’s always a sign of a good story.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

The September Book Cover of the Month Starts Now!

But first, an announcement. The Power of Words is officially live! I’m thrilled at it’s early success.  I sold out of physical editions during the Baltimore ComicCon (I’ll talk more about that on Saturday), and I had more preorders for that book than any other I’ve ever had. It’s live, but it’s still only 99 cents! It will be until Oct. 14, when it goes to its regular price of $3.99. All four of us (TW Iain, Richard T. Drake, Heidi Angell, and myself) are so proud of this. I hope you’ll preorder a copy.

[image error]Now, it’s time to start a new book cover of the month competition.

Born to the Blade by Michael Underwood, Marie Brennan, and Cassandra Khaw, and White Mind by Emma Stallings join 30 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

Sonnets for my Savior #1

Change

 

I’m trapped in my own sin.

Willfully stagnate and hidden from light.

There is nothing in me that can make my wrongs right.

Against my flesh I can not win.

I’m lost and can’t find my way.

I’m sick and can’t be healed.

The sins I bury will inevitably be revealed.

Who can turn this night into day?

Jesus, my Lord and Savior can find me.

His sacrifice the price for my inadequacy.

His death in mortal flesh gives my spirit eternal life.

Because of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I am free.

My sanctification he produces patiently.

With him in my heart, I am at last made right.

 

Note: I’ve never claimed to be a poet. This is designed to do a few things: First and foremost, it’s designed to praise God. Please let these sonnets be a tribute used to glorify him. Don’t let me be like the Pharisees of old, making a show so that I might look pious. Instead, please let this be a tribute to Jesus, and through him, the God of all. Second, in considering what to do to continue testimony, I wanted to do something that would glorify him by helping me grow.  Some of my favorite parts of scripture are in Psalm. The idea is to grow in Christ by growing in this skill with which he’s blessed me. I’m still not certain I’ll continue this path. Again, I don’t want this to become a false show of faith, but rather, a genuine praise of him and artistic show of the gospel.

 

That said, I’d appreciate feedback from any poets who might read this. As I write these, I’d like to grow.  I think this is technically sound.  I’m think it would get an A in a class for structure, but I’m not sure how effective it is.  Your help to grow here would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Launch on Facebook!

Hey all,

 

We Power of Words anthology authors are doing a Facebook Book Launch event.  We’ll have giveaways and nerd fun.  We’d love you to stop by and join the fun!

 

https://m.facebook.com/events/351062748769643/

Hope to see you there!

V/R

Matt