Danny Raye's Blog, page 4

Why Fantasy Can Be My Least Favorite Genre

Fantasy can be one of the easiest genres to write in my opinion as an author. Everything in fantasy can be totally dissociated from reality, giving writers unlimited options that are irrefutable to readers.

But therein also lies the hindrance I notice when beta reading fantasy: authors have too much wiggle room and neglect aspects that are vital for cultivating their imaginary world. Here are some of the most common issues I encounter when reading fantasy…

Lack of World Building

Fantasy writers often open a novel by throwing readers into a brand-new world without explaining HOW things in this world work. This isn’t to say that readers require a full description in the opening chapter. If you drop a reader in the middle of a world unlike Earth, you have to equip your reader with an understanding of the rules of this new world. Remember that not only are readers learning about the territory of this new world, but they’re also learning about any inhuman creatures (elves, warlocks, ghosts) that exist there as well, and how any magic functions and affects settings/characters in the story.

Credit: Last Train by Eddie Mendoza

World building looks like:

Establishing a time period (medieval, modern, future, time is non-existent or may be irrelevant)Establishing location (can be relative or exact: in the mountains or America)Establishing the order of government, if present (knights are above citizens, elves are superior to dwarves)Establishing how magic works (magic heals instead of doctors, portals instead of planes and trains, weapons aren’t physical but magical, spells can be created at random)

Any way that your world differs from Earth in a major way (no gravity, the story is set in the future where the resources have dried up), explaining that difference provides readers with clarity.

Not All Fantasy Creatures are the Same

What comes to mind when you read the word “vampire?” Are you seeing the Salvador brothers from Vampire Diaries, the Cullens from Twilight, or Blade? Vampires in each of these movies are unique to their story. Damon doesn’t glitter in the sunlight. Blade is the only daywalker in his franchise (aside from Dracula). Bela Lugosi in Dracula (1931) wore a cape, but you’d never see Edward donning one in Twilight’s small town of Forks. The point is vampires in all of these stories offer a unique definition of what a “vampire” is.

Same thing with werewolves. What comes to mind when you think of them? Any of these:

Van HelsingTeen Wolf (TV series)Underworld

Are your elves like the ones in Lord of the Rings? Do your dwarves follow the recent stereotype of short, drunk men?

The point is, no two fantasy species (dwarves, dragons, elves, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, etc.) are similar from story to story. If you just throw in the word “elf” or “vampire,” your readers are going to associate your fantasy species with whatever species they’re familiar with prior to reading.

The best way to establish your fantasy species is to give them more of a description than “werewolf.” Answer basic questions throughout the novel such as:

What does your fantasy species look like? (Do you have a quadrupedal werewolf or a bipedal?)What are your fantasy species’ powers? (Can your vampires morph into bats?)

Sometimes association to other works is helpful and prevents you from having to describe your fantasy species at all. If what we traditionally think of ghosts (that they’re translucent spirits of dead people) is true to your ghosts, there’s no need to explain that. The stereotype has done the work for you!

Regardless, distinguishing your fantasy species can help readers understand how those characters interact with other species, powers, magic, and constructs in the book.

Magic is Convenient

Probably my least favorite part about fantasy is when writers use magic to conveniently rescue their characters. Sometimes the convenience of magic is calculated: The author arms a character with a magical power perfectly suited to solve a problem that arises later in the novel.

Credit: Scarlet Witch on Pinterest

Other times, the magic is boundless. For example, a character conjures a spell of random words that they’ve never used before and won’t ever use again because it was created by the author for this scene specifically.

Either way, when magic is used opportunely, it impairs the character’s development and robs the readers of adequate tension and suspense in the scene.

Fantasy is the genre I beta read the most of, and a handful of over-qualified stories with exemplary characters and plots have crossed my desk. Shane Smith and Scott Killian come to mind right off the bat. But I have read enough fantasy novels with these three struggles that it was worth mentioning.

Do you have any recommendations for fantasy authors that I missed? Do you have a favorite fantasy author or fantasy book?

Thank you for reading!

Beta Read Scam

Beta readers beware of this scam! On my latest beta read, I spent sixteen hours providing pages worth of notes on how the author could improve his 161-page manuscript. He had significant plot holes, world building deficiencies, and vulgar language that needed much work. I, as any of my clients will attest to, cannot let issues in a manuscript go unnoticed as my goal is to improve the quality of a story so it can thrive as the strongest version of itself. But when I got to the final page of the manuscript, the author leaves this note:

“If you enjoyed my novel, I would be grateful if you could spend a few minutes to leave a review on my Amazon book page – USA”

I was devastated. I had just typed up pages worth of suggested edits regarding the deep issues of this manuscript for nothing. This author had published this novel in November 2021 and had countless 5-star reviews from names lacking the “verified purchase” badge. One reviewer even said, “Didn’t read it.”

The author had hired me not to beta read, but to review his book on Amazon.

I refused to publish a review considering my report would have abolished the other 5-star reviews he had received. There is no way I could honestly praise any element of this book; my pages worth of notes will explain why.

Now, there’s no saying that this author could have known that I would be as thorough as I was or that I would invest as genuinely as I did. But being upfront would have saved me time and him money. He paid for a service that he ultimately did not receive. And I lost 16 hours that could have been used on an author who needs my feedback.

Quick facts:

Beta reading is a service provided to catch errors in a written piece of work such as plot holes, character development, lack of world building, etc.Beta reading usually occurs pre-publication but can also occur post-publication if the author plans to revise the novel, then upload the new manuscript.Amazon has a zero-tolerance policy for buying reviews, and will flag authors suspected of such, thus limiting their ability to sell on the site.

From now on, I will scroll to the final page of the manuscript prior to beginning my read. I suggest any of my fellow beta readers out there do the same.

(Author’s Note: The fact that there are so many reviewers who were not verified purchasers proves that others have accepted payment to falsely review this book. I am in no position to judge if accepting payment to post reviews is something others do, but I do strongly believe in upfront honesty. I believe if this author had approached me outside of my beta reading business, offered his book for free on Kindle Unlimited, and politely asked me to review it, I likely would have because of his honest conduct. But to misleadingly hire me with the ulterior motive to gain a 5-star review that his novel does not deserve goes against my morals.)

Featured Image Credit: Anna Tarazevich

Beyond my Understanding

Ever been on a date then get dumped right after and wonder to yourself, “Why God?” The date seemed to go well from your perspective, you thought you hid all the tiny imperfections that would have ruined your chances with your date, you just don’t understand why. Worse than that, you might only get some vague answer from your date like, “I just didn’t see us going anywhere” or even worse than that, no explanation at all.

Back in March 2022, I went on a date just like this. And the guy I had thought was Heaven sent gave me no clarity as to why we never tried for a second date. But that’s okay, because nine months later, God did.

First Date

Through Facebook, I met a man unlike any man I’d dated before. He was successfully established in life with a house of his own, a job he was passionate about, he was a loving and involved dad to his three-year-old daughter. But best of all, he was insanely in love with God. Initially, I wasn’t attracted to him physically and had no romantic feelings whatsoever. But after spending time as friends, I thought God was offering an opportunity through this man for a sense of security and holy establishment I had never had before in life. So we shifted gears and tried a romantic angle through a cooking date.

The entire night as we cooked and baked went dreamily well. We ate and talked, but something was off. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Date Night

Then comes the time at the end of the night where we’re getting close, he’s holding me in his arms, and I know it’s time to kiss.

And I have a panic attack.

I can’t look him in the eye. I squirm in fear wanting to get away from him. I can’t breathe.

There was no explanation for what happened in that moment. I had been on dates before and kissed men on the first date without hesitation. This was different. Weirdest of all, he had done nothing wrong to conjure up these feelings in me. I remember just being very aware that there was a bed in the house and that I wanted to do everything in my power not to end up there.

I thought it was my abusive past resurfacing and interceding in the date, and for months after this night, I felt a painful regret that I had let the past interfere with my potential future. For it was the panic attack during the first date that disabled me from having any future dates with this man.

But it turns out, it wasn’t my fear of the past that caused the panic attack. It was God’s wisdom acting as intuition in the present.

The First Nightmare

My date’s reasoning provided me no clarity as to why we wouldn’t try for a second date. My response to the situation was to do what I do with every situation in life: I searched for God’s purpose in it. Why did I go on that date for You, God? Why did that panic attack happen? In the end, I knew that there was no logical reason; it must have been divine intervention. God acted in that moment for a reason I did not understand yet.

Fast forward through the heartache of regret and mourning what could have been between me and this guy. We stopped talking for seven months. God worked in and through me, He healed my scars from my dad when I was a girl, and He broke the chains tethering me to my abusive past. I had officially given my life to Christ in my heart and was preparing to get baptized. On the list of guests I wanted to invite, I added my date’s name. His faith was always sound to me, and I thought it would be a great way to open the door to friendship. I wrote him a letter detailing how God had moved in my heart and life in the months he had been gone. And after sealing the letter, I prayed over it. I asked God, “Show me what you want me to do with him. What is Your will, Father?” And I laid down to take a quick thirty-minute nap because God speaks to me through my dreams. What God revealed to me would be the cusp of the explanation I had been waiting for for nine months.

In the dream, I was in the driver’s seat of my old blue Taurus, and in the seat directly behind me was my date. But in the rearview mirror, he wasn’t himself, he was my ex-husband who is seen in my life as one word: “villain”. When I turned around to look at my date in person, he was himself. But when I looked back in the rearview mirror, he was my ex-husband, he was a villain.

I didn’t understand the dream because I had never seen this guy be villainous. I had never seen his behavior contradict his faith. He had never physically hurt me. He wasn’t like my husband at all. So, why was God showing me this? Because God knew what I didn’t. He knew my date’s nature.

Demonic Nightmare

Before my baptism, I hadn’t received any messages from my date but I had a divine feeling he was going to be there in person. And it weighed heavily on my mind how I should react to him after the dream in which God spoke to me.

One night before my baptism, God spoke to me again. I was in an abandoned building when three carpeted stairs appeared leading up into a kitchen. I ascended them curiously because the room was out of place. When I got to the top, I saw my date in a red apron whisking something in a silver mixing bowl. He welcomed me, saying, “Hi, Danny. How are you?” I panicked in the dream, saying, “No, no, no, no” as I tried to escape. But I couldn’t. The entrance was blocked off. I was trapped there with him, and I was awfully afraid of him.

I carefully maneuvered around the kitchen island to be behind him. He had his back to me while he worked with the food on the countertop. I watched him, waiting for the attack, sensing it was coming. And then a demon a head taller than him lifted its head and stepped out of my date’s body. The demon turned to face me. It was naked, all white, and it had facial features that were blurred as if in the background of a photo. Because it was the scar across his face that mattered most. It was a faint red scar stretching from his right eye down below his nose and across his lips. And he turned to me with every intent to destroy me.

Rendition of the scar-faced demon drawn by my 9-year-old son, Cristiano

Demons like this are not a foreign manifestation to me. There’s a reason I write spiritual warfare. I naturally raised my hand and rebuked the demon in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It kept him at bay, and he got agitated enough to attack. But then, I heard something across the kitchen and realized my children were present and fighting another demon. This one, a clown dressed in black and white. His face with a gnarly grin, black diamonds drawn over his inhuman eyes. He was more terrifying than what I was fighting. And that clown demon took a swipe at my seven-year-old daughter. She dodged it in the name of God and fought back. Then he took a swipe at my nine-year-old son. He dodged it and with his sister, they trapped the clown demon with scripture they’d memorized.

I woke up in war mode, ready to fight.

But with no understanding.

Yet.

The Email That Changed Everything

Come Sunday, December 4th, I got baptized. And my date showed up to it. In my eyes, we were on our way to becoming friends. But I never forgot the dreams. I knew I didn’t understand them. I still regretted that moment in the kitchen as my biggest failure in life.

Until December 7th when God changed everything. Led by Spirit without full understanding as to why she did it, my date’s ex-girlfriend reached out to me through my email offered on my website. She explained when she had dated the guy, how they had broken up, but she had seen pictures of me on his Facebook and had reached out guided by divinity.

It turns out that through her, God would explain everything.

The dates when she dated this guy matched perfectly when our date happened. Her and I had been contingencies for one another. And he had started dating her almost immediately after dumping me after our first date.

Not only that, but he lied to her regarding his personal principles that my memories countered.

As a new woman coming into the faith, he risked destroying her walk with God by leading her further into sin through premarital sex. Not only that, but he chose sex over his now four-year-old daughter in ways I never thought he would have.

I know what you’re thinking: this is just one woman’s experience with this guy and there’s no proof anything she’s saying is true.

Except…God. Remember the dreams? God revealed the nature of this guy before this woman did. God revealed that this guy was my ex-husband (a cheater and liar). Having contingencies when dating is the nature of a cheater. Not only that, but he is dating a woman at the moment and never told me that when he came alone to my baptism. I am a woman mature in her faith, so sex before marriage was out of the question. But remember on the first date when I had been aware of there being a bed present and didn’t want to end up there? That was God telling me the true nature of the man I was standing with. That despite me being unwilling to end up in bed on the first date, the guy would have been had I offered.

In that email, everything made sense.

God saved me and my children from a wolf in sheep’s clothing. From a man of God who did not practice what he preached.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:15/ Photo Credit: Riley Alexander Leacox

The moment in the kitchen that had been my biggest regret in life had become my greatest moment of salvation. God delivered me from entering a damaging relationship like the one I’d had with my ex-husband.

God, knowing the heart of the guy and knowing the future, had protected me like a Father protects his daughter. And the mourning I felt after that kitchen date feeling like I had failed God by not overcoming my past, God relieved in me saying, “I knew it would hurt you when I took him away from you; but I knew it would hurt you even more if I gave him to you.”

God saved me.

Sometimes, when it’s a “no”, it’s really just a “not yet.” But other times when it’s a “no,” it’s because it’s really an “it’s not good for you.” This is why Job 37:5 says, “He does great things beyond our understanding.” This is why we are called to praise God and find joy even when things don’t work out the way we want them to; because they are working out the way He wants them to. Never forget that God is omniscient, He knows all. Therefore, He knows what you don’t about the person you’re dating. And if God says “no,” it’s for your protection not your hurt.

I praise God to this day that He intervened in the kitchen that night. That I never got a second date. That He came roaring on scene to save me from emotional and relational captivity. Thank you, God.

So next time you get dumped without explanation, don’t wait to hear why from your date. Listen for God’s explanation and He’ll tell you everything you want to know. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and you shall receive.” God told me why, and He’ll tell you too.

Has God ever revealed to you how He saved you from dating someone that was no good for you?

3 Books I’ve Beta Read (Now Published)

Mexico, Margaritas, and Murder by: Wendy Day

After her grumpy husband dies, Sally throws out his thread-worn plaid recliner, cashes the life insurance check, and lets her spunky best friend, Pearl, drag her to Mexico for an all-inclusive vacation using their Senior Citizen’s discount.

They kayak, sing karaoke, and spy on the next-door nudist resort. Sally’s not sure if it’s the sun or tequila, but she is truly having fun for the first time in her life.

That is until a fellow guest turns up dead.

While Sally fearfully packs her bags for home, Pearl insists they stay and get to the bottom of what’s happened.

Together, they become crime-fighting seniors who refuse to let the bad guys win.

I absolutely love these two feisty old women! Wendy says her novel is “Golden Girls meets Thelma and Louise,” and that couldn’t be truer. What an unpredictable adventure full of laugh out loud moments, a deserved love story, and a murder mystery you’ll have a blast solving! Love me some realistic villains, and the old lady humor is definitely the staple of this book. I can’t recommend this novel highly enough.

I Lied For You by: Zee David

Brie Owen, a journalist who is haunted by the past, decided to leave Denton Falls behind her.

When bodies of recently murdered girls turn up with the same MO as a killer from her past; Brie questions everything she thought was the truth.  

After receiving a call from the killer wanting to play a game; Brie wonders if she will ever escape her dark past.

Evil lurks in every shadow, leering at her attempted escape.

Her nemesis Detective Anita is back in her life, threatening the life Brie has built for herself. 

A tale of a cat and mouse, both women try to find the truth about what happened that day in the woods and also unveil the killer.

The best part of a mystery novel is when the readers get to engage in solving the mystery. I definitely felt apart of the investigation. Yet, just when I thought I had it all figured out, Zee David would throw me for a loop and make me question everything I thought I knew. I can’t wait to read book two and see what’s in store for Brie and Detective Anita. I honestly didn’t want book one to end!

Midpoint by: Patricia Angeles

Midpoint: A Memoir is an immigrant woman’s story of perseverance and building a legacy future generations can be proud of.

Patricia Angeles is at the midpoint of the average human lifespan. Decades of experience, mistakes, love, and loss have led her to contemplate what anyone might when they’ve lived half their life. “What kind of legacy am I leaving behind? What do I want my friends and family to remember after I’m gone? What are the biggest life lessons I can impart while I’m still here?”

Through this collection of personal stories, Patricia attempts to assess her answers to these questions, and perhaps encourage others to do the same. Spanning from her childhood in Manila to her immigration and life in Los Angeles, these stories touch on her youth, her acclimation to American culture, her remarkable career in the world of banking, her thoughts on motherhood, the important people who made her who she is today, and major events that forever changed the trajectory of her life.

I don’t read memoirs simply because I don’t feel like I learn much from them, but Patricia’s memoir had so much heart and sincerity, and the questions she asked herself really prompted me to reflect on my own life. I can’t believe there is so much substance in only 166 pages. Midpoint is a wholesome read with themes all of us can relate to.

Unpublished? Why?

February 25th, 2022, I published my first novel titled Cursed by Cobrador. So why is it “out of print” now? Simple: God told me to.

Revival weekend at Abundant Life. Pastor Chad Glover is preaching a powerful message on forgiveness when he drops this bomb line, “Forgiveness is a decision to release the person…” We were sitting up in the nose bleeds of the Lee’s Summit campus, and it was in this moment that Pastor Chad said this line that I heard God call me from across the auditorium. The way He called my name, I knew He had a mission for me. I turned to His voice, and I said, “No, no, no. Not this one, Father.” And God said, “In order to fully forgive him, you have to release him from who he was.”

Abundant Life (Lee’s Summit)–Revival Weekend

In case y’all didn’t know, I was in captivity with my ex-husband for ten years before I was freed by God. I was married to abuse and neglect, fear and submission. At the seven-year mark, I separated myself and my kids from my husband and spent the next four years rebuilding my life. Got a job, earned a car, published my book, legally divorced my husband, and got a place of my own. God lifted me out of the valley of the shadow of death into this current paradise. So what do us Christians always want to do when God moves in our lives? We want to glorify Him, magnify His praise; we want to tell our story.

Hence Cursed by Cobrador: the story of how God saved me from my ex-husband. In the book, I portrayed my ex-husband through the main villain, Salvador. All the drug use, the anger, the abuse, every evil thing he done was written into this character’s identity.

Helizar (demon) was the manifestation of my ex-husband’s character.

And that day on Revival weekend, God said to me, “As long as that book is published, you’re preserving [ex-husband] as the villain he was, you’re not fully forgiving him.”

In response I said, “So, you want me to take down the four years of work I’ve just spent to publish this book? The thousands of dollars I’ve spent on my cover art, my marketing, and my editing…You mean all of that was for nothing?”

I know God’s character better than that. The book being published wasn’t for nothing. I gained the experience and publication knowledge. But you know what I lost? The sacrifices I had to make to make this dream come true?

Naturally my next question to God was, “You mean he gets to hurt me one more time?”

God replied, “You’re hurting my son by holding him captive to who he was.”

And that devastated me to think that I was trapping my ex-husband spiritually like he had trapped me physically. No one deserved that captivity.

At the end of the church service, after I’d completed my conversation with God, Pastor Chad opened up the altar for prayer, so I went down. I collapsed to my knees at the foot of the Cross and said, “God, I know what this will cost me. But I’m willing to follow Your command. I’m willing to fully forgive him for all he did to me.”

So, I unpublished the book on Amazon.

The next day while I was at work, a spark of thought struck me in the middle of my shift. I scrambled to get to paper and a pen as God detailed the entire plot for how I was going to rewrite the story to His glory. The tears I cried that day weighed tremendously with gratitude. Because God saw my hurt but refused to leave me there. He didn’t just say, “Give up your book.” He said, “Give up this book, and I’ll give you a better one.”

Cursed by Cobrador is no longer available for purchase. But don’t worry. Here soon, you’ll be able to read the story as God wrote it in my life.

If you want to see the Revival weekend sermon Pastor Chad preached, you can find it here.

Abundant Life Church

Why “Prayer Works” Doesn’t Work

Have you ever been suffering through the valley of the shadow of death and someone advises you to “pray about it” because “prayer works?” I remember being told this before I had my faith. And I remember being discouraged when I prayed to no avail. Did God not hear me? Or did He simply not care about my prayer? Knowing what I know now, neither of those answers are the truth.

Prayer Saved Hezekiah

In Isaiah 38 we learn about Hezekiah, the twelfth king of Judah. God had sent the prophet Isaiah to forewarn Hezekiah that his death was imminent, and preparations needed to be made. Hezekiah, however, decided instead to bow and pray.

Credit: Pinterest

In reaction to Hezekiah’s prayer, God sent Isaiah back with a new message, “I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.” (v. 5) The story closes out with Hezekiah saying, “The Lord was ready to save me” (v. 20).

From Hezekiah’s story we have proof that by faith, prayer works to change circumstances. That God hears our prayers and cares deeply about them. But there is more to this story than even that. Let’s take a look at another example, one where prayer didn’t “work.”

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Prior to the crucifixion at Calvary, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane fully aware of the torture He was about to endure on the cross. So He prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39) This prayer He repeated a total of three times before returning to His disciples saying, “the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” (Matthew 26:45)

Credit: Pinterest

What we see here is Jesus praying in the garden for the cup to be passed from Him. He’s asking God, “If there is any other way, please pass the responsibility from me.” And God (I’d like to imagine weeping) replied, “There is not, my Son.”

In this story, we see that despite Jesus Christ asking not to, He still had to die on the cross. Only He (a perfect man) could undo the fall done by Adam (a sinful man). It HAD to happen, and it HAD to be Jesus. That was the will of God.

Predestination

So, why did prayer work for sinner Hezekiah and not the righteous Messiah? Because of predestination. Hezekiah living another fifteen years allowed the works of the Lord to continue being done, and he still died at the end of them. The plan, much like God’s original plan for mankind, was merely delayed not destroyed. God’s will was still done.

On the other hand, if Jesus had not died at Calvary, God’s plan to redeem Man through the sacrificial blood of the Lamb would have been destroyed, not delayed. ONLY Jesus could accomplish this. There was no one else. There never would be. And there was no better time than the present.

This is why when we pray, we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” and then “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Because we are asking for our needs, but expressing our understanding that God’s will is what we truly seek.

Faith Makes a Difference

In Matthew 21:22 Jesus says, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

When you pray, pray for what you need believing you’ve already received it. And remember that God’s timing is flawless. Just because it doesn’t happen that day, that week or when you’re expecting, doesn’t mean He isn’t moving. Faith is believing without seeing.

In Philippians 4:6-7 we are told, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanskgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” And Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and you shall receive.” Memorize and absorb these verses. Matthew 6:8 tells us “Your Father knoweth what thing ye have need of before ye ask Him.” God knows what we need, and when we ask for it, He provides as He did for Hezekiah.

If He instead answers your prayer like He answered Jesus’, “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). We will find joy in the outcome regardless because it fulfills God’s will, and God promises to provide us peace through said outcome.

Prayer works…with God’s will. Predestination is the reason some prayers seemingly go unanswered: because what you’re asking will be against God’s will, it will destroy His plan. When you pray seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, every prayer will be answered.

Take these wallpapers with you for encouragement:

Credit: PinterestCredit: PinterestCredit: Pinterest

What prayers has God answered for you recently?

Where Have I Been?

Thought I was dead, didn’t you?

That’s awfully dramatic, Danny. Well, when it’s been months since a blogger’s last post, they’ve either dropped off the face of the earth or they’re a quitter. I assure you I am not the latter, and I promise I’m not ghostwriting this post…A little writing humor for you there.

Okay, seriously, you want to know?

With both hands over my eyes, Jesus has been guiding me toward a surprise He’s been working on for twenty-eight years. Finally, He’s uncovered my eyes, and I see the plans He has for me. A major career change. A rescue mission. A marriage. A vision for this site. And many other details that don’t quite make sense yet.

The Vision

In the time I was away, I was considering converting my site to a writer’s blog. But every time I opened that browser and saw Jesus defeating the darkness, I felt overwhelmingly compelled to remain Christian-centered. I wouldn’t by any standards classify myself as an expert in Christian theology. But I know when writing and Christianity go head-to-head in my heart, my passion is always greater for Christ than for my trade. The amount of content I want to share about Jesus is unmeasurable.

Years ago, God spoke to me in a dream in broken grammar so I would never forget His calling. He spoke through a stranger at a dollar store and called me by a name only my earthly dad had called me. A name not many of my friends know I legally have. And God said, “You are the bringer of the word of God to the people.” That is why I launched this site in the beginning, and it will be the main source of content on this site as long as there is breath in my lungs.

The Career Change

Since August, I’ve been beta reading as a secondary source of income. Beta reading is a skill I’d acquired as part of the writing community on Twitter. Honing in on my ability to read fast and my knack for thoroughness, I’ve become quite an asset for writers in the final stages before publication. But I always advise others, “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” Taking my own advice, I launched a side business on Fiverr. Turns out, not only am I pretty good at this beta reading gig, but I also really love it. So, come spring, I hope to step down in my day job and become a full-time beta reader and copyeditor. Pray for my strength, savings, and success!

The Rescue Mission

I am, as all Christians are, called to lead the lost sheep home. I am actively pursuing my “One” all while sharing the gospel to everyone I meet who will listen, and never giving up on those who are closest to me yet furthest from God. Jesus called us to go make disciples. To multiply the kingdom of God here. Jesus called, and I answered with, “Send me.”

The Marriage

There will be a separate post regarding this one, so keep your eye out for that!

Regardless of where I’ve been, I’m back now. Thank you all so much for staying and supporting! What have you been up to?

The Curse of the Mountain by Tyler Cram

Synopsis

Death stalks a town. An ancient evil. A long-buried secret.

A young officer responding to a call in the middle of the night about chickens being slaughtered turns into a night of reckoning when a deadly creature emerges from the woods.

Years later, while on a hike in the North Carolina wilderness, four friends discover an old book. When they open it, they black out – only to find on waking that they have released the evil things that live within the pages.

As they fight to keep their neighbors from dying, they unravel a dark secret that the leaders of their town have held since their ancestors first settled.

But can the boys really stop the devil?

Evaluation

Keep the lights on and don’t read before bed! The grim, vivid imagery is what nightmares are made of, and the unholiness of the demon will infest your mind. If you dare read it before bed, at least say your prayers first.

Instantly Relatable Characters

Wally, Dan, Ray, and James are four teen boys graduating high school. Each of their back stories, uncovered at just the right length, reveal an instantly relatable personality. Ray, racially bullied; Dan whose mother’s health suffered; James, struggling with his love life; and Wally, ridden with guilt over his sister’s disappearance. All characters going through personal stuff, just like we did when we were their age.

That instant connectivity to these boys made every one of them valuable to the reader. And when the antagonist is the bringer of death, having characters so close to home makes every interaction between hero and villain an edge of your seat battle.

Stephen King, Clive Barker, and…the Prophets of the Lord?

Cram’s writing styles closely resembled Barker’s barbaric darkness and King’s imaginative villain It. The way the demon in Cram’s book manifested and transformed its host reminded me instantly of King’s iconic shape-shifting clown. Especially the boy-spider the characters happen upon in Cram’s novel; the transformation from innocence to massive evil flawlessly mirrored It.

Clive Barker is the author of Hellbound Heart and the director of the well-known film adaptation Hellraiser. If you’ve read/seen them, you know the Cenobites are merciless hellions who brutally torture their victims before dragging them to Hell. Blood is just the beginning with them…and the grimness in Cram’s book not only suited his Hell-summoned villain, but it induced a level of fear that made me dread having nightmares after reading.

“The blade was rusted from jagged tip to hilt. Warm, waxy liquid dripped over her hand.”

Page 8

The most surprising of Cram’s inspirations was the Bible itself. He referred to specific Biblical names (not the most well-known) and correlated them with the story with familiarity. I absolutely loved that element. Especially the way he twisted Catholicism EXACTLY the way the Devil does. It’s accurate and not a way you’d catch Christians writing. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true, and that part might be the most terrifying of the whole book.

“…Jesus had been vandalized. Horns were added, painted with red. The glass itself changed somehow. He looked happy, a mischievous smile, no agony on his face. Mary’s hand that was on Jesus’s stomach had a knife in it. Blood streamed from the wound down the glass and left a shallow, burgundy oval pool on the concrete of the church doors. James was scared…”

Page 111

…and so was I after reading that.

I also found the twisted Biblical references suitable considering the villain the book focused on. The example ahead is a perfect description of how the Devil manipulates the Bible to suit his tastes: “The Decayed with the taillight eyes lead the pack of a dozen. Their last supper which consisted of the souls of downtown Roanville.” (page 186)

Downfalls

The end of the book felt the most unrealistic, and that says a lot because the entire 200 pages it took to get there were packed with supernatural entities and unbelievable events. But the reaction of the townspeople felt unnatural, the parents were unnaturally accepting, and the end before the epilogue felt like a forced happily ever after.The sequel bait came AFTER the epilogue in a final chapter with an explanation that we desperately needed. I thought it was weird, especially since readers often never read anything past the epilogue (if they read the epilogue itself). But it was weird because the final chapter wasn’t marked as a means to READ ON. Maybe it’s the way the book is formatted, but I honestly thought that final chapter was a teaser for Cram’s next book.The editing was almost painfully lazy. Sorry, but it’s the truth. I wouldn’t say anything if it was a missed period here, a misspelled word there. This was almost every other page, and it got worse toward the end of the book. Characters names were missing letters, the spelling was so confusing I had to read sentences twice, periods were often commas instead, it got confusing sometimes and the cosmetic errors distracted from the mood Cram worked so hard to build in each scene.In the end, I have no idea what Chapter 1 had to do directly with this book. I think Cram was setting us up to understand the succubus or the origin of this demon, but the fact that it happened centuries ago and then didn’t directly tie back into THIS story with the boys made it seem completely unnecessary and irrelevant. And the fact that so much of that chapter picked at the Christian in me (I almost gave up on the book the first time I read that chapter, I was slightly livid). So why include it?

Overall, this book was an unforgettable read. The nightmarish darkness was mastered by Cram, and the images it leaves us with are truly haunting. Pick up your copy today, if you’re brave enough to handle the Curse of the Mountain.

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Frankenstein (Series) by Dean Koontz

If we’re talking the monster of all Halloween monsters, Frankenstein’s monster out-scares most. A creature stitched together with multiple body parts from several corpses, given birth by lightning, and having no soul, the Frankenstein monster is a true fright of nature.

Dean Koontz, master of imagination, rewrote our classic tale with a scientific upgrade meant for modern minds. With a god-complex the size of New York City, Victor Frankenstein is convinced he will replace every flawed human with one of his perfect specimens (creatures born in tanks who are nearly immortal). If not for one opposition: his first creation freed from imprisoned willpower, Deucalion. With the help of two homicide detectives, Michael-the-comic-relief-Maddison and Carson-the-baddie-O’Connor, Deucalion stands a chance at defeating the madman who created him.

Book 1: Prodigal Son

Wow! What a book. First, to tackle…no, to even contemplate tackling such a classic story and put a scientific, theological twist on it is ballsy. But then to execute such a daring attempt with expertise and finesse is breathtaking talent. Koontz definitely told a better Frankenstein story than I’ve ever heard in my life.

His tone and voice are refreshing, his writing is sheer brilliance. I’ve never read anything so simplistically genius in my life. His insight to psychology, science, and anatomy strike life to his plot, but it’s his presentation of his knowledge that provides a clear-cut resonance with the audience. What an amazing read. Definitely recommended to any and everyone, regardless if you enjoy science fiction or not.

Book 2: City of Night

The well-written journey I expected, with twists I never saw coming. A tragedy of emotional and soulful deprivation woven into this non-stop, action-packed adventure.

I love his style. I love his language. I love his creativity and imagination. I would love to live in this side of his imagination. It’s genius. There are some parts—rather it be Koontz as a writer or his editor—but some scenes where the words fit so right it was blissful. It was the exact word I needed to feel that experience. It was an incredible read. Would definitely read it again. Can’t wait for the next book.

Book 3: Dead and Alive

The ending of the book was obviously not the end of the series, even though I had been convinced it was only three books in length. One of my favorite techniques of Koontz is his ability to end his stories unexpectedly. I honestly anticipate every book to turn out differently than they do, and each time I’m more satisfied with his ending than I ever would be if he proved my assumption correct.

Book 4: Lost Souls

The science in this book wasn’t quite as realistic as the science in the first book. Then again, I’m unfamiliar with nanotechnology, so this could be a very well-thought, scientific statement. As a common reader, unfamiliar with science and technology in quite the same depth as Koontz, the ability of the Builders was too alienistic for my taste. It diminished the fear I felt toward the antagonists.

I was also not thrilled with Carson and Michael’s development. In the course of one book, they transitioned from bad ass partners as cops to a married couple with a baby, working as private investigators. It was a dramatic character change, and I feel like us getting to see them as a married couple would have been sufficient character development. Leaping right into parenthood was too big a step from one book to another, considering at the end of book 3 they weren’t even dating.

Granted, there was a significant time gap between book three and four, which wasn’t specified, it was supposed to be assumed by the audience. If that time gap had occurred in the first three books, I would have expected that and been more accepting of the dramatic change in Carson and Michael’s lives. But because the first three books consisted within a tightly woven schedule, the fourth book coming in suddenly at years later without forwardly stating this made it challenging.

I would have been more content leaving the characters in the state they were in at the end of book 3. It would have been a great trilogy.

The book was my least favorite of the installment.

Book 5: Dead Town

So glad I finished this book. The nail-biting suspense combined with the kick-ass cast made this book the ultimate climax of the series. Combined with a satisfying death of our all-time resented mastermind behind world purification and destruction, monsters immune to injury, and enough well-established points of view to create an entire town’s perspective of this crumbling catastrophe, the story played out divinely and wrapped up perfectly.

Grabbing this book was easy, putting it down was hard.

With the death of so many good townspeople, including children and those we rooted for, and the survival of so many characters we had come to know and love, the reality of the incident was my favorite aspect to this installment of the series.

The ability of the Builders became more frightful in this installment, mostly because I feel as though realizing what aspect of science they were made their ability clearer. In the previous book, it was harder to imagine small robotic structures capable of what they were doing to others. But in this book, Koontz had a more precise explanation. The fact that they were indestructible aroused a fear that every villain should be comprised of. Their only true death was by the death of their maker.

The different perspectives of the characters and their oblivious interaction with one another added to a climatic ending chapter that had me on the edge of my seat. I watched this book play out like a movie. This was the experience of a lifetime.

Koontz’s writing was by far the best in this book. His allusions and descriptive language painted the picture so vividly and fluently that I was able to relax while reading. Nothing was hard to imagine, and everything was so realistic, so fruitful to grasp that it created an enjoyable adventure.

I loved this book, it’s my favorite from the series, and I would read it a hundred times again. Perfect ending to an incredibly well-written, original series.

Book 1 of the Frankenstein series is available on Amazon. I highly recommend you buy, but am warning you’ll become hooked!

10 Verses in 10 Days Challenge

Recently, my children and I hosted a 10 Verses in 10 Days challenge where we memorized Scripture to armor up against the tactics of the Devil. As the week progressed, it was impressive to see my kids quoting Scripture to me and applying verses to their daily lives. Leading this challenge strengthened me, too, because every verse I memorized was like a stroke to sharpen the Sword of the Spirit.

How the Challenge WorksChoose 10 verses you want to memorize.

I chose verses that I find myself frequently struggling to quote to my children. You can create a theme between the verses (such as fear, pride, obedience, etc.) or choose verses from one book at a time (Ephesians, Galatians, Romans, and Matthew are some of the first ones I recommend to others). If you’re struggling with a specific sin, pinpoint verses surrounding that specific sin to help you overcome it. I recommend using KJV or NLT formats of the Bible when choosing verses.

Bible Study Tools does a great job collecting verses with a common theme, like fear, and compiling them into an easy-to-read list. They also provide the Bible verses in wallpaper form so you can add them to your phone’s home/lock screen or post them to social media giving the verse more visibility throughout your day.Open Bible Info is one of my favorite sites to quickly look up a Bible verse if it’s slipped my mind. Their easy-to-navigate site offers dozens of Bible verses on a specific topic.

2. Post those verses any and everywhere that you frequent throughout the day.

Each day, I would write the verse of the day on my refrigerator message board. At breakfast, my children and I would recite the verse together. Before they would climb on the bus, I would recite the piece of Scripture and ask them to quote the book, chapter and verse it belonged to. I also allowed my daughter to write the verses on her bedroom mirror.

Anywhere and everywhere you can post the verse, do it. The more visibility you give the verse, the more likely you are to stay focused on it, practice it, and thus memorize it.

3. Each day, introduce a new verse.

Do this while practicing the verses you’ve memorized from previous days in the challenge. The point of the challenge isn’t for you to walk away with one verse on the final day, but to walk away with an arsenal of Biblical weapons so when the Devil comes for you, you can stop him in his tracks with, “It is written…”

4: On the 10th day, test yourself.

I typed out the verses in a 2×10 chart, cut them out, and had us match the pieces.

You can create a list of verses and then prompt yourself to write the corresponding books and chapter that match, or vice versa. You can do flashcards. Have a brother or sister in Christ test you. Do memory cards where you flip over index cards trying to match the piece of Scripture to its verse. Whatever test type works best for you!

Why Memorize Scripture?

In Matthew 4, Jesus went into the wilderness and was tempted by the Devil. As the perfection He is, Jesus conquered temptation that day with three words, “It is written…” Because Jesus knew what God had said, He was able to call out the lies of the Enemy.

In Hosea 4:6, God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Without knowing the Word of God, we have nothing to compare the voice of the Devil to.

If we want to cut sin out of our lives, we must arm ourselves. Jesus showed us how in Matthew 4, and Hebrews 4:12 tells us the weapon to choose, “For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.”

Verses We MemorizedJoin us for the Next #10Versesin10Days Challenge!

Find me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and we’ll memorize Scripture together!

The next challenge will take place on October 3rd-13th.