R. Frederick Riddle's Blog, page 53

Full Time

Serving the Lord is always a full time job, but choosing to serve Him full time in a specific job, ministry, or activity is a choice that needs much prayerful considerations. An example of this is my recent retirement from one type of service (church financial secretary) to serve in another area. Although the idea floated around in my mind for years, it was a year ago that I decided it was time.

How did I know? Well, there were signs along the way, the most prominent being the after results of a 2014 heart attack. That prompted my wife to suggest I needed to consider retiring when I reached 75 (which I just did). But while that was important it was the physical and mental results of the heart attack that really spoke loud and clear to me.

When I first became a church financial secretary up in Michigan, my pastor pointed out to me that the management of church finances was different than managing business finances. You’re managing God’s money! Which means that whereas a business can accept and even write-off errors, there is no room for errors in God’s economy. I bought into this and believe it to be true to this very day. But after my heart attack I found I could not focus as sharply or as long as previously and mistakes were being made. This was unacceptable. So in May of 2017 I informed my pastor I would be retiring in May 2018.

That day has come. But God didn’t call me to retire to sit around doing nothing. He has work for me to do. And the direction He wants me to go has become apparent in recent years although I’m still learning what that entails.

Having now retired from my part-time job of Financial Secretary I am now a full-time writer, whereas before I was a part-time writer. But time is not the only thing that has changed. For example, while I will continue writing this blog I plan for it to be far more active than once a week. More on that later.

In short, my efforts in writing, publishing, and marketing are going to require greater diligence. That means a restructured daily life. Whereas before these duties were primarily done “when opportunity arises,” which often meant working evenings as well as daytime, now I need to have a more structured schedule. I need to have daily priorities.

What makes this more difficult is that working for the church I had three different men I reported to, one of which was my supervisor or boss. While he trusted me and allowed me great freedom, he was still my immediate boss. But now I’m the boss. That means I am not only responsible to myself, but for myself. Technically my wife, who is President of T&R Independent Books, is my boss but I have almost unlimited freedom to pursue our goals concerning the business.

But my real Boss is the Lord Himself. That hasn’t changed. Nor has His direction except that it is and I expect it will increasingly be more specific.

One of the changes being made is the name of this blog. First, it is necessary to have a name that more accurately portrays the blog; and second, it should be easier for people to find the blog. Previously this blog has been known as So You Want to Write and now is So You want to Serve. Both titles represented my interests. But sometimes I wander into other areas of interest including politics. Over the years I’ve blogged about serving, writing, business, politics, and the Bible.

So A New Name is Required

That new is not really all that new. It is actually found in my url address. Look at it and you’ll see RFrederickRiddleBlog. Best practices suggest that this should be the name I adopt and market. So beginning with my next blog it will be called R Frederick Riddle Blog.

Profound, isn’t it?

But honestly this will enable me to continue connecting with people like you and with new people. There may also be additional changes coming in the future but these are barely concepts right now. One difference you will notice is the frequency. Instead of once or twice a week my goal is to blog Monday through Friday. Watch and see how successful I am at meeting this goal.

So welcome to R Frederick Riddle Blog.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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The Trump Phenomenon

Normally I write about Christian service particularly as it impacts a writer. However today I want to address something that is obvious to me but apparently not so obvious to those with a liberal slant on life.

Once again we are being treated with “evidence” of wrong doing by President Trump. And once again the evidence smells. But here is what they are saying: According to a document submitted by Trump or others on his behalf (most likely) Trump reimbursed his former lawyer Cohen something like $250,000. This is cited as evidence that Trump withheld information that should have been revealed during the campaign. It is also implied that paying Stormy Daniels to keep silent about her allegations proves her allegations are true.

If you have been around for very long you understand that such payments often happen and have little to do with the truth or untruth of allegations, etc. The fact is that false allegations happen, but though later proved false they can have a devastating effect upon a person’s reputation.

I started out by saying this whole thing smells. Why do I say that? I have no inside information about the allegations, but I have observed that during the campaign and after the election the media and many others have slurred Trump, lied about Trump, and after the election have tried to force him out of office.

But why?

Again, I don’t have inside information as to their thinking, but it appears that they are still in denial over his election. They don’t understand how their “perfect” (yet very flawed) candidate Hillary Clinton lost. It must have been a conspiracy or collusion.

They still hold to this idea although every new piece of “evidence” is either debunked or shown to be unreliable at best. So instead of recognizing that Trump won fair and square they go back to the drawing boards and look for new evidence.

Again, I ask why?

Is it because they hate Trump? I don’t think so. Prior to his running and being elected Trump was respected by both parties. He was even at one time considered a friend of the Clinton’s. But when he announced his candidacy it all changed. Having observed the man I have come up with three reasons, maybe four reasons, for their scorn and perhaps hatred.

They don’t understand or appreciate Social Media. By this I mean that although the Democratic Party has used Social Media effectively they don’t understand it in relation to political spin. In the past they could spin things very successfully and fool enough voters to make a difference. But the internet has changed things. Now spin can be countered quickly and the fact it is spin revealed. But the Democrats continue their old habits anyway (some in the GOP have same problem).
They don’t understand a major shift in national politics. People are tired of the do-nothing politicians of both parties. They want action and they want the government to solve problems. More and more people are looking outside the traditional parties and are not interested in “pure” political themes, policies, etc. The people have become more conservative and the nation is considered right of center.
They don’t understand Trump. This is true of both parties. Trump is neither a liberal nor a conservative. He is what is called a populist, which the dictionary identifies as a person who represents or identifies with ordinary people. This suggests some of Trump’s decisions will be in the conservative realm while others may be in the liberal realm. Looking over his first year in office I would say his decisions have been definitely more conservative.
They have lost their way. The Democrats used to talk about having the big tent. By that they meant they included people of a wide variety. But that appears not to be true anymore if it ever was true. Now the party is safely in the hands of the far left and Reagan or centrist Democrats are left out in the cold. (Meanwhile the GOP is battling between old set-in-their ways centrist Republicans and the bold, medium to far right newcomers.)

Trump didn’t have to do any collusion because he early on identified with the ordinary people. His “America First” rang a bell across the nation with people tired of politics as usual and a undermining of the American Dream. Eight years of Obama proved the Democrats didn’t have the solution, and many people weren’t sure about the Republicans. But along came a man who could articulate their thoughts, fears, and hopes. And, on top of it all, Trump is a ‘take no prisoners’ type of guy. Whether in business, politics, or government he is bold, aggressive, and a winner.

Will allegations of past sins thwart Trump? I doubt it. As Christians we deplore such behavior (if true) but most Americans only give lip service to Christianity. And they have reason to doubt the honesty and accuracy of the allegations. But they also see that Trump keeps his promises (he’s either kept them or tried to keep them), that he still emphasizes the America First theme in both national and international relations, and that he has surrounded himself with men and women who are passionate about their jobs.

Trump’s numbers are climbing, a fact the news media would like to ignore. But both democratic and republican congressmen better be careful. Old line Republicans may find themselves replaced by men and women supporting the Trump Administration, and Democrats could be swept from office. If I was a Democrat I’d be worried.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Why Christian Science Fiction?

In my previous blog Announcing Death Ship I touched on the subject of Christian Science Fiction. I mentioned that to my knowledge CSF is not an existing genre. But there are significant differences between CSF and your run of the mill SF. Let’s do a review.

What is Christian Science Fiction? It is:

Futuristic
Space travel
Warp drive
Alien animals
Conflict
Exotic weapons
Far off planets
Spaceships
and more.

Just like science fiction. But the difference lies in what is missing. There:

A Christian worldview
No alien intelligent beings
No vulgar language
No extreme graphics

Why not just operate within traditional Science Fiction?

I may just end up doing that. But if I do I will probably continue to tag it as Christian Science Fiction. Why? Because I don’t want to deceive my potential audience. They will never see some being from another planet who is alien rather than human. Animals, may tend to be exotic, gigantic, or have other unearthly features but nothing that evokes evolution (evolution is non-Christian and is best known as Humanistic Evolution). While there may be Christians that actually believe in evolution it is a sign of their lack of Bible knowledge. So I will be upfront with them and anyone else who prefers traditional science fiction.

Is there a market for CSF?

I really don’t know and it would be very difficult to ascertain as this time. Since there isn’t any definitive genre as CSF it makes research that much harder. Having said that, I believe that the Left Behind series by LaHaye and Jenkins and other End Times novels are at least futuristic and possibly borderline science fiction. The only thing keeping them from being considered such is the lack of space travel, etc.

Probably my biggest argument for Christian Science Fiction is my personal preferences. Our world has been and is plagued by the nonsensical belief in evolution. It defies observable science, masquerades as scientific fact when it can only accurately be called a scientific theory. To be a fact it MUST be observable and repeatable which it is not (which is why Creationism is also a theory).

While it is possible that characters in my books may swear, I never allow the words to be spelled out. I have been against using swearing words in print long before I ever wrote my first book or (for that matter) became a Christian. It doesn’t add anything to a novel, often detracts from the book, and is just in bad taste. People who favor its use usually talk about reflecting the reality world; that everyone swears. But that isn’t any truer than to say everyone is slim. Some people swear a lot, some swear moderately, some swear a little, and some don’t swear at all. Let the reader supply the words just like they did in older fiction with symbols.

So the question was is there a market for CSF and I believe the answer is probably yes. Unless I am an aberration (a definite possibility) then there are others out there who believe the same as I do whether or not they are Christians. They may not be a huge market but they could be a decent size and profitable market.

How realistic can CSF be?”

Actually, it is more realistic than traditional science fiction. Somewhere within the story line there must be a track back to the Earth we know. Since I am, for example, establishing a whole new world there needs to be answers to how it all came to be. Death Ship will answer a lot of those questions. The next 2 books will provide additional answers even while speculative science becomes more pronounced.

There is another idea about reality. Star Trek and Star Wars books, and similar stories, create new worlds that have little, if any, relation to what is presently known about space. My book actually reflects a discovery about a real planet relatively close to Earth. It is possible, I suppose, for other CSF writers to invent imaginary worlds. I have no opposition to this since in fact I do invent an imaginary planet. But generally speaking the more often the reader can identify a real planet or weapon or anything else, the better.

Why do you emphasize the reader’s imagination?

I do that for any genre. And the answer is simple: A reader’s imagination is a tool that every successful writer seeks to stimulate and use. I make use of it in all my books. There are successful writers that I don’t like (their books) who violate my principles but they are still trying to make use of imagination. That is where graphics comes into play. Graphics are word pictures that can go to the nth degree.

As a writer you may have an ideal reader in mind, but you really don’t know what that reader is bringing to the table. Too much graphics can turn them off; too little graphics can be boring. That is the difficult part, finding the middle road that appeals to the widest audience without the author selling out.

But more important than that is the fact that it is the reader who determines the success or failure of a book. Some readers have very little imagination and some a great deal, but how they understand the book is directly related to their imagination. When I write a scene it at first reflects strictly my imagination. My job as a writer is to try to put myself in the reader’s shoes and edit the scene appropriately. Not an easy job, but important.

Do you think they’ll create a Christian Science Fiction genre?

Short answer is probably not. If authors start writing SCF books that prove to be successful then there will be pressure to create such a genre. I do believe that it will take time, perhaps years.

Do you plan on writing other CSF books other than Christland?

At this time the answer is no. Christland will involve a number of books over a period of years. That will keep me busy. Especially since I plan to write at least two more World That Was books and perhaps other Bible based books in the future.

Since I am now 75 it is safe to assume that such writings will take me into my 80’s and 90’’s.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), or World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One of Christland) I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review Death Ship.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Announcing Death Ship

I am proud to announce a new novel, Death Ship, that I have just published. You might also say I created a new genre, as well: Christian Science Fiction. I have been unable to find such a definitive genre although I have looked for it. Below is a quick take on the difference between traditional and Christian science fiction.

What is Christian Science Fiction? It is:

Futuristic
Space travel
Warp drive
Alien animals
Conflict
Exotic weapons
Far off planets
Spaceships
and more.

Just like science fiction. But the difference lies in what is missing. There:

A Christian worldview
No alien intelligent beings
No vulgar language
No extreme graphics

If you’ve read my books you know that I do cover such things as immorality, murder, and other types of sin, but I don’t get into the graphical nature. Aside from my Christian conscience I have discovered that all of these things are unnecessary and often detract from what would otherwise be a good book. Actually I came to this conclusion long before I ever became a Christian.

I am aware that there are readers and writers who disagree with me, but their arguments generally are weak. One of my cardinal rules of writing fiction is to leave the reader room to imagine. It enriches the story. This even applies to curse words. In the old days they used symbols to indicate swear words which allowed the reader to provide their own if they wanted to do so.

Today we live in a world where people want “realism,” yet often settle for sensationalism. It’s like reality TV is anything but real. That is sad. But just as Christian fiction takes a different route, Christian Science Fiction takes another route.

In Death Ship you have all the elements of good science fiction and so much more. You have the latest planet Ross 128 b, which was discovered in 2017; you have modern day inventions that either are currently existing or on the drawing boards. In addition, there is a spaceship that is definitely future yet already we see true science speculating about such ships.

The story revolves around a world in turmoil. World War III is started by assassinations of city and national leaders in England and Europe. These take place at the instigation of Arab terrorists. England, Europe, and the United States attack the terrorist’s camps bringing on a world war. While the Arab terrorist network is wiped out, the western world is weakened, including the United States. A new world government is formed and their first decision is to ban religion of all brands, including Christianity. But the Christians, although driven underground, remain faithful. This brings on the campaign to exterminate them that results in 80 Christians beings selected as scientific guinea pigs.

Placed onboard the Gardenia, a converted luxury Science Research ship, they are sent off into space to be used for scientific research. The ultimate aim is to crash into a Red Dwarf star (Gliese 876) and a fiery death. But General Abner Smith, eager to see how Christians would react in space to unexpected problems, has prepared the ship with obstacles for them to face. And he purposely chose Christians, unused to leadership roles, with both knowledge and experience. His goal is for them to rebel and take over the ship only to find that they remain in his hands.

Death Ship is now available on Amazon both in print and digital format.

Title: Death Ship

Series: Christland

Book #1

Publisher: T&R Independent Books

ISBN: 1986066045

ISBN-13: 978-1986066044

Pages: 254

Retail: $17.99

Ingram’s Availability: Yes

And because this book has just been published you have the opportunity to be among the very first reviewers. Don’t let that scare you, embrace it. If you took the time to read the book then you have the right to do a review. Read the book, Review the book, and Post the review on Amazon.com. For further information read the following paragraph.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), or World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One) I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review Death Ship.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and I will rush you a free PDF copy.

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Announcing World of Abraham

This special announcement comes to you my readers, fans, etc. first. I have published my latest book of the World That Was series. It is called World of Abraham.

I haven’t even placed it on my website yet, but that will be soon. But for now you are the first to see this newest novel.

Where can I get it?

Use this compressed url: https://amzn.to/2GVr3H6 for the print version. Or use this: https://amzn.to/2JKgWXp for the eBook edition.

The World of Abraham is Book 4 of the World That Was series. It follows the journey of Abraham, Sarah, and Lot as they leave Haran and begin following God’s call. It is a journey of faith that transforms Abraham into the father of the Jewish nation. It is also a journey that shows this great man of God to be very human with human strengths and weaknesses.

Throughout this book you see Abraham growing. And alongside him you see his wife Sarah who has her own personal journey of faith. Many of the problems that exist today can be traced back to their sins and failings, but the greatest gifts of all are also found: The Jewish people and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In writing this novel I learned a great deal about Abraham. That is what is so great about being a writer. The author becomes acquainted with his characters before the readers do. It enables me to write a story that fleshes out the bones and marrow of the characters so that the reader also meets and understands what these Biblical characters were really like.

And because this book has just been published you have the opportunity to be among the very first reviewers. Don’t let that scare you, embrace it. If you took the time to read the book then you have the right to do a review. Read the book, Review the book, and Post the review on Amazon.com. For further information read the following paragraph.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), or World of Abraham (Book Four) I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review World of Abraham.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Why Me, Lord?

When you got saved your life changed. You started living different; you committed yourself to God; and you have tried to be faithful in all things. Yet devastating sickness comes or financial reversals occur or you lose a loved one.

And you cry out, “Why me, Lord?”

Over the years I have experienced setbacks such as the loss of both my parents, loss of an aunt and uncle, loss of a grandmother, a heart attack, financial setbacks, and now my wife undergoing cancer treatments. Like you I sometimes wonder why, and the answer can be varied. Sometimes I make mistakes, sometimes I am guilty of sin, and sometimes I simply don’t know the reason.

So what do I or you do?

Well, again the answer to that question depends on the answer to the previous question. If the answer was a simple mistake, then you can go to God and seek His wisdom and guidance. Since He wants you to succeed He will answer you and provide guidance.

If the answer was sin in your life, then you need to go to God as often as you sin and claim 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confessing sin is much deeper than this blog will address, but basically we acknowledge that what He says about us is true and then seek His forgiveness and cleansing.

Depending on how deep the sin is in your life you may have to do this more often than you like. 1 John 1:9 is not a magic word or phrase. Simply saying it doesn’t automatically right the ship. Sometimes we have to cry out with Paul, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Ro. 7:24-25).

Then there are times we simply don’t know the cause. In those times, it is always right to go to God in prayer seeking His wisdom. Job suffered greatly at the hands of Satan and didn’t know why until the end of the book. While there are different takes from that book of the Bible one thing cannot be denied, Job came out of it a better, stronger believer than he was at first. God had purged him and then lifted him up.

I think the key in all these scenarios is found in: Have faith.

Trust God. He knows what you’re going through and wants you to overcome whatever it is. He didn’t promise us that living for Him would be easy, but He did promise to always be with us.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for reviews. Not only for World of Shem (Book Three), but Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), and World of Abraham (Book Four). If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review World of Abraham.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Yielding to God

When you got saved you may have  thought that your greatest battle was over. After all, you finally yielded to the Holy Spirit’s wooing and accepted Christ as your Savior.

But while that is undoubtedly the most important decision you made it is not the last. The next decision was to obey Christ and get baptized in His name. Then later on you may have yielded once again and decided to serve Him.

But what about your daily living. The thing is you listen to great preaching all the time about godly living. You can quote Bible verses that speak on the subject, yet somehow you fail to have the victory. It may come down to simply understanding what ‘yielding’ is all about.

Yielding is more than knowing doctrine.

One of the traps every Christian can fall into is that studying doctrine and memorizing Scripture is the same as yielding. It isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, doing those things are important for a strong spiritual life. But there is a difference between knowing about yielding and actually yielding.

Yielding is more than mental assent.

You’ve read your Bible. You’ve even read Scripture pertaining to your particular need. And you’ve agreed with the Bible about what to do. In fact, you may have begun practicing some or all of the Biblical solutions, yet you still fail.

Yielding is Allowing God to have full Control.

That is harder than it sounds. As humans we all want to do something. We (and that includes you) have a tendency to help God by doing it ourselves. You have the right motive and the right solution, but the wrong method. Yielding to God means coming to that place where you simply trust Him enough to let Him have control.

Control of what?

That really depends on you. What is your area of need. God wants to control your cravings. God wants to control your tongue. God wants to control your temper. God wants to control your thoughts. God wants to control everything about you.

I tend to reduce things to a formula or a simple phrase. In the case of control I use the following: Apply Biblical rules, principles, and guidelines to your area of need and place it in God’s hands.

Perhaps your need is temper. What triggers that temper and how can you avoid the trigger. Asking for God’s help during or after a temper explosion is a little late. So yielding to God in this case might require allowing God to rule and overrule in the area of the triggers.

Perhaps your thought life is a concern. You have an overactive imagination that can get you into trouble. For writers I imagine this can be a major problem. Here again you apply God’s rules. I once heard a preacher say that we need to yield our thoughts or imaginations to the Holy Spirit. And that’s a key point. When you use your imagination, subject it to Biblical control. Invite God into your imagination and allow Him to control it. Find out what His rules of behavior are and apply them directly. And always remember that it must be Him working in you rather than you doing the work.

In fact, that simple rule can be extended to all areas of your life. It’s a little difficult to fail God if you actually have Him involved. It sounds simplistic, but that is often the true solution. We humans tend to complicate things whereas God’s solution is usually simple and powerful.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for reviews. Not only for World of Shem (Book Three), but Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), and World of Abraham (Book Four to be released soon) . If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review World of Abraham.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Expanding Your Skill Set

As you know I primarily write novels based on the Bible. I am also interested in writing novels based on American History. In both cases I’m writing Historical Fiction. This is a genre that I have always been interested in both as a reader and a writer.

But there is another genre that I enjoy reading. That is Christian Science Fiction. You might think that is a conundrum, but have you read the Left Behind series? Aside from being Bible based these books also involved futuristic science. In fact, Christian Science Fiction can involve history pre-written (prophecy), history, and science.

As I said I enjoy reading such books. But I have never written in that genre before. That is about to change as I am in the process of writing a science fiction story that takes place in the 22nd Century. It is a story that takes place after World War III that leaves the world in a mess and ready for a one world government. But along with the new government comes the banning of all religions, including Christianity.

The resulting persecution of Christians who continue in the faith is terrifying and thorough. It leads to mass arrests, murder, and a plan to use Christians as guinea pigs in the name of interstellar research. And that is just the beginning of the story.

Why Christian Science Fiction?

Because I believe we need good Christian fiction in as many genres as possible. While stories of aliens and alien cultures are entertaining, they are also not possible in the Christian worldview. As Christians we know that God uniquely created humans. Alien animals are ok, but not beings equal to or superior to humans. The Bible is quite clear about that.

But what about Christians facing the perils of space and a new world? I think that we Christians can create an exciting world that eventually has new heroes and villains because not everyone who says they’re Christians are Christians. Also the children of Christians don’t always become Christians.

Why me?

For one thing I don’t want to get stale or be limited to only one type of genre. I certainly will continue my World That Was journey through Genesis, but I feel that as a writer I need to be willing to explore other areas and expand my skill set. It can only make me better as a writer.

What about you?

I’m not asking about your interest in science fiction but your willingness to expand yourself and be willing to learn a new craft. As long as you continue within the Christian worldview and are willing to do the research (yes, even science fiction requires research), then I think it is a valid endeavor.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for reviews. Not only for World of Shem (Book Three), but Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), and World of Abraham (Book Four to be released soon) . If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review World of Abraham.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

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R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Facing Sickness

At some point in time all of us face sickness and even death. How we respond to it often reveals who we are and what kind of Christian we are. Handling such serious events is not easy for anyone, including Christians.

HOW DO WE HANDLE SICKNESS?

Not so long ago (2014) I had a heart attack and my wife had to handle that trauma plus the possibility of losing me. I must say that her faith sustained and carried her forward. But now the shoe is on the other foot. You see, my wife has cancer. That means I need to face the issue and respond.

It would be real easy to blame God. Why did He allow this? But the problem with that is God does not cause sickness. Yes, He knows all about it and allows it in His wisdom, but He is not to blame for it. If I want to blame somebody it would be Adam. He’s the one who knowingly sinned and brought on this corrupt world.

But the blame game is not really a proper response. As a Christian I need to turn to God and make sure my life is where it should be. As for God, He has the ability to heal or not to heal, but whatever happens He will make it work out for good (Romans 8:28).

Over the years I have found God to be trustworthy and longsuffering. He has to be longsuffering because I fail His standards way too much. But trustworthy, faithful, and caring are all words that apply to God. He has a plan for everyone’s life; He has a plan for me. And He is faithful and trustworthy in regards to that plan. So what is expected of me?

He expects and desires that I place my whole trust in Him. In this case it to trust Him to heal my wife, to take away her pain, and enable her to live a normal life. That is the first step: to trust Him.

THEN WHAT?

Pray! That’s right, I’m going to pray. A lot. I’ll pray for her healing, pray that I’ll be the supporting husband I should be, and pray that His will be done.

It’s easy to say you trust God and it’s easy to question Him, but it’s not so easy to actually trust Him. Prayer is based on trust. We are too imperfect for prayer to be based on ourselves. But God is the One we can look to and pray to for our needs. He wants to hear from us, so I am going to pray.

PRAYER WORKS

Prayer moves mountains. I’m thinking of symbolic mountains, but literal mountains can be moved with enough prayer. Unfortunately most of us don’t have strong enough faith for our prayers to move literal mountains. But the heavy loads that we carry day to day He has promised to either help carry or to remove the burden.

WE CAN HINDER OR HELP OUR PRAYERS.

I wish this wasn’t so. We humans are so fickle. We say we love God but then we disobey Him. In Revelation God said the Ephesians had lost their first love. He wants our undivided love. He wants to forgive us our sins and heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14). Or to put it personally He wants to forgive my sins and heal my house.

But if I have unrepented sin in my life He will not hear my prayers. So that requires me to do a little self examination. Have I lost my first love? Do I serve Him because I love Him? Do I obey Him out of a tender, loving heart? I need to answer these questions, then take action before I pray.

In other words I need to love Him in word, in thought, and in practice. Trust, prayer, and love – these three will draw me closer to God!

By the way, if you’d like to pray for my wife her name is Teresa Riddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for reviews. Not only for World of Shem (Book Three), but Perished The World That Was (Book One), and World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two). If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review World of Shem.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Insights From World of Shem Part 7

In this issue I will speak on scenes.

As I have worked on my books over the years I have come across different ideas about writing scenes. The discussion usually centers around opening, middle, and end of scene, all critical areas. But one area that doesn’t get much attention is separation.

What Is Separation?

Here I am talking about separating one scene from another. The closing scene may or may not introduce you to another scene. If the new scene involves a different character then the last scene probably won’t introduce it.

But whether introduced or not there is a need for a clear break between the two scenes. Have you ever been reading a book and suddenly discovered that you were in a different scene without warning. Suddenly you’re confused as to who is talking, what is being talked about, what action is taking place, and where it is taking place. To say you’re confused is an understatement!

One of my earlier books printed by a publisher other than T&R removed all my separation symbols leaving readers confused. It really left me looking like an amateur and the reader less than satisfied. Having a separation of scenes is extremely important.

How Do I Separate Scenes?

In general there are probably 100s of methods to separate scenes, but as a reader there are a few that have stood out. Here are a few examples:

[ blank space ] = Some authors simply place a larger than normal blank space between the closing paragraph of one scene and the opening paragraph of a new scene. This is simple and generally effective. However, I find when reading such books that it is easy to overlook the white space. Our eyes may choose to skip the space due to our interest in the book. We may also assume a printers’ error and skip.

[ *** ] Three or more asterisks are an effective way to separate scenes. The eyes will pick them up and the reader will know what they mean. I tend to put my symbols in the middle of the page, but that is really up to you.

[ &&& ] Three or more ampersands work well, also. Again, I find putting them in the middle a very effective move.

[ ### ] Here you have three or more pound or number signs as the symbols. Once again I would place them in the middle.

[ ……. ] I have used seven dots as a separator. The reason for using seven instead of three is that three dots ( … ) can mean that text (from another document) has been only quoted in part. It can send the wrong signal. So seven dots is what I would prefer.

There are numerous ways to separate, but the above are my favorite. The key is to find the symbol you want and consistently use it throughout the book. You might think that using several symbols will look good, but there is the danger of distracting the reader.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for reviews. Not only for World of Shem (Book Three), but Perished The World That Was (Book One), and World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two). If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review World of Shem.’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Filed under: books, Grammar, how to write, Publishing, World that was, Writing Tagged: Consistency, Don't confuse the reader, Separation of scenes, Using symbols to separate [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]