Marlo's Book Blog

Hi Friends!

I've decided that on Mondays (usually) I'll introduce you to a new Christian novel and sometimes include interviews with the author. This week's book is called In His Dreams, the 3rd book in the Michigan Island Series released by Steeple Hill Love Inspired and written by Gail Gaymer Martin.

Below is a little about Gail, a little about the book, a short interview, and purchasing info. Enjoy!!

ABOUT GAIL:
Gail Gaymer Martin is an award-winning novelist for Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing with over one million books in print and forty fiction novels or novellas. The second book in the Michigan Island Series, With Christmas In His Heart, was recently honored with the 2007 National Readers Choice Award in Inspirational. Her book, Writing The Christian Romance will be released in December from Writers Digest.

ABOUT IN HIS DREAMS:
Escape to beautiful Beaver Island could be the answer to Marsha Sullivan's need for a fresh start. Since her husband's death four years ago, Marsha had lost her way, but on Beaver Island, she had good memories to help guide her. Running into Jeff, her brother-in-law, in this paradise turned out to be a blessing. Not only did they share grief in losing their spouses, but also a warm bond began to form between them. Did God want her to love again? The only thing she knew for sure was that being with Jeff and his daughter felt like family.

Review: Top Pick! (4-1/2 stars) In His Dreams touches on sensitive issues, including the problems of an emotionally handicapped child. But Gail Gaymer Martin outdoes herself with the romance she threads throughout.

AN INTERVIEW WITH GAIL:

1. Why did you write this story?

Michigan is blessed with the Great Lakes and a multitude of islands. I've enjoyed a number of them and I began to think about the thing that intrigues people about islands. As I thought, I realized islands might make an interesting setting for a series. My first book was set on Harsens Island in Lake St. Clair, was based on a real experience of mine, and I used it to spark a story idea. The second book, With Christmas In His Heart, was set on Mackinac Island, a charming and amazing island that's like stepping back in time. Mackinac has no motorized vehicles, and people who live there walk, ride bikes, horseback, or horse and carriage. This book was inspired by my visit to the historical island which an amazing history. I'd spent a week in a chalet which I used for my heroine Marsha and many of the places mentioned in the book are real. The final book to be released in January 2008 is set on the awesome Les Cheneaux Islands and Drummond Island in northern Michigan. The series was such a joy to write.

2. How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?

How a story comes to me is not consistent. I might hear a Bible verse in church, notice something in a stained glass window that strikes me. I can get a story idea from song lyrics or an article in the newspaper. I might hear a real life event or situation that brings a story to mind. I might meet someone who has an interesting take on life. Sometimes I visit a place and think that I’d like to set in a story there. Whichever comes first, close behind are the other aspects of what I need. If I have a setting, the plot will be on its tail and then the kind of characters needed to make the story work. My last three book series proposals were based on location. I have completed the Michigan Island series — stories set on four different Michigan Islands as I mentioned. The next book series came to mind while spending time in the Monterey area where my nieces live, and finally, my travels have resulted in a new series idea for Steeple Hill Love Inspired set partially in the U.S. and partially in a foreign country.

3. What do you love about being an author? Is there anything you dislike?

I love writing and creating, and I enjoy meeting readers and receiving their letters.. Sharing my faith in stories that entertain is a blessing for me, and touching people’s lives with the message in the story is an honor. I am awed that the Lord has blessed me in this way. What I don’t like are the pressures of deadlines when they overlap. Then my life becomes so very stressed, especially when I find myself working on two or three books at one time. Then it’s not fun.

4. What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

My books all contain romance. I write basically Christian romance, romantic suspense and women’s fiction with romance. I was never a reader of romance, but I happened to meet many writers who wrote in that genre, and it just happened. Since I sold my first novel in one year, I believe that’s what the Lord meant me to do. I have always read suspense and romantic suspense—older authors such as Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney, and I love suspense.

5. What would you want readers to take away from your books?

My takeaway message is always one of faith but varies with each book. If I were to give a blanket statement, I would want readers to know that they are not alone, but God is with them and offers them forgiveness, love, mercy, comfort, and eternal life if they believe in God’s son, Jesus Christ, and His sacrificial death for our sins.

You can purchase this book directly from www.eharlequin.com or from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/037387443X

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Well, friends, I just finished HP #7 and then read a short article from Christianity Today about what Jonathan Edwards would think about Harry Potter. The author of the article claimed that the draw of the Potter series was transcendence and the lure of the afterlife. It stated that death was at the core of the Harry Potter books and that, as Christians, we needed to counter the Potter view of death and the afterlife.

My brother-in-law wanted my thoughts on the article. This is what I told him . . . and what I thought you might be interested in as well. And if you keep reading here, you’ll see what I found encouraging, for all of us. (Note: I’m not meaning to address occult issues, witches, wizards, or any of that below as I have nothing new to add that hasn’t already been said. What you’ll find below, I think, is a different perspective – not about whether HP is good or bad, but rather what encouragement we, as Christians, may gain from the HP phenomenon, and how we might speak to the heart of our culture about the wonder of Christ.) So, here goes:

I'd say the author of the CT piece fails to understand the true draw of Harry Potter. The author says, "it does mean that if the world's imagination is captured by Potter-esque versions of the afterlife and the transcendent—a less-than-Christian way of looking at the world—we have work to do." But I would say that the world's imagination was not captured by the versions of the afterlife or the transcendent in Harry Potter (nor even with the idea of witchcraft and wizardry!), but with the triumph of good over evil and the power of self-sacrifice. What fascinates people, I think, (besides all the interesting details of Rowling’s wizarding world) is the fleshing out of John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (NIV) That's the underlying theme that Harry Potter is built on.

The author of the CT piece misses the point when he says that death is at the core of the books’ meaning. Harry Potter is not about death, it's about how to live - it's about becoming selfless. And there's something in people that wants good to triumph, that understands the nobility of sacrifice for others, that still deplores self-seeking. What's truly at the core, then, is friendship, loyalty, putting others' needs before one's own. That's what attracts people, that's what has them cheering for Harry and the other good guys in HP.

What this should tell us about our culture is less that it's interested in the transcendent and more that the heart of the gospel will still resonate with the people of our generation. It tells us that people want what Christ is. They are, as always, drawn to the things that make Christianity unique - laying down one's life, sacrifice for others, selflessness. So, I think the message to take from the HP phenomenon is not "we have to write better than HP to draw imaginations away" but rather "we who know Christ can share with freedom, because the heart of Christianity still captures the hearts of the world."

I firmly believe that God plants metaphors of the gospel in every culture - things that can help Christians to open the gospel in meaningful ways to people who don't understand Christ. Countless missionaries to before-unreached civilizations can attest to this fact. So perhaps Harry Potter can be a metaphor for our generation, a starting place to expand on the wonder of our vivid God, to help people grasp, with breath-taking awe, what Christ has done for us. Just as Paul used the monument to the unknown god in Acts, so too we may use the underlying themes in Harry Potter to expose the wonder of Christ.

So, there's my take on the whole Harry Potter craze. As to what Jonathan Edwards would say, I don't know. Hopefully, he would use Harry Potter to talk about the amazing thing that Christ did for us on the cross, and how we, in turn, can be more like Christ by putting others first, by sacrificing for them, by emulating true love. And hopefully, we too, will take encouragement from the Harry Potter phenomenon to share the heart of Christ’s work on the cross, and to capture our generation with the wonder of self-sacrificing love, love that laid down its life that we might be freed from the evil one.

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Hi Friends!

My incredible website designer, Kelli Standish, tagged me the other day for 7 Random Things. So, I'm supposed to post 7 random things about myself to my blog for y'all to read. So, here you go:

1) I once helped build a church in a small village in Madagascar. We built the church out of re-mud bricks, put together with mud. It was the first church the villagers had ever had.

2) I was a cheerleader in 7th and 8th grade. Go Newcastle Knights!

3) I got a horse, Hustling Hobo, when I was 9. I paid for him with my own money that I'd been saving since I was little.

4) I've been a licensed minister in the Church of the Nazarene.

5) I can eat A LOT of pepperoni pizza.

6) My hubby and I have been married almost 19 years. It took 11 years of infertility before we had a baby. We now have 4 girls (yay!) and so far have also had 5 miscarriages (ugh!).

7) I am a really, really awful singer. But that didn't stop me from helping my hubby with worship leading some years ago when we were co-pastoring a small Nazarene church. It also doesn't stop me from singing worship songs at my current church, to the chagrin of the people around me.

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Hello Friends!

It's up! It's up! It's up! It's up! I soooo pleased to tell you that my brand new, beautiful website just went live. Woo Hoo! I hope you’ll visit at www.marloschalesky.com. I’ve got info on all my books, including a couple interviews and even some infertility resources. There’s also some of my favorite songs you can play on the homepage. Plus, I have a brand new BLOG! The first entry is up and you can see what my hopes are for the blog – to make it a place where you can go to think deeply about the things of God, to ignite your faith, to shake up pat answers, and to discover the wonder of God’s love for you. I’m planning to post insights from my latest book, Veil of Fire, as well as thoughts about the living life with God, and occasional spotlights on other novels from a Christian perspective. I hope you’ll visit often and leave comments on the posts there.

Also, on the homepage of my new website, there’s a handy Amazon link at the bottom. I hope you’ll use that not only to buy my books but whatever you get from Amazon (I’m an Amazon Associate now and so get a little portion of all orders that are placed by people who access Amazon through my site – cool, huh?).

In other news, Veil of Fire is up for consideration by the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Bookclub. If you’re a member, I encourage you to vote for Veil of Fire. If you’re not a member but are interested, anyone can join the book club by sending a blank e-mail to acfwbookclub-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Membership is free.

And meanwhile, may God bless you and be with you!

Thanks bunches, and don’t forget to check out the new website -- what a difference from the old one!

--Marlo

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Hi Friends,

It's time to let you know about another great Christian novel, this one by Traci DePree. I hope you'll check it out. Below is some info:

A State of Grace
book #2 in Mystery and the Minister's Wife
by Traci DePree

Unveiling her deepest secret could save her daughter's life.

Kate Hanlon is at it again. Minister's wife, stained-glass artist, and sometimes sleuth, Kate Hanlon discovers more than she bargained for when she visits a woman whose daughter is battling leukemia. Before she knows it she's on the road uncovering clues that could be the girl's very survival.

Book #2 in Mystery and the Minister's Wife, A State of Grace picks up where Through the Fire left off as Kate and Paul Hanlon learn about life in small town Tennessee. Follow Kate as she comes to know the town and its inhabitants. Admire her persistence, intelligence, and strength of character as she slowly, but surely, begins to unlock the town's secrets.

About the author: Traci DePree is the author of four novels, including the Lake Emily series by WaterBrook Press. She, her husband, and their five children make their home in a small town in rural Minnesota.

About the series: Each novel in the MYSTERY AND THE MINISTER'S WIFE series is a page-turner, a good old-fashioned "whodunit." They're books that bring truth to light, that reveal dreams, and that show that trust in God always trumps fear and anxiety.

Learn more about Traci DePree and her work at www.tracidepree.com or visit her blogs at http://tracidepree.com/blog/rural-life/ and http://tracidepree.com/blog/christian-fiction/

Readers have two options for ordering this book or the series. They can join the series online from the following page: http://shopguideposts.com/product.asp?0=205&1=222&3=368 or they can call the customer service number, which is 1-800-431-2344. There, they can sign up for the series, in which case they will get every book (a new shipment every six weeks), or they can request specific books in the series (i.e. A State of Grace).

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Hi Friends,

I'm getting a brand new website design (should be up by this weekend) and part of that will be a newly designed blog. I'll send a bulletin when it's up, so hopefully you'll check it out. There, and here on my CCM blog as well, you’ll find insights into my latest book, Veil of Fire, as well as thoughts about the living life with God, and occasional spotlights on other novels from a Christian perspective.

My goal is to make my blogs a place where you can come to think deeply about the things of God, to ignite your faith, to shake up pat answers, and to discover the wonder of God’s love for you.

And so, to that end, I offer the following (this will be my first post on my new blog too!) . . .

Not long ago, someone asked me this question about an aspect of Veil of Fire, "One of the characters thought the fire might have been a judgment from God. Yet, your story didn’t give assent to that idea. What do you feel is the danger of ascribing every tragedy to a form of divine displeasure?"

And here’s what I answered:

When I think of the great men of faith in the Bible, I find people who were both close to God and also faced tragedy and pain – not for punishment or because of God's displeasure, but because that was part of what God had called them to in their journey with Him. Abraham, the father of faith, faced infertility. David was chased by a crazy king. Peter was hung upside down on a cross. Paul was beaten and thrown again and again into prison before being finally martyred. John, named the disciple Christ loved, was exiled. And those examples don’t even include prophets like Hosea, Jeremiah, Habakkuk.

And what happened to Christ Himself? He died on a cross.

So, these examples and many, many more in the Bible tell me that hardships, tragedies, and pain are often not a sign of God’s displeasure or punishment but rather are to be expected in a life lived with God. They also tell me that every tragedy can be transformed. It may still hurt and be oh-so-hard, but it need not be purposeless and futile. When God weaves the tapestry of our lives, some of the colors are those of pain and tragedy, but if we let him do the weaving, the picture can be one of breathtaking beauty.

So, given that, I see two big dangers in ascribing every tragedy to divine displeasure. First, such a view causes us to focus on ourselves and the question of “why” rather than focus on the “who” of who God is and how He is with us in the midst of our tragedies and pain. And second, the “punishment” view causes us to turn away from the very one who is there to help and strengthen us in the face of tragedy. Instead of looking to God to help us, we look at Him as an adversary, as the One causing the pain. The result is that we become estranged from God just when He is seeking to transform our tragedies into something that will strengthen us and make us new.

In the epilogue of Veil of Fire, the hermit says, “I am . . . loved by God even through fire. Loved too much for him to leave me in my pain. And I know that even though I will always carry the scars, inside I am healed of wounds far more deep, far more ugly than those the fire caused . . . I am made new.” And that is what I think is the main goal of God in our hurts, our hardships, our firestorms. He’s not looking to punish us; instead He wants to transform us and make us new.

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Hi Friends,

I'll be chatting THIS FRIDAY (tomorrow) and NEXT FRIDAY online. Here are the details:

I’ll be chatting on DancingWord on Friday (tomorrow! 7/13) at 6:00pm PT (9:00pm ET), talking about writing, life, Veil of Fire, etc. I hope you’ll stop by. Here’s how:
Go to: http://www.dancingword.net/chatroom.htm and follow the instructions.
NOTE: The java program for the chat room only works with Internet Explorer browsers.
You can find an alternative entrance at:
http://www.centralchat.net/chatrooms/channel/dancingword. Type in a
username in the "Enter nick" box, and select "connect".

If you miss that one, I’ll also be chatting about historical fiction with other authors the following Friday, July 20th, at 6:00pm (PT) on http://www.athomewithchristianfiction.com. Click the chatroom on that site to enter.

Hope to see you there!

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Hi Friends!

Scroll down for the CARNIVAL OF CHRISTIAN WRITERS blog entry, dated June 23rd. And here's a little something for today:

I thought I'd share a little about my hope and purpose behind Veil of Fire, why I love this book and why I wrote it. So, here goes . . . I love Veil of Fire not just because I think it’s my best writing so far, but mostly because it tackles the hard questions of life, the very doubts and struggles that I’ve wrestled with so much in my own life.

Once, when I was a child, I believed in miracles. The impossible was only a prayer away. Fairy tales were real, and dreams were free. But somewhere, in the journey, I lost the ability to trust. I stopped daring to believe. And I wondered what happened to me.

Life happened. Failure, discouragement, pain, loss. Somewhere, somehow, life burns us all. And we realize that this life we live is not the one we once dreamed. The realities of life scar us. Doubts rise. Fear whispers that hope is gone. And what was once a simple faith can fail in the face of that fear.

In the midst of life’s disillusionment, choices appear. Do we retreat? Hide our hurts far from probing eyes? Do we embrace bitterness and cynicism? Do we use deceit to try to obtain our goals? Do we give up, give in, forget that we ever dared to dream? Or is it possible to reach the high places of faith in the low valleys of life’s reality? Can we still live a life of bold faith, of fierce hope, when fairy tales don’t come true? How do we live this life that God has given us when it’s not the life we dreamed?

These are the questions I wanted to explore in Veil of Fire. These are the questions which underlie each character’s journey in the aftermath of the great fire of 1894. They’re the questions that have shaped my life through my own journey through infertility, miscarriage, failure, and loss.

So, for those burned by life, for those who carry scars that cannot be seen, for those who have retreated for fear of more pain, this story is for them, this journey from the hidden places of pain to a new hope in the unhidden truth of Christ’s love.

And I hope, I pray, that God will use Veil of Fire to not only give people a great read, but to also heal hearts and make some lives better in the living of them.

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