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Jeff Gerke, NavPress Editor & Advocate for SF/F Guest Blogs...


Jeff Gerke is guest blogging at: http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com about his un-hostile takeover of the editor's panel discussion at Mt. Hermon. Because I write often in this genre, my bestest bud, Dineen Miller told me about Mr. Gerke's comments, as did Camy Tang. Naturally, I savored these nuggest and his borderline-prophetic claim that Christian sf/f would make its comeback in 2-5 years. If you're looking for encouragement in speculative fiction, check out this blog entry.

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Dear friend Beth Goddard gave me an idea Friday. I think i've made her uncertain about approaching me with ideas, because I tend to horde what little bit of "free" time I actually have after homeschooling and college work every day. But this idea...it restored my joy and excitment over my space opera, Brand & Bound. Her idea was to start a promotion, of sorts, about B&B. The idea stirred me and intrigued me. Thus, I started a blog for this story, and will over the course of the next few weeks, improve it. In the future, I hope to create the Cenon Trading Center (a forum), an online hunt (for those of you who know Marco, he lives for the hunt--despite all rumors by a certain editor that this hunk of a man with amazing skills is a creature or kilt-wearing platypus), and entries by Marco about aspects of his life, including his unrequieted love for Stevie. :-D So, stop by and see this work-in-progress blog/journal from Marco: http://brand-n-bound.blogspot.com

Slaughtered animals...

Did that title grab you? Well, what if I told you a man slaughtered so many animals that the number was too great to count?? Unbelievable? Read on...


This morning, in reading from the Bible, and something hit me. It says in I Kings 8:

v.5 - and King Solomon and the entrie assembly of Israel that had gathered about him
were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they
could not be recorded or counted.

I thought, wow, thousands? Well, I'd have to guess no, since at the dedication of the temple, scripture later says:
62then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 63Solomon offered to the Lord: twenty-two thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated teh temple of the Lord.

So in order to make the trek from where the ark was housed to the temple Solomon built, they probably didn't take more than a step or two at a time without sacrificing an animal.

And this is where I had my epiphany: That's just like our lives. We shouldn't move ahead once we have His guidance more than a couple of paces without covering what we're doing in prayer and offering our lives, our works, our hearts as a sacrifice to Him. Solomon kept the blood sacrifice over his actions and movements. We should do the same.

A few years ago, my family went through what our pastor called a Desert--much like the Israelites. I confess that during that time, I was broken in more ways than one. Though I am grieved to admit it, I no longer believed prayer worked--I was lost in hopelessness. Then, about a year ago, I read the book Committed But Flawed by Cecil Murphey This book revolutionized my thoughts about prayer. I took what, for me, was a huge step of faith and started praying again. Amazingly, God responded almost immediately. This gave me the courage to keep praying. I believe God said to me recently that what He wanted to accomplish in my life and that of my family's would only be done through prayer. Well, hello! I guess that means more commitment to prayer. :-D

So, there it is. Not really that profound, but it was a kewl to me.

GOOOOOAAALLLL!!!!!!

GOAL!!!!!

YES! I did it. The hardest manuscript I've ever written--and last night I wrote the last chapter and epilogue. Midnight Zone was the most technical story I've ever written. It's hanging in the balance with an editor right now...actually, I looked at my submission track last night and remembered it's at TWO. Maybe one of them will give this story a shot. it's really amazing (well, at least to me *wink*).

I have to say, this story gave me a run for my money--and energy. Of course, now that I'm done, I realize it needs some restructuring and layering in (I realized in the last 1/4 I slipped back into my knack of leaving out the setting--UGH!). But for me, this was a HUGE success just getting this story written. I've never dealt with so much oppression, opposition...MIND GAMES!!

Now, I'll let this sit for a while, then come back and start tweaking it. In the meantime, I'm very excited about another story I jotted out the first couple of chapters at the beginning of the month. I had one friend look at it, and she loved it. Of course, that made me preen (Thanks, Camy!!). :-D

Soooo....what are y'all working on? What's challenging you??