Greetings:
There’s a survey going around collecting responses from Christian readers. I filled it out and thought it was fun, so I’m posting it here so you can provide your input. The responses are for an upcoming magazine article and you remain anonymous.
The days feel like they go so slowly, yet when you look back, the years have flow.
I was planning a book review for today’s post, but something twinged the far back of my memory (or maybe that was just referred pain from yesterday’s workout), and then it hit: on May 12, Madi’s Musings will be seven-years-old.
What. In the. World.
That makes me feel old.
Anyway, I’d like to celebrate, and it’ll include a giveaway.
So, if you have any ideas on how to celebrate, let me know! It feels weird saying this, but if you have any questions about Madi’s Musings or characters or books or whatever (my sibling would recommend not asking about my fashion sense, or lack thereof, though), here’s a form you can fill out. I’m dry on ideas, so telling me whatever you all want to see would be appreciated.
Upcoming posts may seem like they’re all about me, me, me, but I promise it won’t become a habit. Cover reveal and launch team signups are coming up, as well as another giveaway with a collaboration of lovely authors.
WRITING UPDATE
I’m working on SR2 at the moment, and it has become much more intense and emotional than I ever imagined. I love these characters (well, the good ones), and let’s just say the plot took a bit of a different turn than I expected, which resulted in a few texts to my dad. His response? “What in the world are you doing?”
WTCC members can attest to the…unique aspect of this twist.
Tentative 2023 Publishing Schedule:
February:
CROWN
This Tender Heart (To Seize the Love Anthology)
March:
KEY
June:
SR2
October:
POISON
November:
Super Special Project
I’m also working on finally getting CROWN’s and KEY’s paperbacks up, and if I have any spare time, I’ll be putting Shattered Revelation up too. I think it’s too short to be a paperback, but it will at least be in ebook.
As for the newsletter magnet, that did not happen. My beloved sibling read what I had of the idea and promptly informed me, in succinct terms, “No.” So I’m searching for something else when I have the time. ROSE, the former idea, has been up on Goodreads, but I’ll likely change that for Canon and Silci’s story.
POISON is live on Goodreads. You can add it here.
Also, a well-meaning soul added KEY’s filler Amazon cover in early March. While we authors appreciate readers’ dedication, please do not add our covers. Most of the time, they are filler, and Goodreads can be persnickety about removing them, if they remove them at all.
Another reminder that, if you’re looking for an editor or cover designer, Mountain Peak Edits & Design would be happy to assist.
What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? Two of mine are Love in the Headlines by Penny Zeller and Trouble in Dry Spring by Kristina Hall. Have I also been hounding Kristina for Exiled? Quite possibly. Which 2023 cover(s) have been your favorite so far?
My guest post, Why We Need Christian Fiction, is being featured on Christian author M. Liz Boyle’s blog today. Be sure to drop by, comment if you’ve read IRON or SR1, and follow her!
To kind of celebrate KEY’s upcoming release, I thought it’d be fun to do a writing Q&A. So, if you have any questions about writing fantasy, writing another genre, worldbuilding, editing, cover design, or another writing-related question, I’d love to try answering it for you. With around seven books published and five more stories tentatively scheduled for this year (so this is what courting insanity feels like), I feel I have a good enough grasp on, at the very least, fantasy and editing/cover design to help.
Hopefully, I’ll have the answers posted next Thursday.
You can fill out the form here.
“What is my purpose in life?”
We see that question, or variations of it, a lot, don’t we? What is our purpose? Is there more to life? Why are we here?
For the Christian, those are easily answered. The Bible holds the answers.
I want to address is a chip off something that has been burdening me for a long time. The Christian writing community is becoming noticeably darker as it strays from the narrow path and eagerly jumps onto the bandwagons of incorrect theology, no theology, and just “clean” books. We also are seeing an infestation of sexual incorporation–scenes that are not okay for a Christian book to contain. We are watching profanity sail right on in and being accepted with open arms (after all, criminals don’t use dang it, come back here, you irritating gnat, and similar “clean” expressions, you know. How plebeian to incorporate those.). And, last I heard, a class is being offered at an upcoming well-known Christian writer conference. A class on how to write for the secular market and still be accepted into a Christian publishing house.
Fellow Christian writers, we have a calling. We are to have standards–Biblical standards. We are the be the light. We are to exude our faith. We are to look different. Our actions, words, and stories should make nonbelievers pause and wonder what’s different about us.
We’re supposed to be different. We’re supposed to be “odd”. We’re supposed to go against the worldly grain.
Are we being different? Odd? Going against the flow?
As a whole, no.
Do not misunderstand me. There are plenty of solid Christian writers and they’re pumping out books that contain strong faith, Biblical romance, and plots that point the reader to God.
It is easy to lend ear to the world’s lies. It is easy to buy the falsehoods offered. In fact, you would make more money and gain more popularity if you wrote for the secular market. It’s a given.
But that’s not the path we’re to take.
That’s not the direction we’re to go.
Christian writers, we have a calling. Our purpose is to use our characters, plots, stories, and words to convey the Gospel. Not to tickle itching ears. Not to cater to the secular market. We are to stand strong. We are to be bold and courageous in spreading the Good News.
We have other duties as Christian writers as well. Those are to convey true theology, Biblical entertainment, and to be the lights amidst a dark, dark world.
I saw a section where an author was speaking about their new book. In this section, the author admitted to including profanity, but backtracked by stating the profanity wasn’t meant to be profane.
Let me tell you something: the justification of wrongdoing can never change the wrongdoing’s purpose and/or intent. It does not make profanity “clean”, it does not make sex scenes “okay to read because I don’t mean it in a bad way”. Wrong is wrong and right is right, and no amount of earthly attempts to cover the sin can actually blot out what it really is.
We cannot be lights if we include agnosticism, theological evolution, and repulsively-incorrect theological claims (we do NOT have the power to raise the dead; we do NOT see into Heaven no matter what; we do NOT see God (how arrogant such a belief is!)). Allow me to convey a truth that is not very popular these days. You don’t get special revelations. You don’t “receive prophecies”. You’re not the “next prophet”. THOSE DAYS ARE LONG OVER, and they ended with Paul. Those claims are unBiblical. Don’t believe me? Look. In. The. Bible. It is the ultimate source of truth. It is the only source of truth.
We are to write stories that honor God. That list of incorrect theology above? Yeah. No. That is not God-honoring. Including romantic scenes that go beyond polite descriptions of kissing? Nope. That’s not God-honoring either. Including profanity? Absolutely not. Doesn’t matter how you “mean it” or if it’s “in the appropriate context” (this is another post altogether). Including bedroom scenes? Ha. No. Fade-to-blacks? Nope.
My point is we cannot be the light when we blend in with the dark. Christian writers, please, please abstain from these worldly inclusions! We will receive ridicule because we’re different. Because the truth offends those who are perishing. We will receive backlash. We won’t sell as many books. We won’t be the biggest names in the writing market.
But that’s okay.
Because our purpose is not to write for worldly and secular accolades.
Our purpose is to write for God. To point others to Him.
We cannot do that when we are courting the world.
Recall Philippians 4:8: “[W]hatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”.
The world’s passions and desires and profanity do not fit within this command.
Remember 2 Timothy 2:15? “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
We are not rightly handling the word of truth when we advocate wretchedly false theology.
We are not doing our due diligence as Christ followers when we include profanity of any type (this includes the “minors”, and certainly extends to the major scratch-out words.)
We are misleading others when we paint sexual scenes.
Christian writer, your duty is not to please the world. It is to honor God, and you can’t do that when you’re catering to the world.
Our actions are mirrors of what is within us. Are your actions wholesome and God-honoring? Or do they resemble the world?
Our duty is to spread the Word, to proclaim the Gospel, and to shine so brightly there is no question in anyone’s mind Whose children we are.
Please don’t be afraid to stand for your faith. Please don’t be ashamed to incorporate it in your books. Don’t be afraid to stand alone with the truth when everyone else is pursuing secular paths. And don’t be ashamed or afraid to leave the world and it’s version of entertainment behind.
Let’s come back from “Christian” fiction to Christian fiction.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.Psalm 1
Hello, Everyone:
This is a brief update regarding my author newsletter.
Mailchimp has been pulling shenanigan after shenanigan, so I am working on moving my newsletter to MailerLite. Come next month (or maybe late February), I will send out my last Mailchimp newsletter. In that newsletter will be the the signup link to my new newsletter. I am not CSVing my subscribers in because the way MailerLite is set up, you have to fill out two or three forms, and if I CSV’d everyone, no one would know about the second email they’d have to click on. So. Be sure to sign up again when that newsletter arrives.
Also, that new newsletter, I’ll be giving everyone who signs up/has signed up a free story (which is also known as a newsletter magnate).
But I need your help.
Which would you like most to receive? A story about:
A. Characters from The Redwyn Chronicles
or
B. Characters from The Shattered Lands
And which characters? Is there a specific couple you ship? Or a specific fairy tale you want to see retold?
Also, what would you like to see on the new newsletter? Are there sections you think should be cut? Added?
You can leave a comment with your input. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and thank you in advance for your assistance.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.
IRON is participating in the Be My Valentine giveaway!
The Be My Valentine Giveaway runs 2/6 through 2/11. The 1st place winner will receive all ten books (authors’ choice of format) and the 2nd place winner will receive three books (authors’ choice of format) of their choosing. A variety of genres, from fantasy to historical romance to suspense and more, are featured.
Never fear if you don’t have social media–there are author newsletters and blogs you can follow to gain points. Most importantly, for an additional set of points, you have to answer this question: Do you like chocolate, and if so, what’s your favorite type (dark, milk, white, etc.)?
Which cover on the giveaway graphic is your favorite? Are there any you’ve not seen before? If you’ve read IRON, who was your favorite character and would you want to reside in that world? (Regrettably, they do not have chocolate.) And, if you’ve read IRON, did you know the prequel, CROWN, is released? It features some special characters you likely won’t meet in any other TRC book.
How is your writing going? I’m pulling an insanity shift by attempting to write 50,000 in 15 days.
f you like Christian fantasy, fairy tale retellings, adventure, light romance, and lots and lots of snow (did I mention lots?), then you may want to enter this giveaway!
I am giving away an autographed copy of “Shattered Reflection” and a $25 Amazon gift card. (U.S. residents only, please.)
HOW TO ENTER:
Go here, read the info, then enter! If you comment on the blog posts, you’ll receive even more points. A lot of people who don’t even read Christian fiction enter these giveaways, and I much rather send SR to someone who will enjoy it, rather than to an entrant on whom it will be wasted.
This is one of those rare weeks where I’m going to post four times (keep an eye out for a special post tomorrow).
Shattered Reflection is entered in the Author Shout Cover War!
I would be honored if you cast your vote for SR. It is one of the only, if not *the* only, Christian entry.
HOW IT WORKS:
1) Go here: https://authorshout.com/cover-wars/
2) Cast your vote for your favorite cover
3) You can vote daily! In fact, doing so significantly increases the cover’s chance of winning. One vote every 24 hours.
And that’s it!
***
Again, I would be honored if you cast your vote for “Shattered Reflection”! There are only a few days left, and SR is in second place and slightly trailing.
It’s difficult to comprehend that another year has come and is nearly gone. Time really does slip through your fingers, much like water. Still, while 2022 has experienced numerous hiccups on all levels, God is good and faithful.
To everyone who has participated in spreading the word/reviewing my books, thank you. You have played an integral part and I am grateful for you.
2023 will be a doozy. I have book reviews lined up for Penny Zeller, Kristina Hall, Vanessa Hall, and many more. I also have a few author interviews in the works. It’s so much fun hosting other authors and learning about their writing process. If you are an author, or almost an author, you can sign up to be interviewed here (but your books must comply with Madi’s Musings’ book review requirements. Must. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and ask.)
Publishing:
Lord willing, this will be the publishing schedule:
January :Novella – CROWN – (dual release with SR2.5)
January: Novelette– Shattered Revelation – (dual release with CROWN)
Late March: KEY (Denton’s story)
Late June: Shattered Reaction (Shattered Lands, Book Two)
Late Autumn: Shattered Resistance (Shattered Lands, Book Three)
Potentials:
Ward’s story (title not fully determined)
Little Mermaid Retelling (See below for details)
GUYS. I have the mockup covers for SR2 and SR3. They’re amazing.
What type of posts would you like to see on Madi’s Musings? Writing tips? Worldbuilding? How to refrain from pulling out all your hair as deadlines loom?
I also am open to swapping book spotlights.
I’m in a bit of a dilemma regarding The Redwyn Chronicles. Currently, I have IRON, KEY (Denton), CHALICE (Ward; title may change), SPEAR/ARROW (Ruid’s book), and WOLF (Red and Love Interest) planned. Currently, IRON and WOLF would be the only novels. So it’d be IRON then we jump right into WOLF, which would be the end of the series. All but IRON and WOLF would be side novellas.
My question to you, dear readers, is do you want there to be three novels in this series? I do have a possible middle novel (making IRON #1 and WOLF #3) planned as a Snow White retelling (possibly) but I don’t know yet if it would be absolutely necessary. Let me know your thoughts!
Dilemma Number Two:
As many of you know, Shattered Reflection took part in The Arista’s yearly fairy tale retelling release. 2023’s fairy tale is The Little Mermaid as Stolen Songs (no, I didn’t vote for this fairy tale. I wanted Beauty and the Beast). I originally thought to work SR3 into this, but it’s not fitting, plus I have grand plans for that book, and I’m not going to try stifling it.
That being said. I do want to participate in Stolen Songs. So, here are my options:
Deadline is end of January for novels 50K and less, February for 100K and less, and March for 100K+.
Thoughts?
If you are a Christian writer/author and would like to hang out with a group of like-minded young women, a few friends and I have mastermined the slack group WTCC (originally stands for Writers Torturing Characters Club). This is a group where we encourage one another in both writing and life, pray for one another, and write/sprint with one another.
The name originates from a group of us who were censured, harassed, and falsely accused of all sorts of things, like being sadistic, because we make our characters endure difficult times. We were tired of torture in books going something like this: Hero breaks both legs then wins the Iron Man Triathalon a week later. That’s just unrealistic. We wanted to focus on the realistic. The amount of healing it takes, what can assist that healing, etc..
All I have to say is think before you gossip. Words are powerful and those words caused a maelstrom of damage.
We do not allow profanity, gruesomeness, and unChrist-like conduct. But of all the writing groups I have taken part in over the years, this one is by far superior. We are small, relaxed, and close-knit and would love to have you join us.
If you are interested, please contact me here with the subject line “WTCC – Your Name”, and in the body of the email tell me why you’d be interested, confirm your confession of faith (this doesn’t have to be complex; just sweet and simple), and, if you do have a book published, please provide either a Goodreads or Amazon link. Also, please just confirm your writing, whether published or unpublished, coincides with Madi’s Musings’ review rules. (You can write Amish. That’s just a personal preference on my part.)
Nothing containing fade-to-black, suggestive comments and innuendos, and anything extreme regarding “romance” is allowed Nothing containing profanity, whether “mild” or severe, is allowed in this group. Doesn’t matter if you don’t “mean it” as profanity. Profanity is profanity no matter what you try to call it.
*Admins have the right to deny membership.
How was your Christmas? How is your last day of 2022? What are your thoughts 2023? What was your favorite 2022 book? Are you interested in WTCC? What 2023 releases are you anticipating? Let me know!
Have a wonderful New Year, and always remember He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Let Freedom Ring
Unlocking the Magic of Fairy Tales
Art, Writing, Thoughts, and the Beauty of God's Creation
Essays, poetry, meditations, and book reviews by Jeremy Vogan
Inspiration for the Not Average Girl
a teenage writer from a big family
R.P.C. Essays and more
The Introspective Introvert
Book reviews, writing, and more
School and stuff.
Accepted in the Beloved. I am, I AM`s, He's got me
Stories and nonsense from the pen of Rose Q. Addams
Adventure is Everywhere - Read it, Live it, Share it
"Let's go home."
providing insight one review at a time
FAB: Faith And Books
Photographer. Author. Dreamer.
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Madi's Musings 