Archetypes in Christian Romance

I read Christian Romance( mostly historical ) that's what I do. I have done this since I was a child and I read probably about 100 of these books a year.


Like any other genre or sub-genre, it comes with its own archetypes.

I am currently reading the pitch-perfect and deliciously edgy Bees in the Butterfly Garden which pairs our Christian heroine with a thief and a rather illustrious skill-set for deceit

Well-known author ( and one of my favourite bloggers), Kaye Dacus, posted about some of the Romance archetypes we find in the classic Damsel and the Warrio Hero metrics of the fiction; but also about some of the archetypes we find in Christian Historical Romance. It put me in mind of the book I am currently reading....


"In inspirational romance, we have our own set of stereotypes to deal with: the pioneer widow who must marry a stranger to survive; the nineteenth century teacher who’s gone west to teach and bring God’s word to the heathens; missionaries and preachers; secretaries; characters with jobs so vague as to be nonexistent; ranch owners who take in wayward boys; the good Christian girl who must “save” the backslidden or non-Christian hero; and so on."



I always find Kaye's blog posts interesting; but this post was particularly thought-provoking-- Especially as I was having a similar conversation with Joanne Bischof on facebook yesterday---particularly her collective decision with her editor to make her hero, Gideon, more of a rake than would be anticipated in the genre.

What archetypes do you notice most in Christian Historical Romance? Are there some that drive you batty?

Who are you favourite Christian heroes?  my TOP 5

---though I might have to re-do the list because I have read so many books since then >

I look forward to publishing my review of Kaye's new book Follow the Heart ( a sumptuous Victorian romance set during the Great Exhibition) shortly 

It's Redeeming!

Sorry for the silence, friends. I have been extremely busy at a work conference.

As well as being nominated for several Academy Awards, I was THRILLED to see that Les Miserables tops Christianity Today's list of 10 Most Redemptive Films of 2012

Read here:

Also, Breakpoint editor ( and our friend), Gina Dalfonzo, wrote about its redemptive nature on the Breakpoint Blog (and even mentioned my review in the Further Reading portion)

And, BRAND NEW, Gina added this insightful piece to Breakpoint citing Plugged In and rallying Christians who have heard ill of the film to take the plunge.

Read my review of the film here


We must never complain that Hollywood is devoid of faith-based stories!

Does This Church Make Me Look Fat? by Rhoda Janzen

Does This Church Make Me Look Fat?  Amazing book, guys! I loved it. Rhoda Janzen gets the spiritual experience and is a perfect bystander ( with reams of intelligence) to walk us through her rather jolting jump from her Mennonite background to a Pentecostal church she attends with her boyfriend/fiancé/husband.

Janzen, a prolific poet and scholar, brings to the church experience years of figuratively and literally engaging with the tenets ( mythologized and metaphoralized and categorized) of theology.  She weaves her new experiences and her new zeal for engaging in the spirituality of her childhood with anecdotes of her brilliant new relationship (her partner Mitch, the reformed alcoholic-turned-Pentecostal is a GEM with a brilliantly coloured faith and lovely conversion story and respect for the church and the patrons therein), her days as a professor, her attendance at Pentecostal services and her tragic diagnosis of breast cancer: fought hard with and eventually won in a near miraculous way.

You can take the girl outta the Pentecostal, it would seem, but you can’t take the Pentecostal outta the girl.  I was raised in a Pentecostal church. My father was a Pentecostal minister. I knew about speaking in tongues and Acts II before I knew my ABCs.  While I don’t identify with this denomination any more or attend a Pentecostal church ,it is as much a part of my being as my school grades, Christmas memories, and ability to ride a bike.  I KNOW Pentecostal.  While Janzen’s views and observations might offend those who are touchy on the subject and too quick to judge interested and intelligent observance as mockery; I quite enjoyed what the Pentecostal world looked like for an outsider. Especially for an outsider with a strict Mennonite background. This, my friends, was my favourite part of this surprisingly uplifting and very, very sardonic and quick-witted piece.  Think Anne Lamott. Are we good here? We love Anne Lamott. How about Anne Lamott with a dash of Lisa Samson? Are we good?

A few quotes to entice readership:

“Most of the hymns were familiar to me, but the services also featured some long, tuneless pieces of chanted music that sounded suspiciously as if somebody had made them up in the car on the way to church”  (Dear Rhoda Janzen, I have said this about every Chris Tomlin song ever written)

“Mennonites are known for their gorgeous acapella hymns. For instance, they might take a Protestant staple, such as Thomas Ken’s beautiful 1674 “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” and jack it up like a doxology on steroids.  My Mennonite church sang a highly embellished, tightly harmonized version to the tune of Samuel Stanley’s “Dedication Anthem”” so rousing it made you want to throw confetti (Hey! Somebody should tell the Pentecostals about confetti!”

As someone passionate about the emergence of Jesus is My Boyfriend songs in the evangelical worship culture as a replacement for the beautiful melodies, settings and poetries of a history of hymns, I revelled and delighted in the fact that an academic outsider, seeping with intelligence and well-crafted thought for the beauty of music and words, could reduce some of the choruses and worship songs to near hilarity with her comparison of them to better written and more timely pieces.

Obviously, the Pentecostals eventually begin speaking in tongues and Janzen’s literary recreation of the experience is poetical and rapt with energized imagery: “Syllables rolled around me like pearls from a broken spring, scattering beyond sense. I had never heard anyone speak in tongues. I had always assumed that glossolalia was an expression of unfiltered inner gibberish. But in that moment I wondered if it couldn’t be both gibberish and praise language- an edifying wall of sound that lifted the worshipper to a place beyond understanding. Even if those gorgeous waves of foreign syllables had come rolling out of my own mouth, I still would have tried to understand the experience as a foreign language.”

She is continually impressed by Mitch, who practices what he preaches: “She observed, moreover, that the kindness and the faith did not exist in his character as independent qualities. Rather, the first was clearly activated by the second.”  Gosh darnit, isn’t that what everyone strives for?

She is a tad confused when it comes to filling out a Cosmopolitan-type quiz on assessing and ascertaining her spiritual gifts: “My Pentecostals were an old-fashioned group. They called the women ladies, they believed that the men needed to step up to the plate in the spiritual leadership of the home. If they were to assign a man the gift of flower arranging, there would have to be a literal biblical precedent.”

Coupling her obvious recollection of the Biblical stories and Faith background of her Youth, Janzen is able to apply her rudimentary understanding with her current circumstance.  The following quote left me all a-shudder in its exquisite truth (here, she recalls the parable of Jesus healing a boy possessed by demons at a father’s entreaty that even though he wasn’t sure he believed, he wanted to be taught how to believe): “For me the takeaway is that we don’t need to be strong and faithful and firm in order to approach God.  We can be an unholy mess, like the son, or a frustrated skeptic, like the dad. What a relief that we don’t have to be good at religious in order to seek God! We don’t even have to have a strong sense of belief. All we need is the desire to believe”

I could saturate this with quotes forever, so exceptionally crafted and memorable is this work; rather ( as my Pentecostal father would say when winding down a sermon) IN CLOSING…

Janzen doesn’t make peace with her questions. Nor does she decide that her spiritual life is grounded and founded upon the principles expelled in her evangelical wanderings. She does, however, uphold a fascinating sense of faith, hope and integrity. She searches and seeks and ultimately finds that while we could spend the rest of our lives literally fighting over every small thing in scripture: from the existence of Lilith and dinosaurs to whether or not Hell and Heaven are concrete or metaphorical places ( Rob Bell! Rob Bell, let’s talk about Rob Bell); she takes baby steps. She learns what it means to be open and to accept and to listen for the will of God.  That, readers, is what makes this book heart-warming and inspiring: not how far she comes in the pinnacle of spiritual sojourning; but the fact that she sojourned at all.

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the Netgalley review copy.

Special thanks to my sister Fruity (find her on twitter @leah_mcmillan )for pointing me in the direction of this book.

A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs

Liz Curtis Higgs loves Scotland.  So do I.  I was fortunate enough to visit in the Summer and, I must say, my attention to her past few works of fiction have definitely been inspired by her passion for the country.

Here, in this perfect Christmas confectionery, Higgs takes us on a railride from Edinburgh to Stirling where a young and intelligent young woman is confronted by a dashing man who holds a desperate secret.

From the beginning, Meg Campbell is conflicted: she doesn't feel as if she belongs at home with her well-off parents, even during the most important time of the year. Moreover, she is forever haunted by the accident that crippled her  younger brother when they were both children.  His bitterness, it would seem, has ramifications on the entire family.  The stolen hope that has pervaded his older years leaves Meg and her family struggling to connect with a man whose personality has become difficult.

Gordon Shaw is as troubled by Meg's past as she is.  Initially unbeknownst to her, Gordon is the long lost stranger who once innocently injured her brother and set in motion a wheel of events with ramifications stemming to the present. Gordon longs to make amends; but Meg would rather her new acquaintance stay completely away from her unhappy family.  Will Christmas bring a time of redemption and unexpected grace...or just added sorrow?

You know what I think?  I think you should pick someone on your Christmas list who loves languid, romantic Victorian fiction and buy this novella for them.  Make it better: throw in a packet of earl grey tea and Scottish shortbread and you have the perfect book-lover's gift!

I received this delectable little treat from WaterBrook Multnomah Books in exchange for an honest review.

At Every Turn by Anne Mateer

There is an awesome moment in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm where the loquacious and spirited Rebecca prays for the souls of the heathen in far away lands.  At her time in history, worlds like Africa and the orphaned children and harsh situations not only stirred her heart; but captured her imagination and she prays with flourish that they will thrive. 

 

At the beginning of Anne Mateer’s fabulous and spunky new novel At Every Turn, the equally spirited Alyce Benson has the same heart and conviction stirred when a missionary couple visits her church and Alyce impetuously stands up and promises three thousand dollars for their work on the Gold Coast. Sure, Alyce’s father is rich; but despite her grandmother’s best efforts, both Alyce’s parents are skeptical of the church as a philandering institution where people lose money in the fever of hype. Alyce is just going to have to raise the money herself.

Luckily, Alyce has a unique talent anomalous to most young ladies in 1916 America: Alyce can drive an automobile like  nobody’s business. Her father’s mechanic, Webster Little, takes her out to practice: goggles shading her face, her bobbed hair hidden by a brown cap and the world, in these moments, is Alyce’s own. Is there a chance that Alyce could use her unique passion to raise the money needed to live up to her promise? Only time will tell.  Along the way, Alyce is forced into small deceptions of identity, moments of heart-felt ( and funny in their compassionate calamity) charity which inspires her to give the money she is slowly raising to those in her own community, and questions of conscience and heart.  While Webster Little’s whistle echoes from the shop on her father’s estate, so does Lawrence Trotter’s handsome face and safe job as her father’s accountant (as well as his regular church attendance) seem to meet her demands for a faith-based mate. 

Adventure, deception, Hilarity and a lot of racing ensue in what is by far the most unique historical romance I have read in the CBA this year.

Ally is a whip-smart, funny and believable character.  She is deliciously flawed and touching in her penchant for disaster.  The scrapes and mix-ups she finds herself in are born of her good heart.  She desperately wants to do right (think Anne Shirley ); but can’t help but steer herself off course.  While her mother wants her to be a proper, well-bred lady; she can’t help but thinking she was shaped for something different. There are touching moments in Alyce’s first-person narrative ( a device I don’t usually enjoy; but which is well-employed and well written here) when Alyce wonders, while strolling on the arm of Lawrence Trotter, if maybe she was made for a traditional women’s existence. Of course, the lure of the race track and Webster’s new car tend to throw that delightfully off-kilter and askew.

Webster Little, with his resounding whistle, shady past and general good-humour, as well as his passion for automobiles, will put devout Montgomery readers in mind of Barney Snaith of The Blue Castle.  The time period of the setting and the yearning of a woman desperate to break the mold of society and venture forth on a daring mission full of wonderful adventures reminded me of Valancy.  It was then that I remembered a comment on a friend’s review of The Blue Castle last year Anne Mateer’s comment that it was one of her favourite books (it is, as I have learned from conversation, also a favourite of the Pink Carnation series creator Lauren Willig and of CBA master-worker Laura Frantz).  Anyone who admits to loving this book and somehow, subconsciously, allows its inspiration and similarities to seep into their work is a truly kindred spirit and a “friend” of mine.

I loved wiling away a few lazy hours with At Every Turn.  You’ll grin, you’ll shake your head at the antics of Ally and you’ll root for her: a woman ahead of her time, to not only win the race and raise the money, but also to find ultimate romance and adventure.

Well done, Anne Mateer. This was a competent and boisterously exuberant offering and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next.  

See my review of Wings of a Dream

Read how Anne Mateer envisioned the characters ( with period-specific detail and photos!) here

I received this book for review from Graf-Martin Communications on behalf of Bethany House 

The Orphan King by Sigmund Brouwer [Book One in the Merlin's Immortals Series]

From the Publisher: The future of the Immortals is in the hands of an orphan
 
My greatest fear was that they would find us and make of us a sacrifice beneath a full moon. Now you, Thomas, must help us destroy the circle of evil.
 
The last words of a dying woman would change the life of young Thomas. Raised behind monastery walls, he knows nothing of his mysterious past or imminent destiny. But now, in the heart of medieval England, a darkness threatens to strangle truth. An ancient order tightens their ghostly grip on power, creating fear and exiling those who would oppose them. Thomas is determined fulfill his calling and bring light into the mysterious world of the Druids and leaves the monastery on an important quest.
 
Thomas quickly finds himself in unfamiliar territory, as he must put his faith in unusual companions—a cryptic knight, a child thief, and the beautiful, silent woman whom may not be all she seems.  From the solitary life of an orphan, Thomas now finds himself tangled in the roots of both comradery and suspicion.
 
Can he trust those who would join his battle…or will his fears force him to go on alone?

"This told William that too much of their plan, like all battle plans, would be determined by chance.  All that was ever possible was to prepare to the fullest."

 

 Crusades! Knights! MERLIN! a castle called Magnus protected by flesh-eating witches! This is ultimate fantasy which just happens to be Christian. I am not altogether sure it can work as a straight allegory; because the details and figures ( shadowy and literal ) are rather convoluted at times; but I have great hopes that everything will iron out as the story continues.

Young Thomas is orphaned and alone, raised harshly by a constituent of abusive monks who abuse Thomas, the money from the poor inhabitants of the land ,greed and power.  Thomas finally escapes to fulfill his destiny; but bears the scares ----more emotional than physical--- of a religion gone wrong. What happens next is straight out of the best Quest Fantasy novels: nooses hang stretched high above the ground; the perilous plight of those bound for their capture stand fearfully by and Thomas and an unseen figure change the course of events in a speedy and resolute way.

Now, into our story, we are given moments of compellingly fantastical history: a Knight returned from Crusades, a stolen chalice, an idolized Kingdom destined to reveal secrets it harbours and a plan and plot which will allow honour, courage and bravery to abound.

The style here is mesmerizing in its galloping simplicity.  Each character is carefully and cheerfully drawn with few descriptions so that the reader can happily colour in the lines.  The banter and developing camaraderie between an unlikely band with put readers in mind of the great fantasies of yore: from Tolkien to T.H. White to the legend of Robin Hood.   The medieval world is also well-painted in periphery; without setting too much task on careful historical detail.  We learn that there is enough thread to set this in a world not unlike the past we are familiar with; while still maintaining a sort of ethereal sense of magic and sorcery.

Thomas is a likeable and believable hero and is developing attraction for the girl Isabelle is welcome; but it is William the Knight who has my heart: especially in his interactions with Thomas ---who becomes somewhat of a younger brother to him.

Readers will not be bombarded by Christian symbolism as the rewarding themes in the book tend to place overarching morals on a higher pedestal than distinctive reference.  This works well, broadens its readership and makes it a perfect addition to any young adult's library ( or adult who loves young adult books--- like me! )

I received this book for review as part of the WaterBrook "Bloggings for Books" program 

TV Review: Kings

Kings is what tv can be when writers turn on their brains and expect that their audience will, in turn, turn on theirs.  It doesn’t spoon-feed you, it doesn’t talk down to you, it expects you to be able to rise to its level and, when you do, it is remarkably rewarding.

I never saw Kings when it aired; but I read after viewing that the marketing was careful to remove any Biblical symbolism from its commercials and promotions in order not to ostracize viewers. I wonder if it would have had a greater following and more success, in retrospect, had it let viewers know that, yes, it is FULL of Biblical symbolism.  Kings is the re-imagining of David and King Saul’s uneasy relationship in the Books of Samuel and, were it given the time it deserved on the air, probably would have become an outstanding tale of the growth of David as King and of the unparalleled solidarity he experienced with Jonathan. Instead, we feel like the efforts here ( while ending strongly given the time afforded) are strangely truncated and you will finish the series gasping for more.

We near start with young soldier David, the smallest of numerous brothers, on a battlefield facing a Goliath tank. With naught but his wits and his wrench and his mechanical belief that he can find the gargantuan tank’s weak point.  This confrontation results in David being able to rescue a captured soldier: Jonathan “Jack” Benjamin, the prince of Gilboa.

The Gilboan/Gath relations are anything less than easy as King Silas ( the analogue to the Biblical Saul) knows all too well.  Silas has built a utopian city of industry and strength in Shiloh and it is here that he addresses his eager followers to relay the story of his divine appointment.

The audience soon learns that Silas knew he was chosen leader by God when a flock of monarch butterflies formed a symbolic crown anointing him.  This story has inspired and is backed by Revered Samuel; a counterpart to the prophetic Samuel of the Bible who is introduced as a figure who wants to keep Silas in check; wants Silas to constantly remember that his actions are dictated by a higher power and that it is up to him to act in the way befitting the one who placed him in such power.

With the political intrigue set and the looming dissension of peace on the horizon, David is acknowledged and rewarded for his courage and bravery and, in turn, becomes a bit of a local superstar.  Jack is immediately jealous of David’s new position as liaison to the Press in Court as Silas approaches the new Kingdom favourite with cautious optimism: unsure of whether to end David’s life as a near rival; or promote it as an unexpected tool for securing a better relationship between Gilboa and its enemies.  When a similar crown of butterflies adorns David’s head, capitalizing on the Revered Samuel’s belief that Silas is no longer a man after God’s own heart; so he will be replaced with one such person, the rift between Silas and David and their already complicated relationship is steeped wider.

Christian or non, Believer or non, you have to admit that the Bible is a veritable smorgasbord of rich, pre-Shakespearian tragedies: full of political intrigue, sex, and, yes, even romance.  The character dynamics in the show are perfectly paired with the high substance of the source material. The writers certainly knew that they had a limitless canvas to draw from and do well at excavating the details needed ( no matter how small and seemingly sidelined) to reimagine the story on a contemporary World Stage.

Does this prove that the Bible’s resonance is Century-agnostic? Certainly.  The thirst for power, the crimes of conscience, the lack of knowledge, the grappling with the language of Civlization and the ramifications of honesty and, likewise, vanity are paraded here in startling and drastic colour.

I could spend an entire blog series pitting the original material with the updated version, drawing on links that you would immediately recognize as having root in their Biblical construct. Instead, I leave that for you --- as a bit of a thinking person’s treasure trove of slight symbols and analogies and allusions.  That is , at its core, what this entire (and entirely too –short-lived ) series is. 

When Hope Blossoms by Kim Vogel Sawyer

From the Publisher: Sweet Contemporary Story Set in an Old Order Mennonite Community

Amy Knackstedt moves with her children to Weaverly, Kansas, to escape the speculation surrounding her husband's untimely death.

She hopes the new location will provide a fresh start for them all. But her neighbor, Tim Roper, is not pleased to have a Mennonite family living next to his apple orchard. When the children try to befriend him, he resists. Tim left the Mennonite faith years ago and doesn't want any reminders of his former life. Yet Amy and Tim find their paths colliding far more than either could have foreseen. Will this tentative relationship blossom into something more?

This is not my preferred genre of CBA fiction; however, Vogel Sawyer is a competent writer and I have enjoyed a few of her historicals: most prominently Courting Miss Amsel and A Promise for Spring. Her attention to historical detail in My Heart Remembers and the way she balances characters with individual and multiple narrative threads can be appealing. 

Due to this strength in her writing, she is able to marry the old and the new in When Hope Blossoms.  This is the kind of fiction you take to Nana's house on a Sunday afternoon and place next to the tea cozy and scones.  This is not edgy fiction. Instead, it's a sweet floral garden which exposes facets of the Mennonite tradition with the contemporary world.  Everything is Amish these days and, truth be told, it's nice to have some Mennonite traditions thrown into the mix.  I enjoyed Tim's budding relationship and attention to Amy's precociously sweet children. 

There is something quite tantalizing about a hero attempting to make peace with his Creator after tragedy; but also unwillfully softening to the muted overtures of a second love.  Toss in the fact that this hero is still fighting with his past as a Mennonite and you have a realistic portrait of a man who blames the past for his present and cannot find his way to accept the path that brought him to where he is. 

The clashing of cultures is also an interesting and well-developed thread as Tim Roper encounters the old world tradition of his new neighbour . The promise of a second love and the reconciling of beliefs with personal differences and sudden community makes for an interesting transition from scepticism to love.  A light, lovely story that will amuse readers of Beverly Lewis and Cindy Woodsmall.

My thanks to Graf-Martin Communications for the review copy on behalf of Baker Publishing Group

A few new titles to enjoy.....

Sometimes, despite my best reading and reviewing efforts, a few books get side-tracked as I whirl myself into a reading frenzy.  In this case, these are two books high on my TBR list that I have not yet posted and promoted. I received both copies from Graf-Martin Communications ( on behalf of Baker Publishing Group) 





The Deposit Slip by Todd M. Johnson has a backcover copy that reads like Robert Whitlow, so readers are, indubitably, in for a treat with this offering from Bethany House:

$10,000,000 Is Missing.

Erin Larson is running out of options. In the wake of her father's death, she found a slim piece of paper--a deposit slip--with an unbelievable amount on it. Only the bank claims they have no record of the money, and trying to hire a lawyer has brought only intimidation and threats. Erin's last chance is Jared Neaton.

How Far Will One Lawyer Go to Find the Money?

When Jared wearied of the shady ethics of his big law firm and started his own, he never expected the wheels to fly off so quickly. One big loss has pushed him to the brink, and it's all he can do to scrape by. 

And How Far Will Someone Go to Stop Him?

He's not sure if Erin's case is worth the risk, but if the money is real, all his problems could vanish. When digging deeper unleashes something far more dangerous than just threats, both Jared and Erin must decide the cost they're willing to pay to discover the truth.

Visit Todd M. Johnson at his website


Mary Magdalene by Diana Wallis Taylor promises to help us excavate the enigma and controversy surrounding this popular figure: 

Long maligned as a prostitute or a woman of questionable reputation, Mary Magdalene's murky story seems lost to the sands of time. Now a portrait of this enigmatic woman comes to life in the hands of an imaginative master storyteller. Diana Wallis Taylor's Mary is a woman devastated by circumstances beyond her control and plagued with terrifying dreams--until she has a life-changing confrontation with the Savior.

Lovers of historical and biblical fiction will find this creative telling of Mary's story utterly original and respectful as it opens their eyes to the redeeming work of Christ in the lives of those who follow him.

Visit Diana Wallis Taylor at her website

Author Interview: Laura Frantz

I am so thrilled that Laura Frantz agreed to answer a few questions about her latest title, Love's Reckoning.
I have LOVED Laura Frantz's work so far: The Frontiersman's Daughter (which I read when it was shortlisted for the INSPYs), Courting Morrow Little,  and The Colonel's Lady.  Honestly, I cannot pick a favourite thus far because all books are equally strong and unique. 

If you are searching for literary Christian fiction: with scintillating prose, strong evocation of place and time and in-depth characterization, you have come to the right party!

R: One of my favourite parts of the story had Silas writing out Bible verses for Eden: translating them first from Gaelic and hiding them throughout the house so she would find a surprise during her daily chores. This not only spoke to Eden's deep thirst for all things spiritual, but also for the developing relationship between Eden and Silas. Can you speak to your choices of scripture in these moments and what inspired you to weave this delightful aspect into your romance? Subtle and sweet! loved it!

L:Oh, love that the spiritual thread worked for you! That portion of the novel sort of wrote itself - I kept having these mental images of this tall, strapping blacksmith creatively leaving a trail of spiritual nourishment to satisfy Eden's hungry heart. I thought, from the start, that Silas, being a man of honor, would woo a woman a bit differently than the norm. He always hedged his heart, so to speak, and his safety was found in Scripture. He responded to Eden's need by giving her what had satisfied him in his time of want. He wanted to impart that nothing satisfies like the Savior. It was a lesson she would come to realize for herself when things went awry. It's a lesson we could all learn and relearn, myself foremost. The specific Scripture I included are personal favorites. I never tire of them.

R:Eden's friends at Hope Rising ---as well as Leige Lee before he turned from religion---practice the Quaker faith. Can you speak to your choice in including this particular tenet of protestantism as well as the research involved in presenting this history into the novel?

 L:I've always had a particular fascination with Friends or Quakers (actually a derogatory term at one time) - with their dress, their speech, their anti-slavery, pro-women stance. They were way ahead of their time in many respects and were often respected, wealthy leaders. Since they were the backbone of Pennsylvania, I knew I had to include them in the story. Getting their THEES and THOUS right was a bit tricky, though...

R:Eden and Elspeth are about as different as sisters can be --- and yet one can't help but imagine that if they were melded into one person, their strengths and weaknesses might be better counterbalanced. What strengths do you hope readers take away from Eden? What might we learn from the far more difficult Elspeth? 

Sadly, I've known some Elspeths. And I wish I was more like Eden in that I had her reaction to the circumstances of life - a gentle and quiet spirit. I think Eden was truly a product of her time when women were often victimized and considered little more than property. Given her terribly dysfunctional family, could she have been any different than she was? Her strength was in her attitude about it all. She was a survivor and made a better way for herself. As for Elspeth, I hope she wasn't too black and white. I wanted to show how envy and discontent can destroy you. I do understand how Elspeth ticks. You'll see more of her in book 2 when she becomes a bit more human (sort of). But no spoilers!

R: Silas has a very rich history shrouded in enigma! In fact, I often felt like Gretel being tossed a few revelatory breadcrumbs when it came to details about his past. As an author,what tricks did you use to make sure you weren't giving too much away?

L: Oh, love the Gretel analogy! I think every character should have secrets. I have a horror of TMI or backstory dumping so like to keep things trim. I excel at TMI, actually, so always have to be on guard. I thought that Silas - and readers - would benefit more from a diet of breadcrumbs than a hefty steak. Though I longed to give them steak! My editors have kept me to a strict 110k word count on this series so Silas has had to go on rations along with the author! Prior to turning this book into my editors, the story was quite sprawling. I always want to cry when I cut scenes or reduce things to the barest essence. So much richness and detail is stripped out of the story. But you've given me hope that just a few breadcrumbs might well work!

R:The Ballantyne Legacy is going to be a series (HURRAH!) and we are going to find out more about Silas and his family (DOUBLE HURRAH). Did you start by outlining all of the books in the proposed series to have a bit of a roadmap on where to go? Do you have an omniscient perspective on what will happen when, or do your characters still take you by surprise? Can you speak to your writing process ---especially since your previous novels, have been stand-alone stories.

L: I've always been one of those writers who just sits down with a pen and paper (yes, I still write all my novels in longhand first) and work with only the barest story premise. But with The Ballantyne Legacy, my publisher wanted a detailed synopsis for each of the 4 books in the series. This took me about 3 months to think up! I've never thought a story through from beginning to end and am not sure I like that - though my pub does. Strangely enough, a story and its characters have a life all its own and sometimes you just pitch said synopsis out the window. For example, David Greathouse was never in the synopsis but strode on stage in chapter 2 and just about took over. I was a bit shocked and didn't quite know what to do with him though I knew he meant trouble! I will say that writing a series is far more difficult than writing standalones. Aging and maturing characters is a challenge and the tone of each novel changes. I'm on Ballantyne book 3 now and it's an entirely different animal. Silas is by now 90 and Eden is nearly that. Try spanning that many years! Do you give them gout or let them age gracefully? Do you magnify their foibles or keep them quiet? Things become complicated, to say the least. I may go back to writing standalones!

Make sure you visit Laura Frantz at her website
My thanks to Graf-Martin Communications for providing me with a review copy on behalf of Revell Publishers

The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman

From the Publisher: 
Treasure is found in the most unlikely places.

The envy of all her friends, wife and mother Saphora Warren is the model of southern gentility and accomplishment. She lives in a beautiful Lake Norman home, and has raised three capable adult children. Her husband is a successful plastic surgeon--and a philanderer. It is for that reason that, after hosting a garden party for Southern Living magazine, Saphora packs her bags to escape the trappings of the picturesque-but-vacant life. 
Saphora’s departure is interrupted by her husband Bender’s early arrival home, and his words that change her life forever: I’m dying. 
 Against her desires, Saphora agrees to take care of Bender as he fights his illness. They relocate, at his insistance, to their coastal home in Oriental—the same house she had chosen for her private getaway. When her idyllic retreat is overrun by her grown children, grandchildren, townspeople, relatives, and a precocious neighbor child, Saphora’s escape to paradise is anything but the life she had imagined. As she gropes for evidence of God's presence amid the turmoil, can she discover that the richest treasures come in surprising packages?


I must confess that I had requested this book from WaterBrook and it had been lanquishing away in my drafts folder. Raise your hand, bloggers, if this has ever happened to you?

It's very rare that I seek out contemporary Christian writers with a more literary scope ( as I usually prefer the historical romance genre of the CBA); nonetheless, the title intrigued me, calling to mind the famed Grace O'Malley of yesteryear, and a review I had read made me think that Hickman was a talented spinner (if imperfect) of words I should seek out.

I am glad I did.  What is lacking in the CBA are more concise female writers who delve deeply into the psyche of family, hope, faith and traumas (large and small) without shrouding them in romance. Saphora's journey recalls Mrs. Dalloway or the tragic heroine of Kate Chopin's "The Awakening." In short, a woman who wants to buy the flowers herself: surrounded by the typified beauty of a life rigidly vacant life to fill her soul.  When an unexpected arrival and deafening news shatter her best laid plans, Saphora is forced to become giver and forgiver: to dig deep to find compassion in a deep well that will force her to leave behind her plan for new paradise.

Readers, such as myself, may not agree with all of Saphora's decisions may be infuriated by her, her choices and even by her husband and his past; but I wonder how often God is infuriated by us and true character studies take us beyond the realm of simply "likeable" and into the vortex of something deeper and more humane.  

There are some issues of voice here and a penchant for redundancy; but I applaud effort.

This better-late-than-never-review was made possibly by the WaterBrook Blogging for Books program from which I received a copy for review.

A few Thomas Nelson titles read recently....

I[I received both review copies through Netgalley]

Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond: I was phenomenally impressed with the literary competence displayed by Catherine Richmond in the first title I have read by this author.  If you, like, me are driven deep into a novel by well-realized characterization; then you have come to the right party.  Sophia Manikoff is certain that her beau will not only become a US Congressman; but also propose.  Her future seems safe and secure until the unthinkable happens and she is brushed aside for another woman.

Sophia acts rashly and registers for the Board of Foreign Missions, certain she’ll be spirited off to the Far East and not to the Ponca Indian Agency in Dakota Territory.  Nonetheless, it is here she lands and is thrust into a world completely devoid of anything familiar.  She befriends the locals, sets long-standing customs on their ear and dapples in a budding romance with the local carpenter, Willoughby Dunn.   I was not only impressed by the descriptive flare of Richmond’s prose;  but also her meticulously-researched yarn.  Moreover, I enjoyed Sophia’s intelligence and her grasp of numerous languages. Learning more about her unique Russian heritage was welcome. Will was a welcome suitor; mentally-matched to the spirited Sophia and the harsh winter, difficult situations and violent surroundings of this Territory are well met by Richmond’s competent pen.

This Scarlet Cord by Joan Wolf comes after the success of her re-telling of the Esther story.  Here, she re-imagines Rahab’s life in Jericho from the time of her youth:  a young Canaanite woman of unique beauty who nearly escapes a life of slavery by the help of prominent Sala ( the Biblical Salmon ) and his father. Time moves forward and Rahab is pitted against the well-known historical events in the Bible: including her hiding of two Israeli spies from Joshua’s army.  Sala’s military connections are also explored.  I must confess that this is not the most accurate representation of the Bible story; infused with a rather fictional realization and colouring of events that stray from the original text.  What Wolf excels in, however, is her grasp of the political and cultural climate of Rahab’s age: she does well at painting the pagan rituals as well as the star-crossed love of Canaanite girl Rahab and Israeli boy Sala.  The issue of women being used as commodities to secure financially-appropriate marriages is also explored.  This book is exceptionally readable.    

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Love in Disguise by Carol Cox

Disguises, love, intrigue, suspense, enigma…..

Ellie Moore never anticipates what will pepper her life after she loses her job to a prominent Chicago actress; but as soon as you can say, oh, I don’t know, something Shakespearian, she is utilizing her crafty wardrobe of wigs, cosmetics and disguises, joining the Pinkertons and fleeing to Pickford, Arizona to help solve the mystery of silver shipments stolen from the local miners.

The Pinkerton Agency wanted two women to pose as an aging, demure aunt and her beguiling niece and, lucky for Ellie, she can play both with great aplomb.  Sure, the dream of trailing to London to follow in her employer’s stage career has fallen to pieces; but she is able to transplant that dream to Arizona territory: using her knack for eavesdropping, her nose for danger and the heart palpitations which take on frequency whenever miner Steven Pierce is near to spring her into action.

There is one catch: Steven is smitten with young, fresh, dazzling Jessie Monroe.  Likewise, he views her aunt Lavinia Stewart as a moral compass and confidante.  While Ellie falls head over heels for Steven, she cannot reveal the parts she is playing: for neither is actually her---especially not Jessie: the attractive young woman seemingly blessed with all of the  poise that Ellie lacks.

There were several wonderful things about Love in Disguise:  first, it started off with a bang.  Ellie stands looking over a pretend audience, propelled into dreamlike state as she imagines a prosperous career as Juliet!  Cox obviously has a capable working knowledge of Shakespeare and 19^th Century theatrics and it works well.  Next, the Pinkerton agency. We've seen Pinkertons in A Proper Pursuit and in the Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper and now here.  I really enjoy these romance historicals when laced with a bit of well-written intrigue.  

Contrary to so many heroines in the Christian historical realm, Ellie does not begin the book as a church-going Christian ( this may not seem like a big deal to those who are not initiated with this genre; but egads! It is mind-blowingly fresh ).  Ellie actually runs into more than one problem when her life as a non-believer clashes with the role she is trying to play. While Lavinia Stewart would indubitably be able to sing out all of the words to “We’re Marching to Zion” aside Steven Pierce’s baritone, Ellie-as-Lavinia has no hopes of doing so. She doesn’t know the words.

Anyone reading this review can eke out the moral construction of the tale: as it deals with identity and being true to yourself.  In many cases, it is easy for Ellie to hide because she houses such deeply ingrained insecurities when she is acting as, well, herself.  She finds determined solace as she elicits the moral backbone of Lavinia and the grace and wit of Jessie: little realizing that these are just two  facets of herself --- the best combinations of a person who, though shrouded with a hidden appearance, is indeed at the heart of the mystery and love story.  It is not Ellie’s trained skill; rather her intuition and ability to read people which make her such a competent Pinkerton.

This is a light summer read that I would highly recommend to those who want a nice, thoughtful Christian historical that is mindful of its trappings into the typical Christian construct; without falling too greatly into some of the less-scintillating norms of the genre ( for example, I did my usual finger-flip through all pages at the beginning to spot italics and found very, very, few! )

There’s a cute love story and some embarrassing moments when Ellie almost gets caught and she is a normal, conflicted heroine. Most importantly, she is one to cheer for. 

Ruth also reviewed it

Learn more about Carol Cox and check out her backlist

I received this book for review from Graf-Martin Communications on behalf of Baker Publishing Group 

Film Review: "Brave"

I was fortunate enough to see an advanced screening of Brave last weekend and when delightful Gina  asked if I might write a review for Breakpoint  about it from a Christian perspective I was thrilled to the gills at the opportunity.

You can read my review here

Breakpoint also includes a great feature called Youth Reads with a variety of Young Adult titles

Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren

It was a time of opulence and magnificence. It was a bounty of places and persons carefully selected to prime young people of wealth and circumstance in ways of culture, history and language.  It was the perfect place to come of age.  Now mythologized in our consciousness and lavish beyond most of our collective comprehension, the Grand Tour is legendary in scope.  From London to Paris to Vienna to Rome, those of circumstance were guided to experience the epoch of Europe’s delights. To guide these young impressionable minds was an educated “bear” who would lead the young people through their adventures while (hopefully) keeping them out of danger or trouble and, you know, regulated their penchant for drink, dance and debauchery.  The Grand Tour is brilliantly woven as the backdrop of Lisa T. Bergren’s Glamorous Illusions: one of the most literary endeavours in the Christian market I have read this year.

Cora Diehl is comfortable with her farm life: the chores, the structure, the routine, her loving parents…. She could ask for little more than the comfort of her circumstance. That is, until she learns that she is the illegitimate daughter of the Copper King and her life changes forever. No longer the product of her Montana farming heritage, Cora must learn to bridge the gaping social divide and accept her new role as the daughter of one of the American elite.   In order to give he a proper upbringing and to atone for years of neglect, Cora’s new father sends her on the Grand Tour with his other legitimate children.  With her confidante Will, the bear and her dashing new French acquaintance, Pierre de Richelieu, Cora is spun in an intricate maze of masquerades and garden parties, cocktails, boating and high-stepping: a social and cultural whirl set against the beauty and poise of Europe.

This is an incredibly confident book: confident in its structure, in its usage of the Tour as a backdrop which takes on its own spinning characteristics and in its usage of shifting narrative points of view. Intrinsic details of life in the whirlwind of the Grand Tour as well as a sincere appreciation and understanding of the history of each landmark : from English country manners to Versaille are perfectly executed.  A lot of in-depth research clearly went into the formation of this book. When Cora takes up with a dashingly enigmatic Frenchmen, Bergen doesn’t err in beating us to death with immediate translation: she allows the flow of the story and the dialogue to infer the meaning of each statement.  To add to Bergren’s fortitude as a writer, she plays with narrative perspective: a point of view switch--- from Will to Cora --- hers in first person.  This could have been disastrous; but Bergren does it well and it rounds out Cora’s experience and the reader’s impression of her.  As our narrator, we are immediately attuned to Cora’s opinions and her experiences in a typically biased way; but Bergren takes a step further by guaranteeing that Cora’s likeability is not only personal expression, we get to see Cora and her adventures through other’s eyes and perspectives.  Amazing clothing and culturally specific detail allow one to sink further into the believability of the novel and the slight romance that fringes the character’s deeper acquaintance is most welcome.

Not only is Cora a fish-out-of-water in the midst of cultural divide in Europe, she is immediately flabberghasted by the major rift between her farm life and the Kensington life of wealth and prosperity. While busily waltzing from monument to monument, in and out of gorgeous clothes and social faux pas,  Cora must also learn to reconcile the betrayal of her heritage: once thought beloved and owned by her parents, the family secret that severed her existence plagues her on the other side of the world as she learns to tolerate her new siblings and encounter head-on the shame of being a child conceived out-of-wedlock in a time and society where this equaled to social disaster. “ Wallace Kensington made a way for me to come here…”, she says “… but he also made it impossible for me and my folks to ever return home ….to ever resume our former life”

The blessing of wealth and experience clashes greatly with the realization that once you leave a place and circumstance, you can never go back: if physically, at least not emotionally. Fortunately, going into her new excursion, Cora is blessed with a resolute character which allows her to take her new circumstances with a grain of salt, keep her wits about her and not immediately fall into the trappings of froth and flounce which could alter her inner goodness.  She inappropriately interrupts a dinner with an outburst on behalf of union workers, she engages with the servants and gracefully accepts the rude dismissal of her presence ( upon recognition of her true parentage) from a family of great wealth and influence.  Cora is a heroine to believe in.  She is flawed; but willing.  She is trying; but tried upon.  She is the perfect balance of wonder and skepticism.  

This is my first ( but not last ) Lisa T. Bergren book 

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

 Okay, here’s the deal with Karen Witemeyer, I have learned the secret to her popularity : it's a cotton candy read.  You don’t have to pay close attention, you will most likely finish the plot in your head before the she finishes it on the page and you won’t leave having interposed some universal truth.

You might think I mean this in a bad way; I don’t --- not to the right reader.  Sometimes people watch candy movies: those fluffy, candy-coated excursions into marshmallow land.  You’ve done it: you see 13 Going on 30 on tv one night and you can’t turn away.  You feel comforted in the fact that you KNOW she will end up with Mark Ruffalo. There aren’t any surprises; but it DOESN’T matter. It’s candy, fluffy fun.   This is the Christian book equivalent.  There is nothing challenging within To Win Her Heart: you know that Levi the reformed convict-turned-blacksmith will win the hand of Eden the upright librarian; but it DOESN’T matter; the prose trips along so easily you can read it in that dream state before bed.  It’s not my fictional ideal; but I do admit it takes some talent to spin one of these easy yarns and I applaud it.

This the kind of fiction you drop off to your grandmother on a Sunday afternoon.  There is no edge. For me, there is no spark; but it’s solid and conservative.   The other Witemeyer book I read and appreciated of this ilk was Head in the Clouds: that was a cute, fluffy book not unlike its title.

I absolutely loathed Tailor Made Bride ----not because it strayed from the devices aforementioned but because as a Christian and a woman who prides independence and intellect I still find it one of the most begrudgingly offensive offerings in the market.  (Honestly.  I was offended and still feel small ripples of rage when I think about it).  Short-Straw Bride is on its way to me for review and I’ll read it, and review it here; but I recollected that I hadn’t spoken to To Win Her Heart yet; so….here….

I think I already kind of mentioned it: convict –turned-blacksmith falls for librarian.  Librarian is at first intimidated by convict-turned-blacksmith’s large physiognomy and skeptical of his passion for Jules Verne; but soon there are sparks flying from the smithy and beyond.   

I want to mention one incredible aspect of the novel.  Witemeyer has an ALMOST Lynn Austin moment ( I say ALMOST; because no one but Lynn Austin can have these moments really).  You know ( as I have mentioned often ) that moment in a Lynn Austin novel when your ears perk up and your eyes widen and your heart pulse quickens because she throws in something: however, fleeting and serenely quiet ; but tantamount to the experience and you go….”oooooo”; well Witemeyer almost gets into this realm of writing when she explores Levi’s lisp.  Levi has difficulty saying ‘s’ words and so to keep his pride and his face he will remove them from his sentences…. Deciding, instead, to craft the same emotion or statement with alternative words.  This proves Levi to be a great reader; but also proves Witemeyer to have put some careful thought into her dialogue.  In this respect, I was impressed. She took this book a step farther than others in this regard.

There’s still the usual: bad guy wants heroine, good guy hates bad guy wanting heroine, crisis that rallies the townspeople, crises of faith; but, whatever, you get what you paid for.  There aren’t any surprises here and I think that’s the lasting appeal.  Sometimes we all need cotton candy.