Tolkien Reading Day

As I often do, I got up this morning and checked to see what sort of celebration I could come up with for today—you know, National Toenail Day, International Bad Hair Day, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that besides being Waffle Day and Maryland Day, it was Tolkien Reading Day. How cool is that?
Now, I suppose if you’re not a Tolkien fan you’d rather just eat waffles or move to Maryland. I personally love Tolkien, and that’s really saying something because I’m not a fan of fantasy or anything even remotely resembling it. But I have a real emotional attachment to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Way back in the Dark Ages (1974 to be exact) just months before becoming a born-again believer on July 5, I picked up a book called The Hobbit. I have no idea how I came across it or it happened to be in my home, but I was living in Colorado Springs at the time, and it had been a long, cold winter. I’m not a skier nor do I like cold weather, so the ongoing winter months had seemed especially tedious. In response, I spent many, many hours with my nose buried in books (something I do regardless of the weather). So even though The Hobbit wasn’t my usual reading fare, since I had no alternatives handy and didn’t want to drive on the ice to try to get something else (remember, this was long before Nooks and Kindles!), I settled down to read about Mr. Bilbo Baggins and company.

Guess what? By the time I was done I rushed right out into the middle of a snowstorm so I could pick up the trilogy and continue with Mr. Tolkien’s stories. And boy, was he a great storyteller! But it was more than that. As I said, I read these just months before becoming a true believer, but already I was searching. In retrospect, I don’t believe it was purely chance that I ended up with nothing to read but The Hobbit; I suspect God Himself was directing my steps, even then, to woo my heart and open my eyes. Though it was subtle (and I didn’t even realize it at the time), Tolkien’s books were part of that wooing process.

Anyone else have similar experiences, either with Tolkien or some other author/book? As a writer of Christian books, I’d like to think God uses my words to nudge others toward his heart, and I imagine all other Christian writers feel the same. I’d love to hear from you along these lines (in between your Tolkien reading and waffle eating, of course).

Is It Well with Your Soul? by Kathi Macias

I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound
(Philippians 4:11-12, NKJV).

Lately I can’t get the words to that wonderful old hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” out of my mind. In fact, I’ve been singing it all morning. After a few choruses I began reflecting on the state of the hymnist who penned those faith-filled words just after losing his entire family. He wrote with a broken heart and, no doubt, had to wipe away many tears in the process, and yet his faith was not damaged or destroyed. He could declare, amidst devastating pain and loss, that he knew his soul was safe in the nail-scarred hands of His Savior.

Now I’m examining my own faith, particularly in light of my own writing. Is it well with my soul—regardless of circumstances? Am I reflecting that in the words I pen, mindful that others will be reading them? I find it easy to trust God and sing His praises when the biggest challenge I face is meeting a writing deadline or planning a special holiday meal. But what about when my “world” caves in—when I lose a loved one or my only source of income dries up or I discover I have a terminal disease? Is everything still “well with my soul” then, or do I find myself questioning God as if I knew more or cared more or planned better than He?

Not only in my writing but in my everyday life, I want to be like the hymn writer who declared that it was well with his soul, even when everything familiar and cherished was stripped away, don’t you? Of course, the only way to get to that point is to immerse ourselves in His presence and love now, while our situations are still relatively positive. I’m recommitting myself to do that, daily and wholeheartedly. Will you join me?

Giving Selflessly to Those Who Need It Most

Tomorrow is Christmas, but I must admit that Christmas Eve has always been my favorite time of year. When I was a child it seemed “magical,” as we waited for Santa to bring us the gifts we would open the next morning. I know now, that though Jesus most likely wasn’t born on the night of December 24, the real gift of Christmas is what we celebrate on this most loved of holidays. I also know, as a former biblical counselor on a large church staff, that this is the time of year that heightens all our emotions–whether joyous or heart-wrenching. Right now I can’t help but think of the many families impacted by the most recent school shooting. Regardless of where they stand on the purpose for Christ’s birth, this has got to be the most difficult time for them that any human can experience.

We’ve all lost loved ones at some point in our lives, but our children–torn away by a murderer’s bullet? No pain can compare–except perhaps that of the Father, as He watched His only Son suffer and die at the hands of His own creation. And that’s the answer I give when asked, “Where was God when this horrible massacre took place?” He was where He always is, sitting on the throne in complete control and yet weeping with those who weep, hurting with those who hurt, mourning with those who mourn–because He’s been there and He knows better than anyone the tragic outcome of evil, selfish choices. The Scriptures say that God bottles our tears, and that one day in heaven He will wipe them all away. Until then, He stands waiting, His nail-scarred hands extended and ready to carry us through to the other side.

I see practical and creative ways popping up all over where we can offer assistance to those who are experiencing grief beyond imagining right now–places to donate meals, money, flowers, etc.–and I encourage you all to take advantage of those opportunities whenever possible. But I also encourage you to pray, not just now when the pain is fresh but for a long time to come because this isn’t something anyone will get past quickly or easily–possibly not ever on this earth. We may never personally meet any of those who have lost loved ones in this shooting, but we can give them a selfless gift at Christmas–a commitment to pray for them for as long as we have breath to do so. Then one day, when we have “graduated to heaven” and met those precious little ones who went on ahead of us, God will wipe away our tears as well.

A very blessed Christmas to you all, beloved.

Why do we write…or read?

As an author and also an avid reader, I suppose I could say I read and write because I love to do so–and that would be absolutely true. But there’s more to it, especially as Christians. Every now and then we get a glimpse of how God’s purposes in the midst of the books we love, and it puts things back into perspective. That’s what happened to me with the very recent release of my 2012 Christmas book, Unexpected Christmas Hero. I’m posting the story below. Will you consider joining with us in helping to reunite this family? Thank you!

***

This is the cover for my 2012 Christmas novel, Unexpected Christmas Hero, which just released from New Hope Publishers in mid-October. It is a story about a family (mother and two small children) who become homeless when their husband/father dies unexpectedly and leaves them in terrible financial straits. The family is befriended by a homeless Vietnam vet who becomes their “unexpected Christmas hero,” despite his own precarious position. I recently learned from my publisher that the man on the cover (Willard Parker) truly is homeless but graciously agreed to pose for this photo. He told the photographer that he is separated from his family and would like very much to be reunited with them (particularly his grown daughter). So I thought about all you wonderful blog followers and social networking friends and decided, Why not band together and try to make this happen for Mr. Parker? I am posting the story from the photographer below so you can see how Mr. Parker ended up on the cover. If you recognize/know Mr. Parker and/or have any information about his family, please leave a comment here with your contact information or email me at ezyrtr@ca.rr.com. Meanwhile, please pass this information along to anyone you can–via your own blogs, social networks, email loops, whatever way possible to help get the word out. Let’s make this go viral and bring this family back together!

Story from photographer/designer:

We (designer and photographer Michel Lê and spouse Christine) were Christmas vacationing in Asheville, NC.

I had Kathi’s book cover to design and needed photos of homeless people. Christine remembered seeing homeless people under some bridge in town. I grabbed my camera and off we went.

After unsuccessfully circling around for an hour, I decided to call it off and head back.

That’s when God told Christine to persevere, and to go in a different part of town. And there he was, Willard Parker, the perfect physical representation (in my opinion) of Kathi’s Unexpected Christmas Hero‘s main character. We stopped the car and asked him if he was homeless and willing to pose for a few photos, after explaining to him the book story.

Willard said yes and was very accommodating. While driving to a suitable place for the photos, Willard offered us a glimpse of his life. He lost his house a few years back. He has a daughter somewhere north (maybe Detroit?) whom he lost touch. Willard also believes in our Lord Jesus Christ.

We had a sense of great sadness in his life, that it didn’t turned out the way he hoped for. WIllard had a very humble and kind spirit. But we sensed a quiet yet powerful sparkle and desire for life. He longed to see his daughter, and we felt how hard that would be for him in his present situation. He is basically illiterate as I found out (when I asked him to read and sign the Model Release).

I wanted to buy him lunch in a restaurant but he politely declined (maybe for fear of not being “part of the crowd”). We gave him some money and left, with a heavy heart and deeply moved.

While designing the cover, I prayed that the one with him would be chosen (there were others being considered), so I could send him a few copies, that in turn he could send one to his daughter (assuming we locate her). I prayed that God would make this happen, that He would flood his daughter with new love for her dad after seeing him on a book cover, that she would be proud of him, that she would have a great desire to reunite with him, just like we long to reunite in love with our Father. I hoped and prayed for it to happen. It would be the greatest Christmas gift of all for Willard.

Then the cover with Willard was chosen and the author decided to launch a campaign to find Willard’s family and reunite them. Thank You, God! We hope/pray that many of you will join us to spread the word. Sooner or later, someone out there will recognize Williard’s picture and/or name and know how to contact his family. Thank you all for being part of this! Now let’s get to work and see what God can do!!!

Readers, Writers, and Book Clubs

As my speaking engagements explode and I find myself on the road nearly as often as I’m home writing my next book, I must admit that of all the groups I speak to–writers’ conferences, women’s retreats, church and civic events–there’s nowhere I’d rather go than to a book club. Granted, many of them have only a handful of members, but those members are avid readers and absolutely LOVE to buy autographed books from authors. I recently had an opportunity to speak to a HUGE book club up in Fresno, CA, and it was such a wonderful experience that I wrote a feature article about the event for The Book Club Network’s magazine. (You can read it and check out the magazine at http://www.bookfunmagazine.com.)

The more I thought about how much I enjoy dropping in on book clubs as a writer/speaker, I thought I’d love to get some feedback on the topic from readers–and that would be you! So chime in, please. I’d love to hear your experiences regarding these groups. Are they still relevant today, since the advent of e-readers and online social interaction? What to do you think, dear book lovers?

Favorite Reading Spots?

I moan and groan a lot about having to travel so much, but I shouldn’t. Not only does it show an ungrateful attitude, but it fails to recognize two important (and very positive) points: 1) My speaking invitations/engagements are obviously on the uptick or I wouldn’t be flying across the country ever couple of weeks; 2) My expanded travel schedule usually affords me more reading-for-pleasure time.

I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, and from the time I was a child I was a pro at snatching even five spare minutes to get at least a few more pages read and digested. No doubt that passion and priority for reading helped drive me to try my hand at writing things for other people to read.

That’s where the problem started. Like most new writers, I went into this venture naively believing that the rest of my life would remain relatively untouched by it. Boy, was I wrong! Whether you write fulltime or part-time, the entire pursuit quickly turns into overtime. Before you know it, every moment is spent researching, writing, rewriting, editing, marketing… Well, you get the picture. And you know what happens? Reading for pleasure quickly falls through the cracks.

I know. I never thought it would happen either. But it did. I now have to discipline myself to squeeze pleasure-reading time into my ridiculous schedule. And so we come back to travel time. Most of my trips consist of hurry-up-to-get-to-the-airport-on-time-to-get-through-security and then waiting at the gate for my flight to be called. You’d be amazed how much you can read during that time! And, of course, how better to pass the actual flight time than to devour several more chapters while zipping through the clouds on the way to your next destination!

I recently ran across an online contest where entrants were supposed to submit photos of their favorite reading spots. I don’t know that airports and airplanes are my favorite reading spots, but they certainly are turning out to be the most workable for me.

How about you? Do you have a favorite reading spot—or maybe just one where you know you can escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even for a few minutes, to indulge in your beloved pastime of reading? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

Another Baby Has Been Added to the Family

First, let me say that we really do have a new baby in the family. Our grandson Mkey and his wife, Brittany, have a precious new son named Cameron Michael, and my hubby and I got to go visit our number-four great grandchild yesterday. It was delightful!

But we also have another new “baby” in the family–my latest book release, The Deliverer, the third and final novel in the Freedom Series. I’ll admit to being almost as excited about the third book in the series as I was the first and second, but I’m wondering if that’s true with readers.

Over the years I seem to have noticed a trend with publishers. Could be I’m just imaging it, but I get the impression that they pour more time and enthusiasm (and maybe even advertising dollars) into the “firstborn” in a series, leaving the remaining books to suffer the “middle” or “youngest child” syndrome.

You know what I mean. With our first child we take pictures of absolutely EVERYTHING they do. We faithfully fill out their baby books, and we read up on proper parenting manuals in hopes of not making any serious mistakes that might scar the poor things for life. The second child? We still take a handful of pictures now and then, though we never get around to downloading them from our camera phone. And a baby book? Well, hey, at least we got one and put the child’s name in it. But by the third one? We figure the annual school pictures are enough, and who needs baby books anyway?

Back to my thoughts about book series. Is it possible to maintain the same level of excitement with sequels as it is with the first book? I suppose if that first book is an absolute blockbuster, then sure, no problem. Readers are already standing in line to buy it. But if that wasn’t the case, then what? It even becomes a bit more of a challenge to promote them.

For instance, my current series is about human trafficking. The first book elicited all sorts of media invitations to discuss such a hot topic. But are those same media venues going to invite me back a second and third time to discuss the same subject?

I’d love to hear from you authors about what you done successfully (or not) to help promote sequels in your series; I’d REALLY love to hear from readers about what it takes to sustain interest in a series for you. Can books be released too far apart? Too close? Was it the quality of the first book in a series that pushed you into line to buy the sequels? If the first book was mediocre, is there any chance at all you’ll consider buying the other books in the series?

Thanks for any/all input, gang!

Holding an Annual Convention Because “Christians Read”!

Okay, I’ll admit it. I recently posted a lament that people—Christians included—seem to read less than they used to. And why not? Competition in the form of movies, TV, video games, etc., abound, and there are only so many hours in the day.

But today I’m encouraged. I recently returned from the annual ICRS (International Christian Retails Sales) Convention in Orlando, where I got to connect with lots of other Christians who absolutely adore books. There were book writers, book sellers, book readers, book publishers, and lots of media that wanted nothing more than to talk about books. Does it get any better than that?

True, the ICRS convention is not as big as it used to be, but the enthusiasm is still there. And, as I am every year, I was excited to meet and talk with international book buyers and authors. I always find it beneficial to talk with people from other cultures and get perspective on what believers in different settings and circumstances are reading. It seems readers’ tastes are wide and varied, but always ready for a great story or Bible study to challenge them in their walk with Jesus.

So what about you readers, the people who make “Christians Read” a reality? Are you encouraged to know that Christian books are still important enough to draw people from all over the world to see what’s being written, to order books for their stores, to sign contracts for new books? If so, how about tossing us some ideas about what you like to read and why, what you wish you could read and maybe haven’t been able to find? I, for one, am open to suggestion, as I believe many others who attended the convention are too.

Are Writers also Mentors to Their Readers?

I’ve posted a picture of a friend named Diane, standing between a script-writer friend named Kathie and yours truly, taken at a recent writers’ conference where Kathie and I were on faculty together. Diane graciously posted this picture on Facebook and referred to Kathie and me as “mentors.” I’ve been thinking about that a lot. I can certainly see her point since Diane is a writer and has drawn from Kathie and me at conferences over the years. But what about readers? Do they draw from writers as well? Is it stretching the point to think that writers, without consciously trying, are also mentors to their readers?

I think back over the many authors I’ve read and followed over the years, and I know that some have certainly influenced my own writing, as well as other passions in my life. For instance, Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (set in South Africa in the 1940s) profoundly influenced my thinking and, ultimately, the first novel in my Extreme Devotion series, No Greater Love, set in South Africa in 1989. And then there was the reviewer of my novel Deliver Me From Evil, the opening novel in my Freedom (human trafficking) series, who referred to me as a “modern-day Harriet Beecher Stowe,” calling my readers to fight slavery. I was a bit stunned by the comparison but had to admit that Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin also impacted my life and my thinking through the years.

I’m not sure those two examples confirm that writers can actually be mentors to their readers, but the possibility has re-enforced my determination to write only what I believe are “parables with purpose,” the sort of stories that Jesus told to His listeners, tales they related to and enjoyed but that also confronted and challenged them right where they lived. And always, whatever types of books I write, I want my messages to measure up to the Truth of the Scriptures, for ultimately I am responsible to God for any influence I may wield with my readers.

Any thoughts on the topic from a reader’s point of view?

What Makes Christian Books “Christian”–and Does It Matter?

What is the identifying mark of Christian books/writing? This is a question I’ve asked a lot of people, not just writers and other professionals in the industry but also readers, since they’re the ones who make choices about which books to buy–or not. The answers have been varied.

I’ve heard things like, “The book needs to present the Gospel”; “There should be no cussing or excessive violence and definitely no sex or nudity”; “There should be a clear message of transformation due to Christ coming in to someone’s life.”

These are all valid statements, but I wonder if one particular scripture verse doesn’t give us a bit clearer set of guidelines while still allowing for individual preferences and personalities. Ephesians 4:s9 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

I love that, don’t you? For me, as a writer of Christian fiction and nonfiction, I receive clear boundaries and direction:

1) Don’t write anything corrupt

2) Look for ways to edify (build up) my readers

3) Seek to impart grace to those who read/hear what I write

Aren’t those simple and yet helpful points to follow when defining Christian writing? But what about if you’re a reader and not a writer? Can these three basic directives help you choose not only what you might want to read yourself but also what you would recommend to others? I believe they would, but I’d love to hear what you think. Are these three points helpful to you? If so, in what ways? Do you have other suggestions to add to this brief list? And does it matter? If so, why?

Happy reading, fellow lovers of words!

AWARENESS BOOKS by Vicki Hinze

Awareness Books

 

 

STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING by Mypokcik

Not too long ago, I wrote a book called Deadly Ties.  It was the second book in my Crossroads Crisis Center series and it dealt with human trafficking.

 

That was a subject that had been on my mind for a long time.   It was one of my readers who elevated it on my personal radar.  She wrote in and shared with me a personal encounter she’d had—read that, a near miss at being abducted—and frankly, it scared the fool out of both of us.  It also set me to researching.

 

What I discovered chilled my blood.  Until then, like many I’ve spoken with since the book’s release, I related human trafficking to distant places and other cultures.  I didn’t realize that was so prevalent in the United States.

 

Now I know better.

 

And that’s why I wanted to write the book.  I thought if I was that uninformed on the very real dangers, then a lot of others were, too, and that was dangerous for us and worse, for our children.

 

You see, the average age of trafficked victims proves they’re not adults but children.  Girls and boys.  That made the book a mission.  We have duties and obligations to protect our kids—and we want to do that—but to do so effectively, we need to be informed.

 

We teach our kids not to talk to strangers, and yet many do.  They’ll help find a missing kitten or puppy.  They’ll help a man with a broken arm or on crutches get to his car.  One such man was notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy.

 

Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze

In Deadly Ties, I didn’t use random abductions because even uninformed specifically, we tell our kids to be wary and watchful and aware of who and what is going on around them.  But there are other abductions that are deliberate, targeted, and just as devastating, and those are even less spoken of or written about, so those are the ones I focused most intensely on in the book, though there were victims of random trafficking as well.

 

Deliver Me From Evil by Kathi Macias

My fellow Christians Read author, Kathi Macias, has done a trilogy of books on trafficking also.  Deliver Me from Evil is the first.  Others too have written on the subject and awareness seems to be increasing.  I pray that it is.

 

Because our kids are relying on us, and we’re relying on each other.  In my book, the women weren’t in bad neighborhoods or places they shouldn’t have been when they were abducted.  One was putting gas in her car.  One was in a shopping mall parking lot, about to get into her car.  Normal places we go, doing things we normally do.

 

On a trip to south Texas, my husband and I were traveling early one morning.  It wasn’t yet dawn.  We stopped at a convenience store for gas, and on the window of the store was a sign.  It was about human trafficking, about it being a crime and if you were being trafficked or knew someone who was to call a number.

 

I immediately remembered that reader’s letter to me and the fear I’d felt on reading it.  But seeing that sign in that window made trafficking even more real and immediate, and that’s when I decided I’d write that book not one day but that day.  Start it, at least.

 

I’ve heard from a lot of readers on Deadly Ties.  How it had shocked them, made them aware that this doesn’t just happen other places.  It happens here, in our places.  And that they hadn’t talked to their kids about trafficking, typically trying to protect them from the seediness and depravity in it, but now realized that not talking about it was leaving their children vulnerable and unprotected.

 

Some have written that the book was hard to read because of the subject matter.  I understand that totally.  It was hard to write for the same reasons.

 

I wish we lived in a world where slimy things like human trafficking didn’t exist.  Oh, how I wish it.  But we don’t.  And so if I need to be uncomfortable and readers need to be uncomfortable to discover what we must to protect our kids, then I believe we must endure that discomfort and in a real way be grateful for it. Our kids count on it.

 

Over the years, I’ve written many books on many subjects with the hope of raising awareness.  Abuse. Domestic violence.  National security issues that impact our daily lives.  And now on human trafficking.  I don’t know the impact of the book.  Kathi Macias or any of the other authors who write awareness books know the impact of their books, either.  There’s no way to measure it.   But I do know that authors of awareness books dare to hope the potential for good from them far exceeds the discomfort endured in writing them.

 

And that leads me to ask:

 

Have you read a book that elevated your awareness of something significant, or that could be significant to you personally?

 

If you have, I hope you’ll share it.

 

Blessings,

 

Vicki

 

PS.  Be sure to sign up for our CHRISTIANS READ MEGA CONTEST at The Book Club Network.  16 books by Christians Read authors.  Click HERE for details.

 

 

CHRISTIANS READ MEGA CONTEST AT THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Christians Read has teamed up with The Book Club Network for a special contest.  Details follow!
June 19-21

Enter the contest atThe Book Club Network HERE.

Contest runs for the month of June.  Be sure to enter–otherwise, you can’t win!

And please join us on FACEBOOK  and Twitter!

Blessings,

All the Christians Read Authors

Will Reading as a Pastime Survive? by Kathi Macias

From the time I was old enough to recognize even the simplest of words, I fell in love with reading. I read books, magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes, billboards–anything with words on them that ended up in front of my face. By the time I was seven or eight, I was so much a regular at the local library that the librarians knew me by name. It was a book-lover’s Disneyland for me, and I couldn’t imagine anything better than spending all day Saturday there, reading and reading–and taking home more books to read until my next visit.

Not so with my children. I introduced them to books early on, and they loved sitting next to me as I read to them, demanding that I read their favorite stories again and again. But as they got older, all that changed. Sports and TV and video games stole more and more of their time until I found myself begging, cajoling, and bargaining with them in attempts to get them to read beyond their required schoolwork.

“Why? What did I do?” my youngest protested one day when I nearly ordered him to read a book. I was shocked. It was as if he thought I were punishing him by telling him to read a book.

To this day none of my children are avid readers. They occasionally read a book or magazine, but in addition to their childhood distractions of TV and sports, they now spend much of their time on the Internet. (Okay, so do I, but not to the exclusion of reading for pleasure.) Where did I go wrong? Or did I? Obviously someone is still buying books or we authors wouldn’t continue getting contracts to write them. But will that continue if the younger generations view reading as a less than desirable pastime?

I know there are certainly exceptions to this rule, and that’s wonderful. But as a rule, younger people spend less leisure time choosing to read than many of us “older folks.” Does that matter? If so, why, and what can be done about it? Maybe some of you are teachers and have some suggestions. If so, I’d love to hear them. I personally make a point to buy books for my grandchildren, including the complete set of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia (my own personal all-time favorite). But sadly, only one of the seven grandchildren I’ve given them to has actually taken the time to read them.

This is a real concern for me, and something tells me I’m not alone. Ideas/comments/suggestions? I’d love to hear them.

About Writers’ Conferences by Kathi Macias

***The faculty (including myself, fourth from left) just before a panel discussion at the AV Christian Writers’ Conference this past weekend.

I just returned from keynoting and teaching at a Christian writers’ conference. As conferences go, it was relatively small but enthusiastic and positive.

Because I speak at several writers’ conferences throughout the year and each seems to have its own unique “personality,” I’ve thought at lot about how those individual conference personalities draw and minister to attendees. Conferences vary according to size, venue, length, and focus, but each has something to offer–IF the attendee has done a little homework first in order to know what to expect.

The conference I attended this weekend was strong on the basics of writing and publishing, particularly for new writers. As a result, though it was only a Friday night/all-day Saturday conference, those who came looking for clear direction on how to get started in the writing/publishing industry probably came away feeling satisfied. If conferees were looking for something more substantial==a chance to connect with several agents and/or acquisitions editors from publishing houses–may have felt they made a wrong choice in attending.

Writers’ conferences are, for the most part, one of the most effective ways for an up-and-coming writer to spend his/her money. The larger conferences offer one of the few ways a previously unpublished writer can meet agents and publishers face to face and have their manuscripts get at least a cursory consideration. They are also a great way to expand writing relationships and networks. Local critique groups are most effective in establishing ongoing, regular communication with others of like mind, but conferences connect writers with others in the industry–a key in getting established in the publishing world.

Many Christian writers’ conferences are focused on just that–writing, at all levels, including marketing (which, yes, goes hand in hand with successful writing, particularly with books). To a smaller degree, some conferences stress an evangelical or social issues theme–i.e., the persecuted Church or human trafficking. Some offer free time for writers to break away from workshops and sessions so they can spend time alone with God and/or with other conferees, which some keep attendees racing at break-neck speed from one event to another, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to soak up as much knowledge and information as possible. In addition, some conferences offer critiques of your existing manuscripts, while others don’t, so this is should be a major deciding factor if you have a manuscript for which you are seeking personal, professional feedback.

If you or someone you know is considering attending a writers’ conference, I can’t stress enough the importance of checking out the conference’s website first, as well as obtaining any additional, specific information possible. (Clarifying all expenses involved is also necessary, as some conferences include housing and meals in the conference fee, while others do not.) Be clear with yourself on what you’re looking to obtain from a conference, and then check around to see which conferences sound most suited to your needs.

I would love to hear from anyone who has comments or questions on writers’ conferences, whether those questions and comments are born out of previously attended conferences or whether you are considering attending one for the first time. This can be an extremely positive venture–or not. Like anything else, doing your homework first makes a huge difference.

Fiction vs. NonFiction Popularity by Kathi Macias

I just returned from a lovely–albeit far too brief–visit to Canada, where I did the 100 Huntley Street program and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a bit of a surprise, though, when I discovered that rather than discussing my newest books–in particular, the fiction series on human trafficking–the host wanted to talk about a nonfiction book I published a few years ago called Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World. I was happy to do so, of course, as I absolutely believe in the book’s message, and it was Easter week, after all, so a “beyond me” focus was certainly appropriate.

However, a few days later I did a book-signing where I featured my newest books–all of which are fiction–but also included some of my nonfiction books from recent years. Once again I was surprised to find that the non-fiction books seemed the most popular. I sold out of those quickly and had to take orders for more.

Now that’s a great problem for an author to have, right? But it puzzled me. The Christian publishing world seems to be so fiction-oriented at the moment, and nearly all the contracts I’m getting are for fiction. But is that really what the reading public wants?

The more I thought about it, the more I thought ‘Christians Read” would be the best place to ask about this. Any of you readers want to chime in? Do you read both fiction and nonfiction, or one or the other exclusively? If so, why? Also, if you do read only one exclusively, what would it take to entice you to become a combination fiction and non-fiction reader? What topics and approach might make a difference? Finally, what is it that you want to gain or take away from your reading that might affect how we authors approach our writing? Do you primarily want to be entertained? If so, am I correct to assume you prefer fiction? Are you looking to be discipled via your reading, using books that are appropriate to individual or group study? Non-fiction might work best in that situation.

Overall, as one who has written both fiction and non-fiction books and who also likes to read both, I would very much like to hear from readers if you have any views on this. Were my two recent experiences just isolated instances, or is nonfiction regaining popularity? Please chime in, readers. We authors are all ears!