Hometown Reading

I recently had the privilege of an 'Author Reading' at my hometown library in Mossbank, Saskatchewan. I have done a few book signings but this was my first official 'reading'.  I must say it was fun and weird at the same time! First of all, you need to understand that I come from a VERY small town in southern Saskatchewan. It's the kind of place where everyone literally knows everyone (and their business!) and where you are often referred to by 'phrase' rather than by name. (Examples; "Freddie's youngest', "One of Doreen's girls", "Holly's sister", or "Married to one of the Krauss's") Another popular reference point is listing off classmates from school, which then leads to a discussion of who their other relatives might be, until you can actually establish your place in the universe.

Don't get me wrong. I love it here. Even though I moved away thirty years ago, there is still something about your roots - where you are FROM - that has special significance.  I always feel nostaglic when cresting the hill on the drive into town; the tree lined streets almost surreal against the openness of the rest of the praire, like an oasis in a large desert. This was, and will always be, home, no matter how many other places I have lived. (And there are a lot!)

So back to the reading.  I kept my expectations to a minimum, seeing as it is a small town, farmers always tend to be busy, and I was up against some pretty stiff competition - a Bon Jovi concert in Regina ...
The library board, apparently quite optomisitc, set out what looked like a few too many chairs. Never being one to over prepare (I'm actually the 'fly by the seat of your pants' type) I waited until the fifteen or so in the audience got seated (five of whom were family :) before deciding exactly what to read. Of course, this was preambled by a brief description of the inspiration for And The Beat Goes On, since we didn't want to start on time just in case a few more people decided to show up. (Rule number one in any small town - never start on time because people always arrive late!)

As it turned out, I enjoyed the experience and even sold a few books. It was wonderful to be with such a friendly and supportive hometown crowd and now I can add it to my list of 'firsts'. Thanks to Jacke Kiel and the Mossbank library board for inviting me. I warned them all that I have a book I'm presently pitching based on the town. So, who knows? I may be back for another reading - disclaimer in tact just in case I hit a little too close to home!

Choose Family

You know the old saying - you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family. I just came from a three day family reunion on my father's side, and I will have to say that although this saying is probably true, I'm not sure I would want to choose differently if I had the chance. Despite their idiosyncrasies, (and there are many!) there is something about gathering with a group of people that look, sound and act the same - even though separated by age and distance - that is profoundly reaffirming. There is a place for me in this universe! Besides having fun and enjoying the 'reconnection', I came away feeling empowered to keep on being me - even if I'm bossy at times or 'talk too much'!

When my eighteen year old son found out I might be the youngest one there (I am the youngest of all my first cousins) he was quick to 'opt out', even though we had traveled quite some distance. He stayed with my nephew instead, who has sons more his age. He has high hopes for the next reunion we are going to on my husband's side this coming weekend - a much livelier affair since the Krauss clan is known for its antics ...

I have often heard it said that friends may come and friends may go, but a family is forever. How true. There is somethig about the blood connection that is stronger than distance, age, gender or even religious affiliation. (This is true even for those adopted into the family, which is the case with one cousin) We are family. We look out for one another. We listen to each other. (And believe me, the Nagels like to TALK - incessantly!) We accept each other. And most of all, we love each other.

God orchestrated this social unit and I believe it remains the most influential and potentially powerful one we can ever be a part of.  There is nothing more tragic to me that when I hear about family members who don't speak anymore. Family should be the safe haven where you can be yourself and people will love you anyway. I've tried to instill this in my own children, and I am so grateful for an extended family that truly loves each other. We actually like spending time together - go figure! So take the time, my friends to nurture your family and cultivate those relationships. You will reap a lasting reward.

(And how lame am I?! I didn't bring a camera, so I'm relying on one of my cousins to send a picture!)

Featured Author at "Authors On a Mission"

I am the featured author at "Authors On a Mission" this week. Please check it out by going to http://www.authorsonamission.webs.com/ and then click on 'Featured Authors' to see the interview.  Please post your comments and also, if you can find the time, I would love it if you would swing back here and comment as well. It is nice to know what others think of each interview!

Review of POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES

I'm taking my own advice and reading some "Edgy Christian Fiction' this summer. Check the side bar for a schedule of posts on the topic. I just finished reading a book by Dan Calabrese, one of the 'edgy' authors in our group and have written a review. Here it is!


Powers and Principalities by author Dan Calabrese
WARNING: This novel could change your perception of the spirit realm!

Powers and Principalities is a powerful story about the unseen spiritual forces that exist everywhere around us and how these forces are bent on human destruction - both personal and global. Author Dan Calabrese weaves a tale that is simultaneously fantastical and imaginative while at the same time realistic in its gritty portrayal of the characters. It centers around three friends - a somewhat eclectic and unlikely trio - who come face to face with these dark forces of evil when one of their number is `gifted' with the ability to see into the spirit realm. Once he sees the forces at work, an even more insidious plot is uncovered and it is up to the threesome to save the city from mayhem and destruction. Not since Frank Peretti's groundbreaking novel This Present Darkness was released 25 years ago, has a novel about spiritual warfare had this kind of potential to impact people's thinking on the topic. Powers and Principalities jumps in with both feet and comes out swinging.



Having said that, as a work of `Christian' Fiction this novel is sure to raise a few eyebrows, or, as is more likely the case, garner some strong criticism from mainstream church-dom. As `Edgy Christian' fiction, it is way beyond edgy. Perhaps the initial warning could have read: `Explicit language and graphic sexual descriptions'. However, since author Dan Calabrese has done this himself quite openly in the preface to the novel, there is no need. Mr. Calabrese clearly explains to the reader what is coming, and why he chose to write in this style - a style that many Christians will undoubtedly question and certainly that many more will find offensive. Reader, consider yourself warned! This is not a novel for the squeamish, sheltered, or faint of heart. Mr. Calabrese has deliberately chosen to write in a realistic style that doesn't pull any punches. Demons aren't pretty, and their activities aren't either.



For those who choose to read past the third page, you will find that this authenticity only adds to the sense of urgency that the author is trying to portray. It also adds credibility to his characterization, not only of the humans, but of the demons controlling them. Social issues are presented in all their raw intensity without any sugar coating whatsoever. This is a current and relevant story for the modern reader who is not afraid of the truth - ugly or not. Ultimately, this is also a novel about redemption. There is no mistaking the evangelistic message, but the characters are portrayed as real people with flaws - even after conversion - which is both refreshing and believable. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting an intriguing yet thought provoking read. Read with an open mind, this novel could have great impact as an evangelistic tool as well as serve to enlighten the minds of believers. Bravo to Mr. Calabrese for such a gutsy and timely treatment of spiritual warfare.

Relentlessly Optimistic

I often get asked who inspires me as a writer. Naturally, we all have favorite authors (mine are Frank Peretti and Francine Rivers), favorite books, music or other heroes. Sometimes it is friends or family members that give us inspiration. I wrote a post back in May called "The Doreen Method - A Recipe For Life" in which I talked about my wonderfully eccentric and artistic mother. I would be remiss, however, if I didn't devote a post to one of my biggest influences, (other than Jesus!) - my husband, lover and companion, Gerald.

I've called this post "Relentlessly Optimistic" because that's a label he has often been tagged with. In fact, I can tell you, it has been a source of annoyance for me at times! He loves to joke, tease and just plain enjoy life. He finds an adventure in everything he does. Try arguing with somebody like that! Just when I feel the need to yell and unload my frustrations, he laughs! Talk about not playing fair!

I had considered calling this post "My Real Life Adventures' since my life has been FULL of crazy goings-on in the past thirty years since hooking up with Gerald. We started dating when I was seventeen and he was twenty (you do the Math) and life has literally been one adventure after another.

Ever had to check under your front steps before going outside just in case a polar bear might be lurking underneath? Ever been stampeded by a herd of wild buffalo? Ever been stranded over night on the arctic tundra because the tide went out and your boat was sitting on the beach a mile away from water? The list goes on and on and on . . . We've packed up and moved more than a dozen times (I have honestly lost track - I think it is actually 16, but I'm not 100% certain) to far off and remote places, kids in tow - truck, trailer and/or old school bus piled high. (We are, in fact, the embodiment of the Clampets when we roll into town!) I know that friends and family members have often shook their heads. Sometimes our moves didn't make sense financially, but we never went without (Okay, there was that one winter when we ate nothing but deer meat ...) and we certainly have provided our children with a lot of unique experiences and folklore.

Now, I am not naturally the adventurous sort. I prefer Art galleries, going to the theatre and discussing literature. We used to laugh that at my family gatherings we would sit around the piano while the Krauss's would be dancing on the table tops! I guess the old saying 'Opposites Attract" is certainly true in our case. He has learned to enjoy my interests as well (and can actually discuss the merits of a piece of modern art quite eloquently) and I will have to admit that I have had a lot of fun doing things I never would have dreamed of - once I stop complaining about it!

The first thing my parents said when they heard I was dating Gerald was, "Oh no! Not one of the Krauss's!" The Krauss clan had a reputation back then for being wild party animals. (They still do :) During our early years together, my family actually put together a lotto pool one time and bet on which day and time we would show up for a family function. (Punctuality is not always a strong characteristic of adventurous types ...) They have since grown to love and appreciate his lively and optimistic ways. In today's terms, he would have been one of those kids labeled ADHD and would probably have been put on meds. As it is, he is just one of those people that loves life and lives it to the full each and every day.

Thankfully, God got ahold of both of us a few years into our relationship, and Gerald was able to put some of that energy into serving the Lord. And there begins another adventure he launched us into about 12 years ago - ministry. At age 38 he decided God had called him into becoming a pastor and so we packed up once again and headed off to Bible school. This was not a path I would have chosen for myself, but as always, God knows best and I actually came to enjoy this new adventure and learned a lot from it. Presently, he is driving a MONSTROUS truck at a coal mine and loving every minute of it. (We needed a financial boost with children in college and a couple of weddings. Ministry doesn't pay very well, and sometimes reality is that you need to look after your financial house for a season.)

In any case, I am so grateful to God for my best friend. He has been my biggest supporter and cheerleader in all my creative pursuits, be it my art, my involvement in theatre, choosing to homeschool for nine years (yes, this was a very creative pursuit in that I invented my own arts friendly program) and of course my compulsive writing habits. He has taken me to all kinds of out of the way, beautiful and unusual settings - fodder for my imagination. He has forced me to experience all kinds of adventures first hand. And he has showed me what real, time tested, long lasting love is all about.(He is a hopeless romantic, by the way - much more than I  am.) So thank you, my sweetheart, for putting up with me and my artsy idiosyncrasies and for allowing me to be the woman God made me, yet forcing me to become much more than I would have allowed. You are simply the best!

Another Feature! Check it out!

I am the featured author on K. Dawn Byrd's blog today until next week. It seems I have had the privilege of being featured or interviewed quite a bit this summer, and I am very honored to be appearing on so many great author blogs.  K. Dawn Byrd is also a writer of Christian Suspense and I would highly recommend that you check out her website, blog or go to Amazon and find one of her novels. Thanks Dawn!

I'd also like to mention here that there are some awesome posts coming out of the 'Edgy Christian Summer Blog Tour'. I know I keep telling you to check them out by going to the side widget, but seriously - CHECK IT OUT! Nike Chillemi just posted on Christian Crime Fiction, and once again, it is a post worth reading! Also, Liberty from 'Word Wanderings' posted today on the 'Discomfort Zone' another blog chain I am participating in. I may have missed her in the link list when I posted on the topic, but you can link here.

Today is the first official day of my 5 week 'holiday' that I am taking. I am en route to Saskatchewan - my home province - where I will be hanging out with family and friends and attending all kinds of 'get togethers' including two reunions and a wedding. I have booked in some author signings and a reading as well, but hope to also have some 'retreat time' for writing. Part of the challenge is keeping up with my blogs etc., which shouldn't be a problem, except for my own adjustment to so many 'foreign' computers! (I am already struggling with this as I write on my son in law's computer - I can't figure out how to adjust the view and with my bad eyesight at present, it is a challenge.) Oh well, life is full of challenges, eh?  (I put that in there for all my American friends just to affirm the notion that all Canadians say 'eh', which we actually do. :)

Spiritual Warfare "With the Gloves Off" !

I just have to point to one of my fellow 'Edgy Christian' authors from our summer long blog tour.  Dan Calabrese posted an AMAZING article earlier this week and I want to direct everyone back to it. He's titled it 'Spiritual Warfare With the Glove Off' and let me tell you, he doesn't pull any punches! In it he addresses some very timely (and may I say, sensitive) issues facing the church today. I highly recommend you read it. It's so relevant, I've already facebooked, tweeted, myspaced, stumbleupon-ed (is that even a word?!) etc. etc. ad nauseum. You get the picture - click on the link!I'll be posting a full review of his latest novel Powers and Principalities later this summer. (When I find the time to finish it - if I can still see by then. :)

And don't forget - this is your last reminder to get those comments in by July 18 - that's tomorrow - for a chance to win And The Beat Goes On!

'Koala Bear Writer' Featured Author

You might want to check out this blog - "Koala Bear Writer"  (since I was the featured author on Wednesday!) and who doesn't want to know where such an interesting name for a blog came from?! See the full interview at www.koalabearwriter.blogspot.com/2010/07/writers-on-wednesday-tracy-krauss.html
I am very grateful to all the people who have been hosting me on their blogs recently. It is very gratifying and I am thankful for the opportunity. Since I am on the topic, I will be interviewed over at K. Dawn Byrd's blog next week. You will want to check that out on Monday and also take a good look at her very intriguing book called "Queen Of Hearts".
Now, I have one more site I would like to direct you towards and this one is totally PERSONAL. :)  My daughter, Lydia Hibbing ( a fashion designer, artist and all around crazy/artsy type - wonder where she gets that from?!?) posted a wonderfully sentimental article called "Siblings" on her blog 'Hawadaere'. In it she shows some very funny and dramatic pictures, along with some touching and insightful comments on what it means to be a sibling. Naturally, I loved it so much I wanted to refer everyone to it, and who knows? Some of you just may be interested in what makes me and my family tick. So enjoy if you dare!

(Don't forget to keep on checking the Edgy Christian Fiction Lover's Blog Tour! Press the beachy button to the right!)

Seeing Is Believing - a personal testimony

Seeing is believing. I know we’ve all the heard the adage, but in my case, it rings especially true. You see, when I sing the familiar lyrics, “I once was blind but now I see,” I mean it in a literal sense. I was born with a rare congenital eye condition where the lenses in my eyes were the wrong shape, in the wrong place and at the wrong tilt. Added to that, the ‘sacks’ holding them in place behind the pupil were deteriorating. Every time I went to see an eye doctor (and I went frequently) he would inevitably call in a number of colleagues and they would hum and hah over this apparent anomaly.

Great. It’s one thing to be ‘special’ but when I was a teenager I was told I would probably go totally blind by forty.

Well, my fortieth birthday came, and although I couldn’t see well by most people’s standards, I was very functional and lived a regular life. I even drove a car, although never in unfamiliar surroundings since I could not read signs. Then, at forty-five, things really started to happen. I developed rapid growth cataracts which forced surgery upon me – something the doctor’s had been avoiding because of the complications that were sure to follow.

By this time, the lens in my right eye was ‘hanging by a thread’. I underwent a 2 ½ hour surgery to remove the lens, along with the vitreous fluid and any remaining filaments. A new lens was implanted in front of my iris just under the cornea and apparently everything was a success.

One problem. The surgeons forgot to consult with my brain! You see, the brain can be a very stubborn customer. It has a mind of its own, if you will pardon my rather lame pun. Although the eye should theoretically be functioning better than before, my brain would simply not compute the new messages being sent while the other eye was still in its original state. Bottom line, I was blind for nearly two months as I waited for my next surgery.

In retrospect, the time I spent in ‘whiteness’ (I could still see light, but I was in a total ‘white’ fog) was such a time of rest and spiritual growth that I am very grateful now for it. I could not read (my Bible or anything else) or write (a painful prospect for a writer!) so I spent lots of time just thinking and meditating. It is wonderful how verses I had memorized came back to my mind. Also, once I got my white cane I was able to take walks (very slow walks!) on familiar ground and marveled at how much more intense the feel of the wind or the sound of a bird were. I also knit a sweater by ‘feel’, which I am proud to wear today despite its few mistakes.

All together, my recovery took five months. After that time I still had challenges and had to see a specialist every week for almost a year. But I am happy to say that, for almost two years now I have been able to see as well, if not better, than I ever could. It was the kind of experience that taught me so much more than I could ever have imagined – about being content, resting in God, and taking pleasure in the smallest things. Good thing. Apparently God isn't finished with me yet. :) As I write this very post, I am preparing to see the specialist once again tomorrow. Quite suddenly, my right eye has gone almost totally blind again. My husband commented on how calmly I seem to taking this turn of events. I guess its true. I honestly do not feel afraid or anxious, because I know that the Almighty has a plan and a purpose in all things. He gives us that kind of grace, certainly, as I know I don't come by it naturally. And so, I end this post with confidence - knowing that I will see you all again very soon!

Inspirational Ebooks - Featured Author

I am honored to be the featured author today at "Inspirational Ebooks" - a great site featuring all kinds of great Christian fiction available in a digital format. Check it out!As you may know, my own book And The Beat Goes On is now available as an ebook. (Obviously, or I wouldn't be their featured author - duh!) You still have until July 18 to enter to win a copy simply by commenting here on "Expression Express".

In other news, I held my first book signing of the summer last Saturday at Kurios books in Fort St. John, BC. I thought it went very well, considering my expectations weren't over inflated! I had a great time chatting it up with old friends, meeting new people AND - I even sold some books!!! I have several more signings, a reading, and a couple of potential media spots coming up, so I will no doubt be busy as I try to fit this new responsibility into my life.

On another promotional note, Joy Tamsin David posted a fantastic article on 'Edgy Christian Romance' yesterday, while coming up on Wednesday make sure you check out what Dan Calabrese has to say. Believe me - you won't want to miss it. I am currently reading Dan's book Powers and Principalities and if you want 'edgy' and beyond, then this is the book for you! I plan on posting a full review of the book when I am finished, so look out - this one isn't for the faint of heart. (Or the overly sensitive - Dan writes it like it is!)  For more on the 'Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers Summer Blog Tour' check out the button to the right!

Putting Promotion in Perspective

Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time!) I feel overwhelmed by all the promotional work that is involved now that I've been published. Call me naive, but I had no idea that this aspect of being an author would threaten to take over my life. I'm just a tiny little person next to this monstrous machine, and I'm not really sure I can drive this thing!

The picture to the left is actually of my husband and his work truck. At present, he is taking a sabbatical from ministry and is enjoying life as a monster truck driver at a coal mine. I thought it perfectly illustrated how I feel. Not only is the truck representational of the 'promotional machine' it also speaks to me of the huge sea of other authors trying to make it in a world that is full of hopefuls. We're not all going to stand above the crowd. And the sheer size of the truck makes me nervous! it almost seems like an impossible task.

Here is the thing: when my husband first started working at the mine, management didn't just hand him the keys and say, "Okay. this is your truck. Good luck!"  Of course not!  He spent time training, getting to know the job and driving other smaller trucks first. When he graduated to the 'big' truck, he already had months of experience behind him. It is the same with those of us that are new to promotions. I have been on a very steep learning curve for the last several months. When I look back to when I first started this blog, for instance, about seven months ago, I realize I really didn't have a clue. But I have gained so much knowledge and experience that I am amazed at how far I've come. Do I know everything? No. It seems I learn something new almost every day. But stopping to think about the journey gives me encouragement and hope.

I recently read Jo-Anne Vandermuelen's book Premium Promotional Tips. I contains a wealth of great ideas for online promotion, but honestly, I began to feel overwhelmed with everything I WASN'T doing yet! Then I had to stop and take stock of everything I WAS doing and pat myself on the back. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither can my author's platform. So I will keep plugging away and bit by bit, I know my presence and profits will grow.

I have also discovered some wonderful advice by fellow bloggers that is worth sharing. More than one person has advised setting up a schedule for their online activities - and sticking to it! That way, your internet time won't take over your life and you will still have time for actual creative writing (which is the point of all the promotion!) not to mention time with family etc. One woman even suggested setting a timer. I'm not sure I'm quite there, yet, but whatever works! Obviously, I am not the only person to struggle in this area.

So take heart, my dear friends and writing companions! The promotional machine is only there as a vehicle for you to use. It is not a monster meant to run you down. You just need to get into the driver's seat, learn how to operate the thing, and then use that machine to do the job it was meant to do - with you in control.

ps! Don't forget the ECFL Summer Blog Tour! Check the side button. The first post by Joy Tamsin David is coming your way this Monday!

The Discomfort Zone

I'm sure we've all had to 'step outside our comfort zones' at some point in our lives. Maybe it was that first time you had to speak in front of a group of people, or maybe it was left to you to share some bad news with a friend. Whatever the scenario, we've all been there. Throughout the month of July, members of ChristianWriters.com will be discussing this topic on their blogs, especially as it relates to their life as a writer. You can follow the entire chain by checking out the links and corresponding dates below. Here, now, is my attempt at tackling the topic.

For me, I have had to step outside my comfort zone many times during this adventure toward publication. It started as far back as when I finished my first manuscript. I had labored over that first story for years, (literally) and now, of course, I had to let somebody read it.  It seems silly now, but I remember being so apprehensive. Of course, my goal was publication, yet I really wasn't sure I was ready to let anyone read what I had written! Writing is so PERSONAL. What if I was misunderstood or ridiculed? What if they hated it? What if it turned out to be junk? Stepping out and handing over your baby for someone else's perusal for the first time can be a really scary experience. In the end, I let one of my daughters read it. (She was about 14 at the time) She didn't jump up and down and say 'I love it!' and she had some questions which needed clarifying, so I realized I needed to delve back in and fix a few things. 

The next big 'discomfort' was receiving my first rejections. I had fixed everything (or so I thought), polished it up and was now sure it was ready for publication. Just wait until some agent somewhere got a hold of this one ... !  Hardly. The rejection 'form letters' filtered back and I was soon to realize that this 'becoming an author thing' was not going to be as easy as I had first imagined. Then I got my first real critique.  I was shocked, hurt, and even angry - for about an hour - then the truth of what was being said began to filter through. Suddenly, what they were saying made so much sense.  My own stylistic errors seemed so glaringly obvious once they had been pointed out that I couldn't believe I hadn't seen it myself.  Since then, I have learned to value every piece of criticism I have received. It is a gift, truly, that sharpens the craft and makes you a better writer in the end. (As well as making one rather thick skinned :)

I am happy to say that I finally did realize my goal and my novel And The Beat Goes On was published in 2009.  This is not the same novel from the previous examples, but it is a story that came out of that first one. In any case, I remember feeling decidely uncomfortable about the fact that people were going to read my book, while at the same time being thrilled with the prospect of actually getting published. What a paradox! I was more than relieved when the positive reviews started rolling in.  Phew! Maybe those with negative things to say just aren't talking ...

Which brings me to my final point for this post. The 'Discomfort Zone' resonates when I think of all the self promotion! I'm not normally a person who likes a lot of attention - again a bit of a paradox for someone who is involved in the theatre and the arts.  I guess the bottom line is, I want other people to praise me, but somehow 'blowing your own horn' is a little unnerving.  It's something I've always found irritating in others and now here I am, doing it myself.  Oh well. I'm getting used to it.  So why don't all of you just buy my awesome and amazing book and then tell all your friends? Okay? And while you're at it, talk it up on all your social networking sites, buy a few copies for your relatives and suggest they get it at your local library. Thanks.

Now, I've got better things to do, like write my next awesome and amazing book :)

Check out some of the other members of this chain below!

Ruth Rockafield -- July 1


Nina Rose -- July 4

Edward Lewis -- July 6

Tracy Krauss -- July 7

Kat Connolly -- July 8

Linda Yezak -- July 9

Lynn Mosher -- July 10

Nona King -- July 11

Victor Travison -- July 14

Janalyn Voigt -- July 15

Adam Collings -- July 17

Chris Solaas -- July 27

Suzanne Hartmann -- July 30

Announcing - AND THE BEAT GOES ON - in ebook format!

How excited am I? My novel was just released today as an e book. That's right, you can download your own copy for a fraction of the price! Currently it is available at Amazon as a kindle, but it is also compatible with all other e book formats. (Not that I really know what I'm talking about!) All I know is, it's another great way to connect with YOU, the reader! As a special promotion to celebrate the event, I will giving away a free copy. Contest ends on July 18. Just leave a comment on this blog from now until July 18 for your chance to win!

(Happy 4th of July to all my American friends.) you may also want to check "John 3:16" side button - a new marketing network for Christian authors.

Review of "The Bishop's Man"

I recently finished reading The Bishop's Man by Canadian author and well known broadcast journalist Linden MacIntyre. What can I say but that the book was profoundingly beautiful in its descriptiveness and unique 'Cape Breton' voice, but also proundly disturbing and melancholy because of the subject matter. It takes place in the 90's when the news of the ongoing scandals within the Catholic church first begin to surface. It is written from the point of view of Father Duncan MacAskil - the Bishop's go-to man for covering up the sexual misdemeanors of fellow priests. It is raw, emotional and complex in it's treatment of the topic - definitely no pat answers here! Through multiple flashbacks which finally come together, we see into Father Duncan's troubled mind and past. It emanates from a place of truth and authenticity, and although there is a sense of satisfying closure at the end of the book, we are still left feeling reflective..

This is not an easy read, but it is a book that spurs you on to its conclusion. I recommend this book to anyone looking for something deeper than the typical feel good story.

EDGY CHRISTIAN FICTION SUMMER BLOG TOUR!

Yes! The moment you've all been waiting for! The much anticipated, much publicized 'Edgy Christian Fiction summer Blog Tour' is on its way - coming to a blog near YOU!There will be be all kinds of great articles on this emerging sub-genre, from every angle imaginable. Check out some of the topics below if you don't believe me.  Every Monday and Wednesday for the entire summer, a different author of 'Edgy Christian Fiction' will treat us to their take on the topic. I will be posting on 'Edgy Romantic Suspense' on August 8, and 'Christian Theatre - Not an Oxymoron' on August 18.
And while we're on the topic of Edgy Christian Fiction, why not grab an ECF book - either by your favorite author of one of the authors mentioned below - next time you head to the beach or the cottage? Happy summer reading!
Oh yes - and HAPPY CANADA DAY to all you Canadians!
'Edgy' Blog Schedule:

Sun, July 11: Joy Tamsin David, Edgy Christian Romance
http://www.edgyinspirational.blogspot.com/

Wed, July 14, Dan Calabrese, Spiritual Warfare and the Edgy Christian Novel
http://www.dancalabresebooks.com/

Sun, July 18: Nike Chillemi, Edgy Christian Crime Fiction,
http://www.crimefictionandfaith.blogspot.com/

Wed, July 21, Donna Dawson, Research For Edgy Christian Fiction
http://www.authordonnadawson.com/apps/blog/

Sun, July 25: Janalyn Voigt, Edgy Christian Epic Fantasy Fiction - medieval
http://waysinger.blogspot.com/

Wed, July 28: Lisa Lickel, Outside Of The Box Romance
https://reflectionsinhindsight.wordpress.com/

Sun, Aug 1: Michelle Sutton, Sensuality in the Edgy Christian novel
http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/

Wed, Aug 4: Sherryle Jackson, Edgy Urban Christian Fiction
http://www.thefateofthefire.blogspot.com/

Sun, Aug 8: Tracy Krauss, Edgy Romantic Suspense
http://www.tracykraussexpressionexpress.blogspot.com/

Wed, Aug. 11 - Keith Madsen, ECF in the Ebook Market
www.keithmadsen.com/Wrestling-Alongside-Jacob----a-Blog.html

Sun, Aug 15: Shawna Williams, Clean Doesn't Equal Christian
http://www.shawnawilliams-oldsmoblie.blogspot.com/

Wed, Aug 18: Tracy Krauss, Christian Theatre - Not An Oxymoron!
http://www.tracykraussexpressionexpress.blogspot.com/

Sun, Aug 22: Shawna Van Ness, Culturally Relevant Characters
http://srvanness.blogspot.com/

Sun, Aug 29: Donna Fletcher Crow, Spiritual Authenticity in Fiction
http://www.donnafletchercrow.com/articles.php



Other Edgy Christian Fiction Resources:
Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Ning)
http://edgychristianfictionlovers.ning.com/

Edgy Christian Fiction Book Club (Goodreads)
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/33583.Edgy_Christian_Fiction_Book_Club

Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Shelfari)
http://www.shelfari.com/groups/11509/about

Gritty Christian Crime Fiction (Shelfari)
http://www.shelfari.com/groups/59017/about

Inspirational Ebooks (Goodreads)
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/34059.Inspirational_Fiction_Ebooks