The Voice New Testament

Base Image Credit: Martin-missfeldt.de (No affiliation.)

Hey, Death! What happened to your big win?
Hey, Death! What happened to your sting?
– The Voice New Testament

53 steps from my front door, through 3 hallways and inside a soundproof studio, you can find a set of V-drums. You pop your headphones into the jack, turn the set to Courtyard (because come on: How could you not?) and jam ’till you’re sweating, smiling, and happy to be alive. (There’s nothing better than hitting things for feeling alive. Well, almost nothing.) I love those V-drums.

HOWEVER. Were one (being you) to tell me that there was another set – a real set, mind you – in the chapel across the street, (Approx. 57 steps from our welcome mat.) I would sprint to the chapel as if my feet had caught fire. Forget V-drums; A real set, in the real chapel, is the real deal. An extra four steps is easily looked over in light of a better reality.

This is how I feel about The Voice Bible by Thomas Nelson Bibles (various authors contributed). Easy reading, but not for those who are really trying to dig in to the theology. And I’m preeetty sure the translation isn’t exact. 🙂 (What happened to your big win?)

So here’s my point: The Voice is fine. But you are looking for a Bible. A Bible deserves better than fine. Take the extra four steps.

I received this Bible free of charge from Thomas Nelson Bibles in exchange for a review. This in no way affected my opinion, or written opinion, of the book.

“West Oversea” by Lars Walker: A Norse Saga of Mystery, Adventure, and Faith

Reading West Oversea was a strange experience for me. This is, in actual fact, the second Norse Adventure/Historical-Fiction book that I had signed by an author that lives near enough to me that I could walk to their place of residence. (One being written by my grandfather, and now West Oversea by a librarian that lives across the street.)

That coincidence being out of the way, West Oversea by Lars Walker is one of the two best Norse Historical Fiction books I’ve ever read. 🙂 Being the story of several travelers, I feel obliged to give you a bit of a fractured narrative. Here goes:

***

“West Oversea.” For the Irish priest Father Aillil, these words meant the freedom of his sister, who was a thrall (thralldom being the Norse alternative to slavery) for most of her life. And all of his life he had thought of her, wishing he could have protected her from her captivity… When the opportunity came, he accepted with a rapidity that defied his land-lubber’s stomach. With him went an object of great power that gives him The Sight, the ability to prophesy. But will it show him things he is not meant to see?

Erling Skjalgsson leaves the land as well, driven out by a corrupt law and a brother he’d thought dead for years. With a demonic shape-shifter out for his wife and new-born child, he sets out for Greenland, searching for fortune, adventure, and a home. With a life of honesty-earned power and ease at his back, Erling the viking soldier takes to the seas. Yet a man may set out with one goal in his mind, the waters may differ…

Indeed, adventure, danger, fortune, and greater faith are found on the tides. And whilst the waters may differ, their God never will.

***

Norse historical-fiction, man. It’s good stuff. 😀 Rich with Norse Mythology, funny looking names, and Christian faith, it was a very interesting read. I loved Father Aillil and the rest of the bunch from the start to the end, and am of the opinion that the middle passed far too quickly. Honestly, I can’t wait for the next installment. Well done, Mr. Walker. (If interested, one might find Lars’ blog at http://brandywinebooks.net)

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4 of 5 stars

13+

INTERVIEW :: Wayne Thomas Batson

I interviewed Wayne Thomas Batson! (Author of The Door Within Trilogy, as well as The Berinfell Prophecies.) Here are his replies!

1. What was the first story you EVER wrote? And did it involve dragons, wyverns,
or any fantastical creatures of any kind? The first story I can remember was a Halloween short story for a contest back in the 6th grade. It didn’t have any dragons in it or wyverns, but there were freaky monsters and ghosts. I remember a scene where the main character triggered a trapdoor in one of the haunted house’s bedrooms and went sliding down a chute into a basement full of ghouls. Wish I could find the story. It would be a good laugh. Indeed, it sound fascinating. 🙂

2. As a Christian author, how does God being in your life influence your
writing? God has changed my whole worldview. And God is the creative Genius who fuels my stories. Honestly, I can just be riding down the road and POOF, a fully formed story idea zaps into my mind. Often, I scribble ideas on the back of my church bulletin because something in the sermon or in a praise song triggers a story idea. But then, as I work through the novel, I give a lot of thought to making the characters real, that they are challenged and struggle with things that Christians struggle with–and actually things that all humanity struggles with. I want my readers to be prompted to ask the BIG QUESTIONS of life. And I know that Jesus is the ONLY answer to those questions. Absolutely. The ever-present Sunday school answer (“Jesus!”) is usually the best.

3. It says on the back of your book that you teach Reading and English to
middle-schoolers. A. That is pretty much the bomb. B. Has having students
affected the way you write? Brilliant question. Seriously, my students have inspired my writing to the point where, if I hadn’t been a teacher, I don’t know that I ever would have been an author. I field test all my novels on my students to see if they like it. We have deep literary discussions that ROCK reading class like never before. To quote another author, “Kids are much more intelligent and perceptive than most adults give them credit for being.” And because of that, my students are a HUGE help.
I can’t help but agree: We young do tend to be quite wise…

4. Do you have any particular writing habbit? i.e. Drinking coffee, listening to
classical music, bursting into spontaneous bouts of Yoga? Diet soda for me. Protein Bars. I listen to progressive metal music, the more symphonic and cinematic, the better. It serves two purposes: 1) it’s loud enough that it blots out distractions and 2) it’s epic, which of course, inspires epic stories.
Yep. Whenever I think “Wayne Thomas Batson” my mind always gone straight to “metal music.”

5. What five adjectives best describe you? Mercurial, creative, introspective, fun-loving, and searching.

6. Has anybody ever told you that your Shelfari profile picture makes you look a
bit like an evil mustachioed Count?

Uhm…yeah, I’ve had people say similar things. I admit, it’s kind of a sinister look for me. I was just messing around with my Mac’s photobooth program, and I kinda liked the look. lol
I think I need to get me a Mac.

7. What is your favorite author/book/book series and why? Lord of the Rings. I could write a novel as to why it’s my favorite. In short, it’s an epic adventure that takes you into wondrous land full of interesting people. But there’s also something about the culture in the book that I LONG for, a simpleness of life, getting together with friends for a merry time, all things green and growing…ah, I often wonder if Heaven will be like that. I think the odds are pretty good. 🙂

8. What person has most inspired you in your writing? That’s really hard to say. I had a poetry teacher at a local college. She really helped me to understand the importance of language–even at the word level. Make your words count. Never settle for weak words–that kind of thing.

9. What is your best advice to the young writer/bloggers of this generation? Write. Seriously. If you want to write for a career, then read tons and write tons. Learn from other writers. What do they do to craft a cool story? Pay attention in school. All that grammar stuff…turns out, it really does matter.

10. What is your favorite Bible verse and why? I really don’t have “A” favorite verse. I have tons. But one of the ones I find myself reciting is Romans 8:38-39: ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It reminds me that God’s hold on us cannot be broken by satan, by the troubles of this world, not even by ourselves when we are our own worst enemy–God will not ever let us go. Amen.
Amen.

Mr. Batson, thank you for doing this interview with me. And to all of you who enjoyed the interview, check out Wayne’s blog at http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com

“Surprised by Laughter” by Terry Lindvall :: Biography

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! No, just kidding. (Gotcha’. 🙂 ) Surprised by Laughter is both enjoyable and accurate as a study of the wit and wisdom of C.S. Lewis. Whom I quote frequently. And may or may not have read several books about. And of whom I may be (for my age and amount of study-into-the-subject done) a veritable scholar. *ahem* I liked it. 🙂

One of the things I liked most about this book is it’s abundance of quotes. In fact, I would estimate that the quotes alone, in 10 pt. font, could fill a small book. They are used by Lindvall, who employs them skillfully to prove point after point. Not only does he quote Lewis: G.K. Chesterton, Rabelais, Chaucer, Søren Kierkgaard- and all as if they were having an conversation with him.

And for that content which was written by Lindvall himself. It was good. *cough* No, really. I liked it. It was a wee bit dry, but that was to be expected. (I mean, the guy actually put PH. D on the cover. I sat reading the book with an arched brow, and a dictionary on my knee.) It is very clever writing, if you can keep up with it. And I don’t say that in a mean way, I just mean to say, it’s a bit like reading a history book. Every once in a while I would realize I hadn’t really registered the last couple sentences, and go back and re-read. However, when I did go back, it would usually make me smile.

Surprised by Laughter revealed to me three main truths. First, satire is a sword, capable of cutting, fighting, and at times, surgery. What better tool for argument than a sword? (See chapter 31, “The Sword of Satire.”) And C.S. Lewis was a masterful swordsman. Secondly, Flippancy is the bane of man. It can take him to hell with a laugh, and a scoffing wave of the hand. And finally, Laughter is the ultimate medicine, when paired with God. Laughter alone is not enough; as I noted in my journal well reading, “Laughter needs something more; we need laugh with good reason, shared with God. This puts the wind in the wind-chimes, the breath in the trumpet that produces a ringing note.”

One last note: I did not read chapters 27-29. I did however, enjoy very much the rest of the book. These three chapters you will have to judge for yourself.

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4.8 of 5 stars

14+

“Taken” by Brock Eastman :: The Quest for Truth

Taken is, I believe, the epitome of adventure. It’s got vehicular chases. It’s got pirates. For crying out loud, it’s even got secretive blue skinned forest-people! Whether you read it on a Kindle or a paperback, believe me when I say: You will never look at oranges the same way again. (Uhh… you kind of have to read the book… Moving on.)

***

Daily life for the four Wikk children (Teens Oliver and Tiffany, and 11 year old twins Mason and Austin) is far from normal life here on Earth. You take the bus to school? They take sky-scooters. You read a book? They flip through e-journals. Coffee wake you up in the morning? Energen is the Wikk boys’ drink of choice, supplying a 100% natural jolt of energy

Even the Wikk’s strange definition of normal, though, is shaken when their parents are kidnapped. Captured by a member of a secret society named the Übel, the parents leave their e-journal, a chronicle of their past adventures, with the children. Using the information within the journal, the siblings set out to save their parents.

But on the small forest planet, Jahr des Eises (German for “Year of the Ice”), danger approaches swiftly, and in many forms. Chased by a pirate ship-dealer, seeking escape from secretive forest tribes, and exercising a constant caution against discovery; the Wikks are working with all they have in them. But will it be enough?

***

Classic science fiction. Great, believable characters. Giveaway coming soon. (Whoops. Did I type that out loud?) Keep an eye out, folks…

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4 of 5 stars

8+