When I first started this blog back in February
2009, it was a fun little hobby. I’d read a book here and there, write a
review, and then move on to the next book. As a part of blogging programs, I
got some free books, and that was fun. That was actually a major motivation of
beginning such a program (and still is, actually). Little did I know that it
would expand into all this.
For several months I dabbled in the art of book
reviewing. One, two, maybe three reviews a month. It really wasn’t until
December 2009 that I began to take this whole reviewing thing seriously. I’d
joined the staff at another great site – FictionAddict.com – and learned, and
am learning, a lot from them on how to run a review site. While becoming more
involved there, I also upped the ante on my own site, beginning to do more
reviews and conduct author interviews and such.
And I found it was a lot of fun. Word of mouth
advertising is incredible, and with the help of you readers, I soon found
myself with fans. What an incredible concept! People actually read my reviews. Apparently. So this is
the next step to upping the ante. No longer a blogspot blog, The Christian Critic is going to be its
own official website.
It’s bigger, better, shinier, and I’ve got plans to
make things even better in the future. So as my last post here, I want to say
thanks to all the readers that made this possible. I wouldn’t be here without
your enthusiastic support. So from now on, you can find me at the new website, on the link below.
Travis Thrasher is the author of a
dozen novels in several genres. He has written love stories (The Watermark, Three Roads
Home, Every Breath You Take), suspense
(Gun Lake, Admission, Blinded, Out of the Devil’s Mouth), drama (The Second Thief, Sky Blue), and supernatural thrillers (Isolation, Ghostwriter, Broken). His varied writing styles give
testament to his skill at the art of storytelling.
Even
though swamped with deadlines, Travis took the time out to answer a few
questions about his just-released novel from FaithWords called Broken. I want to thank Travis for
taking the time to answer my questions. Before we get on to the questions, I
will be giving away a copy of Broken
to one lucky person who comments on this interview. Just comment to enter, and
on Monday. May 17, at 11:59p ET, a winner shall be named.
TCC:
In my opinion, Broken is what I would call a Hosea story. Would you
agree?
I love that you call this a Hosea
story. When I hear that description, I of course think of Redeeming Love by
Francine Rivers (which many consider her defining work). I think this is a
great hook for Broken. Laila is really no different from anybody else,
but she feels like she's too tainted to be loved by anybody. Especially
God.
TCC: What served as your inspiration for writing this novel?
If there's one thing I can point to,
it's probably the birth of our daughter, Kylie. She is three and a half now.
After she was born, I had a story idea about a broken woman a lot like Laila.
In that initial idea, I had a few of the dark elements from Broken along
with some of the love story and father-daughter elements of Every Breath You
Take. That initial story idea didn't really work, but proved to be starting
points for the subsequent novels.
I wanted to write a story about a
woman who is beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside. Sounds somewhat
cliched, but that was another starting point. Like any novel, the novel ended
up becoming something I could have never predicted or planned.
TCC:
Broken
is written in the present tense. What are the challenges of writing in that
style consistently?
I love present tense. It's so
immediate, so intense. I deliberately tried to make Broken tight and no
nonsense. There are few interior thoughts in this story and almost no italics.
Present tense helps because it really puts you in the action. It's not as
natural of a style as third person past tense, but I've done it before and
enjoy it.
TCC: You’re a pretty busy man beyond
this. What sort of projects are you working on and how are they faring?
I just completed a supernatural thriller which
is really cool. It's coming out next year. I'm reading through the galleys one
final time for Solitary, my first teen novel which will be published
this August. I'll be writing the second book in that series this summer. I also
just completed writing a novel based on a song by a contemporary Christian
artist. Hopefully there will be an announcement on that book soon. I'm excited
about these and other projects. I'm very fortunate to be able to write stories
and am very glad they're finding their way to readers.
Give me three words to describe the writing of Tim
Downs and I’d give you: quirky, sarcastic, and witty. Downs is best known for his
BugMan novels, or more accurately, for the BugMan himself, Nick Polchak. But Downs
lays the mysteries and the thrillers aside to give us a novel different than
anything he’s ever written. Making the leap from bugs to angels, Downs gives us
Wonders
Never Cease, a story of a confused identity and an unlikely redemption.
Kemp McAvoy is arrogant, cocky, and brilliant – and he
knows it. Brought up amid the wealth of his father and on his own rocket ship
to fame and fortune, Kemp fell off the ladder of success when in his last year
of medical residency he got himself kicked out of his residency. Now he’s Dr.
Kemp McAvoy, Night Nurse, the most overqualified and overbearing nurse on the
planet.
The problem is that night nurses don’t make as much
money as an anesthesiologist for the rich and famous. And Kemp likes money. And
disdains the lack of it. So when he becomes the nurse in charge of keeping the
beautiful yet aging movie star Liv Hayden, he launches an off-the-wall can’t-fail
get-rich-quick scheme that will fulfill his every desire.
Kemp pitches the idea to a publisher and Liv’s
agent, who agree to help out in exchange for a chunk of cash. The plan goes
like this: Liv Hayden is about to receive a heavenly message from an
otherworldly visitor while in her coma. Just adjust some meds, shine a light,
impersonate an angel, and Liv Hayden wakes up with a revelation from God. Which
she will write a book about. Which will make millions. Which will make them all
rich.
It’s absolutely, completely foolproof – proof that
only a fool would attempt that sort of plan. Kemp’s never been good at staying
out of trouble anyway. Wonders Never Cease is an
enchanting, witty tale that explores the consequences of a lust for money, makes
light of modern feel-good spirituality, teaches the reader a bit about
redemption, and does it all in a humorous tone that makes the novel a riot to
read. While a clear break from his previous novels, Downs fans would be crazy
not to pick up on this one just because it lacks bugs. Those new to Downs will
find his writing style refreshing and hilarious. A definite fun read for any
wanting a bit of escapism – and you might even learn something.
You’ll recall the Biblical story of Hosea: called by
God to marry a prostitute in order to demonstrate the love God has for His
people and to portray in vivid detail how His people are sinning against Him.
The picture we get from this comes from God’s perspective. But what of the
woman? What of this soul so broken that she finds it hard to love herself let
alone another?
In a stunning tale of mystery, intrigue, and danger,
Broken
takes us on a heart-rending journey in the life of Laila, a girl whose broken
past is beginning to catch up with her. Six months earlier, she’d killed a man.
In her defense, it was to protect herself, but she’s still haunted by the
guilt. Nobody knows. Nobody. Or so she thinks. When she’s discovered by a
stranger who knows about her crime, and wants to make her pay, she’s forced to
run. But running seems to do little good. Her only chance is to accept the help
of the One who can bind up the broken and make her whole again.
Each time I read a novel by Travis Thrasher, I close
the cover and tell myself that was his best. But I find it hard to imagine that
Thrasher is going to be able to surpass Broken easily. As the pieces fell
together in the closing chapters, as the mystery became clear, as the tension
heightened, as the story climaxed, as the theme hit home and began to wash over
my soul…the story literally drove me to tears. And when I did close the cover,
it left me in quiet and prayerful contemplation.
The writing is superb. It takes a few chapters to
get used to Thrasher’s use of the present tense, but it’s a technique that
throws the reader into the moment more than ever. Flashbacks in the form of
diary entries serve to paint the background story for this broken soul. The
action is intense, the pace breakneck, the aura of mystery palpable, the sense
of the supernatural mysterious. But it all serves only to point to Thrasher’s
theme: No matter how broken, there is hope for redemption.
Broken? That’s a place I’ve been, a place I am. Not
the situation that Laila finds herself in, but I get Thrasher’s message. It’s
his Hosea story. It’s his story of all of us and how utterly broken we are and how
we need the hope that can only be found in Jesus. Of how, even though we are
the cause of our brokenness, He takes His broken heart and heals us with His
broken body. In the vein of Isolation
and Ghostwriter, Thrasher gives us Broken,
one of his best stories to date.
Broken is such a great book that I want to give it away. As a matter of fact, throughout the rest of this week and into the next, I'll be giving away copies absolutely free. The observant among you have already entered contest #1 on my Facebook fan page, this is contest #2. Comment on this review and be entered to win a copy of Broken. Nothing else required. If you've signed up for contest #1, go ahead and enter here as well. The winner of contest #1 will not be eligible for to win, but everybody else is! Contest will end at 11:59p Saturday.
Imagine you are the favored prince of your people, a
hero and fighter who would dedicate his life and family to the cause of his
nation. But imagine that through life’s journey you realized that what your
people call a hero is not what it actually means to be heroic. And so you turn
your back on it all, become a traitor in the eyes of those you love, and pursue
a new faith and a new hope. This is the story of Mosab Hassan Yousef, the Son of Hamas.
In this powerful and gripping account, Yousef tells
his life’s story as the favored prince of Hamas, the son of one of founders of
what is now a terrorist organization. He was trusted at the highest levels,
participated in the Intifada, and spent time in Israel’s most feared prison.
But in the midst of it all, he found hope. But it wasn’t hope in Hamas. After a
chance encounter with a British tourist, Yousef was led on a long journey that
ended on his knees, accepting the teachings of another Middle Eastern leader –
Jesus.
As a handbook on political events, Yousef’s words
bring light to what few had known to this point. He offers insight into Hamas
that was previously unknown, bringing a unique perspective to the terrorist
organization. As a thriller, it is again a winner, as Yousef recounts his time
as a spy. As a memoir, it is an incredible testimony of how a man who grew up
in the Islamic Hamas came to work for the Israeli Mossad and became a follower
of Jesus.
His message of dedication to his family at the very
beginning struck a deep nerve within me. I cannot even imagine the depths of
pain this man has been through. And yet through it all, he now advocates Jesus’
command of “Love your enemy” as the only way to peace in his homeland. Son of Hamas is intriguing, inspiring,
and eye-opening. I pray that Yousef continues to grow in his faith in Jesus and
spread the message of love that He taught.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that one of my pet
peeves is the cultural American “Churchianity” practiced by followers of Christ
in America. In Radical, David Platt
challenges the materialistic philosophy inherent in the American church and
dares Christ’s followers to do something radical – to take Jesus at his word
and abandon everything for the Gospel.
Platt explores several themes contrasting the
American church with the global church at large. He even holds himself to his
own standards, writing of his own struggle of being called the youngest
megachurch pastor in history while seeking to imitate Jesus – the man who
ministered mainly to a small group of disciples.
Platt is able to illustrate his principles through
stories of Christians from around the world. How can American Christians be so
complacent in their faith when millions around the world gather in secret? How
can we passively sit and learn the Gospel when in other countries, believers
are devouring the Gospel for the purpose of sharing it with others? Why does
the church spend millions on sanctuaries and only thousands on missions? Platt
challenges the American church’s commitment to a radical faith, to give it all
up for Christ and take up our crosses.
In the end, Platt challenges the reader to a one
year Radical experiment, giving
practical advice on how to be more radical in our faith. Overall, Radical is encouraging, reassuring and challenging.
Some people out there still get what it means to live like Christ. This is a
must-read for anyone involved in the American church.
Also available with Radical is a small booklet called The Radical Question which is great to give away and provides a
great introduction of the material covered in Radical. You can read the first chapter of Radicalhere. And you can get The Radical Question booklet absolutely FREE here - www.WaterBrookMultnomah.com/RadicalQuestion.
As the astute visitor of this blog may have noticed,
this entire week has been declared Eric Wilson week at The Christian Critic.
Eric was kind enough to take some time out to answer a whole host of questions
related to his books. It has been my pleasure and honor to get to interact with
Eric over this past week, pick his brain a bit, as well as reintroduce myself
to the characters he has created. Since we've spent the last week focusing on
the novels, today I want to focus on the man behind the books.
Eric Wilson is a master storyteller, following the
path of the Nazarene who Himself spoke in Story. Wilson brings a thematic
richness to his literary art, combining meaningful messages with incredible
story in an engaging and intellectual style reminiscent of C.S. Lewis. His
stories are for those on the fringes of faith, exploring Earth’s tension between
Heaven and Hell. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, dual stories play
out in the reader’s mind. First, there is the page-turning adventure of
escapism, where one is thrown in to a world of conspiracy, serial killers, and
vampires. But underneath it all is a fountain of Truth, where the careful
reader can immerse himself in the masterful exploration of Biblical imagery.
~~~
Even though Eric has answered questions all week
regarding some of the specifics of his books, I wanted to take a deeper look
into the mind of a writer. Eric was gracious enough to give me that look:
TCC: On a
purely technical level, your writing tends to have a literary aspect not just
in its depth, but in its prose and level of description. While your books are
page-turners, I know that I'm going to have to slow myself down to fully absorb
and engage all the intricacies and detail you bring to your novels. I think this
is part of what sets you apart from most authors. Why write in this style when
most authors don't? And how do you think this affects who reads your books?
Eric: Why do I write in this style?
Because I'm too stupid to realize it doesn't sell as well. Seriously, I write
what I love to read. I get tired of serial killer novels, of car chases,
gunfights, and so on. I've read close to 1500 books in my lifetime, and I'm
bored by the same old stuff. I just hope to attract some readers who want
stories that challenge the heart, soul, and mind, while also providing a fresh
angle on entertainment. It doesn't have to be stuffy, just heartfelt.
TCC: On a thematic level, you grapple
with some pretty weighty issues in all of your books, whether its redemption,
God's foreknowledge, forgiveness, the power of choice, and the list goes on.
With so many novels being written for pure escapism and entertainment, I think
another thing that sets you apart from most authors is your commitment to
writing Story with a purpose. What drives you to tackle such themes and how do
you pull it off without sacrificing the thrills and chills of the story?
Eric: If my relationship with God
was based on a set of religious rules and formulas, I would feel the need to
outline those things in didactic fashion in my stories. That would come across
as preachy. I don't like that. I think God is big enough to handle our
questions without feeling defensive. I allow myself, my own kids, and my
fictional characters to wrestle with the unknown. If Jesus is the answer, why
are we afraid of the questions?
TCC: Very few authors write like you do.
So who are your influences in writing? How did you become the author you are
today?
Eric: My parents raised me to think,
to question. I spent some early years of my life overseas, and discovered the
beauty of other cultures, languages, customs, and thought processes. My own
childhood reading progressed from C.S. Lewis and Tolkien, to S.E. Hinton and
Paul Zindel, to Robert Ludlum and John LeCarre. These days, I love all sorts of
authors and genres. I think John Steinbeck is amazing. I love To Kill a
Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, and A Thousand Splendid Suns. The
list could go on. If a writer cares about characters, I do too. That's what
draws me into a story, no matter its style or theme.
TCC: You've taken some considerable heat
for being a Christian and publishing what's being considered a
"vampire" novel. Do you have anything to say to those who can't seem
to get past the vampires?
Eric: If we are going to make a
difference in this world, we need to reach out to the widows and orphans, to
the sick and the "unlovely," and that means stepping out of our
comfort zones. I write for those on the fringes. I don't expect those in the
bubble to understand. There are some other fantastic Christian writers who have
struggled to find their niche in this box. I'm not the only one. Although I am
writing in styles and symbols that speak to a certain sort of reader, my
stories are firmly grounded in biblical history and theology. Sadly, many
American Christians have not learned to recognize such things unless they are
packaged in a sanitized way. We have so much knowledge, so many "milk and
cookies" books at our fingertips, but we rarely get into the
"meat" of walking with God through the shadows of doubt, sin, and
death. It's in those dark places that we discover His amazing grace and power.
TCC: With this seven-book epic
completed, where do you go from here? What projects are you working on now?
Eric: I have over thirty ideas
written in a notebook. I have two nonfiction ideas I'm pitching to publishers,
as well as one fiction story that I think could really shake things up. Again,
I wish I could find that one publisher who would stand by me no matter what.
The truth is that money ("mammon") is the god of commercialism, and
that is what dictates most Christian entertainment.
TCC: I also hear that you're putting
your genius to work as an editor. Want to tell us more about that?
Eric: I'm discovered that I love to
help others hone their art. It's something I may branch into more, if my own
writing does not find its footing. For now, though, while I'm still young and
have my hair and teeth, I really want to focus most of my energy on more of my
own writing. I'm hoping that door will open again.
TCC: Last question, possibly the most
important question I have to ask...What's going to happen with Gina Lazarescu's
Facebook page now that the Undead trilogy is complete?
Eric: She will fade away here, soon
enough. She's not a big online person, and she would rather spend time with
those she knows who survived the epic battle at the end of Valley of Bones.
She will continue to age slowly, staying alive long after most of us are gone—and,
hopefully, the books will too.
Thanks for the great interviews, time, and promotion, Josh. You've been a
fantastic fan!
TCC:
Eric, the pleasure has been all mine. It has been an adventure for me this past
week to get to revisit your characters and immerse myself again into the depth
of the story you tell. Thanks for your time!
~~~
For those wanting to know where you can interact
with and learn more about New York Times bestselling author Eric Wilson, you
can find his primary website at WilsonWriter.com. He’s also on Facebook, and
even has his own fan forum. For specific information on the Jerusalem’s Undead
trilogy, visit JerusalemsUndead.com.
~~~
Links to all of The Christian Critic’s reviews for
Eric Wilson week are provided below:
All epics must have their conclusion. At some point
the story must come crashing to a close. And with Valley of Bones, we have
the bittersweet conclusion to not just the Jerusalem’s Undead trilogy, but to
all of Eric Wilson’s storylines as a whole. Since the time of the Nazarene, two
groups of immortals – The Collectors and the Nistarim – have waged a spiritual
chess game for humanity. And now the board is set, the pieces are in place, and
the race to start – or stop – Final Vengeance has begun.
Rasputin, a Russian mystic infested by a legion of Collectors,
had once prophesied that a Black King would usher in this Final Vengeance. Natira,
leader of the Akeldama Cluster, is convinced that he is that Black King. He
must only find an ancient artifact hidden by Rasputin in order for the games to
begin. But the Nistarim have their own secret weapon. For the first time in
history, the combined forces of the Collectors and Nistarim collide in one
valley in a battle of Biblical proportions. And we are all witnesses to that
encounter.
Eric Wilson is the master of the meta-arc. Story and
character arcs intersect and overlap to form a cohesive whole that finds itself
all tied up with Valley of Bones’ epic conclusion. Those unfamiliar with Wilson’s
work outside of the Jerusalem’s Undead trilogy will not suffer from not having
read his previous novels, but if they have it will open them to the true depths
of the story he has created.
More than any other author today, Wilson undergirds
his writing with solid theological imagery, speaking in metaphor, symbol, and
Story to convey the Truth – the truth that Life comes only through the blood of
Yeshua the Nazarene. His masterful grasp of theology is evident as he weaves in
his theological concepts in a way that only increases the story’s suspense and
tension.
The Jerusalem’s Undead trilogy explores Earth’s
tension between Heaven and Hell and mirrors the tactics of the Nazarene, who Himself
spoke in Story in order take abstract theology and didactic teaching and put it
in the context of an edge-of-your-seat thriller. For those who have eyes to see
and ears to hear, the story Wilson tells is far more than vampires, ancient
treasures, and unseen plot twists. Instead, he seeks to take that which is dark
to mortal eyes and unveil it through the power of Story. Valley of Bones is the
apex of that story. You can’t read it and not come away changed. And that’s
precisely the point.
Mini
Q&A with Eric
TCC: So
this culminates everything. Not just Jerusalem's Undead, but all of your
novels. What does it feel like to have this journey come to a close? Or has the
journey really finished?
I sure hope the journey's not over,
but I do feel a huge amount of satisfaction, knowing that my novels have all
been tied together, providing a complete journey for readers. Of course, I do
have other trails to explore, other ideas to flesh out. I'm just looking for
the publisher who believes in what I'm doing.
TCC: In many of your novels, the game of
chess plays a fun yet integral role in developing the plot. Can you explain
your fascination with chess and what led to referencing it in your novels?
I think chess can teach some amazing
lessons about life and the spiritual battle we face. There are sacrifices,
diversions, gambits, pins, attacks, and counterattacks. I used to play in
tournaments, and I kept seeing ideas to use in novels. I try not to use it too
extensively, since many readers are not chess aficionados. Some of the
symbolism is more subtle, using names such as Regina (which means
"queen") and Cal (which, in Romanian, means "knight").
Thorns will overrun its palaces...The ruins will
become a haunt for jackals. --Isaiah 34:13
Having laid the foundations and began the story in Field of Blood, Eric Wilson wastes no time getting the story
started in Haunt of Jackals. He throws us back into the fray and lets the
battle begin, putting us right back into the middle of the action. Gina
Lazarescu has had her eyes opened to those things that are dark to mortal eyes.
Earth’s tension between Heaven and Hell is playing out around her and she is
finding that she must play a part bigger than she ever thought she could.
The Akeldama Collectors have begun to spread their poison,
creating for themselves a dwelling in a haunt of jackals, where they glorify
and feed upon the Six, No Seven things God hates. But even as they solidify
inwards, they are looking outwards, seeking their goal. Unlimited power is at
their fingertips as they seek to fulfill a prophecy made by the Russian mystic
Rasputin.
As the pace quickens and the danger mounts, the battle
between the Nistarim and the Collectors rise up to new heights. Gina is left
without power, without hope. But those who call on the name of the Nazarene
shall be saved. Haunt of Jackals is more than just a bridge from the foundation
in Field of Blood and the conclusion
in Valley of Bones. Much of what was
mystery is unveiled and the story gathers more depth on literary, theological,
and thematic fronts.
Weaving historical and mythical concepts with a deep
theological base, Wilson delivers in a way that puts a powerful message in a
powerful Story. He proves that he has a deep understanding of the Christ, as he
unveils timeless truths of the Nazarene through a compelling and heart-racing
story.
But Field of
Blood and Haunt of Jackalsmerely set the stage. The board is set. The
pieces are in place. Haunt of Jackals sends us spiraling
toward a resounding conclusion in third and final volume.
Mini
Q&A with Eric
TCC: Haunt of Jackals expands the story
even more and does a lot to tie in the Jerusalem's Undead trilogy with your
other novels. How do you keep all these storylines separate, distinct, and yet
so connected?
Eric: I discover most of my subplots and character choices
as I write, so I have to keep going back to make sure everything fits. I use a
skeleton plot as a framework, keep a list of chronological events between the
books, and do my best to follow it. For me, it was a lot of fun exploring the
possibilities and finding the connections between Haunt of Jackals and Expiration
Date.
TCC: I want to know more about the
spiritual themes in this novel - and in the series as a whole. Talk to me a bit
about the themes you incorporated and why you think they're important.
I do believe in a personal good and personal evil,
represented in Jesus the Nazarene and in Satan the Master Collector of Souls.
Humans tend to either ignore or disregard the devil altogether or to give him
more credit than he deserves. I wanted to show the redeeming power of the
Nazarene Blood, as well as the conniving, seductive spirit behind evil. But
evil is self-seeking (the opposite of Christ-like self-sacrifice), and that
selfishness is its Achilles heel. Throughout the trilogy, different characters
must wrestle with the thorns of pride, lust, self-righteousness, and so on,
trusting in the Nazarene Blood for cleansing and new life.
