Alien Dream

Web site is finally up and running!

2009-09-03T09:55:00.001-07:00

Just got my new site up and running. Woo hoo! New post about Tim Burton's movie, 9.

On a clear day...

2009-09-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Living in LA, you need to be prepared. For fires, for explosions, for bombings, kidnappings, drive-by shootings...[insert your favorite disaster here.] And then again, you just need to be prepared for that glorious fleeting moment when the skies clear. This is when you can finally take a deep breath and catch a glimpse of those stunning San Gabriel Mountains...

Wait. Those aren't mountains. Those are horrendous, billowing Clouds of Death.

Oh, the humanities. [I think aliens are involved somehow. Could be District 12.]

Living Large

2009-09-01T07:57:00.001-07:00

Awesome tale of a hippo who thinks he's part of the family.

The Saga of Summer Lost

2009-08-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

Summer’s rolling to a crushing halt. Pressing all the golden sunshine into a few last precious hours. Did I get enough. Beautiful blue sky, white sun, ocean curl. Did I sit poised in front of a computer screen too long, waiting for words that wouldn’t come.

Wouldn’t. Come. Words.

Days slip by, blue fades to black and the buzzing of lightning bugs turns into the whisper of autumn wind.

It. Comes. Soon.

The winter sky will hang bleak, my soul will be pressed against the brown earth and I will long for just one more minute of perfect summer. I will press my palm against cold window, longing for warmth.

Sky. Pale. Skin.

White and black and brown will replace my summer garden. My heart will thunder less and my flesh will grow thick. Longing for the lean days of gentle breeze. I will walk less and eat more, burrow into a cocoon.

Need. Summer. Heat.

R. Crumb's Book of Genesis

2009-08-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

An illustrated version of the Book of Genesis, by R. Crumb, is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

An excerpt from a recent article about Crumb in The New Yorker:

"At first, he thought about doing a take-off of the story of Adam and Eve, and then a friend suggested he do the whole of Genesis. Crumb accepted the challenge, but the text seemed to him so bizarre that he quickly realized he couldn't sustain a satirical approach. He resolved to use the words of the Bible unabridged: "I did it as a straight illustration job."

Keira Knightley plays Fairy Godmother

2009-08-14T15:10:00.001-07:00

Keira Knightley stars as a Fairy Godmother in an upcoming short film titled, The Continuing And Lamentable Saga Of The Suicide Brothers.

It appears to be a strange tale (always the best!) about two brothers who head out to the shed every day to kill themselves.

Apparently, this is where Knightley's character enters the picture. I'm looking forward to this dark fae story.

The Great Vanishing Trick

2009-08-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

You know her, you love her. But apparently she's about to go into hiding. Well, partial hiding, that is.

Saturn is just about to tilt on her axis, a feat she accomplishes every 15 years. And when she does, her rings—her lovely rings filled with mud, ice and moons—will temporarily disappear.

Scheduled date for magic axis tilt: August 11.

Live from the Hugo Awards

2009-08-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Hugo Awards are being announced tonight:

The Big Heart Award goes to Andrew Porter.

The Campbell Award goes to David Anthony Durham.

Best Fan Writer goes to Cheryl Morgan.

Best Fan Artist goes to Frank Wu.

Best Fanzine goes to Electric Velocipede.

Best Semiprozine goes to Weird Tales.

Best Related Book goes to Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded, John Scalzi

Dramatic Presentation: Long Form goes to Wall-E.

Dramatic Presentation: Short Form goes to Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog, Joss Whedon.

Best Editor: Long Form goes to David G Hartwell.

Best Editor: Short Form goes to Ellen Datlow.

New category, Best Graphic Story goes to Girl Genius, Kaja and Phil Foglio.

Best Professional Artist goes to Donato Giancola.

Best Short Story goes to "Exhalation", Ted Chiang.

Best Novelette goes to "Shoggoths in Bloom", Elizabeth Bear.

Best Novella goes to "The Erdmann Nexus", Nancy Kress.

Best Novel goes to The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman.

Congratulations to all!!

The Story Contest

2009-08-07T13:26:00.001-07:00

Steve Parolini, over at Novel Doctor, just announced the winners in his short story contest.

Woo hoo! I was one of the winners.

All of the top three stories are posted on his site today--you should stop over and take a look. And there will be more stories posted throughout the week.

Then, when these stories have all been posted and the festivities are over and the confetti lays scattered on the cyber-cement, well, then you should keep checking out his site.

He's a master writing teacher. You could learn some mad skills over there. And there might even be an alien or two, because this guy likes sci fi.

Book Covers in YA

2009-08-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

In honor of SCBWI, which is being held this week, I decided to do a post on what’s going on in YA. So I went to the local Barnes & Nobles and took some photos of the book covers that line the shelves.

If you haven’t strolled through the YA section lately, you’ve been missing out on the latest trends.

Why go through the YA section, especially if you’re writing for adults? Because if there’s anything fun going on right now, it’s starting here.

These readers are going to grow up and they’re going to be hungry.

I’ve never seen such an explosion of imagination. Yes, there are copycat stories and similarities in theme. But, honestly, you can write almost anything here right now.

Keep it clean (my recommendation) and exciting (their demand) and if at all possible, write about fantasy (we both advise that).

These covers all caught my attention. If I was buying (I was meeting a friend for our own writing adventure), I’d have purchased every single one of these books.

But after writing this post, I think I’ll go back. And buy them all. And keep them for myself. For that little girl in me that never grew up.

Not My Hero

2009-08-03T18:01:00.001-07:00

It may seem fun and cheeky to condense your opinion down to 140 characters. To post it where the rest of the world is going to see. But the old saying, "two wrongs don't make a right," certainly applies to the cyber world today.

It started with a post on The Envelope by Elizabeth Snead.

Apparently Ryan O'Neal lost his last remaining brain cells, and his conscience, at Farrah Fawcett's funeral. He later bragged to Vanity Fair that he was so low, he even tried to pick up his own daughter, Tatum. I say 'bragged' because I think he knew it would bring him public attention.

Well, it did. Greg Grunberg, of Heroes, already stepped up to the Twitter plate and struck out with a foul ball.

@greggrunberg's Tweet: "Ryan O'Neal hit on his own daughter Tatum at Farrah's funeral... That's sick.. & HOT!!"

Hot?? What's hot about a father trying to pick up his own daughter? It's disgusting and degrading.

I already had a poor opinion of O'Neal. No big surprise there. But I never expected a comment like that from Grunberg. Granted, he has a right to his 140 character opinion.

But he certainly isn't my "Hero" anymore.

Twitter vs. Facebook vs. Blog

2009-08-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

If it was a battle, I would say Twitter is winning. But Facebook is close behind. The blog, this sweet little blog right here, well, she's limping along with thorns in her feet and the jeering of cyber-crowds in her ears.

I've been adjusting to the changing Internet world. But it sure isn't easy to juggle multiple social networks and platforms at once.

I love Facebook. Really. So many things to do, even when no one's chatting. Vampire Wars (way fun), quizzes, links to videos, and have I mentioned the photos? Or the fact that you can cruise with the top down, wander through all your pals' pages?

Then I joined Twitter. And felt so alone. Like I had fallen into a vast Internet vortex and all my words were now muffled and silent. Until I stumbled into a chat today. I'm not sure where I was. I'm so new to the scene I don't even know what to call it.

It was @writechat, on Sunday, from noon to 3 p.m. Better than speed dating. (Not that I know anything about that, but hey, I've seen movies.) It was like speed dating when all the people have six heads and they're all carrying on multiple conversations at the same time. I think I was talking to myself before it was over.

I'd have died if it hadn't been for TweetDeck...

TweetDeck? I forgot to mention it, huh. And then there's that awesome site where you can shorten URLs...

I don't know. Apparently I am catching on to this new cyber universe.

Maybe there's still hope for this Alien Girl after all.

Moby Love

2009-07-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Just when I’ve painted myself into a creative corner and I can’t find my way out, when all my inspiration is gone and the air around me feels dry and empty—that’s when I know I need some new music.

Gotta have it.

I hear some folks can get by without music, specifically without a new fix on a regular basis. But I’m just not that person. Sometimes I wish I was. Seems like life would be so much easier.

It’s like being hungry. But you don’t know where the food is. Somebody keeps moving it, hiding it, giving it to other people more worthy. By the time you get to the store, it’s all gone or worse, stale and spoiled.

Nothing worse, really, than stale, spoiled, yesterday’s leftover music. I’m not talking about the tried-and-true favorites. They last forever, like blue jeans and vintage jewelry. But I just can’t sit around, listening to the same stuff, over and over. Not if I’m trying to be creative too. I need some new rhythms to shake up and wake up my brain synapses, to make the thought patterns travel down a different corridor, hop over that brain canyon and finally, hopefully, come to some new conclusions.

Dead music. Dead ideas. Dead me.

Gotta get me some of that sugar, that sweet keep-me-up-late candy, that take-me-to-another-world-and-let-me-wander-around-all-by-myself snack.

So just when I think I’m never gonna find it, gonna have to make do with what I already got, then I find it. And I dance. All day, all night. I write and I get myself plugged into something bigger than me. Again.

It’s like love. Really.

And tonight, I’m in love all over again. I just stumbled across Moby’s new album, Wait for Me. It’s cherry sweet. Just downloaded it from iTunes and already I can feel the current flowing. Pale Horses broke my heart, but it needed to be broken. Division set the stage and I’m in my seat, ready. Mistake reminds me just how much I’ve missed Moby, how much I love his voice, his melodies, his pain-sharp musing. The almost holy chant of A Seated Night, the haunting chorus in Wait for Me, the minor chords of Slow Light. All like brand new friends who laugh at my jokes and know that sometimes, a girl’s just gotta cry.

So I think I finally found something to help me through those long hot summer nights. Something to keep my fingers pounding keyboard.

Something sweet. Got me some Moby Love.

Monsters Under the Bed

2009-07-25T10:37:00.001-07:00

I’m a big fan of everything that goes bump in the night. Vampires, ghosts, goblins, twisted branches that thump against the window and sound like someone is trying to break into the house. In particular, I’ve always had a soft spot for monsters under the bed. Creepy, tangled in cobwebs, hiding in shadows and much too flat to look human.

I just always wished they were under someone else’s bed.

Well, I finally got my wish.

Apparently all these years, those very same monsters that were tormenting me were also hanging out under the bed of good pal, Rebecca Razo.

Who knew?

And now she’s gone and exposed them for what they really are. On top of that, she’s telling folks all around how they can capture one for themselves. On paper, that is. She’s put together a really cool, I mean scary, book about how to draw these horrid beasts, and she’s revealed a dastardly secret. Sometimes they aren’t nearly as creepy as you would think.

Oh oh.

Monsters R Us might get mad. Monsters across the universe might rebel.

Then again, this could be exactly the kind of PR they’ve been wanting all along. Make friends with the children. Then later, when said children grow up, they might just decide to write a few monster books of their own, from a different viewpoint this time.

The misunderstood monster.

He’s my favorite. Can’t wait. For all these kids to grow up and start writing their own monster books.

But first they have to pick up The Monsters Under My Bed. That’s the first step to making friends with those furry beasts who might not be so creepy.

After all, when you really think about it, don’t we all turn warm and fuzzy inside after a glass of milk and some cookies and a good book?

NASA Wants YOU!

2009-07-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

Actually, they want your help. Yes, your help. Apparently a sweet little Mars rover named Spirit got itself stuck in Martian dirt.

Basically, the little guy has fallen down and he can't get up.

So, maybe in your spare time you could come up with a few ideas, jot them down and then contact NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Questions, comments can be submitted via Twitter (let's hear it for Twitter, YAY!) or Ustream.

Twitter: send to @NASAJPL using the hashtag #FreeSpirit

Better hurry, though. I hear the Martians are just about ready to toss the little sprite into the recycle bin.

Hot Dog!

2009-07-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Next time I won't ask for home delivery.

Linked by Blood

2009-07-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Black and white

Photos floating, spiral of images. Never like it when this film noir starts in my head. The wrong music on the radio, the light in the sky fading through trees, the wind changing course, everything turning pale and chill.

We stand, quiet, in a half circle, dirt beneath our feet. Linked by blood, separated by death. He lies, quiet, in a box, lined in silk, eyes forever closed.

My heart beating. His heart still.

My heart breaking. His heart gone.

My life ending. His life a memory.

Clumps of dirt surround the deep chasm. Too much earth, hole too big. Box sinking down into the cotton quiet ground, earth swallowing human.

Dust to dust. We say it because we must—

Find a way to forget, the knife in our chest—

Ashes to ashes. The wind blows where it will—

And the journey of the spirit, we cannot follow. Never like the songs that played on the day my blood all went their separate ways. Never liked the car that brought me here or took me away.

Never cried, because he remained in my dark nights, in my heart. Even though the live blood all faded away. The blood that died never left.

How to Make Stuff Up

2009-07-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

If you want to learn how (not) to write dialogue, how to make stuff up at the last minute, or even why Stephen Parolini's alter-ego is named Pedro, then you should check the recent post at Novel Doctor.

And then again, you could drop by any time. It's always fun.

Oh, I almost forgot. There's a contest too. At Novel Doctor. Go on, you know you want to...

The Great Jeff Goldblum Death Conspiracy

2009-07-02T16:07:00.001-07:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Jeff Goldblum Will Be Missed

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Jeff Goldblum

Something I Would Never Do

2009-07-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

This five-year-old girl is laying on a glass balcony on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower.

A) I would never let my child out there.

B) I would never let ME out there.

Fear of heights? Maybe. Kinda. Okay, yeah.

Star Light

2009-06-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

The words come and go. Start somewhere in the future, zip on their hellbent road to the past and somehow, somewhere between here and there, they get trapped in my fingers, tangled on the page.

They try to shoot across the barrier, diamond bright comets with trails of brilliance and pain.

And then they get stuck in my palm.

Before they know it, they are falling out of the mouths of my characters, weaving plot thread shuttles across a computer screen loom. Garments made from sun and moon.

Starlight, star bright, I wish I may, I wish I might create another tale tonight. One that keeps the children awake, that burns in the gut and twists like a snake.

All Systems Go . . .

2009-06-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to write.

New Sylar screensaver: check

Plotpoints and scene shortcut: check

Edgy steampunk beginning: check

Strong romance subplot: check

Bad boy shape-shifter: check

Now if I can only figure out how to turn on this steam-driven laptop...

Good bye

2009-06-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

I'm really sorry he's gone. Such a talented guy.

Vegetarian Vampire

2009-06-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

Great Twilight parody!

So exciting to get home...

2009-06-20T20:00:00.001-07:00

So exciting to get home...

2009-06-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBLcGFANnVI

Susan Boyle--too cute!

2009-06-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

In the Name of Love

2009-06-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Would YOU eat a dead tarantula for love?

Future Hybrid

2009-06-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

Cruising down a canal in Venice, wind in your hair, sun on your back . . .

Triumph The Insult Comic Dog

2009-06-01T15:09:00.001-07:00

Triumph The Insult Comic Dog, "Attack of the Clones" Premiere | GetBack Media

Shared via AddThis

Land of the Lost

2009-05-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

As far as I'm concerned, there just isn't enough science fiction out there. So I can't wait to see Will Ferrell's new movie, Land of the Lost.

Big Bang Theory meets Jurassic Park with a dash of Lost in Space.

Gotta see it.

Now I gotta go finish that sci fi novel . . .

Italics

2009-05-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

Arrgghh.

I'm lost in a sea of italics.

Somebody. Help. Quick.

Initials you wouldn’t want

2009-05-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

M.E.H.

I.C.K.

U.G.H.

P.O.O.

D.U.H.

W.T.F

L.O.L.

P.I.G.

I write, therefore I am

2009-05-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

I write, therefore I am

Otherwise known as

I sit in front of my computer screen for hours and hours, therefore I am

Or

I continually rewrite and belabor this same stinking paragraph, unable to move onto the next chapter, therefore I am

And

I get a snack, drink some diet soda, stare out the window, contemplate the meaning of words and the vagaries of communication, therefore I am

AKA

I pretend this dratted book is finished, that I am finally a SUCCESS, that everyone loves me and buys all of my books, and that I have PLENTY of time to write said sequel to dratted book, therefore I am

But

I decide to write in my blog, which I have neglected for MONTHS because it is just a bit of fluff and nobody reads fluff nowadays (except ME when I’m supposed to be writing, then I LOVE blogs and FLUFF), therefore I am

And then

I sigh, take something for my headache, vaguely wish that I was a dog instead of a human, wish that all I had to say were things like WOOF and BARK and HOOOOWWWWLLL, because I’m sure I’d be done with this project by now if my vocabulary was so limited, therefore I am

Unless

I HAVE TO TAKE MY COMPUTER INTO THE SHOP BECAUSE I MESSED AROUND FOR SO BLASTED LONG THAT MY CAPS KEY GOT STUCK, THEREFORE I AM

When All Else Fails...

2009-05-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

Grow a mustache.

Is Genetic Engineering Ba-a-a-a-a-d?

2009-02-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

Some animal rights activists think so. The FDA has just approved a drug that supposed to prevent fatal blood clots in people. Oddly enough, the medicine is derived from the milk of a genetically altered goat—a goat that has been “given a human gene.”

Ouch.

Watch out for the Chimera uprising. It’s bound to be around the corner.

Parting the Waters

2009-01-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

She breezed into the room, all sunshine and smiles, ready to co-teach a class at Mount Hermon with Mick Silva. Her insight and encouragement that day were impressive. In fact, that class is still on my all-time favorite top ten list— and I’ve been attending writing conferences longer that I want to admit.

It was the first time I met Jeanne Damoff. Since then I’ve gotten to know her better, mainly through her regular journaling on The Master’s Artist.

But there was one thing that I saw immediately, that first time we met. Something I think most people see, anytime they look into her eyes. She possesses a level of compassion and kindness that goes beyond words. She has a way of looking at you, like she can see all the way through to the back of your spine, like she’s taking an X-ray of your soul. And surprisingly, she seems to like what she sees.

Not many people have the ability to show unconditional love with just a gaze.

Or perhaps I should say, not many people I’ve met.

It wasn’t until I heard the story behind her new book, Parting the Waters, that I began to understand that soulful look. Brokenness can change you. All that staring into the face of God, it has an affect, leaves an imprint. Like little flecks of Him get stuck in your DNA, little bits of heavenly gold dust, and you might not even realize that when you look at someone you are casting just a bit of the Shekinah glory of God in their direction.

There is one thing I can say about brokenness. It doesn’t just change you.

It changes everyone you encounter.

Parting the Waters has the power to do just that, because it’s the story behind that gold dust in Damoff’s eyes, it’s a story about where to find the strength when your strength isn’t enough. And I think it’s the perfect story to read today. Because life just doesn’t seem quite as easy today as it was yesterday.

Or at least it hasn’t been for most of the people I know. Me included.

Here are a few sound bites from a recent interview with Ms. Damoff, where she discusses her book.

Where did you get the idea for the book?
Parting the Waters is a true story. Several years after Jacob’s accident in 1996, I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to write what I was seeing God do. I didn’t want to, and for the next few years I kept giving God excuses for why I didn’t have time. Without going into detail, let’s just say He essentially removed my excuses, and I went home and wrote the first draft in two weeks.

What are the major themes of the book?
Beauty from brokenness. God’s goodness and sovereign purposes in suffering. The body of Christ. The power of community when it works as it should.

What insight did you gain from the process of writing about such a difficult personal experience?
Reliving our experience on the page was excruciating at times, but also very cathartic. I believe it’s good for all Christians to look back on our most difficult times and see how God carried and led us when we felt like we were wandering over jagged shards in a fog. Probably the biggest insight I gained was a deeper assurance that God is in control and I can trust His loving purposes, even when it hurts to breathe.

But if you want to be a good Berean, don't just listen to me. Check out what some other people are saying about Jeanne Damoff and her new book, Parting the Waters:
5 Minutes for Books
A Little Whine and Cheese
A Peek at My Bookshelf
A Spacious Place
Alien Dream
Arkansas Dreams
Ashley Evans Boone
Aspire2 Blog
Bible Dude
Blame it on the Loud Mouth Gene
Blog Tour Spot
Bluebonnet in the Snow
Book Nook Club
Canadian Prairie Writer
Christy’s Book Blog
Conversations with a Stranger
Davis Family of 6
Fictionary
Five Bazillion and One
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
Getting Down with Jesus
Good Word Editing
i don’t believe in grammar
iamhealed.net
Kells Creative Musings
La Vida Dulce
Life with Missy
Lift My Noise
Lighthouse Academy
Marc Whitman’s Blog
Michelle Pendergrass
Musings from the Windowsill
Mystery, Suspense, and God, Oh My!
Net’s Book Notes
One Voice in a Big World
Portrait of a Writer . . . Interrupted
Relevant Blog
Restore
Sherry Kyle
So You Wanna Be Published
The Friendly Book Nook
the mcgill’s
The Writing Road
They Hang Like Paper Lanterns
This Present Joy
Tooles in Virginia
What I Learned Today
Wide-Eyed Fiction
Word Vessel
Write Brained
Write by Faith

The pursuit of all that glistens

2009-01-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

It flickers up ahead, something that moves through the mist, catching and reflecting.

Light.

I chase it, ever onward. Sometimes stumbling, sometime crying, often numb and weary.

Starbright.

I think I will, I think I might. Catch the beam that burns so bright. Or maybe

Not.

Breathless and bruised and now ever so dangerous, tooth-and-claw strong.

Fight.

To be on top. To win. To have that mirror relect all that glistens, all that is beautiful, all that is—

Me.

Just one look

2009-01-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Does a commitment to excellence win out over time? I think it does. Obviously each person on this list had a long career before I stumbled across them. But the interesting thing to me is that from the moment each of these actors came on the screen, I found myself mesmerized.

So here is my list of actors who stunned me from the first scene:

Claire Danes in The Little Women
Hugh Jackman in Swordfish
James McAvoy in Children of Dune
Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias
Ralph Fiennes in Wuthering Heights
Collin Firth in Pride and Prejudice
Jeremy Northam in The Net
Sandra Bullock in The Net
Lacey Chabert in Lost in Space
Connor Trinneer in Star Trek: Enterprise
Hugh Laurie in House

The balancing act continues

2008-11-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

Evening attire preferred.
Dancing shoes required.
Mask is optional.

The Kiss

2008-10-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

the hum and flutter
the joy and stutter

I-love-you

love and glisten
stop and listen

I. need. you

Heart, beat faster
Mouth, press closer

I, want, you

Your candy or your ankle

2008-10-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Even Super Heroes Make Mistakes

2008-10-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Super Dog accidentally wore his cape to the office party.

There goes another secret identity down the drain.

Hannibal Lector Goes to the Vet

2008-10-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

That's my boy. Woof.

What the dog is thinking on Halloween

2008-10-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

Does this bag make me look fat?

Nap time

2008-10-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

On the job

2008-10-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

I'm working.

But in my heart I'm sleeping.

The Other Side

2008-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

I know it’s dark
Not quite what you expected
But it’s beautiful
No?

Yes, he breathed
in my ear, soft
and slow
It is
beautiful

I let the trace
of a smile tease
my lips, tease him
too.
You see it?

He nodded, enchanted.
A world away, on the
other side of
the black and
white

page

In a quiet room, roaring with
the music of staccato
words. He was
reading

My book
My heart
My soul

And he swore that
it was
his. I let the
trace of a smile tease
his lips

Black and white, wrong
and right, day and
night

Dark and light
On the other side
Of the black and
White

Page

The one thing I don't like about Southern California in the winter

2008-10-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

The crows.

They sit outside my window and torment me. On purpose. They know I'm trying to write. They know they're irritating. They know all the other birds are cuter and nicer and sing better songs.

And still, there they are. Cawing up the skies with incessant chatter.

Dark feathered vermin.

"You can't write. Ha ha. Caaaw. You'll never finish that book. Haaaa ha caaw caaaaaw."

I think the Son of Sam was listening to crows before that dog came along.

Music

2008-10-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Do you hear it?
Music. Driving me
To my knees, with the breeze
Holy spirit, holy song
Calling me, soaring free.
I want to stretch my
Wings, silver bright, water tight,
Want to fly through sun and
Rain, joy and pain.
Do you hear it, do you, do
you
hear it on your knees?
Forehead to the floor
Knocking on the door
Of heaven.
Music. Driving me.
Do you hear it?

Page 99

2008-10-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Outside the wind shivers and blisters.
Rips through the leaves, tears down walls inside me.

Page 99

Why is it always page 99, why don’t I push through the barrier? Silken skin like a womb. I want to soar through.

Not for me, not today, I want more.

Much more. Can taste it, on the back of my tongue. Sweet and thick, rich as blood. Bite on the skin, piercing my way into the womb of words.

Go ahead.

Let everybody else fight their way out. I’m gonna win this battle on the inside.

Where I belong.

Watching me

2008-10-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

The alligator in the mirror is watching me.

The reason why I work

2008-10-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

They want to eat. Now.

Photo Finish: The Big Event

2008-10-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Fantasy Fiction Tour is over. All the authors are home (I think). The event at Calvary Chapel Refuge went extremely well. I got caught up in hosting the event, so I didn't get all the photos that I wanted. Somehow I completely missed getting pictures of Donita K. Paul and Jonathon Rogers. And I really wish that I could have gotten a photo of all eight of them when they were on stage for the question and answer session.

But for now, here is a photo essay of the evening . . .

Christopher Hopper (The Lion Vrie) and L.B. Graham (The Binding of the Blade) stand outside the sanctuary. Chris was posing for the camera because it took me nearly half an hour to figure out how to take a picture. Arrgghh.

The event began with Jennifer and Christopher Hopper leading worship. Beautiful music and beautiful couple!

L.B. Graham spoke on "God's Faithfulness" earlier in the evening. Here he visits with fans during the book signing.

Rebecca Luella Miller and Sharon Hinck (the Restorer series) during the book signing. Becky helps run the CSSF blog tour and hosts the popular site, A Christian Worldview of Fiction. She also helped throughout the event.

Bryan Davis (Dragons in our Midst) and Wayne Thomas Batson (The Door Within trilogy) discuss all things literary with their fans. Bryan delivered a powerful message titled "Why Fantasy" and Wayne performed an excellent dramatic reading.

Eric Reinhold (Ryan Watters and the King's Sword) and fans. Eric spoke on "God's Timing."

Sharon Hinck and me. I have to confess, she is a talented lady with a heart of gold. Truly. Her message titled, "How to be a Hero" made me cry.

Andrea Verde and Jeremy Clendening--faithful workers that helped pull this event together. And, oh, that's me in the middle.

Me and Jeannie Kleker--another wonderful volunteer that helped throughout the event.

Here we have an optical illusion--it looks like Wayne just chopped off someone's head. But, in fact, everyone left with all their body parts intact. Thank goodness. Can't read a book without a head.

It's always something

2008-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Anatidaephobia — the fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you.

The Big Day

2008-10-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today's the Day. Eight fantasy fiction authors are going to descend upon Huntington Beach with a shout and a song.

Music by Christopher and Jennifer Hopper.

Dramatic readings.

Powerful messages.

Laughter. Lots of laughter.

Maybe some swordplay.

Wayne Thomas Batson, Eric Reinhold, Bryan Davis, L.B. Graham, Sharon Hinck, Donita K. Paul, Jonathon Rogers and Christopher Hopper.

7:00 p.m.
Calvary Chapel Refuge
7800 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, California

If you can't make it because you live in Kansas, there is still hope.
You might be able to see it live on the Internet.
Visit the Fantasy Fiction Tour Web site, and remember that this is taking place on the West Coast. Pacific Time out here in the land of sunshine.

The land of aliens, like me, who love sci-fi and fantasy.

They're on TV

2008-10-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a TV interview with Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper where they discuss this year's Fantasy Fiction Tour.

Fantasy Fiction Tour

2008-10-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

The countdown has begun. Five days. Five.

The West Coast Fantasy Fiction Tour--featuring eight authors--will swing by Huntington Beach on Friday, October 10.

The event will include Christian authors, Sharon Hinck, Wayne Thomas Batson, Bryan Davis, Christopher Hopper, Eric Reinhold, Jonathon Rogers, Donita K. Paul and L.B. Graham.

Friday, October 10
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Calvary Chapel Refuge
7800 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, California 92647

Of course, I'm going to be there too. In all of my alien glory.

Havah: A Review

2008-10-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a book as much as the one I just finished reading.

Havah: the story of Eve by Tosca Lee. I’m not even sure where to begin. Here—I loved it. I devoured it. From the moment I cracked the spine and started to read, I was compelled to finish. Not many books command me to read them, tell me to stop working, stay up late, and sacrifice my entire Saturday so that I might spend a few more moments seated before the hearth of someone else’s tale.

Havah required that I hear her story.

The book never felt like a piece of fiction to me. It was as if, finally, the veil had been lifted and I could hear the beginning verses of Genesis told in Eve’s voice. As if we crouched together before a flickering fire, the night wind at our backs, and like a beloved friend, she told me all of her secrets, from the beginning to the end.

Tosca has created a masterpiece in Havah.

Chapter one begins with the birth of Havah (Eve) in the Garden. With a poetic voice, Tosca tells the tale of the first woman, her relationship with “the adam” and her desire to know the One that Is. Havah frolics in a perfect world, where the river sounds like music and the air is stained with the fragrance of pomegranate and plum. Her dearest friends are a lioness, Levia, and a fallow deer, Adah, and it is through these relationships that we later see the bitter contrast between life in the Garden and life after the Fall.

Because, of course, Havah has yet one more friend—a serpent. More beautiful than any of the other animals, it dwells on an island, always near a tree that bears forbidden fruit.

If you think this is a story you’ve heard before, you’re wrong. No one has ever told this tale with such lush detail. As much as I have contemplated Eve and her life in the Garden—and I have—I never saw it this way. Havah is both heartbreaking and stunningly beautiful.

Tosca’s voice, so unique and fluid in rhythm, reminds me at times of Sue Monk Kidd or Janet Fitch. But the spiritual quality of this book elevates it to another plateau.

This is exactly the type of story, book, and author that I have been waiting to see emerge in CBA. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to get lost in another world, anyone who would like to experience the Book of Genesis in a fresh way, or anyone looking for a story that is beautiful and compelling from beginning to end.

Shhhhhh. I'm reading

2008-10-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Just so you know that I am NOT asleep at the wheel. I just got three books that I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for.

As soon as I read them, I plan to write reviews of each. Oh, and I'll post them here.

"What books?" you ask on the other side of the computer screen.

Havah by Tosca Lee, Shade by John Olson, and Shadow of Colossus by T.L. Higley.

Fiction Friday: Write about 8.

2008-10-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

“The fascination may go away, Mrs. Lee. And then again, it might not.”

“Fascination? Doctor, I can’t even believe you are using that word!”

“Well, we’ve run a full diagnostic. Your daughter isn’t autistic, and there are no signs of obsessive-compulsive behavior—”

“And so that’s it?”

I could hear the voices in the background, a bland pattern of words that interrupted my own thought process from time to time, their words occasionally slowing me down from my healing reverie…

Eight dogs running down the alley, eight cats yowling at midnight—

“Will she need to be—” My mother struggled with the word, “—institutionalized?”

Eight fluffy clouds in a denim blue sky. Eight questions that all begin with why.

“No, I don’t think so.” Big man in a really big white coat. Looking down at me.

Eight days in a week—I wish!—eight freckles on her cheek—and a tear.

Mother crying. Big man sighing.

Eight. Eight. Eight. Can’t be late. Eight minutes, eight hours, eight songs, eight notes. Eight reasons, eight rivers, eight brownies, eight boats. Eight grinches, eight buildings, eight cars, eight goats—

She glanced down at me, mother of mine, sweet giver of life. Took my hand, led me out of the office, into tepid New York streets where more clatter and noise drove me deeper into my mantra.

Mother, dear Jennifer 8. Lee, held my hand as she signaled for a cab.

Eight. 8. Eight. 8.

Don’t be late, don’t skate.

Don’t be mad, Jennifer 8.

More proof I'm a real girl

2008-10-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for awhile and just saw this quiz over at Julie Carobini's site.

It was such a cool quiz, I just had to play!

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a playful, spirited person. You have a limitless imagination and amazing creative talents.

When you're happiest, you are outgoing and expressive . You love celebrations, and you enjoy showing off a little.

You tend to be afraid of change. You are never ready for things to be different.

You find love to be the most comforting thing in the world. You feel at peace when you're with your loved ones.

Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine.

You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.

The Autumn Test

Quote for the Day

2008-09-25T16:16:00.001-07:00

"You can't copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means you're working without any real feeling."
Billie Holiday

Gone

2008-09-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

He was a whisper on the world. Blink and he was gone. Footprints and fingerprints erased. Memories so few, tossed into a book of photos that no one wants to see.

She cries in the corner at night. When no one is listening, when the wind blows. Sometimes she hears his voice on the wind, calling her name.

His ancestors disappeared. Father, mother, brother. In an instant the entire family was dust on the Midwestern prairie. Forever gone. Forever mourned.

And then.

Forgotten.

In a book of photos that no one wants to see.

The Danger of Multi-tasking

2008-09-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to see how multi-tasking can lead to dual identities, then check out the recent interview over at Where the Map Ends.

Jeff Gerke is interviewing himself.

Sounds like something an alien would do. Or a publisher.

2008 ACFW Book of the Year Winners

2008-09-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

Below is the list of winners from the recent ACFW Conference. Congratulations to all! And a special cyber hug to pals, Sharon Hinck and Camy Tang! Way to go, girls!

Debut Author
Sushi for One? (Camy Tang) – Zondervan, Sue Brower

Contemporary Novella
Finally Home (Deborah Raney) – Barbour Publishing, Susan Downs

Historical Novella
Love Notes in Love Letters Anthology (Mary Davis) – Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany

Lits
Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh) – Multnomah Books, Julee Schwarzburg

Long Contemporary
Within This Circle (Deborah Raney) – Steeple Hill Books, Krista Stroever

Long Historical
Veil of Fire (Marlo Schalesky) RiverOak, editors Jeff Dunn/Jon Woodhams
Where Willows Grow (Kim Vogel Sawyer) Bethany House, editor Charlene Patterson

Mystery
Your Chariot Awaits (Lorena McCourtney) – Thomas Nelson, Amanda Bostic

Short Contemporary
The Heart of Grace (Linda Goodnight) – Steeple Hill Love Inspired, Allison Lyons

Short Contemporary Suspense
Caught Redhanded (Gayle Roper) – Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, Krista Stroever

Short Historical
Canteen Dreams (Cara Putman) & Golden Days (Mary Connealy)
–Barbour/Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons

Speculative
The Restorer’s Son (Sharon Hinck) – NavPress, Reagan Reed

Suspense
Black Ice (Linda Hall) – WaterBrook Press, Traci DePree

Women’s Fiction
Remember to Forget (Deborah Raney) – Howard Books/Simon & Schuster, Philis Boultinghouse

Young Adult
In Between (Jenny B. Jones) — NavPress, Jamie Chavez

Fantasy Fiction Tour

2008-09-19T16:49:00.001-07:00

Question: What do the following authors have in common?

Wayne Thomas Batson, Sharon Hinck, Christopher Hopper, Bryan Davis, Donita K. Paul, Eric Reinhold, L.B. Graham, and Jonathon Rogers.

This may seem like an easy answer.

They all write Christian fantasy fiction, you say.

Well, yes, you got that right. They do. In fact, between them, they’ve written 37 fantasy novels. They’ve written about other worlds, alternate realities, talking dragons and more. They’ve written ground-breaking stories in one of today’s fastest growing genres.

But, wait. There’s more.

This group of eight authors will be touring the West Coast from Oct. 4-12.

Below is a list of events that will be taking place in the Los Angeles area. And note, blog readers, the last event on this list will take place at my church. I’m helping to set up this event, so you’ll be hearing more about it as we draw nearer.

If you like reading or writing fantasy fiction, then these events are just what the Alien Doctor ordered. In fact, aliens from alternate universes are going to be jealous when they find out that THE HUMANS IN CHARGE decided to hold all this stuff on earth. And on the West Coast, no less.

Bring your tin foil. There are sure to be repercussions.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9th
St. Genevieve High School
9:00am - 11:00am
13967 Roscoe Blvd
Panorama City, CA 91402
(818) 894-6417
www.valiantspirit.com

Bethany Christian School
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Attn: Amber Ryan
93 N Baldwin Ave, Ste B,
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone is 626-355-3527 ext 1652

Valley Book & Bible
5:00pm – 7:00pm
6502 Van Nuys Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Toll Free: 800-421-8906

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10th
Village Christian Schools
8:50am - 1:00pm
8930 Village Ave.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
(818) 767-8382
Co-hosted by Barnes & Noble Burbank Store
818-558-1383

West Covina Christian School
2:00pm - 4:00pm
763 N. Sunset Ave.W
West Covina, CA 91730
626-962-7089
Co-hosted by Barnes & Noble Glendora Store
909-592-2968

Calvary Chapel Huntington Beach
7:00pm - 9:00pm
7800 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 891-9495

The New Kid On the Blog Block

2008-09-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

She's sweet. She's sassy. And, oh yeah. She's also me.

My other blog. So cool. All about publishing. All about life in the tsunami lane.

Check it out.

Publishing Tsunami.

Tips on riding the literary waves. Without wiping out.

The Shadow of the Almighty

2008-09-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is the best example of Psalm 91 that I've seen in a long time.

Shhh . . . they're watching

2008-09-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

I love being stalked by a Googlebot.

Don't you?

Music Video of the Week: Morphine

2008-09-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Morphine. I just discovered this band--I'm know. I'm a bit late.

But I'm in love.

Woof

2008-09-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

Can't respond to e-mail

2008-09-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

I can't respond to e-mails.
Something has crashed on my computer . . .
and my mouse is missing.

Meow.

On the Richter Scale

2008-09-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Nice use of color and contrast. Theme and storyline, definitely a 10. Overall composition, excellent.

Ouch factor: a raging 10.0 on the Richter Scale.

No reason at all

2008-09-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

It was just cute. That's why.

The cell phone you gotta get

2008-09-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

The debate over which cell phone offers the best service came to a screeching halt today when ePhone revealed its latest update.

Once the glowing orb is grafted onto your vocal cords—a process that ePhone promises is quick and painless—you'll be able to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

And that includes Pluto. Even if it isn't really a planet.

We come in peace

2008-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

"We come in peace," Sir Argyle Bluefeather claimed during a recent CNN interview. With fingers poised in the V for Victory sign, our sources believe that Bluefeather plans to enter the presidential race as an independent.

His platform?

Something to do with lifting the ban on illegal aliens.

Top Ten Reasons to Watch Battlestar Galactica

2008-08-29T17:09:00.001-07:00

These are the reasons for last year's show, but they still apply!

inside

2008-08-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know he’s been courting me for what, like a year now? He’s been watching me from all those secret places. The ones we’re not supposed to know about, but honey, we know. All of us know. That’s why we do the stuff we do.

It’s all for the hidden cameras.

Jenny, she’s been acting up for weeks now, trying to get him to look at her. But I can tell all the mirrors is pointed right at me. Can feel ‘em, even at night, when the dark sky presses against the barred windows.

What he gonna do, that’s what I ask. He gonna come in here, in front of all his ladies and say that he wants me? I don’t think so.

It’s all a big show. A game. Like all the others. Like the ones we used to play on the street, back when I was free.

Baby, that was a long time ago, but I can still taste the city air. Sharp. Strong. I can still see the glitter of my own blade, the one that got me out of more jams than I can count. That was the first thing he took, you know. You thought it was my heart, didn’t ya? You thought he made me fall in love with him, then lured me back here to this high-rise trap in the sky.

But I was the one breaking hearts, don’t ya know. Back on the street. He didn’t catch nobody but she really wanted to get caught. And that includes me. I wanted inside. Here where it’s warm and safe. Yeah, there’s bars on the doors and windows. I ain’t blind, not yet. I see ‘em, sure enough. But there’s food on the table too, and something to take the sharp edge off the night. Something that helps me sleep.

Couldn’t sleep outside.

Couldn’t close my eyes knowing what was out there in the shadows.

Sometimes I stand at the window, when all the others are asleep, and I stare out into the black streets. Trying to see if it’s still there. If it’s still looking for me.

Some might say I’m paranoid, or that I just think I’m all that and way more. But I know what’s true. There was something out there, hunting me down. And the same goes on in here, only now the one that caught me is watching. He’s trying to figure out what the outside monster was wanting.

And, believe me, I ain’t gonna tell him.

I got my own secrets and they ain’t for sharing.

why

2008-08-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

I write to know that I’m alive
I run to know that I can walk
I scream to know that I can breathe

If I only I could slow down
Peace would follow
For sure, for sure

I sing to remember that I believe
I pray to see the face of the Divine
I dig with fists closed
I fight with eyes blinded

I fall
on
my
knees

And I write
to know that . . .

Free to speak, free to listen, free to choose

2008-08-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

This video explains the purpose behind Pastor Eddie's Gadfly Project.

For those of you who don't already know, Pastor Eddie surrendered to the Chinese Police in Tienanmen Square. You can listen to the audio file at the Exodus8one site.

Government approved protests denied

2008-08-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

"Nicholas Bequelin, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, a private group based in New York, said he and other rights advocates had been skeptical that China would fulfill its pledge to allow greater free speech during the Olympic Games. Still, he said, the International Olympic Committee should be held accountable for not pressing China on the issue. 'The I.O.C. seems oblivious to the fact that they’re holding the Games in a repressive environment,' he said."

Quote from the on-line article, "Would-Be Protesters Detained in China," in the New York Times.

Hilarious Cat Video

2008-08-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Super Dog

2008-08-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Should we care what happens in China?

2008-08-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

During China's bid for the Olympics in 2001, Beijing Olympic official Liu Jingmin stated that the Olympic Games are "an opportunity to foster democracy, improve human rights and integrate China with the rest of the world."[1] This pledge was in keeping with the principle of advancing "a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity," as put forth in the Olympic Charter.[2] In spite of these promises and other international human rights obligations, however, the Chinese authorities

* Have displaced an estimated 1.5 million Beijing residents in preparation for the Olympic Games[3]

* Continue to target human rights activists by imprisoning them, preventing them from leaving or returning to Beijing, and keeping them under tight police surveillance.[4]

* Remain the world's leading jailer of journalists for the eighth consecutive year, with at least 29 journalists in prison in 2007[5]

These actions fundamentally undermine the spirit of the Olympics. As Hu Jia and Teng Biao wrote in their article "The Real Situation in Pre-Olympics China," "If there is no dignity or human rights, then there can be no real Olympics," and "for anyone who wishes to avoid a disgraceful Olympics, knowing the truth is the first step."

NOTES:

1. "Incorporating Responsibility 2008: About the Issue: Olympics and the Rule of Law," February 2008, http://www.ir2008.org/02/issue.php.

2. Olympic Charter, http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_122.pdf.

3. Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, Press release: "China's Olympic dream displaces 1.5 million people: The IOC and the Chinese Government have continuously failed to take responsibility for mass housing rights violations," July 16, 2008, http://www.cohre.org/media.

4. Human Rights in China, "Human Rights Situation in China Worsens as Bush Calls for a More Open Society," August 07, 2008, http://www.hrichina.org/public/contents/68117.

5. Committee to Protect Journalists, "CPJ: One in 6 journalists held without charge," http://cpj.org/Briefings/2007/imprisoned_07/imprisoned_07.html.

INFORMATION QUOTED FROM THE IR2008 SITE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE IR2008 SITE.

Human Rights and the Olympics

2008-08-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

"When you come to the Olympic Games in Beijing, you will see skyscrapers, spacious streets, modern stadiums and enthusiastic people.

You will see the truth, but not the whole truth, just as you only see the tip of an iceberg.

You may not know that the flowers, smiles, harmony and prosperity are built on a base of grievances, tears, imprisonment, torture and blood."

—Hu Jia and Teng Biao,
"The Real Situation in Pre-Olympics China (奥运前的中国真相),"
China Rights Forum, No.4, 2007

Quote from the IR2008 website

Australian Prime Minister discusses human rights in China

2008-08-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, discussed the issue of human rights in China recently. An article by Mary-Anne Toy in Beijing can be read here.

A quote from the article:
"As someone who's looked at the history of human rights in China, it's always been two steps forward, one step back," Mr Rudd said when asked if China had fulfilled its promise, made in 2001 when it was awarded the 2008 Games, to improve human rights.

Bush speaks out on human rights in China

2008-08-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

According to a recent AFP article, "US President George W. Bush on Saturday expressed "deep concerns" about freedom and human rights in China, during his visit to attend the Beijing Olympic Games."

A quote in the article, made by President Bush:
"During my time here, I'm expressing America's deep concerns about freedom and human rights in China," he said. "This trip has reaffirmed my belief that men and women who aspire to speak their conscience and worship their God are no threat to the future of China."

You can read the entire article here.

The History of Abuse in China

2008-08-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

This video details the history of abuse that has taken place in China and uses photos and a couple of video clips to illustrate the injustices. These are merely a handful of photos that have come out of China in recent years.

What you will see is here is what happens to Christians--and people of other faiths--who worship “underground.” This is what happens to many of the churches that don’t register with the Three-Self Church in China.

To learn more about what is going on in China visit this site.

To learn what you can do, visit this site.

You don't have to get involved. That is your freedom. But you may want to consider the following poem written by the German Pastor Martin Niemöller, about the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime.

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;

And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;

And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;

And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."

Everyday you write your own story

2008-08-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

As a writer, I understand. Everyday you write your own story. You go to the store, water the plants, eat breakfast (paragraph one). You go to work, answer e-mails, pay your bills (paragraph two).

You talk to your friends. You drive home. You eat dinner.

When the rest of the city is dark and quiet, you say your prayers and go to bed.

And then, sometime in the middle of the night, a group of men break into your house. They drag you away, torture you, and eventually throw you into prison. Wait, let’s change that last phrase. They “re-educate you.” For years. Without trial.

All because of that God you were praying to before you went to bed.

Everyday you write your own story.

Today I choose to write mine.

Today I choose to write to President Bush and President HU Jintao of The Peoples Republic of China. Today I choose to ask, politely and with respect, for the freedom of my brothers and sisters in China. I ask that they encourage the National Peoples Congress to ratify the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

I ask because I have the freedom to pray before I go to bed. And I think everyone should have that right.

Everyday you write your own story. What will you write today?

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
United States

His Excellency President HU Jintao
People’s Republic of China
The State Council General Office
Yongneixijie
Beijing 100017

Exodus8one: Links to press

2008-08-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

Human rights are an issue here.

A village is arrested.

An American pastor protests peacefully

What Christianity Today has to say.

Four protesters detained

Two Britons are deported for protests

What the Washington Post has to say

Gadfly on NBC4 Los Angeles

2008-08-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Online Videos by Veoh.com

This was aired on Thursday August 07, 2008. It features key people who are in support of "The Gadly Project" and details how the church Hacienda Christian Fellowship has Gadflys full support. Visit Exodus8one and let your voices be heard when you still have time.

Gadfly reveals project strategy to David Aikman, former Time correspondent

2008-08-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Eddie Romero, aka "Gadfly" speaks to David Aikman, former Time correspondent from Beijing and Author of "Jesus In Beijing" about the project strategy in February 2008, Washington D.C.

Gadfly on NBC4 Los Angeleshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

2008-08-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Online Videos by Veoh.com

This was aired on Friday August 08, 2008 at 5:00AM. It features key people who are in support of "The Gadly Project" and details how the church Hacienda Christian Fellowship has Gadflys full support. Visit Exodus8one and let your voices be heard when you still have time.

More about the Gadfly Project

2008-08-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

Below is an embedded video of the press conference that was held on Wednesday August 6, 2008 for The Gadfly project which unfolded in Beijing China on August 5. In this event he brought attention to the plight of Chinese People of all faiths and also highlighted the increasing human rights deficiencies in China. He achieved this protest by creating artistic graffiti murals on the walls of two hotel rooms. He also made 2 effigies to illustrate those who have been effectively silenced by the Peoples Republic of China. Visit Exodus8one as he is still on the loose in China.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

For those who have no voice

2008-08-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Gadfly Project is underway!

2008-08-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

A voice for the voiceless, Exodus8one, has finally been revealed. Those who of you who know anything about this may have been waiting and praying for years for this series of events--like me. Or this may be the first time you are learning about some of the things that have been happening in China.

Of course, not all is revealed yet. But you can see the beginnings here.

And one of the videos is here.

Already some of the links to the above video have been disappearing. So you might want to view it soon.

Read these books or you'll never see your puppy again

2008-08-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Becky over at A Christian Worldview of Fiction tagged me for a meme. We'll see if I'm up to the task. I'm so blog-rusty that I don't even have any blog-friends. Sigh.

I may be breaking the rules, because one of my picks is from ABA.

HERE ARE THE RULES (I THINK)
I’m going to list five MUST Read novels and five Keep Your Eyes on These novels, then tag five bloggers who I’m asking to post my list on their site. They may then add one book to each list but must also subtract one book. Finally they should tag five other bloggers, link here at Alien Dream, and comment to this post so visitors here know to check out how they may have changed the list.

My additions are in bold. Hee hee.

Five MUST Reads:
Demon: a Memoir by Tosca Lee (NavPress)
Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer (WaterBrook)
To Dance in the Desert by Kathleen Popa (Cook Communications)
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (NavPress)
Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge (Tor)

Five Keep Your Eyes On These:
Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead (Thomas Nelson)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (WaterBrook)
Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (WaterBrook)
The Hunted by Mike Dellosso (Realms)
The Legend of the FireFish by George Bryan Polivka (Harvest House)

AND I'M GOING TO ADD THIS:
FIVE BOOKS TO LOOK FOR SOON:
Shade by John Olson (B&H)
Field of Blood by Eric Wilson (Thomas Nelson)
Conspiracy in Kiev by Noel Hynd (Zondervan)
Stepping into Sunlight by Sharon Hinck (Bethany)
Hero, Second Class by Mitchell Bonds (Marcher Lord Press)

The bloggers I’m asking to post the lists (and make one book-for-book change to each list if they wish):
Rachel
Mark Goodyear
Mike Dellosso
Sharon Hinck

Black on White

2008-07-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Sing and think about what comes next. Words touch page and worlds begin. The start of something lovely. The death of something awful. It all starts with a series of black and white, a trail, rabbits hop. Not obedient. They disobey. Run their own way, burrow through soft brown dirt, cast a mist of clay into the air.

Flow.

Go with it. Let the dream roll over your mind. Let the words take you away to somewhere else. Not here. Never here. Must escape. Would pay any price to get away, to be free.

To be. Black on white.

Clear and precise. Not like life. Red and flesh and bone. All put into rhythm and song, made pretty so someone will stop. And look. Read. Become the story. Become the character. Wear his flesh, turn around, look in the mirror.

Smile.

Stay.

In the black and white world of words. Longer and then longer still. Put the world on hold. Forget to eat, to sleep, to work. Let the phone ring, the door knock, the bills pile up. Cut the contacts with outside. Crawl inside where it’s oh so . . .

Safe.

Off the Menu . . . temporarily

2008-07-14T03:54:00.000-07:00

Temporarily off the menu, dogs squeeze inside cages as trucks transport them near Beijing, China. Apparently both cats and dogs will be taken off the menu during the upcoming Olympics.

I'm sorry, but this is really upsetting to me.