Serials and Scenarios ~ Wounded Reviewed

I don't hesitate to lay a book down and skip going back to it. I belong to a mystery readers club that sends a portion of a book via e-mail every day. Usually, I know whether I want to open the excerpt the next day or not by what I read on day one. That's why I love the feature that CFBA is offering now -- the entire first chapter. I recommend that you read the first chapter of Wounded. Click here to do so.

Wounded is a challenging novel. Personally challenging in what will I, an evangelical Christian who has concerns about Catholic doctrines, do with a book that is very much about saints, stigmata and Christ's wounds? For starters, I won't recommend it to anyone who is confused about Mary worship vs. Christ worship. Can I recommend it to those who are mature enough in their walk with Christ that they know His words and His heart? Yes I can, because a person who is mature is going to be able to discern the truth throughout, within and behind this novel about very broken people who are in need and receipt of scandalous grace.

I know folks who won't read C.S. Lewis because of his deep questions. Others in my circle of influence don't believe a Catholic can be saved because of the tradition and error that stands between soul and Savior. Still others label things outside of their experience and knowledge heresy. If you fall into any of these camps, don't pick up Wounded because you will be offended.

However, if you believe that Jesus works today as He did when He walked the earth, that He is not bound by our expectations, that He is lavish and almost wasteful with His grace then read the first chapter. If you are intrigued by stories of those who sacrifice everything for Jesus or powerful and unexpected healing from hideous consequences and lives, Wounded may speak to the very center of your soul. If you are broken and don't want to be broken anymore, if you feel like you are a blind man and you are looking for another blind man who can accompany you while you search for freedom you may want to stumble to the bookstore to pick up a copy of this novel.

Claudia Mair Burney writes with passion and poignancy. She also writes as if she is using "ink" from her own veins. Her characters are haunting. People who are broken, blind and needy, and people I recognize when I walk through my safe little suburbs and sometimes even when I look into a mirror.

Wounded is not for everybody, but it is for some. I think you will know who you are.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ This Does NOT Happen at My House.

Suppose this guy gives lessons? Maybe he drinks chamomile tea and the puppies respond to the essence on his breath.

Pet bedtime at our house? Hmmm. 21 lays out the "puppy" beds and bids them good night. After a few minutes of wrestling they do fall asleep. Nervous Nellie, the cat that only leaves the upstairs when in dire need of food, drink or box, stands at the top of the stairs and "announces" that it's time for a human to join her i.e. give her attention. That announcement is usually followed by the pounding of kitty feet as Mr. Naughty, Nervous Nellie's nemesis decides he wants to get one more pin in before bedtime. Hissing and yowling commence as eight cat feet thud across the floor.

Finally, the humans are ready for bed. As soon as I turn off my light, the cats descend upon me.

Suppose the guy speaks cat? And if so, does he make house calls?

Serials and Scenarios ~ Claudia Mair Burney's Heart Squeezings....

Claudia Mair Burney's latest book, Wounded, is on my bedstand and let me tell you the woman can write. But if you keep reading her Q & A that won't surprise you at all. The woman has a deep, deep vein leading to and from the heart. I'll return with a review and in the meantime you'll want to read the first chapter. If you love literary fiction with deep themes and ragged characters, check it out. (Click on the book cover to visit the Amazon page. And here to visit Ragamuffin Diva Blog Spot. )



Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?

Honey, sometimes I feel like I'm a fiction character. So, I'll have to go with Claudia Mair Burney in the novel of life.


If you could ask any person, living or dead, a random question -- what question would you ask of whom?

Dorothy Day is in my thoughts this week. In fact, I just ordered her diaries for my birthday. So, maybe I'd ask her how she, a mother, a writer, an ordinary woman, could keep welcoming the stranger as Christ, again and again, no matter how distressing Christ's disguise was, because I want to welcome him, too.


Some out there in writing land have strange rituals. Share yours.

Agonize about not having the story until the last minute, then write, eat, sleep, write, repeat the cycle non-stop only days before deadline. And do nothing else. It's AWFUL, but I find myself there again and again.


If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?

I would make the Catholic characters I created actually act like Catholics instead of some Cathovangelical hybrid. Somethings you only figure out on the inside. Many regrets there.


What crayon in the box describes you on a good day? Bad day? Which one do you aspire to be?

On a good day I'm cotton candy pink, bright, a little silly, conjuring the memory of something sweet and childish. On a bad day I'm indigo blue. Moody, somber, but not as quite as dark as noir.


Pick one…..Pink iguana, purple cow, periwinkle giraffe. Which one and why? Can be negative or positive.

Pink iguana, because I love pink, and she seems to be the happiest of the bunch to me, though the periwinkle giraffe has its charms.


Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.

From Mariette in Ecstasy, "Christ still sends me roses." Makes a sistah sigh. I totally stole it for Wounded. Ron Hansen didn't seem to mind. He gave me a lovely endorsement, I'll love him evermore for that.


If you were assured of writing a best-seller, what genre would it be? Give us a sliver of information, a characteristic or glimpse of a scene.

It would be literary fiction, with language so beautiful and poetic I'd have to grow up for five or ten years to be capable of giving you a sliver of it.


What period of history intrigues you the most?

The one we're in. Amazing time to be an American. To be in this world. There a lot of wonder to behold.


What would you write if there were no rules or barriers? (epic novels about characters in the Bible, poetry, greeting cards, plays, movies, instruction manuals, etc.)

Maybe all of those, except for the instruction manuals.


What makes you feel alive?

Love. The Trinity. Wow! God in community with Himself. And then God in three Persons informs the way I'm to love. Love makes me feel alive, and God is love.


How does something worm its way into your heart? Through tears, truth, humor or other?

By moving me in some way, and it could be any of those. But I have to feel it deeply.


Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip.

I'd take a Bible--with the Deuterocanonical books--wouldn't want to miss out on Tobit! My iPod that has a crazy eclectic mix of music and movies, especially about the saints! Gotta take that. And I'd travel with a bunch of healthy yummies from Whole Foods. Bono would go with me. I'd bring some strong Irish beer and Jack Daniels for him, and ask him to bring his iPod, too!


Where would you most like to travel ----- moon, north pole, deep seas, deserted island, the holy land or back to a place from your childhood, somewhere else? – and why.

I've got mad longing to go to Italy. It's so full of romance and outrageous Catholic stuff. I love Catholic kitsch. I'd go crazy buying glow in the dark rosaries and statues.


Favorite season and why?

Summer. I feel brand new when it's hot and sunny.


Favorite book setting and why?

Each book is a wonderful world. I like to get lost wherever a good writer wants to take me.


Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?

I am so humbled and touched when someone says something I wrote made them love Jesus more. Or love their neighbor more. If everything I wrote could breed love I'd die a happy woman.


What criticism has cut the deepest and why?

A review said that my audience may be offended by references to Christ as Lover in Wounded. That really bothered me. I didn't make up the idea myself. It has a historical precedent, and I dare say it's Biblical. Nor do I take it, in my opinion, to an extreme that sullies the whole concept. How can the Bride of Christ seeing Him as Lover be offensive? We're His Bride! Aren't brides and grooms lovers?


What would you do today if you knew you had only a week to live?

Have a long talk with each of my kids and my husband, then write something amazing, like I only had a week to live. I'd spend my last day serving the poor until I dropped dead. The poor Christ in someone else would be the last face I'd see.


What is your favorite word?

Love.

What word annoys you more than any other?

Evil.


Superhero you most admire and why?

I like most superheros. For all their their power and glory they're all a little broken.


Super power you'd love to borrow for awhile?

I'd be cool to fly, but being able to save lives would be quite useful.


Favorite chore

Writing believe it or not. It's a chore now.


Anything you'd do but don't because of fear of pain? What is it? Ex. Bungee jumping, sky diving, running with scissors.

I have a chronic pain disease, so I'm always in pain. Might as well do what I want. Right?


Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.

I have too many deficiencies to go off about grammar. I'm very generous and forgiving when it comes to such.


Societal pet peeve…sound off.

Poor and dying people deserve dignity. They deserve love and care.

Super Cinema Saturday ~ Penelope

I love this movie, for the most part.

What I loved:

Penelope's sweetness and her every girl struggles, whether her looks or her mom or the very volatile combination.
The supporting characters were entertaining, most of them, anyway.
Quirky and attractive sets and wardrobe.
The fairy tale aspects.
The overall cleanliness of language and low crudeness level. There were only two comments that were suggestive and both were more double-entendre than outright crude.
Clever writing and storytelling.
Max's soulful eyes.
Mean people got theirs.


What I didn't love

The emphasis on drinking -- I was amazed at how many scenes had a character either talking about drinking or actually doing it.
Penelope's friends weren't really developed as friends.
The key relationship for Penelope was either not fleshed out enough or was resolved too quickly.
Her parents stayed in fairy tale la-la-land but Penelope grew up.

I will buy this film because I loved more than I didn't, and my kids are older. You might want to preview if drinking is a hot button for you. I think Penelope is supposed to be a fairy tale designed with a message for girls, but then it also tried to appeal strongly to adults. I'm not sure it's the healthiest mix.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Up Pops the Devil

Here's my review. Interested in more, just scroll on down and check out the first chapter.

And now I'm going to bed.



Preacher, a new Christian fresh from two years in prison, reenters life with hopes and dreams and crashes into the reality of his past. All of the consequences have been waiting for him, curled up like dormant rattlesnakes, and once he attempts to pick up pieces the rattles begin. A glimpse into a Hades gives further tension as spiritual puppetry is revealed.

These characters are ones that I grew to care about and I hoped for Preacher as he faced serpents all around. Sensitive or conservative souls may want to use caution. The characters behave like sinners saved by grace who need a lot of forgiveness. Solid storytelling and writing skills make the novel an escapist read that ends up challenging and teaching.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Angela Benson Pops In.

Hiya Dreggites. Angela Benson, author of Up Pops the Devil popped in with a few answers to the Dregs' questions. I'm still reading Devil so I'm going to be back with a full or partial review tomorrow. In the meantime, visit here to read the first chapter. And click on the book cover to check out the book and here to get to know Angela a little better. Thanks, Angela.

Some out there in writing land have strange rituals. Share yours.

I don't know if it qualifies as strange but I re-read Writing the
Blockbuster Novel by Donald Maas before I begin each book. It's my way
of refreshing myself on the key points of effective storytelling.

If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?

There's a horror story surrounding my second novel, For All Time, so
that's the one I would change. What would I change? Well, I'd have
them publish the right version of the story. A book goes through
several edits before it's published. The major edits come after you
turn in the manuscript and the editor sends back her revision letter.
After you address the issues raised by your editor and re-submit the
book, the editor re-reads it and, hopefully, accepts it. A while
later you get another set of edits from a copy editor. You make those
changes and resubmit the manuscript again. A while later you get the
final galley pages where you have to make sure no errors have been
introduced into the book during the production process.

At the galley stages of For All Time, I realized that the publisher
had typeset the original manuscript I submitted which had none of the
revisions I had made. I was floored and near tears. A frantic call
to my editor didn't avail much. I was told to make all the changes
on the galley pages and they'd get them in the book. They didn't. If
I could change something, I'd have them publish the revised
manuscript. Believe me, it was much stronger than the original I
submitted.

To this day, I don't read my books after they're published. Too much stress.

Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.

Easy. Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind. You know the phrase.
"Frankly my dear. . ."

Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?

The compliments that mean the most are those that mention how the book has encouraged their lives or touched them in some way.

Something along the lines of a recent review of Up Pops Devil by
Armchair Interviews means a lot: "As I read this book I could feel
the characters' struggles because I had similar ones. To relive my
conversion again through Preacher's story was magnificent. I would
absolutely recommend this book to everyone."

This reader comment about Up Pops the Devil is also a good example:
"The situations are so real and on point several times I found myself
pausing and thinking of my own testimony in which God's love brought
me through."

What criticism has cut the deepest and why?

That's an easy one, too. The review of The Amen Sisters by Black
Issues Book Review contained this line:

Although The Amen Sisters is touted as a story about church culture,
some may question if it is simply a story about a dysfunctional family
in the church.

Ouch. That hurt a lot. It hurt so much because the reviewer missed
the entire meaning of the book and didn't grasp the characters at all.

I thank God that readers didn't respond the same. From the mail I
received, the Lord used that book in a mighty way. You can read some
the reader responses HERE:


What would you do today if you knew you had only a week to live?

Stop dreading the planning and get married already. I'll have been
engaged a year in October. The whole idea of planning a wedding just
makes me tired. Although to be honest, I'm enjoying being engaged. I
just feel the pressure building when people ask, "When's the wedding?"

Serials and Scenarios ~ Trespassers Will Be Baptized

A book review...for those of you who come for details from my life, so sorry, I have much to share though. A wicked wipe-out in a cornfield, music festivals and drama will be appearing soon.


My Review:


I've read a few memoirs in my day and I'm drawn to the entertaining storytellers who both tell it like it is and also manage to paint reality a little more 3-D, a bit glossier, or even smellier. It is a rare person who can touch on the childhood struggle of figuring out our own little acre and put that immature angst into adult language and rich visuals. Elizabeth Emerson Hancock has that gift. Her story of growing out from underneath the crushing burden of the Preacher's Kid label caused me to smile and sometimes laugh. Hancock has a knack with stringing just the right words together to make her guided tour down memory lane amusing and recognizable to anyone who has spent hours at church potlucks and in Sunday best outfits with thigh backs glued to polished oak pews.

But as well written as this series of life-lessons named for the Fruit of the Spirit is, I couldn't help but struggle with sadness while I read it. Some characters are so human (i.e. awful) I wondered if the author needs to consider forgiving them for the pain they caused in her life. I'm all for laughing, but some of these lessons on the road to faith felt a touch bitter. I know people can be hideous and mean-spirited. Church people can be some of the worst. And it's unfair for adults to put expectations of perfection on kids. I appreciate the emotional cost the author paid out to bare her soul for the world. I can't imagine the toll she paid for the expectations she placed on adults who disappointed her and crushed her tender heart. But Jesus did die for every mean Baptist Sunday School teacher, too. And He is willing to equip us to forgive and move on. I also don't think He wants us to make other human beings all-powerful in our lives and let them steal, kill and destroy our joy, peace or faith long after they perpetrated against us. Elizabeth has every right to tell her story, but I wonder whether some of her thoughts may have been better left "unsaid."

This may be one of the more difficult books I've read this year. I want to love and recommend it, but in spite of all the humor and great writing, I can't help but feel melancholy after visiting her childhood.

Click on the book cover to read more reviews at Amazon.