Wedding Day

Wedding Day
Enjoy EVERY moment in your wedding gown. You can't stay in it forever...SO UNFAIR!!!!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Saturday Christian Fiction Carnival!!!


I am pretty excited to join up in the Saturday Christian Fiction Carnival thanks to My Friend Amy. I am not a link wizard, but I did copy the link here and I am hoping it will work If it doesn't, I am sorry about that, Amy...I hope to learn more soon! :) Any hints on how to actually have MyFriendAmy and not just http yada yada yada...let me know! :)

Don't walk...RACE over to My Friend Amy
Lots of bloggers will be answering questions and linking back to Amy's page to share answers. What a great way to get to know one another!


Today's question is:Why do you read and review Christian fiction? Do you exclusively read Christian fiction or do you also read general market books?


I read Christian fiction because I really love good fiction. I have been a voracious reader since I could first string words together and get their meaning. The first thing I read on my own was the gospels in our Catholic church misalet when I was a small child. I was stunned literally to realize that I could read it. I do not know if it was the repetition or what, but I knew what each word was. Was that the introduction to Christian part? Possibly. :)


I began reading Christian fiction by reading required Christian fiction in grade school. I read "The Hiding Place," "The God Smuggler," and "The Cross and the Switchblade." I did not become a Christian Fiction lover at that point though, because although I enjoyed those books, they were required reading. Through the years I read "Born Again" and the biography of Billy Graham. Both of those books were amazing, but again, I didn't delve heavily into Christian fiction even after that, because honestly I couldn't find Christian fiction that filled my specific fictional tastes. I loved mystery, suspence, and the occasional chick lit book, and I also liked a little bit of horror. I read secular books in those genres. Also the Christian book store I frequented as a teen, young adult, and even adult just did not have fiction or at least not fiction that I felt drawn to. They had Bibles, study guides, and music.


One day I was in a Borders bookstore where the Christian section was right next to the kids section. My son would look at the children's books, and I began to browse the huge wall of Christian fiction that had more than just study guides, Bibles, and the Left Behind series (nothing wrong with that...I loved it). I found Kathryn Mackel's "The Departed" and "The Surrogate." I do not know why, but I picked them up and bought them on the spot. I devoured both those books and realized that someone could write Christian fiction that appealed to the tastes I had and they wrote that fiction well. :) Now before this I did read Frank Perretti, he just didn't have a lot of books out. Anyway...I soon discovered Brandilyn Collins, Colleen Coble, Francine Rivers, Ted Dekker, Frank Perretti, and the list grew and grew and grew! I became quite enchanted and thrilled that I was seeing the Christian fiction industry take a chance on publishing more and more appealing stories.


I have worked in Christian radio for about a year and a half, and I discovered that just as the Christian music ministry has developed and grown so strongly, so has Christian fiction. These talented individuals can be used for His purpose and bring people to Christ. They don't have to use their talents in the secular world, but the secular world is enjoying them as well. AMAZING!


I do not exclusively read Christian. I read general market fiction as well, although lately I have definitely become more involved with reading Christian fiction. There are great authors everywhere, and I appreciate them all. I have general fiction faves like James Patterson, Sue Grafton, Dean Koontz, Neil Gaiman, Terry Brooks, John Steinbeck, and Stephen King. I still reread Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" yearly.


Now why do I review Christian fiction? I began reviewing Christian fiction at my radio station along with music and movie reviews. I am looking forward to sharing these now on this blog. :)
I am off now to read everyone else's answers! I know this is going to be fun. I LOVE reading on a Saturday! Don't you?


11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Required reading just doesnt do it for me either! ;o)

That's great you found a genre you like in Christian fiction. It makes a difference!

Oh and to post a link that says "My Friend Amy" instead of http...

When you're typing your post, go ahead and type "My Friend Amy" then highlight it with your mouse and click the little button at the top that has the globe and it looks like a chain link on it...a little window will pop up...put the http part in there. Thats it!

kalea_kane said...

Sunny...you are the BEST!!!!!! Thank you for your help.

Many mental hugs and flowers are being sent your way.

Alyce said...

I am always encouraged to read that other Christians read a wide range of fiction.

Reviewing for the radio station sounds exciting!

Anonymous said...

Glad it helped!

24 hour clean-a-thon! LOL! I hear ya!!

Ausjenny said...

Its great christian fiction caters to a vast number of genres now days.

Stormi said...

Kalea Kane,

Thanks for the kind words on my blog. You have a great site here. I haven't had the chance to read Branlyn Collins yet but I hear she is great. I love those kind of books too.

Wendi said...

What a beautiful wedding picture!

I love hearing/reading what other Christian fiction books bloggers are reading - I feel it gives me an edge when picking out something new :)

I just got my post up here: http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/2008/10/saturday-christian-fiction-carnival.html

Have a great weekend! ~ Wendi

Lindsey said...

I think Christian fiction is getting better and better - even in the last year there have been some really good and interesting new books coming out, then there's the Marcher Press thing - it's going to be mainly Christian speculative fiction I think. :-)

Thanks for commenting on my blog!

M. C. Pearson said...

I met Kathy Mackel at the Philly Christian Writers Conference a few years ago and took a class taught by her. She is the nicest person you could ever meet. So glad to hear that you enjoy her writing!

Anonymous said...

Loved your post...it is so true that there is a lot of great Christian fiction out there....

I love to read too and I am finding kindred spirits in so many of you through Amy's blog.

Hope you have a blessed week!

Nise' said...

Giggling at required reading! It is so true. I have read those books and loved them probably because they weren't required reading for me. I was reading those instead of the ones I was required to read! LOL