I began writing about six years ago. Little did I know the steep learning curve that came with that particular “hobby” or the things God would teach me through the process. At first I wrote scenes that came to me. I fiddled around with plots, never quite knowing where I was going. As I wrote, life continued to roll by. God move my family a couple times. I had a daughter, then along came the twins. When the twins arrived, I put writing away. My days were consumed with diaper changing, feeding children, and keeping the house from burning down …
Sunday Devotional – By Sharon Hinck
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV) Whether we work as writers, or serve God through any other means, we need the gift of “by” – the place where our work, labor, and endurance come from. Faith motivates our course, helps us hear God’s call and move. Love fuels the effort as everything in us longs to respond to the grace He pours out to us. And when the road gets tough – and it …
The Origin of Perch — The World of ‘Crosswind’
MLP author Steve Rzasa here. You know, inspiration is a funny thing. I don’t recall precisely when I had the first inkling of wanting to write Crosswind, which is due out in November from Marcher Lord Press, but I do remember where – walking past the chapter books for grade-school age readers at the library where I work. I’d been mulling the idea of a fantasy/steampunk story involving 19th century and early 20th century technology, especially trains and biplanes. The city had to be up high, somewhere. The image flashed into my head—a city on a mountain’s edge, on a …
God and the Writer
God. Just that one word calms me, reminds me why I write, and that He is in control, even when everything is spinning the other way. When I worry about what others will think of my book, I remember I am writing for an audience of One. When I worry about juggling work, family, and writing, I remember how many times I have placed my work in His hands and that He has always provided time for me to write without neglecting family or job. Lately, I have found myself praying to God more about my writing. I now have …
Sunday Devotional–2 Kings 22: 10-13 The Word of God obscured and found
10 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. 12 He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: 13 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us …
Sunday Devotional–2 Kings 22: 10-13 The Word of God obscured and foundRead More
Flash Fiction from The World of ‘Crosswind’
Steve Rzasa here. With my new novel Crosswind coming out in November, I thought I’d give our dear faithful readers a taste of the world the Sark brothers inhabit (Winchell and Copernicus Sark are the main characters — check out my prior post.) It’s a world similar to ours but with a few key differences, I worked up this bit of flash fiction. Enjoy! * * * * * * “In the Bag,” by Steve Rzasa I ain’t done a blamed thing wrong. Not by my accounting, anyway. That’s what I keep telling myself as I urge my branter on through …
Let’s Cast Failstate!
I originally posted this earlier today at my blog, The Least Read Blog, but I wanted to recruit more people to join in this little game. Here’s the deal: One of the funny things that’s happened since Failstate was published was that a rumor somehow got started that I had a movie deal in the works. I’m not sure how that got started, but several people (who don’t know each other) have asked me about it. I suspect it might have something to do with the starred review that Publishers Weekly gave me back when the novel first released. The …
Sunday Devotional–Numbers 6:24-26
My passage for Sunday sets forth a proclamation of woe from Jeremiah 23. The Old Testament prophetic woe is a specific subset of negative oracles delivered by OT prophets; they are not pleasant in the least, and woe be indeed to the one who falls under it. Now, contrast woe with those upon whom the Lord’s favor rests: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Num 6:24-26 Wonderful words. Encouraging words…for if the Lord’s face shines upon us, …
Sunday Devotional–Isaiah 9
Isaiah 9 is a common advent text; it was a bit odd to see it as the assigned text for this Sunday. Nevertheless, in reading it through non-advent glasses I noticed it seems rather applicable to the current state of affairs around us. There’s enough doom and gloom to go around these days–from economics to politics to debt to public shootings. On and on it goes. If you’re caught in any of these sweeping movements, my heart goes out to you. Now, we don’t yet have Assyrians to contend with as Isaiah did, but still, the end of chapter 8 catches a bit …