My First Book: A project which most of my readers have probably forgotten...

Have you ever had a project that just sort of lingered on and on, and you could not get it quite right?  Well, my first book has been just such a project...

Perhaps a few of you still remember my first attempts at writing, which were dutifully published here on this blog.  What began as a short story turned into a full-length novel, and and it took me about three years to write it.  In the process, I learned a lot about writing, but I also learned that my skills as a writer have lots and lots of room for improvement.  So...  All of that to say, part of the reason I haven't posted the whole book since I "finished" it several months ago, is because I have been wanting to go back through it and re-write the whole thing.  The reason I'm sharing it now is because I hate unfinished projects, and this one feels unfinished until I actually take the leap and share it.

So, please forgive the mistakes, only laugh at the parts that are supposed to be funny, and then let me know if you liked it, and what you think could be improved!

And may the Lord use this for His glory.  (Truly, it doesn't have any of its own!)  :)

Journeying in the Light (full length PDF)

*Please forgive the footnotes being scattered throughout the pages, instead of just at the bottom of pages.  I tried to fix this problem but just couldn't get it right.  :(

Book/ Radio/ TV Series Review: The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger Rides

By Fran Striker

Rating:  4 out of 10

    Hold onto your hats as you read this rip-roaring tale!  Filled with intrigue, action, and gun-slinging cow punchers who use colorful language and bleed freely, this story will keep you on the edge of your seats!  Look out for the blazing six-guns as you--- but wait:  is this the kind of book Christians should be reading?

Book Review: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain

Rating:  3 out of 10 stars

    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (and it’s even more popular sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) would certainly be high on a list of the most famous and popular American novels.  These books “capture the spirit of American boyhood in the pre-Civil war era” and are a “nostalgic and humorous look at the naivete and simple eagerness of childhood”.  They are filled with dry humor, and combine the unlikely and adventurous with an unusually keen portrayal of real character and everyday life.  The pranks and attitudes of the boys (and girls) in the story are described in vivid and lifelike language, and the idiosyncrasies of Aunt Polly and the other adult characters provide an excellent foil for the children.  Tom’s creativity and imagination are hilarious; especially his idea of what a pirate’s or robber’s life is like.

    But are these books good reading material for Christians?  

The Daisy Chain, and The Trial, by Charlotte Mary Yonge

The Daisy Chain, and The Trial

By Charlotte M. Yonge

    Set in 19th century England, The Daisy Chain is the story of a country doctor’s large family.  The characters in this story are many and varied:  from the quiet and gentle Richard, to impulsive and awkward Ethel; self-possessed Flora and emotional and brilliant Norman.  There are eleven children, and each has his or her own character.  The Doctor himself is much like Ethel; impulsive, warm hearted, intelligent, and kind.  He is far from perfect, however, and sometimes his hasty words and actions startle his children, or cause misunderstandings in the town.

Book Review: To Have and To Hold, by Mary Johnston

To Have and To Hold, by Mary Johnston

Rating:  4 out of 10 stars

    To Have and To Hold is Mary Johnston’s best known novel, and is set in the early days of America, in the settlement of Jamestown.  It is a romance novel, telling the story, in the first person, of Captain Percy’s hasty marriage, and the wild, unpredictable adventures to which it led.