Inklings
Virtual book tour: The Latter Rain
Inklings is the first stop on the virtual book tour for the new book by James M. Conis, The Latter Rain, published by Castle Mountain Press.
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I welcomed the chance to read this, as I recognize that I don’t read nearly enough non-fiction, and practically no religious books except the Scriptures. That’s something I’d like to change.
The Latter Rain’s subtitle goes like this: Using the Book of Isaiah as the Key to Unlock Bible Prophecies That Are Relevant Today. I was immediately intrigued, because I’ve always been mystified—and frustrated—by my inability to “get†Isaiah.
The book uses a scholarly but very readable voice. The text is easy to understand, broken up into frequent sections with bold headings. A large amount of Scripture is intertwined into the text, and just as I’d hoped, the passages are explained and discussed.
Although Isaiah is a focus of the book, its purpose isn’t to decode Isaiah chapter by chapter. Rather, it sets out to explain certain symbolism used in Isaiah and then apply that symbolism to other holy books, both in the Old and New Testaments.
I found Conis’s reasoning clear and logical—perhaps because I suspect we share the same faith. Others from a different religious background may see things quite differently. These are Conis’s opinions and interpretations, and some people may feel he is taking a leap of logic in his assertions. He never states his religious affiliation (that I caught, anyway) and I believe he has done that to prevent readers from making certain assumptions. And I agree that for this book, it really isn’t necessary to have that information. He sets out the way he sees it in an easy-to-understand manner, and readers may then draw their own conclusions.
I can tell this book has been the result of a huge amount of research and personal study. I admire people who can produce this kind of work. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for more light and knowledge about the Scriptures. The book can be purchased here: www.thelatterrain.net
FTC disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but this in no way affects my opinion.
oh the irony
All these writing terms. What do they mean, anyway?
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Should you learn them all?
Think of them as your tool chest. Learn how to “operate” them and keep them sharp and tidy. Then it’s up to you when you pull them out and put to best use. Or not.
However, I think it’s ironic that I can’t understand this definition of irony from Merriam-Webster.com:
who do you write like?
There’s a website you can paste text into that will “analyze” your writing and tell you what famous author you write like.
This is for one of those hours when you can’t get anything worthwhile written, and you’re wasting time on your digital thingy. It’s a fun way to spend five minutes, even if it can’t possibly be accurate. After all, it says I write like Dan Brown. Pshaw.
perspective
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Writers have many decisions to make about perspective. Shall I tell the story from first person point of view? Shall I use a narrator? Which set of eyes should I use to tell my story? Which viewpoint will tell it best? Or will more than one viewpoint shine a better light on my character?
And there’s a completely different question about perspective that must be answered: do I tell the story as if it’s happening now? Or as if the character is looking back on the events with the perspective of hindsight?
As a writer, I have to answer all these questions, and I have to do it in a way that’s fresh. I have to ask myself, like Orson Scott Card says, “How ELSE could it happen?” I must learn to not pick the quick, obvious answer, but look deeper.
I must learn to really look. See more clearly. With less tired eyes.
Look at the picture again. Change your viewpoint, your perspective. Imagine yourself high above the couple, looking down. Now they are lying on the concrete at the bottom of a flight of stairs.
How ELSE could it happen?
a note from Tristi
Author Tristi Pinkston is excited to announce the release of the third novel in her Secret Sisters Mysteries series.
Help Tristi celebrate her new novel in two ways. First, come participate in the two-week-long blog contest, where you can win a book nearly every single day! All the details are up on Tristi’s blog.
Second, come to the book launch!
You are invited to an
August Authorama!
Saturday, August 13th
Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem
12 – 4 pm
Games, prizes, balloons, face painting,
and Dutch oven cobbler
prepared by world champion cook
Authors Tristi Pinkston, J. Lloyd Morgan, Cindy Hogan,
Nichole Giles, and Heather Justesen
will all be there to sign books.
This is one book launch event
you will not want to miss!
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