Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Happy Birthday to Us!


How could I miss our birthday bash yesterday? On February 7, Forensics and Faith was one year old. Happy Birthday, BGs! Hope you’ll stay with me for a second year.

Today, please follow me over to the blog of Chris Well for Part I of my interview with him. Chris is a novelist and magazine editor. His first novel, crime thriller Forgiving Solomon Long, published last year, was recently named one of the top 10 Christian novels of 2005 by Booklist. Chris’s next novel, the quirky crime drama Deliver Us From Evelyn, will be published in March. By day, he is the editor for Homecoming Magazine and a contributing editor for CCM Magazine.

You can tell Chris has done a few interviews. He asked me some provocative questions. I mean, what do you say when someone asks: What's the worst thing anyone ever said about your books?

5 comments:

Lynette Sowell said...

Good interview. Happy B-day, FAF. And thanks, Brandilyn, for letting us peek over your shoulder and answering our questions. ~Lynette

Rebecca LuElla Miller said...

After reading the NES, I was wondering if Chris could bring out anything new. Yep--I didn't know your parents, your grandfather had been missionaries. Very interesting.

Loved what you said about your husband, too. Great testimony, right there.

Heheheh--sooooo for the fly in the oinment question of the day: If your goal is to entertain, why do you suppose you get the greatest sense of satisfaction from the letters that tell you how your stories affected readers spiritually?

Becky

~ Brandilyn Collins said...

Becky, good for you for picking up on that! It's a great question.

Christian + fiction. The latter word entertains. The former word refers to ministry. I am happiest when my books not ONLY entertain, but also MEAN something to the reader's life. But as the interview states, I can't achieve the "meaning something" part without the entertainment value. Because readers don't pick up a novel primarily to learn about God. They pick it up to be entertained. So I have to make that my first goal in order to ultimately achieve the second.

~ Brandilyn

D. Gudger said...

Very interesting interview. I'm nearly through WOL and finding myself realting to Annie's feelings of self doubt. I love the way you allow the spiritual stuff to just happen in a way, it feels natural and not preachy. The convictions and truth are more or less revealed rather than blatantly beating.
I'm thankful for entertaining books such as yours because there are so few spiritual or ministry focused books I can read beyond the prologue without falling asleep.

Bonnie S. Calhoun said...

Great interview! Now I've got two great Christian reviewers to follow.

I, too would consider that bad review suspect...Eyes of Elisha starts off with a runner being murdered bu someone with bizarre thoughts. Moves on to a trippy out of mind experience in a diningroom, with a man who has anything but spiritual thoughts.

Then you've got spine tingling chases, bizzare thoughts and actions and an attempted murder...no way did this person read the book!

You're awesome Brandilynn and I'm learning so much from you about writing suspense!