Kindle Book for the Unchurched

So I am still in a motel at this point so I’m still unable to blog regularly. It has however been put on me that previously calling More Than a Neighbor a ‘Christian Novel’ was a bit of a misnomer.

Yes, its a Christian Novel. But it’s turned out to be so much more than that. So many Christian novels are geared towards the practicing Christian. The people going to church at least 2 or 3 times a month and looking for more inspiration. But Neighbor speaks not just to those who go to Church regularly but also speaks greatly to those who may not have been in Church in years.

It’s an amazing thought and I know God is putting the book into hands of people that not only want to read it, but that NEED to read it. Is that you? I can’t say but if you do read it I hope it speaks to you in just the way you need and in the way it’s spoken to others so far.

If it does speak to you or you have comments about it I would love to hear it. You can email me at goodgeekranting@gmail.com or leave comments here or use the contact form below. And spread the word to others who may need an uplifting story.

 

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Free eBook for Star Wars Day!

Happy Star Wars Day and May the 4th Be With YOU! What geek doesn’t like Star Wars day? No really, if you know of a geek that doesn’t like it I’ll beat him up.

For Star Wars day we have a free eBook for you. Of course it has nothing to do with Star Wars other than being free ON Star Wars day. But it does bring up today’s question.

Question: Why is this book so different from your normal style?

Well, the short answer is, God gave me the story. The long answer is, I don’t think it’s as different as it seems on the surface.

While this isn’t the first serious thing I’ve ever written I can definitely understand how people would be surprised by the style coming from me. But while this is more lifetime movie than Syfy channel, it is definitely still very ‘me’.

When I got this story I knew that I wanted it to stand out from the typical ‘Lifetime’ movie in that it would be better written and less predictable. Before any of my lady fans starts throwing tomatoes please understand I know there are good lifetime movies but think of the really cheesy made for TV ones that litter the channel. Yeah, I didn’t want that.

So, I think I achieved this. My sarcasm definitely comes out in this story along with my somewhat unique view on certain things of this world. Views on the way hospitals work or make us feel as well as the way women are treated differently when working on, with, or buying a car come out and provide something more than just intentional tear jerking moments.

And that goes into the romance as well. I’d say if my geek does come out anywhere in the story it’s with the socially awkward neighbor trying to show he cares in his own weird way. He tries really hard and seems just a little creepy though the true intentions or motives behind the actions aren’t clear at first. I am definitely a part of this character.

So, while it’s not a fantasy or sci-fi story I definitely come out in it and actually have ideas for other similar stories if not sequels.

Free Christian eBook Q&A Part 3

You can continue getting More Than A Neighbor free from the Amazon Kindle store through tomorrow May 4th. You can also borrow it from the Kindle Library.

Question: Where did you get the idea for this story? Was it just your own experiences?

(POSSIBLE SPOILER)

While my experiences litter the book throughout the idea and the book itself evolved, while quickly, from a completely different place.

One night, while continuing to try and find God’s purpose for all the talents He’s given me, I started trying to think of what they all had in common when it hit me that it was film making. Something I’ve not only always had a passion for but also something that all my various interests and talents would work well for. I then prayed for God to show me if He wanted me to be a film maker.

In a Hollywood style twist I was instantly flooded with a scene that was so powerful and so meaningful I knew it had to be written. The scene was the accident that is in the book.

Now the scene in my head was amazing and would play out perfectly on screen. As it was coming to me, it was obvious it was the climax as well. While I didn’t get up from bed to write  it down since I had to be at work the next morning I did start thinking of what would surround this scene. I saw this being a 5 to 10 minute inspirational short that could be shown during a church service.

The next day I did have time to write and write I did. I had an idea of scene progression and started working towards the powerful climax that had been given to me. The pages poured out and soon I realized this was not going to fit into a 5 or 10 minute short. This was at least going to be 30 to 40 minutes by the time I got to my ending that was in my head.

Well that actually excited me even more that it was flowing so easily so I just kept going. I kept going so fast that the next day I had 30 pages of script and I was at the scene of the accident. I wrote it and then reread it and immediately thought it was rubbish.

You see, my biggest goal in writing that short and the book itself was to make a well written inspirational story that was NOT cheesy or predictable. The climactic scene that I’d had in my head two nights before did not fit this criteria and was not coming out as the ending I had felt.

I stewed over this for another couple of days. It wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t powerful either. Eventually I felt the need to do something drastic with it. The story was still good I just needed to figure out this whole ending problem. I decided to write a story out of it. It would probably be a short story and I could release it to anyone who wanted to read it. I’d figure out the ending and then I could go back to writing a script for it.

Well, I started the story and it flowed out of me even easier than the script had. Pages upon pages of really good writing just poured out of my heart and my soul. Before I knew it this was going to stretch into a novella which once again excited me. Until, that is, I got to that scene again.

The accident is inevitable. It is the turn around for Jillian. A wholly spiritual experience that she ponders over and has to decide it’s meaning. Originally, in my head, this all takes place IN that scene but after writing it a second time and still not feeling it was as powerful as it had been I realized I needed more. Not more to the scene, but more to the story. That accident couldn’t be the ending because it WAS a turning point and nothing was going to be so definitive or quick and be a good story or even believable.

That’s when we get into the hospital and more and more started coming out. The ending took a life of it’s own and I struggled to fit it all in because it overwhelmed me emotionally. The process, the book, the story itself, and all the memories and feelings I put into it had consumed me and acted as a cathartic emotional cleansing that left me unsure and empty inside. But I knew one thing, the story was powerful. Not only did I feel it but that’s what others told me as well.

The idea started and ended with God and I’m proud of what it became.

Free Christian eBook Q&A Part 2

You can continue to download More Than a Neighbor for free by clicking the picture to the right.

Question: How did you write so convincing in the ‘woman’s voice’?

Well, first I prayed to God to give me the words but He also gave me a lot of experiences and a personality that made it surprisingly, and at times scarily, easy.

The testimonial stories are really versions of a number of experiences I’ve had.

The ‘voice’ comes from having been raised by and being very close to my grandmother. I was raised to respect and understand (as much as a man can) women. I suppose I’ve been able to tap into my emotional side more readily than most and it’s made the passion in writing such as this come out rather easily.

Jillian could have easily been any number of women I’ve known and would be best described as an amalgam of any number of women I have loved throughout my life. (Be it family or girlfriends.)

I’m very proud of how it turned out and glad that God found a use for my emotional side.

More Than A Neighbor Q&A Part 1

Thanks to everyone who has supported Neighbor and for all the great feedback so far. During the free promotion I will do one of my favorite things now, talking about it by answering your questions. As always you can leave questions here or email them to goodgeekranting@gmail.com and I will get to as many as I can.

Question 1: (Small Spoiler) You start the book saying she has less faith in God, but you end the book, still in present tense, saying her faith is growing, is this a mistake?

No, not a mistake in this case but it does go beyond just making a gripping opening. Let’s look at the first couple of sentences.

“My name is Jillian and I used to believe in God. Well, that statement is slightly misleading, I suppose. I used to have more FAITH in God, would be more accurate. I still believe in God, I just don’t believe he’s bothering too much with me. Not that I’m worried about it as I’m not his biggest fan right now either.”

So the VERY first line, saying she doesn’t believe in God is the initial knee-jerk reaction she would have had during pretty much the entire story. Remember this is basically her testimony. As she sits down to write and she thinks about all she is going to write, especially this first part describing what happened to her daughter, those feelings easily come flooding back despite the fact that she has grown closer to God at the end (when she would likely be writing it.)

It’s akin to listening to a song that was playing when someone broke up with you. It was such a powerful feeling at the time you can recall it easily. I use it to grab attention but since this story was so close to me she (and I) also use it describe the time of agnostic feelings she went through because of all of the negativity in her life.

As for the rest of it, I play on a bit of duality of the statements. During most of the story it’s obvious why she would have had more faith but remember her faith starts to wane at a relatively early age and, as most people speak of, it’s easier to have lots of faith growing up than it is when you become an adult and life starts getting in the way. By the end she has lots of faith but she is still struggling. She has found her faith but it is still an ebb and flow and she admits and realizes that.

It’s really part of what makes the story so powerful. Instead of this big happy ending we just catch her at the start of the rest of her journey. She realizes God is there for her but is still struggling to accept it, to understand what He wants her to do, or even show the proper thanks to Him. This is nothing less than what a lot of us already struggle with so I think that is why it hits so close to home for so many people.