The Word Reclaimed: An Interview with Author Steve Rzasa

Today we're featuring an interview with Steve Rzasa, author of "The Word Reclaimed," which was released by Marcher Lord Press in October 2009. The book is available from www.marcherlordpress.com, Amazon, and Barnes&Noble.com. And now, let's hear from Steve:

Welcome, Steve. Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in South Jersey, and fell in love with books—especially science fiction novels and historical volumes—at an early age. I earned my bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University’s College of Communications in 2000, and then spent seven years as a reporter and assistant editor at weekly newspapers in Maine.

My wife Carrie and I moved to her home state of Wyoming in 2007 with our two boys so I could take a job as editor of a weekly newspaper there. Now I work at the Johnson County Library in Buffalo, Wyoming.

I read in your Marcher Lord Press interview that you're proud that "not only does my oldest son read the Bible, but he also knows the difference between an X-wing and a TIE fighter." Let me just say that I do, too! What fun for me to interview a fellow Star Wars fan! Reading the synopsis of your book, I seem to catch a bit of the Star Wars influence. I'm picturing a boy finding the remnants of Christianity (when he stumbles upon a Bible) rather than the remnants of the old Jedi religion. Am I on track at all?

Pretty much, though I did not intentionally pattern the book after “Star Wars.” That said, I am a child of the 1980s – “Star Wars” informs much of what I like to read and create. The idea came when I asked myself, “What would a guy do if he found a Bible floating in space?” The idea expanded into a universe where all print materials are illegal, and a secret police force oppresses any and all religions that claim to have the sole route to salvation or paradise or what have you. This puts Christianity at the top of their hit list. But “The Word Reclaimed” is also an adventure tale that touches on politics, combat and family.

In your interview at Marcher Lord Press, you mention how hard it is to find science fiction with redeeming spiritual themes. Why do you think that is?

I think some of that comes with the territory. Science-fiction generally appeals to an audience that has given up on God, and looks to the stars for answers. I should know – I was one of those people. Science-fiction allows you to dive into a world where science and technology can solve mankind’s ills, both literal and spiritual. But it is a genre that also makes a wonderful setting for great adventures. It is ripe for spiritual redemption.

Are there other current SF books or movies or even TV shows that you're excited about?

Well, the one show I’m most excited about is long-cancelled – “Firefly” by Joss Whedon. Cowboys and pirates in space – need I say more? I am also very much looking forward to James Cameron’s “Avatar” this winter and am still reeling from the eye-popping “Star Trek” from this summer.

Wow, you're definitely at home on this blog! My co-blogger and niece, Kristi, has a Facebook group called something like "Joss Whedon Should Hire Kristi Israel." (Kristi, correct me if I got that wrong.) And I did a post last summer about the new Star Trek movie.

Do you think a writer may accomplish some things better through speculative fiction than other types of fiction?

Speculative fiction offers a better setting for adventures than other genres, in part because the authors can feel free to create a new world. I also think speculative fiction is more entertaining because it is far removed from everyday life, and that makes it easier to tackle themes on a grander scale.

What do you hope to accomplish through The Word Reclaimed? Sheer entertainment? Warn us of a possible, grim future? Or something entirely different?

I hope to do a little of both – entertain with a tale of adventure, danger and space battles, but also warn of a future in which all information is controlled through electronic monopolies. There is no substitute for the printed word.I also want the reader to see the power the Word of God has in people’s lives. It draws people to its pages but also leads them to raging extremes to destroy it. Or perhaps I should say, try to destroy it.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? And is The Word Reclaimed the first book you've written?

I have always wanted to be a writer. It wasn’t until high school and college that I really settled on that as the thing that I wanted to do, however. “The Word Reclaimed” is the first published novel I’ve written, and is actually the first half of the manuscript reviewed by Marcher Lord Press. The second half is the sequel, tentatively titled “The Word Unleashed,” is due out this spring from MLP.

I did also self-publish a short Christian sci-fi novel called “This Stirring Strife” shortly after college. It was kind of an experiment – I had a story I wanted told, and wanted to see it in print. So now there are a few used copies out floating around on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble somewhere.

How did you go about creating the world of your novel? Do you have a science or technology background that helped out?

I have next to zero background in those subjects – beyond public school education – but I usually read any space/future tech-related article in news magazines I come across. I spent a lot of time over the years putting together the future tech for “The Word Reclaimed,” figuring how it would impact their society, and knowing how it works. I also wanted to give the universe a feel of realism, so I made the effort to research foreign languages and put them into the book.

Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

I had little time to write fiction when I was a reporter. When you spend all day writing for a living, the last thing you want to do when you get home is park yourself in front of a keyboard. So my book proceeded slowly. In 2008 however, I changed jobs and my writing took off. Within a year, I’d completed the book and send out submissions. Jeff Gerke from MLP picked it up in the summer of 2009, and the rest, as they say, is history. It was quite a whirlwind ride.

Do you have any words of advice for other writers--especially those struggling to find that first publishing contract?

Yes – keep trying. I know that’s terribly cliché advice, but it’s true. I had several rejections along the way, but thankfully MLP was right there as the perfect fit for “The Word Reclaimed.” Do not give up on your writing, if it is a story for which you have an undeniable passion. And don’t be afraid to take the advice of others and change your work. It’s very hard for the writer’s ego, but the end result will be worth it.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?

By far, the coolest sci-fi characters in existence are Han Solo (Star Wars), Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation), and Sandor Kreja (Merchanter’s Luck by C.J. Cherryh). Coolest ship ever? The USS Defiant from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine!

Thanks again for being our guest today. And best wishes with the book!

A Star Curiously Singing: An Interview with Kerry Nietz

Today we're featuring an interview with a new author, Kerry Nietz, whose Christian speculative novel about a world under Sharia law manages to be both futuristic and timely at the same time.

Q: Hi, Kerry, and thanks for being a guest on my blog! I just took a look at your information on the Marcher Lord Press site, and I have to tell you that A Star Curiously Singing has a fascinating premise. I was already thinking it reminded me a little of I, Robot, but with an extra dash of cosmic mystery thrown in. I love the line in your MLP interview that says it's like "I, Robot meets Muhammad." So now that we've intrigued everyone, do you want to tell us what the book is about?

A: A Star Curiously Singing is a speculative Christian novel with a decidedly cyberpunk feel. It takes place in a future hundreds of years from now, when much of the world is living under sharia law.

It is a dualistic society, where average people live on the streets in near-squalor and the powerful ride above them in cable car-like conveyances. This latter group is shrouded in high tech, to the point of needing specialized debuggers to handle their machines.

That’s where my protagonist comes in. Sandfly is a debugger who’s summoned to solve the mystery of why a bot malfunctioned. The extenuating circumstances? The bot has been on an interstellar voyage in an experimental ship. Something about the trip made it malfunction. So it is a sci-fi mystery of sorts.

Q: Not only does this premise sound futuristic, but also timely. So timely, in fact, that I could see the theme being a little controversial--or at least not "politically correct." Are you getting any feedback, either positive or negative, on the aspects of your book that deal with politics and Islam?

A: All the responses I’ve gotten about the book thus far have been quite positive. Of course, it is still early. Actually, there was one reviewer on Amazon who questioned the use of the name “Abdul.” In the book, Sandfly uses that name to refer to anyone who isn’t like him. You see, Sandfly has an implant in his head that not only connects him to the stream (think, future Internet) so he can perform his job, but also controls his behavior. Outlets for rebellion or disrespect on his part are fairly limited. Referring to non-implants as “Abduls” is one of the few ways he--and others like him--can rail against the machine.

Anyway, the reviewer thought I might have used it too much. Like it was unnecessarily disrespectful. It’s a fair point, but my first response was to wonder whether he would feel the same way if I’d used the name “Frank”? (I’m guessing probably not.) Regardless, I never gave it any thought when I was writing the book. Sandfly sort of writes himself.

Plus, there is significance to the name “Abdul” for Sandfly and his cronies. You’ll have to read the book to have it fully explained.

Q: This is your first published book, but not the first book you've written, correct? You've mentioned that you were writing A Star Curiously Singing mainly for yourself--and yet, it's the one that got published. Do you think that was simply a coincidence, or is there something different about this book from the others you've written?

A: Actually this is my first published novel. I do have a published non-fiction book called FoxTales, a memoir of a portion of my life in the software industry.

To answer the second part of your question--everything I’ve written has its own personality, a personality derived from the story and its characters. I would say, however, that A Star Curiously Singing is the most unique book I’ve ever written. To start with, it is written in first person present tense which is almost never used for novels. It also has a religion-based totalitarian world that is rarely touched upon in novels, much less in science fiction. Plus, the book has a lot of interesting future gadgets and human interactions that I think are unique as well. There is a review that was just published on Christian Fiction Review that does a pretty good job of outlining the book’s distinctiveness, I think.

Q: I also loved the story in your interview about the elderly author you met on a plane who--when you told him you were dabbling in writing--told you to start early, so you might actually publish before you die! I can SO identify with that line, and I imagine a lot of the other pre-pubbed writers who visit this site can, too. Did you collect a lot of rejections, or find yourself getting discouraged? And if so, how did you handle that and keep writing?

A: Oh yeah. I spent years and years of writing, editing, submitting and getting rejected. It can be very disheartening. In fact, I thought A Star might be the last book I wrote. That’s why when I started it, I told myself “this one is just for me”—meaning I didn’t care if it was publishable, or if anyone else ever saw it. I was just going to write the book I wanted to write, getting as creative as I wanted to get. Ultimately, I think that helped the book. It freed me creatively.

Sometimes that’s what it takes though. Tolkien had this word “euchatastrophe," which meant that just when things seem they are at their worst, good finally breaks through. That sort of describes my writing career…

Q: Do you have any advice for other writers who are struggling to keep writing in the face of discouragement and rejection?

A: Keep trying. You might get published before you die.

Q: The idea of Christian speculative fiction is very interesting to me. On the one hand, so many Christians have written great fantasy and spec fiction. But then this type of "out there" writing seems to make other Christians a bit nervous. How do you think speculative fiction fits in with a Christian worldview?

A: I think speculative fiction fits quite nicely with the Christian worldview. Wasn’t it the Apostle Paul who wrote that the gospel was a “stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Gentiles” and yet was both “the power of God and the wisdom of God”? So why should Christians feel nervous about a story with a few robots or aliens in it? What we as Christians are telling the world seems preposterous on the face of it: God became a man, walked the Earth and then died and came back to life. Plus, he lives today to repair and change lives! Preposterous—it might make you nervous--but also true! The same could be said for speculative fiction. It’s a perfect match, I think.

Q: We've mostly been talking about your book, but there are some pretty interesting events in your life story, too. One in particular has to do with Microsoft. Can you tell us about that?

A: Yes, I worked for Microsoft for seven years as a computer programmer, primarily on a database program called FoxPro. The reason I was employed by Microsoft, though, was because the company I worked for before that was purchased by them. (Fox Software.) At the time, Fox was the largest purchase Microsoft had ever made. Pretty significant for a company of only a couple hundred people...

Fox was much smaller when I started, though—less than a hundred people—and many of the employees were related. The owner of the company was also my boss, and he was a real character. Brilliant, driven, but also a little lacking in people skills. Bullying was his favorite motivational tactic. It was an interesting place to work. Lots of crazy stuff happened. For instance, my boss once picked me up during a snowstorm, drove me to work, and left me there. How many people can say that?

Q: Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?

A: I really appreciate the interview. I encourage everyone who is reading to get a copy of my book, A Star Curiously Singing, and tell me what you think. Also be sure to check out any of the other speculative titles available through Marcher Lord Press. They’re all great.

Oh, and if my non-fiction book interests you, that is called “FoxTales: Behind the Scenes at Fox Software”.

Thanks so much for being our guest today!

Upcoming Author Interviews and Give-Aways!

I've been a bit lazy about blogging the last week or so. Actually, it wasn't so much laziness as being too busy in every other area of my life. But we have great things coming in the next week or so to make up for it.

I'm featuring interviews with two new speculative fiction authors with Marcher Lord Press. One has some great words about persevering and his journey to publication. Both authors have fascinating book premises. One is about a future world under sharia law. The other is about a world in which religion is outlawed, and a boy stumbles across a Bible.

So be sure to stop by tomorrow (Monday, November 16) to read the interview with Kerry Nietz, author of A Star Curiously Singing.

Friday (November 20) we'll feature Steve Rzasa, talking about his book, The Word Reclaimed.

And don't forget that on Monday, November 23, I'll hold a drawing to give one person their choice of any one item from my online shop, featuring handmade jewelry, knitting, and crochet. It's not too late to enter. Click here if you'd like to leave a comment and get in on the fun.

The Dark Man (Review)

The Dark Man by Marc Schooley is an interesting book to be reviewing over Fourth of July weekend, because it paints a chilling picture of an America that has lost freedom of religion.

Sometime in the unspecified future, following Christianity will land you in a reclamation center, where the powers that be will use some pretty scary forms of "therapy" on you to attempt to bring you back to your senses. If that doesn't work, you will probably end up dead. Christians sneak into utility rooms in malls and back rooms of businesses to meet with one another and worship. The Christians' greatest fear is that one of them may not be who he seems, but might instead be the infamous master of disguises, Charles Graves.

Charles is sort of a modern-day Paul--or more appropriately, Saul. He pursues the Church stragglers with a frightening zeal, and the reclamation centers are full to bursting because of his undercover work. Since the book begins with a terrifying scene from Charles's childhood when he sees his Christian mother dragged away by the agents, this is a little hard to understand at first.

But it's soon obvious that Charles is a very traumatized young man, and he perhaps blames Christianity for taking his mother away from him. There's also the mysterious "Dark Man" who haunts Charles, but also talks Charles through his missions and helps him achieve his brutal goals. Charles has a complex relationship with the Dark Man, who taunts him and makes life miserable but also helps him survive. Charles at times wants to be rid of him, and at times panics at the idea of life without the Dark Man.

Following in Saul's footsteps, Charles has a sort of Damascus Road experience--only his occurs during a meeting of the underground church he's infiltrating. Charles is astounded to find himself suddenly a Christian, fleeing from the agents he used to work with. He's not nearly as surprised as his girlfriend, Julia, however. Because of Charles, she also ends up working with "the other side" and fleeing for her life, but without the advantage of his new belief.

Charles and Julia both join forces with the Reverend James Cleveland, the leader of the underground church in Houston and the city's most-wanted Christian. They go on the offensive, attacking a reclamation center, attempting to free a well-known prisoner, and making some surprising discoveries about Charles's family and past.

Rev. Cleveland helps Charles discover who the Dark Man is and how he can be rid of him. Of course, Charles first has to decide he wants to be rid of him--a struggle that tests the limits of his new faith.

First, the positives about The Dark Man. It's fast-paced and exciting, with hair-raising capers and heart-pumping twists and turns. It paints a chilling and all-too-believable picture of an American city without freedom. Characters are well-drawn and believable. In fact, it's disturbing to see that a nice, smart girl like Julia could be using her computer skills to track down Christians. But within the context of her world, it makes sense. Charles's sudden conversion is all the more believable because it's a rare case. Other characters start to question the way the world is being run or to show some interest in the Gospel, but they don't start falling to their knees like Christian dominoes. It's a real struggle for all.

The things I didn't like were mostly stylistic and had to do more with my own tastes. I've never enjoyed dream sequences or bizarre visions, and Charles is prone to them. Even worse, he sometimes lapses into cartoon-like visions in the middle of one of their missions, which made me wonder how he had survived, let alone become such a successful agent.

I also had a slight problem with the ending. There's a huge, exciting climax, so that's not the issue. But during it, I wanted to scream at the good guys that they were being stupid, and felt that the climax was partly big because they were stupid, which made the ending one of the least believable parts of the story to me.

Overall, however, I truly enjoyed The Dark Man. It's a unique story told in a unique voice--one that I think men and women readers would both enjoy. And those books don't come along often.

As part of Marcher Lord Press's spring 2009 releases, The Dark Man can be found at Marcher Lord's website or at amazon.com.

Make-Believe Characters and Our Characters, Part 2

I recently purchased Jeff Gerke's e-book bundle called The Writer's Foundation, which includes How to Find Your Story (to help develop plots) and Character Creation for the Plot-First Novelist (self-explanatory). The character creation tools make use of a book called Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey, which has personality tests and information on the temperament types made famous by Myers-Briggs.


So far, this is a great help in developing more complex characters, but I've also found myself in Keirsey's pages. I took the test and turned out to be an Idealist (big surprise). One of the things that interested me most was this type's relation to story and characters.


Remember my recent post about how obsessed I became with TV and movie characters when I was young? And about the common thread I found in them--that all appeared to be ordinary folks but had some secret that made them larger than life? I wondered if that was a reflection of my desire to be discovered to be someone special, someone greater than the geeky kid I appeared to be.


Well, according to Keirsey, the Idealist's greatest desire is for recognition--not in the sense of gaining awards or commendations, but recognized for who they are as individuals. They want other people to look inside them and acknowledge what makes them unique.


There's a section on the four major temperament types as children. Here are some of the quotes about the Idealist child. "Idealist children want to be recognized as unique individuals...they often find themselves out of step with their classmates [and] take some comfort in feeling that they are like no one else, one of a kind, as if special or singled out."


And then Keirsey goes on to discuss their love of fantasy. "They are romantic in the sense that, as they look for their unique qualities, they are apt to identify with characters in stories...In elementary school, [Idealist] kids love stories of the medieval era, of knights and their ladies, of princes and princesses, of dragons and wizards."


Well, given my current Harry Potter fascination, I would say that doesn't end with elementary school. Although perhaps it should. Nah, it's too much fun.


But guess what? At the beginning of the series, Harry thinks he's just a downtrodden orphan, penniless and living off the scraps from his horrible relatives, the Dursleys. He always feels there's something different about himself but doesn't know what. Then he discovers not only that he has magical powers, but that in the wizarding world, he's famous! When he was just a baby, he was responsible for stopping the evil Lord Voldemort. He has a vault at the wizarding bank full of gold left to him by his parents. When he arrives at school, everyone has heard of him and his special story.

Sigh...obviously I haven't changed much over the years, have I?

Interview with Debut Author Stuart Vaughn Stockton

I've blogged earlier about my excitement over new Christian publisher Marcher Lord Press. I love how they're giving opportunities to authors whose work is so fresh and unique. Stuart Vaughn Stockton, one of their latest authors, has a book that definitely fits into that category, and he graciously granted an interview to Dimensions, even though there's a lot going on in his life right now. When I told my husband that Stuart's first novel was released on April 1 and his first child was born on April 2, he asked me, "What did he do on April 3?"

Probably collapsed with exhaustion, I would think!

Here's my interview with Stuart:

Your debut novel, Starfire, was just published with Marcher Lord Press. Can you tell us a little about the book?

Starfire is a science fiction action-adventure story about a young warrior who is imprinted as the protector of a mysterious artificial intelligence and must make his way through a growing war in order to find the one weapon that may just be able to save his empire from a surprise invasion. But that weapon may also doom his world. The warrior, Rathe, must fight his way through deadly battles, discern ancient prophecy and uncover treachery in his quest for the Starfire.

This sounds to me like the kind of story with a long history. When did you first conceive of this world and its characters?

The first character of this world sprang to life riding a pogo-stick during a science class in Jr. High. Obviously it has come a long way from then, with the large-scale world creation kicking off in high school. So I’ve been working on the world and characters for a good part of the last twenty years. You can read the whole history of building this world here: http://www.ritersbloc.com/galacticlore/sauria/howitbegan/index.htm

A novel with no human characters is pretty unique. Did that make it a difficult sell to publishers?

Well if the characters had been something like elf or dwarf non-humans that may have made it easier, but the whole alien dinosaur angle pretty much made selling Starfire to traditional CBA publishers almost impossible. At the same time that is what helped make Starfire the perfect fit for Marcher Lord Press. It’s just the kind of weird they look for and understand.

I hear two different kinds of advice given to writers whose works don't exactly fit a particular genre or market. Some say follow your heart and write the story you're passionate about, and it will eventually sell. Others say we have to remember that writing is a business and we should therefore study the markets and adapt our writing to fit. What would you advise?

I would advise that you decide whether your passion is in writing the story or in being published. But for the first novel you write, write the one that stirs your passions the most. Then if that novel doesn’t seem to be finding a market try to find a story you can be passionate about that is more marketable. Don’t get hung up on that first novel, most don’t sell and can become a black hole that eventually sucks away your creativity and passion as you constantly tinker and submit. Always move forward with your writing. And most importantly, seek out God and give your writing over to Him.

Obviously you have a love to speculative fiction. What are some of your favorite books and movies--especially ones that inspired your writing?

The books that have most inspired my writing are mostly fantasy titles by R.A. Salvatore (especially his Cleric Quintet) and Weis and Hickman’s Dragonlance Chronicles. Stephen Lawhead’s fantasies and science fiction was also an early influence on me.

Some of my favorite movies are Dragonheart, Into the Woods (A stage musical) and the original Star Wars Trilogy.

Do you ever encounter Christians that are a little leery of speculative fiction? What would you say to those folks about the Christian's place in reading--and creating--works of fantasy or science fiction?

Actually I haven’t encountered Christians that are leery of spec-fic. I’ve read about them online, but I haven’t met any in person. What I would say to them though is that is that fantasy and science fiction gives us ways to explore the truths of God and his creations in ways that can challenge our imagination and help us see things from new angles. But I can understand that the genres aren’t for everybody.

This book isn't the only major life event for you this spring, is it?

Nope! On April 2 my daughter Victoria Elizabeth was born! This is the first child for my wife and I and has eclipsed the release of Starfire a bit. But I’m okay with that. She is precious and beautiful and a little bit stubborn. I love holding her and watching all the various faces she makes.

That's a lot to have going on at one time! How are you handling it all?

I’m just taking it one day at a time and trying to keep everything balanced and support my wife as best I can as we explore this wonderful new chapter in life together.

What is this about a Brandilyn Collins character being based on you?

When Brandilyn started writing her Kanner Lake series, she had a character who would be writing a science fiction novel. A rather odd and eccentric fellow who was all wrapped up in his created world. She remembered me from an ACFW conference where I had spoken in my Saurian language and a bit of my writing she had read and asked me if she could use my story for her character’s book. I was thrilled at being asked, and even had a chance to blog as the character, Ted “S-man” Dawson on her character blog Scenes & Beans.

It’s been a real fun fact-meets-fiction-meets-fact story as in the last book of the series Ted had sold Starfire to a publisher which actually corresponds well with when the real Starfire released from Marcher Lord Press.

Thanks, Stuart! And congratulations on all the wonderful things going on in your life!

Contest Update--Almost Time for the Grand Prize!

The winner of the last weekly drawing for a $15.00 amazon.com gift card is Rose McCauley--who deserves a prize for being a faithful reader of my old blog, then moving over here to the new one. Thanks, Rose. Enjoy!

The grand prize drawing for a $50.00 amazon.com card is fast approaching. Remember, every comment you leave between now and April 30 will get you one entry into that drawing. Plus, all subscribers will get another entry.

This Friday, you can kill two birds with one stone--read a great interview with new Marcher Lord Press author Stuart Vaughn Stockton, and leave Stuart a comment to get an entry in the contest. It's all good!

If You Like "Weird and Christian"

I was really excited when a new Christian Publishing Company, Marcher Lord Press, started up last fall. I heard the founder, Jeff Gerke, say he was interested in stories that were "weird and Christian," and I thought, hey! That's me! My stories, I mean. Or just me. Whatever.

Anyway, today is Launch Day for their second round of Christian speculative novels, so I thought I would share with you a message I received from Jeff at Marcher Lord a few days ago. Oh, and leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for YOUR CHOICE of any one Marcher Lord Press book.

Marcher Lord Press is poised to release its second list of Christian speculative novels.

The excitement has been growing as the time left on the countdown clock has been dwindling. And now we're just hours away from launch. MLP's second season has received unprecedented pre-release coverage.

Library Journal, one of the publishing industry's top 2 magazines--and the most influential magazine for library book orders--has mentioned Marcher Lord Press in its April 1 issue. And not just one mention, either. Nor two. But three mentions in one issue.

This is almost incomprehensible for any Christian publishing company, but it's all but impossible for a small press in its second season.

One of these mentions is a review for By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson, one of the three titles in the season 2 list. Library Journal calls By Darkness Hid a "thoroughly entertaining and smart tale" and gives it the coveted "highly recommended" stamp of approval.

Incredible.

Advance praise continues to come in for the other books in the second list as well. Christian fantasy novelist Donita K. Paul says of Starfire by Stuart Vaughn Stockton: "I was thoroughly enmeshed in this out-of-this-world world!" And an early reader of Dark Man by Marc Schooley calls it simply "Amazing!"

Are you ready for these books?

They're every inch as exciting as the launch list--and the covers are every bit as beautiful. As a fan of Christian speculative fiction, you'll want all three of these titles on your shelf. They're coming on April 1. No foolin'!

Keep your eye on the Marcher Lord Press store!