Love Has Many Faces

"The best book I read this summer! I loved it!" -- Donna Hodge, St. Louis

Two distinctly different women. A father's shady past. A mother's hidden anger. A child gone unloved. The crutch of religion. A search for God and peace. A dark secret that comes back asking for life's highest price. . . . Love Has Many Faces is a Page-Turning Book that addresses real life issues and allows its readers to begin to heal. . . ." You'll see. Love does have many faces. . . .


Christian Fiction

Todays novels written for Christians and readers who enjoy inspirational stories are realistic, fresh and engaging. Christian fiction speaks to authentic, everyday life. A crucial component of success requires that one examine their product (book/story) from the consumers'/the readers' point-of-view. Why is this important? Writers of inspirational and Christian fiction know how the story is going to end. They know if the main characters will fall madly in love and go on to enjoy a lifelong God-blessed marriage. Writers of Christian and inspirational fiction know if the book's heroine will rescue a dying family, salvage a tarnished relationship or lead a lost soul to God. The reader doesn't know this. While the writer of Christian fiction has to be careful not to "tell" the story. Fiction readers are very intelligent. They can (and enjoy doing so) figure out most of the story on their own. What remains, fiction readers often discuss in book club meetings or other various reading circles. Yet, (and here is one of the paradoxes of fiction writing) the writer of Christian fiction must fill in crucial gaps for his/her readers. For example, through effective dialogue, "show" (don't tell) why the novel's hero left his girlfriend.

To see this in action, let us look at a section of Love Has Many Faces. The book's author (Denise Turney) shows the reader at the very start of the story why tension exist between Leslie and Robin, the inspirational novel's main characters. Read on and see:

Wanted. Artist between the ages of 20-35 to share living expenses with local actress. Must be a woman with a steady job, no kids, and her own car. Race unimportant." Robin tightened her grip on the shopping bag handle. She grit her teeth and thought about Leslie, a woman who was once a famous actress. She hoped she wasn't home. The words to the ad she answered one year ago kept playing in her head. They were the words she believed Leslie, one of the fallen Hollywood celebrities, used to trap an unsuspecting New Yorker - her. Confusion poisoned her life now. Loud, drug addicted men. Alcoholic rages. Long bouts with depression. Angry bill collectors ringing the bell and calling on the telephone. And now death threats. So much changed in her life since she moved in with Leslie in New York City.

One of the best ways to move Christian and inspirational fiction forward is to add tension to the story. After all, without tension a story (life itself) is not very interesting. And though inspirational, if the story doesn't spark reader interest, the reader won't connect with the story. Here's an example of dialogue used to build tension. It's taken from the inspirational book Portia.

"Portia. Portia?"

Moving to the back of the dining room chair, she arched her brow and pulled the receiver closer to her mouth. "Hello, Dr. Kirnan."

Dr. Kirnan placed a chart on his desk. "I'm glad you returned my call."

Portia stiffened her upper lip.

Dr. Kirnan ran his hand across his brow and sighed. "Portia, I have good and bad news. What do you say we start with the bad news so we can work our way up to the good news?"

She cleared her throat before she answered, "Sure."

"As yo--Are you sitting down?"

"Yes."

He gave his assistant Linda a nod of thanks for placing Portia's medical file in front of him on his desk. "As you know, after we discovered the lump in your breast three weeks ago, I scheduled you for a mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy. We've covered a lot of bases. The bad news is the lump is malignant. It's the size of a bean. The good news is we can work to heal your body using a local treatment. I'm going to give you some therapies we can use to rid your body of this tumor. Although I'm your physician, this is your body we are talking about. I want you to take at least a week to make a decision. You tell me what form of treatment you prefer. We can talk for as long as you want. I'll answer every question you have. For every question I can't answer, I'll find the right answer and get back to you asap. All right?"

She answered with silence.

Effective Christian fiction writing will cause a book to stay with the reader long after the reader puts the book down. Just like we don't forget important events in our own lives, readers don't forget compelling and realistic plots, dialogue exchanges and scenes from good books.

It's true. Christian fiction has at its center, Christ, faith and inspiration. Howbeit, inspirational fiction also delves into "real" life. It gives it focus and allows the reader to put her/himself in the role of characters in the story and think about what they would do if they were in the same situation.

This is what Portia (the inspirational Christian book about an attorney using her faith in God, the love of her family and her soul mate to meet the challenges of breast cancer) and Love Has Many Faces (the multicultural novel set in the heart of New York City . . . a story about triumph, tragedy, deception, faith and two women who find themselves again through love for God, love for themselves and love for each other) do successfully. To read more from Portia Click here. To read more from Love Has Many Faces Click here.

If you are serious about having a writing career as a Christian book writer, I encourage you to visit Christian Writers' Conferences. They have conferences all over the world. We list conferences at our web site at . We update the list of conferences regularly throughout the year. We also list upcoming conferences in our literary newsletter, The Book Lover's Haven. When you look for conferences, check for conferences that will have editors and agents present. Bring a copy of your latest manuscript with you to the conference and introduce yourself to agents and editors who work with the types of books that you write. Be courageous and make those contacts! Connect with other writers and definitely connect with editors, agents and publishers who attend conferences. More than a few writers have gotten their break this way. You could be next! Other places to find great Christian Writers' Conferences are: magazines, journals, local newspapers, and of course the Internet! We wish you the very best on your journey as a writer! Drop us a note and let us know how it's going. We'd love to celebrate your successes with you!

Enjoy these two Christian novels, books that make you feel good about yourself! Books that entertain, teach, enthrall and engage your interest!