I have always written murder. It worried me. I am a normal person, mother, and wife. Yet, when I write, a dead body shows up. What was wrong with me that I couldn’t write romance and not have a dead body?
After I been around other writers who do mystery, and found they share my mind-set (notice I didn’t say twisted bent), I struggled with how could I write murder and Christian romance? What are most mysteries about? Greed, infidelity, murder, stealing—-bad behavior. Or in other words—sin. When you start thinking about all those sins, you can find vivid examples of them throughout the Old and New Testament. Murder--Cain and Able, infidelity—David and Bathsheba, jealously and murder—Absalom,greed—Ananias and Sapphiar. You name the sin, there is an example of it in the Bible.
When I write a murder, I can bring justice to the victim, and the characters learn how to deal with grief and the pain of that death. I had a heroine who miscarried a baby. She hadn’t deal with grief, but in her book she had to face her ex-husband, and both characters had to deal with their grief. It was a grief that had driven them to divorce. I had a reader tell me “thank you” after she read the book. The feelings the heroine experience the reader shared. Sometimes when I am writing, a lesson appears that surprises me, but I know the character needs that lesson. It is my prayer that what my characters go through could touch a reader’s heart and help and encourage them.
That is the best reward for my writing.
Leann
2/19/09
Christian Romance Authors with Fictionalized Tales of Intriguing Edginess
3 comments:
Hi Leann,
Good post. I always hope my books can touch readers. Isn't it wonderful when someone writes and says your book was what they needed to read?
BTW, a lady at church yesterday said she had read my books and was amazed at how my mind worked. I laughed and said I was always thinking of new ways to kill people! Strange, huh? Glad you've got that problem too! :)
Debbie, I've been plotting a book with a friend at a restaurant and had people look at me very strangely. You wonder if they might want to call the cops. That's why I've tried to make friends with as many of the local police as I can. I'll say, everyone I've worked with has been great.
Hi Leann,
This is the reason I love Christian mystery. Always redeeming value. Thanks so much for opening your hearts to us.
desertrose5173[at]gmail[dot]com
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