What do you want more (or less of) in Christian fiction? Readers weigh in!

Hello, all. Dana Mentink here. I have been following a discussion thread on Amazon over the past few months. The topic is Christian fiction and as I writer of that very thing, I found the answers interesting when the question came up about what readers wanted more (or less of) in their inspy fiction. I've culled a few comments for this blog.

More of the male point of view.

More Hispanic, Latin, Native American protagonists.

More exotic locales.

Romances featuring older (45+) couples. (This came up a lot.)

More deeply flawed characters.

Better writing. (Ouch!) Commenters suggested that Christian fiction can be dull, preachy, with stiff and predictable prose.

More spiritually mature characters. There should be some people to act as guides in this area. Not all characters need to be new to the faith.

Well what do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Want to add some more recommendations?

Do Christians have a sense of humor?

Hey writers and readers! Dana Mentink, here. What’s shakin’? I’ve just come back from Girl Scout Camp and I’ve come to the conclusion, there’s a reason raccoons wear masks. They are crafty little bandits! Anyhoo, we have returned with no major injuries and plenty of good times to remember so that’s a successful trip in my book.
Here’s my deep pondering for the day: Why doesn’t humor sell well in CBA? Oh sure, you’ve got the occasional romantic comedy (I believe Janice Thompson’s new one is out now from Revell), but for the most part, CBA fiction is not particularly humorous. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but most CBA fiction is as serious as a heart attack. It seems there is very little room for laughter. Why is that, friends? I know plenty of Christian people with great senses of humor who enjoy funny movies and ABA books. So why do I hear from publishers (most recently at ACFW in Denver) that humor doesn’t sell in CBA? In this time of economic crises and world turmoil there’s no one in need of a good wholesome laugh? What’s your sense about this, dear readers/writers? Enlighten me, if you’ve got a minute.