Come A Long Way
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to interview a number of best-selling fiction authors. You’d be surprised how often I hear the story an author repeated recently with her own slight variation. When it comes to fiction, this author didn’t read “Christian” fiction while growing up. She tried a few of those books and didn’t like them. The stories were too neat and tidy. The characters weren’t like anyone she had ever met and the plots and conclusions were totally predictable. Yes, she had tried a few and given up reading the “inspirational” genre. End of story. Not really because years later, a friend in Christian retail continually asked her to read it. Finally she agreed and learned inspirational or Christian fiction had come a long way in the area of issues and quality.
I’ve been pouring through a number of fiction proposals for Howard Publishing. I’m often amused when a writer will propose they write “edgy” fiction. What does that mean? Often it means they feel the need to include explicit cursing or detailed sexual scenes into their Christian fiction. If they have a really bad character that changes, then the transformation makes it edgy? I don’t think so. There aren’t many taboos in the Christian market but one of them relates to explicit language. It is zero tolerance when it comes to this issue. I mean zero. Publishers who have “tried” with some pretty innocent language have been amazed at the returned books from retailers. If you don’t understand, returned books mean the book has sold into a bookstore, then someone has complained and the book has been returned to the publisher for a full refund. Writers who want to be edgy often fail to understand the risk for their publisher. Who wants to risk returns? No publisher that I know because they want to remain in business to continue another day.
Now if with edgy fiction, you mean the issue that the book and plot tackles, then you are moving in the right direction. The storytelling has to be excellent but you can write about a gamut of issues. Just to give you a taste, I’m including a list of recent Christian fiction titles. It’s not complete. It’s not my list but came from another author (where I received permission to include it in this post). She didn’t want “credit” because apparently this list has circulated and a number of authors have added to it. I hope you find it helpful and interesting. Christian fiction has come a long way.
Abortion
Showers In Season, Beverly Lahaye & Terri Blackstock
Tears In A Bottle, Sylvia Bambola
The Atonement Child, Francine Rivers
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Cover Girls, T.D. Jakes
Always Jan, Roxanne Henke
An American Anthem Series, B. J. Hoff
An Emerald Ballad Series, B. J. Hoff
Beyond The Shadows, Robin Lee Hatcher
Finding Ruth, Roxanne Henke
Looking For Cassandra Jane, Melody Carlson
Shadow Of Dreams, Eva Marie Everson & G.W. Francis Chadwick
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Valley, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing Into Light, Sharon Ewell Foster
Cancer/Breast Cancer
A Time To Mend, Angela Hunt
After Anne, Roxanne Henke
Coffee Rings, Yvonne Lehman
Healing Quilt, Lauraine Snelling
Loving Feelings, Gail Gaymer Martin
Season Of Blessing, Beverly Lahaye & Terri Blackstock
Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels, Mindy Starns Clark
A Nest Of Sparrows, Deborah Raney
Cloth Of Heaven & Ashes And Lace, B. J. Hoff
Evidence Of Mercy, Terri Blackstock
Sadie's Song, Linda Hall
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
Cover Girls, T.D. Jakes
Blind Dates Can Be Murder, Mindy Starns Clark
After The Rains, Deborah Raney
The Living Stone, Jane Orcutt
Waiting For Morning, Karen Kingsbury
A Season Of Grace, Bette Nordberg
Spring Rain, Gayle Roper
Tiger Lillie, Lisa Samson
Riding Through Shadows, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ashes And Lace, B. J. Hoff
Breaker's Reef, Terri Blackstock
Coffee Rings, Yvonne Lehman
In A Heartbeat, Sally John
Lullaby, Jane Orcutt
The Long-Awaited Child, Tracie Peterson
Breach Of Promise, James Scott Bell
Coffee Rings, Yvonne Lehman
Footsteps, Diann Mills
Private Justice, Terri Blackstock
Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers
The Breaking Point, Karen Ball
The Forgiving Hour, Robin Lee Hatcher
The Scarlet Thread, Francine Rivers
Times And Seasons, Beverly Lahaye & Terri Blackstock
Ulterior Motives, Terri Blackstock
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Valley, Sharon Ewell Foster
Riding Through Shadows, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing Into Light, Sharon Ewell Foster
Cover Girls, T.D. Jakes
Little White Lies, Ron & Janet Benrey
Humble Pie, Ron & Janet Benrey
An American Anthem Series, B. J. Hoff
Becoming Olivia, Roxanne Henke
Cloth Of Heaven & Ashes And Lace, B. J. Hoff
Finding
Songbird, Lisa Samson
The Living End, Lisa Samson
The Novelist, Angela Hunt
When Joy Came To Stay, Karen Kingsbury
Riding Through Shadows, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing Into Light, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Valley, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing By
Cover Girls, T.D. Jakes
Last Light, Terri Blackstock
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
The Second Mile, Ron & Janet Benrey
A Moment Of Weakness, Karen Kingsbury
An Emerald Ballad Series, B. J. Hoff
Child Of Grace, Lori Copeland
Cloth Of Heaven & Ashes And Lace, B. J. Hoff
Firstborn, Robin Lee Hatcher
With Love, Libby, Roxanne Henke
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing Into Light, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
A Distant Music, B. J. Hoff
A Nest Of Sparrows, Deborah Raney
An Emerald Ballad Series, B. J. Hoff
Antonia's Choice, Nancy Rue
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Valley, Sharon Ewell Foster
Cover Girls, T.D. Jakes
Cloth Of Heaven & Ashes And Lace, B. J. Hoff
In The Still Of Night, Deborah Raney
Justifiable Means, Terri Blackstock
Margaret's Peace, Linda Hall
Mending Places, Denise Hunter
The Atonement Child, Francine Rivers
What She Left For Me, Tracie Peterson
When You Believe, Deborah Bedford
Why The Sky Is Blue, Susan Meissner
The Hidden Heart, Jane Orcutt
A Quarter For A Kiss, Mindy Starns Clark
Passing By
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Valley, Sharon Ewell Foster
Riding Through Shadows, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing Into Light, Sharon Ewell Foster
Cover Girls, T.D. Jakes
Trial By Fire, Terri Blackstock
All The Way Home, Ann Tatlock
Passing By
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Valley, Sharon Ewell Foster
Riding Through Shadows, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing Into Light, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing By
Ain't No River, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Mountain, Sharon Ewell Foster
Ain't No Valley, Sharon Ewell Foster
Riding Through Shadows, Sharon Ewell Foster
Passing Into Light, Sharon Ewell Foster
Cover Girls, T.D. Jakes
What a wide range of relevant issues! Christian fiction has come a long way.
8 Comment:
Terry, thank you! This is exactly the info I needed today. I'm doing research for some fiction I want to write this year, and the list you provided is very, very helpful.
Hi Terry,
Thanks for visiting my blog.
I am excited to be back in the world of writing after my personal hiatus, and I look forward to meeting fellow Christian authors such as yourself, through blogs, FCW and other places.
Your list is very impressive!
Cathy
Great list!
You might want to add the fantastic book "Watching the Tree Limbs" by Mary DeMuth, which handles childhood sexual abuse with great sensitivity and power.
What a great post. Thanks for reminding us of the number of well-written stories that deal honestly with the hurt and problems today's culture faces.
Hey, thanks Sharon!
And I was going to add that the market has changed. When I first shopped the book, the publishers said NO. Even my publisher said NO. But a few months went by and the publisher then said YES.
Normally, you'd have to be writing a while (and have a following) to be able to tackle thes harder issues, but as Terry said, I think it boils down to your storytelling.
Don't complain that you're book may not fit because it's too edgy. Just write the book in such a way that a publisher can't put it down!
This is all very heartening. I've long enjoyed CBA novels, and I continue to find more and more to talk about.
Awesome list! Thanks, Terry! I had a similar experience with Christian fiction--avoided it because it didn't seem real, but then I read Linda Windsor's HI HONEY I'M HOME and it completely changed my viewpoint. Suddenly I wanted to write Christian fiction. It HAS come a long way.
Camy
Have I told you lately that I love your blog? Great post. Because of my own life experiences these are the type of books that minister to me. I love that the CBA is stretching.
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