Life-Transforming Fiction

Genres That Change Lives, Part 2

As a youth minister and writer, I pay close attention to what teens are reading. In recent years, blockbuster hits such as Harry Potter and Twilight have exploded onto the scene, drawing teenage fans by the millions, from all walks of life, including Christian youth. These novels have spurred much debate within the church community. In my congregation, this controversy prompted many parents to seek my recommendation on similar novels for their teens—books that support their Christian worldview and morals.

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Diary Of A Crazy Writer

Stock Your Cupboards

Have you ever developed mad food cravings—while reading a novel? I certainly have, more times than I can count. A few months ago, I plopped down in my trusty rocker, grabbed a book, and pored over the pages. As I read along, the character suddenly smelled bacon frying. The author described the skinny pieces of pork in vivid detail, the precious little lamb chop. My stomach rumbled as I flipped to the next page. Bacon. Hmm.

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Quantum Marketing

Brilliant Marketing at ICRS 2012

As you know, one my marketing mantras is that we must shock Broca’s area of the brain to stand out and burn ourselves into editors’, agents’, and readers’ minds. We must be different. We must be unique in everything we do. Because if we can’t get past Broca’s area, we won’t get our ideas and branding to the prefrontal cortex, the seat of emotion, planning, and judgment—the area where people choose to take action. We will be ignored. (Click here to get the triple-scoop info on Broca.)

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Character Therapy

Fifty Shades???: A Therapeutic Analysis

You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard of E. L. James’s erotic trilogy. Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed have made their way around the social media sites like an airborne virus. I read the book, gave a clinical analysis of it, and received flack because of what I said. But I’m glad I did, because now I can educate my readers on why I would encourage them not to read it.

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