Guts on Page Two

Truth. Integrity. Sacrifice. From the Sword of Shannara to the hero behind the scoundrel we see in Han Solo, these traits are oft seen in speculative fiction. But it's not something that holds much value in the world we walk. There are many who claim to know what this elusive trait looks like. Some few of them actually do. But there's one thing they often lack: Guts on the Page. The willingness to not only face external truths, but those things we hide from ourselves. To let others see those dark things we keep deep inside. To surrender it all in order to make room for something better. The ability to give up the things that don't matter to find that which does. And the willingness to let that which was be a source of healing for others. The process isn't easy. It calls for support and courage from beyond ourselves. To that end, I've decided to live a #GutsonthePage life. I'll be joining with other creatives in order to find my beautiful bro...

I'll admit it: I don't like vampire tales. A vast majority of them are trite and quite frankly, boring. But the creatures themselves have always fascinated me. What must it be like to live in the space between life and death? To murder in order to sustain yourself? Does the person you once were no longer exist when you've changed? Fascinating stuff indeed! So let's talk about a vampire story that I actually really like. Ben Wolf wrote a fascinating tale set amidst real-world history: Blood for Blood . And it's wonderful. My review of the novel can be found here . (Be warned: it was among the first book reviews I ever posted.) As a lover of redemption stories with a twist, I can't recommend this highly enough. And I'm giving you all the chance to win a signed copy! How cool is that? All you've got to do to enter is put your favorite vampire tale in the comments. I'll draw a winner on this Sunday, October 25th. Thanks for tuning in! 

And now for something completely different! I recently had the chance to sit down and ask the fantastic John Otte some questions. Read on to discover more about him! You're a husband, father, author, and pastor. With all that on your plate, what's a typical day look like for you? Busy. I know, that's not exactly helpful, but there is no "typical" day for me, not really. I mean, I have a bit of a rhythm to my weeks. Tuesday through Thursday, I spend time working on my sermon for the weekend. And I'm responsible for getting my older son to and from school. And I try to make time to spend with my wife as much as I can. But the thing about being a pastor is that the schedule can change in an instant. For example, over the past two and a half weeks, I had four funerals, most of which came as a complete surprise. So my schedule can vary widely from week to week depending on what's happening. That means finding time to do the author thing can be tricky. I try ...