Faith, Murder and Mayhem in new book, Dark Alleys

Today's guest: Lillian Duncan, author of Dark Alleys, Deception and Pursued

LILLIAN DUNCAN writes stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem. She writes the type of books she loves to read—suspense with a touch of romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net. She also has a devotional blog at: www.PowerUpWithGod.com

Her latest book DARK ALLEYS (Lost and Found Books) was released in September. She will also be releasing a novella just in time for Christmas-THE CHRISTMAS STALKING (Harbourlight Books).

BOOK SUMMARY:

About DARK ALLEYS: Being innocent and proving it are two different things, especially when a powerful politician is involved

Tessa’s life spiraled out of control and she finds herself in a dark alley on a cold wintry night. After she witnesses a murder, she almost becomes his second victim, but manages to escape—just barely.

Homeless and alone, she knows the authorities won’t believe someone like her, leaving her only one option—to run.


INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

TELL US ABOUT DARK ALLEYS.

DARK ALLEYS is a suspense-filled story about a woman who ends up homeless and alone in a dark alley on a cold winter night. She witnesses a murder while in a drunken stupor and almost becomes his second victim. She awakens in the hospital with no clear memory of how she was injured. She attempts to put her life back together but, of course, the murderer has other plans.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Being innocent and proving it are two different things, especially when a powerful politician is involved

Tessa’s life spiraled out of control after the death of her only child, and she finds herself in a dark alley on a cold wintry night. After she witnesses a murder, she almost becomes his second victim, but manages to escape—just barely.

Homeless and alone, she knows the authorities won’t believe someone like her, leaving her only one option—to run.



IS DARK ALLEYS THE FIRST BOOK YOU PUBLISHED?

No, I’ve published several others. Last year I published DECEPTION and PURSUED. I love to write books that have an element of mystery or suspense along with some romance.

WHY DID YOU WRITE DARK ALLEYS?

I always root for the underdog—sometimes I have to do it in secret so my husband won’t know just how uncompetitive I am. Anyway, I wanted to write a story where the main character was the queen of underdogs and I think I did that.

WHAT DO YOU WANT READERS TO TAKE AWAY FROM DARK ALLEYS?

At one time or another most of us end up in dark alleys, but God never deserts us. And that’s what I want readers to take away from this story. No matter what we’ve done, God never stops loving us.



WHAT IS YOUR WRITING PROCESS? DO YOU OUTLINE YOUR STORIES IN ADVANCE?

I am not an outliner. I wish I were—it seems easier to me. But my mind doesn’t work that way. I never know what is going to happen in my story on any given writing day. It’s as if my mind is a movie screen and I watch that day’s events and then I write it.

When I start a new story I usually have a clear picture of the main character in mind and what obstacle he/she will face.

For example, in DARK ALLEYS I knew I wanted the main character to be homeless-the very epitome of powerless-and her opponent to be very powerful. When I started the story I didn’t know why she was homeless but as the story evolved, I learned more about Tessa and what brought her to that dark alley.

In another book, PURSUED, I knew I wanted the female lead to be a powerful type A personality and the male lead to be a laid-back, down-home kind of a guy. It was fun to watch the two of them interact with each other.

DO YOU KNOW WHO THE BAD GUY IS WHEN YOUBEGIN YOUR STORY?

Not usually. Most of the time I have several characters who it might be and as the story comes to a conclusion, I am surprised right along with my readers.

In the case of DARK ALLEYS, I knew as will the readers who the bad guy is from the start. The mystery and suspense comes in from not knowing if Tessa will discover the murderer before he succeeds in his second attempt on her life.

MOST PEOPLE DON’T THINK OF MURDER MYSERIES AND SUSPENSE NOVELS AS CHRISTIAN FICTION, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?

I can certainly understand their point of view. And for some readers my stories might be a bit too graphic or edgy and that’s ok, I understand that. I would say my readers are those who like traditional suspense and mystery novels but are tired of all the explicit language and sex scenes that aren’t necessary to a good story.

I don’t promote or glorify violence in my stories and show characters experiencing the natural consequences of their bad choices and bad actions.

THEN WHAT MAKES YOUR STORIES CHRISTIAN FICTION?

My stories always have an element of faith in them. How that plays out depends on the individual plots of each specific story. My main characters are always on a spiritual journey, though some may be further along than others.

One more word about Christian Fiction, it has changed dramatically over the past ten years. Other than erotica, readers can find their favorite genre as Christian Fiction as well as mainstream fiction. There are Christian Fiction books out there for every book lover—historical; romance; regency; science fiction; even horror novels.

IF DARK ALLEYS BECOMES A MOVIE WHO WILL PLAY THE MAIN CHARACTERS?

Wouldn’t that be awesome? Usually, I have a hard time with this question but not this time. Tessa would be played by Demi Moore and Mark Lawrence (the detective) would have to be Richard Gere. And the politician would be Bruce Willis—if he would agree to act with Demi!

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?

I have a Christmas novella that I’m finishing final edits on. It’s being published by Harbourlight Books and will be out in November or Decemeber. It’s called THE CHRISTMAS STALKING. It’s my first novella I’ve written and I loved that format so it won’t be my last.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

The Christmas Stalking: During the Christmas holidays, a country music star hides out from a stalker at a remote cabin in upstate New York. Destiny knows fame always comes with a price, but she’s tired of being a prisoner of the very fame she sacrificed so much for.

Terrorized by an unknown stalker and fearing for her life, she escapes to the summertime home of her youth. She yearns for a simpler life, but her fame follows—and so does her stalker.

The cover for THE CHRISTMAS STALKING is so awesome, you should take a look at www.lillianduncan.net

HOW CAN READERS FIND YOU ON THE INTERNET?

My website is www.lillianduncan.net and I have a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com I’m also on Twitter as @LillianDuncan and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lillian.k.duncan

WIN A FREE COPY OF PREPARING MY HEART FOR GRANDPARENTING

Just in time for Grandparents' Day: Leave a comment about grandparenting to be entered into a drawing for a free copy of Lydia's book, Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting. The winner will be announced on Sept. 20.

Meet Grandma Tea, author of Preparing my Heart for Grandparenting

Lydia Harris, known as Grandma Tea, is passionate about prayer, grandparenting, and hospitali-TEA. She inspires groups with her practical ideas, engaging stories, and sincere faith. Lydia has contributed to 17 books and has published hundreds of articles, devotionals, and tea columns. Focus on the Family regularly publishes her children's recipes, which she tests with her grandkids. Her Bible study, Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting, is based on years of teaching and intentional, godly grandparenting.

Short book summary:


Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting is a practical hands-on guidebook for new and experienced grandparents. You'll laugh, love, and learn as you grow in your important grandparenting role. Six weeks of Bible study include dozens of ideas to combine fun and faith. Those who completed the study said, "It made me a better grandparent," and "I gained confidence as a grandparent." You can order it through bookstores or online at amazon.com, Christianbook.com, and AMGPublishers.com.

Preparing For Grandparenting: My Review:

“Ready or not, here I come,” is the way Lydia E. Harris introduces her wonderful book, Preparing my Heart for Grandparenting.
It’s actually a Bible study, but what a study! Whether you have difficulty preparing for the new role as a grandparent, or you are at another stage of the journey, this book is spiritual dynamite. There’s enough encouraging scripture in here to propel us beyond our misgivings, worries, our sins such as jealousy of the other grandparents, and take us and our grandchildren to heaven.
For instance, the author uses three Bible translations for James 5:16:

1. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (New International Version)
2. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (New Living Translation)
3. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.((New American Standard Bible).

The subject matter of this book goes way beyond spoiling grandchildren.
The first lesson, complete with space for the reader to take notes, focuses on God’s view of children; How we should relate to our adult children; Our roles with grandchildren; the need to share grandparenting; and the need sometimes for forgiveness in grandparenting
Lydia Harris and her husband wholeheartedly enjoy being grandparents, and this book expands beyond their opinions. The book is full of little tidbits from other grandpas and grandmas. Even grandchildren of varying ages offer their wisdom about their Nannas and Papas.
I view each section of the book as valuable, but among the top subjects are “Relating to Adult Children and praying for and with your grandchildren. The biblical promises that go with every chapter are a good source for having faith for our grandchildren and many other areas of life.
The chapter on the fruits of the Spirit, necessary for success in every area of life but also valuable in this sometimes challenging role, is wonderfully put together.
I heartily recommend this book.

©Ada Brownell 2012

Where does faith come from?

“Faith is trusting what the eye can’t see. Eyes see the prowling lion. Faith sees Daniel’s angel. Eyes see storms. Faith sees Noah’s rainbow. Your eyes see your faults. Your faith sees your Savior. Your eyes see your guilt. Your faith sees His blood.”
The above is Max Lucado’s paraphrase of Hebrews 11:11(NIV): “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
But where does faith originate?
1. Our Creator wrapped faith in our DNA
Dr. Andrew Newberg, neuroscientist and author of "Why We Believe What We Believe," says our brains seem to have a special place for faith. He has tracked how the human brain processes religion and spirituality. It's all part of new field called neurotheology.
Newberg says the frontal lobe, the area right behind our foreheads, helps us focus our attention in prayer and meditation. The pari-et-al lobe, located near the backs of our skulls, is the seat of our sensory information. He says it's involved in that feeling of becoming part of something greater than oneself. The limbic system, nestled deep in the center, regulates our emotions and is responsible for feelings of awe and joy.
Newberg says similar areas of the brain are affected during prayer and meditation. He suggests brain scans may provide proof that our brains are built to believe in God. He says there may be universal features of the human mind that actually make it easier for us to believe in a higher power.
I believe people search for God because of the “God-shaped void” within. If they haven’t heard the gospel or reject it, they worship the earth, an idol they know is nothing but a figure humans created, or devise their own religion—even making unbelief into doctrine.
2. God has given each person the ability to believe and his own lump of faith: “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith (Romans 12:2-4).
Often people, who don’t think they believe, find themselves praying when they or a loved one is in danger. A cry for God’s help comes from us spontaneously sometimes in crisis.
3. Faith arises from the need to know our Heavenly Father. Since the Lord gave humankind a choice of whether to serve Him, God prevents us from “proving” He exists and leaves that and other vacancies for our faith to fill.
In my book, Swallowed by LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, I tell how medical science and common sense show we’re more than a body, discovering our whole body keeps daying and regenerating cell by cell, parts being removed and sometimes another transplanted from someone else. Yet there is room for doubt when it comes to proving we have a soul that lives forever. We have to believe the evidence.
4. Faith comes through hearing the Word—the gospel.
The Apostle Paul wrote “Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17NIV).
Because faith is necessary to be redeemed from sin and to have our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, God “breathed” truth into those who wrote His love message to humankind. It is through that love letter—the Bible—we gain knowledge of Him and why He allows us (anybody) to choose to accept it and love and obey Him.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Timothy 3:16KJ).
5. Faith results from acting on what was heard. From Romans 10NIV: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved…. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
6. Faith comes through the will. We decide whether to believe God’s Word, a false religion, or atheism. Everything about who we are, why we are here and where we are going takes faith. Yet it takes a leap—a decision.
7. Faith is created by combining belief with common-sense actions. James calls it faith and works. (James 2:22).
8. Faith develops out of our hopes. We hope for something, but it takes faith to receive it.
9. Faith can come as a fruit (KJ) and Gift of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22, 1 Corinthians 12:9).
10. Faith comes from a combination of our will to believe, and the Holy Spirit’s revelation. The Word must be planted, watered, and then our lives bear fruit.
©Ada Brownell 2012

The healing of Dr. Lillian Yeomans

The Healing of Dr. Lillian Yeomans, addicted to drugs

By Dr. Otto Kaiser of Global University

Dr. Lillian Yeomans became a famous medical surgeon. She graduated with a doctorate of medicine from the University of Michigan in 1882. Her father was a doctor. Her grandfather was a doctor. She became a leading specialist in her field or surgery. She was known in the medical field for her successful delicate operations.

To steady her nerves while doing delicate operations, she occasionally took morphine. Then one day she made the terrible discovery that the drug had become her master. She went through terrible agony when she found she did not have the power to break the drug habit.

When be tremendous exercise of will power she stopped taking the drug for 24 hours, her condition was pitiable/ she trembled with weakness. Her body bathed in cold sweat. Her heart fluttered. Her breathing became difficult. Her stomach could not hold water much less food. Her intestines racked with pain. She suffered persistent diarrhea. She could not stand erect. She could not think logically. She could not write her name.

She became a walking skeleton. Her doctor friends urged her to take the drug so that she would not lose what little reason remained. All of her doctor friends expected her wretched life to come to an early end.

Dr. Yeomans heard of the divine healing ministry of Evangelist John Alexander Dowie in Chicago. She went to Chicago and attended his services even though she was suffering intense pain. She listened to his sermons on faith. She saw miracles of healing take place. Faith in the healing power of Jesus began to rise in her heart.

The physician had described herself as a Christian, but followed afar off. She asked Jesus Christ to be her Savior. She promised God that if he healed here she would devote the rest of her life to Him. Evangelist Dowie prayed for her in the name of Jesus and she was totally healed. Her whole mind and body were restored and she kept her promise to God. She left practicing medicine and became a Christian author and editor of Leaves of Healing, a Christian magazine on divine healing.

What God did for D. Lillian Yeomans, He can do for you in whatever need you might have or whatever crisis you face. The Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). What God has done for others, He can do for you.

Grandparenting Through Obstacles

Ada: My guests today are Dianne E. Butts and Renee Gray-Wilburn, co-authors of the book, Grandparenting Through Obstacles. Grandpa and Grandma need wisdom for this phase of life, just as they needed it in parenting. This book helps us understand what to do with the challenges we face as grandparents.  

Grandparenting Through Obstacles is Available Now:

Amazon

Kindle

Barnes & Noble

Nook

Book Depository

Or by request at your favorite bookstore.

About the Authors:

Dianne E. Butts is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her latest book, Deliver Me, for those in an unplanned pregnancy or with one in their past, is a Christian Small Publishers Association “Book of the Year” award winner and inspired her first short film: http://bit.ly/TheChoiceFilm. She has over 300 articles published in Christian magazines and web sites, and has contributed to nineteen books. She writes frequently for www.FindingGodDaily.com, www.TheChristianPulse.com, and www.ThinkingAboutSuicide.com. Her first book, Dear America, is now available on Kindle. She enjoys riding motorcycles with her husband, Hal, and gardening with her cat, PC. They live in Colorado.

www.DeliverMeBook.com.

Renee Gray-Wilburn is the author of nearly 200 published pieces, including dozens of magazine articles, two children’s books (Volcanoes and Earthquakes, Capstone Press), contributions to several compilation books, including the Cup of Comfort series and Life Savors for Women, and over a dozen children’s curriculum books. Renee has a passion for instilling biblical truths into the hearts of children and loves helping others through her writing to do the same. She makes her home in Colorado Springs with her husband, Derrick, and their three children, Conner, Cayla, and Chandler.

REACHING GRANDCHILDREN FOR CHRIST

1.      How many grandchildren do you have among you and what is the range of their ages?

RENEE: Dianne and I are not grandparents, that’s why we called in the experts to help us write our book—real grandparents (20 in all) from around the country who have been through some real-life challenges in trying to impart their faith to their grandkids.

DIANNE: The way I see it, being a writer is being a servant. We not only serve the needs of our readers, but we help others share their stories. Many of the twenty true stories in our book were contributed by writers, but some people needed help getting their story written. And all of the contributors needed someone to conceive of, head up the project and pull it together. That’s what Renee and I did. We also added a lot at the end of each chapter, including Points to Ponder, Steps to Take, Scriptures to Study, and One Way to Pray. All the applications we added at the end of the chapters are related to topics inspired by the story. Renee and I each have a passion for seeing individuals know Jesus as Christ, so it’s a natural fit, even though we’re not grandparents ourselves. So that’s how we wrote a grandparenting book even though neither one of us is a grandparent.

2.      How do grandparents wisely show their love and the importance of living for Jesus?

Dianne: I think in every story in the book readers will see first and foremost the grandparent living their lives with Jesus being of prime importance to them. After that, it’s natural to want to share with others what is most important to you, so wanting to share Christ with the people we love is showing them love. The inspiring part comes in the how-to’s! Just how do we show the importance of living for Jesus? Well the answers to that in this book are very creative. We have grandparents who designed Christian “camp” experiences for their grandkids. The grandkids come to their house for a week or weekend in the summer and they have their own Christian camp with activities and crafts and games and Bible study, of course. We have grannies who got web cams and learned how to Skype so they could be part of their long-distance grandkids’ lives. We have families who do missions trips and others who take the grandkids on vacation to Christian destinations, such as a creation museum. There are as many ways to wisely show love and the importance of living for Jesus as there are grandparents!

3.      Do we need to pray circles around their every activity, or is it sufficient to just ask God to bless them?

RENEE: Personally, I believe in praying specifically, using God’s Word when we pray. Our faith is based on His Word, and He tells us in Isaiah that His Word will never return to Him void. The way it returns to Him is through our prayers. The more specific we can get, the more we can target our faith and have confidence in our prayers. There is a certain place for speaking blessings over your children and grandchildren, but that’s a different scenario than praying for them for specific activities, relationships, their walk with God, and so forth.

4.      Do you advise praying for their friends, their enemies, their teachers, those in the media who influence them? How and why? Do you worry about undermining what parents and teachers say that is at odds with faith?

DIANNE: Of course we should pray over all those things. I love Francine Duckworth’s story “G & G Retreat” because Francine brought her granddaughter into her home for a whole summer and they did a spiritual retreat for just the two of them. While the granddaughter was allowed to go out with friends for fun like shopping or movies, Francine demanded equal time. If the granddaughter went to the movies, Francine got the same amount of time with her for discipleship training. Francine was concerned with competing with the world and its alluring pleasures. Her granddaughter is grown now and Francine has seen the fruit of that retreat in her life.

            As for undermining parents, Part 4 in the book is all about “Partnering with Parents.” The stories in this section talk about learning how to work with the parents without stepping over that hazy boundary of going too far. It’s a difficult walk, and no one does it perfectly. But these grandparents have learned from their successes as well as their mistakes, and they share what they’ve learned.

5.      Do you pray for the person they are dating, or will marry? Have you seen results of your prayers? Be as specific as you can.

RENEE: I currently pray for the future spouses of my children. They are 15, 11, and 7 years old. None of them are dating yet! But if they were, I’d be praying even harder! This is an absolute. Eventually they will want to settle down with one person for all of eternity—I better get God involved in helping them make the choice of who that person will be and making sure that is His will for them.

6.      How does a grandparent approach spiritual matters with a grandchild, especially when they don’t see one another often? What do you do when parents object?

DIANNE: Part 2 of the book deals with long-distance relationships and shows how these grandparents are finding creative ways to bridge the gaps. From Skyping to traveling great distances to sending books with a Christian world view, these grandparents are finding ways to make it work.

            Part 1 of the book (there are four Parts with five stories in each Part), is all about “The Challenge of Parents Not Walking With God.” Our first story hits the nail on the head for your question. When the parents and grandkids came to visit Marilyn for a rare visit from a foreign country, the kids’ mother had an angry outburst and threatened never to visit again when Marilyn answered the children’s questions about God. Marilyn humbled herself and apologized. (Not the reaction I probably would have had!) That one act (and much prayer) opened doors for her gain permission to talk to the children about God. After the family returned to their home in the foreign country, God arranged for the nanny they hired to be a Christian and have an influence on the children.

            With prayer and God involved, those parents who object to the children knowing Him don’t stand a chance! <smiling>

7.      Do you worry about conditions in the world, our nation, and even families that could drastically affect your grandchildren? What is the best way to cover grandchildren in prayer when they are going in a landmine of spiritual battles every day?

RENEE: I don’t know if worry is a good word, because I have more faith in God’s ability to take care of them than I do in them getting pulled in the wrong direction. I also pray God’s armor of protection over them, as well as Psalm 91, and I have taught them how to do the same. Along with praying for them, I think it’s vital to be able to teach kids how to pray on their own. You won’t always be with them or even know what is going on in their lives. I was so blessed to hear a report of how my two youngest prayed for me, my husband, and their brother during the fire here in Colorado Springs. They were at a friend’s house across town, and the rest of my family was literally fleeing our neighborhood ahead of approaching flames. They were worried about us, but they started praying together, using Scripture, and having faith that God would take care of us.