Welcome…

New followers! A while ago I humbled myself and begged for followers, so am excited to see two more. (LOL) What, don’t laugh at me! I’m not above begging *grin*

I’d just like to take a second to welcome my two newest followers, Jamie and Cindy! *waving hi!*

There were some great points brought up in the comments yesterday, and so I’m going to pick a few of them and expound over the next few days.

Let me first clarify, I don’t mind edgy Christian fiction. In fact, many would say my writing qualifies as edgy. My first book colors mostly inside the lines, but my second book, I feature an unwed pregnant woman, they go to a karaoke bar, and she is a recovering alcoholic. She curses a few times, but I only refer to it, not actually type out the ‘bad’ word. She is what we Nazarene’s would call “back-sliden,” AKA someone who was once a Christian but has fallen away from the faith.

I do want my fiction to be ‘real’ but only to a point. I get a lot of real stuff every day of my life, and when I escape to a book, it is NEVER real. It should have the facade of reality, but books should a.) always end happy (books that KRISTA reads should anyway!) and b.) have characters we care about. People sin, and yes, sometimes the story demands that we depict the sin. But, I loved how Billy put it, “paint things in light of the pain they bring to the soul rather than the pleasure they bring the senses.” Billy, are you SURE you don’t want to write fiction?!? Because that was very good!

I’d love to hear examples from everyone of books that you’ve read that do a good job at this. That depict a realism, but doesn’t put a stamp of approval on the sin.

I’ll start. Denise Hunter does a magnificent job of this. I’ve only read 2 books of hers, Surrender Bay and Convenient Groom, and Surrender Bay is the book that first comes to mind. At one point the heroine is drunk and half-naked in bed with the bartender. The key is, it is known that this is her low point. This isn’t a romantic, sexy part of the book, but a low, heart-wrenching spot where you see this woman at her very darkest, most desperate time. Instead of being aroused, you are shedding a tear as she grasps for anything that will fill her void.

You’re turn! Give me some good recommendations of books!