Digging holes

The word-count on my new novel grows in fits and starts. Some days I spend most of my writing time editing, digging holes in scenes and plot so the numbers grow then shrink again. Other days there's so much going on the best I can do is sketch in a couple of scenes before they fall out of my head. Still, it's up to 59,000 words now and I'm stitching half-sketched scenes from last week in hopes of attaching the middle fairly firmly to the end. Maybe writing a book is a bit like making a quilt, except I've never made a quilt so how would I know?

Meanwhile I dig holes in my read-and-review list, and in the ground for new plants except when it rains. And in the washing basket which is thoroughly overloaded.

And I drink coffee. So please enjoy the coffee recommendations with these book reviews.

My favorite book this week was E G Lewis's Martyr. The fourth and final volume of his Seeds of Christianity series, it's a wonderful conclusion to what has truly been a wonderful journey of discovery. History, science, faith, geography and the Bible combine to great effect and the perilous boat ride from Antioch to Rome becomes just as real and haunting as the great fire and Nero's madness. Highly recommended, enjoy this rich, elegant complex book with a 4-star rich elegant and complex coffee.

I read another Christian book this week, Andrew Palau's memoir, The Secret Life of a Fool.The fool of the title is the son of the international evangelist Luis Palau, and his folly's not so different from the worldly mistakes of so many disaffected youth. A great book for any parent wanting to know if it's worth continuing to try, or any youth wondering if there's anything to come back to. The writing's easy to read, the story's interesting, and the messages invite serious thought. Enjoy with a 3-star balanced full-flavored coffee.

Gabe's journey in Into the Mist: The Silver Hand by Steve Finnegan, makes a very different tale. Gabe is a young teen with temporal lobe epilepsy and his family's reactions very from scornful rejection to overprotective custody. But Gabe's illness is part of who he is, and just might be the key to saving a mysterious other-world tied to our own through some ancient trees. First in a series, this one left me longing to read more. Enjoy this dark intense fantasy with 5-star bold dark intense coffee.

Finally, I've just finished Arm Farm by Sarah Butland, a mystery set around college forensics students that opens with a truly haunting scene, perfectly fitting the title. Mostly cozy with red herrings and snap decisions abounding, enjoy with a 2-star easy-drinking coffee (though you might need something stronger for the opening chapter).