What do I write?
Most of my stories are written in a tiny niche genre called:
Kingdom Adventure
It’s a story set in an alternate universe, but very much like this world, it should read like Historical Fiction, except it is not history it’s a wholesome story set in a fictional world.
So is it fantasy? Nope. I don’t do dragons, mythological creatures such as giants, dwarves, mermaids, etc. just people and places not unlike our world just….not here.
Is it graphic?
I love history.
History–isn’t always pretty…
Most of my teenage years consisted of living off boy adventure books, crafted under the pen of G. A. Henty, and alike where they entered and exited dungeons, had grave scrapes with deaths, escaped massacres, made life and death choices, etc.. I also was thoroughly horrified and intrigued as I plunged my way through Foxes Book of Martyrs, the way people, lived, died–because of what they believed. I keep things clean, I don’t want anyone to walk away with the feeling that I spewed an entire dungeon over their mind–but I will paint the contrast between light and dark, I will paint drama and good and evil at war. Sometimes my characters will enter dark placed, dungeons and torture chambers because of what they believe–but I won’t leave you, or them, there.
What about romance?
I’ve never been fond of the word ROMANCE.
For years I dodged allowing anyone ever to put that label on my books…
Personally, the label romance belongs in that section of the library/bookstore where she looks at a tall handsome stranger, falls in love, and can’t get over his eyes that sparkle like amber stars, just the thought of him makes her knees weak, and she can’t possibly think about anything else but the mysterious handsome stranger. *gag* PLEASE SPARE ME ANY MORE DETAILS, don’t you have anything better to do with your life?!
But…when it comes to my stories…
There is some…
My heroes are born mostly from my love of adventurous boy books, and the sweet chaste victorian simplicity of that sort of romance, a look, a kind word, a friend in time of need, a comforting shoulder, a strong arm, a simple kiss, but not an extravagant wishy-washy wanton wasting and agonized hours of wondering does he or she like me. I don’t let my characters sit and primp for an hour in front of the mirror–there are more important things to be done than agonizing over which dress should be worn, or does this color match their eyes?
For years, I’ve tried to write without romance…but eventually, one character looks at the other and comes to the realization that yes, they would like to spend the rest of their life with that person…and so the story goes.
Faith.
What do my characters believe?
Jesus.
While my stories don’t convey as much of it as I would like, my stories and faith displayed in them are based on a personal relationship and faith in Jesus Christ.
To be honest, I struggled for years writing with Christianity in my writing. I had read so many books that had done it badly, I didn’t want to become another “bad Christian” sleazy, blah author…where you wonder where Jesus was other than that one prayer…somewhere in the middle? Or prayer became the vox machina which made the whole story turn out with a happily ever after ending. Jesus, is so much more than a cure, a prayer, a ticket to heaven, it’s a personal relationship with the living God of the universe and I am still learning how to do that well…I want more of Jesus in my life and in the life of my characters, so that is a WIP for all of us, and I hope that the future will display a deeper, richer, more beautiful relationship with Jesus Christ, that will inspire you to press more sweetly into your personal life with Jesus Christ.