We're on the cusp of a revolution in Christian literature.
Finally.
Readers (and writers) are t-i-r-e-d of the sweet and sappy perfectionism so common in traditional Christian novels. They want something REAL that tickles their imaginations--and resounds with truth within their souls.
A lot of us are just plain sick of the same-old, same-old bonnet books and poor-girl-meets-rich-Christian-boy-and-is-led-to-Christ-so-she-can-marry-rich-Christian-boy stories we find in the "church appropriate" section at Wal-Mart. Enough already. Give us something real! Let us creep out to the edge of "proper" and put some stank on it.
Welcome to the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers'
Summer Blog Tour.
A group of Christain writers dedicated to pushing the subjective envelope of traditionally acceptable Christian literature has banded together to produce the
Edgy Christian Fiction Blog Tour. At this time the tour is scheduled to begin the week of July 11 and will keep firing away with weekly featured bloggers until the end of August. This blog tour will feature a diverse collection of authors and topics
(yours truly will be posting on the subject of "Culturally Relevant Characters" during the week of August 22.) This blog tour is aimed at bringing attention to a developing trend in Christian fiction and building readership for its risk-taking authors.
So what is EDGY CHRISTIAN FICTION, anyway?
I'm sure every author on the tour has a slightly (or not-so-slightly) different take on what makes a piece of Christian fiction "edgy." Everyone has their predispositions, prejudices, and hot buttons, and mine may not be the same as another more conservative (or more liberal) writer. It's hard to nail down exactly what Edgy Christian Fiction is--because it will always be under development. I've thought a lot about what Edgy Christian Fiction could or can be, but I won't try to squeeze this emerging sub-genre of a sub-genre (or its authors) into a neatly labeled little box. Since I can't (or won't) definitively say what ECF is, I will, instead, give a few bullet points of what it is not. {Forgive me if I don't use actual bullets. We're all about safety at Fiction Mirrors Truth. (And if you believe that, this could possibly be your first visit to my blog....)}
Edgy Christian Fiction is not Your Grandma's Favorite Inspirational Novel. It is not preachy, nor does it proliferate cardboard stereotypes of "the sinner" and "the saved." Edgy Christian Fiction does not fear making the reader uncomfortable with characterization, detail, or subject matter. Nor does it pale at the thought of badly behaving Christians or the morally upright non-Christian. But, above all, (in my opinion) Edgy Christian Fiction does not fail to share Truth in some form--somehow--while refusing to attach a tidy little bow on the uglier aspects of the human condition.
Edgy Christian Fiction can be found under the guise of any genre (okay, maybe not erotica. LOL) It can be Historical, Contemporary, Sci-Fi, Mystery or Suspense; Romance, Fantasy, or even a fluffy beach read. It can be deep and life-changing--or light and entertaining. It might have a clear evangelical message or have nuggets of Truth deeply hidden within symbolism and characterization. Regardless of the stylization, genre, or tone of the novel, however, Edgy Christian Fiction is brave.
That's how I see it, anyway.
It's summertime--the time for beach combing (if you can find a beach where you live!) and pool lounging and finding a comfy chair and a great read. So before you pack your beach bag, make sure you dig around Amazon.com to find a great piece of Edgy Christian Fiction to dive into after your toes get pruney. I'll be posting some titles that fit the bill and I'm sure my fellow authors on the blog tour will be touting a few as well. Please come back July 11th (and thereafter!) and click on the beachy button on the upper right side of this page. Follow the links during the corresponding weeks. Please. You'll see me stopping by in the "comments" sections and, hopefully, we'll get some new, brave insight on what it takes to create, read, and get our minds wrapped around some fresh, edgy fiction... that mirrors Truth.
