Broken Angel

This month’s Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy (CSFF) blogtour features Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer—an action-packed, character-driven fantasy novel full of suspense. Please enjoy the following interview with Mr. Brouwer. It will no doubt whet your appetite to read the book.

JD - Mr. Brouwer, Broken Angel intrigued me right to the end and kept me reading. Yet, it was very different from one of my favorite books written by you, The Weeping Chamber. How different were these books to write? Do you feel more akin to one genre than another?

SB - Thank you for commenting kindly on The Weeping Chamber. It’s a special book to me because the research helped me learn so much about the historical background to the gospels. Technically, because of the setting and because of how booksellers categorize, yes, it is a different genre.
Sometimes when I am at schools, though, I ask the kids if they’d like to read a book about a man who was accused of working with the devil, who was hailed as a man who could lead a country to freedom from an evil empire, who was betrayed by one of his best friends, then tortured to death in public, then reappears after he was buried so deep in a tomb that it was impossible to get out. It’s fun to get their reaction, because they immediately think it’s a supernatural kind of thriller. Because in a sense, the events before and after the crucifixion are taut with suspense and the eerie feeling that comes when the fabric of the supernatural wraps a place and time on earth.
In that way, Broken Angel was not that much different to write.
I always try for suspense, no matter what genre. At this point, after 18 novels, I can see that I’ll continue with what my editor, Shannon, calls visionary suspense -- what if stories set in the near future that explore concepts that are hopefully unexpected, yet plausible.

JD - I enjoyed the different characters in Broken Angel, especially Caitlyn. But Mason Lee's cruelty gave me the creeps. I'm curious as to what inspired his character. Did you research cold-hearted criminals, watch horror movies or just conjure Lee's character up in your imagination?

SB - Unfortunately, I think villains are the easiest to create, and I say ‘unfortunately’ because I think it’s a simple matter of taking a vice that most of us have to resist -- selfishness -- and allowing a character to pursue his or her own goals without any regard or compassion for anyone who gets in the way of that self centered pursuit.

JD - I noticed Bill Myers endorsed your book (which is right up his alley). Bill is a personal friend and also on the advisory board of my non-profit organization, Orphans First (orphansfirst.org). Bill also spoke at the Commencement Ceremony of the Bible College my husband founded in France (we were church-planting missionaries there for 22 years). Do you know Bill? Has his work inspired you in any way?

SB - I have a great deal of respect and affection for Bill. We’ve worked together at workshops with kids (literacy) and he’s a profound thinker and compassionate man who is also capable of enjoying life like an eight-year-old boy. His work is inspiring because he sets the bar so high that it gives other writers a standard to follow.

JD - I love Cindy's accompanying song @ brokenangelsong.com. (Cindy may be blessed to know that I used to buy her soundtrax and sing her songs in our church in France.) Do you and Cindy often work together on projects?

SB - Cindy and I have only worked together on one other project -- The Weeping Chamber, and her album, The Loving Kind.

This time, many years later, the collaboration was not intentional. I had just finished my first draft of Broken Angel, and she played me a song she had been working on: Beautiful Bird.

It was as if Cindy had been inside my novelist mind for 10 months, because the song had the emotional resonance I wanted readers to take away from Broken Angel as Caitlyn finally takes flight for freedom.

I begged her to allow it to become part of the novel, but in a non-traditional sense. So readers can finish the book now, and go to www.brokenangelsong.com and hear the song and see the video that reflects the theme of the book: each of us are born to fly. (Our daughters are the angels in the video, and I hope this is something that readers might like, as despite the setting of Broken Angel, it really is a story about a daddy and his girl.)

JD - Thank you for taking time to bless my blogreaders with your answers. May God continue to bless you and Cindy--and your families--as you serve Him with your talents.

Check out reviews by some of my fellow bloggers.

*Participants’ Links:

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Margaret
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Sean Slagle
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

*Featured book, Broken Angel http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400070325 .
Featured author, Sigmund Brouwer: Web site – http://www.coolreading.com/ .

You might want to also check out Bill Myers whose link is on the side of this blog with other links.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
www.orphansfirst.org / www.JaneyDeMeo.com

CSFF blogtour

I'll be posting a full review on The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers on Wed.(in between posting the fire situation updates).

Janey L. DeMeo

Into Africa

“I’m leaving on a jet plane. Let’s hope I’ll make it home again.” No, it’s not a new song I wrote. Just this week’s reality.

Some know the movie Out of Africa. Well my husband and I are going into Africa (again)—to four countries. Louis will, of course, train leaders and national pastors, and mentor in evangelism and church planting. I’ll teach the women and especially work with street children, poor children, orphans…in hopes of catalyzing a ministry to suffering children among the African churches. (I first did this in India in 1998, and then founded Orphans First to provide a support system for more needy children’s ministries: http://www.orphansfirst.org/). Anyway, please keep our trip to Africa in prayer. Back in April.

Meanwhile, the CSFF blogtour is set for March 19th – 21st, but since I’ll probably be either in a plane or in some African country when my co-bloggers post their reviews, I’m posting mine a few days ahead of time...

Double Vision by Randy Ingermanson

I love Randy Ingermanson’s book, Double Vision. Unlike Randy and his two main characters, Dillon and Rachel, I’m neither a physicist nor a computer geek, but my love for character-driven stories made this book a delightful read for me. Randy’s characters are distinctly portrayed and their lives intertwine with enough curious complexity so as to keep you turning pages—at double-pace.

Double Vision is the story of “three secrets, two women, one man and no time.” Dillon Richard is the one man whose unusual gifting of geekishness, integrity and good looks make him intriguing. He is a genuine genius who finds himself entangled in an adventure involving two lovely women: Rachel Meyers and Keryn Wills. One is a genius and extroverted beauty of Jewish background; the other an attractive novelist, down-to-earth financial officer and practicing Christian. Both work with Dillon on a project that, if successful, could revolutionize the world. A complex adventure ensues endangering their lives and their secrets. In the mix of the complot is the added complication of two women liking one man, and one man needing to make the right choice.

Christy Award-winning novelist. Randy Ingermanson is also a Berkeley-trained physicist. Double Vision is humorous, suspenseful, and romantic and Randy’s style reminds me of another of my “favoritist” writers and good friend, Bill Myers. Is the world ready for both Bill Myers and Randy Ingermanson? I’ll let you decide. Check out Double Vision here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0764227335
Visit Randy Ingermanson’s website - http://www.rsingermanson.com/index.html
And visit my fellow CSFF bloggers and see what they are saying about this book. Links to their sites can be found here http://csffblogtour.com/

Now, out of marvelous fiction and back to reality. I really am leaving on a jet plane…and really do covet your prayers. I’ve been to Africa several times but I cannot forget that on my first visit some pesky little mosquito made straight for me, took a long sip from my arm and ignored the fact I was taking the malaria meds. That mostinko was immune. I got the worse strain of malaria that exists and it almost made me extinct. I barely got out of Africa alive. But that was years ago, in my younger days when my blood was more appealing. Or so I like to tell myself…
Prayers appreciated – for health, traveling mercies, blessing for those here on the homefront, and that the work of God be done so that many Africans hear the Gospel and many poor children are concretely helped.

As we say in French, until soon (à bientôt). Que Dieu vous bénisse.