My Middle Eastern Experiences

Courageous officially releases today. In this story, a group of men, women, and children go on crusade to the Holy Land, so I wanted to share about some of my own experiences with the Middle East.

Historically speaking, Courageous is the hardest book I’ve ever undertaken. While there's plenty of research available on the politics of the crusades and the battles fought, there's very little available about day to day life in the Holy Land at that time. Everyday issues are often ignored by history because they are taken for granted by the chroniclers. I was able to find little snippets here and there that helped me to picture the clothing, architecture, and food. I learned that the crusaders in those areas tended to fuse the native and European cultures. However, the best fact I found was the simple explanation that life in that part of the world changed little from around 1000 A.D. until today.

Suddenly things became much easier for me because my husband is from Lebanon—which was called Tripoli and the northern part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem at the time of the crusades—and I have taken several extended trips to that part of the world. I've danced their Debke, drunk their Turkish coffee, smoked their argileh, and eaten their tabouli, hummus, and pita bread. I even speak some Arabic--at about a two-year-old level, complete with continuous grammar mistakes. LOL. Lebanon has an amazing and varied landscape. You can easily swim in the warm, blue Mediterranean and visit the snow-capped mountains in the same day in this area located just north of modern day Israel.

Lebanon is varied in its religions as well. In addition to being home to Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, Druze Muslims, and even a handful of Sufi Muslims, Lebanon is also one of the only Middle Eastern countries to have a strong Christian presence from the time of the apostles until today. During its last census, taken in the mid 1900s, the majority of Lebanese people were Christian, mostly Maronite (their own denomination which is recognized by the Catholic church), Catholic, and Orthodox. The current Lebanese political system is set up to split key government roles between the dominant religions, with the president being Christian. But perhaps partly because of this diversity, Lebanon has been the setting for war after war throughout history.

Me and my kids in Lebanon, 2006.

My familiarity with the Middle East and its customs and religions is a large part of why I chose to tackle this story in the first place. I have even been caught in Lebanon during fighting between the Muslim group, Hezbollah, and the Israeli forces in 2006 (I'll share more about that in an upcoming post). So I understand the sorts of challenges they face in that part of the world.

Muslims are people just like us. There are many types both religiously and ethnically, and I am blessed to call many Muslims my friends. While there is in fact much violent and negative teaching in the Muslim holy book, the average Muslim person just wants to live a peaceful and prosperous life. They want to be surrounded by friends and family and bring some good to the world. On the other hand, perhaps even more so today than during the crusades, there is a deep religiously based hatred instilled in children throughout the Middle East toward the Christians and especially the Jews. That sad reality cannot be ignored. But there is one more interesting factor to keep in mind. Muslims have been coming to Christ in surprising numbers during recent years. Some through dreams and visions, and many others through the new openness brought to that part of the world by satellite television and internet.

            I hope that by taking a historical trip through the pages of Courageous, you will begin to better understand this complex and fascinating part of the world and the conflicts and challenges they still face today.

Have you ever been to the Middle East? Would you like to travel there? Do you have any Muslim friends or acquaintances? 

A Sneak Peek at Courageous

Courageous, Book 3 in my Valiant Hearts Series, will release July 5th! I thought it might be fun to give you a visual sneak peek at what's coming your way.

This is actress Katie McGrath from the BBC's show Merlin. She's who I've been picturing for Rosalind, both in book 2 when she serves as Gwendolyn's lady's maid, and now in book 3 as she travels to the Holy Land on crusade in search of redemption. Some readers were very concerned about her at the end of book 2. She can't forgive herself for a mistake she made and feels she no longer deserves marriage or family. Rest assured, I as the author did not share her harsh judgement of herself. In this book she will discover God's forgiveness, grace, and receive a fresh start on life.

And here's actor Michael Socha from Once Upon a Time--my pick for Randel. In book 2 Gwendolyn kept thinking of him as an awkward teen, until she realized he had grown up quite nicely. I fell in love with Randel, and decided he needed to be the hero of book 3. To me he represents those boys who are awkward in high school, but grow up to be the best husbands. Randel wants to stay in the Holy Land to become a celibate Templar knight in the hopes of pleasing his parents, who planned for him to be a priest, while still fulfilling his own dream of being a knight. We'll see if God might have other plans for him.

Another important character in Courageous is thirteen-year-old Sapphira. I had a hard time finding a model to capture her fairy-like appearance, but this one comes pretty close. Of course she would never have shown her shoulders (or even her elbows) in the middle ages. Don't let her ethereal appearance fool you, though. Sapphira is as strong as they come, at least on the inside. In true Joan of Arc fashion, her vision has prompted their entire crusade, and she comes in tow with her own troop of children. Although she's not a natural born fighter, Sapphira does everything she undertakes with all her might. I love the way Sapphira balances some of Rosalind and Randel's difficult life experiences with such purity, innocence, and idealism.

One of the most interesting things I learned while researching this book was about medieval ships. I had no idea they had such huge sailing vessels at that time--big enough to take entire armies on crusade. And I was fascinated by the defensive "castle" structures featured in this picture on the front and back of the ships, like floating forts.

Finally, here are some pictures of the primary setting for the book, the area of medieval Tripoli. It's not the desert you might imagine, but rather a beautiful mountainous area along the Mediterranean. Today, this city is found in Northern Lebanon, but during the early 1200s, it was its own "Crusader State" within the Holy Roman Empire. Rosalind, Randel, Sapphira, and the rest of the cast are about to discover a new and exotic world as they undertake the adventure of a lifetime!

I hope this whets your appetite for Courageous, coming next week. And you can read a sneak peek here on the Bethany House website. Now's the perfect time to pre-order. So what are you waiting for?

Pre-order on Amazon
Pre-order on Barnes and Noble
Pre-order on Christian Book Distributors

Some Knight's Tale Fun

It probably won't surprise you to learn that one of my favorite movies is A Knight's Tale. Although it takes significant liberties with history, it's just so much fun! I admit I might have watched it a time or two while writing Chivalrous. Based on the ages of Chaucer and the Black Knight, this would have to be about 150 years after my story. The armor was different and many of the tournament rules were different. But I definitely got some ideas for how a tournament ground might have been set up, and I tried to pull some of the energy and excitement from the movie. Of course this was also blended with more scholarly research, reading other medieval novels, and my own trip to Medieval Times. Since my story was set in a fictional area, in the end I made up my own brand of tournament that fit the story.

I thought you might want to join in on some of the fun today.

Valiant Heroine - Rifqa Bary

Last week I shared about a valiant female warrior who gave her life for our country. This week I'd like to introduce you to an equally valiant heroine of the spirit. Rifqa Bary is a young Muslim woman who risked her life to follow Jesus. Rifqa and other women like her inspired my book Dance from Deep Within and even more so, the sequel I hope to publish someday, Dare from Deep Within. I hope you will be blessed, inspired, and emboldened by Rifqa's story. May God bless you with the same sort of courage to pursue the life that He has called you to.

Confessions of a Hunger Games Groupie

I admit it. I'm a bit of a Hunger Games groupie. Through these stories, I rediscovered a love for YA literature. I read them straight through, voraciously, just a few months before I began writing the Valiant Hearts series.

Honestly, I was far too swept away by these books to analyze them as I went along. I imagine they have some literary flaws, but I certainly didn't notice as I read. I'm not completely sure why I loved them so much, except that they were pure excitement.

I think that's what is so special about YA novels, and why so many adults are enjoying them these days. They are jam packed with excitement, adventure, twists, and turns. At the same time, they take a good look at life and examine the hard questions that many commercial adult novels leave unasked.

The thing about this series that really stood out to me was the way the books inspired me on a personal level. I had reached a point in my life where on several issues, I had been weighed down by fatigue and even fear. As I read these books, I realized that somewhere along the way I had lost my fighting spirit. I wanted to be bold and courageous like Katniss. I wanted to stand up against tyranny and oppression for what I believe to be right. If Katniss could do it without God on her side, without any sense of eternal importance, purely for love and family and justice, surely I could too!

Sound like the perfect inspiration for a series titled Valiant Hearts, don't you think?

Like many readers, I was left a bit cold by the existential ending of the Hunger Games series. But that is the truth in a world without God. If God does not exist, then there is no hope for a redemptive ending. No expectation that good will win in the end. All you can do is carve out your own little space in a messed up world and try to find a shred of happiness. Fortunately, unlike the characters in theses books, I do believe in God, and redemption, and hope. I dream that my books can be a fraction as brilliant as the Hunger Games series, but even if they are not, at least I can rest assured that I leave my readers feeling positive as they face the future with hope.

Are you a Hunger Games groupie? Why or why not?

The Seed of an Idea

Years ago an editor suggested that I try writing a YA medieval romance series. I was certainly open to the idea, but I didn't have a strong idea. It wasn't until I was in the midst of watching the BBC Robin Hood series with my son that a concept finally sparked to life in my mind. This series features a lot of strong, feisty women. Maid Marian is a thief and defender of the poor in her own right, and the Saracen character, Djaq, in this version is also a woman. Not to mention plenty of tough female bad guys. One day as I was walking and praying specifically about a YA medieval series, this new Robin Hood came to mind, the ideas started flowing, and before long Dauntless was playing like a movie in my mind. Here's a peek at their Maid Marian who helped to inspire my Merry Ellison.

YA Fiction Finds

While working on Dauntless last year, I steeped myself in the world of YA fiction. Although the heroines are much younger than me, much about these books resonates in a universal sort of way. On the secular side, they tend to be clean, action-packed, and not afraid to ask the hard questions about life. On the Christian side, they are actually edgier and more real than many of their adult counterparts. Teens won't tolerate anything fake or cheesy, and since I won't either, YA fiction is a great fit for me.

Here's a quick overview of the books I read during that time to help me understand the YA fiction market. In future posts I will share some of the books I've read more recently.

In the Christian world Melanie Dickerson, Lisa Bergren, and Anne Elisabeth Stengl are some of the big stars. I've been enjoying Melanie's great fairy tale retellings for years, and they certainly helped provide inspiration for my series. I read Lisa Bergren's Glamorous Illusions enjoyed it, but didn't really connect with her River of Time series, although many of my adult friends loved it. As for Anne Elizabeth Stengl, I had a hard time getting into Heartless, but her vivid imagination and beautiful voice kept me reading. And I'm so glad I did. I was completely impressed by the gorgeous allegory in this story.

Perhaps my biggest surprise was to learn that a book I stumbled on last year and looooved, Prophet by R. J. Larsen, is considered YA I gobbled up this book in just a few days and enjoyed every word. I was mesmerized by her strong, courageous, spiritual heroine. I've been looking for an excuse to buy books two and three, and never even realized they were YA until my agent mentioned it to me. These books are called speculative, but I would describe them more as fantasy set in the Biblical era. Whatever they are, they're awesome, and I highly recommend them.

In secular fiction, I found I have a real penchant for YA dystopian fiction. Of course I started with The Hunger Games series. Read them straight through. I could easily do a whole post about how they inspired me to find my inner strength and stand against injustice. I have to admit, though, that I wasn't crazy about the existential ending to the whole series. It was kind of a downer. Although the ending was realistic, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who wanted something more triumphant. And I read Matched, which was pretty interesting as well.

I also gave Twilight a try, something I probably wouldn't have done if it wasn't for research purposes. This book did have a special sort of magic. I couldn't put it down. And yes, it's romantic on an epic scale. While the vampire element seemed completely fantasy-like and didn't bother me, I cannot in good conscience recommend it, especially not for teens. I felt the message of the book was that love conquers all, even if your boyfriend is inherently evil. Therefore, I felt girls could use this as a justification to get involved with destructive individuals like abusers and addicts. In fact, Edward's craving for Bella's blood is flat-out described as an addiction. There's a very real possibility he might kill her. The impression is given that playing with fire is somehow romantic. As a woman who has had a good bit of experience with both the pros and cons of romance, let me offer my opinion, it's not! While I don't think the author had bad intentions, I also do not think she fully thought through her responsibility to her young readers. 

So those were the books that helped me grasp the feel of the YA fiction world. Feel free to share some of your own favorite YA novels.

Inspiration from "The Quest"

Yes, it's true, television CAN rot your brain. But you know what else is true? Television can supply great inspiration for fiction writers while also letting overworked brains chill and reboot. For this series I've found inspiration from the BBC's Robin Hood and Merlin, and even from the feisty real life heroine of American Ninja Warrior. My latest inspiration comes from yet another reality show, The Quest.

If you've ever heard of LARPING (live action role playing), this is LARPING on steroids. Real life larpers are taken from their everyday lives and drawn into a medieval fantasy world to battle bad guys and monsters alike. Of course my books are historical, not quite fantasy (although there are some legendary and supernatural elements), but this show is a great place to get a feel for medieval settings, dress, and weaponry. The Quest features plenty of real life valiant heart heroines that are tough, brave, and strong. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment and can't wait to watch more. "Part reality, part fantasy, pure adventure"--check out the trailer video below!

A Real Life Valiant Heroine

Look at that determination, that focus, not to mention that perfectly toned physique. I was beyond delighted to catch this adorable female competing in American Ninja Warrior the other week. She is a tiny 100 lb gymnast, and as tough as any guy in the competition. Despite her incredible strength and agility, she was perfectly feminine and just about as pretty as you can get. In fact, look at her picture and then the model on the cover of Dauntless in the post below. I felt like I was watching Merry Ellison face the gauntlet.

Even more exciting was the turn out of her run in American Ninja Warrior. She set a record as the first woman ever to successfully finish the qualifying round. Go Kacy! You've found a fan in me for sure.