Saturday, November 26, 2005

Spotlighting: Eric Wilson

Dark To Mortal Eyes

A game of Chance. A game of Skill. A game of High Stakes.

Chess. A game masterfully played out and used as an intriguing backdrop to this extraordinary novel.

Twenty-two year old Josee Walker wants to meet the parents that gave her up for adoption at birth. She arranges to meet with her birth mother, Kara Addison, but before the meeting can take place Kara goes missing. Suspicion is cast upon Kara’s husband, and Josee’s reluctant birth father, Marsh Addison.

Josee is suddenly plunged into a game for which she is ill prepared.

Expiration Date

People are about to die, and Clay Ryker knows when.

Fleeing from both a failed marriage and business, Clay returns to his home town, Junction City. But the peace he desperately seeks eludes him.

Instead, he’s empowered by a gift he doesn’t want. Through the simple act of touch, he can read a person’s expiration date … the date they will die.

Strange notes alluding to a dark secret in his past begin to arrive and townsfolk start dying. But are the deaths accidents as they first appear, or is there something more sinister behind them?

Can Clay overcome the burden of knowing when those closest to him will die, or will he conquer his own struggles and win the race against time to save as many lives around him as possible?

CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS

Eric Wilson has the gift of taking a story and twisting it in such a way that you’re kept guessing from start to finish.

When I first picked up DARK TO MORTAL EYES, I wasn’t sure I was going to like the book. It took me a while to become accustomed to Wilson’s style, but once I had, I couldn’t put the book down.

In an interview with Eric, I asked him how his two books differed. “My first novel was more convoluted and abstract. The second book is more concrete, or so it would seem at first. There are a few surprises that flip things around, but you'll have to read it to find out.”

EXPIRATION DATE certainly contained a few surprises. I found his second book a smoother read and a little more down to earth for my liking.

In both these books, Eric masterfully blends together unforgettable characters, plots and subplots that won’t let you go.

LESSONS LEARNED

I was drawn into Eric’s use of the senses for this series. Through his books, I have grown more aware of the spiritual battle over all parts of our body. When questioned on his use of the senses, Eric explains “Each book follows one of the five senses opened in a supernatural way. We live in a physical world that numbs our senses to the spiritual. I wanted to merge the two worlds in a thought-provoking way.”

And merge them he does. Thought-provoking? Absolutely. I dare you to come away from reading these books without them impacting you or opening your senses to God’s hidden workings.

PLANNED PROJECTS

Eric originally planned a series of five books based on the senses, each a stand alone with some recurring characters, but he is currently taking a break to start a new mystery series.

Set around a protagonist named Aramis Black, the new series explores Romans 12:21: “Do not let evil get the best of you, but get the best of evil by doing good.”

For a sneak peek at the first scene in this new series, check out this page on Eric’s Web site: Bookshelf

Following a recent successful trip to Romania, Eric has a biblically-based Vampire Trilogy planned, which has already attracted some interest from publishers.

With so many ideas, it seems we will be seeing a lot more of this talented author in the future. I’ve already made an Eric Wilson section on my bookshelf.

To discover how Eric explores earth’s tension between heaven and hell in his books, visit
Wilsonwriter.

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Monday, November 07, 2005

Spotlighting: Levi's Will by W. Dale Cramer



"We thought you were dead."

It wasn't exactly the welcome Will expected when he returned home eight years after running away. Didn't the prodigal son get a fatted calf? Wasn't there supposed to be a party thrown in his honor?

Instead, his father turns his back on him, walks away, and says, "Don't bring that in my house."

Will's life has fallen apart. Eight years of lies have finally caught up with him, and threaten to destroy everything he has worked for. Now he must face the mistakes of the past and seek forgiveness.


CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS

Set amongst the Old Order Amish, LEVI'S WILL is a superbly told story of generational sin, and the forgiveness and love one can only find through God. In a recent interview with Focus on Fiction, W. Dale Cramer reveals that this was a fictionalized story of his father's life.

Cramer opens the book in 1985, before taking us back in time to 1943 when Will makes his break from the Old Order Amish community, leaving behind a rigid father and pregnant girl.

Throughout the story, we are transported between present and past; following Will as he makes his way in life, struggling to overcome the judgmentally under which he grew up. Will leans on the one thing he understands, hard work, but fails to notice that he's making similar mistakes to those of his father. It soon becomes apparent that the sins of one generation carry over to the next.

Cramer drew me into Will's story, capturing my attention from start to finish. It's not often you find a book that has you genuinely caring for the characters, silently screaming at the unjustness of actions, and praying that God's love will soften hearts. LEVI'S WILL is one of those rare treasures.

Grab yourself a copy, settle into a comfy chair, and be transported into another world that will touch your heart and stay with you long after you turn the last page.

LESSONS LEARNED

Forgiveness is one of the hardest things we are called to do. The deeper the hurt, the harder it is to forgive.

But without forgiveness, we become tangled in rebellion and hatred. Resentment will alienate us from those around us. For me, it also brings bitterness.

Forgiveness doesn’t come naturally, and it isn’t always easy. But it is necessary.

LEVI’S WILL is a timeless lesson in one man’s search for forgiveness. A lesson we can all gain a measure of wisdom from.

To see more reviews, visit

Christian Fiction Reviewer

Focus on Fiction

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