To Eternity (and beyond): Writing Spec Fic Good For Your Soul

Many moons ago, when I was in grad school, I had a dream. An idea, motivated by a statement from C.S. Lewis about using speculative fiction for evangelism.

Could I actually use my love of SF, my far-roaming imagination, for the glory of my Savior ... and reach people who wouldn't come within a mile of a church if it was the last building standing at the end of the world?

If Lewis thought so, why not at least try?

Then a classmate decided that my science fiction books had invited demons into my life. Really? CS Lewis? JRR Tolkein? Steve Lawhead? (At this time, there wasn't much good SF from identifiably Christian writers. Amazon wasn't around. Many Christian bookstores didn't support fiction, period, let alone have room on the shelves for "that weird stuff." This was a year before Peretti published This Present Darkness.)

So what could a recovering Trekker do, when someone tried to impose their square hole on her star-shaped peg?

Contained in the pages of this book is my answer.

My master's portfolio thesis and defense of speculative fiction as not only an evangelistic tool, but good for your soul.

Dedicated to the nerds and geeks and dreamers who have been bruised by 50-pound Bibles and still love Jesus.

On the road to publication, Michelle fell into fandom in college and has 40+ stories in various SF and fantasy universes. She has a bunch of useless degrees in theater, English, film/communication, and writing. Even worse, she has over 100 books and novellas with multiple small presses, in science fiction and fantasy, YA, suspense, women's fiction, and sub-genres of romance. Her official launch into publishing came with winning first place in the Writers of the Future contest in 1990. She was a finalist in the EPIC Awards competition multiple times, winning with Lorien in 2006 and The Meruk Episodes, I-V, in 2010, and was a finalist in the Realm Award competition, in conjunction with the Realm Makers convention. Her training includes the Institute for Children's Literature; proofreading at an advertising agency; and working at a community newspaper. She is a tea snob and freelance edits for a living (MichelleLevigne@gmail.com for info/rates), but only enough to give her time to write. Her newest crime against the literary world is to be co-managing editor at Mt. Zion Ridge Press and launching the publishing co-op, Ye Olde Dragon Books. Be afraid ... be very afraid. www.Mlevigne.com www.MichelleLevigne.blogspot.com www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com www.MtZionRidgePress.com @MichelleLevigne Look for Michelle's Goodreads groups: Guardians of Neighborlee Voyages of the AFV Defender NEWSLETTER: Want to learn about upcoming books, book launch parties, inside information, and cover reveals? Go to Michelle's website or blog to sign up.