Randy Is Ready For Prime Time

You should never confuse my reviews of Randy Alcorn's work with "criticism." If you visit this Fan Page, you are likely to only see degrees of enthusiasm. In this case, DECEPTION gets a "buy-now-in-hard-cover" rating. I'll give some detailed reasons later, but first...

I am hoping to do a an interview with Randy Alcorn. There is at least a chance that it is going to happen (I am an optimist.) My first question, as author to author, will be: "How in the world do you keep track of all the twists and turns in a detective novel?" I have tried to write a novel. I read some books on the subject which explain about keeping "character" cards that help you remember the biography, personality, speaking style, etc., of each character. Of course, in any novel you also have to have a consistent story line, plot plan, and other elements. This is extremely difficult. I often say the first year of law school was the hardest thing I ever did, but I got through that. I gave up on writing a novel.

With the degree of difficulty that high on just a straightforward book-length story, you now have to add layer on layer of crime scene investigation, potential perps (you'll truly be shocked by both who is considered and the total number of potential perps in this one), and providing twist after twist. We who have read the complete works of Alcorn know he's brillient, but I want to know if he thinks this ability is associated with IQ or some other kind of strange ability. (e.g. I am also amazed that people can draw things that look like what they are drawing, and this, I can attest, is in no way related to IQ.)

On top of all the intrigue - yes a Christian writer who includes intrigue - memorable and likable characters, surprise endings, and fast pace, there is some just plain outstanding writing. So my next question in my fantasy interview with Randy will (hopefully) be: Where do you find the time to run a ministry, speak all over the country, write articles, and then the ultimate time-suck for writers, come up with phrases like:

It took me a whole baseball season to prove it, but by the time the Yankees took the field for the first game of the World Series, I'd got her. No prize. No bonus. No street named after me. No letters of gratitude from husbands whose wives were on the verge of ordering their first white chocolate mochas. But that's okay. I don't do it for the thanks. I do it because justice is my job, my one contribution to a world that is truly--and I mean big time--a mess.

Now maybe writing like this just trips off his tongue in a purely stream-of-consciousness kind of way. But I doubt it. If so, it would be just one more reason for other writers to hate him...if we weren't Christians.

DECEPTION is a stand alone book for readers who haven't yet read the previous two Ollie Chandler mysteries, Deadline and Dominion. But, you should be able to pick up copies of both of those outstanding books pretty inexpensively by now. So why not start at the beginning.

So Randy, if you're reading this, I am preparing a truly off-the-wall list of questions for our interview. I should be ready by next weekend if you are. In the meantime, I just don't get why Hollywood isn't beating down your door for the TV or movie rights to this one. As a fellow fan of "24" I'm sure you could help them with their writer's block for season 7.