Ask the Author: Werner A. Lind
Answered Questions (60)
Werner A. Lind
Mango, thank you for your offer! However, since I already have so many books on my "to-read" and "maybe" shelves, I'm not accepting any review books at this time (except from Goodreads friends whose work I've already read).
You might be interested in the Goodreads Author program, which you can check out at this link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/program .
You might be interested in the Goodreads Author program, which you can check out at this link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/program .
Werner A. Lind
Hmmm! Laura-Lee, that's an excellent question, but I'm a poor person to answer it, because I've never read it in any translation, and don't have much knowledge of the variations in the translations that are out there. I do know that George Chapman's translation, published in parts beginning in 1598, is the oldest English translation and a classic in its own right, although William Cowper's 1791 blank-verse translation is considered by scholars to be more faithful to the Greek original.
The BU library has a thick reference book, The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation, which will have more information. Right now, I can't consult it, since I'm quarantining at home because of a bout of Covid. But I expect to return to work this Sunday; I'll look up Illiad translations then (and also check what translations the BU library has), and get back to you then. Stay tuned!
The BU library has a thick reference book, The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation, which will have more information. Right now, I can't consult it, since I'm quarantining at home because of a bout of Covid. But I expect to return to work this Sunday; I'll look up Illiad translations then (and also check what translations the BU library has), and get back to you then. Stay tuned!
Werner A. Lind
Jackie, good question! When I joined Goodreads back in early 2008, I had no idea what group reads were or how they worked, either; but unlike you, I didn't have enough sense to ask somebody, so I just stumbled along until I figured it out. :-) When I get enough time, I'm going to cross-post my answer to this question in the Early American Literature group (where this read will take place); hopefully it may be of help to some folks there, as well.
No, group reads aren't Zoom discussions; and you don't have to read the whole book on June 1. The read/discussion just officially starts on that day, although group members who join in can start later. The idea is just that sometime during the month of June, everyone who wants to reads O Pioneers, at his/her own speed. On June 1, I'll start a discussion thread, where those who are reading it (or who've read it before) can share their thoughts, questions, background information they found interesting, and impressions, etc. as they go along. When they finish, those who want to can link to their review, if they write one. That's really all there is to it! (Some groups go for more structure, but we don't.) Hope this helps!
No, group reads aren't Zoom discussions; and you don't have to read the whole book on June 1. The read/discussion just officially starts on that day, although group members who join in can start later. The idea is just that sometime during the month of June, everyone who wants to reads O Pioneers, at his/her own speed. On June 1, I'll start a discussion thread, where those who are reading it (or who've read it before) can share their thoughts, questions, background information they found interesting, and impressions, etc. as they go along. When they finish, those who want to can link to their review, if they write one. That's really all there is to it! (Some groups go for more structure, but we don't.) Hope this helps!
Werner A. Lind
Jt, so sorry that I didn't answer this question when you asked it! My Goodreads notifications were messed up at the time, so I never saw the question until just now.
Jesus was already polarizing during his earthly ministry, and still is; and yes, I think his authenticity and honesty is part of what causes that. It's also because he claims absolute, divine authority; he's not simply the Savior of mankind, laying down his life as a ransom for sin, but the Lord of heaven and earth who has the right to tell you and I what to do. People who think they aren't guilty of any sins, and who don't want to recognize any authority but their own will, don't want to hear that.
Jesus was already polarizing during his earthly ministry, and still is; and yes, I think his authenticity and honesty is part of what causes that. It's also because he claims absolute, divine authority; he's not simply the Savior of mankind, laying down his life as a ransom for sin, but the Lord of heaven and earth who has the right to tell you and I what to do. People who think they aren't guilty of any sins, and who don't want to recognize any authority but their own will, don't want to hear that.
Werner A. Lind
I was raised as a Lutheran, but placed membership in a Mennonite church after enrolling at a Mennonite college for my senior year. My wife Barb wasn't raised in any church, but became a Christian at the age of 16 through a revival at a Mennonite church, and joined it at that time. (We got married in 1980.) However, when we moved to Indianapolis in 1983, there was no accessible Mennonite church in the area, so we've been out of the Mennonite context ever since.
That's a very abbreviated answer! If you want more detail, I can supply it in a personal message (and probably bore you to pieces :-) ). If you go to my Goodreads author profile, just under my picture, there's a big "Follow Author" button. Right next to it, there's a very faint little v mark. Clicking on that produces a little pull-down menu, with "Send message" as one of the options.
Yes, I plan to get a discussion thread/topic for Candle in the Darkness up on Nov. 1. And no, unlike some groups, in the Christian Goodreaders group you don't have to be a moderator to create a topic; any member can do that. (To avoid unnecessary duplication, you might want to first check out the discussion board to make sure there isn't already one that fits your subject!) The only restrictions on discussions are the Golden Rule, and a prohibition against author self-promotions outside of the designated folder for authors, in order to cut down on "spam."
That's a very abbreviated answer! If you want more detail, I can supply it in a personal message (and probably bore you to pieces :-) ). If you go to my Goodreads author profile, just under my picture, there's a big "Follow Author" button. Right next to it, there's a very faint little v mark. Clicking on that produces a little pull-down menu, with "Send message" as one of the options.
Yes, I plan to get a discussion thread/topic for Candle in the Darkness up on Nov. 1. And no, unlike some groups, in the Christian Goodreaders group you don't have to be a moderator to create a topic; any member can do that. (To avoid unnecessary duplication, you might want to first check out the discussion board to make sure there isn't already one that fits your subject!) The only restrictions on discussions are the Golden Rule, and a prohibition against author self-promotions outside of the designated folder for authors, in order to cut down on "spam."
Werner A. Lind
Yes, the Christian Goodreaders will start a group read of Candle in the Darkness on Nov. 1. Since it's an official group read, Goodreads will automatically send you a notification closer to that date. Also, the discussion thread where we talk about what to read and announcements are made is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... . The group's Polls page is here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/1... . (If you have questions about the group, you can also personal-message me!)
Werner A. Lind
I guess for me that was the first time I had something published in a "real" periodical (that is, one that's content wasn't just made from student's submissions at a particular institution). But even now, I don't think of myself as much of a writer. So far, I've only written one novel and some short stories (and a couple of poems, but I'm not really a poet), and I haven't done much creative writing for years because I simply don't have time.
Werner A. Lind
Christopher, I have no idea what's causing that problem! My suggestion would be to contact Goodread's support services, at this link: https://www.goodreads.com/about/conta... . Hope that helps!
Werner A. Lind
Hmmm! That's a very good and important question, because getting teens interested in reading is one of the more constructive things adults can do for them. And it's a good question to direct to a librarian, although some librarians are better able to answer it than I am. I was never a reluctant reader myself, having fallen in love with books at an early age; I don't read a lot of contemporary YA myself and my own tastes may be different from those of most teenage boys, and I haven't been involved much in working directly with reluctant readers. Then too (and this is true of any kind of reader's advisory work, not just with teen boys), the more you know about the individual reader's tastes and interests, the better you can advise. Each reader is an individual, not just a cookie-cutter embodiment of his/her demographic group. All of that said, though, I can brainstorm about some recommendations that might (or might not) be helpful.
My oldest grandson, who's 15, is quite a fan of manga. That particular type of graphic novel, and graphic novels in general, are popular with that demographic, and especially with reluctant readers; the combination of text with visual art can ease the reader into being more comfortable with text. It would be a good idea for the adult doing the recommending of a specific book to first check it out for bad language, excessive violence and unsuitable sexual content (which can be problem areas with some manga), and that's a good idea with any contemporary YA literature. (I don't have any personal familiarity with individual titles of this type, though.)
If the teen in question is interested in sports, autobiographies or biographies of sports figures may have an appeal. The Star Wars movie franchise is popular with that age group, so spin-off books may be a gateway to reading for teen fans. In fact, any type of book tailored to the particular interests of the teen reader you're trying to encourage would be worth trying.
As a kid, I was fond of the Hardy Boys mysteries. They're primarily written for pre-teens; but if your teen is a reluctant reader, a vocabulary level that's a bit less challenging than his theoretical grade level might not be a bad idea, provided the storyline is interesting. You could also get him/them to try The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and/or Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan, Barsoom, or Pellucidar novels.
Hope this helps! If I think of any other ideas, I'll drop you a personal message.
My oldest grandson, who's 15, is quite a fan of manga. That particular type of graphic novel, and graphic novels in general, are popular with that demographic, and especially with reluctant readers; the combination of text with visual art can ease the reader into being more comfortable with text. It would be a good idea for the adult doing the recommending of a specific book to first check it out for bad language, excessive violence and unsuitable sexual content (which can be problem areas with some manga), and that's a good idea with any contemporary YA literature. (I don't have any personal familiarity with individual titles of this type, though.)
If the teen in question is interested in sports, autobiographies or biographies of sports figures may have an appeal. The Star Wars movie franchise is popular with that age group, so spin-off books may be a gateway to reading for teen fans. In fact, any type of book tailored to the particular interests of the teen reader you're trying to encourage would be worth trying.
As a kid, I was fond of the Hardy Boys mysteries. They're primarily written for pre-teens; but if your teen is a reluctant reader, a vocabulary level that's a bit less challenging than his theoretical grade level might not be a bad idea, provided the storyline is interesting. You could also get him/them to try The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and/or Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan, Barsoom, or Pellucidar novels.
Hope this helps! If I think of any other ideas, I'll drop you a personal message.
Werner A. Lind
I'm not sure, Mary; Goodreads is actually the only social media site I use! I'm not on Facebook or Twitter.
Werner A. Lind
Yes, Luke 10:1 states that at one point he sent out 70 --some manuscripts say 72-- "others" (that is, other disciples; this is a different occasion than the earlier preaching mission of the Twelve recorded in all three of the Synoptic Gospels, though the instructions given to them are similar).
Werner A. Lind
Well, my experience was limited; I hired the professional editor who was recommended by two small presses I'd submitted the book to --but it turned out later, in a big scandal, that he'd paid them and others kickbacks to recommend him, and he's no longer in business. The ironic thing is that he did a decent job of editing, and IMO improved the book; if he'd been honest, he could probably have attracted business just on his merits, without the bogus "recommendations."
This was in the days before Goodreads. Now that we have the Internet, my advice would be to check out online sites for writers that have info about editors and editing firms (and often warnings about specific scam operators!), and ask other Goodreads writers you trust about their experience with editors. Also, getting knowledgeable writer friends (or other friends who will be honest) to beta read your work can be as good as having it edited (and cheaper, since friends usually do this for free!).
This was in the days before Goodreads. Now that we have the Internet, my advice would be to check out online sites for writers that have info about editors and editing firms (and often warnings about specific scam operators!), and ask other Goodreads writers you trust about their experience with editors. Also, getting knowledgeable writer friends (or other friends who will be honest) to beta read your work can be as good as having it edited (and cheaper, since friends usually do this for free!).
Werner A. Lind
Not really; but it took me a long time (over 20 years --working on it in bits and pieces between working and raising kids) to get it to the point where I thought it was good enough to submit to publishers. (I'd also invested in having it professionally edited.) It helped a lot that my wife served as my faithful (and critical) beta reader --once she liked it and was satisfied with it, I was pretty sure there were other readers out there who'd feel the same way!
Werner A. Lind
Chris, you're very welcome; glad you found some value in the review! No, I'm sorry to say I've never followed it up with further reading that uses the same perspective to analyze subsequent events down to the present. (Outside of the field of Biblical studies, I'm not as well read in nonfiction as I'd like to be.) But I've added the Mishra book to my "maybe to read" shelf. Thanks for that tip; you stay well too!
Werner A. Lind
Good question, Laura-Lee! The ECPA publishers refuse to publish any fiction that depicts either vampires or werewolves, and CBA stores won't carry them. So explicitly Christian fiction with those themes has a commercial handicap to start with --it has to be either self-published, or printed by a small and/or secular press. As a result, not many modern Christian authors write books or stories with those elements. A few have, though.
Roman Catholic author Krisi Keley has written two volumes of a projected vampire-fiction trilogy, On the Soul of a Vampire and Pro Luce Habere; both of those got five stars from me, and are very Christian themed. But the projected final novel, Genesis, has been delayed for years because of her ill health, which leaves the story arc hanging. :-( LeAnn Neal Reilly, another Catholic author, has a stand-alone vampire novel, The Last Stratiote, which I also rated at five stars. It also has a strong Christian message; but as a caveat, it does have bad language and sexual situations in places.
Among evangelical authors, Sue Dent's series opener Never Ceese, which features both a vampire and a werewolf, would be outstanding as a stand-alone novel; but it ends with a cliffhanger, and IMO the second book of the series (which I didn't finish) goes downhill in quality. Ellen C. Maze has a vampire series, starting with The Judging. I read a review copy of that one (I never reviewed it, because she wasn't happy with the fact that it would only have gotten three stars); I didn't like it as well as the other books I named, because I think the powers of instant mobility to any place in the world, and ability to hear or sense thoughts and words anywhere in the world, that she gives to her vampires are too exaggerated. But some other readers have liked the book, and the series. For short fiction, John Schreiber's "Me and Josh and Gideon," which appears in the Christian anthology Sky Songs from Sky Song Press, is one of the best vampire stories I've ever read.
Hope this helps! (I think the vampire novel The Salvation of Jeffrey Lapin by Greek Orthodox author Summer Kinard has possibilities, but it's still sitting in one of my huge TBR piles.)
Roman Catholic author Krisi Keley has written two volumes of a projected vampire-fiction trilogy, On the Soul of a Vampire and Pro Luce Habere; both of those got five stars from me, and are very Christian themed. But the projected final novel, Genesis, has been delayed for years because of her ill health, which leaves the story arc hanging. :-( LeAnn Neal Reilly, another Catholic author, has a stand-alone vampire novel, The Last Stratiote, which I also rated at five stars. It also has a strong Christian message; but as a caveat, it does have bad language and sexual situations in places.
Among evangelical authors, Sue Dent's series opener Never Ceese, which features both a vampire and a werewolf, would be outstanding as a stand-alone novel; but it ends with a cliffhanger, and IMO the second book of the series (which I didn't finish) goes downhill in quality. Ellen C. Maze has a vampire series, starting with The Judging. I read a review copy of that one (I never reviewed it, because she wasn't happy with the fact that it would only have gotten three stars); I didn't like it as well as the other books I named, because I think the powers of instant mobility to any place in the world, and ability to hear or sense thoughts and words anywhere in the world, that she gives to her vampires are too exaggerated. But some other readers have liked the book, and the series. For short fiction, John Schreiber's "Me and Josh and Gideon," which appears in the Christian anthology Sky Songs from Sky Song Press, is one of the best vampire stories I've ever read.
Hope this helps! (I think the vampire novel The Salvation of Jeffrey Lapin by Greek Orthodox author Summer Kinard has possibilities, but it's still sitting in one of my huge TBR piles.)
Werner A. Lind
Truth to tell, I sadly don't have time to write very much at all! But the only novel I ever wrote, Lifeblood, is supernatural fiction; and the two short stories I have for sale on Smashwords, and the majority of the few stories I've had published in magazines or e-zines have been in the same genre. (Lifeblood is vampire-themed, and a couple of the stories are as well.)
Werner A. Lind
David, I rejoice with you in the way God is leading you into paths of service, and pray for His continued guiding and enabling grace as you draw closer to Him day by day!
Werner A. Lind
David, good question! As I see it, every moment of every day should be devoted to God and to His service, not just time spent in specifically "religious" observances; because I want everything I do to be a part of His plan and order. Some observances in the day, though, are religious; but they aren't confined to one single scheduled time.
Daily prayer is important to me; I begin every day with prayer before I get out of bed, because God deserves my sacrifice of praise before I do anything else, and it's imperative to petition for His guidance, enabling grace and protection at the very outset of the day's activities, not just for me but for my family. Through the day, my "set" time for prayer is grace at meals and normally the time I spend walking to and from work. But I also pray at other times as needs or occasion of thanks and praise arise. My wife and I normally close the day by praying together before bed time; if for some reason we can't, I pray by myself before retiring, but I value the common prayer as an expression and furtherance of our bondedness to God and to each other as a couple.
Before praying together, we read a chapter in the Bible, going progressively from Genesis to Revelation; in that way, we've read the whole Bible together a number of times in our married life. To me, the Bible is the guide and touchstone for my entire life, so I read it to constantly let my life be formed and judged by the will of God. When our girls were at home, we would read a Bible story to them before bedtime (not necessarily from the Bible itself when they were younger; we liked Concordia Publishing's Arch series as an age-appropriate substitute) and pray with them; and when our grandkids are at our home, we keep up that practice with them.
That might be a longer answer than you wanted; but I hope it helps!
Daily prayer is important to me; I begin every day with prayer before I get out of bed, because God deserves my sacrifice of praise before I do anything else, and it's imperative to petition for His guidance, enabling grace and protection at the very outset of the day's activities, not just for me but for my family. Through the day, my "set" time for prayer is grace at meals and normally the time I spend walking to and from work. But I also pray at other times as needs or occasion of thanks and praise arise. My wife and I normally close the day by praying together before bed time; if for some reason we can't, I pray by myself before retiring, but I value the common prayer as an expression and furtherance of our bondedness to God and to each other as a couple.
Before praying together, we read a chapter in the Bible, going progressively from Genesis to Revelation; in that way, we've read the whole Bible together a number of times in our married life. To me, the Bible is the guide and touchstone for my entire life, so I read it to constantly let my life be formed and judged by the will of God. When our girls were at home, we would read a Bible story to them before bedtime (not necessarily from the Bible itself when they were younger; we liked Concordia Publishing's Arch series as an age-appropriate substitute) and pray with them; and when our grandkids are at our home, we keep up that practice with them.
That might be a longer answer than you wanted; but I hope it helps!
Werner A. Lind
To take the first question first, it definitely hindered me with Christian publishers, at least those affiliated with the ECPA, because their guidelines prohibit vampire fiction (I didn't know that at the time). All of them rejected the book (and some were quite snarky about it). Even after it was published (by a secular press) the same was true of Christian bookstores. (Secular publishers didn't have a problem with the Christian content, surprisingly!)
If you're a beginning author, have a story that's unusual and outside the usual commercial labels, and don't have an agent (and they're very hard to get, and usually don't want to mess with unusual works) you have two options: self-publish, or apply to small presses. (Nowadays, the big publishing houses accept queries and submissions only from agents, not directly from writers,) Self-publishing wasn't so common early in this century as it is now, so I went the second route.
Small presses don't help much in advertising a book (they can't afford it); but they do handle the cover design, pay for production, and handle distribution. IMO, that makes them preferable to self-publishing. To find one, you can use reference books like The Writer's Market or Novel and Short-Story Writers Market, which your library may have, or search on Google. You'll probably submit to several (or a lot!) before you get accepted. Just keep trying, be patient, and follow all submission directions. (And read the press' guidelines before you try submitting to them!)
If you self-publish (as I did with Lifeblood for a while, after its first publisher went out of business) DON'T sign a contract with any printing service that charges you money for printing. Only sign with one that makes its money from actual sales (and pays YOU money when a book sells). Lulu was the service I used (and their free package will provide a generic cover); but make sure the book is proofread before you submit it, because they can't correct typos after the fact. (To do that, you have to scrap the whole project and start over.)
I'm no expert on book promotion; I may make a dollar or so (or less) in some quarters of the year, and usually nothing! For what it's worth, though, my suggestions would be common sense: offer free copies to libraries, especially your local library, if you can afford it. (My publisher lets me buy copies at a discount.) Be active on Goodreads; don't spam people or groups with promotion for your book, but mention it where it's appropriate. (Many groups have threads or folders where authors can promote their books.) And definitely join the Goodreads Authors Program! Also, when your book is new, local media outlets will consider it news; let your local paper and radio stations know about it. A local home-owned bookstore (or even some chain stores) might be willing to carry your book, if they do that for local authors; but otherwise, don't bother with bookstores. (Small presses can't afford to offer them the same discounts and sweetheart deals they get from Big Publishing, so they're not interested.) Remember, above all, that your best advertising is word of mouth from satisfied readers!
Don't know if these answers are helpful or not, but I hope they are! ;-)
If you're a beginning author, have a story that's unusual and outside the usual commercial labels, and don't have an agent (and they're very hard to get, and usually don't want to mess with unusual works) you have two options: self-publish, or apply to small presses. (Nowadays, the big publishing houses accept queries and submissions only from agents, not directly from writers,) Self-publishing wasn't so common early in this century as it is now, so I went the second route.
Small presses don't help much in advertising a book (they can't afford it); but they do handle the cover design, pay for production, and handle distribution. IMO, that makes them preferable to self-publishing. To find one, you can use reference books like The Writer's Market or Novel and Short-Story Writers Market, which your library may have, or search on Google. You'll probably submit to several (or a lot!) before you get accepted. Just keep trying, be patient, and follow all submission directions. (And read the press' guidelines before you try submitting to them!)
If you self-publish (as I did with Lifeblood for a while, after its first publisher went out of business) DON'T sign a contract with any printing service that charges you money for printing. Only sign with one that makes its money from actual sales (and pays YOU money when a book sells). Lulu was the service I used (and their free package will provide a generic cover); but make sure the book is proofread before you submit it, because they can't correct typos after the fact. (To do that, you have to scrap the whole project and start over.)
I'm no expert on book promotion; I may make a dollar or so (or less) in some quarters of the year, and usually nothing! For what it's worth, though, my suggestions would be common sense: offer free copies to libraries, especially your local library, if you can afford it. (My publisher lets me buy copies at a discount.) Be active on Goodreads; don't spam people or groups with promotion for your book, but mention it where it's appropriate. (Many groups have threads or folders where authors can promote their books.) And definitely join the Goodreads Authors Program! Also, when your book is new, local media outlets will consider it news; let your local paper and radio stations know about it. A local home-owned bookstore (or even some chain stores) might be willing to carry your book, if they do that for local authors; but otherwise, don't bother with bookstores. (Small presses can't afford to offer them the same discounts and sweetheart deals they get from Big Publishing, so they're not interested.) Remember, above all, that your best advertising is word of mouth from satisfied readers!
Don't know if these answers are helpful or not, but I hope they are! ;-)
Werner A. Lind
Thanks for the kind words, Laura-Lee! Actually, I've been working on the new novel for more like 13 years --though that's not strictly accurate either, since it's really been on the back burner for a few years. I'd actually had my doubts whether I should even pursue it, given the huge amount of time novel writing takes and the scant rewards for it. But knowing that there are people who are actually interested in reading it provides the inspiration to want to continue!
That said, it's not a process that will be finished very soon, especially since I've decided the plot outline needs significant re-working, and some of what was already written had to be scrapped (though the Prologue and first few chapters could stay). During the school year, when I have Friday as a day off, I very occasionally can grab some time to work on it then, but with that kind of a schedule, any progress on it is very slow!
That said, it's not a process that will be finished very soon, especially since I've decided the plot outline needs significant re-working, and some of what was already written had to be scrapped (though the Prologue and first few chapters could stay). During the school year, when I have Friday as a day off, I very occasionally can grab some time to work on it then, but with that kind of a schedule, any progress on it is very slow!
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