I loved what this woman had to say about Heaven in this book, in the first book (which I have just started reading--I seem to be in the habit of having second books before I can read first books), and in her sharing at my church recently. Some of what she said confirmed things I already thought were the case even if they are hotly debated among Christians (such as whether our pets go to Heaven). I have to believe that any ideas that Heaven is going to be any less wonderful and spectacular and varied than earth are based in a lack of understanding that God really, really loves us. What Kat has shared feels right to me. And she is a jewel of a person to know, full of love and conviction. Her messages are a comfort to those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and a cause of rejoicing for all who know that someday Heaven will be our eternal home.
Two things bothered me about this book, however. The first is that it is full of writing errors and appears to have not had an editor at all. It's as bad as the Twilight series in that respect. Being a stickler for catching errors in writing, I had to cringe at her horrible punctuation and her misspellings ("lightening" instead of "lightning" stands out in my mind). Although I do believe she has visited Heaven and means well, I know that many people are skeptical and will pick any cause to not take her seriously. If she could get her books edited, it would make a big difference to some people's idea of her credibility and intelligence. This is especially the case since she is selling her writings and other products as part of a for-profit business. I understand she intends to give and share what she makes, but she should be able to afford a copyeditor.
So why didn't I offer my own services when I met her? It has to do with the other thing that bothered me about this book. This concern is personal and would make her hiring me involve a conflict of interest. This book has a forward that supposedly was dictated by warrior angels which, among other things, prescribes some rules for holiness. What concerns me is that it specifically says not to read about vampires, on that grounds that there are no vampires in Heaven and we ought not to put things into our minds that are not in Heaven.
In general, I agree that most of today's vampire stories glorify evil and evil fantasies and/or they can open doors to the demonic in our hearts. But this is not always the case. I write about vampires not to glorify them in the least but to present symbolic representations of evil and sin; they are villains in my stories. I started writing my vampire stories because of a special dream I had that clearly told me I must write the story I dreamed about. I trust my sleep dreams more than my waking thoughts; some of my dreams have come true. Others have shown me valuable spiritual lessons. I've lain these stories on the altar more than once, and I am convinced that I am called to write these tales of good against evil for the glory of God.
So when I read what Kat's warrior angels forbade, I talked to God about it. He pointed out that it would be hard to write fiction that never mentioned anything that is not in Heaven, and that Kat herself breaks the rule she wrote down when she mentions Satan, who is not in Heaven and who is totally, irredeemably evil. As long as people are still on earth, they must learn about the forces that wrestle in attempt to pull them down into Hell. My stories teach about such forces. And the fact that vampires are not real makes the point all the clearer that they are symbols. I believe there is no subject that God forbids us to write about or read about. What matters is what our stories say and how they are presented.
Kat Kerr has all my blessings in that she is doing much good for believers and unbelievers alike. But those blessings come with hurting myself and my ministry/career as a writer. It is not my job to try to juxtapose her revelations with my own. I cannot say that her translations to Heaven trump my prophetic dreams. I have no right to throw away my gift and calling. I have given up way too much already in order to write stories with messages that do not lead people astray. I will not call evil good or good evil. I will not sugarcoat sin. Nor will I cease to be a writer. Kat herself has made it clear that our gifts are essential to our purposes in this life and in the life beyond. I must march to the beat of my Heavenly Drummer, even when some fellow soldiers condemn my actions without even knowing what I am writing.
It appears that my book reviews are getting more and more personal. I am a writer and a reader, and books can affect me very deeply. I pray that Kat Kerr find a good editor, hopefully by the time she is ready to release her promised third book. Her writings deserve it. But I don't expect her to understand me should she learn of some of the subject matter in my stories. She would think I am walking in unrepented sin rather than obedience.