tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post3148175269399227382..comments2023-07-01T07:31:28.450-06:00Comments on LDS Publisher: Hornet's Nest #4: Is 'LDS Fiction' a genre label?LDS_Publisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15053645600240124892noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-74930279681254238472008-09-21T13:19:00.000-06:002008-09-21T13:19:00.000-06:00.Man. I'm sorry I came back and read the comments ....<BR/><BR/>Man. I'm sorry I came back and read the comments I had missed. I had always thought Ly was a nice person, but I guess I'll have to scrap that. Heaven help me if she ever decides I'm a bad person.<BR/><BR/>I think the takeaway lesson for me at the end of this long string is not to abandon charity in the pursuit of a goal, no matter how righteous I interpret that goal to be.Th.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16460795570237872290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-54784093250863682482008-08-01T11:37:00.000-06:002008-08-01T11:37:00.000-06:00What bothers me the most about the comments to thi...What bothers me the most about the comments to this post is the assumption that the LDS market as it stands actually represents what most readers want.<BR/><BR/>As it stands, the LDS market may reach perhaps 25% of active LDS Church members. It is geographically councentrated in the Intermountain West, and even outside of that area, is often fueled by those who grew up there.<BR/><BR/>Why shouldn't an up-and-coming LDS publisher try to find something different, that might reach some of those NOT being served by the current LDS market.<BR/><BR/>Robinson Wells makes a good point that the term LDS Fiction does depend on how it is percieved by those in the market. BUT, let's be honest about a few things:<BR/><BR/>1. Not all those that happen to pass through an LDS bookstore actually understand or buy into this definition. It is an assumption made by some (perhaps most) of those that currently buy books from LDS bookstores.<BR/><BR/>[Or am I wrong and someone has a survey of LDS book buyers that show that basically everyone buys into this definition?]<BR/><BR/>2. [And I can't say this strongly enough] The LDS market ISN'T everything. Many, if not most, active LDS Church members don't buy from LDS bookstores at all. To at least some of these potential buyers, the perception of LDS Fiction is quite negative -- books that aren't good enough for the national market.<BR/><BR/>3. For many both inside and outside the LDS market, the term "LDS Fiction" sounds like it must be fiction written by LDS Church members, or fiction written for LDS Church members. The understanding that everyone believes is common inside the LDS market, may not be common when you look at the entire group of potential purchasers.<BR/><BR/>I don't know about you, but I think we need to expand the LDS market to reach a much larger portion of the potential purchasers. So instead of worrying about whether one work might offend a small portion of those currently buying books in LDS bookstores, let's figure out how we can get those who think that LDS fiction isn't worth their time to rejoin the market.<BR/><BR/>Let's change perceptions, not follow them.Kent Larsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05893161961963720939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-51555444369033793912008-07-31T13:17:00.000-06:002008-07-31T13:17:00.000-06:00Oh, I think it is. In this thread alone, I've been...Oh, I think it is. In this thread alone, I've been accused (along with my publisher) of "tricking" people, of tempting innocents to "explore beneath every evil unturned stone," of being a "wolf" of one species or another (your words, Ly), of "chipping away from within" (your words, Ly). You (Ly) hope we "go out of business very quickly" unless our objectives align with your perceptions of them. But are so gracious as to allow that we <I>may</I> not in fact be "apostate." Gee, thanks. Such an outpouring of charity. And we need only prove the negative. I'm getting all misty-eyed.Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182644885948983861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-76499897395616596632008-07-30T14:45:00.000-06:002008-07-30T14:45:00.000-06:00I illustrated exactly what you're talking about? T...I illustrated exactly what you're talking about? That's simply not true and you know it.<BR/><BR/>LyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-51201603888021710962008-07-30T12:38:00.000-06:002008-07-30T12:38:00.000-06:00Congratulations, Ly, for illustrating exactly what...Congratulations, Ly, for illustrating exactly what I'm talking about. I've got no problem with people who decide to "walk away." But some people are not content to "walk away." They must pitch a fit, often based on second-hand knowledge and gross invective.<BR/><BR/>Tristi Pinkston writes, "I was given (the book), held it up against the standards I've been given (the site), and made a logical determination that they were not a good fit." <I>That's</I> fair. You'll hear no argument from me on that score.<BR/><BR/>I've got no use for literary snobbery at either end of the spectrum. People who like their fiction "clean"? Who like to write it and publish it? I have no desire to see those choices denied them, or to see them fail. May they live long and prosper. <BR/><BR/>And "the <I>adult</I> section of the bookstore"? You mean the entire fiction section except for children's lit? I'm talking about the BYU Bookstore. Moral consistency is not the name of the game here. Rather, this becomes the sport of religious tribalism.<BR/><BR/>In other words, seeking common cause though shared enemies. "Without whom <I>I</I> cannot be saved?" They don't seem to believe they can be saved <I>with</I> me. Well, if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve. So I agree: enough.Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182644885948983861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-68628815760379925862008-07-30T00:11:00.000-06:002008-07-30T00:11:00.000-06:00I have to say honestly, after following all the co...I have to say honestly, after following all the comments and reading a bit of other info online, I'm just picking up the darn book, reading it, and deciding for myself what I'm gonna think about it.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for piquing my interest.<BR/><BR/>I'll write about what I think about it on my own blog... when I get around to it.A. Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15910305938770989967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-55927780688254815492008-07-29T15:18:00.000-06:002008-07-29T15:18:00.000-06:00Eugene:Argh! There you go again dissing people who...Eugene:<BR/><BR/>Argh! There you go again dissing people who decided to walk away from the adult section of the book store. Tune out the static. Put off some of the heaviness and take on a different yoke. <BR/><BR/>I doubt you intend it, but comments like these make a segment of the reading public, if not a majoiryt, want to puke. I'm not talking about the gal who hated Neil Diamond's hair on moral grounds. I'm talking about fellow saints, brothers and sisters, your neighbors, your friends, the people without whom you can not be saved. All those naive people who, without your notice, just may have been to your nuanced shores, swam in your intellectual waters, drank from the fountain of your diverse, stimulating, descriptive, real-life-simulating fare, and decided it wasn't for them.<BR/><BR/>Enough.<BR/><BR/>LyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-29490861678654541932008-07-29T12:08:00.000-06:002008-07-29T12:08:00.000-06:00I'm still bummed that nobody wants to debate theol...I'm still bummed that nobody wants to debate theology, other than some vague ad hominems about me being mean to Job. I totally do <I>not</I> understand where that is coming from. Please, people: <I>specifics.</I> I do compare God to Robert De Niro, but nobody's objected to that (feel free to now).<BR/><BR/>As my <A HREF="http://eugenewoodbury.blogspot.com/2008/07/yet-more-afs-uproar.html?showComment=1217206200000#5601832505030704844" REL="nofollow">sister</A> puts is, "I thought religious people <I>always</I> thought about this stuff." Apparently not.<BR/><BR/>Instead, the same old arguments that were old thirty years ago at BYU, with a contingent reliably objecting that certain movies being shown at International Cinema--or magazines sold at the bookstore, or books found on the shelves in the library--were "inappropriate." Even Neil Diamond's hair.Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182644885948983861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-35333025751286972052008-07-29T11:22:00.000-06:002008-07-29T11:22:00.000-06:00I'm willing to remain in the camp that this is a m...I'm willing to remain in the camp that this is a matter of genre, but I must say, I'm concerned by the comment that the Mormon readership is closed-minded. I'm also concerned by the comments that we must not have read the book if we think ill of it. I'll go on record here as one of the reviewers who received a copy of the book and I returned it. The company I write for doesn't support reviews written on books that contain certain types of content, from any publisher. It wouldn't matter if I'd gotten AFS from Zarahelma or from a national publisher -- the content alone was enough to keep me from being able to publish it. While I didn't read it cover to cover (wanting to keep it in good condition to resell) I flipped through and located a sex scene and then the kiss between the women. Putting the whole LDS issue aside for a moment, the scenes, in and of themselves, were too graphic for me to review on the site. I did not make my decision based on an arbitrary, "Oh! Let's get on the bandwagon!" knee-jerk refusal to review. I looked at the information I was given (the book) held it up against the standards I've been given (the site) and made a logical determination that they were not a good fit. <BR/><BR/>Just for the record, I inquired of the blogger Chris mentions above, who is a good friend of mine, and she says she is not the one who inquired of LDS Publisher. It's entirely possible that the inquiry came from someone who had read her article and formed their inquiry after reading it, but there were two different sources. And no, it wasn't me. :)Tristi Pinkstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12122250747480013804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-70496960841268149312008-07-28T19:02:00.000-06:002008-07-28T19:02:00.000-06:00William Morris wrote: "It appears to me that some ...William Morris wrote: "It appears to me that some of the controversy over this title has come about because Chris Bigelow provided review copies to some lit bloggers who are more Covenant/DB-oriented."<BR/><BR/>Hmm, yes. I don't regret doing it; I still hope to win a few over. Frankly, I sent out lots of e-mail invitations to reviewers of all kinds, and the Covenant-style bloggers answered back the most. I had a lot of them on my list in the first place because I simply e-mailed the same people who Jeff Savage announced participated in his own blog tour; I publish books in my spare time, so I naturally look for publicity shortcuts. Also I thought that Zarahemla winning the top Whitney last would buy some good will, but instead I think that's contributed to the current backlash.<BR/><BR/>I was naive enought to think that AFS might actually bridge the readership gap, with Meyer's Twilight series having already warmed up the vampire topic for Mormons and with a careful edit to tone down the graphic stuff. I still hope the novel might productively stretch some readers who haven't yet ventured beyond Covenant-style LDS fiction--not that there's much of it to venture into yet.<BR/><BR/>Also, I'll disclose that the blogger who started this whole thing with her rather extreme review and her query to LDS Publisher actually contacted me first with a warning, and I said go ahead and do whatever you see fit, so I feel no ill will toward her although I don't relate at all, either. And I'll also admit that this has been really fun for me personally, folks, so thanks for the ride! I mean, how else could I have ever gotten Orson Scott Card to abuse me via e-mail all weekend?<BR/><BR/>As far as Zarahemla going out of business, sorry but there's really no business to shut down. My overhead is so low that I can publish a book anytime I feel like it, and right now there's enough money in the Zarahemla account to publish six more books even if not a single copy of any Z. title ever sells again. What I run out of faster than money is time, to tell you the truth...Christopher Bigelowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01417741940958662788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-24556407828864098642008-07-27T20:39:00.000-06:002008-07-27T20:39:00.000-06:00I'm one of those readers who wouldn't be too offen...I'm one of those readers who wouldn't be too offended if I picked up an "LDS fiction" title and found that it was too edgy according to LDS standards.<BR/><BR/>A rating system might work, but even then, it would be full of holes. I just read a review on the new movie, The Dark Knight. The reviewer thought it should have had an R rating, instead of PG-13. So I suppose with any rating system, you'll still have disappointed people if you set them up with preconceived notions.Heather Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11634399663804195312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-26993167540275481152008-07-27T18:52:00.000-06:002008-07-27T18:52:00.000-06:00"I'm hoping this experience creates, perhaps, a th..."I'm hoping this experience creates, perhaps, a thought that LDS fiction can be something other than romance novels for the LDS market."<BR/><BR/>Oh, heavens, Stephen--you're woefully unaware of what's in the current market if that's what you think. Sure, romance novels are big--just like they are in the national market--but there's a TON more than that already.<BR/><BR/>I'm tired of people spouting opinions about a market they haven't read more than 200 pages of in the last five years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-53757053874676278212008-07-27T18:37:00.000-06:002008-07-27T18:37:00.000-06:00I'm amazed by the comments.Milada is homo lamia. A...I'm amazed by the comments.<BR/><BR/><B>Milada is homo lamia. A vampire. Fallen.</B> led me to think that she was undead. She isn't, which creates a complete twist on the novel and ...<BR/><BR/>All I can say is that the teaser is more than enough warning, I guess, unless you are expecting more of Twilight (which I've been avoiding reading).<BR/><BR/>It really is not a modern vampire novel, instead it is about family and redemption and faith.<BR/><BR/>The controversy really isn't about sex, violence or blood, it is about reader expectations and how to channel them so that readers get the experience they are looking for (and will pay more money to accomplish again).<BR/><BR/>I'm hoping this experience creates, perhaps, a thought that LDS fiction can be something other than romance novels for the LDS market.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00219023897626648057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-10201790365971479832008-07-27T14:43:00.000-06:002008-07-27T14:43:00.000-06:00This is the reason why we go to church, read our s...This is the reason why we go to church, read our scriptures, pray, attend the temple, and other various activities to keep the spirt in our lives and prompting us to keep a balance of what is good for us and not so good for us. (We live in a world inundated with evil things, and are hit with them DAILY. We gird ourselves with protection every day to get through it all.) That is the determining factor in whether we go too far or not. It is all by keeping ourselves tuned into the Spirit and following those promptings. If your prompting says "don't read that," great! Follow it and be happy, but instead of telling everyone how evil this or that is when is it mild by far to world like standards, keep it where it should be. "That was something that I felt wasn't right for me." "Those things are something that I want to avoid because it makes me feel this, and I don't like that." "That book tested my comfort levels and I don't like feeling that way." For other people they have a different perspective, may not feel those same feelings, and it might speak to them in a way that is more spirit provoking. Or it may not effect them at all? I'm just saying, that it is possible. I'm just saying that you just never know the reasons people choose to allow certain things in their lives verses other things. Going on strike and shooting this and that down... it isn't going to make them go away. And hoping for a publishing company to go out of business is just seems wrong to me.<BR/><BR/>We should be grateful that we have the LDS Publishing companies that we do. If you are unsatisfied with the way things are being run, either call them and complain and ask them to raise their standards, stop buying their books, or start your own publishing company. Or even better support the ones that you do see keep standards that you like and take it further, call them and tell them thank you and why! Give a pat on the back to those who are meeting your expectations.<BR/><BR/>This is just how it is... just like some music can be uplifting for some and not for others. I can go to church and feel one kind of spirit and listen to a non church song at home and feel a stronger spirit at times. What does it mean. Nothing. It means you are touched when it happens. And your life is enriched when it happens. The likelihood of it happening in the right places is higher but not guaranteed. The real point is to keep the spiritual ears open and follow what you are directed to do.A. Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15910305938770989967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-20325140243176088502008-07-27T10:16:00.000-06:002008-07-27T10:16:00.000-06:00What is most troubling to me in discussions like t...What is most troubling to me in discussions like this is that, though not intended I'm sure, there is a sense that a life spent following the Master is somehow not sufficient. That seeking to be informed but yet retain the saving virtues of a child is at some level (or many levels) deficient. Lacking. Without depth. Of regrettable upbringing. Uncultured. Uneducated. Unacceptable. Simple minded. Blind.<BR/><BR/>At what point do we shed our innocence, but still retain our virtue? When are we finally initiated enough in the things of this world? Informed enough? Experienced enough? Ten edgy novel? Twenty? A hundred? When do we rally the courage to walk away? Or do we simply become past feeling and never leave it on the adult book shelf?<BR/><BR/>When is enough enough? <BR/><BR/>Is there something so lacking in a life spent in discipleship that we are drawn with so much curiosity to explore beneath every evil unturned stone?David G. Woolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09392352753586598503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-56771359518648872582008-07-26T23:17:00.000-06:002008-07-26T23:17:00.000-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.David G. Woolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09392352753586598503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-34208927959415528302008-07-26T21:36:00.000-06:002008-07-26T21:36:00.000-06:00So William Morris. Which is potentially more damag...So William Morris. Which is potentially more damaging:<BR/><BR/>A wolf in lambs clothing. Or a wolf seperated from the flock. It may not be apostate, but it does chip away. You simply can't ignore that fact. No matter how much you'd like to explore, or push the envelope. And I'm not suggestin you shun this sort of thing, but rather, make the choice to walk away.<BR/><BR/>LyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-5567618097601794922008-07-26T18:53:00.000-06:002008-07-26T18:53:00.000-06:00Now that I got all of that out of the way -- an ad...Now that I got all of that out of the way -- an addendum.<BR/><BR/>First: I think Angel Falling Softly is a fine novel and a rewarding, moral exploration for some aspects of Mormonism and the Mormon experience. But it is not a perfect novel. It is not the best Mormon novel published so far. And I think that Woodbury could have toned down some of the content (but perhaps not all) and it still would have been just as effective. That said, it's one of the best titles Zarahemla Books has published so far. <BR/><BR/>Second: It appears to me that some of the controversy over this title has come about because Chris Bigelow provided review copies to some lit bloggers who are more Covenant/DB-oriented. I consider Chris a friend. But I don't always agree with his PR/marketing approaches for Zarahemla Books. <BR/><BR/>Third: I think that part of the issue here is that the category that Angel Falling Softly falls into is so underdeveloped. There just haven't been that many "broadly appropriate" novels published (see my post further up for what I mean by that term). Signature has published a few of them, but they have also published works -- even creative works -- that cross the line even for those of us who prefer the "broadly appropriate" approach. I'm not a supporter of Signature (except for the stuff they've published by Doug Thayer and Patricia Karmesines and maybe a couple of other titles). This is relatively new territory for all of us and so it's easy to see why some readers have certain expectations of what LDS fiction is/should be. <BR/><BR/>Fourth: Angel Falling Softly pushes things about as far as I personally am comfortable with. Other Zarahemla Books titles don't push things quite this far. For all but the most sensitive readers, I think Hooligan, On the Road to Heaven and Hunting Gideon are very much worth reading. Brother Brigham and Kindred Spirits might be a bit too edgy for some. Long After Dark is fantastic -- the best of the lot. I would recommend it for those who are interested in literary fiction and have no problem with literary fiction that isn't super graphic. <BR/><BR/>Fifth: I think this really points out the need for some titles that are literary (but not pretentious) and orthodox (but not didactic). Perhaps such titles would fail to please anyone. But I'd be interested in hearing about works that don't push things in terms of graphic-ness, but acknowledge that Mormons are not always perfect. That explore the Mormon experience with all it's warts and foibles and disagreements over doctrine and practice but still holds that the LDS Church is true (Note that I have not detected anything in any of the Zarahemla Books titles that suggest that the LDS Church isn't true or that badmouths the Brethren or that pushes too far with discussion of the temple, etc.). That's exactly the kind of stuff that I want to read and write. And for the most part, that's the school of writing that Chris Bigelow supports and is interested in (certainly it's the type of work he published while editor of Irreantum). <BR/><BR/>Sixth: I'm going to personally continue to try and track down (I have pretty much a zero dollar entertainment budget and the libraries Minnesota don't tend to stock LDS fiction titles) more Covenant and DB fiction titles and read them. Just as it's not fair for those who haven't read Z-Books' output to make sweeping pronouncements about its publisher and authors; it's also not fair for those of us who don't read Covenant and DB fiction to make the judgments one sometimes hear about their titles (that they are didactic or not well-written/edited etc.).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-33222533355492859092008-07-26T18:49:00.000-06:002008-07-26T18:49:00.000-06:00Well said, William.I challenge anyone to prove to ...Well said, William.<BR/><BR/><I><B>I challenge anyone to prove to me that this is a work that actually undermines faith.</B></I><BR/><BR/>I too would like for anyone making these claims to trace the logical pathway from AFS to whatever threat it poses and define the threat--in precisely defined terms.<BR/><BR/>I also think one should save one's outrage for books one has actually read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-20311848973135997682008-07-26T18:08:00.000-06:002008-07-26T18:08:00.000-06:00Actually, Angel Falling Softly is neither profane ...Actually, Angel Falling Softly is neither profane nor immoral. It might be considered a bit edgy. It is certainly uplifting and inspiring. Woodbury has put the vampire tropes and Mormonism into collision. It is a fantasy novel. Just like Orson Scott Card's Folk of the Fringe, the Alvin Maker series, and the Homecoming series -- all of which are based in LDS history and doctrine but are not meant to replicate Mormon doctrine exactly, but rather to explore interest aspects of the doctrine and history through fiction. The difference here is that Woodbury sets his novel in a world where Mormons pretty much act and believe like Mormons do.<BR/><BR/>But here's the thing: vampires don't actually exist. Angel Falling Softly posits that they do (as does Twilight) and then asks what might happen in a world where Morminism and vampirism both exist. It is purely speculative fiction. <BR/><BR/>And the result is not meant to create doubt or to castigate the LDS Church or to lure readers into the ways of the world (nor do I think it has that result). In fact, I would argue that Angel Falling Softly is much less alluring to evil than the Twilight series. In Woodbury's novel, there are serious consequences to the presence of vampires. And, the vampire's sexuality as a trope is completely exposed, I think. None of this alluring, teasing stuff that you get. He's laying bare, that hey, vampires have been used throughout literature and film as expressions of sexuality (and especially of a way to express women's sexuality in a way that they don't have to take responsibility for). Guess, what readers of Rice and Hamilton and Meyer and viewers of Buffy and Angel? You've been fooling yourself, playing with fire. Vampires aren't cool or sexy or interesting. They are dangerous predators. And yet Woodbury also adds the twist that some of them are just people with a medical condition who find ways to redeem themselves. Others -- not so much.<BR/><BR/>It also doesn't undermine the plan of salvation. If anything it is a heartrending, nuanced, fascinating exploration of agency and sin and repentance. It's also very much about love and taking chances and finding ways in this messy world to make things work. <BR/><BR/>It is not graphic by the world's standards. Nor is it more graphic than most works one would read in an intro to literature class. I recognize that it does contain three scenes or so that could make some Mormon readers uncomfortable -- that are pretty PG-13. In fact, I posted a content warning on A Motley Vision about the book.<BR/><BR/>I understand that not all readers will have the same experience. Reactions have ranged from applause to outrage to a shrugging of the shoulders. <BR/><BR/>But this whole chipping away from within idea is ridiculous. There are writers who want to do that. I'm not going to recommend that you go out and read Brian Evenson, for example. Or Neil LaBute. <BR/><BR/>Woodbury does not fall in the same category at all. He's much closer to Orson Scott Card. In fact, pretty much the same in terms of what he's doing and the level of graphicness (actually much less graphic than some of OSC's work). There are some Mormons who also think OSC is chipping away. But his track record, and the types of writers he has inspired, and his commitment to the LDS Church is pretty much unassailable. <BR/><BR/>Yes, Angel Falling Softly is a different kind of LDS fiction than what Covenant publishes. It is not apostate. And I challenge anyone to prove to me that this is a work that actually undermines faith.<BR/><BR/>And it is way better and way more redeeming and inspiring than The Matrix, which apparently most Mormons -- even those who don't normally go to Rated R movies -- have seen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-84400448861292445062008-07-26T17:48:00.000-06:002008-07-26T17:48:00.000-06:00The I am free to not purchase comment is a great o...The I am free to not purchase comment is a great one. No more Zarahamla books from me too.<BR/><BR/>LyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-43282519781685687962008-07-26T17:46:00.000-06:002008-07-26T17:46:00.000-06:00I am free to hope they go out of buisness, am I no...I am free to hope they go out of buisness, am I not? And I'm going to help kick start the process by not purchasing anything they publish. Wahoooooooo.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-72493827763490760072008-07-26T17:45:00.000-06:002008-07-26T17:45:00.000-06:00If Zarahamla's aim is to "Chip" away at the reader...If Zarahamla's aim is to "Chip" away at the readership which chooses non-edgy, non-profane, non-immoral, uplifting, inspiring, fiction and to covert them to more worldly fare, I hope they go out of business very quickly. We have enough chippers chipping away from without. We don't need anymore chipping away from within.<BR/><BR/>LyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-82892618808638734262008-07-26T10:36:00.000-06:002008-07-26T10:36:00.000-06:00.Correction: I meant:"The sex/vampire combo was NO....<BR/><BR/>Correction: I meant:<BR/><BR/>"The sex/vampire combo was NOT invented by Anne Rice or that Hamilton woman."Th.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16460795570237872290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25573541.post-8760082088542667752008-07-26T05:26:00.000-06:002008-07-26T05:26:00.000-06:00Ack. Just thinking about how they are going to do...Ack. Just thinking about how they are going to do make a sub-genre GIVES me a headache. (I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one to think that.) Honestly that is the dilemma of writing LDS Fiction. If you write with the LDS audience in mind, sorry to say, you have to ethically think really what is appropriate or not for your audience. That isn't censorship, that's considering your audience and writing for it. If you can't stay in those lines, then write for a different audience. If you plan to be published with an LDS Publisher, I think it is up to the publisher to keep those standards. Making the categories more complex is too much of a headache and busy publishers have better things to do.<BR/><BR/>Honestly this is the reason why I don't plan to write purely for an LDS market. I'll write and I'll have standards to blanket my writing as a whole. Me personally I don't plan to "pollute my pen," but what I regard as my standards, may bother some people out there. I can't make everyone happy, but I've got to follow my voice too.<BR/><BR/>I had a conversation about a year ago with a sister in my ward who didn't like the Twilight series and she explained why. I'm a fan, I saw her point of view, and I agreed with it, but yet I still love the series. I know I'm a sell out. She won't be planning to have her daughters read it because of her opinion. And you know, I'm okay with that. I plan to have a conversation about them with my kids. I mean what better way to strike up a conversation on LDS ideals than reading a book and discussing it?? And having the whole why or why not? Isn't that a great way to see gospel topics in action? Anyhow, that's just me... that's just my opinion.A. Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15910305938770989967noreply@blogger.com