Wonderful Wednesday: Gil Kane's The Flame Horse

My friend Alan sent me this a couple of weeks ago. Let's be honest, everyone wants to read this. I want to see that guy on the white horse fight the skull guy. And I sincerely hope that some of the alien spaceships get involved.

Sadly, I can't find any evidence that this comic was ever made.

NOW... stop your crying and enjoy what little we have of Gil Kane's The Flame Horse!

Imaginary Jesus: FATAL ALLIANCE ON DUNE WITH THE ROUGH BEASTS OF EMPIRE!!!!!!

One of the things I like about Amazon is when the book gets to certain ranks (it was in the low 6,000s today!), they compare the book to other books in the same genre.

Of course, no one seems to be able to figure out what genre Imaginary Jesus belongs to, so it ends up in categories like this one: Science Fiction Adventure! In which IJ dukes it out with Star Trek, Star Wars and Dune.

Now, if only I could get six or twelve Imaginary Jesus movies and a television series or two under my belt, I think IJ would have a fighting chance.

Harry Potter! Now you've turned my own children against me!

I was talking with my father-in-law this weekend about Imaginary Jesus, and he asked if there would be another printing, and I told him that the next printing will be the third printing. Which is pretty awesome. I walked into the kitchen, and Z. walked up to me and said:

Z: Dad, can you imagine how many printings there have been of Harry Potter?

Me: I know. A lot.

Z: Yes. Because everyone loves Harry Potter.

My favorite Romantic movies for Valentine's Day #1: George of the Jungle

You probably think I'm joking, but this is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's appropriate for all ages, it's funny and it has a sweet love story. And let's be honest, any love story that starts with the hero accidentally knocking out the heroine while saving her from a lion, after which he sniffs her hair and says, "Funny looking fella" is going to be a classic.

A tragic love story from Thailand in honor of Valentine's Day

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

You fool! If only you had upgraded the roof of your porch... *sniff* And now... it is too late.

A Valentine's Video from Jamie Carie

My friend Jamie Carie is a Romance Novelist. Yes, it's true. She's sending out strong Valentine's vibes today, including this video with quotes from her book. I thought you might enjoy it. So here you go:

Do you ever feel like someone is lurking behind you, watching your every move and waiting to POUNCE?

Sometimes I like to sneak up behind people who are getting their picture taken and insert myself into the scenery. Surprise!

Wonderful Wednesday: The Smoking Flying Stallion of Vintage Japan

If you smoke Peacock Cigarettes, you'll feel like you're riding a  leathery winged horse
out of the smoking ruins of a well-lined globe.

It's hard not love this advertisement. The more I look at it, the more I love it. I don't know who it is targeting, with the creepy, bat-winged horse who is smoking a big cigarette while flying over a burning world-globe. Then add the fact that the strange horror horse is the mascot of a cigarette brand called "Peacock" and what's not to love?

I get to see this a lot because Amy, one of my excellent co-workers, has a copy of this over her desk.

Jet Lag

Jet lag is usually the worst on day 2, at least in my experience. You wake up tired and can't go back to sleep, at a time of the morning when you should be blissfully snoring on your back.

This morning I probably would have slept through the "danger zone" in which if you wake up, you stay awake, except that the baby hit her head on something in her crib and started to cry. She, of course, went back to sleep. I lay in bed and tried to stay in bed and eventually got up. Which means that I woke Krista up, although she stayed in bed and tried to overcome it.

Jet lag also means that you will laugh at insane things that would usually pass by uncommented, like when someone close to you says, "Is this an animal show?" or "animal attraction" or something like that. I know, I know, there is nothing funny about these things. Intellectually I know this. But my jet lagged mind finds them hysterically funny. I am laughing right now.  Ha ha! No one has actually said those things, by the way. I'm just saying that if they did, I would find it funny.

Speaking of which... lack of coherence is also a problem. Sigh.

Okay, it's now close enough to my regular wake up time that I think I will go eat some Honey Nut Cheerios.

If you see me asleep or napping today, or if you catch me staring off into space with a glassy look in my eyes, poke e in the side wmill you?

Get Imaginary Jesus FREE FOR YOUR E-READER

For a limited time you can get the e-book version of Imaginary Jesus ABSOLUTELY FREE in Kindle format, for the Nook, or for your Sony e-reader.

Yes, my friends, the same book that was described as startling, contemporary, meaningful (Publisher's Weekly) and that Relevant Magazine compared to "Monty Python meets C.S. Lewis" is FREE.

I'd appreciate it if you'd let your friends know about this...  the more people who know about this the better, so please feel free to download it in multiple formats, send links to your friends, post, facebook, tweet, blog and hire sky writers. Muchas gracias mi amigos!

Homeward Bound

We're on our way home from Spain, staying the night in Germany. Here's what happened the last time I stayed in Germany. I hope to be able to send you excellent updates from this, my second overnight stay in Germany.

Sweet dreams everyone.

ROBIN and also Mary Marvel

From the imagination, pen and website of the always charming Colleen Coover:

Rawr!

Iz not safe, but Iz good. (from 9GAG)

Wonderful Wednesday: The Alhambra

Krista and I are in Spain right now, very near to Granada and the amazing Moorish castle, the Alhambra. Here's a video about the Alhambra from Rick Steves which I think you'll enjoy.

THE EARTH IS ABOUT TO GET A SECOND SUN!!!

This is a band called Supernova.

Scientists have recently announced that the Earth is going to get a second sun when the star Betelgeuse goes SUPERNOVA!  The explosion will be so bright that it could make the nighttime sky nearly as bright as the daytime sky, and this could last for several weeks. Brad Carter, an astronomer, says that it will happen soon... as early as THIS YEAR and as late as a million years from now.

My first car was a Nova.

This is a superhero named Nova.

This is Nova making eyes at an alien chick with a knife.
Soon -- maybe later this year, maybe a
million years from now -- Nova is going to regret this.

NOW YOU: In the comments, make a list of things that may happen as early as this year and as late as a million years from now. You know, stuff like this:

1) Gardens will be planted on the moon!
2) Robots will destroy all human life!
3) Robots will raise the intelligence of dogs so that they can serve their robot masters!
4) Dogs will overthrow and destroy all robots!

Get to it! Before the supernova!

Flame Off: Marvel Murders the Human Torch

I suppose that technically it isn't Marvel killing the Human Torch AKA Johnny Storm. Technically it's a big bunch of killer insect things that are trying to get his niece and nephew. With the last words, "Call me the Human Bug Zapper" Johnny heroically saves his relatives and loses his life.

This is a picture of the Fantastic Four. 

Try to guess which one is the Human Torch.

Well, since I'm a geek from way back, I'm sure many of you are coming to my blog to grieve the loss of The Human Torch and hoping I can give you some context for this terrible tragedy. And that is what I will do. Allow me to remind you that superheroes don't stay dead. It's not allowed.

What's that you say? You want more than that? Oh fine. Since I'm a professional writer, I did some research, called the Writer's Guild Of Insider Information and came up with the TOP SECRET plans for the Fantastic Four in the wake of the Human Torch's passing (my informant would like to stay anonymous). SPOILERS GALORE. But here are the three story arcs that will lead to the triumphant return of the Human Torch in 2012.

1) TORCH SONG: Increasingly distraught over the death of her brother, the Invisible Woman has descended into a depression she can't seem to shake out of. The Thing takes it upon himself to bring heroes from all over the Marvel Universe to share their stories of the Human Torch.

2) ETERNAL FLAME: Trying to assuage his own guilt for allowing The Human Torch to die defending his children, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic)begins looking into alternate time lines for how he could have done things differently... only to discover that the Human Torch is being systematically removed from every time line. Someone is murdering the Torch in every potential universe in existence. It's a mystery that only the Fantastic Four can get to the bottom of... but not without the help of... KANG THE CONQUEROR!

3) BLAZE OF GLORY: Setting in motion the massive "Scorched Earth" crossover through all the Marvel books (summer 2012), Kang the Conqueror returns from scouring the time lines with five Human Torches, including a familiar Johnny Storm he claims was saved from our own timeline. But why are the Avengers dead set against allowing the Torches to stay on Earth? And what does it all have to do with the sudden rise of cases of spontaneous combustion all over the planet? And how does it all tie in to the machinations of DOCTOR DOOOOOOOOOOOOM?

No one is sure why the Human Torch is being killed.

But this picture is said to hold a subtle clue.

And that is all I have to say about that, except to point out that Galactus will almost certainly make a showing.

Where We Are and What We Are Doing There

Today Krista and I are climbing on a rocket ship that will fly us straight to Nerja, Spain. Once a year we have a midyear conference for many of our one-year international interns (we call them stinters) in Campus Crusade for Christ.

Krista and I and many of our co-workers will be coming together to help coach our stinters.  For most of them, this is their first year as full-time missionaries, and for some of them it's their first time overseas, too.  We coach them about how to love their team well, how to stay focused in their relationship with God, how to engage in culture well and how to keep moving forward in their ministries.  It's a really fun time, actually.  This time of year is often the low point emotionally and spiritually for our stinters, and it's great to be able to engage with them and help renew their vision, help them find spiritual refreshment, and hear about their lives and ministry. I'll also be the Bible teacher for the week, which will be a lot of fun. For me, at least.

We always enjoy these midyears, although they are honestly harder work than you would think... intense, emotional meetings hearing about people's troubles, conflicts, lives and ministries multiple times a week while you're struggling with jet lag can wear you out. At the same time, we get to be with a lot of our good friends and we absolutely love the stinters... they're the sort of people who keep us doing our job.

Anyway, we'd appreciate your prayers this week, if you're the praying kind of person. Muchas gracias.

Imaginary Jesus hanging out with the Real Socialists

My friend Matt McComas sent me this picture. He and his team were out handing out copies of Imaginary Jesus to students at PSU. He was right across from the National Socialist Organization, which is a socialist organization that, at least at PSU, is dedicated to work hard for LGBT rights.

I, for one, was pleased to see Imaginary Jesus out there in the crowd... I'm guessing there aren't a lot of books like IJ hanging out with the NSO.

Wonderful Wednesday: New York Times Bestsellers on the Day You Were Born

Check out this fun website, where you can look up the New York Times bestsellers (fiction and non-fiction) from the week you were born.  Here's my list (July 17, 1974):

1 WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams
2 JAWS by Peter Benchley
3 CASHELMARA by Susan Howatch
4 TINKERTAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY by John le Carré
5 THE FAN CLUB by Irving Wallace
6 THE DOGS OF WAR by Frederick Forsyth
7 THE SNARE OF THE HUNTER by Helen MacInnes
8 BURR by Gore Vidal
9 I HEARD THE OWL CALL MY NAME by Margaret Craven
10 IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK by James Baldwin

A little known fact is that the fiction bestseller from the week you are born has a great deal to say about the sensitive, burgeoning personality you will have as you grow up.  For me, the best selling story of a psychic rabbit prophet together with his closest friends on an epic fantasy journey... well... it's pretty easy to see that this book is clearly responsible for my current personality and preferences in life.

Now... you do it!  Leave your top bestseller and what that says about you in the comments!

Book Signings are about as much fun as you can have!

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Me and Hannah McDowell, Super Fan

I enjoy book signings a lot. I like talking to the people buying Imaginary Jesus, and as you can see from the picture, they have so much fun that it makes them grin and give the thumbs up. I also allow pictures, so long as you promise to send it to me later.  This is Hannah, who sent me the picture and a really sweet note as well.  Thanks, Hannah!