Dark Star

(Taking a little break from the series to promote a book. I hope we prove for Christian Fiction what we proved with the Passion.)

Everett Lester and his band, DeathStroke, ride the crest of a wave to superstardom. But the deeper they become immersed in fame, wealth, and power, the more likely they are to be swallowed alive by the drugs, alcohol, and discontentment that have become their only friends.

Does this sound familiar? It could be taken from any celebrity magazine. Why is it we always try to stuff that God-sized hole with eveything but God? Creston Mapes explores this question with a truly wonderfully crafted character. He is evil personified on the outside but on the inside he's just a scared kid. How many times do we parents, teachers, adults look on the outside and figure that's exactly what's going on inside, too. If you have teenagers and you read the first chapter of this book, you won't be able to resist ordering it to see what happens.

I asked Creston what gave him the inspiration for this story he wrote right back with his answer:

Creston: I was reading J.D. Salinger's novel, Catcher In The Rye, around the time I began writing Dark Star. Without really thinking about it, that book showed me the potential power of a first-person novel. Also, I was a huge rock fan growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. Went to many, many concerts-both big groups and unknowns. Read all the rock magazines. Later in life, when I became a Christian, I wondered what would happen if one of these mega-stars found Christ.

It's the great "what if" question. I love going down those paths. I also asked him what kind of advice he had for any up and coming unpublished writers.

Creston: Try not to become too discouraged by the rejections. Keep in mind, it is one editor, one person, that is rejecting your work, not even necessarily that entire publisher. I received a ton of rejections before landing a three-book deal with Multnomah. Many times I questioned God, "I thought I was supposed to be doing this, Lord!" But, if He's put it on your heart, you won't be able to stop trying until God brings a publisher. I read a lot about the craft of writing fiction. Take notes. Read those notes while you're writing. That helps me!

Thanks, Creston! You didn't know it but that was an answer to a prayer of mine. Praise God Who answers our needs and the desires of our hearts.

Now go read all about Creston's first novel Dark Star and see if I'm not right.