Blog
Tension and Conflict in Fiction
Next time you read a work of fiction, pay attention to how the author develops and maintains conflict and tension. This is especially important in the genres that promise tension, namely, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Horror, and even Romance. Ted Dekker teaches in his...
No Stinking Outlines
I’m frequently asked about how I start writing a book. The two most common of these questions are: How do I get ideas for a book, and do I outline the book before starting to write. I’ll address the outline question this month. Please realize there is no “one” way to...
Character Names
Out of the blue, the opening lyrics to Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stone came to mind as I sat down to write the newsletter this month. “Please allow me to introduce myselfI'm a man of wealth and tasteI've been around for a long, long yearsStole million...
Taking the Gloves Off of Christian Fiction
Those of you who have followed me for more than a day realize that my novels are Christian fiction – Christian thrillers to be more precise. Technically, this means that the books support Christian ideals. However, if you think this means that every Christian fiction...
Chronology of The Lighthouse Series
I get asked about the timeline of my novels in The Lighthouse series. Because the three major novels total nearly 500,000 words, I think folks believe the stories must span decades, at the least. And they do – sort of. I never set out to write “a series.” So, the...
The Snare Silver Award 2023
So many of you have joined my newsletter list in the past few months, you may not know that The Snare, won a Silver Award in the Christian Mystery/Thriller category of the 2023 Illumination Book Awards. I received the nifty medal this week, so thought I’d mention it...
The Snare Audiobook Sample Chapter 22
The Snare is book three in The Lighthouse series of Christian thrillers. The protagonist, Charley Austin, is the 18 year-old son of Clay and Sheryl. In this scene he returns home for Thanksgiving holiday from his freshman year at college. The weekend looks rosy until...
The Chase Audiobook Sample Chapter 3
The Chase is book two in The Lighthouse series of Christian thrillers. In this scene, Sheryl, the 30-something protagonist, has just learned she is pregnant. At first excited, she now hesitates to tell her husband, Clay. Self-doubt and a sense of unworthiness begin to...
The Hidden Saboteur Audiobook Excerpt Chapter 32
The Hidden Saboteur is book one in The Lighthouse series of Christian thrillers. In this chapter, Clay Austin is attending the memorial service for Charley Gragg, a great uncle who was like a father to him. Clay won't know until the next day that his uncle...
Charles Besondy Reads from Road to Nineveh
Charley Austin, the main character of The Snare, returns in Road to Nineveh. Though in the previous thriller he managed to escape the clutches of Phobley, a dark angel, evil forces have teamed to turn him from God and rip away all that he holds dear. Listen to a...
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