Forty Christian novelists are profiled in this compilation which succeeds in telling some enjoyable stories but dilutes them by adding preachy moral platitudes. Eble, the editor of Tyndale House's online PageTurner's Journal, has assembled a diverse cross-section of author vignettes with the common thread of faith and the usual stories of rejection on the road to publication. There are glimpses of personal hurdles overcome, such as Randy Alcorn's struggle with insulin-dependent diabetes and Bodie Thoene's childhood battle with dyslexia; accolades for mentors and role models (such as the oft-mentioned novelist Francine Rivers); and typical stories of childhood writing aspirations. A few Christian authors are noticeably absent, including Christian thriller pioneer Frank Peretti and historical novelist Stephen Lawhead, and some of those included are a bit obscure. Unfortunately for readers, Eble hammers home a moral message at the end of each chapter, intended for personal application. "We too, will feel God's pleasure in us when we do whatever God has gifted us to do," she exhorts at the end of one essay. In another, on Liz Curtis Higgs, she admonishes, "Not all of us are faced with the work load or stresses Liz confronts daily. But all of us must search for and then embrace those opportunities we are uniquely called and gifted to undertake." Despite such passages, Christian readers who are curious about the lives of their favorite writers will likely appreciate this inside look at how faith and writing are combined together as vocation. (Jan.)
