Backseat Writer is on Spring Break!

After last week’s computer break down and next week’s GINORMOUS FUN, Backseat Writer is going on Spring Break this week.  Oh, I’ll be working behind the scenes, of course, so don’t be shocked if a post or two pops up.  But don’t count on it either!   Spring Break is all about fun, right?

P.S. Don’t forget about the BIG GIVEAWAY starting MARCH 23!  Whoops, did I let that slip?

Something big is coming…

…but you’ll just have to wait until March 23 to see what it is.   Or maybe I’ll slip some details out over the next few days.  Be vigilant, dear friends, for fun is about to rock your worlds.

Book Review:: Picking Dandelions by Sarah Cunningham

“My conversion played out simply, as if I were extending to God a dandelion: the life of a scrawny kid pressed into His hand.”—one of the many quotable sentences from Picking Dandelions

I was a little girl who picked dandelions for anyone and everyone.  As I grew older, I was fascinated that God would make a “weed” so beautiful.  Therefore, I was easily pulled into Sarah Cunningham’s latest book, Picking Dandelions.  And just because Sarah sent me a copy of the book to review, I resolved to remain objective.  And my opinion is—this book is good.  Really good.

Cunningham’s writing is refreshing, particularly because she’s a female contemporary—only two years older than me.  I’m tired of reading about the spiritual journeys of 40 year-old men—give me a woman in her early 30’s any day.  Cunningham masterfully weaves her faith story using the lifecycle of a dandelion to tie it all together. Plus, Cunningham is darn funny

I could relate to a lot of Cunningham’s experiences—from Christian school to beaded salvation bracelets to the crushing blow of September 11, 2001—and it was a sad, transforming, quirky, and enjoyable journey.  I was surprised by how transparently Cunningham writes, especially in making a list of her character flaws.  What woman, I asked myself, would put this into a book?  More proof that Sarah Cunningham is a different kind of author—one that lives with her faith on her sleeve and dandelions in her hands.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Picking Dandelions by Sarah Cunningham. Don’t be fooled by the flowers, this is a great book for both men and women.

“I couldn’t have known the end result: that as dandelions give their white-feathered lives to the wind, the wind blows them—and us—to places where we grow in ways we never expected.”—Another favorite quote from Picking Dandelions

Take 5 with Adie Camp

Recording artist Adie Camp’s second album, Just You and Me (BEC Recordings), is one of those beautiful worshipful albums that defies that sophomore album slump.  Life since The Benjamin Gate has been busy for Adie, who released her first solo album in 2006, married fellow recording artist Jeremy Camp, and gave birth to two beautiful daughters.  Plus, she’s the worship leader at her church. Whew!  Despite her hectic life, Adie was kind enough to Take 5 with Backseat Writer.  And this one includes a love story…so read on.

You met your husband, recording artist Jeremy Camp while on tour with your former band, The Benjamin Gate.  Did you ever thing you would go on tour and meet your future husband?  And, for the ladies, how did he ask you to marry you?

No, I wasn’t looking to meet anyone at that time at all. In fact I had committed in my heart for it to be a season where I just focused on my walk with the Lord. I was coming out of a very dry season spiritually and I knew I had lots in my heart that I wanted to sort through

We weren’t interested in each other at all at first. I was so blown away by Jeremy’s walk with the Lord and his testimony. I asked him a lot of questions about it all and we became good friends very quickly… and then we both realized it was a whole lot more…

Our engagement story… It was GMA week and instead of going to the Dove Awards we decided to dress up and go somewhere fun. He had pre-planned this all obviously… We went to this awesome restaurant and they sat us down at a table that was by itself, tucked away from everyone else.

Jeremy had them put a CD player underneath the table and after dinner was finished he pulled it out and it was playing one of my favorite worship songs (the song I wanted to walk down the aisle to).He then ran around the table and got on his knee.  In the meantime they had brought the ring in a little dessert box.

It was a very special night because we had the best conversation about all that the Lord was doing in our hearts and so it very special for that to be the tone for the night.

You and Jeremy have two daughters, which you home-school due to touring.  Is the industry harder on musician moms—why or why not?

I think it depends on ones outlook. There are so many things in life that can be a challenge. As a family we are so thankful for all the things we do have and try not to focus on the sacrifices we have to make as a family. We love what we do and are honored that we have the platform we have. The girls love being on the road too, which is great.

Home schooling is perfect for us because it gives us stuff to do in the morning while everyone else is sleeping.

The title of your sophomore album, Just You and Me, was born out of the song, “Only You.”  What is the story behind the song?

I have been leading worship at our church for about a year and a half and that was one of my favorite songs to sing. It seemed like every time we played it, I really felt like everything else would fade away and it was just me and the Lord. It was one of those songs that always took me to that very special place with Him and so it was the easiest decision for me to make for it to be a part of my album.

Let’s talk a little about the album’s first single, “Where Could I Go.” What was going on in your life when you wrote this song?

I actually didn’t write this song, but I can share what it means to me. In Psalm 139 it says, “Where can I go from your Spirit, where I can I flee from Your presence. If I go up to the heavens, You are there. If I make my bed in the depths, You are there…”

It has been a verse that has brought me comfort many times in my life. No matter what we go thru as people, or what we have experienced in our lives, God is always there and He has never left us.

Ask Another Artist:: Here’s a random question from another artist.  Trevor McNevan of Thousand Foot Krutch and FMStatic asks: If you were in an action movie….would you be starring with Nicolas Cage, Keanu Reeves, or Daniel Craig?

Oh no, that’s the choice??? I have to say those are probably three of my least favorite actors!!! ha ha If I had my choice – I would be starring with Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man, or with Edward Norton in The Hulk –any comic movies for me!!!  But if I HAVE to choose from Trevor’s list, I’ll go with Nicholas Cage…

For more information on Adie Camp, visit her online at http://myspace.com/adiecamp, follow her on Twitter (@adiecamp), and for crying out loud, buy Just You and Me!!!

Book Review(s):: Raven’s Ladder and Lady Carliss

Yes, I’ve been doing a ton of reading lately.  Here are two more book reviews.  Plus, my review of Picking Dandelions by Sarah Cunningham is coming later this week.

Raven’s Ladder by Jeffrey Overstreet

Starting the Auralia Thread series with Book Three, Raven’s Ladder, is not a good idea.  It’s like walking into the middle of an awkward conversation or trying to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop without first biting into the candy covering—difficult, but not impossible.  Fortunately, author Jeffery Overstreet provides a glossary of characters in the back of his book to help newbies like me discover the world of King Cal-raven and his people.

Raven’s Ladder follows the continuing tale of Cal-raven as he leads his refugee kingdom to found a New Abascar after their old kingdom was destroyed in a previous book.  The book is reminiscent of the Bible’s depiction of Moses leading the Israelites through the wilderness, but in Overstreet’s tale there are believable and interesting female heroines.

Overstreet plays attention to detail as he weaves together a masterful plot that becomes clearer—even to first-time Auralia Thread readers like me.  The cast of characters (and there are many) are marvelous—finally a Christian fantasy book I would recommend to my Lord of the Rings-loving friends!

I imagine the first and second books in the series are wonderful and would shed a lot of light on Raven’s Ladder.  So, if you want to read a good fantasy, check out the Auralia Thread series, but start at Book One, or you’ll be referring to the glossary…a lot.

Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue by Chuck Black

Whoever wrote the book description for Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue did a great job; unfortunately, it’s a lot better than the book itself.  Lady Carliss is the first book in a new series by Chuck Black featuring the Knights of Arretthrea (that’s “terra” and “earth” mashed together and backwards.)  Here’s the first puzzling point—how can it be the first in a series if it relies on characters from the old series?

I was excited about this book because Carliss is a female protagonist with a sword and fighting skills.  However, I realized by the prologue that Lady Carliss’ story was an allegory for the Christian life.  The average writing and mediocre dialogue won’t make this book the next Pilgrim’s Progress, Hind’s Feet on High Places, or Chronicles of Narnia.  I realized from the very start that Lady Carliss was going to rescue Dalton, release some captives, and tell people about the Prince and the King.  Sorry, I gave away the ending.

Black tries too hard to hold to “Christian” themes of the “Lord’s Army” and putting on the full armor of God.  He seems to forget that we’re more than God’s warriors and therefore, his character development is lacking.  Plus, Carliss seems like a man in a woman’s body.  Nothing about her, except her appearance and her attraction to Dalton screams, “I am woman.”  I mean, there are gender stereotypes galore, like how she’s going to close her heart to love since Dalton’s seems unrequited and descriptions on how she just wasn’t like the other girls.

To be fair, this is a young adult fiction book, but honestly, if this is what the Christian market has to offer in the way of fantasy novels, then no wonder tweens are reading Harry Potter (a personal favorite of mine) and vampire novels.

*Both of these books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.*

Book Review(s):: Mother-Daughter Duet and Dancing with My Father

In the spirit of Mother-Daughter Duet, my mother and I each reviewed a book for Waterbrook Multnomah’s latest blog tour.

Mother-Daughter Duet by Cheri Fuller & Ali Plum

By Donna Savaki For this child I prayed–so what went wrong? The mother-daughter bond is precious and wonderful when the communication is good. But, oh, when there is a disagreement or misunderstanding, it is depressing, distressing, and heart wrenching. My very talented, intelligent, and beautiful (she does take after her mother!) adult daughter and I have been to the mountaintop and into the deepest valleys as we travel the road of communication and understanding.

In Mother-Daughter Duet: Getting to the Relationship You Want with Your Adult Daughter,  mother and daughter Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum have traveled that same rocky path in their relationship. I could see my comments (always meant to be helpful, of course) to my daughter echoed in the stories of various mother and daughters presented in the book. “Perhaps you should wear a bit more make-up. Your hair looks thin. What kind of hair products are you using? That outfit does not really flatter you,” I offer helpfully. I now understand how my suggestions are interpreted as controlling and demeaning by my daughter. Cheri and Ali walk us through years of misunderstanding, forgiveness, and healing.

Mother-Daughter Duet has many very helpful suggestions to promote a healthy adult mother-adult daughter relationship. However, this book seems to be written more to mothers to help them understand their daughters’ journey. While daughter Ali pens a portion of each chapter, the bulk of the chapters are written by mother Cheri and seem focused upon helping mothers understand their daughters. Another book needs to be written to enable daughters to understand their mothers better).

Mothers, read Mother-Daughter Duet so you can start understanding how you drive your daughters crazy.  Daughters, give this book to your mothers to read so they stop driving you crazy.  Personally, I’m glad my daughter gave this copy to me to review.

Donna Savaki is a retired teacher (over 30 years of teaching kindergarteners was enough).  She has one daughter, Amy, who is the head honcho of Backseat Writer.  She lives with her husband and two dogs, Katie and Clifford, in Pennsylvania.

Dancing with My Father by Sally Clarkson

By Amy Sondova My favorite thing about Dancing with My Father by Sally Clarkson was the cover, which features an adorable little girl in a billowing skirt dancing.  The picture has a light sepia tone, which makes it look like a book I would enjoy.  And I would have—if it hasn’t been written 20 times before by more interesting authors.

Try as I might, I could not get into Dancing with My Father.  While trudging through the book, I thought of all the better books written on the subject of feminine beauty (Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge) and living freely like a child (Dangerous Wonder by Mike Yaconelli).  I was bored from the first page.

Clarkson spends at least half the book talking about herself, which would have been OK if this was a memoir, not a Christian living book.  She talks about universal struggles, her time as a missionary, and raising a family, but I got so lost in the stories, Clarkson’s main points were also lost.  Although the discussion questions at the end of each chapter were good, they could not save this book.

Perhaps if I had memories of dancing around in a fluffy dress with my father or if I was married with children or a middle-aged woman, I would have gotten more out of this book.  However, Dancing with My Father failed to draw me in, captivate me, or offer any fresh insight into living a bold life for God.

*Both of these books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.*

Take 10 with Seabird’s Ryan Morgan

Let me get something out of the way—my interview with Ryan Morgan of Seabird is not at all fair and balanced.  Since I heard band’s debut album, Til We See the Shore in 2008, I’ve been a Seabird mega-fan.  Naturally, I was very excited to talk to the band’s guitarist, Ryan Morgan (big bro to lead singer, Aaron) about their latest album, Rocks Into Rivers, hear about the crowd synergy at the live show, and the band’s upcoming tours with Sherwood and NeedtoBreathe.  Dubbed “the most approachable band in the world,” Seabird is one of those bands that’s not only good on stage, but they’re good guys, too.

For more information on Seabird, head on over to seabirdmusic.com and you will find album, merch, and tour information as well as all the band’s social networking info. Also, check out Backseat Writer’s other Seabird coverage.  You can download a copy of “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” from Backseat Writer here.

Book Review:: Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones

Jenny B. Jones’ novel, Just Between You and Me, has all the elements of a good book—quirky, realistic characters, an interesting plot with many twists and turns, colorful dialogue, and deep, dark family secrets that keep the reader moving forward for answers.  At any point, Just Between You and Me could turn into just another chick lit book.  Instead, Jones’ infusion of humor and wit place her among a growing number of writers who can weave together a good tale without turning their novels into a thinly veiled evangelistic tract.

Jones’ main character, Maggie Montgomery, is a former “mean girl” all grown up.  The successful cinematographer left her small hometown of Ivy, Texas behind as she made a new life for herself in Chicago.  A sudden family emergency causes Maggie to come face to face with an entire town she’s wronged (but doesn’t remember wronging) with the antics of her youth.  And, boy, do these people hold a grudge!  And it seems like her 10 year-old niece, Riley, is following right in her aunt’s footsteps.

Refusing to shy away from issues like mental illness (schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder), drug addiction, and dysfunctional families, Just Between You and Me has depth and dimension.  The characters are quirky and full of life.  The dialogue is sharp and amusing, especially between Maggie and her love interest, Ivy veterinarian Dr. Connor Blake.  In fact, it is Maggie’s internal thoughts that move the narrative forward as she offers thoughts on junk food (SweeTarts are a fave), her interactions with Dr. Hottie, and her prayers to God.  Plus, unlike other chick lit heroines, Maggie isn’t a shopaholic, drunk, or skank.

Jones expertly infuses Maggie’s Christianity into Just Between You and Me.  Instead of offering overtones to make this passable Christian fiction or a full-on battle for the reader’s soul, Maggie lives a very normal Christian life—doing daily devotions, going to church, and praying to God.  Jones doesn’t sugarcoat the Christian life, nor does she water it down.  In fact, it’s a near-perfect example of a woman wrestling with God’s Will while trying to figure out how to help her family, especially her emotionally distant father and drug addicted sister.

Just Between You and Me is refreshing contemporary fiction with a strong moral backbone—one that doesn’t dissolve into “Little House on the Prairie” type romanticism. Excellent writing, hilarious dialogue, and a good plot, Jenny B. Jones’ books are just as good as her blog (read it!).  And that’s saying a lot.

*A review copy of this book was provided to me by Jenny B. Jones because she’s cool like that.*

Overlooked, er, Make that Under-Looked Album Cover Art

I know I said we weren’t going to do any more silly posts here on Backseat Writer, but it’s Friday and I’m feeling a little giddy.  Plus, how else could I get a picture of my talking gnome (whose name is now Mr. Lovewell) onto Backseat Writer?  A few weeks ago, the gals at The Media Collective sent out “All of Creation,” the first single from MercyMe’s new album, slated for release in May.  The song, itself, is great, but look at that album cover! It’s great!

With digital downloads being all the rage, I miss the nice feel of a CD booklet.  Most of all, I enjoy studying the album art.  The more I like a band or artist, the more interested I am in analyzing album art.  Since I’m an artsy girl, I decided to share a few of my favorite album covers::

Flying by Grammatrain

Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie

Much Afraid by Jars of Clay

Pages by Shane & Shane

Mockingbird by Derek Webb

Limbs and Branches by Jon Foreman

Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)

Red Revolution by Shaded Red

Hello Hurricane by Switchfoot

MMHMM by Relient K

The End is Here by Five Iron Frenzy

Songs by Rich Mullins

Which of my choices do you like?  What albums did I leave out?  Please share your favorite album covers!

Will Somebody Save Me?

By Ginger Sinsabaugh MacDonald I hate to admit it, but it’s true. I’m a bit burned out on my faith. Yeah, I said it, blogged it, so it will be Google-able in cyberspace for eternity. Christianity is right up there with Barbie Dolls, “Brady Bunch” reruns and Weldon Bisnett. It’s something that used to be the center of my universe, but has burned out like an old star.

Let me rewind. For the past few years, I’ve been holding a one person crusade to inform others about teen pregnancy and trying to get “the Church” to care about the epidemic issue. After all, Christianity revolves around the son of a teen mom. But I’ve had about as much luck as Mary did knocking on doors looking for churches who cared about the cause. “We don’t have room for that program,” was always the reply.

Over the summer, my faith turned to cynicism and hit an all-time spiritual low, making me as bitter as overcooked collard greens.

At first I thought something was wrong with me. But then I realized there was something wrong with the American Church. Humility has been replaced with a mega-mentality. Communion with consumerism is making Christianity no different than other products, a real- good-feel -good Metamucil for the soul.

You know what I’m talking about. Sunday morning is about what will bring money into the offering plate instead of people to Christ. It’s about hip websites and logos instead of the Christian sense of the word logos.

It’s one of the reasons why my husband and I are looking to leave this country in 2010 for a little world evangelism. No, we aren’t venturing out to save the world, but hopefully be saved by it. We are gearing up to teach English in a foreign country, not to sneak in Bibles, but to get a peak at Christ through lens other than America’s rosy specs.

But for those of you who won’t be traveling to a place with scratchy toilet paper to reconnect to God, I suggest you pick up The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah. Soong-Chan, a Korean-American Christian, thinks that churches in this country have mixed up the American dream with God’s will.

While the font size is small and many of the words stretched my non-doctorate-degree vocab, the book is a must read. Soong-Chan does a good job bringing awareness to the white-bread mentality of the American church, raising all kinds of interesting questions. After I finished reading it, I felt like a devoured a lot of frosting and wanted a bit more cake. I craved to learn more about the doctrinal differences between ethnic churches in this country.

Also, The Next Evangelicalism left me wanting to know how churches outside view Christianity. Is it the same faith even though our cultures are different? Do they feel a need to save us the way we, American Christians feel the need to save them?

Soong-Chan had the guts to expose dirt other churches sweep under their carpet, dealing with the marketing and American monopoly of the faith. And now that the dirt has been Swiffered away, there is more room for God on Sunday mornings, as there should be.

Ginger Sinsabaugh MacDonald Since 1984, Ginger has been splitting her time between advertising and urban youth ministry in Chicago. She is the Top Cookie of TastyFaith.com. It’s not a bakery, but a micro-publisher that connects the hope of Christ to non-sugarcoated issues, including teen pregnancy and illiteracy. You can reach her at Ginger@TastyFaith.com