Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Grace to You



When we began the Charis Connection blog (“Charis” means “grace”) two years ago, our intention was to provide an alternative to a number of negative comments streaming from some web sites and blogs. Our team wanted to show the truth behind the publishers, the hearts, and the minds that continue to produce effective and quality Christian fiction. We have always seen this as our primary purpose--and as a ministry, a tool with which we could positively encourage and teach those who are interested in writing in this particular genre. It's our sincere hope that, at least to some extent, that purpose has been fulfilled.

We so appreciate those of you who have been faithfully waiting for us to return from our summer hiatus. Over the summer, however, projects and schedules changed for many of us, making a significant difference in just how much we can continue to do and still remain loyal to our publishers and readers. In addition, we realized that most of the Charis team—those who really enjoy blogging—have been busy at work on their own blogs. New sites have opened, and preexisting ones expanded. Many of these blogs and web sites include a wealth of writing tips, information, and instruction. So what we’d like to encourage you to do is visit our author blogs just as you would have visited the Charis Connection.

Frankly, we thought we’d rather take a permanent (or semi-permanent) hiatus than give you warmed-over posts or reruns. After two years, it's become increasingly difficult to provide fresh ideas and venues. So we're leaving you with an invitation to visit our author blogs and web sites and to make use of the extensive Charis Connection archives—over two years of good materials for you to peruse at your leisure.

If something happens in Christian fiction that is worthy of extended comment, we may return to talk about it in the days ahead. (You might want to sign up for a blog feed that will alert you to new postings, as we are inviting our team to send materials at any time.) But for now, because deadlines--and family responsibilities--are pressing heavily upon many of us and we are hard-pressed to offer new material and not lag behind on our own works-in-progress, we are suspending our regular publishing program until further notice. Should the time and opportunity arise when we can see our way clear to resume regular weekday postings, we’ll post an entry to that effect so you'll be the first to know.

We thank you for visiting Charis Connection so faithfully, and we hope you'll continue to visit our individual contributors' blogs and web sites for ongoing information and developments.

Sincerely,

The Charis Connection authors

11 Comments:

At 9:12 PM, Blogger Katy McKenna said...

I'll just go ahead and post my first reaction: Boo-hoo and phooey! :) Now I'll post my second, more mature response: Thank you for all you've given and continue to give your many readers. Blessings upon each of you and upon all your endeavors!

Katy McKenna www.fallible.com

 
At 11:40 PM, Blogger Cara Putman said...

Thanks so much for all you invested in this during the last two years. I know I learned a ton!

 
At 3:08 AM, Blogger Christina Tarabochia said...

I'm with Katy...fiddlesticks! But at least we had this last summer full of hoping you'd return. And (play sappy music) we'll always have the memories.

 
At 8:04 AM, Blogger Richard L. Mabry, MD said...

Although I'm sorry to see this great resource go into prolonged (and possibly permanent) hibernation, I am grateful for past postings and the people responsible for them. Blessings.

 
At 1:37 PM, Blogger PatriciaW said...

Another one sorry to see this blog go. I read many of the Charis authors' blogs because I learned of them here. And I never saw them as replacements but as supplements. But I understand, and continue to learn, about time and commitments so I'll accept this gracefully.

I will, however, really miss those posts where you answered our questions.

 
At 4:07 PM, Blogger Dianne said...

Yeah, me too - I'll miss this but thanks for your time and contributions here. I'm not even a writer of fiction but have been blessed to learn from you all nevertheless. But as the others said . . . it's totally understandable! God bless!!

 
At 11:51 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Just a word of thanks. To all those who have faithfully given of their time, experience, and thoughts to this effort. Grace was truly exercised here.

 
At 5:46 PM, Blogger Southern-fried Fiction said...

Two years ago, there weren't many good blogs out there about Christian fiction. That's when we began Novel Journey, too.

Thankfully, since we're interviewing, we don't have to keep coming up with new posts, the interviewed authors provide that.

You've given faithfully and so much of your collective knowledge, we pre-pubbed and newly-pubbed authors thank you.

 
At 11:07 PM, Blogger Lynette Sowell said...

Thanks, all of you, so much! :) I've learned a lot and hopefully everything will become as intuitive for me as it seems natural coming from you. :)

 
At 7:45 AM, Blogger Michael Ehret said...

I will miss the wisdom. Thanks for the time you did give and will continue to give, to this ministry of writing.

 
At 5:39 PM, Blogger C.J. Darlington said...

Aw, I'm disappointed, but of course understand the need to cut back. Thanks for all that you've done (and will continue to do).

 

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