Allow me to introduce you to a contemporary Lutheran novelist. J. L. Vaughan and I have exchanged a few good emails about what Lutherans—and Lutheranism—can bring to the table, in terms of cultural impact, literary perspective, and, arguably most important of all, the ability to recognize and address real human needs. Below he introduces himself and his second book, No Good Son. Please give him a moment of your time.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. J. L. Vaughan:
My name is J.L Vaughan. I’m a Lutheran over here in Yakima, Washington. I’ve recently finished writing my second novel, a book called No Good Son. The book is the fictional tale of a thief named Mike who realizes what he is doing is wrong and feels compelled to try and make up for his broken past. Mike’s new convictions come on the same day that he meets a woman and falls in love. That day he also finds his own brother in trouble with some of the worst parts of Seattle’s organized crime and knows he has to try and pull his brother out of it.
This book takes place primarily in Seattle, WA, and so far I’m planning to keep my writing in the Pacific Northwest as kind of a window into this part of the world. No Good Son is a crime thriller. While I wouldn’t consider this book religious fiction, being a Lutheran, I can’t help but fit certain Lutheran themes into what I write. A lot of our favorite novels and stories are about the struggles that we humans go through as we try to keep our lives together while living in a fallen world. I think we Lutherans are very well suited to write about this. We are very honest about our struggles. We don’t pretend to expect perfection in this life, and often times aren’t too scared of a little adversity because we know we aren’t all alone here.
While this is my second book, it is one I’ve been wanting to write for a very long time. I worked out the characters and major plot for it during a long drive I took to visit a friend in Minnesota ten years ago. A week after that drive I outlined the story and started the first chapter, then put it away for more than seven years. I never let go of the idea, it rolled around in my head until I reached a point where it was time to write it. A lot of typing, a number of sacrificed Saturdays, and a little help from a local editor and there it is.
J. L. Vaughan
Thanks for the post, J. L. Keep up the good work!
All you other authors out there, feel free to let me know about your most recent book or any upcoming book releases. After all, we’ve got to spread the word somehow. 🙂
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