Hey Guys. Great news for Marcher Lord Press, and in particular, Jill Williamson. Jill’s novel By Darkness Hid has won a Christy Award. Not only nominated, but won. Astounding. What a feat. Congratulations to Jill! I’m here to brag on her a little bit.

There are good reasons for this. Jill’s created an expansive world with characters you’ll care to root for and pull against; a world that rings true from the first page to the last, including its fantasy elements. 

But there’s more to it for me. Jill is able to compose complex scenes in a manner that I’ve rarely seen. I’m talking about big scenes with multiple characters engaged in intricate dialogues and intrigue, or battle scenes written so well they simply appear fully-formed in the mind’s eye of the reader. And keep and eye out for the banquet scene…it’s a work of art.

Again, congratulations, Jill. This one’s deserved.

Purchase By Darkness Hid here.

BTW- If you were not aware of this already, it means you’re not receiving the WhereTheMapEnds newsletter, hosted by The Areopagus’s own MS Quixote. Sign up for it here and receive an exclusive (and fun) free gift: “The Horrific But True Psychological Phases of Writing a Novel.”

[Editor’s] While I was busy reducing Scita>Scienda’s traffic count last month, Shemaromans quietly produced the busiest traffic month in the history of the Areopagus. Congratulations, Shema…[note]

So how should women dress? Like all Christians, women should clothe themselves in Christ’s righteousness and humility, desiring God’s beauty to shine through them.

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” (1 Peter 3:1-4)

“…likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” (1 Timothy 2:9-10)

While these verses appear in a context addressed to wives, the message remains clear to all women: clothe yourselves in Christ’s righteousness. But how does that goal manifest itself given current fashions and most women’s penchant for shopping?  Read More

What is beauty? Or you might mutter, “Why beauty instead of attire? Get on with it!”

Patience, young Skywalkers. We apply the background of the first three entries in both the next and final installments. In the meantime, a read or reread Quixote’s discussion of beauty supports this entry, in particular the beatific vision. It conveys the truth about the beauty of God’s glory.

With that said, remember now the idea stated in the previous entry about Jesus’ inherent righteousness and subsequent lack of need to dress himself in regal garb.

“For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2)

The above verse prophesies about the Suffering Servant, Jesus. He did not arrive as the Israelites expected, resplendent in appearance, commanding subservience through a worldly, royal image.  Read More