Say, did you by chance miss Lorehaven magazine’s fall 2019 issue? Or not get your free subscription for it?

Then guess what: this newest issue is free for everyone to read. Really. Browse every review and article, PDF download included.

You’ll also get more curated guest articles from authors of books we’ve loved, such as Sharon Hinck’s article last month, or Keith A. Robinson’s article coming this Friday.

Meanwhile, here’s a glimpse at what else we’re giving away: a few hints of what’s ahead for Lorehaven in the coming year.

1. Better graphics.

We’ve already begun rolling out changes to covers and interior layout. Watch for more in the winter 2019 and especially spring 2020 issues.

2. More book reviews.

Each Lorehaven issue includes at least twelve reviews from our fantastical review team. (Only exception: fall 2019! We needed more space to explore Enclave Publishing’s out-of-this-world stories.) We’ll keep aiming for that total. But each issue goes beyond with longer reviews for cover-story authors and sponsored reviews for other books. As our team grows, we plan to make even more reviews available.

Read the whole fall 2019 issue of Lorehaven magazine.

3. Open access to back issues.

When the fall 2019 issue released, some readers had trouble finding their password. Right now, that password is a single, simple word for all. The system won’t allow custom password-setting. Yet. Anyway, this proved challenging.

So we plan to release the winter 2019 issue for all to read—even without that free subscription.

Then, starting next year, we’ll throw open the entire Lorehaven magazine back-list for anyone to read.

That is, every Lorehaven issue, except the newest issue, will be open even to readers who aren’t free subscribers.

4. Easier-to-find book reviews.

This project might not take much. Or it might take a lot of work.

Either way, I’m thinking we can better pair Lorehaven‘s reviews with matching books listed in the comprehensive Lorehaven library.

Lord willing, we’ll see those site improvements added in early 2020 if not earlier.

5. Lorehaven will go on the road.

My first published book is actually nonfiction (and with coauthors Ted Turnau and Jared Moore!).

It’s called The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ. It will debut spring 2020 from New Growth Press.

All marketing aside, I shan’t simply let folks publish this fine tome, then sit back and watch the thousands of dollars dozens of dimes roll in.

Instead, I’m going on the road. So far, two Christian writing conferences have invited me to join their faculty in 2020.

Perhaps more events will follow.

Wherever I go, Lord willing, I’ll take The Pop Culture Parent (with its great theme of exploring how Christian parents can best train up their children to discern/enjoy popular culture to worship Christ as his church, and share his love with their neighbors).

And I’ll bring Lorehaven magazine, with all its fantastic reviews and articles that help us find the best in Christian-made fantastical stories.

6. More opportunities to share these great stories.

Honestly, folks, I don’t speak much of my “long game” because, out of context, it can sound weird. Or even sleazy. Like some direct-marketing website with all-caps sentence fragments, single-word paragraphs, and blinking GIFs.

But here it is: all this time, I’ve hoped that Speculative Faith, and now sister-project Lorehaven, would help do more than promote certain authors’ books.

And do more than provide a gathering place for writers interested in hobby-talk or professional development.

And especially rise above the risk of having a website that merely provides a venue for young Christians to murmur against their Amish-crazed elders who Keep Fantasy From Being Represented in The Evangelical World.

Yes, there’s a place for that—in the remedial classrooms. But if we stay in those rooms, we’ll never learn more, much less graduate.

This is partly why, although I still attempt fiction projects (and rarely speak about them!), I’ve developed parallel ambitions for nonfiction work about fiction. That’s intentional. I’ve wanted to explore the very idea of stories from a biblical perspective, and in so doing, help find some avenues for sharing these stories we all know and love with the broader Christian communities that still haven’t found them!

That’s why Lorehaven is fully advertiser-supported. So far, just about everything paid for magazine ads (click for more info) and sponsored reviews (click for more info) goes directly to the review writers, page designers, and printing costs.

Travel costs? Weeks of labor during the days, on evenings, and weekends? Our hard-working staff is donating that: editor Elijah David, review chief Austin Gunderson, and book clubs coordinator Steve Rzasa as well as everyone on the review team: the incomparable Avily Jerome, Elizabeth Kaiser, Shannon McDermott, Audie Thacker, and Phyllis Wheeler. (Here’s the complete cast of credits.)

I’m also donating my time. Sure, I hope to do this full-time with my writing. It’s all the same for me.

But blimey, I’ll tell you, many days, this ministry is rough.

However—for the greater reward of sharing more of these amazing stories to glorify Jesus to my spiritual family and beyond?

Priceless.

7. BONUS: We’re also doing this. Coming in 2020.

Add to our hard-working staff my real-life regional friend and writing brother, Zackary Russell.

Zack writes science fiction, parents four amazing children, and creates videos and short films for a Christian campus ministry.

More recently, Zack has been on a worthy side quest to uncover these MacGuffins:

Yes indeed. Coming in 2020, you’ll be able to subscribe to Lorehaven’s podcast on all your favorite platforms.

We’ll talk books and themes. We’ll interview authors and book reviewers with great voices. And we’ll keep finding truth in fantastic stories.

Which podcasts do you enjoy, especially for book fans and readers?

What would you like to hear from a Lorehaven podcast?

And of course, what should the podcast’s ultimate theme music be—if royalty rights were not an issue?

Godspeed!

E. Stephen Burnett