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Please Return to the Lands of Luxury
“Jon Tilton explores complex topics like memory loss, personal and societal responsibility in this light sci-fi story.”
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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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We Have A Winner—2019 Spec Faith Winter Writing Challenge

Again, thank you all for participating, and watch for Spec Faith’s Summer Writing Challenge later this year.
Rebecca LuElla Miller on Feb 11, 2019 · Series: 2019 Spec Faith Winter Writing Challenge
10 comments

Congratulations to our 2019 Spec Faith Winter Writing Challenge winner:

Sarah Daffy.

For details about your prize, Sarah, please contact me via Facebook messaging, either at my personal site or through the Spec Faith page.

I honestly thought any of our finalist might win, they were that good. And the close voting bears that out. So congratulations to the other finalists in the writing challenge for their excellent entries: Jay DiNitto and L. G. McCary.

We had great participation in the writing challenge, in all phases: excellent, and numerous, entries, lots of readers in the first round who gave their feedback and comments, and a substantial number of voters (twice as many as in last year’s summer challenge) who chose the winner from our finalists. Thanks to you all for your participation.

Contests like this writing challenge are fun. The thing that continues to amaze me is how varied the stories are even though they all begin with the same first sentence. We had such a wide range again this year. That shows a lot of creativity.

For those who may have missed Sarah’s winning entry, here it is again:

By Sarah Duffy

The guard would never let me enter if he knew what I was planning.

The airport inspector and guard would never let me enter if he knew what I was planning—and hiding.

Right now I was being screened such at customs, for metals or explosive devices. What the airport inspector didn’t know was that a Bible was stashed away in the false bottom of my carry-on bag.

In this country it was illegal to import Bibles. It was illegal to be a Christian. It was even illegal to own a Bible. That’s why I was helping my friend Edward smuggle Bibles.

I held my breath as the airport inspector looked me over, hoping and praying he wouldn’t find me out. Or my secret. He patted me down and used his metal detector. Nothing. No metal, no explosive devices, nothing. He grunted.

“Go ahead, ma’am,” he said. “You’ve got nothing illegal on you.”

I smiled and moved ahead. I was through all customs, all inspectors, now all I had to do was figure out a plan and get the Bible to Edward.

Suddenly someone rushed across the airport, someone I knew and recognized.

Amir.

The worst enemy of the Christians. He was known for hunting Christians down, reporting them to the authorities, and worse. I knew someday God would bring him to justice, but right now I was terrified and thinking that day would never come.

“Don’t let her get away!” Amir shouted. “She’s carrying a Bible!”

Immediately the inspector officer rushed after me and caught hold of me. Amir stood by, smirking.

“Explain yourself,” the officer demanded.

“I have nothing to explain,” I said, “except I’m doing the will of my Father in Heaven.”

I looked up and our eyes met, mine boring into Amir’s. Right then and there I knew he was sorry he’d betrayed me.

Conviction.

– – – – –

Again, thank you all for participating, and watch for Spec Faith’s Summer Writing Challenge later this year.

Rebecca LuElla Miller
Best known for her aspirations as an epic fantasy author, Becky is the sole remaining founding member of Speculative Faith. Besides contributing weekly articles here, she blogs Monday through Friday at A Christian Worldview of Fiction. She works as a freelance writer and editor and posts writing tips as well as information about her editing services at Rewrite, Reword, Rework.
Website ·
  1. Sarah Daffy says:
    February 11, 2019 at 1:46 pm

    Thank you so much, Rebecca! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Sarah Daffy says:
    February 11, 2019 at 6:55 pm

    Rebecca, I’m sorry I don’t have Facebook. Can I contact you via email?

    Reply
  3. Esther Wallace says:
    February 12, 2019 at 10:54 am

    Congrats, Sarah!

    Reply
    • Sarah Daffy says:
      February 12, 2019 at 11:31 am

      Thank you so much, Esther! You did a really good job, too. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Ella Kayte says:
    February 12, 2019 at 12:59 pm

    Congratulations, Sarah!!! I love your story and how you showed your faith through it! Keep up the good work!!:):) 🙂

    Reply
    • Sarah Daffy says:
      February 12, 2019 at 1:02 pm

      Thanks, Ella! 🙂 I appreciate it. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Sarah Daffy says:
    February 13, 2019 at 12:08 pm

    When is the Spec Faith Summer Writing Challenge?

    Reply
  6. ALL CAPS says:
    May 13, 2019 at 10:42 am

    CONGRATULATIONS, SARAH DAFFY!!!!!!! YOU DID A GREAT JOB!!!!! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Zen Daya says:
    May 16, 2019 at 5:45 pm

    Many congrats, Sarah 🙂

    Reply
    • Sarah Daffy says:
      May 16, 2019 at 5:46 pm

      Thanks, you guys!

      Reply

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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