Salty Like Blood

Readers often wonder about the ins and outs of the publishing business. What goes on behind the scenes? How did you get a book contract? Did you write the novel before or after the contract was signed?

The process may be different for each novel. My upcoming release with Simon and Schuster (Howard Books), Salty Like Blood is the first of a two-book deal. For over a year, my agent, Natasha Kern, had been searching for the right fit for a novel that I'd written, The Six Liter Club. That novel was looked at by several Christian publishers who felt the content was too "edgy" for the Church market. That said, no secular publisher wanted it either. The faith element was just too strong! Alas, I'd hit upon a familiar trap with inspirational fiction. How was I to write realistically about the seedier side of life that needs to be touched by God's grace without offending those who were already Christian? My desire was to write from the viewpoint of a non-believer as she encountered difficult times, suspected abuse issues and eventually....the Christian faith. My protagonist was a tough lady, the first African-American female to become a trauma surgeon at a major university hospital in the South. She was smart, sexy, hardened by life experiences, and tough enough to make herself stand out in a man's world.
As sometimes happens in the publishing business, my editor at Zondervan, a great guy who pushed me to the next level in a series of books beginning with Could I have This Dance?, moved on to take on a new challenge at Howard Books (Simon and Schuster). When he was approached with taking my novel, The Six Liter Club, he was enthusiastic. We'd worked well together in the past and he relished the idea of acquiring another Kraus novel. But, as expected, Dave had a few ideas of his own: "I want that novel, but we don't want to do it as the first Howard book of yours. Give me something else first. Then, the market will be ready for The Six Liter Club.
It just so happened that I'd written the opening to a new novel, and my agent was thrilled that I seemed to be capturing a unique voice while launching towards the rough-water issues of a child abduction and the resultant marital pressure that often accompanies as a result. That novel, Salty Like Blood also delighted my potential editor. The deal was sealed. I'd deliver a new novel, Salty Like Blood, and a year later, Howard agreed to publish The Six Liter Club.
I'm getting excited to see the final product. You can see the cover on this site under "news" or go to www.simonsays.com and see a thumbnail. Simon and Schuster has even made a little video trailer for the book. It seems a bit cartoonish and cheesy, but it is fun. Go watch it at: http://www.simonandschuster.com/multimedia?video=10275992001&search=salty%20like%20blood&type=Video
Salty Like Blood is about forgiveness.
Is it possible to forgive someone who has done the unthinkable?
Salty Like Blood is about how life's successes are precarious: one domino falling results in a string of catastrophe.
As always, there is a thread of medical realism. My protagonist is a family doctor. The story is predominantly told through his eyes and the eyes of his wife.
Finally, I can say, it will be here next month!

Warren invocation: Inclusively exclusive!

For those of you who watched Rick Warren's invocation at Obama's inauguration, I wanted to add my two cents. And publicly thank Pastor Warren for praying in the name of Jesus.

Too often, Christians have shied away from praying in this way, not wanting to offend members of other faiths. While Christians believe it is proper to approach God in prayer in the name of Jesus, that concluding phrase is often left out, another nod to being PC. If we pray in the name of Jesus, we are thought to be exclusive of followers of Judaism or Islam. We don't want to offend, so instead of praying in the name of Jesus, we don't want to mention the name above all names and so we just fast forward to "amen."

But Rick Warren didn't shy away from the PC crowd and avoid the controversial phrase. He prayed specifically in the name "of the one who changed my life" and then followed it by using the Jewish name for Jesus, the Muslim name for Jesus, and finally the Christian name.

This was brilliant. No one can say anything against personal experience. And millions heard the bright testimony. Warren believes and proclaims to all that Jesus changed his life. And then he uses Jesus' name (exclusive, huh PCers?) but reaches out to Jews and Muslims by using the name of Yeshua and Issa (inclusive). So he was inclusively exclusive. Smart as a serpent, gentle as a dove, that purpose-driven pastor.

I applaud Warren for his words. When we pray, we do not seek to offend. But we cannot deny Christ. Thank you, Mr. Warren, for your prayer IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

Remember today to pray for Mr. Obama. And remember the one who opened the way to God through his cross and in whose name we pray.

Race you to the bottom!

I read something today from the book, "Gospel Transformation." "Christianity is a race--to the bottom."

There is a lot of depth (pardon the pun) in that statement. But what a great reminder for me as I start out in a new year. The kingdom that has captured me is a kingdom of paradoxes. My weakness is where I find his strength. In self-reliance, I find frustration and lack of fruit. There is no room for the pick-me-up-by-the bootstraps gospel when the cross is in focus. Remember, the real gospel of grace says, "you don't have any boots!"

Let me share something with you from my book, "Breathing Grace":

"Have you ever heard of a “café coronary?” It is medical slang for a person dying of an airway obstructed by food.

Pride is the spiritual café coronary.

When I was in high school, my family took a trip to see my grandparents. I liked taking trips because it was a chance to eat out in restaurants. On this Sunday afternoon, my family was eating together in a Howard Johnson’s. I wanted dessert, but my father nixed it, saying I didn’t need it. “And money doesn’t grow on trees.”
How many times have I used that same line on my kids now?
A few moments later, I looked up to see an elderly man stagger to his feet, clutching at his throat. I pointed. “That man can’t breathe!”
The next second, my father, a family physician, was on his feet. He reached around the man from behind and performed a Heimlich maneuver, popping the offending pickle from the man’s trachea. The man’s life was saved, and I remember the pride I felt after watching my father in action.
When my father went to pay the bill, the manager refused. My father had more than paid our debt by preventing a death in the restaurant.
What was my response? Looking back, I can see the gospel debt in my words.
“Since it was free, you should have let me get dessert.”
Amazing. I went from thankful for a saved life to thinking about my own stomach in light-speed. I’d like to say that was typical teenager behavior that I’ve outgrown, but the truth is, I can still slip from living in the sufficiency of grace (where I extend grace to others because I am living in acknowledgement of my own need for grace) to gospel debt in seconds.
But thankfully, just as quickly as a Heimlich maneuver can open an obstructed airway, acknowledging our need is the first step in opening up the floodgates holding back God’s grace."

You see, I think walking in humility is a key to walking in grace. And as quickly as a blocked airway precipitates a physical crisis, walking in pride sets us up in a dry position, thirsty for grace.

Anyway, just my thoughts. Walking forward in grace begins with humility and repentance.

I'll race you to the bottom!

Walking in GRACE

OK, I want to continue what I began the last time, contrasting walking in the spirit (WITS) with walking in the flesh (WITF). For brevity sake, I'll just use S for WITS and F for WITF. Thanks to Linda and Rosie who added their own versions!
Here's a few more of mine:

F: Wages S: Grace
F: Works S: Faith
F: Doing S: Being
F: I can S: I can't
F: Focus on sin S: Focus on the cross
F: I will be pleasing to God S: I am pleasing to God.
F: About me S: About Jesus
F: I am strong S: I am weak
F: Have to S: Get to
F: Duty S: Privilege
F: Obey him S: Love him
F: Just tell me what to do. S: Just tell me who I am.
F: Cross plus.... S: Cross. Period
F: Stuck in a bad marriage S: Dead to the law, free to marry Christ

The sad and amazing thing we see in churches today is how subtle the gospel of works has crept into our thinking. What Sunday school teacher wouldn't be glad if little Johnny said he was going to try real hard not to do bad things so he could win a gold star? But trying not to do bad things will only find Johnny in the midst of Romans 7. Holding up the law only seems to stimulate our desire to fall. Lift-yourself-up-by-the bootstraps mentality just won't cut it in the long haul. Only grace can bring about real heart transformation.

The way to beat bitterness, anxiety, lust or pride isn't by trying harder, making a list and checking it twice. It's by making Christ our focus, and falling in love with him.

Perhaps, because of the season, I should add one more. How about this contrast? Works gospel: Santa! True Gospel of Grace: Jesus. Remember, Santa rewards niceness and watches for naughtiness, doesn't he? That's just one more example of a works gospel creeping into our thinking.

If I don't get another blog in before the holiday, have a merry Christmas!

One more thing: A local newspaper had an interesting typo regarding a book-signing that I am doing at our local Barnes and Noble: It said, "Harry Kraus will be singing his book, "Perfect."

Me singing: That would be a sure way to run customers out of the store!

Hmmm. I'd better warm up with a few scales, huh?

I don't have any boots!

Wow. My whirlwind trip to Kenya and back is over. In many ways, it felt like a homecoming. I was back in Kijabe, where I served as a missionary surgeon for four years. Seeing old friends and making a few new ones was an undeserved joy.

Undeserved joy. The essence of grace. Which, of course, brings me back to the topic of my message series: GRACE!

It was so much fun to nudge fellow believers to recognize the grace of God. And so needed. Because western Christians seem hardwired to default to the pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps mentality.

Why is it so hard to believe that God won't like me just a little more if I perform well on a test? Maybe it's because we like ourselves a little more.

But in God's economy, the cross is all that matters. I've become his righteousness. Christ became sin for me.

I love what Pastor Mark Driscoll (www.marshillchurch.org) says about the things we do to try to remedy our own sin problem. Anything we do to try and make ourselves acceptable to God is living out of a false gospel. False gospels, Driscoll says, always elevate self. The true gospel elevates the cross. False gospels says, "pick yourself up by your bootstraps." The true gospel says, "You don't have any boots!"

I want to deserve God's love. But on my own, I don't. Without boots, I'm completely incapable of lifting myself up to God.

I've started a list to compare the true gospel with our number one default gospel, working hard to make yourself presentable to God. The heading of one column is "Walking in the Spirit," the other, "Walking in the flesh."

I'll get us started and I'll ask you to fill in your own. For example, under "Walking in the flesh," I enter, "pick yourself up by your bootstraps." Under "Walking in the Spirit," I write: "No boots!" Under WITF, I write, "works". Under WITS, "faith." Under WITF, "doing." WITS: "Being." Under WITF: Fruit-oriented. WITS: root-oriented. WITF: behavior modification. WITS: heart-transformation.

You get the idea. Let me see your comparisons. Next time, I'll give you my whole list.

Grace, Harry

Update

Thanksgiving has come and gone and my boys are heading back to school. I'm off on an adventure myself, leaving this morning for a quick trip to Kenya, back to Kijabe, my home for most of the last five years. I'm officially on a trip to give a series of talks on GRACE (based on my book, "Breathing Grace: What You Need More Than Your Next Breath"), but the fun will be reconnecting with so many great friends.

Could I ask you to cover my back? (Pray!) Desires: safety in travel, health and adjustment for time difference, clarity of thought and presentation, and that I could be keenly aware of God's grace as I present the wonderful principles of living a life of grace saturation.

The one thing that I'm keenly aware of is how little (NOTHING) I can throw my shoulders back and take credit for....when I'm talking about grace, it is antithetical to feel responsible for any of this! Every breath I've been loaned on this earth is one more example of undeserved divine favor. I don't deserve it. Didn't earn it. Can't take credit for it.

My realization of grace is a good one...if I'm tempted to feel unworthy ("I can't teach about this. Just look at my life!"), it only serves to help me sit in the right attitude for grace reception!

I'll be back in one week. I'm off to the airport!

How to be thankful CONTINUOUSLY

It's a great day for me, folks. I love this time of year. The leaves are changing. There is a briskness to the air that stirs body and soul. I particularly love this time of year because my sons and family are home for a short visit, and with them come friends and a full house, busting at the seams...an appropriate setting for thanksgiving. I awoke this morning to the wonderful smell of Thanksgiving food preparation. Kris had risen early to get the bird in the oven and the aroma was enough to prompt great memories and gratitude. Giving thanks today is easy.

But what about when it's not so easy? The Bible is full of reminders that thanksgiving is to be a part of my life experience...continuously. We read in 1Thes. "Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS. In EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus..." Wow. Always. In everything. The writer of Hebrews says that (chapter 13) we are to bring the sacrifice of praise to God continuously and defines it as the "fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

So how can it be done?

I'll make two suggestions. Gratitude is a natural overflow from a heart established in grace. First, we will never be grateful for things we have earned or deserve, so we have to remind ourselves that we are loved in spite of our failings. That's what makes grace grace and not wages. I need a constant reminder that I need him. I can't do it on my own and whenever I've slipped into a works-gospel (believing that God will find me a bit more acceptable if I behave properly), I need to face the truth that walking in self-sufficiency will only bring me closer to myself and closes off the flow of God's grace.

Secondly, I need continuous grace awareness. Everything. EVERYTHING I receive is an act of God's grace. Every breath I take is evidence of grace. What I deserve for sin is hell. What I've been given because of the gospel of grace is right-standing with God. When I walk in continuous grace awareness, the natural result is overflow in gratitude (in addition to grace flowing out of my life to those around me).

The language the Bible uses to describe this amazing switch (my sin for Christ's righteousness) is particularly interesting and not something I'll pretend to understand. In Corinthians it says that Christ "became sin." Not died for sin. Not paid for sin. Became sin. And then it says that the result is that I will become the righteousness of Christ. Not have it, obtain it or that God will apply Christ's righteousness on my ledger to make up for my sin. It says that I will actually become the righteousness of Christ. That, I don't fully understand. Fortunately, getting it isn't necessary to promote thankfulness.

When you find yourself slipping into the complacency of ingratitude, remind yourself of the truth of the Gospel. Realize that God's grace wasn't applied once to your life at salvation. It is the ongoing, sustaining, sanctifying force that will hold us throughout life. God's grace determines his posture towards us as his children and it touches my life every moment.

This means that God's grace is touching your life as a believer when times are good, and when times are hard. Yes, God's grace is what prevents tragedy such as a car accident. But it is also God's grace when he allows tragedy to touch our lives. Sometimes grace wears a cloak of suffering. Car accidents. Cancer. The loss of love. The death of a friend. For the believer, all are evidences of grace. It is a recognition that God's grace is a constant, that it governs every action of God towards us, that allows us to react with a will to thank him in all circumstances.

Awareness of that grace is key to a life of thanksgiving. Today and year-round!