Chris Solaas

I am a Christian Eagle Scout who writes programs during the day and writes books during the night.
I like coffee. You can probably tell from my picture.
I have been involved in Scouting and other Children's Ministries for over 25 years.

I am an ADHD Dad with a beautiful ADHD wife living in a loving madhouse with four ADHD kids, four neurotic cats, and a
bi-eyed white monster dog that eats trees.

About 10 years ago God interrupted my laid back walk to tell me I was the wicked servant from Matthew 25, burying my talent in the ground instead of investing it for His glory. So, since then I've been writing Christian songs (about a hundred of them so far, on my website http://www.buriedtalentsband.com) and two books published so far, with another six waiting in the wings for some spit and polish.

I write mainly Christian science fiction and fantasy, MG-YA, for the glory of God and the enjoyment of my four biggest fans.

Website: http://www.lynvia.com
Twitter: @Lynvia
Blog: http://creativeadventuring.blogspot.com

http://www.lynvia.com

• The Sarian's Sword (Tales of Vantoria book 1) on Feb. 05, 2016
  
  Wenchell is a young bible college student who discovers an ornately decorated leather bound bible in a dusty back room of his college. An ancient map and note in the bible lead him through a portal into another dimension, where flying cars, high tech computers, dragons and wizards are common. Along with four companions from wildly different worlds, he immediately is thrust into an investigation to determine how certain villages in the Region of Peace are being burned to the ground. Little do they know that God is directing their steps along an altogether different path... Gilbert has masterfully crafted a fast-paced, humorous tale of adventure and faith, set in Shift, a world where all other dimensions intersect, similar in function but vastly different in character to that in the CS Lewis Narnia series. Content: Violence: Well, it's a tale about a sword, so expect some fighting. But it's not gratuitous or graphically described. Swords intermix with plasma rifles and flaming arrows for interesting battles as the characters fight to survive while unraveling the mystery. Language: Clean. Adult Content: None, really. There's a few scenes where a kiss is exchanged. Christian content: Faith is a predominant feature in this well-written adventure. Some of the characters have their faith challenged as the story progresses, but they are set back on track by the 'Guy with the Bible'. One of my favorite exchanges in this book is: "I'm just a guy with a... with a Bible."... "Perhaps, in God's plan, the guy with the Bible is needed most of all." Final analysis: This is a well-written, entertaining novel with a solid clean faith foundation. I highly recommend it. I'm off to book 2. How about you? *I received a complimentary digital copy of this book for an honest review.
  
• The Lucky and the Strong (Tales of Vantoria book 2) on Feb. 08, 2016
  
  Mary is a pixie with a penchant for getting into trouble. Her complete dependence on God to get her out of scrapes would be commendable if not for her constant habit of getting into them. But when she steps through a portal into another dimension, she discovers that God has a plan for her, and part of that might mean doing some of the 'heavy lifting' for a change. Gilbert's sequel to The Sarian's Sword delivers a fast-paced entertaining adventure, populated by the characters from the previous book, but revolving more around Mary and Renaud. Once again, villages are being burned and Wenchell and his friends are out to find out why, when Mary pops through a dimension door and bumps into them. Renaud spends much effort as God's Agent trying to save Mary from her own risk-taking. Content: Violence: As in The Sarian's Sword, violence is expected and delivered, and much of the story contains battles, but not in the least graphic or gratuitous. Language: clean Adult content: none, really, as before. There are a few embraces and kisses exchanged, a touch of romance, but clean and not gratuitous, G rated. (Even Belle and Beast kissed at the end of Beauty and the Beast.) Christian content: The center of this book, as in The Sarian's Sword, concerns Dependence on God or Self, at the two extremes. Renaud is from the dimension of War, and has been trained to be the one everyone else must depend upon. He looks to no one else, even God, for help, and expects that God has equipped him to handle anything God throws at him. Mary, from Jantz, depends entirely on God, and assumes God will never throw anything at her that God won't handle on His own, and therefore usually doesn't think before she acts. Bottom line: I did not find Mary very likeable through the first portion of this book, as I am more from 'War' than 'Jantz', but I expected that both she and Renaud would have an epiphany somewhere in the middle, and I was not disappointed. The book is well-written, fast paced, and an entertaining read with a good thought-provoking moral lesson. *I received an electronic copy of this book for an honest review.
  
• The Juncture on March 12, 2016
  
  In the aftermath of a freak accident, a miraculous event brings Gary Olstrom back to an obscure day in his past; a key juncture in time that he never suspected held any importance. Disoriented and frustrated, he learns that he has only hours to stop something from happening that will irreparably damage the future of everyone he knows and loves. At the outset of the book, it's quite obvious that Gary's wife has some premonition that someone she knows and loves is going to have a tragic accident. Not only can she do nothing about it, she can't tell him, either, because it will affect the outcome, which will affect the past, which will affect the present, which will... Oh, my head hurts from Time Fracture. I agree with Janeway (Star Trek Voyager) that time travel should be avoided at all times. (grin). Unless you are in a Tardis. (Bigger grin). Right after this glimpse into her precognition, we are in Gary's shoes, walking through a normal day in the world of Corporate Finance, with an abrupt and abnormal interruption. On this rain-soaked day, while traveling to lunch with his pastor, Gary witnesses a tragic accident that leaves three teens trapped in a vehicle on a railroad crossing. Gary and a truck driver stop to help, and as they do, as 'luck' would have it, a train is on its way. Gary helps all three teens get to safety before the vehicle is struck by the train, but while he is getting out of the way, the flying car hits him. He has a moment where the EMT's are working on him, trying to keep him alive, and suddenly he wakes up in the past, on what seems a random day in 1981, his senior year in high school. (Coincidence, this is also my senior year in high school). He spends the rest of this day at school, trying to determine why God has placed him back in this particular day, and what it is he's supposed to accomplish. Content: Violence: The only violence in this book was caused by a train. It was not graphic, but I am empathetic, so felt the pain. Language: Moderate. Gary's friend John is not a Christian, and his language is fairly strong. There are 5-10 cuss words in the whole book, I believe, and the F-bomb is never used, nor is God's name taken in vain. Sexual Content: Light. There is no sex in the book, although there are a few hints of parties where drinking and possible making out will occur. Girls in school are discussed in the book a few times, as teen boys will do. Spiritual Content: Moderate. God is acknowledged by Gary as the author of his trip back in time, and asks multiple times what his purpose is back there. What it is he is supposed to learn or change. He deals with the grief of believing he is dead, or will be, when his purpose is accomplished in the past. Bottom Line: I thoroughly enjoyed The Juncture. I found it a well-written, gripping read, and could not put the book down from about halfway through until the end. It wasn't what I would call a thriller, but it kept this reader's attention, and taught well the lesson that we should treasure each moment, and remember to speak life into those around us. I gave it five stars.
  
• Dover Park on March 31, 2016
  
  This offering by Bruce Fottler concerns three related men and their families. Jim Moreau is a successful businessman working in R&D at a manufacturing concern, and his wife Sara and he have two boys, Kevin and Dylan, but long for a girl. That ship has sailed, as Sara recently underwent a hysterectomy. Jim's brother Tom is a detective for a police department in a city nearby. Both Tom and Jim are somewhat dissatisfied with their jobs, and Jim is about to go into business with Andrew, their cousin, a plumber by trade. Jim's world and plans are upset by the arrival of a girl who claims to be Jim's seventeen year old daughter Rachael, by a woman who drowned twenty-two years ago. She also claims that she's been living with Jim her entire life, and that his cousin Andrew murdered her mom and has spent the last twelve years in prison. But of course, none of that is possible. Or is it? Rachael must be lying. The only other option is too incredible to believe - where Rachael is actually from another timeline, where the events she claims to have happened actually... did. Jim and Tom work together to expose this girl for the hoax she must be, but each piece of evidence they examine makes her story more plausible. From the arrival of Rachael a couple chapters in until the unexpected ending, this book had me on the edge of my chair. Content: Violence: Minor. Language: There are a few expletives in the book. Sexual Content: Light. There is some sexual tension and innuendos passed back and forth among the men, and a reference to a possible incest attempt. PG. Spiritual Content: Moderate. God is referenced as the reason why Rachael could have been transported across timelines to a better existence. Church is attended, but the faith of the main characters appears shallow and surface. Bottom Line: This book kept me up, and I finished the last half of it in one sitting. It's a page turner. I gave it five stars.
  
• The Writer's Anointing on April 23, 2016
  
  This book is really more of a booklet, about 3000 words, and a free download on SmashWords. However, I felt it was worth mentioning, as it covers the basics of Why do we Write, and is it a Calling? From a Christian perspective, Londa recounts her own journey of faith into writing, and the questions she asked, which it would do well for those of us who are writers to consider.Spiritual and practical, this booklet is a good resource for the Christian considering stepping out on faith as a writer.
  
• Bees in Loretta's Bonnet on Aug. 01, 2016
  
  When Loretta dropped her armload of firewood on the hearth, a mysterious tube fell from between the logs. It was a leafcutter bee nest. Loretta took it back out to the woodpile and watched as holes appeared. But where were the bees? She found more holes appearing in leaves on her rose bushes. And even some of the rose petals. But where were the bees? Leafcutter bees are more efficient than honey bees for pollinating gardens. The book includes instructions for building a nest that may lure wild bees to your yard. Loretta's curiosity leads to discovery in this delightful illustrated children's book. Written on about a third grade level, this would be appropriate as either a read-aloud to your kids, or a relatively early reader for your young school age kids. There's also a science project for constructing a leaf cutter bee nest at the back, a great resource for a nature project for classroom or homeschool. Content: This is a children's book, and there's nothing offensive in it. Unless you don't like life on a farm, or bees. Personally, things that sting tend to be low on my list of friendly pets, but the leaf cutter bee is mild, and rarely stings unless handled. Also, their poison is milder than that of say the honey bee. They can damage prize rose bushes, so they are sometimes considered pests. Final Analysis: Bees in Loretta's Bonnet is an educational look into the life of the leafcutter bee and its contribution to life on a farm. There are clear instructions on how to create a nest for these relatively docile creatures, as a project for the kids. It's well illustrated, with watercolor pictures on every page. Science projects are always a plus, and having one at the end of an entertaining illustrated children's book is a great combination. The instructions for building a leaf cutter bee nest are clear, and make for a great family project, whether your kids are homeschooled (like mine) or whether you are teaching a classroom. I've seen the inquisitive nature of kids in my four, and it's refreshing to see a girl who enjoys learning about bugs and their contribution to life. Five Stars! * I received an electronic copy for an honest review
  
• The Dragon of Time: Gods and Dragons on Sep. 07, 2016
  
  Scar is a complete mystery to everyone, including himself. He has no past that he can recall. He only knows that he woke up being attacked by a roving band of Dracs, hopelessly outnumbered, yet somehow managed to hack through all of them. His fighting prowess is amazing, and he has the ability to heal in moments anything but mortal wounds. He finds himself a mercenary in the employ of Zoltek, leader of the Usaj, who has promised to request his god Zmaj reveal Scar's past, and restore his memory. Double-crossed by Zoltek and left for dead, Scar finds himself catapulted into an epic struggle for truth between Dragons posing as gods and the gods they are replacing. Wielding his gargantuan two-handed sword with its odd diamond-shaped holes, he carves a path through everyone blocking him from uncovering the truth about his past, his future, and the gods and dragons the people serve. Gods and Dragons is an obviously large epic fantasy series launch, on the scale of The Wheel of Time. The world building is amazing, and there are more people groups, religions, magical 'blessings' and countries than you could possibly remember. The action in places is gripping, and the characters, especially Scar and Labolas, are well-defined and real. Scar reminds me of Conan, but with more brain. His hack-and-slay mentality however, has him rushing into any confrontation, confident in his ability to mow down the opposition faster than Link can cut the grass. Content: Violence: PG-13 - In several places people are cut through, decapitated, or cleaved in two. There is a torture scene that is described, though not in great detail. The level of graphic violence is not greater than you would find in LOTR, so I left this at PG-13. Language: PG - The F-bomb isn't found, the D-word is found 25 times. Drug Content: Drinking occurs to excess in a few places, and visits to inns with ale on tap is a sporadic occurrence. In one place a roller-derby queen woman challenges Scar to a drinking contest, if she wins she has him for the night. Adult Content: R - There is one sex scene in the book, it's not graphic but goes into enough detail to edge the rating. As mentioned above, there is other adult content, none of it to that level. Christian content: The main thrust of the book is a struggle to prove that the gods each people group are worshipping, the ones that are giving them their characteristic 'blessings', are actually dragons. The real gods, the ones the paladins serve, are trying to gain their people back and expose the truth about the dragons. There is no biblical truth, no Christian content. However, it does drive home that an undesired truth is better than a well-established lie, and that if you speak the truth, you will receive persecution. There are many devout in their faith, whether following gods or dragons, and some that convert after learning the truth. Final analysis: This is a solid offering as a pilot to an epic fantasy series, the world building was extraordinary, the characters believable, and the action gripping, when it was there. The biggest issue I had with it was pacing, as there were places where action, intrigue, and plot happened, and this reader couldn't put the book down. But they were separated by portions of slow action that could have been cut. I found myself paging forward to get to the good parts, sometimes, which isn't my usual thing. I do look forward to future offerings in this series, as it was worth reading, and hopefully the following novels will only improve. Four Stars.
  
• Frapps The Barbarian on Nov. 13, 2019
  
  When Frapps, the Barbarian, a lowly wen-picker from the Equatorial Girdle, visits Catenary Jones' Trading Post, he is surprised to see a paperback novel there with his own likeness on the cover, and his own name there, too. Recovering from the shock, he opens it to find that most of the pages are blank. But what is in there are the activities of his last few minutes. The pages are being written as he reads. Inside the book he also discovers that a hapless land far to the north called Legoland is being taken over by a despot named Unther Margate, who is making plans to overthrow the kingdom by marrying the fair Princess Amplex. The rebel forces have called for the assistance of a Hero, by putting an ad in the paper. How could any half-wit resist? Content: Drug Content: G - None, unless wens are cigarettes. I have no idea. Violence: PG - The bad guy in this story is not above chopping off heads, and his sword gets stuck in a dead guy. There's a knife in the back, but for the most part it's about on a Disney level. Language: G - squeaky clean. In fact, the book refuses to record one word the bad guy lets fly. :-) Adult Content: PG - This is a kids' book. Sort of. Not even kissing occurs here. There's a bit of potty humor with the choices of names in this hilarious romp, about on a level with Spongebob I suppose. There are several scenes, however, where the main character is rendered naked, a relatively obvious allegory to how we are all naked before God, unable to hide our sin. Christian content: Quite a bit. There is a significant amount of Christian allegory in it, with the Immortal Unicorn being the embodiment it seems of Christ. There are other parallels but some of that would be spoiling. There are no bible verses quoted, no preaching, per se. Self sacrifice and determination are bold and up front. The concept of the king being God's man found in Rom 13:4 is clearly displayed. Final analysis: Frapps the Barbarian is a novella, which I rarely review. But this was an entertaining and quick read, with a nice moral outcome where good triumphs in the end. I found some of the thick English cockney accents a bit hard to interpret, but there were only a few areas where they were problematic. The characters are all whimsical and you can't take them too seriously, but even so there is definite character development and the world building is ingenious. I found it fascinating, entertaining, fast-paced and enthralling. Five stars!