Christian Fantasy Controversy

As I prepared to launch my book in March 2014, I received several questions regarding my book and some suspicion from Christian and secular readers alike.

The skeptical Christians were asking:
Is it written from a Biblical worldview?
Is there anything that makes it distinctly Christian?
Is there anything in it that would offend Christians?
Is it consistent with Philippians 4:8?

And secular minded people were asking:
Why did you put Christian stuff in it?
Do you do a lot of preaching in it?
Is there anything in it that would offend someone who wasn't a Christian?

Allow me to answer these questions with a few questions of my own:
Have ye skeptical Christians ever read ye ol Bible from cover to cover? How about Deuteronomy? What about Genesis or Judges? What about Isiah, Jeremiah, or Daniel? Is there anything in those books that would offend Christians? Is all of it consistent with Philippians 4:8? Is there some fantastic creatures mentioned in those books?
The answers to the last three questions is: Oh yeah, not really, and definitely.
But I can guarantee that my book is not nearly as "bad" as those books in the Bible.
My book does not have any cussing, sex, incest, or rape like most of the Old Testament tales are full of.
What my book DOES have is:
-Dragons (Job 41:1-34, Job 40:15-20, Isaiah 34:13, Psalms 91:13)
-Violence (Aside from the fact that the Bible is FULL of violence, from Cain killing his brother to God wiping out the cities of Sodom and Gamorah, just the simple fact that Jesus was "as a lamb to the slaughter" suggests violence)
-Monsters & Strange Creatures (Isaiah 6:2, Ezekiel 1:4 - chapter 2, Daniel 7:7, Job 40:15-24, Job 41)
-A bad witch who uses magic (1Samuel 28, 2 Kings 9:22, Exodus 22:18)

Why did you make a Christian fantasy book?
Why do you have finger nails and hair? Because it is a part of you. My love for God and His Son, Jesus, and my love for the Bible is the reason I wrote a Christian fantasy book. They are a part of me. I am not putting that aside because it makes YOU feel uncomfortable.

Is there anything in it that would offend someone, Christian or otherwise?
Um....probably. 
When I was a little girl, I tried to please my friends AND my parents and quickly learned that I could not. I cannot make everyone happy - it is completely impossible - and so I do not try to make everyone happy. There are some people who my book would offend for the simple fact that I wrote it (purely personal). I do not try to purposely offend anyone at all, but if something offends you in my book, I'm sorry. Here's a tip: if you think it might offend you, DON'T READ IT. Go read something soft and squishy, like a romance novel.

Is there anything in it that makes it distinctly Christian?
I think there is: the constant mention of Dayspring (God), bad guys being bad vs. good guys being good (the clear line between good and evil is a constant in the Bible, after all).

Is it consistent with Philippians 4:8?
Okay. I'm going to be a bit sarcastic: (Mom: you had better close your eyes.) Are YOU consistent with Philippians 4:8?
I always try to keep Philippians 4:8 in mind as I write, because Philippians 4:8 was written as a basic guideline of how Christians should speak, think, and act.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

We all interpret Philippians 4:8 differently, I am sure. But, when I write, I try to write what is true, my characters and I try to be honest and just, I try to keep my story pure, my good guys lovely. My story will have a "good report" as far as content, and I and my good characters endeavor to be virtuous. Even my bad guys are clean cut.
Yes. There is evil in my stories. Yes. There is death in my stories. Yes. There are dragons in my stories. But if you have read the Bible from cover to cover, then you must have run across talking snakes and donkeys, dragons, unicorns, seraphim, giants, witches, sorcery, ghosts, miracles, a thousand wars, and even naked people. I seriously doubt my book can be much worse.
If it would make you feel better, I could write a book about my family history... but in the end I think you would rather read The Dragons Son, because my family kinda has an R rated history. No lie.

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