SEVEN DEADLY SINS A Novel Collaboration by Michelle Anderson Picarella Stephen Penner A.T. Russell Dawn Kirby Vickie Adair Diana Ilinca and Tymothy Longoria Published by Published by Ring of Fire Publishing Seven Deadly Sins, A Novel Collaboration Collection copyright 2012 Ring of Fire Publishing. Individual stories copyright 2012 their respective authors. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with real persons or events is purely coincidental. Persons, events, and locations are either the product of the author's imagination, or used fictitiously. Cover design by Stephen Penner. The authors would like to dedicate this collection to each other, for the hard work, support, and camaraderie which this project has fostered. Foreword by Braxton Cosby Author of The Star-Crossed Saga: ProtoStar What would you be willing to trade for Sin? And what would any man be willing to trade for Sin? The whole world? …His soul? To those who believe, there is no price that equals the value of the human soul. That is the absolute truth, no comprising. But what is it about Sin that is so compelling? That constantly draws us in? That offers us pleasure while disguising the pain that subsequently follows? At its heart, Sin is the line in the sand between spiritual and natural existence. Sin entered the world and formed a schism between creation and the Creator. But we were all given a gift—a reward that not only retains the covenant between us and God, but also sustains the promise of glory—that being Jesus Christ, the Son of God; the perfect sacrifice. And through him, we have been redeemed by Grace, not of our own power. So what of Sin, and its price? Seven Deadly Sins offers an answer to that question. This book captures the essence of the relationship between Sin and the struggles of the daily walk of just being human. Through the immaculate art of storytelling, the Seven Deadly Sins of Wrath, Greed, Pride, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, and Sloth are brought to life. We are told to be not of this world, but we must still live in this world, and the only way inevitably to free ourselves from the confines of Sin is to overcome our greatest enemy: our mind. Penner's character Michael in Mens Rea demonstrates the disastrous effects of allowing unbridled anger to cultivate, maturing into its most devastating phase: Wrath. Greed rears its ugly head in Russell's story The Soul's Eye, where smooth-talking Iceman finally gets outhustled and burned. Pride and Lust come to the forefront in Adair's Queen of Black Dragons and Kirby's Sinful Pleasures, where the main characters of these tales wrestle with the crippling temptation of a covetous spirit, all the while losing sight of what precious gifts they already possess. Longoria's I am, Envy is all of that, and some. This powerful tale conveys a picture-perfect depiction of how dangerous it can be to submit oneself to the practice of Envy, but highlights the undeniable liberating capacity of charity. Hunger Pains by Ilinca illustrates Gluttony, in this fairytale that cautions the practice of having excess while losing sight of what is most important. Which perfectly leads us to Picarella's Sloth story, Claim Your Fate, which displays the values of hope and encouragement, along with the power of sowing a positive seed in one's own life by speaking things into existence: claiming your own fate. So what is to be gleaned from the messages in these powerful stories? Or even in the words scribed on these few pages? I can summarize it in two words: Hope and Love. Hope for the continual deliverance from our own indelible inclination to justify our Sins and explain them away as merely innocent behaviors that define our existence of being human. It is Hope that makes us not ashamed and which allows us to accept our sinful nature, thus bringing accountability to the forefront, so that we can fully appreciate the importance of establishing change in our own lives. So that Love—once actualized as truth— can reign bounteously and empower all of us to do justice to one another, be merciful to those who hurt us, and walk humbly in the will of God. Enjoy! Table of Sins I. WRATH by Stephen Penner II. GREED by A.T. Russell III. PRIDE by Vickie Adair IV. LUST by Dawn Kirby V. ENVY by Tymothy Longoria VI. GLUTTONY by Diana Ilinca VII. SLOTH by Michelle Anderson Picarella About the Authors Men often make up in wrath what they want in reason. —William R. Alger