Author Archives: Janet Sketchley

About Janet Sketchley

Janet Sketchley is an Atlantic Canadian writer whose Redemption’s Edge Christian suspense novels have each been finalists in The Word Awards. She's also the author of the devotional collection, A Year of Tenacity. Janet blogs about faith and books. She loves Jesus and her family, and enjoys reading, worship music, and tea. Fans of Christian suspense are invited to join her writing journey through her monthly newsletter: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

Review: Storm Surge, by Rene Gutteridge

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Storm Surge, by Rene Gutteridge (Tyndale House, 2005)

FBI Agent Mick Kline is a storm chaser in his spare time. Not that he has much of that these days. The suspect he and his partner have been investigating dies in a suspicious fire, and suddenly his case is tangled with another bureau’s ongoing arson investigation.

The two departments aren’t known for working well together, but a mutual attraction between Mick and his opposite number, Special Agent Libby Lancaster, helps—until she’s sidelined by an injury. Mick’s feelings add another complication: after years of being single, there are now three women on his radar.

At the same time, Mick is receiving anonymous notes that point to a long-ago crime and suggest that a man on Death Row may be as innocent as he claims. Mick needs to uncover the truth before the execution.

There’s much more to this novel, and including flashbacks to the Vietnam War and to the trial that convicted a possibly innocent man of murder. It builds to a life-or-death climax in the heart of a hurricane.

Storm Surge is the third in Rene Gutteridge’s Storm series, and is heavily influenced by Mick’s experiences in the first two novels, Splitting Storm and Storm Gathering. Leave it to me to unintentionally start a series at the end, but everything a new reader needs to know is provided. Mick is an enjoyable character, and I’d like to go back and read the first two novels even though I now have major spoiler information.

The Tyndale House website says Storm Surge is out of print, although there are still copies available through cbd.com. The novel is also available as an ebook.

Besides the Storm series, Rene Gutteridge has written the popular Boo series and other novels. Her first novel, Ghost Writer, releases as a reprint in June 2012.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Thoughts on Good Friday

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Good Friday is always a difficult day for me, facing the sacrifice that Jesus made for us–for me–and wishing there’d been another way. Recently at Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts looked at it a little differently and discovered:

As much as I want to be able to bear my own blame, it would destroy me. If I want to be His, I must let Him kneel at the scourging post, hands tied above His head, let Him take every last stroke of that fiercely studded whip that should have been mine, and continue, body already broken, down the road to the cross, that final doorway into the heart of enemy territory. If I want to be His, I must receive the gift of Himself.

Read Carolyn’s entire post at The Words You Never Dreamed He’d Say, and let it bless you today.

Not Just Going to Heaven

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But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5, NIV*

“Why should I believe in Jesus?”

“So you can be saved from your sins and go to Heaven when you die.”

As a child, that’s how I thought. But there’s so much more to it than that.

Even “saved from your sins” means more than fire escape. It means freedom from their domination and from the destructive mindsets we’ve accepted. Freedom from ourselves, too!

And healing for our brokenness. Peace for our anxious spirits. Forgiveness… and the strength to forgive.

Most of all it means a relationship with the God who formed the universe and who welcomes us like a longing parent welcomes a long-lost child.

He’s with us. He’s our strength for today and our hope for tomorrow. He won’t leave us, always understands us, and His presence makes the difference in whatever we’re going through.

At Other Food: daily devos, Violet lists some of the facets of this salvation Jesus bought.

Holy and merciful God, we were all damaged goods, without hope of healing. But Jesus came willingly to be our Saviour. Thank You for the grace to believe. Open our spirits to receive the full extent of the healing and restoration You want to work in our lives, and help us to be living examples to those who still need to come to You.

∞

The Newsboys used to do an extended version of their song, “I Am Free,” where Peter Furler (former lead singer) quoted parts of Isaiah 53, ending with today’s verse. This is the Gospel message: for now as well as when we die.

Review: Forlorn River, by Zane Grey

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Forlorn River, by Zane Grey (first published by Harper & Brothers, 1927)

In the old west, Ben Ide is a wild horse hunter in Northern California. Cut off from his family because his father disapproves, 20-year-old Ben shares his homestead with two other cast-offs: his partner, who won’t speak of his past and goes by the nickname “Nevada,” and a Native American called “Modoc” (after his people).

Nevada and Modoc are fiercely loyal to Ben because he’s been kind to them, and their skills make the difference in the adventure of Forlorn River. It seems the only others who think well of Ben are his sister, Hettie, and his childhood sweetheart, Ina Blaine. And the sheriff, although rumours are flying that Ben’s a cattle rustler.

Ben’s and Ina’s fathers have recently struck it rich, and the money has gone to their heads. A shady character named Setter has worked his way into their dealings and turned them against one another. Now he wants to discredit Ben and steal his land, and he has his eye on Ina.

Forlorn River was first published in 1927, and although there’s a lot of action, the writing style makes it a gentle read. Zane Grey was a storyteller, far different from the current advice to “show, don’t tell.” His omniscient, distant point of view means the reader doesn’t engage as deeply into the story. Emotionally intense stories tire me (and sometimes frighten me away), and this one is a safe, solid read.

I was surprised by the amount of mild profanity in the novel. Not that I think people’s language was any cleaner back then, but since the book presents violence and sexuality in a restrained way with nothing explicit, the language really stands out.

Because it’s an older work, don’t look for political correctness in the wording. Modoc is a caricature in the way he speaks, and even good-hearted Ben makes some casual comments that would cause serious offense today.

Although the narrative is at times wordy, something about the story drew me in and I enjoyed it. The ending satisfies, and leads directly into the sequel, “Nevada.” Guess whose story that tells?

The Zane Grey Inc. site lists the author’s books and tells about his life.

[Review copy from the public library via inter-library loan.]

Writing Anniversaries

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March is anniversary month for me, writing-wise, on two counts:

The earliest notes I have for my first novel draft are from March 1994, although I may have started earlier, and some of those characters lived in my head for a good year before venturing out onto the computer.

While I’ve had short stories published, that novel and its companion are still (again!) in the revision cycle. Somewhere along the line I decided to fight discouragement with humour, and so was born the annual ‘birthday’ celebration for my characters. Since new characters have joined those first few, I think ‘anniversary’ works better: the anniversary of when I started writing fiction (not counting the short stories and abandoned novel openings of my childhood).

1994 to 2012 … “eighteen years, I guess it was all right” — can anyone guess which Newsboys song that’s from? It’s way out of context, but it’s been going through my head this month. Each year I do a cake. Carrot cake, this time, as suggested by one of my longest-standing imaginary friends, Ruth, who’s a cheesecake lover. But she was definite about the carrot cake. And my family certainly appreciated it on her behalf.

2008 to 2012… four years — actually, four years ago to this very date (March 30) my first blog post here at God with Us: Finding Joy went live. I wasn’t thinking about March when I posted, just thinking I’d delayed long enough!

If you’re a writer, do you observe milestones or anniversaries? How and why? Or why not?

Working Together

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Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.
Romans 12: 4-6a, NLT*

In late 2011 I had a short-term job as part of a small team. Sometimes we were two, sometimes three. We had the common goal of distributing Christmas help to needy families.

There were a lot of details, loose ends, and sometimes a flood of volunteers needing direction. My supervisor could stop, look at the big picture, and direct traffic. Time and again, she turned a chaotic group of people into focused workers, each with his/her own task contributing to the whole.

I’d have been hiding in the corner, whimpering.

But I could handle the paperwork details. And she balanced my details and kept me from focusing on one tree and missing the forest.

We worked together in unity, each appreciating what the other did. There was no competition or self-pity that we weren’t the best at everything. Nor was there resentment of the other for not having the same abilities.

In our families, our workplaces, our churches… we have different gifts and we need each other. The problem is, some gifts can come wrapped in argumentative, competitive or just plain difficult packages. And sometimes we get difficult, feel unappreciated… “Why am I always the one who has to do this? Couldn’t someone else take a turn?”

God who formed us and who is patiently shaping us into who You designed us to be, thank You for our differences. Forgive us our impatience with one another. Forgive us our resentment of one another’s shortcomings, real or perceived. Help us see how we fit together, especially as families and as the church. Help us submit to You and to one another, help us to love one another and to give grace to cover the difficult spots. Help us value unity more than getting our own way. Make us one, as You are one.

∞

I couldn’t find a video of Geoff Moore’s “The Body of Christ” (from his Saying Grace album) so here’s something a little different that the Lord provided for me. Please don’t look for accurate theology; take what’s true and applicable and remember that the power behind our oneness is Jesus Christ. This is from Disney’s Lion King 2: “We Are One.”

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Review: Shine, by the Newsboys (book)

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Shine, by Newsboys (Whitaker House, 2002)

The Newsboys are my favourite band, and their music both blesses and entertains me. So when I saw their book, Shine, I had to pick it up.

Like their song of the same name, Shine is subtitled “make them wonder what you’ve got.” It’s a book that challenges Christians to do just that. Each section includes song lyrics, relevant quotes, and personal anecdotes from the Newsboys (at the time of this book: Peter Furler, Phil Joel, Jody Davis, Jeff Frankenstein and Duncan Phillips).

Most importantly, it includes solid thinking and teaching on key issues. Section titles are Where’s the Light?, Living in an Upside-Down Kingdom, Knowledge of the Glory, The Fruit of the Light, Light for the Land of Shadow, and Appetite for Eternity.

There are journal pages at the end, each with a question designed for prayerful reflection. There’s also a list of further reading material, both contemporary and classic.

I was a little afraid the book would turn out to be entertainment hype. Then I started reading, hit words like ‘postmodern’ and feared it would get too deep and philosophical. Wrong again. It refocused and encouraged me, especially the section on the Kingdom.

Like the band’s more serious songs, it takes an honest look at life in our culture and at ways we as Christians haven’t got it all together yet. And like their more fun, off-the-wall songs, it’s packaged in one of the funkiest covers I’ve seen.

You can see the cover art with this review, but there’s more. This is a textured cover; the black sinks in and the white is raised. And still more: this book cover glows in the dark. The white is bright, and there are faint green crests and designs. It was my bedtime reading, and at first I wondered where this glow was coming from after I’d put it down and turned out the light.

Shine is available through the Whitaker House site, the Amazon sites, and Christianbook.com (English and Spanish – the English is also available as an ebook but you’d lose the cool cover). It doesn’t seem to have received the attention it deserves, and I’m glad I found a copy in my local Christian bookstore (thanks, Miracles!).

To see what the Newsboys are up to now (current band members: Michael Tait, Jody Davis, Jeff Frankenstein and Duncan Phillips) visit the official Newsboys website. For an overview of the history of the band, see the Wikipedia Newsboys page.

Other reviews of Shine (the book): Deus Nobiscum, Kiwi Reviews.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Trust

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My friend Jan Cox has dubbed this the Year of Trust. I’m focusing on relentless gratitude, and there’s a definite cross-over. Gratitude to God reinforces trust in God.

Here are some links I’ve found helpful:

Carolyn Watts’ posts at Hearing the Heartbeat often bless me. Here she offers a simple reminder of what trust can look like.

At Something About the Joy, Ginny Jaques shares Four Things About God that Make Life So Much Easier.

At Dreaming Big, Heather Boersma encourages us to let our words affirm our dependence on God and speak life, not death. That sounds like trust to me.

At Promises for All Who Are In Christ, Natalie Gidney lists several promises from God that define who we are in Christ. Good to memorize for when the doubts fly.

And Janice Dick reminds us of God’s protective hold on us.

Prince of Peace

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But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5, NIV*

The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, means more than tranquility or absence of conflict. The Ancient Hebrew Research Center says “The noun shalom has the more literal meaning of being in a state of wholeness or with no deficiency.”

I’ve been thinking a bit about what it means that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Prince speaks to His authority. Peace is part of His character, but it’s also something He gave His life to bring us.

Peace with God: We’re adopted into God’s family, loved and welcomed. He’s washed away the sin and shame and we don’t need to hide anymore. Nor will God hide His face from us.

Peace with one another: We can overlook the surface irritants and choose to give grace to one another like it’s been given to us. We can work together, united in our belonging to the Prince of Peace, who enables—and commands—us to love one another.

Peace with ourselves: He knows our depths but loves and accepts us. We can accept ourselves. He has saved us and is saving us. We can cooperate with Him and rely on His promises.

God the Son, who is our Prince of Peace, thank You for rescuing us. Thank You for making us whole and giving us peace with You, with others and with ourselves. Help us do all we can, strengthened by Your mighty power at work in us, to preserve and expand this peace. Help us be peacemakers.

∞

Here’s Rich Mullins’ classic song, “Hold Me Jesus.”

Review: Gone to Ground, by Brandilyn Collins

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Gone to Ground, by Brandilyn Collins (B&H Publishing Group, 2012)

Amaryllis, Mississippi, is like any other small town. Except for the serial killer.

Gone to Ground opens with an excerpt from the (fictional) Pulitzer-prize-winning article on the first five killings, by local-born journalist Trent Williams. Portions of the article appear throughout the novel to give readers more background.

When a sixth victim is found, three Amaryllis women know who killed her. They each have evidence. They’re each afraid to go to the police. And each one would name a different man.

Brandilyn Collins gives us three vibrant, believable characters: Cherrie Mae is a widow who cleans houses, and she’s getting up in years; Tully is barely 20 and pregnant, with an abusive husband; Deena operates a hairdressing salon and used to be married to one of Amaryllis’ police officers.

The three women take turns telling the story, each one in first person. That doesn’t usually work for me but it does in this story because each of the three has a distinct voice.

Chapter headers tell us who’s sharing this part of the narrative, but I always knew even if I forgot to look. Cherrie Mae, Tully and Deena have similar southern accents, but they’re each so focused on what they know (or fear they know) that it’s easy to tell who’s talking by what they’re talking (and thinking) about.

One thing they agree on: the police chief may be more interested in making an arrest than in getting the right man. Unless they can solve the mystery and present proof he can’t ignore.

Best-selling suspense author Brandilyn Collins is one of my favourites in the genre, and I look forward to each new release. Gone to Ground is a satisfying read with a well-crafted plot and appealing characters. I especially liked Cherrie Mae.

Visit Brandilyn Collins’ website to view a trailer for the novel and read an excerpt.

Other reviews of Gone to Ground: TitleTrakk.com, Reading with Monie, The Suspense Zone (spoiler alert), Book Reviews from an Avid Reader and The Random Thoughts of Crazy Mandy.