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.

What Qualifies Us?

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It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5, NLT*

Paul has plenty of educational background and other accomplishments, which he elsewhere refers to as “worthless” in comparison to knowing the grace of God. It’s not that he’s not qualified, but that any credentials, official or unofficial, would not be enough if he didn’t also have the Lord’s anointing on him to do the job.

He’s writing here about his ministry, about sharing the good news of Jesus, and nurturing believers. This is serious Kingdom business.

What about you and me, in the daily details of our lives?

Who you are today, with the background and abilities you have… is there something you need to do that’s generating anxiety? Something that’s too hard, or it’s a stretch, or messing it up could cause problems?

Maybe it’s major, like Paul’s work, or maybe it’s smaller. Nothing is too big or too small for God’s notice.

I have a few minor things hovering around me this week, trying to sap my courage. Objectively, even if every one of them goes wrong, no major harm will be done. For you, the stakes may be higher.

What we need to cling to is this: it’s God who makes the difference. (And it’s God who works with us when we’ve failed, too. He’ll never leave us, and He can work good out of our messes.) He never intended us to do life on our own.

God our Creator and our Equipper, help us repeatedly choose to rely on You. You promise to give wisdom when we ask, so help us to ask and to believe. Give us what we need to conduct ourselves worthy of Your Name, and to carry out our responsibilities competently. Help us to not allow fear to rob us of our peace and to distance us from You, because You are the Provider of all we need.

∞

“You Raise Me Up,” sung here by Selah, is one of those songs that can encourage and re-focus us.

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Review: The Silver Suitcase, by Terrie Todd

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The Silver Suitcase, by Terrie ToddThe Silver Suitcase, by Terrie Todd (Waterfall Press, 2016)

When teenaged Cornelia Simpson confides in her journal in the late 1930s and into the 40s, she has no idea that other eyes will ever read her words… or how God will use those words to touch hearts, starting with her granddaughter, Benita.

The Silver Suitcase is written in three parts. The first shares parts of Cornelia’s life, and the other two follow Benita as she reads the diaries her grandmother had hidden in a silver suitcase.

Benita is married, with two school-aged children and an unemployed husband. Money is tight, stress is high, and neither she nor her husband, Ken, have a strong faith to sustain them. She always wondered how her grandmother developed such a faith. The diaries will show her – and inspire her own faith to grow.

Set in rural and urban Manitoba, Canada, this is a gently-written story about ordinary people, with hurts, fears and attitudes to which we can easily relate. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the characters and wondering how things would turn out.

The Silver Suitcase is Canadian author Terrie Todd’s debut novel, and before publication it was a finalist in the 2011 and 2012 Christian Writers Guild’s Operation First Novel contest. Terrie Todd is working on a second novel, and in the mean time, readers can enjoy her faith-based blog: Out of My Mind.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Without Proof: the Playlist

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Each of the Redemption’s Edge novels has an associated soundtrack in my head. For Secrets and Lies, it may have leaked into readers’ heads, too, because the novel is full of references to songs. For Heaven’s Prey and Without Proof, the music isn’t mentioned by name, but my imagination links certain songs with certain characters or situations.

Here’s my playlist for Without Proof: music that complements the characters and theme. Below the YouTube screen, I’ve listed each title and artist. Most connect with Amy’s identity struggles, but there’s also Michael’s song for Amy and what I think of as Michael’s and Gilles’ song from back in the day. Scroll down and have a look 🙂

Without Proof playlist:
“Come as You Are” by Crowder
“Always” by the Newsboys
“Say You Need Love” by the Newsboys
“What Are You Waiting For?” by Nickelback
“Let it All Come Out” by the Newsboys
“The Letter” by the Newsboys
“I Belong” by Kathryn Scott
“My New Name” by Todd Agnew (not in the YouTube mix… I couldn’t find it there)
“Child of God” by Kathryn Scott
“Yours to Hold” by Skillet (Michael’s song for Amy)
“A Friend Like You” by Geoff Moore and The Distance (Michael’s and Gilles’ song)

Not Worthy, But Chosen

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This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
2 Corinthians 1:1, NLT*

Paul was “chosen by the will of God to be an apostle…”

But he also wrote: “I am the least of all the apostles … not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.” (1 Corinthians 15:9, NLT*)

Don’t you think the enemy of our souls tried to use Paul’s past to sabotage his future?

The same with the unnamed weakness that Paul called his “thorn in the flesh” – in fact, he called it “a messenger from Satan.” (2 Corinthians 12:7, NLT*)

Imagine if he’d listened to these taunts about his unworthiness and his weakness. If he’d accepted them and quit the ministry.

I think today’s verse shows us the secret of his victory.

He knew it wasn’t about him – his worth or lack of it, his weakness or strength. It was about God. The God who saw Paul’s offenses, who allowed the weakness. The God who loved him and chose to save him and to call him as an apostle of Christ.

What about us? Paul wasn’t an exception. We’re all unworthy in one way or another. We all have weaknesses. What might God want to do through us?

Father God, You know each heart. You know our unworthiness and our weakness. you know we can’t change on our own. Yet You love us. You saved us and You’re saving us still. Forgive us for the ways we’ve allowed our limitations to disqualify us from what You’ve set before us. Help us find our strength in the fact that it’s You who call us. Teach us to reject what would hold us back, and to follow You.

∞

Brian Doerksen’s song, “Welcome to the Place of Level Ground,” reminds us we’re all the same before the Lord.

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Review: Cold Shot, by Dani Pettrey

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Cold Shot, by Dani PettreyCold Shot, by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House, 2016)

When recent remains are found in an old Gettysburg burying site, forensic anthropologist Finley Scott must work with a park ranger who’s more than he seems. Griffin McCray is a former sniper who left the Baltimore police force after a tragic incident. There’s more pain than that in his past, which is why he’s trying to keep his distance from the attractive Finley.

Someone is desperate to prevent the body being identified, and to stop the investigation. Griffin and Finley, as well as two of Griffin’s trusted contacts (he used to call them both friends) must find the truth before the sniper they’re hunting targets them.

Cold Shot is a fast-paced suspense with a strong romantic thread, with Griffin as Finley’s self-appointed guardian. Despite his need to stay aloof, he can’t leave her unprotected. There’s also a significant amount of history between the three men.

Other key players in the novel are FBI agent Declan Grey and crime scene analyst Parker Mitchell. This is book 1 in the Chesapeake Valour series, and it looks like subsequent books will feature Declan and Parker, as the three friends and their associates tackle other crimes. The main characters are engaging, and I look forward to following them through the series. They’re all Christians, and they’ll definitely need their faith to get them through their struggles.

Finley and Parker both live in Baltimore, a city the author clearly knows well. She captures a strong sense of place in Finley’s neighbourhood and in the other settings of the book. As I read, I wondered if I’d really find some of the restaurants and other places in real life, and the answer is yes.

Dani Pettrey is the author of the popular Alaska Courage romantic suspense series. For more about the Dani Pettrey and her books, visit her website. Her books page includes a sample chapter of Cold Shot as well as tour of Finley’s neighbourhood.

[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]

Called to Share

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But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favour on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
1 Corinthians 15:10, NLT*

“Whatever I am now” – Paul said his actions in persecuting the early Christians made him unworthy to be called an apostle.

Clearly, he was an apostle, or as William Barclay described him, an ambassador for Christ. Yes, he came late to the party, and with a terrible history. But when Jesus got Paul’s attention, Paul surrendered and threw his whole heart into spreading the news that the promised Saviour had come.

Paul didn’t dare let his past disqualify him – not when Jesus had personally commissioned him. He didn’t let the unusual circumstances of his calling inflate his opinion of himself or of those who’d served the Lord from the beginning. Nor did he allow his “thorn in the flesh” hold him back – instead he learned to rely on God’s strength. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

He never claimed to have deserved God’s special favour – anything but. Yet he seized what God gave him, and poured out his own life in service to his new Master.

If we look around us, we’ll see many who appear better equipped to spread the good news about Jesus. But the God who called Paul, and whose grace was enough for him, wants to use us too. He seems to like to work through the unlikely… perhaps because we’re more aware of how much we need to rely on Him?

God our Saviour… our King. Thank You for the privilege of belonging to You. Rekindle our wonder that You saved us, and open our eyes to see the opportunities You give to share You with others. Help us not to think less – or more – of ourselves than we should, but instead to think most about You. Show us how to live for You so others can come to know You as well.

∞

The Newsboys’ song, “Go Glow,” encourages us to share what we’ve received.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVxRkOHjbCI

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Review: The Bitter End, by Linda Hall

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The Bitter End, by Linda HallThe Bitter End, by Linda Hall (2015)

Most contracts see Captain Em Ridge delivering sailboats to wealthy owners who don’t like to do their own long-haul trips. This time, though, she’s ferrying an over-the-top TV host around the Bermuda Triangle looking for evidence of the bizarre.

It’s an uneventful assignment, until they discover an abandoned sailboat whose occupants seem to have vanished over dinner. Unlike the crew of the Mary Celeste, though, someone put out extra food and water for the ship’s cat before disappearing.

Em knows this boat – and the cat. They belong to her beloved Uncle Ferd, the family black sheep – and the one who taught her to sail.

At first she fears he’s been taken by pirates, but the truth may be worse: he’s wanted by the authorities in connection with a murder. In setting out to clear her childhood hero’s name, Em may discover Uncle Ferd isn’t the man she thought he was.

The Bitter End is the second Em Ridge mystery, and I’m looking forward to more in this series. You could start with this one, but book 1, Night Watch, is also a good read and it lets you meet Em at the start of her adventures.

As well as being satisfying mysteries, the books give readers a taste of the sailing life. Author Linda Hall does a stellar job of sharing the experience with readers in a way that feels natural and without confusing us with jargon. Having logged many hours on her own sailboat, she knows the best details to include.

She also knows how to write memorable, flawed characters, and vivid descriptions. My favourite in this book:

“Where the doorbell should have been, a few threads of twisted wire stuck out like the veins of a robot.” [Kindle location 1159]

In the past, Linda Hall has written for the Christian market, but her Em Ridge novels are mainstream. As such, she allows her characters the occasional mild profanity, and there isn’t an overtly Christian thread through the stories. Em’s mother has a rigid faith, which sounds like it has a lot to do with Em’s lack of relationship with her family as well as with God. While I don’t think we’ll see Em experience a dramatic conversion in the series, I do hope we’ll see some resolution in these areas. She’s not happy this way, and her mother’s not healthy her way either.

Em is a widow, and there’s a handsome detective who keeps crossing her path, however he has baggage of his own – including an estranged wife.

These ongoing threads tie the novels together and keep me looking forward to the next one even after the current mystery has been satisfactorily resolved.

Linda Hall is an award-winning writer of mystery and suspense. For more about the author and her books, visit writerhall.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Fiction and Devotionals

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21 Days of Love: Stories that Celebrate Treasured RelationshipsHave you seen the newest book in the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series? 21 Days of Love is a natural fit with Valentine’s Day for all matters of the heart, not just for romance. The stories are about various kinds of relationships.

This is such a great series idea: short stories — fiction — each one with a brief life application thought at the end. Individuals and groups who’d like to delve deeper can download free study guides for each book.

21 Days of Love is the third book in this series. Each one makes a lovely gift: hardcover, with a ribbon bookmarker, and brimming with encouraging stories.

Why am I telling you about this one specifically? I’m excited to have a story in it! No, not a suspense story, an ordinary tale of a young woman visiting her grandmother in a care facility.

If you’d like to know more about this series, visit fictiondevo.com. You’ll see the first four book covers (21 Days of Joy releases in April) and find a link to the Facebook community.

Christian Authors

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Christian Authors is a new site featuring Canadian Christian authors. Today, February 4, 2016, they’re hosting a virtual launch party on Facebook, complete with hourly giveaways.

Christian Authors website launch party

Here’s the lineup of hosts (Eastern Time):

Party link: Christian Authors Virtual Launch. You can either visit the link early to sign up for the event, or simply pop in while it’s going on. The key with a Facebook party is to refresh your browser regularly so you’ll see the new chatter. (Windows users: refresh by hitting F5 or the little circle arrow in the top left of your screen.)

Whether or not you’re interested in today’s party, you might want to check out the website. They have interviews with featured authors (mine is here: christianauthors.ca/janet-sketchley/) and their plan is to send monthly email updates to subscribers, with book news, updates on sales, and other newsworthy events. Right now they’re offering new subscribers (it’s free) attractive printable colouring bookmarks and wall art. Link: subscriptions.