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: Plum Upside Down, by Valerie Comer

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Plum Upside Down, by Valerie Comer (GreenWords Media, 2015)

Chelsea Riehl is fairly new to the farm that her sister Sierra and friends founded. The farm community offer courses and event hosting and Chelsea thought her event planning skills would be her contribution to the mix, but so far she’s spent most of her time peeling plums, processing tomatoes, and cutting up beef.

Everyone else who lives on the farm is married or engaged, except Chelsea… and Keanan, the hippie-style guy with the guitar. Neither one of them is looking for a relationship – especially not with the other.

Chelsea and Keanan are polar opposites – and they start out with an instant dislike for one another. I found that a little irritating at first, but they quickly discover a budding attraction and I just as quickly developed a fondness for them both. Keanan’s faith is so deep that it stirs a longing in Chelsea’s spirit and causes her to struggle with comparisons and a sense of unworthiness.

This is book 5 in the Farm Fresh Romance series, where each novel features different characters from the expanding Green Acres farm community. I’m not really a fan of romance as the main plot thread, but what I like about this series is that along with engaging characters and the romance thread, there’s also a faith thread and the chance to vicariously live life on a self-sustaining farm.

Most, if not all, books in the Farm Fresh series include a recipe (this time it’s Plum Upside Down Cake). New for this story, the author has created a playlist of Keanan’s songs, and a list of the Bible verses that he shared with Chelsea.

Don’t let that last item scare you. This isn’t a preachy novel. Chelsea’s biggest issue is that she doesn’t dare believe that God really loves her personally. Naturally, as she opens up to her friends about this, the conversation will be about faith, but it’s clearly Chelsea’s need and not an author-driven agenda (although I’m sure the author agrees!)

Valerie Comer is a prolific Canadian author of Christian romance (plus one clean mainstream fantasy novel). As well as the Farm Fresh series of novels, she writes the Riverbend Romance novellas. For more about the author and her books, visit valeriecomer.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

WritersOnReading

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Writers are readers… or at least we should be. The WritersOnReading blog shares weekly interviews with writers, talking about the books they love. I was happy to chat about some of my favourites recently (Writer Janet Sketchley on Reading). Click the link to pop over and say hello, and do browse through the other interviews. You never know who you might find! This looks like a good site to bookmark or subscribe to.

Guest Post: Deadly Intent

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Deadly Intent

by Lillian Duncan

DEADLY INTENT is the second in my Deadly Communications series. It features Maven Morris, a speech pathologist (another word for speech therapist) who has a knack for getting into trouble—deadly trouble.

In Deadly Intent, Maven takes on the foster care of a small boy, abandoned in a park. She hasn’t got a clue how that decision is going to impact her life. She’s in for a lot more trouble than she bargained for.

I’m not going to ruin the story by sharing what she’s about to face, but let me assure you there’s a reason deadly is part of the title. Instead, I’ll share a bit about how I came up with Maven, a crime-fighting speech pathologist.

I was a school speech pathologist, also known as an SLP, for more than thirty years. I’ve also been writing for twenty. During the time, I never figured out a way to merge the two together until about two years ago, three things happened within a week of each other.

First I was talking with someone whose daughter had been in a serious car accident that resulted in brain damage. She was having difficulty with her expressive language skills. He was telling me about a program she planned on attending to help.

Second, my brother was talking with me about my writing. He wondered why I’d never featured a speech therapist in any of my books. My honest answer was I’d never figured out how to work a speech therapist into a suspense story. I loved being a speech pathologist but I’ll be the first to admit, it can be a bit boring listening to a student practice S or R again for the 600th time!

Anyway… later in the week I wasn’t doing anything in particular. Probably riding in the car with my husband or watching TV. Two activities that promote daydreaming in me.

All of a sudden, a ten-second movie blip played in my head. I saw a young woman running through the woods. As she emerged from the trees, she ran onto a highway where the headlights of a truck blinded her.

In that instant, the plot of Deadly Communications was born and from that Maven, my crime-fighting speech therapist was created. I love Maven. In many ways she reminds me of myself. In other ways, not at all.

She’s definitely the adventurous one!

To celebrate the release of Deadly Intent, I’m having a giveaway on my blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com. Grand prize is a $25 Amazon gift card but that’s not all! Five more winners will get a $5 Amazon gift card. How’s that for a celebration?

All you have to do is hop over to www.lillian-duncan.com and leave a comment on the Deadly Intent announcement. The contest ends September 26. PS. When you leave a comment, be sure to tell me what blog you read about me on. Then check back to see if you’re a winner!

—

Everyone belongs somewhere. The key to happiness is recognizing that place when you get there.

Maven Morris can’t seem to find that place. A childless widow, she has no immediate family. Forced into a medical leave, she has no career. At loose ends, she hasn’t a clue what’s next for her.

Her neighbor, Paul Jordan knows what he wants—to move their friendship to a new level. Maven may not know what’s next, but she does know she has no interest in romance with anyone— not even her handsome neighbor.

When a young boy is abandoned in the city park, he touches her heart. In spite of his obvious special needs, she agrees to provide a temporary foster home for him. She has no idea the impact he will have on her life—or the danger he brings to her doorstep.

Lillian Duncan: stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem!

Lillian is a multi-published writer with several Amazon bestsellers, including The Christmas Stalking and Betrayed. She writes the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced suspense with a touch or two of romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us

Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net. Tiaras & Tennis Shoes is her personal blog at www.lillian-duncan.com.

Not Obnoxious

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Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:4-6, NIV*

Steph Beth Nickel’s guest post last Friday was titled “Do Not Be Anxious About Anything — Even the Good Stuff.” If you’ve read it, you know she shared some hard-earned wisdom. (If you haven’t, just click the link.)

After I’d scheduled a tweet to share her post, I went to double-check it and I misread the title to say “Do Not Be Obnoxious About Anything.” This was near bedtime, and I found it funny.

But I think there’s wisdom there too. What do we do when we’re anxious or stressed? We tense up, speed up, put up defenses. Some of us get obnoxious.

What does Paul say here? “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Why? “Because the Lord is near.”

God’s got this. Whatever this is. And whatever happens, He’ll be right there with us, able to work even in the worst messes.

Because God is near, Paul tells us to bring our concerns to Him. We can be confident that He already knows what He wants to do in the situation. It may not be what we want, but if we truly believe Him to be wise, good, powerful and loving, we can choose to trust Him.

As Stephanie said, it really comes down to a question of whether we trust God or not.

Holy and majestic God of the universe, it’s scandalous to even suggest You’re not trustworthy, yet You know our weakness and our doubts, and the fears that snare us, and You know sometimes we don’t trust You. Or we don’t act on the trust we think we have. Please forgive us and help our unbelief. Help us surrender the fight or flight reflex that can make us obnoxious. Teach us to rely on Your goodness and Your presence, so we can show others how good You are.

∞

Our song this week is Mercy Me‘s “Here With Me.”

Review: Dreamlander, by K.M. Weiland

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Dreamlander, by K.M. Weiland (PenForASword, 2012)

Dreams weren’t supposed to be able to kill you. But this one was sure trying its best. [Kindle location 91]

What if… when you fell asleep, your dreams were real in another world?

Chris is a Gifted, one of very few who can cross the boundary between our world and the other. Each Gifted is brought to the other world to help in time of need, although the nature of that help isn’t immediately apparent.

We first meet Chris in present-day Chicago, where he’s a journalist afraid of commitment, avoiding his down-and-out father and basically drifting through life. Lately he’s been having strange dreams, and when he falls asleep and catapults into the Kingdom of Lael, all he wants to do is go home and make the dreams stop.

Princess Allara Katadin of Lael is a Searcher. Her role is to locate a Gifted when he or she crosses over, and to help the Gifted acclimatize and fulfill his or her role as that becomes clear. She was a child when her first Gifted arrived, and that episode of her life was a failure. A second Gifted in the same Searcher’s lifetime is practically unheard-of, and it’s the last thing Allara wants.

Lael is a mediaeval-type kingdom, with horses and swords. They do have guns, powered by hydraulics, and cable-cars which connect distant towns. They’re also under threat from a neighbouring country and from a dissenting faction within their own.

The world has different plant and animal life than Earth, including two other bipedal species and a guardian-angel type of being called the Garowai, a wise, mythic-looking creature who only tells Allara as much as she needs to know.

The world-building is thorough and intriguing, different enough to be fun but not deliberately strange to keep readers off balance. The characters and culture are richly-developed and relatable. This is another of those stories I didn’t want to see end. Happily, it’s a long one.

My favourite line:

Chris’s breath, trapped in the back of his throat, seeped free. [Kindle location 2709]

The narrative slips between Lael, where Chris, who doesn’t believe in second chances, desperately needs a way to right the wrong he does in the beginning – and stop a war – and Chicago, where he’s trying to evade a hit-man. Between the two worlds, Chris may gain the wisdom needed to make his life count.

Dreamlander is a satisfying novel, the sort that leaves me mulling it over for a while before I can open another book. K.M. Weiland has two other novels, Behold the Dawn (historical) and A Man Called Outlaw (western), as well as a collection of resources for writers. She has a page on her website with extras and bonus features for Dreamlander, and her Helping Writers Become Authors site has a wealth of writing resources.

[youtube=https://youtu.be/mOLD_rTDTBU]

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Flash Sale on Kobo Ebooks

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Extra post this weekend… because I found out that my books are included in a half-price sale in the Kobo store! [Don’t have a Kobo? They have a free app to download for your tablet, phone or computer.]

If you wanted to read them before Without Proof comes out in November, now’s your chance. The following links are for the Canadian store, but Kobo sells worldwide. Outside of Canada, just go to your country’s Kobo store and search “Redemption’s Edge Sketchley”.

To buy: add the book(s) to your cart, proceed to checkout, and scroll down to see where to add a promotion code. Type SALE50 and you’ll see the discount apply. It works on more than one book, so stock up for fall reading! Sale ends August 31.

My Canadian Kobo links: Heaven’s Prey and Secrets and Lies.

Guest Post: Do Not Be Anxious about Anything—Even the Good Stuff

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Do Not Be Anxious about Anything—Even the Good Stuff

by Steph Beth Nickel

In times of heartache and worry, I’ve often quoted Philippians 4:6-7, which says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

On September 2, I will be boarding an airplane with my hubby and our daughter. We will be taking our first trip across the Pond to the land of our ancestors. You see, my eldest son is getting married next to Loch Earn in Scotland, which will be followed by three days on the Isle of Skye (pictured) and various day trips.

The Isle of Skye [image courtesy of pixabay.com]

As I write these words, I’m very conscious of my breathing and my heart rate. Am I anxious? I guess I am. Am I afraid to fly? Not at all. (And hey, I’ll have hours and hours to read. Bonus!) Am I worried about meeting new people? (If you’ve known me for say—five minutes or so, you’ll know the answer to that one.)

Do I have issues with my future daughter-in-law? Actually, we get along really well. At Laura’s request, we went shopping for her wedding dress when she and my son were visiting for my hubby’s surprise 60^th birthday party in March. And she found the dress in a local store I hunted up online.

Why be anxious?

Having purchased our tickets online (with a lot of back and forth and missed telephone calls, but that’s another story), I have to trust that there will be a place for us on the flight—three places preferably. I also have to trust that we will have all the necessary documents and will clear security—on both sides of the Atlantic—without incident.

Have I done my homework? Yep. Have I made an all-inclusive list of things to pack in our checked luggage and in our carry-on, of things to wear and things to have readily available? I actually started packing over two weeks before the departure date. Have I booked my daughter’s transportation home from the airport? I have. (She has to return after a week for work. Dave and I are staying for another seven days.) Hey, I’ve even watched a YouTube video on bundle packing. (If you are planning a trip, it really is a “must watch.”)

Even as I mentally check off the things I need to do, I’m still a little anxious. Can I flip a switch and experience instant calm? Well, not exactly, but there are certainly things I can do.

What to do when we’re anxious:

I can do what the Lord instructs in the passage I shared earlier. I can pray and thank Him for this amazing opportunity.

I can rest assured that He will fulfill His promise and grant me the peace that passes understanding, a divine peace that guards both my heart and mind. Wow! What a promise!

And a number of weeks ago I made a tremendous discovery. It’s like a game actually, a mind game called “Worst Case Scenario.” Based on the reason for my anxiety, the worst thing I can imagine is that we would get to the airport and not be allowed on the plane because of a mix-up with our tickets. (Yes, I know there are even worse scenarios, but they aren’t the possibilities that are troubling me.)

The question is do I trust God? Do I really trust Him? Do I know that everything that comes into my life is filtered through His love? Do I know that He has all the details worked out, even those that haven’t even crossed my mind?

As I ask myself these questions and come to the conclusion that the answer to each one is a resounding yes, I can take a deep breath and leave it all in His hands.

Beyond that, I think it’s about time I memorized the entire passage, Philippians 4:4-7. Those preceding two verses read like this: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand” (ESV).

Tweetable: God has every detail under control. There’s no need to be anxious.

[Want to leave a comment? Scroll down.]

Steph Beth Nickel
(Photo by Stephen G. Woo Photography)

Stephanie (Steph Beth) Nickel is an award-winning co-author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She also loves to speak, teach, and take slice-of-life photos. She would love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.

True or False

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Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.
John 12:10-11, NLT*

You’d think raising someone from the dead would be proof enough of Jesus’ power, even for the priests and Pharisees. The common people could see it clearly enough.

It’s easy for us to say these priests were protecting their own power and didn’t want to acknowledge the truth. That they felt threatened.

That’s likely the case, but these verses make me stop and think.

How often do we deny what’s true because we’re invested in something false? (click to tweet) A belief, a perspective, a plan? Something we’d have to set aside to do life God’s way?

I can’t make it to church because Sunday’s my only day to sleep in, to see my friends, it’s the best time to golf…
Forget tithing, I can’t give anything at all, because money is tight. Hey, do you want to go out to lunch after the service?
It’s okay to sleep with my boyfriend/girlfriend because morals have changed.
I’m not bound by the Bible’s words about homosexual behaviour because Jesus would want me to be happy.
I don’t need to read the Bible because it’s out of date and confusing.
No matter what my friends say, I can trust this particular person. If I have doubts, personally, then I’m not being very loyal.
Maybe I shouldn’t complain, but listen to what she/he did!
I don’t have to report that money I earned on the side. There’s no paper trail, and the government would only waste the extra tax.
And the list could go on for pages…

It doesn’t have to be a big thing. God often teaches us in the small. The point is, we need to be open to see – and to follow – God’s perspective instead of our own. (click to tweet) The best place to start is with reading the Bible and taking time in prayer. Regularly and consistently.

Father God, You see the past, the present and future. You know all things, and You alone are wise. Open our eyes, hearts and wills to what You reveal, and help us to let go of our own cherished perceptions, plans and desires, and to trust You. Because we know You are good and that You love us, we know that Your way is best.

∞

Our song this week is “Thy Word,” sung by Amy Grant.

*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: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, by Eugene H. Peterson

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A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, by Eugene H. Peterson (IVP Books, second edition 2000)

Subtitled “Discipleship in an instant society,” this book is as relevant today as it was when first published in 1980. If anything, we need it more now, since the pace of life is increasing.

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction is a call to Christians to leave the “tourist” mindset and take on the “pilgrim” perspective. Each chapter looks at one of the Psalms of Ascent (sung by the ancient Israelites on their route to Jerusalem) and applies it to an aspect of “long obedience” discipleship.

This is one of those classic books that can benefit any Christian reader. It’s approachable and down-to-earth, designed for everyday folk who want to learn to live, enjoy and thrive in their faith.

It’s a book to keep, re-read, and share with friends. I’ve marked too many lines to share in a review. Here are a few samples:

My security comes from who God is, not from how I feel. Discipleship is a decision to live by what I know about God, not by what I feel about him or myself or my neighbours. [Page 87]

We can decide to live in response to the abundance of God and not under the dictatorship of our own poor needs. [Page 97]

In this second edition, the psalms and other Scripture verses are from The Message. This edition also includes a new preface and an epilogue.

Eugene H. Peterson is the translator of The Message version of the Bible, and the author of numerous books on Christian living. His Goodreads author profile gives more information about him and his books.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Guest Post: What’s in a Name?

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What’s in a Name?

by Patricia Bradley

I’m sitting here staring at a blinking cursor. Or I was before I abandoned the blank page for Janet’s blog. Of course, that meant I was staring at another blank page and blinking cursor, but at least I have an idea of how to start. I’m going to talk about starting a new book and a new series.

Gone Without a Trace, by Patricia Bradley I’ve finished the fourth book in the Logan Point series, and the third one just came out—Gone Without a Trace, which I’m giving away this week here.

My next series is about cold cases set in Memphis. I’ve tentatively titled the first book The Case of the Murdered Roommate. I have no idea if my publisher Revell will keep it, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog. I have my characters named except for the main antagonist, whose identity will be kept secret until the fourth book. And his name eludes me. I actually thought of a great name, but it turned out that name belonged to a main character in a popular TV show.

Without his name, I can’t move forward. I don’t know why I can’t, but that’s the reason for the blank page and blinking cursor. And I can’t ask you, my readers, to help me because then you’d know who he is. *Sigh*

Why are names so important to a writer?

Well, like naming your children, I’ll have to live with my characters throughout the 95,000 words it will take to tell the story. And some of them will carry through the whole series. I’ve discovered if I don’t have the right name for a character, he won’t talk to me. Or she won’t. And it’s really important for my characters to do that. Otherwise, I don’t know what their greatest desire or fears are. They will be flat. One dimensional. This is especially important for my villain. Well, my hero and heroine, too, but they already have names and are talking to me.

Thanks for listening to me. Just getting away from the story has helped. In fact, a name came to me as I wrote this. A great name. Now to find a fitting last name.

[Patricia is giving away a copy of her newest release, Gone Without a Trace. Contest limited to Continental USA for print copy. E-copy—anywhere! To leave a comment on this post, scroll down.]

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi and is a former abstinence educator and co-author of RISE To Your Dreams, an abstinence curriculum. But her heart is tuned to suspense. Patricia’s romantic suspense books include the Logan Point series—Shadows of the Past, A Promise to Protect, and Gone Without a Trace. Her workshops on writing include an online course with American Christian Fiction Writers and workshops at the Mid-South Christian Writer’s Conference in Collierville, TN. When she’s not writing, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens.

Connect with Patricia:

Website: www.patriciabradleyauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PTBradley1
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/

Or find her books:

Shadows of the Past: CBD; Amazon; B&N; Books A Million

A Promise to Protect: B&N; CBD; Amazon; Books A Million

Gone Without a Trace: Amazon; CBD; B&N; Books A Million