Congratulations to Canadian author Linda Hall whose romantic suspense novel, Shadows at the Window, won Romantic Times Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award for 2008!
Award-Winning Romantic Suspense
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Tag Archives: Canadian authors
Review: Moving from Fear to Freedom, by Grace Fox
Moving from Fear to Freedom, by Grace Fox (Harvest House Publishers, 2007)
In this book, subtitled A Woman’s Guide to Peace in Every Situation, author/speaker Grace Fox gives women an honest look at common fears–her own and others’, and maintains that there is an upside to fear: it can let us experience more of God in our lives as we cling to Him. We can move beyond theoretical head knowledge to practical heart knowledge. It reminds me of Job saying, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5, NIV)
Each chapter of Moving from Fear to Freedom deals with a fear that could be debilitating: our children’s safety, loss of possessions, hard times, the future, inadequacy, rejection, issues in our past, and aging. Grace introduces us to contemporary women and biblical characters who discovered how trusting and relying on God overcame fear’s effects.
Chapters also include “Points for Progress”: questions to help individuals or groups think through and apply what they’ve read, “Promises to Ponder”: Scriptures that give God’s perspective on our fears, and “Praying the Promises”: those same verses personalized in prayer.
It’s these practical steps that make the book so valuable. Personal testimony that other women not only face but can overcome fear is encouraging, but learning how to deal with our own personal fears is liberating. As Grace says on page 9, “Filling our minds with the truth of God’s Word equips us to face fearful situations as they come along.”
And they will come along. The stories in this book show that although there may be clear moments of choice-to trust God for the first time or with a particular fear-the “moving from fear to freedom” is a journey rather than a single step. Armed with a trust in God’s character and an arsenal of promises from His Word, encouraged by the knowledge that most women are facing a variation of the same struggle, we can take that journey.
Men struggle with fears too, and Grace’s reference notes include both male- and female-authored books on the subject. Not that a man would dissolve in a puff of smoke if he read Moving from Fear to Freedom, but be warned that the personal stories and examples all come from a female perspective.
I found this a helpful book, easy to read, and one that I’d recommend to others. Different chapters will speak personally to different readers, but the foundation is the same: take the scary step to trust God with our fears. He loves us and He is enough to bring us to freedom.
Sound like wishful thinking? I’ll let Grace answer that one: “Maintaining an attitude of trust and rest is easier said than done, but it is possible. How? By understanding the character of God and how it relates to the nitty-gritty of everyday life.” (page 57)
Creativity, Writing, Speaking Workshops in Ontario
“Me Speak? – But I’m a Writer!” Adele Simmons of Chestnut Lane Creative will be presenting a workshop at Whitby Baptist Church (in the Worship Centre), 411 Gilbert Street East, Whitby, Ontario on Saturday, February 7, 2009, 9:00am – 3:00pm. For those of you who are time-challenged, the workshop presents the bulk of the information in the morning, so you may dash away at noon, if required. (Rate adjusted accordingly). This workshop will include hands-on practicum with sound equipment, Impromptu Speaking, Humour in Speaking, Looking Good and Follow Up. Cost is $85 for members of The Word Guild, WCDR, POWE and WBC, and $95 for non-members. Email for more information.
Author and speaker N.J. Lindquist will be presenting two workshops in Sudbury, Ontario, February 27-28, 2009. “Release the Creative You” is an evening workshop about motivation and releasing your fears to allow your true creative self to develop and flourish. Pre-registration price is $20 or $25 at the door. Students (ID required) pay $10 or $15 at the door.
“Get to Know the Writer in You” is a full-day workshop for aspiring writers to get you started working with words. It will run from 8:30am – 4:30pm. Pre-registration price is $85 or $95 at the door. Students (ID required) pay $42 or $55 at the door.
Both Sudbury workshops will be held at and will be held at It will be held at Glad Tidings Auditorium, 1101 Regent St. South in Sudbury. Telephone 705-522-4523 for tickets. You can view the poster here.
I’ve had the privilege to attend workshops by each of these speakers, and have come away much the richer for it.
Hope for Wholeness
Sharon Fawcett is a Canadian author and speaker whose ministry offers hope: in the daily stresses common to us all, and in the anguish of depression and eating disorders.
Stop by Sharon’s website, Words of Hope for a World in Need, to check out her articles and resources. Here’s a video trailer on her new book, Hope for Wholeness: the Spiritual Path to Freedom from Depression:
Review: Cibou, a novel by Susan Young de Biagi
Cibou, by Susan Young de Biagi – Cape Breton University Press, 2008
A 17th century Mi’Kmaq maiden’s life changes as she spends time with two brothers from France: Jesuit missionary Antoine Daniel and his sea-faring brother Charles. French fishermen have traded with this group of natives on the Atlantic shores of what will one day be Canada for perhaps 100 years, and by the time of the novel the French/English power struggle for this part of North America is beginning to affect the indigenous population.
Cibou shows the Mi’Kmaq community’s daily life and observations of the French and English foreigners through the eyes of a young woman named Mouse. Author Susan Young de Biagi depicts the Mi’Kmaq as a people of integrity and spirituality, living in harmony with nature and caring for the less-fortunate among them.
Susan Young de Biagi has given us a well-written story with characters and events that linger after the final page has been turned. I think the best part of this gift is the Mi’Kmaq approach of looking at life – really observing and chewing it over – and finding life lessons to apply. Whatever our culture of origin, as we’ve moved away from the oral tradition we’ve lost the propensity to do this.
This isn’t a novel to rush, nor is it dry and heavy. It flows gently, thoughtfully, and is well worth a second read. One of my favourite characters is the chief, a man who embodies Fr. Antoine’s God’s call to lead through servanthood. The chief is wise and deserves the people’s confidence, but he doesn’t look the part except on formal occasions. His wife complains (with pride) that every time she makes him a thick new robe, he gives it to someone in need.
The author presents Mi’Kmaq spirituality and Antoine’s Christianity with sensitivity, as an integral part of the characters’ lives. She makes no comment, but leaves readers to take – or not – what they will from this as from the rest of the book. As a Christian, I found much to think about.
In a culture where mainstream fiction often portrays Christians’ failings and bad examples, it’s refreshing to see a character who “gets it right.” For those who prefer to see where Christians go awry, there’s a hot-tempered zealot to offset Antoine’s practical love.
A review by Maura Hanrahan in the Catholic Register suggests the novel would have been better served with Antoine as the viewpoint character. I can’t agree.
We see both Antoine’s and Charles’ values more clearly through Mouse’s fresh eyes, and would have missed much of Mi’Kmaq culture if we only saw what a stranger saw. Plus, we’d miss the sometimes-laughable interpretations these gentle people put on what we understand as common practices. (Mouse and her friend, Bright Eyes, for example, are horrified by Antoine’s use of a handkerchief.)
Plus, Antoine would have been too good to be true if we knew him from inside his own head. As might the chief. Characters who are very noble or wise are best presented in small doses lest the reader feel inadequate or preached at. Mouse, with her clear-sighted timidity, makes an ideal observer. She sees, and leaves us to draw our own conclusions.
The same review commented on the stiffness of the Mi’Kmaq dialogue. I have no idea how real 17th century Mi’kmaq spoke among themselves, but to me the dialogue felt natural and flowed well, regardless of its historic authenticity. Instead of stiffness, I heard an older pattern of speech, which helped transport my imagination into the past.
Cibou is Susan Young de Biagi’s first novel. A former Nova Scotian, she resides in British Columbia. Ken Chisholm of the Cape Breton Post reports, “De Biagi is working on her next novel, due in a couple of years, about Alexander Graham Bell and the Silver Dart.” I’ll be looking forward to it.
You can read the first few pages of Cibou here. The novel is in stores now, and available online.
A Blog for Married Single Moms
Married Single Moms is a blog by Canadian speaker and author Carla Anne Coroy. Want to find out what a married single mom is? Do you know all too well, and want a supportive blog community? Stop by to read what Carla Anne has to share.
Interview: Canadian Author Sheila Davidson
Sheila Davidson is a Canadian author of Hear Heaven, Heaven’s Tears and Heaven Knows, inspirational romances set in medieval times. These are feel-good, heart-warming books, set in a simpler time and in a fictional place where faith (and certain characters’ spiritual gifts) can be an accepted part of daily life.
This is a series where I suggest starting at the beginning – not because you couldn’t understand books two or three without doing so, but because you’d miss out on those stories. I’m rarely a hopeless romantic, but I love the ending to Hear Heaven.
JS: Welcome, Sheila, and thanks for taking time to join us. You’re a Christian, a wife and mother, a court stenographer, and when we get to your creative side you’re a novelist, songwriter, singer, musician and artist. Where do I start? Since I’m a writer and reader, how about you tell us a bit about your books?
SD: You put it very well in your introduction, Janet. The back of my bookmark says: “Come and meet friends and neighbours as they deal with struggles and laughter, life and love, all under the kind eye of the Heavenly Father.”
JS: Your novels are set in a fictional 12th century village with a distinctly Celtic feel. What kind of research was most helpful in creating the setting?
SD: Movies and other novels set in the same time have given me visual images of the period. I’ve borrowed books from the library on specific topics, like the history of glassmaking, for instance, and then of course the internet is an endless supply of information. My husband and I have been to England three times and there one can stand inside buildings and/or ruins from the 12th Century – an amazing privilege.
JS: Did you know some of what would happen in Heaven’s Tears and Heaven Knows when you were writing Hear Heaven?
SD: No. Hear Heaven seemed to write itself over a period of three months and I had no idea then that the story would continue.
JS: Do you have a favourite character from the novels?
SD: Braydon Duggan, known as ‘Duggan’, is the lead character’s sidekick in Hear Heaven and he’s funny and wise, a big man with a tender heart. I found him very winning.
JS: I liked Duggan too. Tell us about your new CD, Heart of the Heavens. With its Celtic flavour, can you picture your minstrel from Braydon Village performing the songs?
SD: Heart of the Heavens is a collection of 10 songs of worship and prayer that I wrote over the past ten years or so. Most of them have not been heard by anyone else; I simply enjoyed writing them when inspiration came and then played them on my keyboard and used them for personal worship times. To hear them arranged and produced with other instruments is an absolute thrill. My husband, Tim, did a lovely job recording the disk for me. And yes, I think there are a few melodies that Verone would enjoy playing on his lute.
By the way, there is a young shepherdess in book #4, Tabitha Mann, who plays the whistle, and I took up the tin whistle this year and even play on the CD. So I find it very interesting how life feeds art which feeds life, and on and on.
JS: Very cool. Speaking of musicians, Finton Davidge plays the bagpipes on the CD. Isn’t he also a character in your novels?
SD: Finton Davidge is a fictional character only. Live bagpipes are extremely challenging to record in tune, and they come in only one key, so the bagpipes on the CD are actually a computer sample that my husband used for the part.
JS: What got you started writing?
SD: The first novel started from a dream. I got up that morning and typed out the two parts from the dream, which were Isgoré Armaddi’s supernatural gift, and the curse that befalls Raymore Leotte and her deliverance from that. Then I just kept filling in the story around those parts.
JS:What has reader response been like for the books?
SD: Wonderfully positive. It was the enthusiasm of a dozen friends who read the first manuscript that prompted me to seek publication. And there are people who are keen for each new instalment. One lady told me that her cousin prays in the same way as the characters in Hear Heaven and she thought she would try that too. Others have commented on the portrayal of the Heavenly Father as being so approachable and present in the characters’ lives. These are lovely things to hear.
JS: Is there another book or CD in the works?
SD: I have story lines for two more books in the Braydon Manor series and some writing has been done on those. I think I would like to do a sixth book to finish Isgoré’s story and bring the series full circle.
JS: What do you like best about the writing life?
SD: Being inspired and writing lyrics or passages of stories that amaze me is a wonderful experience. I thank God for such a lovely thing to do.
JS: What do you like least?
SD: Waiting is a toughie for me – waiting for blocks of time to write, waiting for a response to query letters, waiting for a book to lumber through the publishing process. I find myself waiting for one thing or another all the time, and this week God pointed that out to me (again) and said, “Enjoy Me now.” Just be thankful for my walk with God that day and stop focusing on future things. I’ve thought about that the past few days and even started a song about it.
JS: What does your family think of your writing?
SD: They are very encouraging and are glad to see me enjoying this lovely creative time.
JS: I know they support your music, since your husband produced the CD and your son and daughter both perform with you on certain tracks. Is music a family thing?
SD: Definitely. I grew up in a musical family, singing and playing French horn, Tim has played bass and guitar since high school, Emily sings and plays bass, and Martin is in his final year of a music degree in jazz – he plays saxophone.
JS: Is there a particular song (yours or someone else’s) or Scripture verse that’s made a big difference for you?
SD: Joel 2:25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” Through nearly two decades of depression this verse was brought to me several times and now I am seeing its wonderful promise fulfilled beyond anything I could have imagined.
JS: Writers are told to read widely and voraciously. I think that’s one of the perks of the deal. What are you reading these days?
SD: Prayer as a Place, by a friend of ours, Charles Bello, a lovely little book about taking time to center in on God (which harks back to “Enjoy Me now”.) And I just finished My Soul to Keep by Davis Bunn, a novel that deals with the movie business, which was very interesting.
JS: Thanks so much for taking time to let us get to know you a bit, Sheila. May the LORD continue to bless you and make you a blessing to others-in every area of your life.
SD: Thank you for inviting me, Janet. And all God’s very best to your readers in this brand New Year.
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You can read the first chapters of each novel at Sheila’s website. The books and CD can be ordered through her store or (books only) through Vineyard International Publishing. Heaven Knows is also available through Amazon.com. You can view Sheila’s lovely pen-and-ink drawings on her site as well.
God with Us
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10b-11, NIV*All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’-which means, ‘God with us.’
Matthew 1:22-23, NIV*
As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the Incarnation – Emmanuel, God With Us – I wanted to share this video with you. Created by AJ Production Company, it features Todd Agnew’s song, “God With Us” (from my favourite Christmas CD, Do You See What I See?).
The video reminds me of a short novel that’s part of my annual Christmas celebrations. If you can find a copy, I encourage you to read Seeker of Stars, by Susan Fish. It’s the wonderfully evocative story of a young boy fascinated with stars and how he becomes a man who follows a star to Bethlehem in search of a king.
Have a wonderful and wonder-filled Christmas.
*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
2008 Canadian Blog Awards
I’m surprised and pleased that God with Us: Finding Joy has been nominated for the 2008 Canadian Blog Awards, in the “best new blog” category.
Thank you, Belinda!
Some of the blogs in my blogroll have also been nominated, including Belinda and friends’ Whatever He Says for “best religious/philosophy blog”, Imperfect Prose for “best personal blog”, Canadian Authors Who Are Christian for “best group blog”, Fit for Faith for “best blog post series”, Future Tense and Fiction Matters for “best professional/career blog”, Post Darwinist, Mindful Hack and Colliding Universes for “best sci/tech blog”.
Round one voting is from Nov. 23 – 29, with voters allowed one vote per category. To vote, go to the 2008 Canadian Blog Awards site.
Review: Eye of the Storm, by Janice L. Dick
[Note: this review is of the original version of this book, which has now been revised and rereleased. For the review of the 2020 edition, click here.]
Eye of the Storm, by Janice L. Dick (Herald Press, 2003)
In Eye of the Storm, we follow the characters from Calm Before the Storm through the years 1917-1919. A less compassionate author would overwhelm readers with the cruelty and horror of this part in Russian Mennonite history.
The story centres on the fictional Hildebrandt family, but gives glimpses of historical figures like Trotsky and Lenin – and the execution of Tsar Nicholas’ family. At times the sense of growing tragedy made me put the book aside until the next day, but the characters always drew me back.
Rich in historical and cultural details, the book opens a window into the suffering of both rich and poor – and the faith of the Russian Mennonites. The Mennonite landowners experience raids on their property and possessions, but their faith calls them to a peaceful life. Some choose to learn self-defence, but family head Heinrich Hildebrandt cannot reconcile this with his beliefs. He removes all weapons from his estate, “that I might not be tempted.” Whatever the reader’s personal beliefs on pacifism, this book brings the agony of the Russian Mennonites’ choice to life.
It also demonstrates the struggle to keep hope and live by faith when the world is falling apart. Although the characters usually come to decisions in line with the tenets of their faith, it is never trite or without serious wrestling.
I’m glad I picked up books two and three of the series together – the ending of Eye of the Storm is the beginning of a new adventure, and I can’t wait too long to discover how things work out.
To learn more about the series, or for an overview of Russian Mennonite history and some authentic Mennonite recipes, visit the author’s website.