Review: Vendetta, by Lisa Harris

Vendetta, by Lisa Harris (Revell, 2015)

Missing persons investigator Nikki Boyd brings an extra empathy to her cases, since it was her own sister’s disappearance that led her to this career. Ten years after the fact, logic says her sister can’t still be alive when the other victims have been found dead, but Nikki’s heart won’t give up hope.

When Nikki and her friend Tyler are called to investigate a missing teen girl, it doesn’t take long for similarities in the case to make Nikki wonder if her sister’s abductor is back in action after years of silence. If it’s the same man, he’s grown sloppy. Or he’s playing with them.

Vendetta is a fast-paced, well-plotted novel, as Nikki, Tyler and their team race the clock to find the missing girl. A large part of the chase is set in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

As always, author Lisa Harris gives us lifelike characters with issues of their own. Nikki can’t let her personal pain affect her investigation, no matter what mind games the abductor plays. And Tyler’s still grieving for his dead wife, who’d been Nikki’s best friend. Nikki and Tyler are both struggling to know where God is in their hurts.

Although the novel is a really good read, I didn’t feel as drawn in as I did with the author’s Southern Crimes series. There may be too many flashback scenes, snippets of Nikki’s past, or perhaps it’s the number of characters. I did have trouble keeping the search team and volunteers straight, although the narrative only focused on a few. Nonetheless, Vendetta is the start of a new series I’d definitely recommend.

Award-winning author Lisa Harris has written almost 30 books, including the Southern Crimes series (Dangerous Passage, Fatal Exchange, and Hidden Agenda.) She and her family are missionaries living in Mozambique. For more about the author and her books, visit lisaharriswrites.com.

[Review copy provided by the publisher.]

Thought Defense

4 Replies

There’s a scene in one of the first Harry Potter books that speaks to our daily thought life. It’s been a long time since I read it, but I can paraphrase.

Young Harry is at wizard school [please, let’s not get into an argument about the pros and cons of magic in fiction] and the lesson is on controlling another person’s thoughts. The aim of the class is to learn self-defense against such a thing, because there are villains on the loose.

When it’s Harry’s turn, he experiences a sudden desire to do something. I don’t remember what, so we’ll say it’s to stand on a chair. It makes perfect sense for him to stand on this chair, and he really wants to do it, even though, as in any other school, chairs are for sitting.

He’s really thinking about it, how important it is to stand on this chair.

He’s about to move when a puzzling thought strikes: why? Why should he stand on the chair? He doesn’t have to do that, and the professor, who hates him, would probably give him a detention. He doesn’t want to get up on the chair anyway.

So he doesn’t. The attack is broken.

As Christians, we’re to “take every thought captive to Christ.” Part of that is choosing not to contemplate what’s unwholesome or sinful. I think part of it is also realizing that we don’t have to accept those negative or hurtful thoughts that the devil – or our past – tries to make us believe.

Some of them are outright lies (“God’s holding out on you”) that we can refute with Scripture, out loud if necessary. “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19, NLT)”

Some of them are vague feelings or fears. It’s easy to believe them because feelings seem real, but “we live by faith, not by sight” – or by feel.

I’m finding the more I work at submitting my mind to Christ’s, and at speaking truth against the negatives that have ruled me in the past, the easier it is to recognize an attack in progress. And sometimes, before it takes hold, I notice the initial malaise and find that incisive why? rising in my thoughts. Not in defiance, but in curiosity. Why should I accept the idea to feel bad about myself because someone else is x, y, or z? Why compare? Let them be who they are. And let me look to God and find my sufficiency in Him.

Maybe if I live and practise long enough, this won’t be such a rare experience that it inspires a blog post!

In each of my Redemption’s Edge novels, at least one character ends up confronting negative thoughts or fears with truth. Maybe it’s because it’s something I need to learn personally, but I think it’s because a whole lot of people, Christians and non, are walking around believing lies they don’t have to accept.

What about you? Is this something you ever struggle with? Or do you know people who do?

Why accept negative thoughts and fears, when Jesus speaks truth?

Click image to tweet what it says.

Wholesome Thinking

4 Replies

This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory.
2 Peter 3:1, NLT*

This is a key part of why we need to read (and take in) the Bible, prayerfully and on a daily basis.

We’re living in just as much a culture of ungodliness as the early church. The difference is, in North America people think they’ve “been there, heard that” and have no need of our truth. In Peter’s day, it was new information, and some were eager to receive it.

With all that the entertainment industry offers us as “normal” and “realistic,” we can forget as Christians that it’s not supposed to be normal for us. Maybe the fiction can give us empathy for the ones caught in the real-life futility, but we’re to offer them Christ’s way out – not to join them or to decide what they’re into is okay.

“Wholesome” doesn’t have to be “boring.” Look back over Peter’s letters. He’s been calling us to a vibrant life of obedience, holiness, joy, love and trust. And more. That’s a challenge, and it’ll take more than we can give on our own. We’ll need the Lord’s help.

Peter also calls us to “remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles. (2 Peter 3:2, NLT*)” Don’t forget God’s word and His ways. Don’t accept the lie that because times have changed, so has God’s definition of right and wrong.

There will be a day of judgement, and God is waiting (2 Peter 3:9) out of mercy, because He wants more of us to turn to Him.

We need to be vigilant, to guard our thoughts and behaviours. Love the people around us without being absorbed by popular culture. Show there’s a more satisfying way, and that everyone is welcome to try it. Renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2). Live obedient to Him who saved us, so that others can see the difference He makes and can find Him too.

Holy, righteous and merciful God, You’ve shown us the way that’s best for us. Forgive us for allowing sin to so easily entangle us. Clean us again, and renew our commitment to You. Through Your Holy Spirit within us, enable and motivate us to live clean lives that are pleasing to You. Help us love those around us who don’t know You, without falling into their ways of living. Instead, shine through us to draw them to Yourself.

∞

A good prayer is Chris Tomlin‘s song, “Give Us Clean Hands.”

*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.

Win a Print Copy of Without Proof

3 Replies

This week there are two chances to win a print copy of Without Proof:

At Thinking Thoughts: New Novel News (ended Nov 23, 2015)

and at A Christian Writer’s World (ended Nov. 28, 2015)

Don’t need a copy of the book? Stop by and check out the interviews. Some of the questions made me think!

Without Proof available for print and in multiple ebook formats.

Review: The Unforgiving Sea, by Karen V. Robichaud

Leave a reply

The Unforgiving Sea, by Karen V. Robichaud (Word Alive Press, 2014)

When thirteen-year-old Logan Blanchard’s father dies in an accident, Logan loses not only his dad but his community. His mom drags him away from their military base home and his friends to a tiny seacoast town in Nova Scotia. And they don’t even get their own house. Logan is stuck living with his grandmother, who he loves, and her four special care patients, who drive him crazy.

Grief, resentment, and an anger at God for not keeping his father safe set Logan on a path of bad choices. He starts skipping school to work on a lobster boat, operated by a man who’s unstable and cruel.

The book’s greatest strength is the description of the sea scenes. Early mornings, fog, or storm, it feels like the reader is right there with Logan and his boss.

Its second strength is its characters. With all that he’s lost, and with the immediacy of first person, present tense, it’s impossible not to feel Logan’s frustration and pain. Occasional chapters from other characters’ points of view (his mother and a local police officer) fill in a broader perspective.

Logan’s “voice” sounds more like an adult, but his attitudes are definitely teen. I had some logistical concerns about the plot, mostly to do with how Logan could come home after a day’s fishing without his mother or grandmother detecting the smell of his activities. Or how neither of them grilled him that very first day when he returned after disappearing before breakfast.

Logan has no use for his grandmother’s clients, but it’s thought-provoking to see how his attitude begins to change as he gets to know them. There’s one scene in particular between him and Maxine, when he realizes she’s more than her surface behaviour.

The Unforgiving Sea is a coming-of-age novel with a lot of heart, and it won a Word Award (novel — contemporary) for work published in 2014. Canadian author Karen V. Robichaud‘s other books are An Evening Sky in Autumn and Where the River Flows.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Four Local Writers in National Anthology

2 Replies

HACC web When the call for submissions for the Hot Apple Cider with Cinnamon anthology came out last year, four of us from a local writers’ group sent submissions. When the acceptances started coming back, we were nervous. What if some of us got in, and some didn’t? There’d been a lot of entries, and the pieces had to be not only good quality but a good blend with the others.

Out of the 61 Canadian authors whose work is included in this Christian anthology, we four are the Nova Scotian contingent. We’ve been holding a few local launches, since we don’t all live in the same location. And what makes it extra special for me is that one of the other contributors is my mom. We’ve never been published together before.

Today, I’d like to introduce the four of us. For simplicity, I’ll go alphabetically.

Ruth Ann Adams is a high school English teacher, Sunday School superintendent, mother of five, and pastor’s wife. One of her most recent publications is a story entitled “Charles Holloway: Man of Mystery,” in Promises of Home, Stories of Canada’s British Home Children by Rose McCormick Brandon. Ruth Ann is addicted to cats and British history. Her passion is to bring God’s love and encouragement to others. Ruth Ann has a blog named 5 X Mama. Originally from Owen Sound, ON, Ruth Ann now lives in Dartmouth, NS. Her website is ruthannadams.com.

Ruth Ann’s true story in the anthology: “The Cat We Didn’t Need” (p. 199)

One evening I discovered an entirely unwanted guest in my bathtub! This nonfiction narrative intertwines the tale of the undesirable visitor with the story of a dark time in the life of our family. It contains both humour and pain, and illustrates the redemptive power of Christ.

Laura Aliese Miedema loves the Word and works in two storehouses of words, Colchester – East Hants Public Library and Immanuel Baptist Church Library in Truro, Nova Scotia. She studied English words at Crandall University and Colchester Christian Academy. Her words won first place in The Word Guild’s God Uses Ink Contest 2012. You can find her at the Metro Christian Writers Group, the Word Nerds Teen Writing Group, or on Pinterest (pinterest.com/lauraaliese/) and on Twitter (@LauraAliese).

Laura’s historical fiction piece: “Twice, For Good Measure” (p. 231)

This short story is set in Halifax during the 1910s, and follows Mary Jean Parsons, a housekeeper with attitude, who can’t stand the carpenter who has sauntered out from her painful past, right into her sacred kitchen.

Janet Sketchley (that’s me!) lives in Nova Scotia, where she writes Christian suspense novels and blogs about faith and books. She loves Jesus and her family, and enjoys adventure stories, worship music, and tea.

My poem: “Reconciliation” (p. 254)

Personality conflicts can divide a relationship. Is there a way to heal it again?

Beverlee Wamboldt, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia is “Mom” to two adult children [including Janet!] and “Nana” to five young adults. She starts each day seeking God’s peace and guidance. Since retirement, along with her husband she has travelled throughout Canada and the United States and visited Great Britain and Europe. Her short story “The Memory Tree” was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: O Canada The Wonders of Winter.

Beverlee’s nonfiction story: “The Handshake” (p. 255)

In rural Nova Scotia, the early 1930s were an era of hard work and integrity, where a gentleman’s agreement was enough to finalize most deals. My father grew up in such an era – a time when boys as young as 10 or 11 left school and went into the workforce. This true story tugs on the heart strings and evokes a sense of nostalgia for days gone by.

Hot Apple Cider with Cinnamon is available in print and ebook format from the usual locations.

Want More Grace and Peace? Grow.

Leave a reply

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
2 Peter 1:2, NLT*

Coming to Jesus is just the beginning – the rebirth. We’re not to remain as spiritual babies, but to thrive and grow up into a vibrant Christian life.

Peter tells us to grow in our knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. How do we learn more about the power and character of our God and Saviour?

by reading the Bible
through experience, as we trust Him and live for Him
through other Christians, as we spend time with them in prayer and in working for the Kingdom
in prayer, and in quiet times with God

Peter says coming to know God means receiving “everything we need for living a godly life (verse 3)” and that we need to grow by responding to His promises (verse 5). Verses 5-7 give detailed advice on what to cultivate in our lives by the Spirit’s help.

Growing will make us “productive and useful (verse 8)”. It’ll keep us from falling away. We need to remember what we’ve been taught about Jesus from His word – and to rely on it. To base our lives on it.

The better we know our God, the more we can rely on Him. The easier it is to trust and obey Him. And the more others will see and respond to the difference He makes in our lives.

God our Father, thank You for drawing us to Yourself to be spiritually born again. Thank You for Your promises and for all that You’ve given us. Help us to receive and to respond, for our own sakes and for the sake of Your Kingdom.

∞

Keith Green‘s song, “Draw Me,” is a great prayer to bring us deeper into the Lord’s presence.

Read an excerpt from Without Proof

Leave a reply

Want to read an excerpt from Without Proof? Here’s the start of chapter one:

The doorbell echoed from the main floor. Amy dropped the square of sandpaper onto the frame she’d been finishing and flexed her aching fingers.

Overhead, light footsteps headed for the door. Michael’s aunt could sign for the delivery, but Amy wanted to check the boxes. She rolled her shoulders to work out a kink, then slid from the stool and brushed a layer of dust from her clothing.

Aunt Bay’s voice met her at the top of the basement stairs. “She may not want to talk to you.”

Not the printer order after all. She, as in me? Amy took a few silent steps but stopped out of sight.

Want to read more? Here’s the link to the rest of the Without Proof excerpt (it’s too long to post here).

[ Want the full story? Buy links are on the Without Proof page, and there’s a pre-order sale price for the ebook versions until Nov. 10.]

Without Proof: Meet the Supporting Cast

Leave a reply

In getting to know the characters of Without Proof, we’ve met Amy, the heroine, Michael, her boss, and Aunt Bay, Michael’s great-aunt.

Today I want to introduce you to some of the secondary characters:

Emilie Renaud is the youngest sister of Amy’s dead fiancé, Gilles. She’s attending university in Halifax, NS, instead of her home city of Montreal, because she wanted to be near her brother… and to be near Michael, truth told. Emilie’s quirky, fun, and her hair is usually some bright, eye-catching colour.

Luc Renaud is Gilles and Emilie’s father. He owns an elite car dealership with showrooms in Montreal and Halifax, and divides his time between them. Luc has always been kind to Amy, but her questions about the crash turn him hostile.

Ross Zarin and his father occasionally buy Michael’s paintings for their hotel chain. Ross understands grief, and he’d like to help Amy with hers. He knows that sometimes those closest to us are too close to see when we’re ready to move on with life.

Troy Hicks is the journalist who starts it all with his questions to Amy. Troy’s a friend of Michael’s, and he and Michael attend the same men’s group at Troy’s church.

Safia and Dafiq are a mother and preschool-aged son who live next door to Michael’s gallery and studio. I just realized I never learned their surname, or Safia’s husband’s name. Safia is gentle and friendly, and Dafiq is, well, exuberant. Aunt Bay has a special fondness for him, cultivated out of kindness for his mother, who has no family nearby for support.

“Asking questions could cost your life.”

Two years after the plane crash that killed her fiancé, Amy Silver has fallen for his best friend, artist Michael Stratton. When a local reporter claims the small aircraft may have been sabotaged, it reopens Amy’s grief.

Anonymous warnings and threats are Amy’s only proof that the tragedy was deliberate, and she has nowhere to turn. The authorities don’t believe her, God is not an option, and Michael’s protection is starting to feel like a cage.

Do you like clean reads with a Christian thread? Grab your copy today at the Without Proof book page.

How do You Handle Suffering?

Leave a reply

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
1 Peter 4:19, NLT*

Peter’s writing to Christians who are being persecuted for their faith, reminding them that this can go with the territory. He says there’s no value in suffering for doing wrong, but if they hold up under attacks on their faith, it’s pleasing to God and it may help others see the truth.

The context is persecution, but I think it applies to any form of suffering that we don’t deserve. Peter does warn them there’s no value in suffering as a criminal, etc.

Christians are risking – and losing – their lives for Jesus in parts of the world today, and it’s horrible. Here in North America, the most “suffering” we do for our faith is putting up with snide comments, misunderstanding, and a culture bent on denying our God.

But we’ll all face other forms of suffering, too. Sickness, financial crises, broken relationships, worry… it’s a long list. How do we handle these things as Christians, in a way that shows others who God is?

Peter says we’re to “keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you.”

What’s our confidence to do this? “He will never fail you.”

That means we guard our words and our actions, and keep our attitudes pure before God, because we trust Him. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.”

It means we repeatedly choose to trust God instead of giving in to the fear and the pain. It means we make time to care for the person beside us in the hospital waiting room. (Sometimes I think God allows us to end up in those places just because there’s someone else there He wants to reach.)

It means… even when we “deserve” some self-pity, we need to ask God how He wants to use the situation.

And it means “if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it (1 Peter 3:15)”. Gently, not pushy. Tell the story of how He’s made a difference and strengthened us to endure.

It’s all about Jesus, and we sort of forget that in our daily routines.

Mighty and loving God, You saved us and called us to live for Your glory. Help us learn to walk with You each moment, living in response to You instead of reacting to our circumstances. Show us how to live in our relationships and our responsibilities with hearts turned to You and with spirits depending on You. Give us faith to know that You will never fail us.

∞

A good song to keep us focused on the Lord’s care is “Your Faithfulness,” by Brian Doerksen.