Review: Fatal Exchange, by Lisa Harris

Fatal Exchange, by Lisa Harris (Revell, 2014)

Emily Hunt’s father is a retired police captain. Her sister’s a detective. Her brother was on the force and died in the line of duty. Emily has chosen a quieter way to make a difference: she’s a teacher.

Fatal Exchange is her worst nightmare. A trusted student takes Emily’s high school class hostage, demanding two million dollars in ransom. How can she talk Rafael down, and keep the others calm?

For undercover cop Mason Taylor, it’s personal. He’s mentored Rafael and thought the boy trusted him. He also has feelings for Emily, despite her sister blaming him for her brother’s death. He can’t walk away from this crisis, even though he should be with his dying father.

Mason is new to relying on God. Emily has known Him for years. The circumstances stretch their faith and reveal depths of courage they didn’t know they had. Thrown together like this, are they falling in love or just developing a rescuer/rescued bond?

Mason’s and Emily’s thoughts on faith:

Learning how to pray had become a sequence of baby steps as his faith grew. Letting go and depending on someone else to lead his life had been an even bigger challenge. But lately he’d found a deeper peace as he sought to let God become his biggest source of strength. He was tired of depending on himself. [Kindle page 90]

It was easy to trust when things were going okay. Today, she felt as if she were walking on a tightrope with no safety net to catch her. [Kindle page 190]

I enjoyed book 1 in the Southern Crimes series, Dangerous Passage, and Fatal Exchange is even better. The non-stop pace makes it hard to put down. In a plot that sounds too much like real life, Emily, Rafael, Mason and the other key characters are fully-developed individuals with their own internal struggles affecting their responses.

Dangerous Passage is a Christy Award-winner, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Fatal Exchange followed suit. I’m eagerly waiting for the next novel, Hidden Agenda, releasing January 2015. Author Lisa Harris writes from South Africa. For more about the author, her books and her ministry, visit lisaharriswrites.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

On Perseverance and Writing

Leave a reply

The ideas! The words! Sometimes writing is so exciting (pardon the rhyme) and the thoughts come so fast it’s hard to keep up.

Other times it’s hard work. A mountain of work. Work tainted by despair: will anyone want to read it? Most writers serve a very long “apprenticeship” learning the craft, discovering their niche and finding a way to get their words “out there” in terms of paid publication.

It gets discouraging. We start to wonder if we’re wasting our lives. I had the privilege of guest posting this week at Seriously Write, and I shared how liberating it was to discover that writing is a gift that needs to be used. (Click the link to visit the post)

Photo of an elephant, with the text: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you (re)write a novel? One word at a time.

photo credit: Janet Sketchley

Growing and Building

Leave a reply

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7, NLT*

If we truly accept Jesus as Lord and Messiah (Christ), it’s more than a head thing. By definition, Lord is someone in authority. And Messiah is our Saviour, rescuing us from the destructive power of sin.

That makes belonging to Jesus different than belonging to a club we may never attend or to an ethnic group that may not influence how we live.

We’ve escaped sin’s domination by coming into His kingdom and putting ourselves into His care. We’re under His authority, and we need to live His way. As Paul says in today’s verse, we accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour of our lives, and now we need to follow Him.

Following Him means obeying what He says. It also means following His example of living surrendered to God the Father.

Deep roots and a strong foundation are images of strength, and our strength is found in Jesus. The deeper we root, the more securely we’re built on His foundation, the stronger we’ll be.

Our faith will mature. And our gratitude will abound. This is the rich and satisfying life Jesus promised. (John 10:10, NLT*) And it has nothing to do with our circumstances. It’s available to all believers, even if it’ll take a lifetime of practice to grow into it. The investment is worthwhile. It’s what we were made for.

God, thank You for saving us from sin – and from ourselves. Please help us to stay close to You and to cooperate as You grow us to be more like Your Son Jesus. Thank You for this new chance at life.

∞

We can’t do this life on our own – but we were never intended to! I love this adaptation of the classic hymn, “I Need The Every Hour” – “Lord, I Need You,” sung here by Chris Tomlin.

*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: The Patmos Deception, by Davis Bunn

Leave a reply

The Patmos Deception, by Davis Bunn (Bethany House, 2014)

Priceless antiquities are disappearing, with no official acknowledgement of the crimes… because people in positions of power are involved in the scheme. At least that’s what journalist Nick Hennessy’s UN contact believes. Nick teams up with forensic archaeologist Carey Mathers to find the truth.

On the other side of the law, Patmos tour-boat operator Dimitri Rubinos finds himself forced to do as his ancestors have done in previous times of economic disaster: work for smugglers.

This is one of the most satisfying adventure novels I’ve read in a while, complete with intrigue, chases and danger. It’s also much more. The characters are richly layered, facing their individual struggles as well as the external one. Carey idolized Nick in her youth, but past experience has left her unwilling to risk loving this new, more mature, Nick.

For his part, Nick can’t let himself fall in love when he has to focus on the investigation. And Dimitri? He’s a heart-breaker who’s tired of “the life” and knows something’s missing inside. His grandmother says Carey will change his world. Does that mean she’s the one for him? Or will Carey’s vibrant faith help Dimitri find his answers?

The Patmos Deception evokes a strong sense of the Greek culture and mindset. I’ve never been to Greece, so I can’t prove it’s authentic, but it feels that way. As well as Dimitri, his father and grandmother, we meet Elini and her extended family, who “adopt” Carey at the beginning of the novel. They’re caring, protective and fierce people, culturally accustomed to hardship and resilient enough to not break. We also meet Greek villains and bullies, like we’d find in any ethnic group, but Elini’s and Dimitri’s people are a delight.

Carey’s a delight, too. Where Nick’s journalism has taught him to view everything as an observer, mentally framing how he’d write it, Carey lives with her eyes wide open, experiencing the moment.

And Dimitri? He’s a man of courage who’ll do whatever it takes. His “moonshine eyes” and charm make him a danger to women’s hearts, but maybe he can change – or be changed.

Favourite lines:

Nana Pat possessed a whole dictionary of sighs. She cold express anger or frustration or displeasure without speaking a word. She sighed now, and Carey realized the conversation was over. Nana Pat had run out of steam. [p. 27]

In Dimitri’s view, morning was the most beautiful time of day. The sunrise cast fresh promise in the golden light… Down below, the harbour remained cast in shadow and in the mystical wonder of hours not yet spent. [p. 38]

With each loss she seemed to shrink further, until she was reduced to the very essence of who she once had been. But she remained a woman of good cheer and unshakable faith. [p. 39, about Dimitri’s grandmother, Chara.]

This is one of those stories I kept wanting to go back to once it ended. On the bright side, the ending sets up a potential sequel…

The Patmos Deception is the latest novel from prolific and award-winning author Davis Bunn. For more about the author and his books, visit davisbunn.com, and if you’re curious which character in The Patmos Deception he identifies with most strongly, see this post on his blog. Note, the giveaway is over, but it’s an interesting insight into an author’s thoughts.

[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.]

Rest or Rush? 4 Links that Resonated with Me

Leave a reply

Photo of a peaceful bench in a park, with the words "Be still in His presence, and know that God is good."

photo credit: Janet Sketchley

It’s been a while since I’ve posted links to things I’ve read online that have encouraged or resonated with me. Apparently, there’s a name for this sort of post: curated content. I just call it passing on material that I think you might like.

I collected these links a year ago but didn’t do anything with them. It was good for me to go back and re-read these blog posts, because resting and rushing are timeless topics.

Here goes:

Ginny Jaques unpacks “four elements of God’s rest that can revitalize us and bring fresh excitement into our walk with Him.” Something About the Joy: Four Steps to Finding True Rest

To view it from the flipside, Carolyn Watts offers 3 Sure-fire ways to burn out. (at Hearing the Heartbeat)

Brenda Wood asks us, Why Rush? (at Family and Faith Matters)

And Jeff Goins shares 3 Lessons We Learn While Waiting (an excerpt from his book, The In-Between, at Goins, Writer)

Staying True

2 Replies

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
Philippians 4:1, NLT*

I was reading this verse, and praying for my family, that God would draw each one “truer” to Himself and keep us true to Him. Staying true to an invisible God is hard, if we let our personal time with Him slip. Life and busyness have a way of eroding that time, and without a vibrant, intimate connection with God, our loyalty drifts. We aren’t as faithful – or as faith-filled. We depend less on God and more on ourselves.

As I prayed, I saw something extra: “true” also means focused, fixed on – like our direction is “true” if we’re on the correct course.

This verse calls us to more than loyalty and faithfulness, to be true to God and not turn away or betray Him – although it clearly says that as well. It echoes a repeated theme of Scripture: to keep our eyes on God and keep pressing on to know Him better. He is our Sustainer and Shepherd in the journey, but He is also our goal – and our prize.

Focusing on Him prevents dwelling on the circumstances or on our differences. It gives unity to believers as well as personal balance, growth and faith.

God who is Lord of all, help us to seek You ahead of all else. Amid all the good You’ve given us, help us prize You most and desire You most. Help us to stay true to You. May our lives show others that You’re truly worthy of worship.

∞

Here’s a medley of “Where You Belong” and “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” from the Newsboys’ upcoming album, Hallelujah for the Cross. I knew an older version from the 1990’s Newsboys. Love both. May this one bless you today.

Review: Consider the Sunflowers, by Elma Schemenauer

Leave a reply

Consider the Sunflowers, by Elma Schemenauer (Borealis Press, 2014)

In 1940s Saskatchewan, Tina Janz schemes to win the man who fascinates her, instead of the rich-but-boring man who impresses her Mennonite parents. Tina and Frank marry for love—or at least fascination—but it’s a rocky trail. They each have insecurities, attitudes and suspicions, and Tina is keeping a secret that may come back to hurt them both.

Consider the Sunflowers is a skillfully crafted literary novel that opens a window onto small-town life in World War Two-era western Canada. Little snippets of news and daily life help us understand the times, while Tina’s and Frank’s efforts to save their marriage will resonate with readers today.

Readers learn about Mennonite culture and prairie life, and about feeling like an outsider. There is a spiritual thread that’s organic to the novel, but it’s not about preaching. It’s about how the believers live their lives. Frank is honest about his inability to believe.

We also see the effects of self-pity, complaining, self-exclusion and manipulation, and in the seeing we may gain insight into our own lives. There’s a point in the story where Tina sees an amplified negative trait in another character and realizes she needs to change herself. As we watch her begin to change, it might inspire us to do the same.

My favourite lines:

Now she [Tina] was clinging to faith by her fingertips. One gust of wind and she’d reel off into some howling void of—what? She didn’t know; she’d never not believed before. [Kindle location 1408]

Adeline. The woman was like a poisoned well. She claimed Jesus poured springs of living water into her heart. Maybe he did, but Adeline poisoned them with her rudeness as fast as he poured them in. [Kindle location 1462]

He [Frank’s father] always shouted during long-distance phone conversations because they cost so much. [Kindle location 2184]

Do you remember old people shouting on long-distance calls? I do. I always thought they shouted because the sound had to travel so far.

Canadian author Elma Schemenauer is the author of 75 books and the editor of many more. Consider the Sunflowers is her first novel for adults. For more about the author and her novel, please visit her website. Or check out my interview with Frank Warkentin.

Paperback 299 pages $19.95, ISBN 978-0-88887-575-4, AVAILABLE FROM THE PUBLISHER, Borealis Press. Also available online at Chapters Indigo by about November 15. E-book coming in 2015.

[Review copy provided by the publisher.]

Meet Frank Warkentin

2 Replies

Imagine yourself in 1940. We’ll visit a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, to meet Frank Warkentin, a young man who’s a central character in Elma Schemenauer’s new novel, Consider the Sunflowers.

Janet: It’s good to meet you, Frank. I know you’ve been in Elma’s heart for a long time. Since we can’t actually see you, how about you describe yourself?

Frank: You know that new movie Gone with the Wind? I look like the leading man, Clark Gable. Actually I’m joking. I’m taller, darker, and handsomer than Gable. I think so anyway.

Janet: Sounds like Mr. Gable has some competition! You’re not very old, but you’ve already picked up a variety of work experience. What are some of the highlights?

Frank: I’m twenty-seven. I’ve been a farmhand, logger, dishwasher, guitar-player, manure-shoveller—you name it. I travelled around a lot during the 1930s, going wherever there might be work. Jobs were hard to find.

Janet: And now you’re running the family farm. How did that happen?

Frank: My dad and stepmother moved to Alberta and left me the place, along with the equipment and livestock. Tractor, plough, one-way disk seeder, hayrack, closed-in sleigh, horses, cattle, pigs, chickens.

Janet: That sounds like a heap of responsibility. You’ve endured a lot of small-town gossip and prejudice over the years because of your heritage. Are you staying on the farm now to prove those people wrong, or do you really want to settle down? Or are you waiting for an opportunity to get away?

Frank: My dad is a Dutch-German Mennonite. He married a Gypsy in the Old Country, Russia. A match like that was unheard of. Even now, with my mother gone for years, people can’t forget I’m the product of that mixed marriage. They don’t expect me to settle down like a regular Mennonite. I want to prove them wrong.

Janet: The municipality of Coyote has a large Mennonite component, but there are other ethnic groups as well. Your Norwegian friends, and the Chinese man who operates the restaurant. Does everyone stick to their own group, or is there a sense of blended community?

Frank: People cooperate and help each other in these little prairie communities. They’ve got to. Life can be hard. At the same time, folks always keep in mind who’s inside and who’s outside their own group. I don’t fit into any of them, but I’m more comfortable with the non-Mennonites. They don’t carry all that Russian baggage.

Janet: As well as your friends, I hear there’s a certain young lady—or maybe two—who you’ve been spending time with. How did you meet Tina?

Frank: I met Tina on the train platform in town, west of here. She’s from this area but she works for her relatives in Vancouver. She’s got a good job. I’m proud of her.

Janet: Is she “the one”?

Frank: I’m not actually looking for “the one.” If I was, Tina would be a prime candidate, though her parents wouldn’t be in favour of us getting hitched. They want her to marry Roland Fast. He’s a jerk in my opinion.

Janet: Maybe she’d be better off with you, then, Mr. Gable lookalike 🙂 Tell us something you appreciate about where you live.

Frank: I like the freedom. I enjoy seeing the whole sky and the whole horizon, and being my own boss on this farm.

Janet: The newspapers talk about war with Germany. Would you join the fighting, or do you share your father’s Mennonite values? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand you’re not a man of faith.

Frank: Hitler has got to be stopped. I’d join the army if I got my call-up; I wouldn’t make excuses. On the other hand, I’m already helping the war effort by raising food to send to the Allies overseas. Whether I’m a man of faith or not… probably not. I don’t attend church much. Too many hypocrites. At the same time, I’ve got my principles. I know what’s right and I try to do it.

Janet: What’s your biggest challenge right now?

Frank: Doing a good job on this farm. I owe my dad that. And I owe it to myself.

Janet: What do you like to do to recharge?

Frank: I play my guitar. And I go fishing with my Norwegian bachelor friends.

Janet: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve ever done?

Frank: Let Dorrie Harms talk me into taking her to the Mennonite Church. As I said, I’m not really a churchgoer, but Dorrie’s a little blonde charmer. I relax more with her than with Tina.

Janet: Cake or Pie? Coffee or tea?

Frank: Lemon meringue pie with real coffee. Some Mennonites drink prips. It’s made of roasted barley and stuff, a poor substitute for coffee.

Janet: Is there anything you’d like to say to Elma, your writer?

Frank: Tell Elma she can’t control me. I’ll run my life my own way, though I appreciate her concern for my eternal soul.

Janet: Thanks for taking time to chat, Frank. I’m sure the farm doesn’t leave you with a lot of free time. Your life hasn’t been easy, and I don’t think that will change. But I believe you have what it takes to overcome the struggles. And maybe there are more people on your side than you realize. God might be, too, if you’d let Him.

===

Author Elma Schemenauer

Elma Schemenauer was born in a Saskatchewan community like the fictional municipality of Coyote. “As I grew up,” she says, “I sank deep roots into prairie life and the traditions of my extended Mennonite family.” After teaching for several years, Elma fulfilled a lifelong dream by moved into a publishing career in Toronto. She’s the author of many books including Yesterstories, Russia, Jacob Siemens Family Since 1685, Ottawa, and Hello Winnipeg. In 2006 she and her husband relocated to Kamloops, British Columbia. There she writes, blogs, and takes walks on grassy hillsides that remind her of her prairie roots.

Consider the Sunflowers paints a colourful, often humorous picture of family life on the Canadian home front during World War II and beyond. As the story begins, it’s 1940 and Tina Janz doesn’t want to marry the man her pious Mennonite parents have chosen for her. He’s as boring as turnips compared with the dashing half-Gypsy Frank Warkentin. Obsessed with Frank, Tina leaves her job in Vancouver to marry him. However, her joy pales in the face of loneliness on Frank’s farm in the prairie community of Coyote, Saskatchewan.

When Frank shuns local Mennonites because some of them scorn his mixed parentage, Tina feels torn between her Mennonite heritage and her husband. Their son’s death drives the couple farther apart. Then Tina’s former Vancouver boyfriend shows up, setting off a series of events that send her and Frank stumbling toward a new understanding of love, loyalty, faith, and freedom.

Paperback 299 pages $19.95, ISBN 978-0-88887-575-4, available from the publisher, Borealis Press. Also available online at Chapters Indigo by about November 15. E-book coming in 2015. For more information, please visit elmams.wix.com/sflwrs.

SPECIFICATIONS
Paperback 5½” x 8½”, 306 pages
ISBN 978-0-88887-575-4, $19.95
Ebook ISBN 978-0-88887-576-1

ORDER FROM
Borealis Press
8 Mohawk Crescent, Nepean (Ottawa), Ontario, Canada, K2H 7G6
Telephone: (613) 829-0150
Facsimile: (613) 829-7783
Toll Free: (877) 696-2585
Web site: www.borealispress.com/
E-mail: drt@borealispress.com

Fixing Our Thoughts

Leave a reply

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8b-9, NLT*

It’s so easy to dwell on the negatives. The hurts or injustices. Sometimes we do it because we’re sulking or just plain cantankerous, but I think it’s often out of fear (what’s this world coming to?) or discouragement. After all, we see so much, so often; it wears us down.

The Christians in Philippi were experiencing persecution, and their beloved Paul was in prison. His letter encouraged them to keep focused on Jesus as their help and their hope. With Christ as their anchor, they needed to keep their broader focus positive and filled with gratitude.

This verse doesn’t ask us to deny the bad things in our lives. The context of Paul’s letter makes that clear. But after acknowledging the circumstances, bringing our needs to God in grateful prayer that He cares and will help (Philippians 4:6) we’re not to stay focused on the needs or the waiting.

We’re to cultivate an awareness of the good, in the middle of the struggle. If we focus on the darkness, it swells to fill our vision. If we focus on the light, with our Saviour at its centre, the darkness reduces to its true size. A size which is smaller than God.

Mighty and compassionate God, protect and deliver us from spirits of discouragement, despair and hopelessness. Remind us that You are greater than our hardships, and that Your creative grace can take even the worst and bring something positive from it. Doubt would tell us that’s impossible, so please help our unbelief.

∞

Hillsong’s song, “The Potter’s Hand,” is a lovely way to refocus our thoughts.

Review: Blind Trust, by Sandra Orchard

2 Replies

Blind Trust, by Sandra Orchard (Revell Publishing, 2014)

This is not a book to read at bedtime, because Sandra Orchard is too good at motivating readers to turn “just one more page.” The tension is high, in part due to Kate’s tendencies to seize whatever opportunity she sees to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Blind Trust is book 2 in the Port Aster Secrets series, and if you jump in here you’ll understand all you need to know, but I highly recommend starting at the beginning with Deadly Devotion (read my review here).

Kate Adams is still grieving for her friend, Daisy, who died in the previous book, and she’s afraid the killer may yet duck justice. Suddenly someone’s out to sabotage Kate’s reputation, and she’s acquired a stalker.

In the middle of looking after herself, she also dives into protecting her elderly neighbour from being forced into long-term care.

That’s the thing about Kate: she has a big heart, and she acts before she thinks. Which is why Detective Tom Parker has such a hard time keeping her safe. He doesn’t dare act on his feelings for her – emotion clouded his judgement in the past, and cost his partner’s life.

The irony of this story is, as Kate finally learns to trust a cop – Tom – even to trust him blindly, he has to deceive her in order to save her life.

Favourite line:

The softly spoken word flitted around her chest, touching here and there like a tiny bird looking for the perfect place to nest. [page 76, Kindle version]

Canadian author Sandra Orchard has delivered another compelling read, blending a solid plot with complex characters, and leaving readers waiting for the next book in the series. Deadly Devotion won in the suspense category in The Word Awards this year, and I won’t be surprised if Blind Trust does the same next year. For more about the author and her books, visit sandraorchard.com. Be sure to check out the bonus features on the Blind Trust page.

[Review copy from my personal library.]