Janet Sketchley's Blog: Tenacity, page 19
February 25, 2022
The Many Faces of Journaling (Guest Post)
Image by Ylanite Koppens from PixabayThe Many Faces of Journalingby Steph Beth NickelHave you ever opened your electronic journal or notebook and simply written, ���Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!���? I have. Maybe not with that many Hs, but you get the idea.
I���ve also written what Julia Cameron refers to as Morning Pages, three pages of whatever pops into my mind (also known as ���stream of consciousness writing���). Cameron recommends doing so first thing in the morning to clear out the co...
February 15, 2022
Review: Tears in the Desert, by Karen V. Robichaud
Tears in the Desert, by Karen V. Robichaud (Word Alive Press, 2020)
From the aptly-named Desolation Creek in the Australian Outback to a lighthouse in Blackheart Bay, Nova Scotia, this novel���s descriptive details draw the reader in with a strong sense of place.
Told in present tense from the point of view of Raine Hunter, both as a child and as an adult, the voice is sure, strong, and taut.
The first part of the novel introduces the trauma in Raine���s childhood. The second two t...
February 8, 2022
New Releases in Christian Fiction (February 2022)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Amish Romance:��
Strength in the Storm by Laurel M. Blount — After the murder of both her parents, Emma Hochstedler returns to the small community of Johns Mill, hoping to resume her quiet existence. Reclaiming her place proves harder than expected���especially now that a movie is being made about her family���s loss. But...
January 28, 2022
An Object in Motion (Guest Post)
Image by Click on 
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Thank you! 
from PixabayAn Object in Motionby Steph Beth NickelThere is a scientific principle that states, ���An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest.���
I am that object.
While rest is crucial to productivity and peace of mind, vegging on the couch, binge-watching Netflix rarely recharges our batteries. At least it doesn���t recharge mine.
I am excellent at making excuses.
As an extrovert, I ...
January 25, 2022
Review: Holding On When You Want to Let Go, by Sheila Walsh
Holding On When You Want to Let Go, by Sheila Walsh (Baker Books, 2021)
Subtitled ���Clinging to Hope When Life is Falling Apart,��� this book takes a candid and compassionate look at the struggles that can make us want to let go and give up. And it takes a clear-eyed look at the God who holds us in His care even when life really does seem to be falling apart.
Each chapter opens with a verse of Scripture and a relevant quote. The first five address the main things that threaten to ove...
January 18, 2022
Review: The Contest, by K.E. Ganshert
The Contest, by K.E. Ganshert (2021)
Anyone who���s ever asked why bad things happen to innocent people will relate to orphaned teenaged Briar Bishop. While the rich in the kingdom get richer, she���s raising her younger brother in the worst of the slums.
When she receives a mysterious invitation to a contest promising to grant the winner���s deepest wish, she ignores it���until desperation leaves her no choice.
The thing is, she gave up wishing long ago. Then gave up believing in ...
January 11, 2022
New Releases in Christian Fiction (January 2022)
General Contemporary:
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Grace Across the Miles by Christine Dillon — How can you belong when you don’t know who you are? Gina Reid is surrounded by people getting married or having babies. She’s under pressure to settle down but how can she do that when she doesn’t even know where she came from? Since the startling revelation that she was adopted, it’s felt like there is somethin...
January 4, 2022
Picks from 2021
Graphic credit: Goodreads
Here��are the books I���ve most enjoyed last year. Some were produced in 2021, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?
Book of the year:��Yours is the Night, by Amanda Dykes (historical fiction)
Fantasy: Rhythm of War, by Brandon Sanderson
Favourite re-read: Star Wars: Scoundrels (Star Wars Legends), by Timothy Zahn [I’d forgotten I didn’t like the ending, but it’s a fun read]
Feel-good read: Tran...
December 31, 2021
Celebrating 2021 (Guest Post)
Yes, you read the title right.
On December 26, the visiting pastor to our church asked us which we would choose, gold or a struggle. While none of us would willingly choose the latter, he was pointing out the fact that, while things of this world are fleeting, struggles help strengthen and mature us spiritually.
I���m not ready to choose struggles, but I am willing to look back and see how past challenges have shaped and grown me. I���m willing t...
December 14, 2021
New Releases in Christian Fiction (December 2021)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the��ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Contemporary – General:
Broken Together by Brenda S. Anderson — Jennifer and Chad Taylor had dreamed of opening a coffee and cocoa shop since before they said, ���I do.��� When Chad is sent to prison for murder despite claiming innocence, that dream���along with their family���is shattered. After years of fighting for Cha...
