Janet Sketchley's Blog: Tenacity, page 54
March 31, 2017
Surprised by Transformation (Guest Post)
Be on the lookout. Transformation can come in ways you never expected.
And that’s exactly what has been happening to me this Lenten season.
While I don’t usually participate in the tradition of giving up something for Lent, this year I became aware of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Bible Study and decided to jump onboard.
The challenge: get rid of 10 things per day for the 40 days of Lent.
Having wanted to declutter our home for years, I thought it...
March 30, 2017
9 Years of Blogging
Nine years ago today, I posted my very first devotional. So… it seems a good moment to announce the project I’ve been quietly working on for the past year:
A Year of Tenacity: 365 Daily Devotions will be (you guessed it) a one-year book of daily devotionals, compiled from updated versions of the best of nine years’ devotional posts here.
The book will release in print and electronic formats in April, and I hope to do a cover reveal soon.
Does this mean I’m not writing more fiction? Definitely...
March 28, 2017
Review: Reign of Error, by Christy Barritt
Reign of Error, by Christy Barritt (River Heights, 2017)
Reign of Error is book 2 in the Worst Detective Ever series, and while readers would have a better overall grasp of the series by starting with book 1, Ready to Fumble, they could begin here without feeling lost.
Joey Darling’s acting career is on hiatus while she looks for her missing father and tries to recover from some personal disasters. The problem is, she has one or more over-the-top fans who want her to play detective in real li...
March 24, 2017
Trust. Rejoice. Sing.
I’ve been working to memorize these verses, and thought I’d share them with you. There’s something about affirming God’s goodness, and ending with “He is good to me,” that makes me feel good. If you’d like to print this for your personal use, go ahead. Just right-click on the photo and click “save as.”
Photo credit: Janet Sketchley
March 21, 2017
Review: Pursued, by Lisa Harris
Pursued, by Lisa Harris (Revell, 2017)
Special Agent Nikki Boyd is a missing persons investigator in Nashville. Usually she hunts for strangers, but this time it’s more personal: she met Erika, the missing woman, on a plane, just before it crashed. Erika disappeared from the crash site, and Nikki must help the FBI find her before she’s found by the man who wants her dead.
I’ve enjoyed this series, and each book is better than the last. The pacing in this one is relentless, with the entire sto...
March 7, 2017
Review: The Third Girl, by Nell Goddin
The Third Girl, by Nell Goddin (Beignet Books, 2015)
Isn’t that a beautiful cover? Unusual doors fascinate me, and each one of the Molly Sutton novels features a different one.
In the series-opener, Molly Sutton has used her divorce settlement to buy a home, sight unseen, in a village in France. She’s going to run a gîte, the French equivalent of a bed and breakfast. Her former neighbourhood in outer Boston was becoming unsafe, and she feels at home now, welcome, and secure in Castillac.
Unti...
March 3, 2017
New Releases in Christian Fiction (March 2017)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Contemporary Romance:
Reunion at Crane Lake by Robin Bayne — Colt’s memory is returning after the accident that ended his career. Now he wants to take over his family’s inn, but he’ll have to partner with his former fiancée to be able to afford it. He’ll need forgiveness to make that happen. Tia’s goal is clear: to return...
February 28, 2017
Review: Creating Character Arcs, by K.M. Weiland
Creating Character Arcs, by K.M. Weiland (PenForASword Publishing, 2016)
Often writing-craft books focus on one element in isolation. Not this time. Creating Character Arcs intertwines character change with story structure and theme.
The author asserts that “the Change Arc is all about the Lie Your Character Believes.” Through the plot, and interactions with other characters, the character will discover and ultimately accept or reject the truth that counters the particular lie. (Except in the...
February 24, 2017
The Importance of Community (Guest Post)
Accountability Partner
My hubby and I are going to Jasper, Alberta this summer. Dave has been dreaming for decades about showing me his favourite place in the world.
Because he wants to hike when we’re there, Dave feels the need to improve his cardio endurance. So, earlier this week, he decided to get a gym membership. Mine has been dormant for quite a while despite my best intentions, but this will get us there every other day. At least that’s...
February 21, 2017
Review: In a Foreign Land, by Janice L. Dick
In a Foreign Land, by Janice L. Dick (Tansy & Thistle Press, 2017)
Fifteen years after Luise Martens and her family escaped from Russia to China, the past catches up with them. Soon they must flee again, from a terrible enemy they thought they’d left behind.
The novel opens in 1945, and it’s a sequel to Other Side of the River. If you haven’t read that book, you may want to do so first. It’s not necessary for comprehension, but it adds a level of depth to understanding these characters’ lives...
