Janet Sketchley's Blog: Tenacity, page 95
July 14, 2014
Review: Majai’s Fury, by Valerie Comer
[image error]Majai’s Fury, by Valerie Comer (GreenWords Media, 2014)
In a culture where the water goddess Majai requires every woman’s firstborn as a sacrifice, Taifa has used forbidden herbs to prevent conception. If she’s discovered—or if she’s labelled barren—her own life could be forfeit. Taifa’s one chance to survive comes in the form of a stranger from another land.
The foreigner Shanh brings a message of doom to Taifa’s people—unless they will renounce Majai and follow the true god, Azhvah. Azhvah’s...
July 11, 2014
Character Interview: Richard Hollis
Jennifer Slattery
Richard Hollis is Ainsley Meadows’ fiancé in Jennifer Slattery‘s new novel, Beyond I Do. After my interview with Ainsley, Richard agreed to say a few words himself. Ordinarily I find different questions for different characters, but I thought it would be interesting to hear what each half of this couple thinks – kind of like a game show. You can read Ainsley’s answers here: Character Interview: Ainsley Meadows.
Janet: Welcome, Richard, and thanks for taking time to join us. Co...
July 9, 2014
A Prayer for Every Day
Finish what you started in me, God.
Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.
Psalm 138:8, MSG*
Wouldn’t this be a great prayer to memorize? To print out and stick on the bathroom mirror, on the car dashboard or somewhere else you’d see it every day?
I love the trust in these words. David knows that God has started a work in him.
God has started the work. God has started the work. David can count on it, and so can we, as believers in Jesus.
God’s love is eternal. That includes His patience, His wi...
July 7, 2014
Review: Lion of Babylon, by Davis Bunn
Lion of Babylon, by Davis Bunn (Bethany House Publishers, 2011)
Former special forces operative Marc Royce is drawn back into active duty to find a friend who’s gone missing in Iraq. The problem is, elements of his own government want him to fail.
Marc and a brave Iraqi lawyer named Sameh work with a few trusted contacts in a search for not only the missing US serviceman but four others as well: three Americans and an Iraqi.
I liked the characters, and I enjoyed the taut, fast pace and the detai...
July 4, 2014
Character Interview: Ainsley Meadows
Jennifer Slattery
Ainsley Meadows is the heroine of Jennifer Slattery‘s new novel, Beyond I Do, and she’s here to chat with us before the story begins.
Janet: Welcome, Ainsley, and thanks for taking time to join us. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Would you tell us how you met your fiancé?
Ainsley: Thanks! It is pretty exciting, and more than a little stressful, as I’m sure you can imagine. Well, Richard and I have been dating for five years. We met at a mental health conference, actua...
July 2, 2014
The Desires of Our Hearts
For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem;
he has desired it for his home.
Psalm 132:13, NLT*
Remember King David’s plan to build a place of worship for God? This psalm starts there, reminds the people how excited they were to come into God’s presence in celebration, and then it finishes with God.
God chose Israel out of the nations, and He chose where he wanted to “dwell” among them. God, who needs nothing that we can make for Him, wanted to establish His presence with His people.
It makes me think of th...
June 30, 2014
Review: Miranda Warning, by Heather Day Gilbert
Miranda Warning, by Heather Day Gilbert (Heather Day Gilbert, 2014)
After the depth of character, plot and setting of Heather Day Gilbert’s Viking historical novel, God’s Daughter, I had high expectations for her new novel, Miranda Warning. This one’s a contemporary suspense set in the mountains of West Virginia. Different characters, different issues, different voice. Same skill that drew me to keep reading.
Miranda Warning tells two stories in one, tying them into one satisfying ending. Tess...
June 27, 2014
Character Interview: Nikki Jo Spencer
Heather Day Gilbert
Regular readers of my blog may recognize Heather Day Gilbert as the author of the epic Viking historical, God’s Daughter. Heather also writes mysteries, including the recently-released Miranda Warning, a contemporary Appalachian suspense novelset in West Virginia.
Today, one of the characters from Miranda Warning joins us for an interview. Meet Nikki Jo Spencer. Nikki Jo, welcome. I hear the mountains of West Virginia are beautiful. Could you help us imagine being there?
Nikk...
June 25, 2014
In Stress, Remember God
God’s strong name is our help,
the same God who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:8, MSG*
This psalm is a celebration of God rescuing Israel from their enemies. They had no other hope, no chance. Without God, they’d have been destroyed.
We have life-or-death crises too. More often, we have lesser struggles that can still overwhelm us. This verse offers two strategies to help us hold onto God by faith.
Remember God’s strong name. His name reveals His character. It’s who He is. Healer. Provider. Rule...
June 23, 2014
Review: Perilous Cove, by Rich Bullock
Perilous Cove, by Rich Bullock (RichWords Press, 2014)
The night after her husband’s funeral, 39-year-old Natalie Clayton barely survives an arsonist’s fire only to discover she’s the target of a killer. Her bank account is empty, there’s a new life insurance policy in effect for her—all the evidence points to her deceased husband, Jack.
Jack’s controlling ways have cut Natalie off from friends, and her family is dead. And he changed his life insurance policy to benefit his mother, leaving his...
