Wintertime. Dressed in its snowy, frosty beauty.
Father, you create beauty everywhere in every season. We just need to see it . . . In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Probably best known for their song "House of the Rising Sun", The Animals had a good run with some big hits. This oldie was one of them.
Father, we're all desperate for you whether we know it or not. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Ginny L. Yttrup has written an important novel in the Women's Fiction genre that will and has undoubtedly touched some broken hearts of those who've experienced the pain and betrayal from a loved one.
Written primarily in a journaling format from three points of view with quotes from John Muir's poetic writings headlining each chapter break, we read from the protagonist Jessica (Jessie), her daughter, 15 year old Haley, and Jessie's dad Ted's entries about their various interpretations of the events surrounding them.
Jessica is a fire archaeologist whose job is to preserve the natural and cultural resources of Yosemite National Park. During the fire season she can be away from home for a considerable time and she and her husband Chet, who operates a climbing and sports/retail business, tag team the household care and management of their son Tyler who's leaving for college soon and their hormonal daughter Haley. Chet's the "fun" parent while Jessie is perceived by Haley as the mostly unreasonable one.
Jessie's dad Ted is now elderly but was also involved in firefighting in his younger days, and he and his wife Cretia fill in for Jessie and Chet whenever needed. Jessie's mother deserted her and her dad when Jessie was an infant.
As Jessie readies herself to leave for another fire, things seem off at home with her husband, leaving her with an uneasy feeling. As she ponders their life together, his impatience and anger, and his seeming inability to take responsibility or accept fault for or during any disagreements, she takes to heart a comment made to her about always making excuses for Chet's behavior and/or actions.
Because of a startling email Jessica receives, a chain of events results in Jessica wrecking her vehicle, Haley leaving home without telling anyone where she's gone, and Ted's feelings about Chet proving Ted's suspicions about him were accurate. This is told about in their individual written entries, the pain, frustrations, and anger exuding from their words and actions. All of this is simultaneously going on and adding to the horrific conflict Ted's experienced by getting a letter from Jessie's mother.
Pain and rage battle for supremacy in all three characters and a purging, examination, and conclusion result in decisions each one must make and come to accept. The accounts of the terror but necessity of fires, the destruction but new life that results, are all beautifully and tenderly written to illustrate the life cycle of growth, death, and life that applies to more than the physical earth. As with much of Women's Fiction, Flames is not a jubilant story, but it's a real one and sadly shared by many families.
(This is not Christian Fiction.)
Father, please bless Ginny with joy and inspiration, continued stories that touch hearts and bring a healing hope only you can provide. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 37:39-40 (NIV)
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My newest novel is coming soon! Here's a tease of the back cover copy:
Thirtyish widower Micah Jones is ready to move past the sorrow and loneliness of losing his wife, when he discovers the waitress at the truck stop he frequents is in desperate need of saving.
With the supernatural gift of seeing snapshots of others’ most horrible moments, Micah perceives Bonita Carson has a history of tragic experiences, beginning with sexual abuse by her mother’s boyfriend. Hardened by life, she has learned to be street smart and guarded, and she can’t accept the loving God that Micah reveals to her.
When he rescues this cynical young woman from danger and brings her to his Washington home in the foothills, Micah observes that Bonita is wandering through life without any clear direction. Can he ultimately rescue Bonita from herself before it’s too late, or will Bonita choose to leave and continue living a life of hopelessness?
In all of its rawness, Seeing . . . is a contemporary love story that presents redemption as the greatest gift of love.
Thank you, Lord, for every inspiration, word, story, character. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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First novel. All 700+ pages of this comprehensive story about horse racing at a middle echelon racetrack – fashioned after the now defunct Longacres Racetrack.
Father, you led me to the place where my love of horses was fulfilled. I can never thank you enough for all that you've given me in my life. Even through my rebellion, you were watching over me and eventually led me to Jesus – the most meaningful and important event of my life. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Magnificent beauty in wintertime. Exquisite photograph.
Lord, always in awe of you and your creation. I'm desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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If you never listen to another smooth jazz song, this is the one you must hear. Its haunting beauty and the immense skill of Brian Culbertson is absolutely transporting to a place of sheer beauty. He's a "different" performer and an ultra-skilled musician of many instruments, but he brings a kaleidoscope of magnificent sound from a piano.
Father, may everyone who excels at the talents and gifts you've given them learn from whom those wonderful attributes come. Thank you for your vast designations of beauty. Apart from you, we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Heather Day Gilbert has three novellas in the Belinda Blake Exotic Pet-Sitter cozy mystery series. The first one, Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass, cleverly introduces us to Belinda and her current "pet", a ball python she's watching for "Reginald" after moving into her new "apartment", the carriage house on the Carrington estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. The opening scene is both cringe-worthy and hysterical.
After only being partially settled into her new place, while enjoying the attached patio, she notices an expensive high heel in the garden behind her abode. Upon further investigation she discovers it's attached to a foot and leg of a chic young woman around her age who's not moving and appears to be dead.
From that moment on she is introduced to the life of the wealthy Carrington family, their house secretary, their gardener Jacques, the handsome son Stone and his avant-garde friends, their cook Lani, their driver Red, and their gatekeeper Val. At some point everyone becomes a suspect except Belinda as she does her best to assist Stone as he conducts his own investigation. Attempting to figure out possible motives becomes an exercise in futility until some hidden secrets emerge before there's yet another murder.
With all the typical pieces in place for this cozy mystery, Heather does a fun job of creating an interesting character in Belinda Blake who is still in the process of discovering who she really is as a young woman who, besides sitting for exotic pets, is a gamer who writes articles for other gamers after testing new ones, all the while wondering about being enamored with the charming Stone Carrington the fifth.
Book Two in the series, Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, opens with Belinda saying goodbye to Stone as he takes off on a faraway retreat to further his own discovery of who he really is and what he wants to do in his life. Belinda needs a new pet to watch because of her dwindling income when she gets a call from the owner of a wolf preserve who needs to hire her for eight days to assist with the preserve's duties while the owner takes a trip out of town. Belinda must address her fears of the wolves before agreeing to sign the contract which gives her added trepidation because of the clause about not holding the preserve liable should she die while working there.
On her first day at work, she is pleasantly surprised to learn the head tour guide on the White Pine Wolf Preserve knows and admires her from her gaming articles.
It doesn't take long before mayhem strikes and it seems no one at the preserve can now be trusted, possibly even law enforcement. Belinda's family and a close male friend she's known for years (Jonas), who lives on the farm next to her parents' place back in her small hometown in upstate New York, all want her to quit, but slowly she's growing attached to the wolves, especially a battered, rescued female who's shown her nothing but affection. The Carrington's driver Red, who seems more like a bodyguard than a chauffeur, makes it clear he's there for her if she needs his assistance.
Belinda Blake is no quitter and wants this mystery solved before any more tragedy strikes. With plenty of quirky characters and lots of unexplained conduct, this story keeps the reader guessing while exploring the quiet attraction behind the scenes of Belinda's old friend Jonas and her.
This is a general market cozy mystery series with a few silly laughs, some real drama, and plenty of suspects.
Father, you've given Heather plenty of talent and stories to tell. Please continue to bless her in your abundance and provision. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret – it leads only to evil.
For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
Psalm 37:7-9 (NIV)
