Into the Fire

Blood on the Wire by Candace Irving is Book 5 in A Military Veteran/K-9 Suspense. 

Kate Holland finds herself in the unique position of keeping reasonably calm and focused since the man (Arash) who has stolen her heart – and even Ruger's – is away on a Classified Operation. While hoping to receive a simple text or word somehow, she's put on a case with a shocking, violent murder of a former military man, now a psychiatrist who was involved with PTSD veterans at the same clinic where Kate has been seeing her therapist Dr. Manning. 

What is discovered in this man's home leads to a convoluted, multiple suspect ordeal that first focuses on a female EMT (Gwyneth) who appeared to be the last person to see him alive. With a sealed juvenile file, Kate has to work to get it unsealed to discover the ugly truth of what makes this young former military female so hateful toward law enforcement. As I mentioned here, Candace takes readers on a super complex journey to find the murderer of not one but two men, both of which have connections to Gwyneth. When a third co-worker of Gwyneth's is added to the list with no apparent connection to the other two, the frustration is amplified.

Added to all of that, there's been a bombing at a military base overseas, and next to no information about it/injuries/personnel/etc. is being released. 

Kate has associates in every division of state police and a military source helping on this case. Her good cop friend (Seth) since before she took her Special Assignment role, has a connection to Gwyneth which he has been manipulated into thinking is something special. It crushes him when he realizes he was played by the woman after believing she couldn't possibly be involved in any of it. 

Solving this case is definitely a group effort but only when Kate finds out she's been played does the serious solving of the mess finally produce results.

Blood on the Wire is a mystery with unlimited quandaries and the threats of severe danger. Underlying it all is the unknowing of Arash's status. Having had to conduct the interview with Gwyneth, as much information as Kate has about her, she wants to experience compassion for the woman, but Gwyneth is purposely unlikable, hardcore, and just about unflinching. 

As I've indicated multiple times, this is a great series with a strong but vulnerable, wonderfully likable heroine with a K-9 who is beyond intelligent, empathetic, and adorable. 

Highly Recommend. 

(Some profanity and a dash of graphics at the end.) 

Father, I ask for blessings upon Candace, that you would continue to give her what she needs to tell the stories you have just for her to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

What a fantastic group. Just another one of the many of the 60s and 70s music. Best ever. The Supremes were truly fabulous. 

Father, only you bring the blessings. Thank you for giving them to your singers, musicians, composers, songwriters. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Commitment is a problem for the world's perceptions of relationships. Some prefer those fun-but-no-strings-attached types. Others want something more serious but still desire "a way out" should whatever they have together go awry. Some just "jump-in-the-sack" and call it good. "Commitment" is not in the vocabulary for relationships.

That two people, once unknown to each other, begin to fall for each other and desire to learn whether or not they can make a life together, waiting to experience the desire for true commitment before diving into sexual consumption, has become laughable for a high percentage of people today. Unimaginable, in fact. 

Virgin males and females are mocked at early ages when hormones begin to dictate "how far" they will go on dates or interludes. 

Marriage is hit and miss, not a must, not popular, a commitment some refuse to make. 

Many young people think sex is a must for popularity, and, sadly, it is often encouraged in schools and sadly even by some parents, enabling their kids with whatever birth control is quick and easy to take or apply.

Where God determines it is best for love to precede sex, for sex to be the act of lovemaking by one man and one woman after pledging their lives to each other, and for the loyalty and devotion to be inherent in the relationship "for better or worse" indicating a selfless commitment to each other's needs, the world's view is certainly not in sync with God's.

God has always wanted the best for His Creation. He gave them perfection in the Garden of Eden. Satan made his move on them, tantalizing them with lofty rhetoric, and they sacrificed their sanctity for sinfulness and ruined their lives for their future on planet earth. Did God strike them dead for their wanton act? No. He let them go to learn the magnitude of their sinful decision. 

Commitment should be a holy thing in relationships with mutually expected desires. Apart from God, without the salvation of Jesus Christ and the guidance from the Holy Spirit, it's nearly impossible. And without the Lord, it's impossible to be as meaningful as it all was meant to be. He can do amazing things with people committed to do as He instructs, and the blessings He pours out for those who will commit are absent without Him.   

Father, thank you for your patience, your mercy, your incredible grace in my life. I learned the hard way about commitment. I can never thank you enough that I finally got it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

     Therefore, my brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 

1 Corinthians 15:56-58 (NIV)

Today is Friday. And going into it, I was facing being in an unexplainable "funk." I usually can decipher the "whys" of said funkiness. This time: not so sure. I think it's related to having to change my blog and all that entails after all these years, all those posts, all that having it just the way I wanted it to a big fat blank slate without my colors/logo/etcetera. Just seems like no fun and a lot of work which I'm not looking forward to. 

I know: this blog isn't that special. Probably no one will actually miss it – except me. But it's one small thing I'm actually proud of for reasons few would understand. 

I want this change to be fun, interesting, something new. However, it doesn't "feel" like that at all right now – and thus the "funk." 

Bear with me. I will improve. In time. 

Lord, help me do this well. Apart from you, I can do nothing. Desperate for you as always. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Well, change is inevitable, and now it's come here to me and my blog. This hopeofglory.typepad.com/into_the_fire will soon be moved to WordPress.com. Makes me kind of sad. Typepad has been very good to me, but they're moving on, bowing out, exiting the website.

We'll see how all the changes work out. Of course it won't be the same, but, hopefully, it'll be similar. And easy to use for this non-tech-y person. They've been super helpful this far, and I have no doubt they will continue to be. 

Just wanted to let you know I'll be moving and will give you the information as soon as I have it. 

Thank you to each one who's followed this blog for so many years, took the time to comment now and then, and enjoyed some of my posts. I'll keep posting here for as long as I can. Official "disappearance" will be September 30th. 

I'll keep you "posted." 

Father, you help me through everything. This will be the same. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

He Loves You, People. Reach Out.

Jesus waits to deliver you from the sins of the world. To forgive and redeem you. Nothing better. Nothing. 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 (NIV)

One of the tell-tale factors of great mysteries and/or thrillers is the amount of research done before writing them. Great thriller writers either have terrific sources or personal experience in their specific choices of subject matters – or both. Vince Flynn had dynamite sources he only alluded to in order to be keep them absolutely confidential. Jack Carr was a sniper and closed out his career on CIA ops. He knows. There are other wonderfully talented authors in the thriller genre with either or both of the two requirements I named.

It's particularly satisfying to enjoy a heroine created by a female author who served in the Navy and has accrued her own set of sources as well as personal acquired experience and access to others who can realistically provide the necessities for her detailed stories in the series she writes. Candace Irving is a wonderful writer with several series, my favorite being the Hidden Valor Military Veteran K-9 Suspense Series. I'm reading her latest Blood on the Wire now, and, like the great mystery/suspense/thriller writers, the crimes are vivid, the plot complex, and the "your guess is as good as mine" as to who really did what keeps the reader flipping those pages and then taking a moment to put it down for a bit to breathe – and to do the chores you've neglected while reading. 

Simply said: I highly recommend this series and this author. 

Father, you know I ask for the best for Candace – and that's always what you provide. Whether or not we know it, apart from you, we can do nothing. Thank you for all that you do for authors/writers. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

     Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV) 

I just read a romance in the Christian fiction genre, the first book in a series. I usually don't read romance novels except for a very few Christian authors – I think three to be exact out of the whole gamut of Christian romance writers. I'm not sure why I decided to read this particular novel, but it doesn't matter. 

What I can tell you is this: for what I consider the average Christian romance reader, this is an enjoyable story. To prove that, the author has sold millions of her multiple novels, won awards for her books, teaches writing and mentors hopeful writers.  

I consider myself a love story writer heavy on the romance. Picky, perhaps, but there is a difference between the two classifications. Nevertheless, the reason I chose not to review it is not because it's a bad story or poorly written. Not at all – which are the usual reasons when I don't review a novel I've just read in any genre. 

Here's the deal – and I wonder if other authors feel this way about their writing – I write the way I want to read a story in my genre. I write what I want to read. 

I was not the preferred audience for this type of novel. That's all. Perhaps, my novels wouldn't be her type of novels either. 

Fair enough? 

Father, thank you for your wonderful authors. Keep supplying all they need to keep writing. Help me to keep going on what you have for me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.