by Jerry Robinson

With all the depressing media news, which I avoid at all costs, Bankruptcy of Our Nation by Jerry Robinson was the last book I wanted to read. In fact,  books like this are the last thing people in hard times want to read. Instead, they crave feel good stories, an escape…fiction. Which is good news for fiction writers, but even I can’t ignore the state of our nation’s economy. So I cracked open the pages and settled in for an uncomfortable but necessary journey.

If you want a feel good read on the economy and state of our nation, then don’t read this book. It will not tell you everything is all right and that the media is exaggerating. It won’t give you warm fuzzies, in fact, it might scare the pants off of you. But it will give you 12 strategies for protecting your finances in these uncertain times.

Here’s what they’re saying:

America is a nation in deep, deep trouble. In just 60 years, America has gone from the world’s largest creditor
to the largest debtor nation! Corporate bailouts, increased unemployment, falling stock markets, and rising
bankruptcy rates all hint at a turbulent economy ahead. With insightful clarity, author Jerry Robinson identifies
and examines five dangerous trends currently impacting the U.S. economy and your family’s financial security.
Complex topics such as the subprime mortgage crisis and the rising levels of U. S. consumer debt are explained
in layman’s terms, empowering readers to protect their assets with 12 straightforward strategies. Ready your
family for the coming hyperinflationary depression and build your financial house on the rock of our salvation
— we need God’s wisdom now, more than ever.

• Understand the impending danger that awaits a nation built
entirely on debt
• Expose the flaws in our economic system
• Prepare your family for the collapse of the dollar
• Provide no-cost ways to survive this chaotic, economic climate
“This book is an eye-opening must-read for all Christians. Its practical strategies and valuable insight into our
economic system will help anyone understand where we may be headed as a nation and where we, as Christians,
can make a difference for our families and our churches.” K. Robertson, Bank Sr. VP

Here are some more reviews.

 My husband isn’t materialistic. In fact, the only thing he’s ever wanted besides power tools was a grandfather clock. I have to admit, when we first got married they weren’t my first choice of decor and quite frankly, we couldn’t afford one anyway. But as the years went by, they started to grow on me and now that we have a house that a grandfather clock would fit in perfectly, it’s got me thinking I’d really like one as well. Come to think of it, since we moved into our new home, we only have one clock on the wall. And as a multi-tasker who doesn’t like to waste time, we really need more clocks, especially since my watch battery died, and I haven’t replaced it yet.

Grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks. They all have personality and add to the decor of a home. I remember my husband buying a mantle clock for his parents. And nowadays, they come in so many different styles, and well, my new mantle is kind of empty. But I have to admit, an Ant Farm Clock is not what I’m looking for! Though it would make for interesting conversations with company! While I’m on the subject, what would make an interesting mantle clock, or wall clock for that matter? Maybe my child’s art work somehow decoupaged into the face. What are your thoughts?

This site has many cool looking clocks. In fact, this one caught my eye and would look great in my kitchen. And this one for the family room. And maybe this one for my mantle. So many clocks, so little…money. What did you think I was going to say, time?

The first time I experienced remote access was on a trip when my husband asked me to access his office computer. Huh? From the road, while driving with this cool internet hook up gadget. Yes! And I did. I just logged into this site and typed in a password and I was in! Soooo cool!

I started to think of the possibilities for writers. Imagine you’re at a conference and you find out the editor you’re meeting with wants to see your chapters and NOT the proposal you brought! That happened to me. Luckily, I brought my computer and was able to print out the requested pages, but what if I had left my computer at home! I would have missed that opportunity.

But if I had remote access then I could have accessed what I needed from my home computer while at the conference. Of course, when choosing a remote access provider I’d want secure, fast and easy, oh and affordable! And online support, or course. RemotePC has all that and more! Starting at $4.95/month for one host, it would be ideal for people like me, but they have affordable pricing for up to 100 hosts, perfect for a small business.

RemotePC offers a 30 day free trial with no restrictions and has great features such as getting emote access when the computer is logged off and is one of the fastest remote access services out there. And when time is money, fast is important. If you think this is something for your family or home, check out the demo and don’t forget the 30 day free trial!

Gregory Dickow touches on a timeless subject. We all want to live fulfilled, satisfying lives, but can we really make that happen? That’s the question I asked myself before I opened the book. The subtitle  says The “Simple Secrets to the Satisfied Life.” I have to admit I haven’t read the entire book, and well, this type of book is just not my style, but my first thoughts before I dug into the book were shouldn’t we be like Paul and learn to be satisfied not matter what life throws at us?

Here’s the official info:

How many people go through their days feeling dissatisfied or even feeling their lives have no purpose or meaning? Perhaps money, time or love seem in short supply. Or one doesn’t have the body they’d like or the perfect job or the perfect mate. What kind of faith can give the strength and encouragement to break free from emotional and spiritual discontentment?
In this debut work Pastor Dickow, founder of the popular Life Changers International Church brings a compelling vision for conquering negativity and achieving breakthroughs toward successful living. Through attaining a deep connection with God one can learn the keys to mastering destructive emotions and eradicating personal stress. Pastor Dickow offers readers 16 spirit-centered and practical secrets to create an invincible spirit and a satisfied life.

Direct and heartfelt in its narrative, THE POWER TO CHANGE TODAY is more than a typical self-help book. It not only includes a full discussion of spiritual and common sense wisdom, but also reveals the story of Pastor Dickow’s personal journey through a painful childhood, a crisis of faith and a miracle conversion.

About the Author
Pastor Dickow is the founder of Chicago-based Life Changers International Church. He is the popular host of Changing Your Life an international television ministry as well the highly rated Ask the Pastor radio program heard during the afternoon “drive-time” in Chicago.

I started the introduction and first chapter and while it was flavored with interesting stories, I’m not sure he’s saying anything new and many of his secrets, really aren’t secrets. At least not to me or anyone that watches Oprah. Some secrets include, “Be Loved,”"Be Still,” “Know Yourself,” “Forgive Yourself,” and “Plant a Seed.”

Nothing new, but always worth revisiting. And many times we need to hear Dickow’s reminder that “satisfaction is an inside job” and “don’t look to outward circumstances to make you happy.” So if you’re looking for a self-help, pep talk, sprinkled with entertaining and real life stories and scripture, then this book is for you. While I won’t be reading it for spiritual insight, it will be a comforting read and possibly a reality check when my flesh yells out for the satisfied and fulfilled life!

Who wouldn’t want that!

www.makinglifebetter.com is all about making OUR lives better through helping women feel good, look good and getting more out of their life! With categories such as food/recipes, beauty/tips, home/family, vitality/wellness, it’s a busy woman’s one stop place to find all the tips we need to well…make our lives better!

They even have a YouTube Cooking Channel I don’t know about you, but my menu needs a summer make over. For that matter, I need a summer makeover as well. Good thing the beauty column could help with that. Do you know what the top ten fashion blunders are? Check it out here!

I especially like the budget recipe column, especially since my food budget has gone on a strict diet and now that the kids are home for summer and eating more, I need to stretch the dollar and increase the food! Also handy, is the recipe quick search. Type in

One of the great things about these recipes is they use ordinary products like Ragu sauce, Hellmann’s® Mayonnaise, and Wishbone Italian Dressing, which you can find at any grocery store! And there’s a member rating system so you know what others think of the recipe, plus a photo. Check out this yummy looking Chicken Florentin. Now I know what to do with that bag of chopped spinach in the freezer! I think I’ll spend an afternoon browsing the photos with my kids to get their take on our summer menu!

Making Life Better has so much more than I shared in this little post, so go check it out! I have to say a big thank you to Mom Central for pointing me to their great website. They’re all about helping busy moms get the best out of life as well!

Confession time! It’s getting harder and harder to rejoice with friends and fellow writers when they receive the “call,” that first book contract, or for that matter their ninth book contract! Years ago I couldn’t rejoice at all.  Jealously and longing for my own “news” was all I could see. Then God delivered me of that. Yes, it was God because it’s in my nature to covet, especially when it comes to something I’ve really been dreaming of for a long time, practically all my life.

But I gave my dream to God and trusted him to do what he would with my writing. Problem is, I’m weary and he doesn’t seem to be doing anything with my writing! I’m at the point where I’m feeling so numb and complacent in my writing journey that it’s torture to sit in front of the key board. But here I am 7 am and I’m asking what’s the point?

I asked God that question this morning. What’s the point of all this labor and torture? What’s the point of writing and editing and editing some more? Others seem to crank out a book and get it published on the spot, me, I toil and toil and nothing, nada, no fruit, not even a sprout.

So I asked God for a word. I opened the bible randomly to the Parable of the Talents where a farmer gave his worker money “talents” and the ones that multiplied the talent were given more. The one that hid it was admonished and thrown out! Okay, Lord! I’m trying to multiply my talents, but it ain’t working. So I figure I’d ask God for another word, half believing I’d get one and whalla! Psalm 45. No flipping through the Psalms to find one that applied to my situation. I turned straight to Psalm 45 and read verse one “My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verse for the King, my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”

Whoa!  First of all, that’s the ACFW verse for the “Noble Theme” writer’s contest, now the Genesis! And Whoa, what’s God trying to tell me? That my writing should be for him and him alone, that I should be doing it for his glory and not worry about the rest? I wish I could. I wish I could. But it doesn’t seem to be enough to keep me writing past this current WIP. What’s the point of writing if no one ever reads my words? Some days it’s just too hard. Yet, I’ll keep toiling until I can’t any longer because my heart is stirred by a noble theme…

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Rose House
WaterBrook Press (May 5, 2009)
by
Tina Ann Forkner

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. She grew up in Oklahoma and graduated with honors from CSU Sacramento before settling in Wyoming. She lives with her husband, their three bright children and their dog and stays busy serving on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors. She is the author of Ruby Among Us, her debut novel, and Rose House, which recently released from Waterbrook Press/Random House.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope

Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.

She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.

What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.

A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.

If you would like to read an excerpt from Rose House, go HERE

Just started this one and I’ve been reminded why I’ve been fascinated with ancient Egypt and why my current novels center around an archeologist and an Egyptian artifact. I only wish I would have thought to write this series first!
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

T.L. Higley

and the book:

City of the Dead (Seven Wonders Series)

B&H Books (March 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From her earliest childhood, there was nothing Tracy loved better than stepping into another world between the pages of a book. From dragons and knights, to the wonders of Narnia, that passion has never abated, and to Tracy, opening any novel is like stepping again through the wardrobe, into the thrilling unknown. With every book she writes, she wants to open a door like that, and invite readers to be transported with her into a place that captivates. She has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Jordan to research her novels, and looks forward to more travel as the Seven Wonders series continues. It’s her hope that in escaping to the past with her, readers will feel they’ve walked through desert sands, explored ancient ruins, and met with the Redeeming God who is sovereign over the entire drama of human history.

Visit the author’s website.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: B&H Books (March 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805447318
ISBN-13: 978-0805447316

Prologue

In my dreams, it is often I who kills Amunet. Other nights it is Khufu, in one of his mad rages. And at other times it is a great mystery, destined to remain unknown long after the ka of each of us has crossed to the west.

Tonight, as I lay abed, my dreams reveal all the truth that I know.

Merit is there, like a beautiful lotus flower among the papyrus reeds.

“Hemi,” she whispers, using the shortened form of my name in the familiar way I long for. “We should join the others.”

The tufts of reeds that spring from the marsh’s edge wave around us, higher than our heads, our private thicket.

Since we moved into our new home six months ago we haven’t been able to use our master bath. For one, it had a leak and hubby had to uproot the sunk in whirlpool tub with the help of 7 men and once he fixed the problem, the tub sat in the middle of our master bath until a few weeks ago. Today, I finally finished cleaning most of the bathroom and moved my stuff in, but the shower is still unusable. Plumbing isn’t the problem, it’s nasty water and mildew stains that won’t come off. YUCK!

Hubby and I have discussed gutting the whole bathroom, and even had plans drawn up, but with our old home not selling yet, it might be a while until we get to it. But I can’t wait! We talked about a huge walk-in tiled shower and on the other side of the wall, a wall fountain. How cool and relaxing would that be?

I’m from the east coast and grew up 3 miles from the ocean. I spent my summer by the ocean. Nothing soothes me like the sound of the ocean and the trickle of fountain waterfall. I’ve never been a bath person, but I could definitely get used to the idea of soaking in a big whirlpool tub listening to the sound of a cascading water. Maybe if I closed my eyes and used my imagination, I could pretend I was on a tropical island. I’m sure my four little natives would be happy to add to the atmosphere! ;0

While I’m on the subject of fountains, I’d also love a garden wall fountain specifically one that flowed into the pool in out backyard, one like these but our pool and patio isn’t designed for the big cascading waterfall into the pool. Still, there’s so many options to choose from that I’m sure we’ll find something that will work in the back and in the front yard! Guess that’s one more project we’ll have to add to our list!

 

Shepherd’s Fall opens strong with Nick Shepherd, bounty hunter and oldest of the Shepherd siblings, trying to play the hero. Unfortunately, things don’t work out how he planned and his life starts to spin out of control. Eight months later his teenage daughter is in rebellion, and he’s no closer to saving the family business, Prodigal Fugitive Recover. His ex-wife isn’t making his life any easier, and there seems no chance of reconciliation, though he never wanted a divorce in the first place. Add to the mix a woman dying of cancer who looks just like the skip Nick is after, a threat to his daughter, and an escaped felon and you’re in for a ride!

With well developed characters that make you care about their lives, W.L. Dyson has woven a tale of intrigue, heartache, and reconciliation. Nick’s faith and life has been shattered, but he slowly finds his way back to God and his family. I’m a huge suspense fan, and at times the family dynamics kept me more interested than the suspense itself. And though I felt the black moment could have been stronger and that things tied up too neatly for me in the end, I’m excited to see the next book in the series which will focus on Nick’s younger brother. Then maybe we’ll get a look into the life of Marti, the wayward sister. I’m really looking forward to that one, so keep writing W.L. Dyson!

Shepherd’s Fall definitely kept me turning the page and it’s a perfect read for those who like to mix great characterization with their suspense.

My family had the privilege of sampling Skinny Cow ice cream and boy, were they mooing for more. We tried the Strawberry Shortcake ice cream sandwich and the fudge bars. Both definitely satisfied, but Timmy my 9 yr old, said Strawberry Shortcake was “the best” ice cream he’s ever tasted and was his new favorite. Actually, we all loved it! With the creamy taste of soft serve and the nostalgic taste of Strawberry Shortcake from the ice cream man, I wished I didn’t have to share.

For the fudge bars, we did a taste comparison with another brand. By far, Skinny Cow was creamier and packed more chocolate flavor. With such great texture and taste, I wondered how this ice cream could be called Skinny Cow. The satisfying Ice Cream sandwiches were only 140 calories and the large fudge bar, just 100. So I checked the ingredients. Seems the ice cream gets its name from skim milk because it also contains sugar, corn syrup and high fructose! No wonder it’s so yummy.

So for the skinny and taste factor, I’d say Skinny Cow lives up to it’s name. But if you’re watching your sugar, corn syrup and fructose intake, like my family does, you might not want to make this a daily habit! But shhh, don’t tell my kids that. Just now I promised them some ice cream.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

Robert Elmer

and the book:

Beyond Corista (The Shadowside Trilogy)

Zondervan (May 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Elmer is the author of more than forty novels for young readers. He is a full-time writer, living in Idaho with his wife, Ronda. They are the parents of three young adults.

Visit the author’s website.

Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (May 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310714230
ISBN-13: 978-0310714231

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Because you are the last asylum, spread the light so they will hear beyond Corista—even where the Trion is but a faint glimmer in the night sky.

~ Codex 101:3

Chapter 1

“They’re right on our tail!” announced Margus.

His announcement roused Oriannon Hightower of Nyssa from her fitful nap. Who could sleep in a tinny little transport shuttle, anyway? Especially not when it was taking her farther and farther away from the only world she had ever known.

“Who?” As she slipped up behind her friend in the co-pilot’s seat she did her best to keep her voice down, tried to let her Owling friend Wist sleep the hours away. Perhaps dreams—and a little time—would help smooth the jagged raw edges of the nightmare they’d just been through.

“There, see?” Margus pointed at his long-range scanner. But at first Oriannon couldn’t make out anything unusual. Just a swirling green globe of energy with them in the middle, turned this way and that to give a three-dimensional view of this parcel of space, now distant from the planet Corista, and yet still far distant from the Asylum waystation to which they were bound. Nothing unusual? Oriannon shook her head.

“I still don’t see anything,” she told him, and for a moment he paused. A red warning light blinked, then went out.

“Hmm. I thought for sure I saw something.” He bent closer, fiddled with the scale, and brought it in closer. In and out. Still nothing.

“Well, let me know,” she told him. “But don’t wake everybody else up.”

It would not help to disturb her father, not if he was going to recover from the beating he’d suffered back at the death camp. He had to rest, as well, and not be wakened by every random announcement from Margus Leek who, from the front of the shuttle, pretended he knew how to pilot this craft through space.

An hour ago: “Look, Oriannon, there’s Corista, disappearing behind us.” And had she ever seen their planet from that far away?

No, of course she hadn’t. Margus knew that without asking.

Thirty minutes ago: “Hey, Ori, remember that field of solar reflectors that almost fried us when we flew through it by accident? There it is!”

Yes, she remembered, though she wished she didn’t.

And then fifteen minutes ago: “Well, looks like we’re home-free, now, Ori. It’s been three hours and no Security ships have come after us so far.”

So far? First of all, she’d told him, ‘so far’ wasn’t exactly a huge encouragement, in their situation. And second of all, “home-free” was not the kind of expression she would have used, unless by that he meant that they were free of their home, and that didn’t sound very good at all. In fact it sounded as if he was saying they were homeless, which they technically were, since escaping from Corista.

But who wanted to be reminded of that fact? Sometimes she wished she could act as cool as Margus did, even when everything looked completely and absolutely terminal.

Besides that, Oriannon could think of no one she wanted less with them on this crazy voyage than Sola Minnik, former security advisor to the Ruling Elders of Corista, former dictator. The fiery woman who had deceived and then nearly killed her father and all the other six Elders. Well, in fact, had any of the others survived?

But the same woman now sat on the cold stainless floor in the corner of the shuttle’s main crew chambers, her face tucked between her knees, her shoulders stooped and defeated, alternately sleeping, shivering and (Oriannon thought) crying.

Oh, she was probably sorry, all right. Sorry they had caught up with her and destroyed the death camp, where hundreds and thousands of the Owling people had been imprisoned. After all the work she and her Security forces had put into setting it up, Sola would naturally be very sorry about that. At this point maybe she’d also be sorry they’d saved her life by pulling her up off the shuttle landing ramp at the last minute, while they were taking off from the chaos of the camp, with probes blowing up all around them. Certainly she would be very sorry the flash bomb had exploded in her face, blinding her.

Blind or not, though. Sola could apparently still cry. And now over the background hum of the shuttle Oriannon heard a soft sobbing from the once-powerful leader.

Strange how things had worked out. But now an insistent buzzer drew Oriannon’s attention back to the shuttle’s controls.

“There it is again! See it, this time?” Margus rested his finger at a tiny yellow blip on the screen, and she might not have noticed had he not pointed it out. But yes, there it was—something, or a couple of somethings. Margus tapped another button to increase magnification, and again. This time there was no mistaking.

“Three of them?” she whispered, looking over her shoulder to be sure no one else heard—especially not Sola.

“At least four.” Margus shook his head gravely as he focused in on the blips, still thousands of kilometers away but growing larger ever second. He tapped his finger on a navigation touch screen and spoke into a small microphone mounted in front of him, below the view window.

“Identify.”

The screen blinked twice before the unwelcome answer came back at them in the familiar metallic female voice.

“Corista Security cruisers, four, class CS-x, third revision, configured to—”

“That’s enough,” said Margus. They could skip the technical description, already. It was enough to know who was chasing them, and that it wasn’t just some phantom of Margus’s imagination. “Specify time until interception.”

The voice command would understand exactly what he meant, just as clearly as Oriannon understood. In an instant, everything had changed. So how long did they have before this escape was all over, before they were recaptured and dragged back to Corista, to be executed as rebels?

How long before her father would be taken away and killed for what he had tried to do, as well?

Of course the metallic voice couldn’t say “I’m sorry, kids” or “I wish I could help,” nor did she want it to. She just wished someone could have said it. Margus repeated his question, tapped impatiently on the command touch screen.

“At present speed,” reported the nav system’s voice, “zero hours, thirty-one minutes, thirty-seven seconds.”

Margus looked at her with a question in his eyes—a question she knew she could not answer.

“What do we do, Ori?”

Oriannon’s heart fell to the faintly humming floor, where the constant thrum of ion boosters told her they were likely pushing along as fast as the little vessel would go. She looked over to where Margus had set the faintly glowing Pilot Stone, black and polished and guiding them—or so she had thought—toward a safe haven.

Now?

She reached over to touch it, felt its warmth flowing up her hand and arm, flooding her entire body with the far-off songs of another place and another time. Jesmet’s songs, from ancient times.

But not just the songs. When she touched it she felt its overwhelming sense of direction, almost a physical thing, as if she could know without a doubt the right direction to travel, like a spiritual GPS. She might have a hard time explaining the stone’s power, but there was no mistaking its pull. And despite the raw fear that had popped up on the nav screens, despite what she saw with her eyes and understood with her mind of the approaching mortal danger, she smiled.

At a time like this, she smiled.

“We keep going,” she finally answered, reluctant to let go of the Stone. But she had to go check on her father and Wist, especially her father. Because while Tavlin Hightower rested in the back room, she could not actually be sure he would wake. With one last sigh she turned away—only to come face-to-face with Sola Minnik.

“Oh!” Oriannon caught her breath in fright, still not used to seeing what Sola had become. The young woman’s eyebrows and eyelashes had been singed completely away, while her once full head of red hair had been reduced to ugly, twisted wisps here and there. In an instant she had gone from someone who had always prided herself on her well-kept good looks to a snarling, helpless apparition.

Worse yet, her face looked as if someone had blackened it with a blowtorch, while angry red blisters rose across her nose and cheekbones, framing sightless eyes still wet with rheumy, coagulated tears.

Of course, considering the flash bomb that had blown up in her face, perhaps she had escaped with comparatively minor injuries. It could have been worse. Before Oriannon could duck to the side, though, Sola blindly reached out and grabbed Oriannon by the collar of her blouse.

“I heard what’s going on over here!” hissed Sola. “They’re coming for me, aren’t they?”

“Zero hours, thirty minutes,” came the voice of the nav screen. “And—“

“Cancel!” Margus jabbed at the screen, but too late to change what it had already told them. Sola straightened out with a smile before she found Oriannon’s cheek with one hand and patted her roughly.

“That’s all I needed to know.” Her jaw tightened and her voice hardened. “So do you know what’s going to happen to you in two hours and thirty minutes? Do you know what’s going to happen to all of you?”

Oriannon tried to wriggle away but the injured woman’s grip tightened now on her shoulder, sharp claws digging through the fabric of Oriannon’s blouse and into the thin skin of her neck. The strength of Sola’s hands made her cringe, and she would have cried out in pain, but could not. Even so, Oriannon would not be drawn into the pit of Sola’s vengeance—not any more, and not the way she had once been.

“You should let us help you,” Oriannon finally managed. “At least let us put something on those sores.”

But that only set the woman off even more, and she shook her head violently.

“No, no, no! Just a few minutes, and it won’t matter for you, any more. And if you try to resist, or even think of holding me captive, I’ll have them destroy the entire ship.” She paused, then released her grip with a savage flip of her wrist. In the process her fingernail scratched Oriannon’s cheek, drawing blood. Sola Minnik, though, only laughed.

“You think I wouldn’t do that? Hmm, well maybe I don’t care, any more. Maybe everything’s changed, now. Maybe you’d like to find out how much it’s changed?”

Oriannon looked over to see Margus standing beside her, his fists clenched. He might have done something stupid, too, if she hadn’t held him back with a wordless shake of her head.

No, Margus. She mouthed the words. Sola stood off a step or two, a wicked smile playing at her lips.

“Go ahead, Mr. Leek.” She taunted him as if she could see his face turning red and his eyes widening with fury. Perhaps she could smell his anger. “Let’s see how much damage you can do to a poor old blind lady. You only have what, twenty-eight minutes, now? Let’s see how brave you are!”

She waited a moment for effect, then laughed again as she would have done when she was still in control of their home world. They watched as she turned slowly and held her hands out in front of her as she returned to her spot in the corner. With an almost uncanny instinct she found her way to the exact spot where she had been sitting just minutes before, crying. As she lowered herself back to the floor she smiled and muttered that this was “much better, now.”

Perhaps it was, with four Security vessels on a course to overtake them in…

“Zero hours, twenty-seven minutes.”

Margus couldn’t seem to shut off that horribly annoying voice, though he punched button after button on the touch screen. And now with Sola listening Oriannon no longer felt free to speak, so she glanced at the Pilot Stone and hoped Margus would understand.

“We stay on this course,” she whispered. “Right?”

Now Margus didn’t look so sure, as he frowned and shook his head.

“Look, that’s all very good and everything.” He focused on the 3-d display showing specks of Coristan Security vessels growing larger and larger. “But if I don’t figure out a away to take it to manual, we’re never going to escape. It may already be too late.”

“That’s right, Mr. Leek.” Sola called out from her spot on the floor. “It’s already too late. Why don’t you just leave it on your nice autopilot, there, and enjoy what little time you have left?”

“Shut up!” Margus yelled her direction, though Oriannon tried to hold him by the arm to quiet him down. “Why don’t you just shut up and mind your own business?”

“Oh, but that’s just it.” She returned a crooked smile in the direction of his heated voice. “This is my business. That’s exactly why we’re being pursued, and that’s why this little game is going to end in my favor. Because it’s my business, and it always was.”

By this time Wist had no doubt been awakened by all the noise. Now the short-statured Owling girl came stumbling forward, wiping the sleep from her eyes and looking from them to their unwelcome passenger with a puzzled expression.

“Is this your little Owling friend, Oriannon?” asked Sola. Naturally Oriannon had no intention of answering, but Sola probably expected that, as well. “I should say thank you for saving my life, back there on the planet. I did get a good look at both of you, before the explosion. But then, you’re probably already regretting what you did for me, aren’t you?”

“Oriannon?” Wist looked to her for help, but Oriannon didn’t know what to say as Sola went on with her tirade.

“In fact, by this time you’re probably thinking, I should have let just that monster drop off the plane, back when we had a chance. Isn’t that what you’re thinking, sweetheart? Well, perhaps you should have, but it appears to be a little late for that change of heart. Even if you dumped me now, you still can’t get away, and I imagine that must be a lovely feeling. Tell her how much time you have, Mr. Leek.”

This time Margus pressed his lips together and said nothing, though by now it was obvious to anyone with eyes that the four Coristan Security vessels were catching up, and fast. Probably even Wist, who was unfamiliar with such things, could see and understand. She took one look at the screen and her face fell, but she stood by the others for the next several minutes. If this escape was coming to an end, they would face it together. But then the ship lurched as a flash of light hit them like a bolt of lightning.

“Whoa!” Oriannon waved her hands for balance, nearly hitting Wist in the face. She caught a handhold and looked to Margus. “What was that?”

“I… I don’t know.” Margus shook his head, but everything looked the same as before. “That was weird. I thought I saw…”

His voice dropped off as he rechecked his instruments, but then shrugged and shook his head. Whatever he’d seen wasn’t there now, or never was.

So Oriannon looked again out the viewport just to be sure, but could make out nothing new except the distant stars—brilliant and piercing but all of them so many light years afar. Whatever had hit them—or whatever they had hit—was nowhere to be seen. Sola brushed herself off in the corner and faced them with that annoying look on her face.

“For a moment,” she said, “I thought my ships had caught up with us ahead of schedule.” The tone of her voice matched her expression. “Are you still learning how to pilot this ship, Mr. Leek?”

He glanced over at the Pilot Stone, which still glowed as it should. His nav screen still glowed steady, apparently as they should. He shook his head and didn’t answer her. Perhaps that was the only way to deal with Sola Minnik for now.

“You can ignore me all you want.” Once again she settled back down. “It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. Maybe I’ll just rattle on and listen to my own voice, while you try to pretend I’m not here.”

They would probably do that, Oriannon thought. Unfortunately, now they could not ignore the nav screen, where four large blips had nearly descended on their position.

“We’re going as fast as we can,” Margus told her in a soft voice, still working his controls. “But we just can’t keep ahead of them.”

Sola smiled to herself as they continued on, their engines humming steadily. But Sola didn’t need to remind them that this race, as their instruments told them, was already lost.

* * *

“We should be almost to Asylum 2 by now,” Margus broke the silence nearly a half-hour later. He pointed to a new dot on the nav screen, a green-colored oasis in the middle of empty space. “We’ll try and dock there as soon as we can.”

“Wonderful idea!” shouted Sola. “Hide on an Asylum station, as if they can’t find you there, too. That is, if we make it there before my people catch up. Which isn’t likely, is it, now?”

How did Sola know so much even being blind? Oriannon supposed she could count the minutes as well as anyone.

“Will we make it in time?” whispered Oriannon. She couldn’t tell from the nav screen. Margus shrugged and shook his head, not looking terribly hopeful. That meant, probably not. Finally Wist motioned with her eyes for Oriannon to follow her to the back room again, probably to get away from the acid tongue of Sola Minnik.

“What’s going to happen when they catch us?” Wist asked, as soon as they had stepped far enough away so that Sola could no longer hear them. That was when, not if. Oriannon swallowed hard, searching for the right words.

“We’re going to be okay,” she answered. “Jesmet’s not going to abandon us, now. No matter where we are. No matter what happens, good or bad.”

She thought she believed her own words. But even as she spoke, their small craft jolted as if they had glanced off a solid wall, throwing both girls off their feet and setting off multiple alarms. This was much more than the gentle bump they’d experienced earlier. Wist screamed as sparks showered down on them from a short circuit in an overhead control panel.

Oriannon could only hold on as the shuttle spun out of control.

Mom Central turned me on to this great website. Mamapedia.com  I decided to give it a whirl and typed in things I dealt with or continue to deal with as a parent. I assumd it would be a site that gave me scientific answers to my questions. I was wrong, but that doesn’t discount this site. I first typed in CROUP and found a list of questions from moms and answers. Now if I was in a life and death croup situation, scrolling the answers might not be the best thing, but I did find the Answer Highlight column to be helpful.

Next I searched brown recluse spider bites, because well, we have spiders and I thought I’d see what it suggested. For that search I got a lot of random results for bug bites, but nothing specific to my problem. Though I did want to respond to some of the questions but realized they had already resolved their issues.

Next, sibling fighting. More specific questions with losts of moms chiming in. So my conclusion. Mamapedia is a great site for seeking the advice from other moms on all different subjects, but I don’t think it should replace consulting professionals on serious issues.

Some other features I liked was the Kids Age by Age section. It seems the random questions are highlighted and it’s a great way to get lots of different opinions but it you’re looking for a strictly Christian perspective, this is not the place.

I think if you’re looking for a specific answer to a question you have, then your best bet is to ask that question instead of searching. Though if you wanted to try searching first, I’d be as specific as possible, though sometimes being too specific brought up lots of random questions.

Thought this site was not what I was expecting, over all it’s a great resource for mom advice!

Growing up, I was the only person I knew who parents were divorced. It was hard. I felt alienated, though no one specifically alienated me. I felt left out and different, growing up with a weekend dad. I felt abandoned…

As I got older and started thinking about a family, divorce was never an option I would even entertain. I wouldn’t, couldn’t put my imaginary kids in the situation of having to be divided up every weekend and holiday. It really sucked (excuse my French) to be carted away every weekend and holiday and even as an adult having to split up my holidays between two parents. To this day, though I love my dad, he feels like a stranger to me.

But today things have changed. It seems divorce, remarriage and step-parents and step-kids are the norm. The friends of mine who are divorced, engaged or remarried say their kids have adjusted. That they’re fine. Fine? How can they be fine? Their world’s been ripped apart because of something totally outside of their control. Now I know there are extenuating circumstances where parents have to split, but though I don’t know the statics, most marriages break up today because one or both people just don’t want to struggle anymore. Forgive me if I sound a little touchy about the subject, but I believe many marriage break up because of selfishness!

Now before you go judging me for judging others, thinking “oh, that’s easy for you to say, you probably have the perfect marriage.” Well, it’s far from perfect. Remember I’m a product of divorce with a boat load of insecurities and abandonment issues. My marriage is far from peachy, I just don’t blog about it here much, so I’m confident in what I’m saying because I’m living the other side of this coin!

Back to my rant. Kids seem to accept divorce and remarriage better these days, but should they? Should parents who split up remarry so quickly (within a year or two) and if they do, should they do it before their kids are ready? Case in point, I have an acquaintance who never talked about her husband. I didn’t know him and since we were acquaintances didn’t think to ask much beyond how her kids were. She’s a great Christian homeschooling mom, but one day I learned she had a boyfriend. Didn’t even know her marriage split up. A couple of weeks later she’s engaged and her teen has made it very clear he’s rebelling because of it. But on went the wedding plans and the wedding and the problem with her teen. He refused to move in with his mom and new husband so he moved in with the dad who didn’t seem to be taking good care of him. So he’s back with the mom and seems to be heading down the wrong path… And I say to myself DUH! I saw that coming a mile away!

Then there’s our neighbors who have the kids every other week. Every other week? Imaging living your childhood one week at mom’s and the next week at dad’s. Childhood is tough enough, but sleeping in a different bed every other week? I once read a story where a divorced couple kept their home and they were the ones to leave every other week to an apartment. The kids got to stay in their home and the parents had the inconvenience of packing up their lives every other week! I say that’s how it should be done. Kids shouldn’t have to suffer because of their parent’s mistakes.

And don’t get me started on the Christian, homeschooling mom who left her family to “shack up” with some guy. Three beautiful lives ruined! Oh, I should say four. Her’s is not going so well now either. It just makes me angry!

Not sure where this post is going except, am I the only one that thinks parents should stay together even for the sake of this kids? Am I the only one who believes if you’re married, you shouldn’t take the easy way out, but hang in there till death do you part or he runs off and has an affair, which is biblical grounds for divorce? Am on the only one who thinks we dismiss marriage too easily thinking there’s someone out there better? And (candid moment here) am I the only one who sometimes gets envious of those divorced, remarried people who “finally found love” and seem to be so happy?

This subject is really touchy for me, so much that I thought “what would I do if someone close to me got divorced, then engaged, and invited me to the wedding?” Would I be able to go and be happy for them while I tough it out in my own marriage? I’m not sure. I think it would depend on the circumstances. I have another Christian friend whose husband left her, but a year later wanted to come back and she refused to let him. It angered me to hear about her wanting to date when there was still a chance at reconciliation. But I remained silent and said nothing. Would I be able to attend her wedding? I’m not sure.

Does this make me an awful friend? Maybe so. Is the problem more mine then theirs? Probably, but I just hate divorce so much and I know what it can do to people, to the kids. I don’t care how much parents rationalize and say the kids are fine. They’re not fine. They are FOREVER changed. Though witnessing and living in a horrible marriage forever changes a child as well. Sometimes I wonder which is better for the kids after all. But if two people stick it out, the kids might see their parent’s never gave up, stuck it out and worked through the hard times. And that’s the chance I’m willing to take. If only more people believed that maybe divorce wouldn’t have a face at all!

My soon-to-be 9 year old son took this photo! The kid’s got a great eye if I do say so myself!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Ulterior Motive
Bethany House (March 1, 2009)
by
Mark Andrew Olsen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MARK ANDREW OLSEN whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated on bestsellers Hadassah (now the major motion picture: One Night With the King), The Hadassah Covenant, and Rescued. Two of his last books were the supernatural thriller The Watchers, and The Warriors.

The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a Professional Writing graduate of Baylor University. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When an al-Qaeda email is intercepted, threatening an attack on America, it leads to the capture of the group’s leader. Yet even under fierce interrogation, the terrorist clings to his jihadist beliefs and refuses to divulge any information. Desperate, the Army resorts to extreme measures–a controversial protocol designed to break a subject’s resistance. But the attempt must be masked as an offer of clemency and rely on an outside party, someone who is unaware of the protocol’s aims.

They find that someone in Greg Cahill, a disgraced soldier who now serves in a prison ministry. Lured by the chance to restore his reputation, Greg befriends a man the entire country despises. And the result proves combustible, the two men having to flee for their lives. With both in need of redemption, they set out to prevent a major catastrophe…

If you would like to read the first chapter of Ulterior Motive, go HERE

I know I hardly write out anything anymore. But neither do my kids! It seems like their teachers all want writing assignments typed. Now, I can’t blame them with the way some of these kids handwriting is, but it caused serious problems in our two computer home. As you are all aware, I spend a lot of time on mine and I don’t want my boys pounding on the keys if at all possible. That leaves one computer for two Jr. High kids with lots of end of the semester writing projects. It’s a daily battle, especially when I catch one of my sons on YouTube or Facebook instead of doing homework.

A while back I installed Norton Family on their computer to limit the time they spent there and monitor their activities, but I guess I didn’t install it correctly because it never worked like it should. So now they tell me they can’t do their homework assignments because they need to do it on the computer.

“Oh, really? You can’t write out your first draft. There’s nothing you can do that doesn’t require the computer?”

Makes me wonder if teachers think every home own multiple computers or that my kids are just being lazy about this writing business.

One word of praise though, my boys are darn good writers. They HATED all the writing I made them do in homeschool (like my two younger ones hate now) but it paid off! They don’t have trouble putting words down on paper, it’s just getting those words onto the computer!

It’s no secret I’ve been dealing with several (okay, more than several) extra pounds on my small 5 ft. 3 1/2 frame for most of my life. But my first two pregnancies I lost what I gained. Then I gained 60 with my 3rd! Definitely too much McDonald’s drive thru. I lost 40 of it but then got pregnant with my 4th. I eventually lost the weight I gained with my daughter, but those 20 extra pounds left over from my 3rd pregnancy didn’t want to go.

Then I started homeschooling and I didn’t have time to exercise…for 3 years! When I turned 37, I got an elliptical and worked out several days a week, but found I wasn’t losing weight. I blamed it on my slowing metabolism. Fast forward several years, I’ve been consistently doing the elliptical trainer in my home for about four years with no significant weight loss. It was only when I started counting calories at sparkpeople.com and busting my butt twice a week at a two hour weight and step class at the gym (in addition to elliptical training) that I started to see some progress. So I’m down about 8-10 pounds from last year (those pounds I gained the year before) but I’m not seeing the results I want. It’s only by the Grace of God and that I didn’t gain any weight these last four weeks when I only managed to get to the gym twice due to recitals and plays and my eating habits have included more snacking then ever.

So now we come to the “what was I thinking” part? I’ve been noticing my friends, yes several, have been slimming down in the last couple of years. They’ve all hit the 40 mark and maybe that has something to do with it, or maybe their kids are older now and they can devote more time to themselves. I’ve also been watching season after season of Biggest Loser and marvel at the transformations. Granted, I don’t have the time to workout for hours every day, but if I just worked a little harder it could help, right? One of the things my “thin” friends have in common is that they run. I hate running and said I would NEVER do that. (I said that about homeschooling also!) But I’m tired of working and not seeing results. Still, running? I’d rather do three hours of aerobics than that, but a few weeks back I arrived late to class and decided to try running.

Whenever I ran through the neigborhood in the past I couldn’t last more than five minutes, but I thought I’d give it a go on the treadmill. And I did. And it wasn’t too bad the first five minutes. In fact, it was easy. Of course, I was only on speed 4 and I vacillated from a 3 to 4 the entire time, but I ran for 30 mintues and could have done more but my next class was starting. I couldn’t believe I ran 2 miles in 30 minutes. No laughing all you runners! It was a big deal for me and got me wondering, maybe I could do this running thing.

The downside to running was that I didn’t burn as many calories as I did on the elliptical. In fact, I burned twice us much on the elliptical than the treadmill and when I ran, I couldn’t read. Plus, all the pounding. So why run on a treadmill? Really, I want your thoughts.

All my friends who have slimmed down run. So I did more digging. Many of them run marathons or 5ks. But after my 30 minute run on the treadmill, I was open to exploring the option, though thought a triathlon would be easier than even a half marathon!

So today, after church, since the weather was mild and I didn’t have a lot of time, I put on my jogging shoes and headed out into my hilly neighborhood. I thought I’d see how far I could run and then see how long it took. I didn’t have a watch so I left at 12:52ish and ran. The first hill was a killer and I remembered why I didn’t like to run. It wasn’t so much my legs hurting, it was my lungs. But I pushed my way up the first steep hill like the little engine that could, and rounded the corner to the first straight away. Okay, not so bad. Not so good, but I headed toward the next steep hill. Did I mention these hills are about a 45 degree incline some closer to 55 and they go on forever, okay, well half a block. Before I got to the top of the second hill I knew I couldn’t turn right toward the pond, so I turned left and headed home, and up two more steep hills. The last one nearly killed me and I really wanted to walk but my house was close so I jogged slowly and when I reached the house and checked the time only 11 minutes had passed!

11 minutes! What was I thinking? Why did I think I could jog through my neighborhood for 30 minutes and feel good at the end. At the end of 11 mintues my chest was burning! I knew running on a treadmill wasn’t the same as running outside so why would I even attempt it. Because I’m ready to press on and do hard things to get the results I want.

Seems like the opposite is true in my writing life, but that’s another story for another day.

All you runners out there, how do you train for a marathon? I’m NOT saying I”m going to run one, but a 5 K is looking possible!

I admit the main reason I snatched this book was because it was about Italy! That’s all I needed to know. But now that I’ve read what it’s a fourteen year old girl who’s uprooted from Idaho to Italy, I’m so excited to read this. I went to Italy with my grandmother when I was 15 and had the time of my life. I’m sure my experience will be very different from the main character A.J., but I look forward to reading it just the same and making taking a detour down my own memory lane!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Taking Tuscany
David C. Cook (May 2009)
by
Renee RivaABOUT THE AUTHOR:Renee Riva writes humorous stories with a message, for both children and adults. Having been raised in a large Italian family with a great sense of humor, she has much to draw from for developing quirky characters.

She loves sharing her secrets for story starters at Young Author events, helping to spark the imagination of young minds. Renee and her husband live in Richland, Washington, with their three daughters, a dog, a cat, and until recently, her beloved hamster—may she rest in peace.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A. J. Degulio loved the idea of a visit to the Old Country… until her family decided to stay. It’s 1972 and she’s turning fourteen in a crumbling castle on a hill in Tuscany, wishing she were back in Idaho with her beloved dog, Sailor. In Italy, her blonde hair makes her stick out like a vanilla wafer in a box of chocolate biscotti, and she’s so lonely her best friend is a nun from the local convent.

The challenges of roots and relatives are nothing new to A. J., but she’s going to need more than the famous Degulio sense of humor to survive. Can’t anyone see that Italy isn’t really home? It will take a catastrophe – and a few wise words from a friend – for A. J. to understand that sometimes the only thing you can change is your perspective.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Taking Tuscany, go HERE

Can you hear it? The flap of their little wings? The humming birds are migrating! I remember the first year I was homeschooling Timmy. He was in kindergarten at the time and we were learning about animals. Of course, we had to learn a bit about humming birds. The fact that they’re the smallest birds (some as small as four inches) and flap their wings 20 -200 times per second is something that sticks with you.

That year we thought we might have even seen a hummingbird. It looked like a giant insect sucking nectar from a flower. It looked too small to be a bird, but we saw it’s wings flapping. The image is burned into my memory and I’d like to think it was a hummingbird. Probably was.

Now that I’ve heard the hummingbirds are migrating, I’d love to have them come to my house. What a cool way to learn about them through observing them. But how does one go about getting one to drop by for a visit? I guess the best place to start is with a hummingbird feeder. Who knew hummingbird feeders come in an array of designs, styles and colors. Many of them are like art deco pieces. These seem to be the best hummingbird feeders.

So now I’m starting to wonder, “if I hang it, will they come?” How would a hummingbird know where a feeder was? Do they smell the nectar? How far can they smell it? Hummm… This is opening up a whole new idea for a unit study this summer.

But from this chart  it looks like I better hurry. There’s not much more time to see these incredible creatures fly by!