GUEST POST BY ROBIN JOHNS GRANT: Excerpt from Jordan’s Shadow

Yesterday over on the John 3:16 blog, Robin Johns Grant gave a little background about her latest novel, a YA suspense called Jordan’s Shadow. As promised, here is an excerpt. But first, a little background:

*~*~*~*

The Crosby family has a frightening problem. Is it psychological? Supernatural? Or something entirely unexpected?

In 1984, seventeen-year-old Rose and her fiancé discover an injured girl with no memory. The girl, Jordan, is in Rose’s life for a brief time but leaves her world shattered.

Twenty-five years later, Rose Crosby’s daughter Ginny can’t understand why her relationship with her mother has fallen apart. Ginny could swear that Rose is terrified of her lately. 

Then one awful day, Ginny overhears Rose confessing that she truly is terrified of Ginny—because to her, every day Ginny grows more and more and more like Jordan, the girl who's been dead many years. In fact, she swears that somehow, Ginny is turning into Jordan.

Is Ginny’s mom insane? Is there a ghost in their house, threatening to possess Ginny? Or is the demon in Rose's past, forcing her to confront what happened on that horrible day in 1984 when Jordan was killed?

As a new girl in a small town, Ginny doesn’t have much of a support system. Her old girlfriends from Atlanta have drifted away, and the only friends she’s made are, strangely enough, guys. Alec Matthews is gorgeous, but is he really interested in Ginny’s well-being? And then there’s Max Ferguson, the recently-born-again science nerd. He’s definitely on Ginny’s side, but is he a little too strange?

Strengthened by a deepening relationship with one of these two, Ginny undertakes a mind-bending journey of discovery—discovery about faith, eternity, and love beyond the boundaries of space and time. She will put to rest a mystery that has haunted her family for two generations—if she can survive.

*~*~*~*

Ms. Shaw cooed, “Ben, why don’t we just let Rose talk right now? Rose, can you tell me what exactly you do think is happening?”

A long, long silence. When Mom started to speak, she sounded out of breath, gasping for air every few words. “I started noticing it a couple of years ago—or I don’t know, maybe even sooner. You know how girls change when they hit puberty. Overnight, she started looking so different. Not like the little girl I’d had. But that’s not what disturbed me. At first, I just had this nagging feeling that not only did she not look like Ginny anymore, but she did look like someone else.”

“Jordan?”

“Yes. The bone structure in her face, her height…she was so tall. The way her hair lifted away from her forehead—in fact, Ginny complained to me one day that she wished she could get it to lie down sleek and straight and I looked at her and saw that the fullness, the way it fanned back was just like Jordan’s. I mean…so many physical things. Her golden eyes—”

“Okay, but there’s probably a good explanation for her gold eyes, right?” said Ms. Shaw.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you all said that Jordan’s eyes were very much like Livvy’s. Your sister would be Ginny’s aunt, so it would be natural for her eyes to be that color.”

“But Ginny’s weren’t always so gold like that.”

“Of course they were,” Daddy scoffed. “Or anyway…they were a kind of gold-brown, and I think she’s just using some make-up or something that makes them look a little different now.”

“Anyway, there were other things. The way her voice got so husky and deep, exactly like Jordan’s. The way she walks. The way she twists her hair around her fingers when she gets nervous.”

“Rose, that’s all complete garbage! Little stuff, that you could notice about anybody if you started looking,” Daddy said.

“I tried to tell myself that for a long time, Ben. And then one day I took Ginny with me to visit Mamma in the nursing home. When I had been visiting Mamma, she hardly even reacted. Never moved or spoke. But when I took Ginny, she knew her, too.”

Ms. Shaw’s voice sounded sharp for the first time. “How can you possibly know that? Your mother can’t talk.”

“She did when she saw Ginny. She called her Jordan. She hummed the song that Jordan used to hum. Mamma saw it, too.”

“That’s when all this started, I guarantee you,” Daddy declared. “Carla Remington’s brain was completely fried by that stroke. She’s said maybe five words since she had it, and they never make sense when she does.  But all because she spit out the name ‘Jordan’ when Ginny came in the room—”

“It wasn’t only because of that. That was just confirmation.”

“Look, Rose…why doesn’t anyone else see what you see? Why doesn’t Anna recognize her? You don’t, right, Anna?”

“I…I can see a small resemblance…maybe. To tell you the truth, I can hardly remember what the girl looked like. But I don’t think my memories are all that relevant. I just want to know what Rose thinks. What do you believe is going on with Ginny? Are you saying you think Ginny is possessed?”

Ginny felt dizzy. She pressed her hand against her forehead and fought the urge to get up and flee the room.

“I don’t just want to know what Rose believes,” Daddy said. “I want to know what she plans to do about it.”

“What?”

“I’m scared to death about all this, and not just because it sounds so bizarre. I’m almost sure she’s been trying to poison Ginny.”

Mom’s voice sounded strangled. “Ben, you’re not…surely you don’t think I made Ginny sick? That I would ever make her sick on purpose?”

“Not the Rose that I’ve known all these years, no. But this one, the one that’s filled with all these delusions…yes, I do.”

Ginny started to shake her head. She wanted to shout at him to be quiet, he didn’t know what he was talking about. She pulled herself to her feet and jerked open the door of Max’s room.

*~*~*~*

Robin Johns Grant published her first novel, Summer’s Winter, in 2014, and her second suspense novel, Jordan’s Shadow, has just been released. Summer's Winter won a bronze medal in the Romance - Suspense category of the International Readers' Favorite Book Awards, and Robin was named 2014 Author of the Year by the Georgia Association of College Stores.

Family and friends are happy that Robin’s imagination is finally paying off. She’s always had way too much of it. She started making up stories before she could write them down (dictating them to her mother) and always had her head in the clouds. She was obsessed with books and movies like Harry Potter and Star Wars and did a lot of crazy fan stuff, which helped her dream up Jeanine and Jamie’s story for Summer's Winter. It’s a romantic suspense novel, but as John Granger (author of The Deathly Hallows Lectures) said, it’s also “a romance-thriller about fandoms…and explores the important intersection of literature, spirituality, and imagination.”  

As a Christian, Robin can’t help but explore spirituality in her writing, but wants to do so in a way that reflects the awe and wonder of God and eternity.

With a degree in English, several non-fulfilling jobs under her belt, and a mid-life crisis coming on, Robin returned to school and earned a master's degree in library and information science. She now has her best day job ever as a college librarian, which keeps her young by allowing her to hang out with students.

With her wonderful husband Dave and formerly feral felines Mini Pearl and Luna, Robin lives in Georgia.  She is also surprised to find herself part owner of a pit bull named Pete, who showed up as a starving stray puppy at her mother's house.

Keep up with Robin at these sites:

Amazon (read about and purchase her books): http://amazon.com/author/robinjohnsgrant

Website and blog:  http://robinjohnsgrant.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/robinjohnsgrantauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinjohnsgrant

CREATIVE WRITING INSIGHTS: “How Do I End My Memoir?” by Lorilyn Roberts

I received this question in my email today from a reader and it’s a great question to consider, so I share it here for those who may find my advice helpful.

Hi, I am emailing you to ask for your help, please, as I have a huge respect for you and your work.

I am an artist who is trying to write a memoir, but struggling with the ending.

My story is obviously true, based on my losing my dad in the summer. He took his own life.

The whole event was like a film. It didn’t seem real, the build-up, the actual event, and the aftermath. 

I feel I also need to share this event as self-therapy more than anything as I am still struggling to come to terms with what happened.

I know how to start my memoir, the middle, but it’s just the end - how do I finish it? What’s the point to it? 

Do I finish it on the one-year anniversary, for example, when I will return to where it happened and finish up my feelings, and how I haven’t ended it all myself, which was going through my mind when I stood at the spot where it happened last June? 

I really don’t know, I am so stuck on how to end it and not make it a pointless book, but I just don’t know how.

I appreciate it. You are probably very busy yourself, but just a moment of your time and a reply would be so hugely appreciated. I can't even begin to tell you how much.

Thank you very much and I look forward to hearing from you.

*~*~*

Here was my response:

Dear _____

The ending is the redemption — if you haven’t figured out how God used this event in your life to teach you more about your heavenly Father, then I would stop and spend some time in prayer. Here are some questions to ponder:

1. What have I learned about God’s sufficiency?

2. Am I closer to God because of this painful experience?

3. How has this impacted my life for the future?

4. How can I help others who might be faced with a similar situation?

5. Have I let go of my anger, my unforgiveness, my sin, my false expectations of my father, and given my heavenly Father first place in my life?

6. Do I love God more, enough to let go and move on with my life?

Think about these things. A memoir must first be written to you — to work out your own salvation, and then you can help others work out theirs — for God’s glory and your healing.

I will add here, that writing a memoir can be one of the most gut-wrenching undertakings you ever do and should be bathed in prayer. God can teach you much about grace and joy, even if you never publish your memoir. To read my award-winning piece on how to write a memoir in twelve easy steps, click here.

BOOK REVIEW: Seventh Dimension - The King: A Young Adult Fantasy: Four Stars from Amazon Reviewer Hannah

I (an Amazon reviewer) received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Seventh Dimension The King: A Young Adult Fantasy is the second book in Lorilyn Roberts' Seventh Dimension series. Though this is a series, I feel that the books could be read out of order and be enjoyed just as much. At least the first two can.

Daniel is a Jew, albeit one who doesn't practice his Jewish heritage. He lives in Israel, and during the time we start the book they are in a middle of a war. To summarize these events, he opens a door and is transported to the Seventh Dimension.

If you don't know exactly what the Seventh Dimension is, you may be a little confused until the character figures it out as well.

The Seventh Dimension is an alternate reality, during the rule of Rome and the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The Seventh Dimension is just like your reality, complete with your family and possibly other acquaintances. The only difference is the time period, not to mention the fact that residents of the Seventh Dimension don‘t understand that you aren't from the same dimension as they are.

Characters are transported here to ... sort themselves out. To find who they are and figure out their relationship with God.

This book is similar to the story of the first book in the series in the way that it contains the same events, except told from a different character's point of view. From what I remember of the first book, the author did a great job of meshing the stories together; I didn't notice any inconsistencies between them.

I found the first part of Seventh Dimension - The King to be a bit somber, but it seemed to more or less ease up after you got a few pages into it.

It was a believable and realistic story, and well-written.

I know this has nothing to do with the story itself, but I enjoyed the fact that most of the chapters were short; it made it easy to read while on a break.

While in the Seventh Dimension, Daniel experiences many miracles, all the while wrestling with his own emotions and opinions. I find that during the course of the book, Lorilyn Roberts does an accurate job portraying what it must have been like to live at that time and the wonderings and opinions that people may have had in response to the events taking place.

As we follow Daniel through his journey we see him change, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse, but in the end, he makes the right decision and finds both who he is and who he wants to be.

Even if you aren't a particularly religious person, there are still elements of this book that you can enjoy. Especially if you like chariot racing, told from the point of view of the racer. I found that part of the book to be particularly interesting.

In the first book, I didn't particularly like the relationship between Daniel and Shale (the protagonist of the first book in the series). I felt that it developed too quickly and that the characters should have been focusing more on their spiritual lives, especially if they wanted to leave the Seventh Dimension. However, in the second book, you find that it wasn't pointless and that it is conducive to the plot.

Overall I found this to be a well-written and believable book, slightly Narnia-esque in its concept, and enjoyable for young adults as well as adults.

By Amazon Reviewer, Hannah

LORILYN ROBERTS BOOK REVIEW: “The Equation: Book 1,” by Malcolm Isted: Most Remarkable Nonfiction Book I’ve Read in a While

I have been doing tons of research for my third book in the Seventh Dimension Series, The Castle: A Young Adult Fantasy, and I stumbled across a very unique book. It’s not for everyone, but it will make you think. It will make you think the guy is a fanatic, but once you start reading it, you will find it very hard to dispute his findings. I venture to say this book is one of those “sleepers” that hasn’t been discovered yet.

Book Description:

Six days after 9/11, on the last day of the Hebrew year 5761 (in 2001), Wall Street’s Dow Jones Industrial Index crashed by a world-record 684 points. Exactly seven years later, on the last day of the Hebrew year 5768 (in 2008), a new one-day record was set when the Dow plunged 777 points. In both instances, the global economy was on the brink of financial Armageddon. 

This is now history, but what happens after this is prophecy – a prophecy of what will happen seven years later on the last day of the Hebrew year 5775 (in 2015). 

When I speak about history and prophecy, I mean that what happened and what will happen on these dates was, and is, an unavoidable certainty. If some are speculating about the outcome and the meaning of this strange, repetitive phenomenon, it is because they do not know that these precise dates on the Hebrew calendar are encoded in the Bible. 

I do not mean that through some obscure, private methodology, we can find codes in the Bible that point to these dates. Those who read THE EQUATION will see that they appear in every verse of the Bible, whether it is the Old or New Testament, and whether it is the original Hebrew, Greek, or the numerous English versions! 

What does this mean? Why is there a secret timeline in the words of the Bible that has been deliberately designed to track the systematic destruction of the global financial system as we know it – and what will replace it? 

Whether we believe in the Bible or not, the immutable laws of probability invested in this timeline are telling us what many already know, that our fiat monetary system is in the final stages of a catastrophic collapse. What they do not know is when this is going to happen and what will follow. 

But THE EQUATION does know because it is based upon every word of the only book that knows the future. It is also based on the actual words that Jesus spoke concerning the day and hour of His coming, and not the mistranslated Greek words found in every Bible (a blatant and easily provable error using Strong’s Concordance). But for this great error that has become a foundational tenet of Christian eschatology (that no one knows this time), many would be prepared for what is to come. 

Whatever you may think about the content of this book, it would be wise to remember that two of its predictions have already been fulfilled to the day in the greatest stock market crashes in history. And because an infinite number of complex codes from the same source have proclaimed that the end of 5775 (in 2015) will also be fulfilled in the same manner (but for a different reason), there is no logical reason to doubt its message. 

Therefore do not say, “We have seen all these predictions before, and they never come to pass.” These codes have never been seen before, and they will be fulfilled because the timeline they have created is being fulfilled. This is what the prophet Daniel was referring to when he was told to “shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end” (12:4). The sealed words refer to codes, and the codes are the dates of the end formed by the words. 

My Review:

(Lorilyn Roberts)

This review is from: THE EQUATION: “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” - Daniel 12:4 (Codes of the Bible) (Kindle Edition)

I COULDN’T FIND ANYTHING in this book that deviated from my personal understanding of the Bible and tons of information I will spend some time PONDERING. I would recommend to anyone who is not closed-minded or insecure in his or her Christian faith or understanding. At the very least, it will make you stop and think: Am I ready to meet my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

*~*~*~*

I believe God put this book in my path to help me with a scene in The Castle and to develop the plot for the final book in the Seventh Dimension Series, Book 4, tentatively named The City. 

If you like books that make you think, consider buying this one! Purchase here.

HOME SCHOOLING: “Food for Thought: Quick and Easy Recipes for Homeschooling Families”

I am removing Food for Thought: Quick and Easy Recipies from Homeschooling Families from KDP Select so it's the last time to download it for free on Kindle for a while. 72 easy recipes, available nowhere else because they are original with me. Enjoy good eating. Click to Download from Amazon

Lots of ideas for homeschooling also

THREE-CHEESE QUESADILLAS

4 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon butter
4 flour tortillas (8 inches)
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1⁄4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1⁄4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons red chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons chopped ripe olives
1⁄4 cup salsa
Sour cream, optional

Spread butter over one side of each tortilla. Spread cream cheese over unbuttered side on half the tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese, onion, cilantro, and olives. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the mixture, buttered side up.

Cook on a griddle over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

THREE-CHEESE QUESADILLAS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.”

Leo Buscaglia, American Author and Motivational Speaker 

STUFFED BELL PEPPER

4 SERVINGS

4 bell peppers
1 medium size container salsa sauce 1⁄2 pound cooked ground beef
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix Salt and pepper to taste

Put bell peppers in boiling water for a couple of minutes to soften. Cool. Slice off the tops. Mix all the above ingredients together except cheese and spoon into the bell peppers. Top with cheese. Put into oven and cook at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and heated through. Serve immediately.

STUFFED BELL PEPPER 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents 

will not have true respect for anyone.”

Billy Graham, Evangelist 

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS? Devotional by Lorilyn Roberts

 

 

I shared my most memorable Christmas a couple of weeks ago with the women at our annual Christmas event and thought I would post the excerpt here from my memoir Children of Dreams. May God bless you and your family this holiday season.

SHORT DEVOTIONAL

“It’s Christmas, isn’t it? She answered, “Your custom?”

“Yes. Can I open it now?” I asked.

“Yes, please do.”

I unwrapped the small gift and hidden inside were two handmade white doilies, one for a cup and the other for a plate, lined in green stitching along the outside edges.

“Thank you; they are beautiful.”

“You are welcome,” she beamed back. It was a special moment in what otherwise had seemed like a gloomy day.

“Merry Christmas,” I said. “I am sorry you have to work.” I knew she had two kids at home, but I wasn’t sure if they celebrated Christmas.

“It’s okay,” she said.

We said good night, and Joy and I headed back up to our room. I thought we would spend a quiet evening watching CNN and MTV, but as always, at least for me, there is the rest of the story. After feeling sorry for myself and moping around for an hour, I called the Murphys. It was late enough I hoped I wouldn’t wake them up, but I couldn’t wait any longer.

“Merry Christmas!” I shouted excitedly into the phone. A lot of love can be shared in a short amount of time. Manisha was happy to talk to me and told me about all the things Santa had brought her.

“When are you coming home? I miss you,” she said.

“I miss you, too, Honey. I will be home soon.”

I thought in my heart, though, not soon enough. Tears welled up in my eyes as I regretted that I couldn’t be with both my daughters for Christmas. Jenni had shared the pictures of Joy with Manisha and I hoped she could focus on meeting her new baby sister. It was a short conversation, but I felt better having heard her sweet voice across the ocean, reminding me that although we weren’t together in person, she was with me in spirit.

As I watched television feeling homesick, I heard noises outside, louder than the usual honking of horns and vehicular traffic. I picked up Joy and we walked back downstairs to the lobby. I felt excitement in the air with faint Christmas music barely audible above the sporadic street noise.

“What’s going on?” I asked the young lady who had given me the gift earlier.

“It’s the Christmas celebration,” she said.

What celebration? I thought to myself. Vietnam is a communist country and they don’t celebrate Christmas, or so I thought.

I quickly ran back up to our room, grabbed our coats and stroller, and carried Joy down the steps into the cool night air. I could see crowds up ahead on Hue Street walking toward Hoan Kiem Lake. 

We joined the crowd, and as we approached, Hanoi’s version of Christmas spread out before us. The lake was decorated with Christmas lights, and a large Christmas tree adorned with presents took center stage. A cardboard Santa Claus was displayed near the tree. A little baby swing decorated in a colorful leis was set up to take pictures.

Crowds gathered in the streets wearing red Santa stocking caps and carrying balloons. I couldn’t decide if the “party” resembled a parade or people gathering for a concert. A festive, family atmosphere filled the air, and the lake was packed with Vietnamese families.

I was excited to have something to do. Uplifting, holiday music wafted from the loud speakers over the noisy crowd. I wanted to know where the music was coming from. It had a sweet-sounding familiarity, like a piece of chocolate to a hungry soul. I wanted to grab it and not let go.

In such an anti-Christian country, I never thought I would hear Christmas music broadcast in downtown Hanoi. Many of our Christmas songs have a message of “tidings of great joy,” with Jesus as a baby in the manger. Even though the celebration was steeped in commercialism, the familiar words from Christmas carols filled the air, giving me hope that all was well with my soul. I pushed Joy in her stroller to the nearby church a few hundred feet from where the music came.

My soul was enraptured with joy, a balm for my homesick heart. I longed to be with friends and family. Here I could sing in harmony, filled with the Christmas spirit, enveloped in oneness with those around me who were here for a different experience, but so far from home, I welcomed Christmas in another culture.

For a brief moment, I understood Ephesians 4:5. There is unity in the world, “one body, one hope, one baptism, one God and father of all.” I felt a connection to the Vietnamese people. For some, this might be the only testimony to the risen Savior they would ever witness, but as Isaiah 55:11 says, “My word…will not return to me empty.”

God had given me a taste of Christmas in Hanoi that I would always treasure. We returned to the Lake and I took Joy over to the Christmas tree and swing. She was intrigued with the bobbing balloons tied to the Santa and stared wide eyed at the Christmas lights strung around. 

I handed the camera to someone to take our picture. Standing in front of a cardboard Santa Claus, the bittersweet moment was captured, now kept in the scrapbook that I had won years earlier, a memoir to the past I didn’t want to forget.

Today, as I remember that night, fifteen years later, I thank God for all the Christmases we have had since then. Jesus is the reason for the season. Let us be thankful for what He has done for us and praise Him with the heavenly hosts. Christmas is magical even for adults!