Book Review - Liar's Winter by Cindy Sproles.

By Ian Acheson - @achesonian

Blurb

Lochiel Ogle was born with a red-wine birthmark--and it put her life in jeopardy from the moment she entered the world. Mountain folks called it "the mark of the devil," and for all the evil that has plagued her nineteen-year existence, Lochiel is ready to believe that is true. And the evil surely took control of the mind of the boy who stole her as an infant, bringing her home for his mother to raise.

Abused and abandoned by the only people she knows as family, Lochiel is rescued by a peddler and given the first glimpse of love she has ever known. The truth of her past is gradually revealed as is the fact that she is still-hunted by a brother driven to see her dead. Unsure if there's anyone she can truly trust, Lochiel is faced with a series of choices: Will she continue to run for escape or will she face her past and accept the heartbreaking secrets it reveals? Which will truly free her?

Set in the wild and beautiful Appalachian Mountains of nineteenth-century East Tennessee, Liar's Winter is an unflinching yet inspirational exploration of prejudice and choice. 

Review

Wow. What a story. This is frankly one of the best stories I’ve read in recent times. Certainly in 2018. It is simply breathtaking, as other reviews have mentioned.

There’s a whole sub-genre of stories based around the Appalachian Mountains in America. Having a writer friend who is a local Appalachian I’ve found it an intriguing sub-genre.

Lochiel (‘low-kill’) Ogle was born with a birthmark that disfigured one side of her face all the way down her neck and shoulder. In the late nineteenth century such disfigurement was considered the work of the Devil. Lochiel, as a baby, is taken from her sleeping mother’s arms and ‘adopted’ by another family. Besides having this birthmark she is also part Cherokee Indian that adds to the complexity of her background.

We meet Lochiel at 19 with frequent backstory inserts by her brother, Gerald, plus her own reflections. When we meet her she has been left for dead having been bashed by Gerald. He dumps her in the forest only for her to be found by a wandering trader who goes by the name of Walt. Walt rescues her but we’re soon involved in a chase when Gerald finds out she is still alive. Driven by hatred, Gerard wants her dead.

The themes of racism, superstitions, sibling rivalry, not fitting in, abandonment, and familial love are powerfully woven through this story. Love, forgiveness, and God’s truth are contrasted against the hatred and bitterness born out differences between cultures and race.

We see the transformation of a young girl from being fearful, untrusting non-believing to a loving, God-fearing secure in God’s love young woman. 

The descriptions of the Appalachian Mountains are spectacular as we follow Lochiel and Walt in a journey that transcends the beauty of nature but also the wonder of familial love and faith.

It is edge-of-the-seats suspenseful and spoken in the first person mostly by Lochiel we get to experience her native tongue (which I love) and all the variety of emotions she experiences on this journey of discovery and redemption.

Perhaps it wrapped up a little too well but that would be my only slight criticism.

Book Review – Portrait of Vengeance by Carrie Stuart Parks

By Ian Acheson - @achesonian

BLURB

Gwen Marcey has done a good job keeping the pain of her past boxed up. But as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho, details keep surfacing that are eerily similar to her childhood traumas. She doesn’t believe in coincidences. So what’s going on here?

No one knows more about the impact of the past than the Nez Perce people of Lapwai. Gwen finds herself an unwelcome visitor to some, making her investigation even more difficult. The questions keep piling up, but answers are slow in coming—and the clock is ticking for a missing little girl. Meanwhile, Gwen’s ex-husband is threatening to take sole custody of their daughter.

As Gwen’s past and present collide, she’s in a desperate race for the truth. Because only truth will ensure she still has a future.

MY REVIEW

This was a challenging story as there were many different plot points to it. The serial killer, the connection to Gwen’s upbringing, the separate issue of her parents (who were they, why’d they die, what they were investigating, what were their names), the dam incident and the possible romantic link between Gwen and Seth. The story sure kept me on my toes. And then there was the suspense that made sure I was never at ease when reading it.

I find Carrie’s 1st person style engrossing and Gwen Marcey is such a remarkable character that it’s very easy to cheer her on. Gwen is so real and vulnerable, she makes mistakes. I love that. So many authors (myself included) don’t allow our characters to make mistakes. And Beth – she is such a good sidekick. And their friendship is delightful to watch. Seth was very real too.

The pace was good. I always felt I had to be alert and on my toes to keep abreast of all that was going on and with all the plot twists I certainly was never bored and there were one or two plot twists that surprised me including one relating to a key character.

I also particularly appreciated the setting being The Nez Perce Indian Reservation that added a strong flavour to the story.

I didn’t want this story to end and I so hope Gwen, Beth and Winston make another appearance. I believe there’s plenty of legs left in the Gwen Marcey series. This is the second I’ve read after the “A Cry from the Dust” and I’ve loved both. Principally because of Gwen, she is simply such a great character. I’d like to see her on TV. Her vulnerability, her honesty about breast cancer, prosthetic breasts, divorce struggles, mothering struggles, her forensic skills and so on. Just brilliant.

You don't have to have read any of the preceding 3 stories (I've only read one) to be thoroughly captivated by Gwen Marcey and her best mate, Beth. Give one of them a try, you won't be disappointed.

BTW, “Portrait’ recently won the Carol for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller to add to its INSPY from earlier in the year.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook pageand Twitter

Book Review - Crafting a Rule of Life by Stephen A. Macchia

By Ian Acheson @achesonian

BLURB

Your personal rule of life is a holistic description of the Spirit-empowered rhythms and relationships that create, redeem, sustain and transform the life God invites you to humbly fulfill for Christ's glory. 

All of us have an unwritten personal rule of life. We wake at certain times, get ready for our days in particular ways, use our free time for assorted purposes and practice rhythms of work, hobbies, and worship. There is already a rule in place that you are following. Isnt it time to give up your unwritten rule and prayerfully write one that more closely matches the heartbeat of God? 

In this practical workbook Stephen A. Macchia looks to St. Benedict as a guide for discovering your own rule of life in community. It is a process that takes time and concerted effort; you must listen to God and discern what he wants you to be and do for his glory. But through the basic disciplines of Scripture, prayer and reflection in a small group context you will be lead forward in a journey toward Christlikeness. 

The invitation is transformational, so brace yourself for sweet release. By letting go and trusting God, you will receive the gift of life in its fullest and richest form.

MY REVIEW

To borrow another reviewers headline: "We all arrive somewhere ... very few of us get there on purpose." Macchia provides a compelling rationale and detailed workbook on how we can all draft our own 'rule of life' and be intentional in observing it.

Having studied the Spiritual Disciplines work of Foster, Willard and co, Macchia helps bridge the gap between how we can successfully orient our lives around intentional rhythms incorporating the disciplines so we can live a life that does indeed bring glory to the Lord. In much of modern ministry there's a lot of energy around the doing but action should only come out the essence of our heart that is being increasingly filled by more and more of the heartbeat of God. But we need to be intentional about how we draw close to God's heartbeat. Macchia's work helps provide a roadmap.

Providing examples from the Bible and a historical figure in each chapter, Macchia challenges us to contemplate and respond to a series of questions around each priority of our lives: relational, missional, vision, giftings and desires.

This is a challenging workbook and one needs to give yourself plenty of time to work through it. I suspect it will be something I refer back to regularly as we should with our 'rule of life' as we enter different seasons in life.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook pageand Twitter

Book Review: Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey by Sharon Garlough Brown

By Ian Acheson  @achesonian

BLURB

A 2013 Midwest Publishing Awards Show Honorable Mention Sharon Garlough Brown tells the moving story of four strangers as they embark together on a journey of spiritual formation: Hannah, a pastor who doesn't realize how exhausted she is. Meg, a widow and recent empty-nester who is haunted by her past. Mara, a woman who has experienced a lifetime of rejection and is now trying to navigate a difficult marriage. Charissa, a hard-working graduate student who wants to get things right. You’re invited to join these four women as they reluctantly arrive at a retreat center and find themselves drawn out of their separate stories of isolation and struggle and into a collective journey of spiritual practice, mutual support and personal revelation. Along the way, readers will be taken into a new understanding of key spiritual practices and find tangible support for the deeper life with God. If you want to travel this journey with others, you will find a group study guide and book club resources at www.sensibleshoesclub.com.

REVIEW

This is quite a unique story, part instructional non-fiction, built around the fictional account of four women from different backgrounds who meet at a Scared Journey retreat. It's compelling reading as we get into the detail of each of these women's lives and their journey towards God's heart. Even though I'm a man I was able to relate to all four of them at various stages of their journeys. Whether it was Charissa's perfectionism, arrogance and thirst for information, to Hannah's being lost in her calling, to Mara's struggle with a non-believing spouse and Meg's struggle with the loss of her parents and fiancé, I found a bit of myself in all of them.

I particularly enjoyed how Brown combines the heart journey and desire for intimacy with God with the telling of the ladies lives. It's a tremendous practical demonstration of how we can pursue the heart of God while going about our lives incorporating various spiritual disciplines plus the importance of community (ie, each other) and guidance from a mentor (in this story it was the leader of the retreat: Katherine).

The novel is filled with spiritual insight plus instructional guidelines as to how to incorporate various spiritual disciplines and provides a wonderful insight into a scared journey with the Lord.

I'm excited to read the next one in the series.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Book Review: Streams of Living Water by Richard J. Foster

By Ian Acheson @achesonian

BLURB

In this landmark work, Foster examines the "streams of living water" –– the six dimensions of faith and practice that define Christian tradition. He lifts up the enduring character of each tradition and shows how a variety of practices, from individual study and retreat to disciplines of service and community, are all essential elements of growth and maturity. Foster examines the unique contributions of each of these traditions and offers as examples the inspiring stories of faithful people whose lives defined each of these "streams."

REVIEW

This marvellous book starts with this Thomas a Kempis's quote:

"We must imitate Christ's life and his ways if we are to be truly enlightened and set free from the darkness of our own hearts. Let it be the most important thing we do, then, to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ."

A life of imitation.On developing an intimate relationship with Christ, Foster uses the analogy of the "rivers of living water" (John 7:38) to describe how we both live a life of imitation and how we are united together in community. He outlines six streams that define this paradigm of imitation:

1. The Contemplative Stream - or a Prayer-filled life
2. The Holiness Stream - or the virtuous life
3. The Charismatic Stream - the gifts of the Holy Spirit
4. The Social Justice Stream - a life of compassion
5. The Evangelical Stream - the Word-Centred life
6. The Incarnational Stream - Everyday Life with God

Foster outlines each stream and provides historical, Biblical and current examples of persons who display the individual streams so that we are able to get a glimpse of how each stream is lived out in practice. I particularly appreciated these illustrations as it provided much clarity around each stream.

Further, Foster provides a summary overview of the various critical turning points in the history of the church as well as a comprehensive list with one paragraph bios of people throughout history displaying the various streams.

This is a wonderful book and provides a practical and well researched outline on how to live a life of imitation of Jesus. It really should be compulsory reading for all believers.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Book Review: The Man He Never Was by James L. Rubart

Review by Ian Acheson

BLURB

What if You Woke up One Morning and the Darkest Parts of Yourself Were Gone?

Toren Daniels vanished eight months back, and his wife and kids have moved on—with more than a little relief. Toren was a good man but carried a raging temper that often exploded without warning. So when he shows up on their doorstep out of the blue, they’re shocked to see him alive. But more shocked to see he’s changed. Radically.

His anger is gone. He’s oddly patient. Kind. Fun. The man he always wanted to be. Toren has no clue where he’s been but knows he’s been utterly transformed. He focuses on three things: Finding out where he’s been. Finding out how it happened. And winning back his family.

But then shards of his old self start to rise from deep inside—like the man kicked out of the NFL for his fury—and Toren must face the supreme battle of his life.

In this fresh take on the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, James L. Rubart explores the war between the good and evil within each of us—and one man’s only chance to overcome the greatest divide of the soul.

REVIEW

Toren Daniels wakes up in a strange hotel. Alone and without any possessions. And short term memory loss.

But he remembers he's married, with 2 kids and where he lives. So he goes home, only to discover he's been gone 8 months, presumed dead. His family are shocked by his reappearance as they've moved on. And don't want him to come back home.

Very quickly he remembers why. Well bits of it anyway. Enough to know he'd made their lives hell since being kicked out of the NFL for anger management issues. He's determined to discover where he's been for the past 8 months and why all of a sudden he seems to have a handle on his anger. And why is an old school 'friend' he hasn't seen in 20-odd years suddenly reappeared in his life?

Using the timeless theme of the Stevenson classic story: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as background Rubart weaves a wonderful tale of self-discovery of exploring the good and evil within each of us. And how we can claim victory over the evil or Mr Hyde-part of our personality.

I so enjoyed how Rubart addressed the theme in story. This is powerful story-telling and be great to see more novels fowling a similar bent of exploring how the Holy Spirit can indeed transform us from the inside out. The fruit of the Spirit of Galatians 2:22-23 is indeed available to us but only through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit as Romans 12:2 outlines.

Like all Rubart novels there's a bit of supernatural activity that can appear a little weird and out of place, however, in the context of the transformative power of the Holy Spirit he probably didn't have any other choice in being able to show the change in Toren's personality in such a short period of time. Something drastic did have to occur. In reality, it's unlikely that engrained habits can be transformed in such a short period of time. But, hey, this is fiction.

Toren and his estranged wife, Sloane, were excellent characters. There were some tremendous scenes featuring the two of them that showed the juxtaposition between what they once had, their current state and the possibility of a new improved version.

As an aside, I was reading this novel while I was on a 5 day retreat where I was studying and practicing models of personal transformation and it was fabulous to read something fictional that demonstrated the power of transformation. I'm sure this was part of the reason I so enjoyed the story and in particular, the themes Rubart addresses in it.

Very highly recommended.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Remembering Billy Graham

Photo source: Herald Sun

By Ian Acheson

The passing of Billy Graham two weeks ago brought back a flood of memories for many people. No doubt you’ve seen the many tributes for Mr Graham over these past couple of weeks. And I wanted to take a moment to express my own small tribute to him.

The Year 1979

The photo at left was taken in 1979 at one of Mr. Graham’s crusade meetings held at Sydney’s largest racecourse. 1979! Oh what a year. I think back on it with great fondness. I was in Year 10 at school and I particularly loved that school year. I even did well at Science that was a first for me. It gave me a boost especially as I wanted to follow in my Dad’s footsteps and study medicine. When it came to selecting my subjects for the final two years of school, I ignored the vocational guidance tests that indicated I was more suited to arts-style courses, and chose to study physics and chemistry so as to give myself a chance of qualifying for medicine. I soon discovered in the early weeks of Year 11 that I really wasn’t cut out for either of them. Darn!

But more significantly in 1979 I met Jesus. Because of Mr. Graham.

I had been attending youth fellowship and church for about nine months when Mr. Graham’s crusade came to town. So many of us from church attended that we had buses ferry us to the other side of Sydney to Randwick Racecourse to attend each night. We had a lot of fun on those bus trips.

I attended five nights. To hear Mr. Graham speak. To hear more about this person, Jesus Christ. I responded to his alter call invitation on the first night. I remember that stirring in the gut, will I/won’t I, and then having to make a long trek from my seat in one of the stands to the front of the stage. I was met by a man, one of hundreds of volunteers, who said a few things and gave me a small book. I never heard from him again. But that didn’t matter. I’d accepted Jesus into my life. I was born again.

Just the beginning

Soon after the crusades finished I enrolled in confirmation classes at my church. Yes, we had eight to ten weeks of classes in the home of one of the great families in the church to learn more about what being a Christian meant. In addition, we were given an overview of various disciplines like prayer and reading the Bible.

I also needed to be baptized as my parents didn’t baptize any of us when we were young. This created a bit of angst with my Dad. He challenged me to consider ALL the alternatives to Christianity and even asked me to read a book written by Carl Sagan who was a recognized God-skeptic. I read it but it didn’t discourage me in my decision. Dad appreciated the fact I read the book and even though he still questioned my decision he allowed me to proceed.

The journey

It has only taken me another almost 40 years to begin to better understand who Jesus is and how much He loves me but gosh I’ve loved the journey. Certainly, there have been many valleys where I’ve struggled in my walk but I’ve come to realise the importance of communicating with the Lord, reading His Word all the time, and being in community with other believers is so important to moving forward. Most of my valleys have been times of when I’ve tried to do life on my own terms. It’s been in learning that God made us to be dependent on Him that I’ve discovered the victory we have in daily walking with Him.

Grateful

Thank you, Mr Graham, for introducing me to Jesus. There have been so many wonderful and much deserved tributes dedicated to the great man but it’s kinda special for me to know that I’m one of the many millions who carry the legacy of the incredible life he lived. I’ll always treasure his memory.

Now your turn. Love us all to share in the comments of someone who has played a key role in your faith walk. What about Billy Graham? Did you attend one of his crusades?

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Book Review - The Eli Diaries (various authors)

By Ian Acheson @achesonian

Those of you who have read any of my “best of” posts of the past few years will have seen my enthusiasm for episodic fiction where a story is developed over months/years, sometimes by multiple authors, by releasing individual episodes (novellas) monthly. Harbingers was a 20 episode series featuring five authors including one of my favourites, Frank Peretti.

Last year I discovered Bill Myers, one of the Harbinger creators, had produced another series based on one of his earlier novels, Eli. Once again, Myers has collaborated with a bunch of authors to deliver monthly episodes. I’ve recently finished the seventh and am keen for the next one.

The Eli Diaries is a story that explores the question: what would it be like if teenage Jesus turned up in 21^st century America? And not just Jesus but his disciple mates and his Bethany family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Oh, and no series would be complete without a teenage Mary Magdelene and Satan.

Like Harbingers, a different author voices a different character for each episode. The only real constant in all episodes is Eli Shepherd. This weird sixteen year old, who has a heart of gold, seems to discern things and events before they occur, and occasionally heals people. Eli works in his family’s surf shop.

We meet Benjamin the Pharistic youth leader who is is gunning for Eli believing he is leading his flock of youngsters down a dangerous path.

Some of the episodes have been a bit scratchy but the last few have been beauties. They deal with issues of youth: bullying, keeping up with the Joneses, beauty, brawn and brains, revenge and lust. Woven through most of the episodes are demonstrations of grace, mercy and love.

Once again, I’ve found the episodic style of story telling to be compelling (like a good TV series). I’m excited to read the new series that our own Narelle Atkins is involved in (A Tuscan Legacy) that launches soon that takes a different approach to episodic fiction once again. Eight weekly episodes, eight different authors, all with a Tuscan flavour.

Consistent Delivery

One of the challenges from an early readers perspective of an episodic series is there is a need for consistency in delivering episodes. I’ve started some episodic-style series where the first episode lands and another one doesn’t land for months. This is especially difficult when one episode ends on a cliffhanger and by the time the next episode lands you’ve lost interest and in fact forgotten there was indeed a cliffhanger ending.

So if you’re an author producing such fiction may I encourage you to only drop the pilot or first episode when you’ve got the next few ready or almost ready to drop.

I was fortunate that when I downloaded most of the episodes of The Eli Diaries they were only $0.99, however, I notice they’re now $3.51. But remember over 7 episodes it’s between 500 and 700 pages of reading. If you want to try it out perhaps start with Number 4 (Not Good Enough) that features Martha.

What episodic fiction series have you read recently and would recommend?

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Word for the Year

Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

By Ian Acheson @achesonian

Word for the year?

Huh? Explain that to me.

That was me a few years ago. Here I was in my late forties and I’d never heard of the thing. Why limit your year to a single word?

A few of you might be having the exact same reaction this very moment.

I read a little about it. And tried it. And have continued the practice for the last six years or so.

Why?

“Each year, you should choose a word to represent the year you have in front of you.”¹

Claire Diaz-Ortiz explains the rationale behind the concept: “Think long and hard about one word that will serve as a guidepost for what you want to do and be in the year to come. One word that will remind you of what’s important when you need it most.”²

I like that: a guidepost.

I tend not to think too much about it, rather talk to God and meditate on a word for a week or so. Often He gives me one of those “Aha” moments that provide clarity.

In 2015 my Word was “ADORATION”, in 2016 it was “DELIGHT” and last year “LINGER”. As I’ve drawn closer to the Lord these past few years I’ve felt an increasing desire for more of Him and less of me which probably best sums up the last three Words. I’ve so enjoyed adoring Him, delighting in Him and lingering with Him that I figured there was so much more for me to experience that I was expecting I would stick with something similar for 2018.

As some of you know I’m working on an intimacy project and as I’ve spent time in the Word I’ve been increasingly fascinated by the many examples of intimacy. Whether it’s God walking in the garden with Adam and Eve (how cool is that?), to David and Jonathan’s friendship, Mary of Bethany’s lying at Jesus’ feet to Jesus washing the disciples feet it’s clear that is what we were designed for.

The River from The Temple

I was reading Ezekiel 47 a few weeks ago where the prophet describes venturing into the river and as often occurs when I read this passage I was captivated by its imagery.

“As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.” (v3 NIV)

Often in our walk with the Lord we can accumulate lots of information about Him, but the Lord wants us to venture into Him. Here we see Ezekiel encouraged to enter the river, not simply look at it. But the man doesn’t stop there with Ezekiel:

“He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. ⁵ He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.” (v4-5)

See the progression: knee-deep, waist-deep and finally to a point where he can no longer stand. His only option is to swim and be carried along by the current.

And there was my word: IMMERSE

“… we can immerse ourselves in Him and allow Him to be fully in control of our lives. He’s not content with ankle-deep devotion; He wants us to lose ourselves in Him, to be swept under, knowing full well that as we lose ourselves in Him we will truly find ourselves.”³

That’s what I desire. To dive into the deep and let Him lead me.

I’m not sure what immersion neither looks like nor how to do it but hey, we’re only 12 days into the year. Now the fun part begins in discovering it.

Do any of you follow such a practice? Perhaps you have a verse or a “theme” for the year that you might like to share with us all.

Wishing all of my ACW friends a wonderful God-filled 2018.

Notes: 1.  “Design Your Day”, Claire Diaz-Ortiz, Moody Publishers. 2016. Pg 15. 2. Ibid pg 15-16. 3. “Reckless Devotion,” Rolland and Heidi Baker, River Publishing, 2014. Day 77.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter