CSFF June Blog Tour ~ Storm Day 1

Welcome to the CSFF June Blog Tour Day 1

STORM

The Swipe Series

by Evan Angler

If you have been keeping up with these banned books by Evan Angler you know everything is not as good as General Lamson has lead us to believe.  If not for the efforts of Dust we might never have been made aware of these problems, problems that came to light through the illegal activities of Dust, Logan Langly, and Erin Arbitor.  

After 10 years of negotiations the world has been unified, but Global Union does not mean global peace.  Markless protests are continuing and the drought is continuing bringing a shortage of food for the American State.  But beneath it all is subterfuge and sabotage, someone or something is bringing unnecessary suffering and the question is why?

Lily Langly, who was long thought dead, is a an IMP in Beacon City.  For some reason Cylis head of the European State wants, no needs, to speak with Lily. Cylis has a mission for Lily, a mission that could affect the world and cost Lily her life.

But Lily isn't willing to risk everything she's achieved to accomplish Cylis's goal so she reaches out to Dust and her brother.  Will love blind Logan to the chance that Lily may betray them or is his trust in his sister justified?  Can they stop the permadrought before it is too late?

Logan has questions that only one person can answer.  But Beacon is looking for him, can he get in and out undetected?

Storm is as nerve-wracking and intense as Swipe and Sneak.  Don't miss out on the third offering of this exciting series.  Discover the truth for yourself before it is too late!  Logan needs you to join in the fight and to refuse the Mark - your life depends on it!

  

I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher: Thomas Nelson for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

About Storm:

In a future United States under the power of a charismatic leader, everyone gets the Mark at age thirteen. The Mark lets a citizen shop, go to school, and even get medical care—without it, you are on your own. Few refuse to get the Mark. Those who do . . . disappear.

Logan Langly went in to get his Mark, but he backed out at the last minute. Ever since, he’s been on the run from government agents and on a quest to find his sister Lily, who disappeared when she went to get her Mark five years earlier. His journey leads him to befriend the Dust, a vast network of Markless individuals who dissent against the iron-grip rule of the government. Along the way to the capital to find Lily, the Dust receive some startling information from the Markless community, opening their eyes to the message of Christianity and warning that humanity is now entering the End of Days.

In Storm, Logan and his friends are the leaders of the Markless revolution. But while some Markless are fighting Chancellor Cylis’ army, the Dust is busy trying to find a cure for a horrible epidemic sweeping through the Marked. And it’s difficult for them to know who to trust, especially when they aren’t sure if Logan’s sister Lily, one of the commanders in Cylis’ army, is on their side or not. And all across the nation—and the world—the weather has become less stable and a storm is brewing that bigger than any of them could have ever imagined.

Storm book trailer: http://youtu.be/78DHtGhR3Rw

Check-out Evan Angler’s website: http://www.evanangler.com/ unless you are afraid.  But if you've made it this far on this post DOME and the IMPs already know about you so you might as well get all the latest news from Evan and maybe some help in disappearing before it's too late.

Be sure to visit all the tour stops over the 3 day tour (June 24 - 26)

Julie Bihn  Beckie Burnham  Keanan Brand  Pauline Creeden

Emma or Audrey Engel  Sarah Faulkner  Victor Gentile  Ryan Heart

Jason Joyner  Carol Keen  Shannon McDermott  Meagan @ Blooming with Books

Rebecca LuElla Miller  Joan Nienhuis  Writer Rani  Chawna Schroeder

Jacque Stengl  Jojo Sutis  Jessica Thomas  Steve Trower

Phyllis Wheeler  Rachel Wyant

To learn more about CSFF and to even join check-out the website!

Find Swipe on Facebook! 

Get your copy of Storm from Amazon before it is banned!

Lair of the Serpent ~ Review and Giveaway

Lair of the Serpent
Tombs of Terror #3
By T. Lynn Adams

Sometimes our best made plans are for naught as Jonathon Bradford is about to discover.  Hoping to surprise a dear friend on her birthday was the plan, but before he had even touched down in Cambodia Delia had been captured by slavers.

As Jonathon and Severino (Delia's brother) search for Delia among the criminal elements of Preak Tori, they risk being killed or worse captured by the very slavers they are trying to find.

But finding Delia proves almost impossible as they come face-to-face with gangs, snakes, police and betrayals.  A friendship with a young street orphan named Chey soon proves to be their most valuable asset in locating where Delia may have been taken.

But when Delia's kidnapping seems to have something to do with the mythological Naga Mani and the Black Snakes (a feared Cambodian gang), suddenly everything is much worse.  The possibility of slave becomes a possible human sacrifice.  With the police threatening to throw them out of the country Jonathon, Severino, and their old friend and mentor Juan are running out of time to find Delia.

But finding Delia and extracting her from the situation are two totally different things and they are warned by the guide that they hire that any rescue attempt may result in her death and all involved in her rescue attempt. But the two boys are determined and nothing will deter them.

Lair of the Serpent takes a look at the modern slave culture and its rampant disregard for the lives that it uses up and then casts aside as refuse.  The cruelty of the harsh culture is a stark difference to what so many in our Western cultures are familiar with.  This is an eye opening book that is also a page turning attention grabbing read.

I received a copy of this book in digital format from the author and publisher in exchange for my honest review of this book.

About the Book:

"A young adult series destined to become Hollywood's next major motion picture trilogy. A must read." Kevin Buxbaum, Associate Producer, Life of Pi

Kevin Buxbaum is talking about the fast-paced Tombs of Terror series by author T. Lynn Adams. The next book in the series, Lair of the Serpent, will be released in June.

“The shock of the assault caught the men off guard, and they struggled to control the American. They wrestled him to the ground, pinning him there, holding him fast, as Sang stood up from the ground. Cursing in Khmer, Sang pointed the gun at Jonathon’s head.”

Jonathon can’t wait to surprise Delia for her birthday. With a little help from Delia’s brother, Severino, he plans to visit them in Cambodia where his friends are both working as humanitarian volunteers. But Jonathon arrives only to learn that Delia has been kidnapped.

Determined to find her, Jonathon and Severino plunge into the world’s most heavily land-mined jungle. Hidden deep in a tangle of ancient ruins of western Cambodia, they encounter the frightening legend of the Nāga and a deadly gang known as the Black Snakes. Now, the only way to free Delia is for the friends to steal an ancient, sacred stone and use it to lure the criminals out of hiding. If Jonathon and Severino fail, all of them will die or be consumed by the brutal world of human trafficking.

Lair of the Serpent seamlessly blends intense action and suspense with family loyalty and tender romance. The rich setting and colorful characters will ignite your imagination, while the twisting plot and elements of fantasy will satisfy every adventurer’s thirst for exotic quests.

“Lair of the Serpent is full of adventure, memorable characters, and enough suspense to keep you at the edge of your seat.” Heather Ostler, author of The Shapeshifter’s Secret

The book can be pre-ordered online. It will be released in June! More information can be found at the author’s web site http://www.tlynnadams.com/

You can connect with the author on any of the following:
blog  http://www.tlynnadams.com/
twitter @TLynnAdams
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/author.T.Lynn.Adams

Enter for a chance to win the entire 3 book series Go to the giveaway or enter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Upcoming tour announcement and Giveaway

Join Blooming with Books on June 24th as we take a peek

at Lair of the Serpent by T. Lynn Adams.  The third book in 

in The Tombs of Terror series is intense and action filled.

But I didn't want to make you wait until Monday to to enter

the Rafflecopter Giveaway being offer by T. Lynn Adams!

Enter for a chance to win a copy of all three books in the series

in digital or paper copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Slow Moon Rising ~ Review

Slow Moon Rising
A Cedar Key novel
By Eva Marie Everson

When Anise Kelly marries newly widowed Ross Claybourne she didn't realize exactly what she was marrying into.  Ross was above board telling her about his four daughters - three of whom were grown with families of their own.  He told of his late wife and the alcohol problems that cost her her life.  But even Ross wasn't aware of the shadows and secrets that were haunting his daughters.

Some secrets are better left to the dark and to the past, but some need to see the light of day so that healing can be experienced both in the heart and in the family.  As the Claybourne women each handle the issues in their own lives they must deal with the secret that their parents kept over the years - a secret that they don't realize has been slowly tearing them apart over them years.

Slow Moon Rising is told from the viewpoints of each of the women but not over the same time period.  The book begins in 2000 just 7 months after Ross's wife Joan died.  This time period in told through Anise and Ami's viewpoint.  The other viewpoints take place during different years as they each go through times of trouble with their marriages, health, or finances.  Some of these troubles are of their own making while others are a result of the secret they have all been hiding from and one that they were unaware of except for Ami.

For people who like to skip ahead in books this is not the type book that you can do this with (I by the way am not this type reader as I find it detracts from my reading pleasure but my mom and sister read this way so I thought I'd offer this little warning) .

This is a book of second chances.  A chance to start over.  A chance to forgive.  A chance to listen.  A chance to heal.

This is the story about life and how we don't know the hidden pains that lie within the hearts of those around us.  Look at those around you and offer your hand to those who appear to be hurting.  And remember that appearances are deceiving and we can't always know the truth behind one side of the story.

I liked this though it was a little difficult to follow if I forgot whose viewpoint I was reading.

I was provided a copy of this book by Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the Book:
One family, one secret--and one chance to make it right
The beautiful Claybourne home on Cedar Key has long been a place of rest, healing, and release. Each member of the family has turned there in times of confusion, loss, and hurt, only to feel their spirits renewed and their hearts restored.

But Cedar Key might also be the birthplace of a lie that is poisoning the family from within. 

Join the five Claybourne women--Anise, Kimberly, Jayme-Leigh, Heather, and Ami--as they search the past and confront the truth. Their unique paths will lead them through heartbreak, misunderstandings, and pain. But their journeys will also bring reconciliation with each other and the precious renewal of love in their own lives.

In her lyrical, evocative fashion, Eva Marie Everson weaves a tapestry of complicated relationships that, when complete, reveals the most beautiful work of art there is--family.

Red Dawn Rising ~ Review

Red Dawn Rising
Red Returning 2
By Sue Duffy

Cass Rodino's life is one of make believe, after all what would you expect from someone who designs sets for Broadway.  But when her mother needs her to discover what her step-father is doing at night reality comes crashing in around her.  Hans swears that he is being faithful to Cass's mother and that it is business, but he also issues a warning.  What is Hans hiding and why is he insisting that Cass and her friend Jordan stay in New York for the inauguration of Travis Noland rather than travel to D.C. as they have planned?  Something isn't adding up, but Cass isn't sure what it's adding up to!


Evgeny Kozlov has learned that Russia is about to fall into the hands of those who plan on creating chaos throughout the world and in the process assassinate both the U.S. President and Liesl Bower.  As Evgeny races to save the woman he once tried to kill and to stop a revolution gone wrong his path leads him to Cass.

As Cass and Jordan try to make sense of what they've uncovered, they search out famed pianist Liesl Bower fearing that her life is in-danger.  As the four join together to stop an imminent attack they seek refuge in West Park Christian Church so that they can learn more about Cass's step-father and what he is up to.

But as events move forward time is running out to find the Architect and stop him!  But secrets are closely guarded and the truth is difficult to find.  Through these trials Cass is confronted with the hidden pain of her past and her need for something - someone more in her life and that someone whom she feels drawn to is God.  With Liesl's faithful influence and words of encouragement this could truly be a life-changing experience for Cass.

Red Dawn Rising is an exciting suspenseful reading experience.  Written in such a way so that you can observe the thought processes of several of the characters, you can empathize when them and the factors that affected their lives and influenced their decisions - right or wrong.  Sometimes, as Cass and Liesl both realized, we can create a false world around ourselves - insulating ourselves from pain and betrayal but also the joys and connections that living life brings.

I was provided a copy of this book by Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review.

 

Get it free for your Kindle here.

About Red Dawn Rising: A Novel, by Sue Duffy

Twenty-seven-year-old Cass Rodino is a hardworking, dedicated set designer on Broadway. But, like the actors who take the stage every night, she is masking a different reality. Her secrets lie deep within past wounds too severe to expose to anyone.

Evgeny Kozlov has secrets of his own. A former KGB assassin, he is trying to outrun the underground revolution he once served. Trying to right his wrongs, he's in a race against time and against a former colleague, Ivan, who has sinister plans to bring down the United States, including an assassination attempt on famed pianist Liesl Bower.

As Cass and Evgeny separately set out to save Liesl from an impending doom, both are hurled into a fierce CIA/FBI dragnet, not knowing that their formidable opponent-a most unlikely predator-is already closing in on them.

Book 2 of the Red Returning Trilogy, Red Dawn Rising mixes suspense, action, and romance in a tale of personal tragedy and triumph that will keep readers pivoting between the evil desires of world powers and the redeeming powers of personal faith, life, and love.

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales ~ Review

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales
By Randy Singer

A decision made 15 years ago is now bearing fruit...

When a politically expedient decision cost a young woman her life but saved face for both the CIA and the United States a series of events is set into motion as someone vows to make those responsible for this decision pay for it.

Landon Reed made some poor choices when he was in college, choices that earned him time in prison.  But this time changed his life and the Bible study that Mason James lead brought him to Christ and a desire to become a lawyer.

But the point shaving scandal that Landon involved himself in has tainted him in the eyes of all the law firms that could hire him until Harry McNaughten gives him a chance to prove himself at McNaughtn and Clay.  But what seemed like an unbelievable chance soon becomes a nightmare as the firms lawyers start being killed in what seem, at first, to random coincidence.

While Landon tries to launch his career, his wife Kerri is given the opportunity of a lifetime.  She is given access to a private security firm that works unofficially for the U.S. government.  Could this be the break into the big news broadcast network market that she has dreamed about?  As Kerri and Landon struggle to define their roles and their marriage someone is about to put a stumbling block in their path.

As these seemingly random events start to converge, is there something that ties into the case that Landon is defending.  Something that Harry discovered before his murder?  And if there is a commonality can Landon discover what it is before his life is cut short too?

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales is another page turning legal suspense from Randy Singer.  There are twists and turns that will keep you guessing and wondering who did it until the very end.  With character who are deeply flawed and with secrets to hide you will be able to connect with these very true-to-life individuals and perhaps even see yourself in a small part of them as well.

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales will make you take a long hard look at your own life and wonder if you have misplaced the priorities of your own life.  This a whodunit with meat to it!

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for honest review.

Want get glimpse at the book?  Check out the Chapter One excerpt.

Author video(s): Author Video and Book Trailer
Randy Singer’s website:  http://www.randysinger.net/

Author Q and A: 

1. What was your inspiration for this book, Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales?
Two things worked together to inspire this book. First, the scandals that rocked college football in the last few years. Have you ever noticed that when a player gets in trouble and is kicked off a team or sent to prison, we never hear from him again? What happens to him? Are there some inspirational stories of redemption out there? Do these young men ever discover a meaningful life beyond football?

Second was a friend of mine with a real-life story of redemption. He had committed a felony as a college student but had become a believer while serving his time. Everyone who knew the man verified that his life had dramatically changed while in prison. He was not just a model prisoner, but he became a spiritual leader and a catalyst for change in others as well.  

When he was released from jail, he went to law school, where he was respected by all his peers and professors. After graduation, he applied for a license to practice law. His dramatic turnaround raised societal questions about the restoration of rights for those who have served their time and demonstrated that they’ve changed.

That’s when the what-ifs started happening. What if a college quarterback got caught up in a point shaving scandal in a major football conference like the SEC? What if he went to jail and turned his life 
around? What if that man became a lawyer determined to prove his integrity and loyalty to the firm that
hired him? And what if somebody had a vendetta against that firm and started killing its lawyers one by 
one? That’s where this book started—on a football field, in a courtroom, in a small and dysfunctional law 
firm in Virginia Beach (not mine—the one in the book!), a firm that believed in giving a changed man a 
second chance, a firm fighting for its very life. 

2. Tell me about your main character, Landon Reed. Was his character based upon anyone in particular?
As I explained in response to the previous question, the inspiration for Landon Reed came from a real-life 
friend. That man showed me how much someone can truly change while incarcerated and how hard it can 
be to rebuild a life with a felony conviction. But he also demonstrated that, by God’s grace, it can be done. 
He became the inspiration for my protagonist, Landon Reed, and for that I am deeply in his debt.

3. What lessons or truths will your readers find in the pages of this novel?
I once heard a well-known Hollywood scriptwriter say that the two themes shown to most resonate with 
moviegoers were stories of redemption and forgiveness. It made me realize that God has planted an 
attraction for the themes of the gospel deep in our hearts. 

Landon Reed’s life is a quest for redemption and forgiveness. Most of his former teammates have spurned 
him, but one of his offensive linemen stuck with him throughout his entire ordeal. That man plays a major 
role in this story. As a former quarterback, it was fun describing the “band of brothers” relationship 
between a quarterback and the members of his offensive line. 

There’s also the question of how much society forgives someone who has been convicted of a serious 
crime. What roles are off-limits afterward? Should somebody who has committed a felony be allowed to 
practice law?

It’s fascinating to see how some athletes “earn” redemption after significant scandals, provided they can 
perform better than before. But what about those former athletes who never make it back into the 
game? How does a man like Landon obtain forgiveness and redemption for what he has done? 

For Landon, earning redemption means proving his loyalty. When Landon went to prison, his girlfriend 
was pregnant with their first child. She waited for him while he served his time. She became Mrs. Landon 
Reed as soon as he was released. But this young couple faces unbelievable challenges to their marriage 
when Landon is willing to risk the safety of his family to prove his loyalty to the only firm that would take 
a chance on him. 

Lawyers at the firm start dying, and a sensible man would run as far and fast as possible. But Landon is 
tired of running. And sometimes a quest for redemption makes a man anything but sensible. Driven to be 
a hero, Landon has to decide whether he is willing to sacrifice his own family in his quest for redemption. 


4. How do you expect Landon’s story to resonate with your readers?

All of us have mistakes in our past that haunt us. One of my favorite verses is Joel 2:25a: “I will restore to 
you the years that the swarming locust has eaten . . .”

This is ultimately the story of how God can use our greatest mistakes and turn them into something 
redemptive. The first step, of course, is taking responsibility for our actions, facing into them, and owning 
them. I think we will all see a little bit of ourselves in Landon Reed. 

5. As a writer, what did you particularly enjoy about crafting this story?
There is an axiom that writers should write what they know best. I’ve added a corollary: Writers should 
write what they know best and what they love most. That’s what I did with Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales.

The story takes place in the legal community in Virginia Beach. In fact, the law office that Landon joins is in 
the same building where my firm is actually located. How’s that for writing about things you know? 
Moreover, I had some great mentors in the practice of law (I dedicated this book to them), so I gave 
Landon a colorful and affable mentor as well—a crafty old lawyer named Harry McNaughten. 

But ultimately this is a book about what matters most: family relationships, loyalty to our spouses, and 
being changed by our faith. I loved crafting this story not just because it hit close to home but because it’s 
the story of an underdog battling the giants in his life—both those of his own making and those on the 
other side of his cases. And I love underdogs!

When lawyers start dying in Landon’s firm, he finds himself in way over his head with only his faith, his 
family, and his best friend to help him. For me, crafting that type of David and Goliath story never grows 
old. 

6. What is your hope for this story? How would you like it to impact readers?
My hope is that I’ve raised important issues about redemption, forgiveness, and the power of the gospel 
to change lives. My goal is to entertain readers with a fun and compelling story while they wrestle with 
those issues. But there is also a more subtle thread throughout the story—an allegory for what Christ did 
on our behalf. I hope to surprise readers when that allegory is fully revealed at the end of the book.

7. How has this novel helped you to grow as a storyteller?
Something happened when drafting this story that has never happened to me before. Before I ever start 
writing a book, I put together a very detailed outline of the characters and plot (usually about twenty
pages long). The plot changes and evolves as the story is written, but I always know generally where the 
story is headed. This time, I got about halfway through the book and just ran into a brick wall with the 
plot. No matter how hard I tried to work the angles, I couldn’t seem to pull it all together in a coherent, 
believable, and compelling way. 

I called my editor at Tyndale, Karen Watson, and told her that this story just wouldn’t work. But Karen 
wouldn’t let me quit. Eventually, everything came together in what I hope will be one of my best plots 
ever. This book is a story about persistence in the face of adversity and, providentially, writing the book 
taught me the same thing. 

What have I learned as a storyteller? Sometimes our best stories are the ones we almost give up on. 
Nothing valuable in life comes without a struggle. 

8. Your novels are typically multilayered and keep readers guessing until the end. Would you say that Dead Lawyers Tells No Tales is similarly full of surprises?
I hope it is. I love to throw in enough twists and turns to keep readers off balance. When I read other 
authors, I love to be surprised so long as the author plays fair.

It’s easy to surprise somebody by bringing in some random twist from left field that has nothing to do 
with the story. But that’s not playing fair. My perfect ending is one where the reader says, “Wow! I didn’t 
see that coming, but I should have.” That’s the kind of ending I try to write.

9. Can you share anything about the next project you are working on?
Next Easter, I will be releasing a book that I am more excited about than any other book I have ever 
written. It feels like the book I was born to write. It brings together my roles as pastor, lawyer, and 
storyteller. 

The working title of the book is The Advocate. It’s the story of Theophilus, the man to whom Luke 
addressed his Gospel and the book of Acts. My premise is that Theophilus was Paul’s court-appointed 
advocate to represent him in front of Nero, probably the most despised ruler in the history of Rome (and 
that’s saying a lot). Theophilus was chosen because he had served in Judaea as Pilate’s assessore, or law 
clerk, during the trial of Jesus. 

My hope in writing the book is that it might bring to life the stories surrounding the two greatest trials in 
the history of the world. One of those, the trial of Christ, has been studied, dissected, and analyzed more 
than any other trial for the past two thousand years. The other, the trial of Paul in front of Nero, has been 

a great mystery. We only know that Paul was somehow miraculously acquitted and left Rome to serve for 

a short time as a missionary in Spain. Both of these great trials changed the lives of everyone associated 
with them and the trajectory of history. 

It’s a real stretch for me to write historical fiction, especially a book that is so intertwined with the story of 
the gospel. But I am embracing the opportunity. I’ve had a chance to visit Rome and talk to some amazing 
historians. I know for a fact that this is the most challenging and rewarding book I’ve written. My prayer is 
that it might also be the most impactful. 

10. In addition to being an author, you are also a pastor and a lawyer. How do you reconcile those two things, and what skills do they have in common?
Most people think that someone who is both a pastor and a lawyer is an extremely rare bird. In fact, I had
one reader e-mail me and say that she loved my books but that her son said it was impossible for 
somebody to be both a pastor and a lawyer!

That mind-set assumes an artificial barrier between “ministry work” and “secular employment.” In truth, 
everything we do is ministry, and we should do it with all our heart, “as to the Lord, and not unto men”
(Colossians 3:23). My law practice is a ministry just as much as my leadership at the church. 

In both professions, I am meeting people at a point of need and often ministering to them in the biggest 
crises of their lives. To be effective, I need to have a servant’s heart for both my clients and my church 
members. And advocacy is an important skill in both trying a case and preaching the gospel. 

A lot of people forget that Christ’s main method of making a point was through parables. Both pastors 
and lawyers are storytellers in the best sense of that word—not that we make stuff up but that we help 
our listeners enter into the story and become a part of it. 

Come to think of it, I’m surprised there are not more people doing this!

Revived by Grace ~ First Chapter Reveal/Review

Title of Book: REVIVED BY GRACE
Genre: Christian Memoir
Author: Emma Clay
Website: www.EmmaClay.com
Publisher: Metokos Press

PURCHASE REVIVED BY GRACE HERE

SUMMARY:

Emma Clay lived a life of rebellion, led astray by her own desires and her attraction to an indulgent life and a difficult man. This book is her memoir, telling the powerful story of her downward decline and the way God brought her back to himself through his love.

Moving between personal storytelling, Biblical reflection, and political application, Revived by Grace is a book that speaks to the wounded place in all of us that can be healed only by the grace of God.

FIRST CHAPTER:

THE SMORGASEBOARD OF DESIRES

It shouldn’t have been a surprise, especially to Emma’s family, that she joined the Army when she was seventeen, in order to travel and get away from the farm.  As a child, they said she would crawl into the backseat of every stranger’s car that came to the orchard to buy apples.  It was like she was always wanting to leave, thinking there was more than just the farm out there.

You shall not covet… (Exodus 20:17).¹

This is one of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses for his children’s well being.  God knew we needed these instructions to live life to its fullest.  He wanted the best for us, and he knew this was the way to have that.

This concept is best described in Merrill C. Tenney’s Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible.  He defines the word “covet” as a “selfish longing” and “greed for material gain.”²  This means setting your heart on something someone else has instead of being content with the gifts the Lord has given you.  That is why the Bible says Thou Shalt Not!

But as disobedient children, we sometimes go against the grain and do what we want instead of what’s best. And Emma was not listening to the Lord, but was instead listening to the hounding of her own desires.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone (James 1:13).

The Army was the way Emma thought she could escape from the farm and from something else that she was hiding from—something deep inside that had recently happened.

Her parents didn’t have the money to spend on college, and she didn’t want to go anyway.  Since she would need no money to join the Army, it seemed like the only option.  She talked a friend into going with her on what they called the “buddy system.”  This meant she could go with someone she knew and not be all alone on the adventure.

Emma figured she could travel all over the world, and they would even pay her to do so.  The idea was quite inviting. She was promised a career, and they would train her and teach her in any area of work she would like to choose.  She chose the medical field.

The Army would even pay her room and board and give her a salary while she was trained, which would allow Emma to save the money she earned.  What a great option for those who cannot afford college.  It seemed like a good deal to Emma, so she joined at age seventeen.  Her parents had to co-sign, which just about killed her mother.

The week they were supposed to leave, her friend backed out on her.  But Emma had made a commitment, and she couldn’t back out.  Everybody knew she had joined, and they even threw her a going-away party.

The Army turned out not to be the travel adventure she’d hoped for.  It was regimented and disciplined and exactly what she needed—but not quite what she expected.

This life is depicted well in the movie Private Benjamin, which was released in theaters just two weeks after Emma graduated from boot camp.

Emma actually did well in the Army at Ft Jackson, South Carolina.  She had been appointed squad leader, and she was great with her M-16 rifle.  She also made a great friend in her squad, and together they would pray in the barracks at night to overcome their homesickness.

She recited the 23^rd Psalm every day, even in the chow line with her hands behind her back.  She prayed for the Lord to be with her and help her get through her uncertainty.

She was afraid.  She was in an environment that was very different from the way she had grown up.  Her parents seemed to be saints compared to the people around her, and she wanted to go home.  She realized what she had at home had been wonderful, and she had taken it for granted.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters (Psalm 23:1-2).

Emma imagined running through meadows of green grass, swaying in the summer wind.  She envisioned herself back home again, running over to the creek that flowed through the valley.  She would lay down by the stream and listen to the water flow down the brook and stare up to the blue sky as the clouds floated by.

”Attention!” she heard a voice say, and then her drill sergeant told her to drop down and give him twenty. “You weren’t listening to a word I said,” he yelled.

Emma was shaken back to reality, and the heat from her fatigues and her boots made her sweat terribly.  You see, they were not allowed to leave their shirts out.  Their shirts had to be tucked into their pants and their pant legs tucked into their boots.  This left no room for the air to circulate, and it was a hundred degrees outside.  She knew this was so they would learn to handle the heat better.

Emma was living with people who didn’t look like her. Many were black, and she was white. Even her two drill sergeants were black. You have to remember, she had been sheltered most of her life from anywhere except the farm, with only an occasional trip to the beach with her parents.

The color didn’t matter to Emma; she looked inside people for love and kindness. She knew God made us all. She would hum to herself a children’s song:  Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Basic training was coming to an end, and just like in the movie, her life seemed to run parallel to Private Benjamin.

She realized she had used travel as an excuse to not to deal with the true, underlying reason she joined.

Just like Private Benjamin had joined the Army out of sorrow for her husband dying, Emma joined to escape the guilt she felt over an inconvenient truth—also involving death.

Homesickness set in even more after her graduation ceremony and the reunion with her mom and dad.  She got her assignment to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.  It was there, with all the newfound freedom it offered, that loneliness truly set in.  Unlike in boot camp, where she was housed in the barracks with forty other soldiers, there she was alone.

ABOUT EMMA CLAY

Emma Clay is a writer who shares her own experiences about her encounters with self and her bad decisions. She shares how she transformed a life that seemed hopeless and seeks to give answers to your own questions.  She is dedicated to sharing her true stories with others, in the hopes they will avoid the same pot holes, pitfalls, and detours in their own lives.

She loves people, and her need to share this love will hopefully encourage others to find their own way.

Her latest book is the Christian inspirational memoir, Revived by Grace.

Visit her website at www.EmmaClay.com.

Connect with Emma:

GOODREADS | FACEBOOK

First Chapter Review:

In an attempt to run from a painful truth, Emma Clay joined the Army at age 17.  This escape was an escape of sorts, but not the one she was expecting.  She wasn't traveling as she had expected and the training was harder and hotter than what she was use to - but she stuck to it and made it through.  But now came the hard part, when she was truly away from everyone and everything that she knew - everyone that is except God...