The Rose Conspiracy by Craig Parshall

Submitted by tired_gardener on Wed, 02/04/2009 - 13:00
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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

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


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:


The Rose Conspiracy

Harvest House Publishers (January 15, 2009)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Craig Parshall is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the National Religious Broadcasters Association, and the author of six legal–suspense novels: the five books in the Chambers of Justice series, and the stand–alone Trial by Ordeal. He speaks nationally on legal and Christian worldview issues and is a magazine columnist. He has coauthored five books with his wife, Janet, including the historical novels Crown of Fire and Captives and Kings.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (January 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736915141
ISBN-13: 978-0736915144

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


The driver behind the steering wheel was sweating like a hunter in the dripping heat of the jungle.

But this was a very different kind of jungle.

It was five minutes before midnight, and the car was cruising along the marble-and-monument-studded streets of the Capitol Hill district of Washington DC. The driver was tugging at a collar edge. Drops of perspiration trickled down back and torso, even with the air conditioning on. Maybe it was the freakish heat wave that had hit the city, causing brownouts and power failures across the city. Maybe it was something else…the nasty assignment that had to be taken care of. When the trigger was pulled, and it was all over, the long-missing pages of John Wilkes Booth’s personal diary would then be in the grip of someone else’s hand.

Yet the driver knew what was actually at stake that night. And it really wasn’t about the Booth diary. Or even the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at the hand of a Confederate radical. The note that was about to be seized contained a message with ramifications far beyond any of that.

Sweltering temperatures had suffocated Washington with a relentless haze of humidity that week. Even though it was only June, temperatures were in the low hundreds during the day and in the nineties at night.

The only thing cool to the touch was the white marble of the statues and monuments. The driver steered past the Lincoln Monument and then slowed the car slightly. As usual, interior lights illuminated the massive likeness of Abraham Lincoln in his great marble chair. Once past the monument, the car picked up speed, entered Constitution Avenue, and started heading toward the National Mall. The destination was the Castle, the nineteenth-century red-brick building full of turrets and spires where the administrative headquarters of the Smithsonian Institution were housed.

The driver parked the car a block away and walked quickly to the side entrance of the Castle—then, reaching the door, quickly tapped a code into the security panel. The lock clicked open.

Upstairs, the lights were still on in the office of Horace Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He was working late.

But the object of his work that night was not business as usual.

Only moments before, Langley had opened his safe and pulled out a metal case containing a folder enclosed within a plastic zip bag. Now he was studying the contents—eighteen pages from the diary of John Wilkes Booth. They had been missing for nearly one hundred and fifty years. Their disappearance had occurred suspiciously, about the same time as the federal investigation into the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln was taking place. Booth’s diary had been taken when the assassin was captured and killed. But at the time at least one witness swore that eighteen pages had been removed from it.

That was the point at which those pages seemed to have vanished forever.

Then, a century and a half later, the granddaughter and sole heir of a farmer in central Virginia went rummaging through her grandfather’s attic after his death and happened upon some boxes of old letters and papers. But one sheaf of papers looked different. While much of the writing on them was faded and undecipherable to the layman’s eye, a reference to Abraham Lincoln was visible. In his will, the farmer had given everything to his granddaughter—except the papers. Those, he said, must go to the Smithsonian Institution.

After some wrangling with lawyers, the eighteen pages were transferred to the Smithsonian. Horace Langley had succeeded in keeping the discovery from being leaked to the press, even though he was thoroughly convinced that the pages belonged to the Booth diary.

That June evening, as Langley studied the pages in his office, he knew that some eight hours hence, a council of epigraphers and historians were scheduled to convene and, for the first time, to study the Booth diary entries in that same office.

But he had to get the first look.

He had a pair of white gloves on as he studied the brittle pages, yellowed from age. A pad of paper lay on the desk in front of him, next to his pen. There was a glass of water off to the side.

Langley then began to slowly, painstakingly, write down something on the notepad.

Just a few lines of writing.

He paused to study carefully what he had written.

Then he heard something. He looked up, half-expecting a late-night visitor. “I wasn’t sure I would see you,” was all Horace Langley had a chance to say.

The individual who had entered through the side door below was now standing in front of Langley holding a handgun with a silencer—and proceeded to fire two clean shots directly into the left upper quadrant of Langley’s chest.

The Secretary started to grope upward with his arm, trying to touch the injured area of his chest, but failing. He fell backward into his chair, slumped, and then fell to the floor, where he collapsed on his back, surrounded by an expanding pool of blood.

The shooter stepped over to the desk, picked up the Booth diary pages, placed them back in the plastic zip bag, and put that into a larger bag. The killer snatched the pad of paper, ripped off the top page that had Langley’s writing on it and then another page for good measure, and put them also into the bag. Then the killer placed the pad of paper back on the desk with a clean page exposed as Langley lay dying on the floor, making a final gurgling, gasping sound. Before leaving the room, the shooter paused only for a moment at Langley’s desk, gazing down at the empty drinking glass that was resting there.

Then, exiting quickly through the same side door below where entrance had been made a few minutes before, Langley’s killer made a perfect getaway.

The security guards didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary until twenty-five minutes later, when one of them was making the rounds and stopped to check in on the Secretary. He caught sight of Horace Langley’s feet protruding past the edge of the desk. And the feet in Langley’s dress shoes were absolutely still.

As still as the marble and bronze statues of the famous men that were frozen in time, scattered as monuments across Washington, and that were illuminated by the halogen street lights that buzzed overhead in the suffocating heat of the night.


Recipe: Chicken Parmesan

Submitted by tired_gardener on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 01:00
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If you have followed my frugal tip to buy whole chickens, then you probably have some chicken breasts that need a recipe to go with them. This is one of my families favorites. It has all of Emma's favorite things, chicken, cheese, and dip. What else could you ask for?

Ingredients:

  • Breasts of 3 chickens, cut into strips
  • Olive Oil
  • 2 eggs, scrambled
  • 2 Pieces of bread, made into crumbs
  • Oregano
  • Garlic Powder
  • 3 cups of spaghetti sauce
  • Mozzarella
  • Parmesan

Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Mix bread crumbs, oregano and garlic powder.

Heat pan, add oil.

Place 1 cup of sauce into bottom of baking dish. (I use two dishes for this amount of chicken)

Dip the chicken strips into the egg, then bread mixture. Place in pan and cook till light brown. Place into baking dish.

Cover with mozzarella, remaining sauce and parmesan. Place in oven, bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted.


Recipe: Pan Fried Giblets

Submitted by tired_gardener on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 01:00
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Last week I told you about the three chickens and how you can save some money by buying whole chickens, cutting them up, and using them for various recipes. I bought three chickens and am using them for several large recipes and freezing most of it. This way we can save some money by buying in bulk and also when I am working hard on my work sample or what not we will still have plenty of food around without my having to cook (or Elizabeth being the only one cooking, every day).

With store bought chickens they don't usually give you a lot of giblets. If you had raised the chickens you would have more. In my three chickens I got 4 hearts, 2 sets of lover and what I think was 4 kidneys. Not being a chicken anatomy expert I could be wrong on what it was, but I fried it all up for an appetizer. (Actually, 3 of the hearts went to Marley.)

Ingredients:

  • Giblets
  • Flour
  • Parsley
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive Oil

Mix flour and seasoning in a bowl. Add giblets and coat with flour mix. Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Add enough oil to coat the pan. Add floured giblets. Fry until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Eat.

Next week you will see how I used the breasts to make Chicken Parmesan.


Welcome Obama!

Submitted by tired_gardener on Tue, 01/20/2009 - 10:42
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This momentous day shows us that we have come a long way. Just twenty years ago the idea of a non-white president of the United States would have been ridiculous. Eighty years ago blacks were strange fruit, now our new president, a black man, talks of mutual respect in his inaugural address. This speech is on every television in my classroom. It is on across America. It is being watched in Kenya, Indonesia, the entire world watches this event. The world is welcoming the new President of the United States. Let's all welcome him.

Lord, you are wonderful. You are with every one of Your children. You are watching over this new President as You watch over me, typing this prayer. You are watching over the poor, the rich, the poets, the murderers, all of Your children. Thank you Lord.

Please protect this new president. Barack Obama may not deserve Your love any more than I do, but You love us anyway. This is a low point in our time. The economy is in bad condition. Be with Obama as he attempts to mend our economy and bring this country back around to the great country it is. Help him to make the right decisions to guide our country in its position as a world leader. Guide him in his dealings with the foreign powers around the world that require his attention. May he always come to You to help guide his policies and decisions.

Amen.


Interview with D. Barkley Briggs

Submitted by tired_gardener on Mon, 01/19/2009 - 21:54
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Today is a blog tour for a book called "The Book of Names" by D. Barkley Briggs. Unfortunately, I was unable to read the book as it seems to have been lost in the mail. To make it up, Dean agreed to give us an interview.

After being a pastor for so long, what made you decide to start writing speculative fiction?

I had the great privilege to be married to the girl of my dreams for 16 years. Together, we had four boys. During this time, I pastored for 11 years. At age 36, after losing my wife to cancer and watching my world crash, I moved my family to a new state in search of healing and a fresh start. Surprised by love, I remarried another dream girl, herself a former widow. Together, we now have eight kids. It’s been a strange journey, and it’s not over. I’m discovering more of the breadth and pain and goodness of life every day. The Book of Names is part of that journey. It is this strange, semi-biographical, fantasy hybrid thing: three parts wild adventure, one part real life. My four boys are the four brothers of the tale, lost in a strange new world, searching for home. As to why I chose speculative fiction, the answer is fairly simple. Fantasy is the only fiction I read! (BTW, I know all the reasons for the broader title of spec fic, but I’m old school).

I relate well to Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but many people don't think of them as Christian genres. Can you tell your opinion on why you think that speculative fiction should be more promoted in Christian presses?

In my view, fantasy is a natural ally of truth, especially in this deflated, materialistic age. We should expect big things from God, and teach our kids the same, but how? Kid’s imaginations are so anemic today, fed a watery diet of video games and timid little stories. They need big, daring tales---of heroes and courage and sacrifice. So if on a larger scale, the framework of an otherworldly story emerges from a thoroughly Christian worldview, elements like magic become abstract plot points, wings for the soul---not really theological in nature since they belong to the context of another world. The question becomes, “Is it true to the story of that world?” What might the ordering of an entirely different world look like? If there was another place of human existence besides earth, how might an infinitely creative God choose to express Himself there? Would the narrative of earth’s history simply be duplicated in that place, or might we be surprised by some twists and turns? Is God a one note storyteller? No doubt, there would be a consistent moral core, but the expression of those divine values might change. Or so I suspect.

But not all fiction is equal. Does the story evoke the right longings? That’s highly subjective, I realize, but nonetheless real. I remember reading Madeline L’Engles A Wrinkle in Time in the 4th or 5th grade. I had no idea she was a committed Christian, and there was nothing overtly Christian about the story. In fact, it had isolated elements that could have been argued to be otherwise. But every time I read it, even in the 4th grade, I came away thinking, “I can’t put my finger on it, but I think she’s a Christian.” Years later, in college, I discovered that as a fact. Something of her own walk with the Lord inevitably informed the soul of her story, and I caught a whiff of it. For me, the point of fantasy isn’t to contradict Scripture, but to feed the imagination. Done properly, that’s a holy thing. I love the escape, the passion, the burning sense of mission that often comes with stories of this type. Everything is on the line, the world is faced with doom, and the odds aren’t good. What will you do? What will you sacrifice to save those you love? I’m drawn to the deeper questions that get raised by the demands of the hero’s quest. Treachery, redemption, magic. I love the process of transformation, where princes are exposed as petty or cowardly, and yet the humble farmer’s son rises to defy the looming darkness. It’s all or nothing. It’s fantasy, and yet it strips away the illusions. Anything that strips away illusions is potentially a servant of truth. Of course, this calls for discernment. It might be argued that the fantasy genre runs a greater risk of creating illusions than dispelling them. But no more, really, than any other genre. The integrity of the story, the author’s intentions, clarity of perspective—all serve to reveal truth, or mask it, regardless of genre.

I see that you have 4 boys of your own and 4 more step-children. With 8 children in your life how did you find time to write your first novel?

Ahh, it’s very difficult! And to be honest, I’m unsatisfied with the current state of things. I squeeze in too many late hours that detract from family time. Very often, I’m grabbing an hour here, two hours there, at a pace I know I can’t sustain indefinitely. I chose it for the launch of the series to bring the books in quick succession to market, in hopes of building momentum and a fan base. But my kids need me more than they need books written by me. So I juggle. I schedule individual time and family time. I put it on the calendar and try not to break it. After that, I spent a lot of hours up late. Fortunately, I have a wife who is very understanding and supportive of the process. It would be impossible without her.

Do you find inspiration in your family for your writings?

Tons of inspiration! As I mentioned, the heart of the story is biographical, beginning with those dark, lonely moments when it was just me and my boys facing a strange new world together. They were even younger, then. They didn’t know how to express their grief. I realized they needed a voice. For my part, I could hardly get out of bed, dealing with my own pain, but it occurred to me that if I gave them their own adventure, sort of dropped them into a this other world where they could cry and hurt and fight their way back, they might just find their voice. It’s been an amazing process. It’s put some life back into all of us.

How has your faith guided your writing?

My gut reaction to this question was a verse: “I knew whom I have believed in, and am persuaded that He is able...” Over the last four years, I’ve wrestled with God a lot. But ultimately, I see the story of my life as quite similar to my boys. Bad stuff happens. God has placed me in this world of wonder, where I can cry and hurt and fight to live again. I battle for my heart every day. I try to teach my kids to do the same.

For any aspiring authors who might have trouble working on their novels, is there any advice you can give to help them become more motivated?

Well, my answer begs the question, but...you have to persevere! It won’t just be handed to you. You’ll get a mountain of rejection letters before you get published. Accept that fact and outlast the rejections. Wear them down. I wish I could motivate you with tales of money and fame, but I can’t, because I don’t have either! I wrote because I wanted to write, because I needed to write. If you don’t want it enough, or need it enough, chances are you probably aren’t meant to write.

Has your journey, in writing your novels, straightened your faith? How?

Ever since my Amy passed away, my journey with God has been very different---different than it’s ever been. Grief is a long, draining process. It affects every part of your being. More than anything, I rest in the knowledge that even in the darkness, He sees me. And His plan for me is good. A verse that was very meaningful to my wife during her fight with cancer has become a lifeline for me: “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

Others blogging about this book:


Contest: Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard

Submitted by tired_gardener on Sun, 01/18/2009 - 01:00
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Yesterday I toured Before the Season Ends. Today we will have a contest for a copy of it. The author has agreed to give away a free copy to one lucky reader. She has made one stipulation though. In order for a winner to be chosen there must be 10 people entering the contest.

How to enter. You will have multiple ways of entering this contest.

  1. First, you must comment below telling us a romantic time you have had. This will get you one entry. You can then do any or all of the entry choices below.
  2. Tweet about this post on Twitter. Leave a comment with your Twitter ID, letting me know you did.
  3. Blog about this contest. Leave a comment letting me know where you blogged. A link on a web site, MySpace, FaceBook, etc. will also count.
  4. Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment. If you already follow me, that is good enough.
  5. Post one of the widgets for my new site, Contest Farm, on your site. Comment below to let me know you did.

Rules

  • Draw will be processed using random.org.
  • Entries must be time stamped by midnight on February 18th.
  • Spam entries will not be accepted and may be deleted by administrator.
  • Email addresses must be included with entry so you can be contacted.
  • Email addresses are not public and will never be used for any purpose other than to contact you related to the contest you entered.
  • Most likely only the winner will be contacted. If you want to see who the winner is, you can revisit the contest and it will be posted as a comment.
  • Winner will have 48 hours to respond or another name will be drawn.
  • If no one responds within the time allotted, prize will either be offered as another prize, or donated to charity.
  • Winner can choose to have item donated to charity instead of shipped to them.
  • Administrator can choose to invalidate entries if they are determined, in the administrator's mind, to be spam, cheating, or otherwise unethical.
  • US entrants only

Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard

Submitted by tired_gardener on Sat, 01/17/2009 - 01:00
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Today I am hosting a tour of a book called Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard. I did not have the time to read this book, so will skip the review, but you will be able to read the first chapter and make the choice for yourself.

This Regency era romance novels is one of the few romance novels to be placed in that era and have Christian beliefs built into them. Since I did not read the book, I'll let the author tell you a little about herself and a bit about the book. You can then read the entire first chapter, and if you like, buy an autographed copy from the author.

About the Author

Linore Rose Burkard creates Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul. Her characters take you back in time to experience life and love during the era of Regency England (circa 1800 - 1830). Fans of classic romances, such as Pride & Prejudice, Emma, and Sense & Sensibility, will enjoy meeting Ariana Forsythe, a feisty heroine who finds her heart and beliefs tested by high-society London.

Ms. Burkard's novels include Before the Seasons Ends and The House in Grosvenor Square (coming April, 2009). Her stories blend Christian faith and romance with well-researched details from the Regency period. Her books and monthly newsletter captivate readers with little-known facts, exciting stories, and historical insights. Experience a romantic age, where timeless lessons still apply to modern life. And, enjoy romance that reminds us happy endings are possible for everyone.

Publisher's Weekly affirms, "Ms. Burkard's command of period detail is impressive, evident in material details, but also in dialogue. Her novels even help non-Regencyphiles learn the difference between ladies' pelisses and spencers...On the whole, it's a tasty confection."

Ms. Burkard began writing when she couldn't find a Regency romance with an inspirational twist. "There were Christian books that approached the genre," she says, "But, they fell short of being a genuine Regency. I knew that many women like me want stories that are historically authentic and offer glimpses of God's involvement in our lives. So, I finally gave up looking and decided to write one myself."

Ms. Burkard was raised in New York, where she graduated magna cum laude from the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. She lives with her husband and five children in a town full of antique stores and gift shops in southwestern Ohio. Her hobbies include working on four new Regency novels, family movie nights, swimming, and gardening.

About the Book

England, 1813: Romantic woes at home send Ariana Forsythe to her Aunt Bentley's town house in the fashionable Mayfair district of London. There she finds worse troubles than those that prompted her flight from home. Under her aunt's watchful eye, Ariana is soon steeped in high society--and at odds with Mr. Phillip Mornay, London's current darling rogue.

Then, unexpectedly, rumour of a scandal changes Ariana forever. Her faith and her future are at stake in an unexpected adventure that gains even the Prince Regent's attention.

Will Ariana's faith survive this test? And what about her heart? For it is Ariana's heart that most threatens to betray the truths she has always believed in. When she finds herself backed against a wall, betrothed to a man who cannot share her faith, how can it ever turn out right?

The First Chapter


Money Savers: Making Many Meals From Whole Chickens

Submitted by tired_gardener on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 01:00
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In this economy it is very important for everyone to be a little frugal. In any economy it is important to save, cut waste, etc. Today's frugal tip is on how to save money and reduce waste on food preparation by buying whole chickens instead of chicken parts. I hypothesized that if you buy a whole chicken you will get enough breast meat that with the price of boneless, skinless chicken breast, the remainder will be free. Let's look at my results and see if my hypothesis is correct.

I bought three whole birds. I then cut off the legs and wings and set them aside to make BBQ. I sliced off the breasts and set them aside for chicken parm and I pulled out the giblets for fried giblets. Everything else, the neck, ribs and back were tossed into a pan to make stock. I also gave a few scraps to the dog. I could use all the scraps as raw dog food, but have not spend enough time studying raw diet to know what I can and cannot give him.

Below is a chart of the birds. It shows the price of the bird, the weight of the bird, and the weight of the breast meat I got off. The first bird I did not get all the breast meat off, because I was still learning, so I might have gotten more breast meat had I been a little better bird hacker.

  Cost Bird Weight (lbs) Breast Weight (lbs)
Bird 1 $5.36 4.50 0.875
Bird 2 $6.56 5.51 1.281
Bird 3 $5.03 4.23 1.094
TOTALS $16.95 14.24 3.25

Now, what does this little table tell us. I had hypothesized that the breast weight would be enough that the cost of the bird would be covered by the value of the breasts. Boneless skinless chicken breasts from the same brand were $4.99. We ended up with 3.25 lbs of breasts, so that is worth $16.22. That did not quite make the $16.95 I spent on the three birds, but close. I also might have ended up with the extra 73 cents worth of meat had I been a better cutter in the first bird. Despite that, look in the picture to see how much more bird I got for that 73 cents!


Mulching Christmas

Submitted by tired_gardener on Sun, 01/11/2009 - 14:25
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After Christmas we took down the tree and set it out beside the house. Now what? I can pay the boy scouts to haul it off. I can pay the garbage haulers to haul it off. I can take it someplace and pay them to take it. Or I can mulch it and use the mulch to improve my garden. I like the last option.

I have a small chipper/mulcher that I have for things like this. It is a very useful tool to have. I got mine off of Craigslist and if I needed some money I could probably sell it there for what I spent on it and then buy another the next time I needed one. This is a little trouble since I always seem to need one. I spent $125 for it. The only problem is that it does not have an automatic feed. If you can afford it, I recommend getting one with an auto feed. I can't afford it, so this one works fine for me.

How it works: They are very simple to use. Just start it up, much like a lawn mower. Let it warm up a little and then you have two choice for how to feed it. The small stuff can go into the big hopper. Limbs go into the small feeder. The small stuff can include leaves, pine needles and the like. I may not be strictly necessary to mulch the small stuff, but it makes it more compact and nicer looking for use around your plants. The output on the mulcher will blow the material a ways away, so either mulch it where you want the mulch to sit, or put up something to catch the material for transport.


Making Pizza

Submitted by tired_gardener on Fri, 01/09/2009 - 10:28
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I'm trying to learn how to make a good pizza. I love pizza, but paying $16 for a greasy meat on a cardboard crust does not appeal to me. The take and bake place up the road makes a good pizza for a lower cost, but I think I can still make it at home for less and get exactly what I want. Here is a picture of my first attempt.

Notice that the crust is not round. I used this recipe for pizza crust. I'd not recommend using it. The crust ended up flavorless and was hard to work. It was too thin for my taste as well. If you are after a thin, flavorless crust, this is a good choice. The hard to work part could be as much my fault as the recipes. I've never worked pizza dough before, so don't really know what I'm doing.

I think the sauce turned out fine though. The recipe was simple: mix 2 parts tomato sauce with 1 part tomato paste. Add some garlic, oregano and onion powder. Cook for a couple minutes to cook the garlic, or use garlic power if you don't want to cook it. Done. I'll also experiment with it some, but I liked this simple sauce.

I have two more crusts in the freezer that I'll need to make up and then I'll try another recipe. I might just bake up the two crusts as treats for the chickens. They are less picky eaters than I am. I'll keep you informed on my progress.