Unlocked

~ by Cynthia d'Entremont

“Jaron gobbled the scraps of pork fat, licking his fingers so he wouldn’t miss a morsel. He knew his thirst would rage later as he paid the price for indulging in such a salty feast but he hadn’t survived ten year-spans at the Garbage Heaps by being choosy. A newly dumped Five-Year with a stained shirt and snotty nose waddled past him. “One for one,” the child said, eyeing Jaron’s pork scraps while tightly grasping his own half-eaten biscuit. “You’ll make it to Leaving Day for sure,” Jaron said under his breath, glancing at the watchtower and finding the guard’s eyes upon them. “One for one. Each one stands alone. Only the strong survive,” Jaron said, uttering the only words Heapdwellers were allowed to speak to one another. Even though he no longer felt hungry, he snatched his remaining scraps of food. Maybe he’d have a chance to slip them to Devora later on when the guards weren’t looking.”

Unlocked is an edgy fantasy, allegory of Christ set in the dark, deceitful territory of Leviathon. As Jaron searches for truth amidst an underlying battle for good and evil, will he discover that the key he holds is the way out? Does the key hold the secret to finding a new home? Jaron begins his journey with self-doubt but gradually discovers that some people are worthy of trust—even himself.

Copyright © 2009 Cynthia d'Entremont

About the Author: CYNTHIA fell in love with reading at a young age and was know for having a vivid imagination. However, it wasn’t until after the birth of her first child that she started to write stories in earnest. She has published several non-fiction articles and has had a short story included in A Maritime Christmas (Nimbus, 2008). In 2006, she won both the Joyce Barkhouse Writing for Children Award and a Nova Scotia Talent Trust Scholarship in Literary Arts. Cynthia resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia with her husband and two children.

Practice by Practice: The Art of Everyday Faith

~by Kathleen Gibson

“Who said “practice makes perfect”?  Know any practicing Christians very well? Like learning to play piano, developing a sturdy faith takes time—and deliberate, consistent practice. It involves small things.  Commonplace, home things. Mistakes and muddles, even. For faith works itself out, and God teaches his best lessons, not in the church sanctuary or on short-term mission trips, but in the midst of the everyday business-as-usual practices that round out the rest of our time.

This book of short writings, both reverent and irreverent, will teach you what to do when confronted by two charging Rottweilers. What not to do during an earthquake. And why you should fish that watch out of your toilet—or watch that fish flush down your toilet. It will also remind you of important practices that—though not guaranteed to bring perfection—will strengthen your Christian faith against the crushing pressure of a faithless, dizzy world.”

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Gibson

About the Author: KATHLEEN GIBSON describes herself as “a far-from-perfect clergy wife”. She is the author of ‘West Nile Diary’ and a frequent conference and retreat speaker. A former magazine editor and freelancer for Reader’s Digest, CBC Radio, and other major media, her work has received numerous awards and been published worldwide. In response to frequent reader pleas, the writings in this book were adapted from the first year of her popular local faith and life columns, Sunny Side Up, published since 2001 in Yorkton This Week. Kathleen and her husband, Rick, live and minister from Saskatchewan, Canada, surrounded by nearby family, friends, and farmland.