Tag Archive | Pepper Basham

The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham

Nov1

Hope And Truth

The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham is a Christian historical murder suspense with its roots in reality. It is part of the True Colors series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Pepper Basham has created a marvellous tale with a strong, feisty heroine at the core – very much a modern woman for 1912. She is encouraged and championed by her childhood friend. She writes under a nom de plume for the local paper as female writers were not seen to be able to write seriously.

There is the fear of bad blood tainting the generations but as Christians we are all cleansed by the blood of Christ. Fear immobilises us. “Fear don’t speak truth.” Fear keeps us captive with lies. “You can’t keep livin’ in fear… She only has the hold you give her.” We all have the choice as to what we let take root in our mind and in our heart. We can choose to “hold on to truth or ride the wind of fear.” Let us look to God and live in truth.

Sometimes it feels like we journey through life alone. Even, or especially, in the darkest of times, God is with us. “God hadn’t left her alone.” We were never promised a trouble free life. We were promised that God would never leave us nor forsake us.

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The Thorn Healer by Pepper Basham

Apr18

Your Justice Or His Peace?

The Thorn Healer by Pepper Basham is a historical romance. It is the third book in the Penned In Time series but can be read as a stand-alone, however I would recommend reading the previous books first for full enjoyment. Set in the final year of World War I, fact meets fiction in this epic read.

There is the theme of trust – trust in God and trust in men. An alien intern camp in the small American town is met with fear and dislike. People distrust the Germans because of their experience in war. Prejudice is rife but not everyone should be tarred with the same brush.

Jessica is a nurse from the front who finds it hard to trust God after all that she has seen. “How can You see what is happening and so silent?” She is focused on man and not God. Her heart longs to see God but He seems absent. “If You are in the middle of all this mess, show me.”

War breeds bitterness. Bitterness will eat away at a person. “The only thing bitterness does is change you, not Him.” Feelings of bitterness need to be handed over to God. Lives need to be surrendered to God and committed to His plans.

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The Thorn Bearer by Pepper Basham

Apr18

Rescuer Of The Lost

The Thorn Bearer by Pepper Basham is a powerful Christian historical novel and the first book in the Penned In Time series.

The book is set in 1915 with some of the action on the doomed Lusitania. Actual near drownings mirror characters drowning within themselves. “She was drowning. Oh, God, where are You?” The past can be a cruel master that blinds us to God’s love. “God remained … silent… All of that love? It was never meant for me.” God is never silent but in our pain we cannot always hear Him. Lies from the enemy whisper that we are unworthy. “I’ll not have you believing the lies from the shadows.” We need others to help to point us to God and to help us to stand on the word of God and know that we are loved.

God is the rescuer of sinners and we are all sinners in need of a Saviour. “God doesn’t want someone as ruined as me tainting His Heaven.” None of us are ever worthy to stand before God but His grace and love redeem us. Because of Jesus we can come to God just as we are. He will change us from the inside out.

A major theme in the novel is forgiveness. We must forgive. Withholding forgiveness will not just hurt the other person, we will poison our own lives if we become bitter. “Your bitterness is blinding you from seeing what God can do for a person who desperately needs forgiveness.” If we cannot forgive in our strength, we must God for His.

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The Thorn Keeper by Pepper Basham

Apr18

His Love


The Thorn Keeper by Pepper Basham is a delightful Christian historical novel and the second book in the Penned In Time series. I would recommend reading book one first as this one follows on immediately afterwards.

It is still 1915 but the focus of this novel is on older sister Catherine. God has redeemed her and called her by name. Her past no longer defines her as she is a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes we fear that we are not ‘good enough’ to be used by God but “I can use you right where you are. I can use you as you are.” God uses us as He finds us and then He changes us. We do not need to clean our act up and then come. God says ‘come’ and then we will change with His love.

The novel deals with the theme of fallen women and their children. “How could anyone lay the sins of the mother on his little head?” It is horrifying to the modern reader to witness the stigma attached to unmarried mothers and their babies. A kind hearted character sees beyond the situation and offers a helping hand.

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