The Return of Cassandra Todd

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe Return of Cassandra ToddRealms (February 5, 2013)
byDarrel Nelson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am a schoolteacher by profession and have taught school for (thir—ahem!) years. I grew up in Raymond, Alberta, and attended the University of Lethbridge after graduating from high school and serving a two-year mission to Japan. During university, I met and married Marsha Smith, and we are the parents of four children, which has grown to include their spouses and our ten grandchildren.

I have always loved to write. I started writing stories before I was old enough to realize I was writing stories. It seemed a natural thing to pick up a pencil and paper and create a world simply by using words—worlds of adventure in steaming jungles (Tarzan was an early influence on me) or realms of adventure in outer space (Buck Rogers). But as I have grown older, I have discovered that the real inspiration for me is exploring the theme of love and how it can make such a difference in the world.

I’ve had an article published in Lethbridge Magazine and have written several dramatic plays, two of which won provincial recognition and were showcased at a drama festival. I won the CJOC radio songwriting contest two years running, and have had one of my songs receive international airplay. I have written four novels intended for the juvenile market. They are unpublished as yet, but I read them annually to my fourth grade students and my students tell me they love them, the darlings.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When the girl he hated in high school suddenly reenters his life, little son in tow, and asks for his help, Turner must put the past behind him if they are to survive.

Turner Caldwell works at a local motel as a handyman while attending college full-time. On his way to class one day, he passes the bus depot just as Cassandra Todd and her young son arrive. He is shocked to see her, remembering how cruel she was to him in high school. She was the popular head cheerleader and he the target of her mean-spirited pranks.

Turner could never have imagined that the outdoor training and survival skills he learned at Camp Kopawanee, a summer youth camp where he worked three years as a leader, would one day become so crucial. But when Cassandra and her son check into the motel where he works and she asks for his help in eluding her abusive husband, Turner finds himself entangled in a situation that will require every skill he has in order to survive.


If you'd like to read the first chapter of The Return of Cassandra Todd, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS 

This is a riveting novel. Most people can imagine the dismay they would feel if they suddenly encountered the person associated with the memories and resultant scars of their worst high school experiences. The idea of helping and protecting that very individual would be mind-boggling. But for God. Darrel Nelson has deftly portrayed the many emotions of this scenario in The Return of Cassandra Todd. Personal drama intersects with danger and heart-pounding moments to create a mesmerizing read. Just when I thought the stakes couldn't be any higher, something else happened that made me grip the edges of the book more tightly yet again. God's faithfulness and redemption are a steady theme throughout this story. Don't miss this novel!

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