Interviews with more than 4,000 teens, revealed seventy-five percent of teens have attended a séance, psychic readings, used Ouija boards, or joined Wicca and practiced casting spells. Another study from Barna Research group, showed an overwhelming majority of America’s youth have practiced “black arts,” otherwise known as witchcraft. But only twenty-five percent of teens receive guidance about the supernatural from church. Award winning Pacific Northwest author, Melody Carlson, penned this fictional supernatural series as a refreshing and exciting, spiritual alternative.
Bad Connection,The Secret Life of Samantha McGrego, #1, by Melody Carlson, Multnomah Publishers, 2006, 193 Pages, ISBN: 1590526929, $11.99
Samantha has experienced unusual prophetic powers and dreamed dreams and had visions about the future since she was six years old. She feels God has used her many times to prevent an accident or help someone in danger. While her father cautiously encouraged her while he was alive, her mother thought she was crazy. The last time Samantha talked with her mother about her visions, she had forced Samantha to see a psychiatrist for a year.
When her school friend, Kayla Henderson, disappears, Samantha has a disturbing vision of Kayla held captive, bound and gagged with duct tape. Even though Kayla is a party girl, hates her parents, and likes to break the rules, Samantha knows she's in trouble, but can she convince anyone else?
Add a sympathetic detective and Samantha's determination to find her friend, and a dangerous chase begins that takes Samantha across the United States. This refreshing, fast paced mystery is an excellent choice for teens and young adults and is a wonderful alternative to television series such as The Dead Zone, Medium and Joan of Arcadia.
Popular shows such as these reveal that interest in the supernatural among teens and young adults is at an all time high, further evidenced by the Harry Potter books and several nationwide studies.
Interviews with more than 4,000 teens, revealed seventy-five percent of teens have attended a séance, psychic readings, used Ouija boards, or joined Wicca and practiced casting spells. Another study from Barna Research group, showed an overwhelming majority of America’s youth have practiced “black arts,” otherwise known as witchcraft. But only twenty-five percent of teens receive guidance about the supernatural from church. Award winning Pacific Northwest author, Melody Carlson, penned this fictional supernatural series as a refreshing spiritual alternative. A synopsis of other books in the series follows:
Beyond Reach, the Secret Life of Samantha McGregor, #2, By Melody Carlson, Multnomah Books, 2007, 250 Pages, Paperback, ISBN-13: 978-1590526934, $11.99
If You Thought You Needed Vision, Would You Ask God For It?
Exhausted by her role in the dramatic rescue of Kayla Henderson, Samantha McGregor is ready for a vacation from her God-given visions. But when Sam gets her wish and the visions actually go on hiatus, she’s beginning to wonder if she’s lost her spiritual gift forever. To make matters worse, her police friend Ebony needs her help!
Peter Clark has been dead for several years, an open-and-shut case of suicide, but Ebony’s not convinced. Why would he do it? And why does Ebony suspect foul play? Sam has been no help in the investigation, and just when she’s lost all hope, God gives her a vision of a guy jumping from a railroad bridge. Suddenly the floodgates open and all of Sam’s visions involve suicide. Who is this guy? And what does this have to do with Peter’s death? It’s a race against the clock as Sam worries about every brown-haired guy she meets: her lab partner, Olivia’s rocker friend, and Peter’s little brother–they all fit the description!
Whoever the guy in her vision is, his identity is just beyond Sam’s reach, and he’s definitely losing his grip fast…Trusting God will lead her; Sam’s determined to send a message of hope and find him before he gives up.
Playing with Fire, the Secret Life of Samantha McGregor, #3, Multnomah, 2007, Paperback,
ISBN-13: 978-1590526941, $12.99
Product Description
If your vision led you straight into the fire, would you follow it anyway?
Samantha’s brother, Zach, is finally home after a ninety-day rehab for his meth addiction, and life seems to be getting back to normal. That is, until Sam starts having dreams about dangerous situations involving drugs. But her visions are so vague that she doesn’t know who needs help. Of course she’s worried about Zach staying clean, especially since he’s hanging with the wrong crowd. But the whole school seems to be buzzing about drugs, and Sam doesn’t know whose using and who’s not. What is wrong with these people anyway?
Then Sam has a vision of a burning cabin, and this time someone has been shot. Convinced that Zach is involved somehow, Sam chooses to leave Detective Ebony Hamilton out of the loop. If Zach really is involved, this will land him in jail for sure! But her own investigation is getting too hot to handle, and Sam must decide whether to risk getting Zach in trouble with the law– or ultimately risk his life.
Payback, The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor, #4, by Melody Carlson, Multnomah Books, 2008, Paperback, ISBN-13: 978-1590529348, $12.99
If your vision asked you to risk your life to save others, would you have the courage?
When Samantha McGregor tells her friend Detective Ebony Hamilton of her disturbing visions of a brutal murder at a high school, Ebony asks her to go undercover to help identify the shooter before it’s too late. The stakes are raised when Ebony discovers that the potential crime may be connected to a larger terrorism threat!
Meanwhile, Samantha realizes that her mother’s new boyfriend is a little too good to be true. Her unsettling visions, combined with Ebony’s investigation of Steven’s past, reveal him to be more interested in her mother’s money than her heart.
To make matters worse, Samantha has been having visions of an unknown boy who is mercilessly being bullied by his peers. Who is this teen? Can she help him?
This fourth and final installment in The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor series brings Samantha her biggest challenges yet, as she works against the clock to stop a mass murder, help a troubled youth, and save her mother from making a terrible mistake!
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