Playing with Fire
Authors: Melody Carlson
the Samantha McGregor Series
“Bad Connection
is a terrific story for anyone who loves supernatural fiction. My daughters are going to be arguing over who gets to read it first.”
—RANDY INGERMANSON
, winner of two Christy Awards and author of
Double Vision
“God does what He wills and cannot be manipulated. This is the sound doctrinal message for Melody Carlson's book
Bad Connection.
Writing about a spiritual gift we rarely see today was risky, but handled so well I would encourage any teen (or their parents) to read this book. I was reminded that we are not to be afraid of God's more unusual gifts, but to allow Him to use them in our lives.”
—
USSA HALLS JOHNSON
, creator of the Brio Girls series, coauthor of
A Full House of Growing Pains
“Bravo to Melody Carlson for creating a wonderful, engaging character who is just like our daughters and the teens in our church. Yet, she's gifted with visions from God. After eighteen years in youth ministry and watching the world present an enticing display of the supernatural, I'm thrilled to see Christian fiction address this issue, letting teens know that greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
—
RACHEL HAUCK
, author of
Lost in NashVegas
“Bad Connection” has it all: suspense, a ripped-from-the-headlines plot, and characters you'd find in any high school. It's a novel I'd definitely recommend to my teenage granddaughters and their friends.”
—PATRICK
H.
RUSHFORD
, author of the Jennie McGrady Mysteries
“Samantha is totally ordinary in an extraordinary way. Not like us yet just like us. Getting to know her is an experience in itself.”
—SARAH ANNE SUMPOLEC
, author of the Becoming Beka series
“Beyond Reach
has a story line similar to many popular TV shows today dealing with ordinary people with a ‘gift’ to see into the future. Yet the main character, Samantha McGregor, has one question: If this is supposed to be a gift from God, why does it seem like a curse? Overall, this page-turning story weaves in suicide, dating relationships, conflicts with parents, and additional issues teens face. As a mom of three teens myself, I'm thankful that these issues can be lived out’ in a story with a Christian foundation and worldview. Highly recommended!”
—
TRICIA GOYER
, author of
Generation NeXt Parenting
and
Night Song
Books by Melody Carlson:
Piercing Proverbs
THE SECRET LIFE OF SAMANTHA MCGREGOR SERIES
Bad Connection
Beyond Peach
DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL SERIES
Caitlin O’Conner:
Becoming Me
It's My Life
Who I Am
On My Own
I Do!
Chloe Miller:
My Name Is Chloe
Sold Out
Poad Trip
Face the Music
Kim Peterson:
Just Ask
Meant to Be
Falling Up
That Was Then…
TRUECOLORS SERIES
Dark Blue
, color me lonely
Deep Green
, color me jealous
Torch Red
, color me torn
Pitch Black
, color me lost
Burnt Orange
, color me wasted
Fool's Gold
, color me consumed
Blade Silver
, color me scarred
Bitter Rose
, color me crushed
I normally don't include a letter in my books, but because The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor series treads on some new territory, I want to make a few things as clear as possible.
First of all, this book is
fiction—
it's simply a story that's meant to entertain and to possibly point out some spiritual truths—but it is
not
a theological study on the proper use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. While I do believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and in God's desire for all of us to do many wonderful things, I also realize that Samantha's gift, her ability to receive dreams and visions from God, is extremely rare. But it does make for a good story!
Second, my hope is that you won't envy Samantha's unusual gift or seek it for yourself, since that would be totally wrong! Don't forget that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and
He's
the One who decides who gets what and when it's appropriate to use. If you go around searching for your own gifts, you can put yourself at serious risk. Satan masquerades as an angel of light and delights in tricking those who look for gifts in the wrong places. Don't let that be you.
More than anything, I hope you'll follow Samantha's example by seeking out God and a committed relationship with Him. I hope you'll desire to walk closely with God every day, to make Him your best friend, and to be ready for whatever adventures and gifts He has in store for you. Just make sure they come from God!
And finally, remember that the Bible is our ultimate source for answers to all of life's questions. That's why I've included more Scripture in this series than usual. Also, please check out the resources and discussion questions in the back of this book.
I pray that this fictional journey will draw your heart closer to God and that He will be your lifeline—for today and for always!
Best blessings!
Melody Carlson
The first time it happened, I thought it was pretty weird but kind of cool. The second time it happened, I got a little freaked. The third time it happened, I became seriously scared and had sort of a meltdown. That's when my mom decided to send me to a shrink. She thought I was going crazy. And I thought she was right for a change.
Turns out it was just God. Okay not just God. Because, believe me, God is way more than just anything. Still, it was hard to explain this weird phenomenon to my mom or the shrink or anyone. It still is. Other than my best friend, Olivia, I don't think most people really get me.
But that's okay, because I know that God gets me. For that reason I try to keep this part of my life under wraps. For the most part anyway.
A Word from the Word…
M
y eyes sting from the heat I blink and rub at them, trying to see what's in front of me, but there's so much smoke I feel blind. And there's a nasty acrid smell that burns my throat as I attempt to breathe. It smells like something very bad is burning, something I shouldn't be inhaling.
As I stumble along, I try to hold my breath. I know that I need to escape this place—
fast!
But then I trip over a wooden crate and fall smack down onto what feels like a filthy cement floor. It's sticky and grimy down here with, I'm guessing, years’ worth of crud ingrained into the surface.
Despite the filth, I think maybe I'm safer down here. I recall a fireman, back when I was little, telling our class that the smoke isn't as bad if you stay low. So I continue searching for the exit, crawling on my hands and knees. The air has gotten so thick that it feels like I'm fighting my way through a heavy curtain of murky darkness. I pull the neck of my T-shirt up over my face in an attempt to cover my nose and mouth. I can't see a thing except for the eerie red glow off to my left, and I need to get away from that—it's dangerous, deadly and evil.
I must keep moving in the opposite direction of the fire. My time is limited, and I need to get out of here— now! Shards of glass cut into my hands and knees as I creep along, and I keep bumping into cardboard boxes and plastic bottles and other sorts of unknown debris cluttering the place. It seems as if someone has been in here knocking things over, throwing things about, creating a huge mess that has become my obstacle course…or perhaps my deathtrap if I don't escape.
I can't give up I tell myself as I continue navigating through my smoky prison, There must be a door somewhere. If I got into this place, there has to be a way out. I just wish I knew where it is. I inch my way forward, upright on my knees now, my arms outstretched and flailing in front of me. If only I could find a wall to follow. Something that would lead me to a door or a window, anything that could get me out of here.
The heat is almost unbearable now. It feels like the back of my shirt is melting into my skin, like my lungs are about to collapse. And the putrid stench makes me want to vomit. I suddenly wonder if this is what hell would feel like and how anyone could endure such torture. Is that where I am right now—in hell? But why? Why would I be in hell? Why would God allow that?
Finally my hands feel what seems to be a wall. I rise to my feet and quickly use the rough wooden surface to guide me. Splinters pierce my fingers, but that's minor compared to the burning heat and the deadly smell. I work my way along this wall until I reach what I think is a window. It's about three feet from the floor and feels as if a heavy, canvaslike cloth is covering the glass. I tug at the cloth,
but it's securely attached by what seem to be nails. Why would someone nail a window covering down?