The Sheriff's Surrender by Susan Page Davis

While I enjoy an excellent mystery and most excellent character developments which make we care deeply what happens to them, this novel didn't quite hit that mark. Don't get me wrong. This was a rather fun read, but was not up to par. It wasn't exactly gripping. While reading it, it really does keep your interest. However, after you've put it down, you are not really motivated to pick it back up again because there are parts which could have been really funny or sweetly tear-jerking, but didn't quite make it.

On the other hand, when the saloon owner and local Madame made friends with the members of the ladies shooting club, I did sit up and cheer a bit. That did leave open the question of a person's lifestyle and belief in Jesus and how it meshes with Biblical teaching. It is GREAT that a church opens its arms to the sinner, but what is the church doing about helping the sinner make that 180 degree turn of repentence into the lifestyle that Jesus would have us live for Him?

I am not saying that Christian Fiction should be the preaching tool of the 21st century. I am saying that as Christians no matter what we do, we should keep our eyes on the goal Jesus set for us in the Great Commission. That is one of our purposes here on earth, and it is one way we bring glory to God which is our ultimate purpose. It pushed a lot of my reading buttons, but not all of them, therefore this is only about two stars.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Sheriff’s Surrender

Barbour Books (December 1, 2009)

by

Susan Page Davis


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books. My young adult novel, Sarah's Long Ride, also spotlights horses and the rugged sport of endurance riding, as does the contemporary romance Trail to Justice. I took a vocational course in horseshoeing after earning a bachelor's degree in history. I don't shoe horses anymore, but the experience has come in handy in writing my books.

Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters

For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer, covering local government, school board meetings, business news, fires, auto accidents, and other local events, including a murder trial. I've also written many profiles and features for the newspaper and its special sections. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. We're so glad we did. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!



ABOUT THE BOOK


Gert Dooley can shoot the tail feathers off a jay at a hundred yards, but she wants Ethan Chapman to see she's more than a crack shot with a firearm. When the sheriff of Fergus, Idaho, is murdered and Ethan is named his replacement, Gert decides she has to do whatever she can to help him protect the citizenry. So she starts the Ladies Shooting Club. But when one of their numbers is murdered, these ladies are called on for more than target shooting and praying. Can Gert and the ladies of Fergus find the murderer before he strikes again?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Sheriff’s Surrender , go HERE

The Rose Legacy by Kristen Heitzmann

From Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing

Enter Carina Maria DeGratia and her trusty mule on the side of a mountain with a broken wheel. Along comes a handsome but decidedly crusty man. Is he a knight in shinning armor? No. He just tells her to get whatever she treasures out of the wagon, then over the side the wagon goes. I completely sympathize with Carina when she gets angry.

The story opens very well, with quite an exciting trip down into the ravine to retrieve at least a change of clothes and her silver. However, the excitement dies down into an intriguing mystery. Carina is befriended by a sleezy lawyer with questionable practices in selling a house which Carina has the rightful deed... or does she?

As she tries to settle into this ribald town, she whines about her lost love Flavio. This man she pines for was unfaithful. (I'm not giving away a plot line here, in fact it should have been introduced much sooner, but too much was happening all at once, I guess.)

The problem is that this young woman is painted as a firebrand with much spirit and life, yet she whines at least twice a day about this Flavio. She dreams about him, too. I got disgusted with it about half way through the novel. I know what I'm talking about because I have lived through this kind of disaster. When a man is unfaithful, then the emotion at the forefront is anger. That takes a long time to work through. Ah, well, different strokes and all that.

The historical aspect is very interesting. You can tell that Kristen did her homework. I have spent some time in gold rush towns (both ghost town and quite lively) and this historical account rings true. The characters have been very well developed. There is nothing two-dimensional about them. They are all quite unique and colorful. They all have their warts, they all have good qualities. It is a good read if you can get past the constant reminder about Flavio.

Kristen Heitzmann is the bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including Freefall, Halos, A Rush of Wings, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. She and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church. Visit Kristen's Web site at http://www.kristenheitzmann.com/

 Price: $13.99


ISBN: 978-0-7642-0713-6

ISBN-10: 0-7642-0713-X

Christmas Glass by Marci Alborghetti

Anything from Guideposts has always had the highest quality and this year's Christmas story is no exception. It has a marvelous cover with beautiful artwork and all of that is before you even open the book.

Once you start reading this intricately woven story from the viewpoint of all the family members, you can see why communication is a crucial key for family relationships (not to mention all other relationships both personal and business). We do not have the ability to read each other's minds. While the Holy Spirit does a most excellent job of helping us to understand our loved ones and their motives, we must make sure that we put God first above all others, no exceptions.

I have read stories before that were written from different perspectives and got very bored before finishing the novels because you are reading the same thing, just different angles. But this one is well done, and each perspective moves the story along. It was only slightly tiresome reading all the background story, too, but that did lend a greater insight to motives and beliefs.

The last page is a bit ambiguous, and I hate ambiguous endings... but then I think, how else could it end? This is a saga told succinctly and poignantly beginning with WWII up to present day. We slowly find out what happens to this set of treasured Christmas glass ornaments, and there is a beautiful testament of friendship.

Excellent read, well worth the money. It is a keeper

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Christmas Glass

GuidepostsBooks (October 1, 2009)

by

Marci Alborghetti


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Marci Alborghetti has been writing only slightly longer than she's been reading. In seventh grade she received her first writing prize for a zany Halloween story. The prize? A five dollar gift certificate to a local bookstore. She was hooked. The Christmas Glass is her fourteenth book, and she is currently at work on a sequel as well as a non-fiction book about service. Some of her other books include: Prayer Power: How to Pray When You Think You Can’t, A Season in the South and Twelve Strong Women of God.

She and her husband, Charlie Duffy, live in New London, Connecticut and the San Francisco Bay area. While in New London she facilitates the Saint James Literary Club.



ABOUT THE BOOK

In the tradition of The Christmas Shoes and A Christmas on Jane Street, the heartwarming story of The Christmas Glass shows how, today as always, the Christmas miracle works its wonders in the human heart.

In the early days of World War II in Italy, Anna, a young widow who runs a small orphanage, carefully wraps her most cherished possessions -- a dozen hand-blown, German-made, Christmas ornaments, handed down by her mother -- and sends them to a cousin she hasn't seen in years.

Anna is distressed to part with her only tangible reminder of her mother, but she worries that the ornaments will be lost or destroyed in the war, especially now that her orphanage has begun to secretly shelter Jewish children. Anna's young cousin Filomena is married with two-year-old twins when she receives the box of precious Christmas glass.

After the war, Filomena emigrates to America, where the precious ornaments are passed down through the generations. After more than forty years, twelve people come to possess a piece of Christmas glass, some intimately connected by family bonds, some connected only through the history of the ornaments.

As Christmas Day approaches, readers join each character in a journey of laughter and tears, fractures and healings, as Filomena, now an eighty-four-year-old great-grandmother, brings them all to what will be either a wondrous reunion or a disaster that may shatter them all like the precious glass they cherish.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Christmas Glass, go HERE

Loss of Carrier by Russ White

Here is another without a Publisher icon we have www.booksurge.com which we are told is soon to become CreateSpace. Ah well...

The premise for this story is definitely intriguing. It has all the great elements of a murder mystery including a grusome without being graphic murder scene without an adorable amatuer sleuth who is actually a software/computer geek. He is adorable because he has quirks and is unsure of himself beside the "girl next door" real sleuth who works for ???

However...

After asking some questions of my own while reading this novel, I turn the page and voila! the questions I asked are there in black and white. Wonderful! They are on the right track, I smile and keep reading... and reading... and reading. After a reasonable amount of time, I flip over about 50 pages and Lo! there are the same questions all over again with no progress at all. Why have the 50 pages if there is no progress? There really isn't an answer for this hypothetical question. It is one of those things that make you go... HMMMM, why am I reading this?

This would be a great novel if it were trimed about 20,000 words. It would be a super made for TV movie. I wouldn't mind spending a couple of hours watching this, but please... let's make some progress if I'm going to spend several evenings before I sleep on a novel.

One character (the protag) is very well developed. You know how he will react in any given situation. He's a great guy. He's a geek. He's adorable. I wouldn't change a thing about him. And the villian, is enormously a villian even incognito, although you can figure out who he is within a few pages. The problem is there is no real interplay between the two. There is no tension buildup. There is nothing really to make you want to hate him or, on the flip side, like him. He's just some guy inserted in the story line to literally be the villian.

I just read that last line and I wonder at myself. Have I read so much drival in the past several years that I've become iron-skinned? Do I expect too much? Then I think of some of the greatest novels I've read in the past 50 years and think, "No."

If someone is going to spend hard-earned money on a story, then why isn't it the greatest story that can be told? Why? if stories like Pride and Prejudice and Shakespear's plays, and The Three Musketeer's, The Man in the Iron Mask, Prisoner of Zenda et al are told and retold and printed and reprinted? it is because really good storytelling cannot be disguised.

It is good storytelling that we find hard to come by in these days and times. That is because it is too easy to turn on the TV and zone-out.

A good story has 3-dimensional characters. It has a good build up. It has good tension among the characters. It has staying power down through the ages.

This story has 1 3-D character. It has excellent build up. It has passable tension in the love angle but it does not have staying power. I do not think this story is worth the money.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Loss Of Carrier
BookSurge Publishing (October 27, 2009)
by
Russ White


ABOUT THE BOOK

Bright yellow cables against a blue shirt? Carl never would have approved of that color combination. Why was his face so white? His eyes should be closed, not open. Why hadn’t one of the security guards seen this and reported it to the police? The lights were off, the cameras were useless in the dark.

Of course, the cables wrapped around Carl’s neck explained why the server wasn’t working. Loss of carrier.

Jess Wirth lives a dreary life. He spends most of his time crammed inside a cubicle, toiling as a network engineer and stewing over the details of his ugly divorce. But when he finds his co-worker dead in the basement of their office, Jess’s life takes a surprising—and unpleasant—turn.

The police quickly declare the death a suicide, but Jess isn’t so sure. Not long after he begins digging into the victim’s work, another co-worker turns up dead, convincing him once and for all that something sinister is brewing behind the cubicle walls.

His investigation leads him to a mysterious woman name Leah, who pushes him to entrust her with the information he’s collected about his dead colleagues. Wary of Leah’s motives yet inexorably drawn to her, Jess keeps her at arm’s length...until an attempt is made on both their lives. Realizing they are close on the trail of a dangerous criminal, the pair race to expose a data theft ring before they become the killer’s next victims.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Loss Of Carrier, go HERE

Eternity Falls by Kirk Outerbridge

I just spent 30 minutes writing my review which completely disappeared on me. That hasn't happened in years! What a pain!

I'll never remember everything, but I'll try.

This story has plenty of twists and curves. One thing that bothers me is there is no publishing house imprint on the thing. Another thing that bothers me is that there is no real reason why the protag falls in love with the girl who happens to be as irritating as any character I've met. I guess it's a guy thing.

I really like the main character, though. He is very well developed and matches the story line. There's no out of character experience. The support cast, however, seems to be rather shallow which gives them a two-dimensional feel. While the villians are evil and there's a lot of betrayal, their motivations are not fully developed which gives the story sort of a crackling, brittle feel.

The gadgets are fun, though, and very convenient.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Eternity Falls
Marcher Lord Press (October 1, 2009)
by
Kirk Outerbridge


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kirk Outerbridge developed a passion for storytelling at an early age. Through years of reading Fantasy and Science Fiction novels, comics, table top gaming and watching endless hours Japanese anime, he developed a keen sense for what made stories enjoyable and more importantly—what didn’t.

While pursuing an engineering degree in college, Kirk endeavored to tell his own stories, choosing writing as the easiest and cheapest medium to master—or so he thought. Several years and several hundred thousand words later, he produced a Sci-fi trilogy that shall never (God willing) see the light of day, but that did teach him much needed lessons about the craft of writing fiction.

After college Kirk returned to his homeland of Bermuda where he reunited with his childhood friend and future wife, Ria. But before marrying his lovely wife, Kirk entered an even greater marriage and devoted his life to Christ in 2002.

With a new found direction in life, writing fell by the wayside but the urge to tell futuristic stories never left. After much prayer and contemplation, Kirk purposed his writing for God’s Will, seeking to draw to Christ those who shared his passions for all things futuristic and Sci-fi.

Kirk currently lives with his wife Ria and 18 month old son Miles in beautiful Bermuda. He is a faithful member of the Church of Christ and is a professional engineer employed by the government.



ABOUT THE BOOK

In the future, death is only a problem if you can’t afford the price. Such is the promise of Gentec Corporation’s “Miracle Treatment”, a genetic anti-aging elixir that grants eternal life—or does it?

When a Gentec client suddenly dies of natural causes, the powers that be will stop at nothing to ensure their version of eternity remains unchallenged; even if it means concocting a religious sabotage conspiracy to cover a lie.

With the media about to blow the story wide open, the credibility of Gentec and the lives of millions of clients rest on one man’s ability to uncover the truth.
Enter detective Rick Macey, religious counterterrorist expert and Gentec executive Sheila Dunn’s last hope for salvation.

Now with the clock ticking and the corporate brass seeking their own solution at any cost, Macey must track down a religious zealot out to destroy the Miracle Treatment for good.

But when Macey finds himself not only falling for his client, but confronted with the possibility that the culprit could hold a connection to his shaded past, the truth suddenly becomes a dangerous thing.

Only through a test of faith can he stop the crisis before it’s all too late and eternity falls.

If you would like to read an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Eternity Falls, go HERE

Fit To Be Tied by Robin Hatcher

This one is truly more like Robin Hatcher. I so much enjoyed the way each character developed, how values of what is truly important built into pillars of faith. This is reading pleasure. You start to care about the tomboy hoyden right at the beginning. You enjoy the flint sparks as dust and grit vs prim and proper collide.

The minor characters are so enjoyable as well. As the story unfolds, each page gives the reader some new nugget to savor like a Worther's Caramel Candy. Go buy this book. It is worth the money and is a keeper for sure.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Fit to Be Tied
Zondervan (November 1, 2009)
by
Robin Lee Hatcher


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Lee Hatcher discovered her vocation as a novelist after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Whispers from Yesterday), the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance (Patterns of Love and The Shepherd's Voice), two RT Career Achievement Awards (Americana Romance and Inspirational Fiction), and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over 50 novels, including Catching Katie, named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She is passionate about the theater, and several nights every summer, she can be found at the outdoor amphitheater of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, enjoying Shakespeare under the stars. She makes her home outside of Boise, sharing it with Poppet the high-maintenance Papillon



ABOUT THE BOOK

Cleo Arlington dresses like a cowboy, is fearless and fun-loving, and can ride, rope, and wrangle a horse as well as any man. In 1916, however, those talents aren’t what most young women aspire to. But Cleo isn’t most women. Twenty-nine years old and single, Cleo loves life on her father’s Idaho ranch. Still, she hopes someday to marry and have children.

Enter Sherwood Statham, an English aristocrat whose father has sentenced him to a year of work in America to “straighten him out.” Sherwood, who expected a desk job at a posh spa, isn’t happy to be stuck on an Idaho ranch. And he has no idea how to handle Cleo, who’s been challenged with transforming this uptight playboy into a down-home cowboy, because he has never encountered a woman succeeding in a “man’s world.”

Just about everything either of them says or does leaves the other, well, fit to be tied. Cleo Arlington knows everything about horses but nothing about men. And though Cleo believes God’s plan for her includes a husband, it couldn’t possibly be Sherwood Statham. Could it?

Their bumpy trot into romance is frustrating, exhilarating, and ultimately heartwarming.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Fit to Be Tied , go HERE.

Watch the book video Trailer:

Watch Over Me...

As promised... the review of Watch Over Me.

It was about two years ago that I read a book as depressing as this one. I realize that the strains that problems put on marriage. I realize that our soldiers who are in combat zones for any length of time have huge problems to deal with. I realize that some women have psychlogical problems with weight control and self-worth. But when I read a novel that has all those problems, I would like a tiny bit of comic relief or hope or something to keep me from going to sleep with a heavy heart and no hope. This novel will suck you dry. Christa Parrish also uses some deeply graphic scenes to make a point which I thought were a bit over the top for it to be deemed a Christian novel.

I can get all of this from secular, worldly novels. I don't pick up Christian novels to read stories without hope until the very last page. Life is full of problems and stresses. We Christians find it hard enough to cope with the world without succombing to harsher realities such as this novel depicts. All of this, of course, comes from my personal, emotional response.

The story is well written, however. It is slow with character development, although the protag's friends do provide some wise guidance and a small amount of relief.

This is not a fluffy, Sunday afternoon read. It hits hard, which some may truly like.

Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish

I didn't get this one from the CFBAA Blog Tour, I ordered it from Bethany House Reviewers list. I don't know why I didn't list it as one to read on CFBA... For me that is one of those things that make me go Hmmmm. So, I didn't recieve this book until today. I'm posting with the blog tour NOW and will do a review as soon as I've finished "Fit to be TIED" by Robin Hatcher. Where is my brain???

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Watch Over Me
(Bethany House October 1, 2009)
by
Christa Parrish


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christa Parrish graduated high school at 16, with every intention of becoming a surgeon. After college, however, her love of all things creative led her in another direction, and she worked in both theatre and journalism.

A winner of Associated Press awards for her reporting, Christa gave up her career after the birth of her son, Jacob. She continued to write from home, doing pro bono work for the New York Family Policy Council, where her articles appeared in Focus on the Family’s Citizen magazine. She was also a finalist in World magazine’s WORLDview short story contest, sponsored by WestBow press. She now teaches literature and writing to high school students, is a homeschool mom, and lives with her husband, author Chris Coppernoll, and son in upstate New York, where she is at work on her third novel.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Her Rescue Might Be the Miracle They Needed Things like this don't happen in Beck County. Deputy Benjamin Patil is the one to find the infant girl, hours old, abandoned in a field. As police work to identify the mother, Ben and his wife, Abbi, seem like the obvious couple to serve as foster parents. But the newborn's arrival opens old wounds for Abbi and shines a harsh light on how much Ben has changed since a devastating military tour. Their marriage teeters on the brink and now they must choose to reclaim what they once had or lose each other forever.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Watch Over Me, go HERE

Leaving Yesterday by Kathryn Cushman

This book raised some very interesting questions. It explores the question: "What would I do when faced with this situation?" As a Mom, I think I would most likely do exactly what Alisa Stewart did. Then again...

Some of the things she did were quite stupid, but are we really all that smart when it comes to our children? Are we ever really able to do that Tough Love thing? Especially when they show signs of real progress, real godly love and true repentance? We parents always face those tough situations with as much grace as we can muster because not only do we love our children, but we also know what being young is like. This was an excellent character study and is worth the money. It isn't fluffy, but it is a bit like a soap opera in that there is much interspection and a lot of reflection. Sometimes we're forced into decisions that make us shudder afterwards. This book won't tell you what to do, but it just might make you think about them before you are faced with them.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Leaving Yesterday
Bethany House (October 1, 2009)
by
Kathryn Cushman


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I graduated from Samford University with a degree in pharmacy, but I’ve known all my life that I wanted to write a novel “some day”. For me, “some day” came about five years ago, when I started writing and never looked back.

My third attempt became my first published novel.

A Promise to Remember was a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers Book-of-the-Year in the Women’s Fiction category, and Waiting for Daybreak was a finalist in Women’s Fiction for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award. Leaving Yesterday just arrived on scene and I’m very excited about it!

On the homefront, I’ve been married to the wonderful and handsome Lee for over twenty years now, and our two daughters are currently braving the worlds of elementary and high school. We’ve lived in Santa Barbara for the last seventeen years. When I’m not writing or reading or braving seventy degree holidays, you’ll find me watching the younger daughter play softball, or the older daughter building amazing high school theater sets



ABOUT THE BOOK

Alisa Stewart feels like she's lost two sons: her youngest to a terrible tragedy and her eldest, Kurt, to a life ruined by addiction. But now Kurt has checked himself into rehab and found a healing faith that seems real. It's like he's been raised from the dead.

But then a detective arrives at Alisa's door asking questions about a murder--the death of a drug dealer before Kurt entered rehab. Alisa fears losing her son again, and when she finds evidence linking him to the killing, she destroys it. Her boy is different now. He's changed and deserves a second chance.

But when another man is charged with the crime, Alisa finds herself facing an impossible choice: be silent and keep her son or give up everything for the truth.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Leaving Yesterday, go HERE

Love Has A Face by Michelle Perry

I have several missionary friends and I have heard so many wonderful stories of faith, and hope, and God's great ability to reach out and draw His children to Himself. This is basically all those stories in one sweet book. Michelle Perry has done a wonderful job in journaling about her experiences in the Sudan. She is disabled only in body, in mind and Spirit she is a mighty arm of God and I highly recommend this book to all Christians. You will be so blessed and you will be so amazed at God's power, peace, fruitfulness, and His all consuming love seen through the eyes of one of His missionaries.

You can read more about this book here.

Michele Perry is the founding field ministry coordinator for Iris Ministries in Southern Sudan under Rolland and Heidi Baker. Born without her left hip and leg and other birth defects, she endured 23 surgeries by age 13. A native of Florida, Michele studied at Baylor and has previously served in Bangladesh, India, and the inner cities of the U.S. She is also an artist, photographer, and poet. Michele wrote most of Love Has a Face on an old computer by a kerosene lamp in a bullet-hole ridden shell of a building in Southern Sudan. Her writing was punctuated by the occasional AK-47 shot.

Sacred Waiting by David Timms

This will be a must read for everyone.

We live in a 30 Second Society. I have harped on this until the cows come home... Waiting is not an American strong suit. We have credit card debt up the wazoo simply because we cannot wait for anything any more. Fast food, fast coffee, fast cars, fast this and fast that until our heads ache from the stress and fast pace. There is no one like Ferdinand the Bull anymore. You remember him, right? He liked to loll in the field, smell the flowers and then a bee stung him. He flailed about like a mad bull and they chose him to be in the bull ring where he promptly sat down and smelled the lovely flowers that filled the air around him.

We don't do that any longer. I see couples sitting at a table in a sidewalk cafe' but that is on commercials or in movies. Courtyard dining is a thing of the past. Gimme my Giant MacDougal, and gimme it my way...FAST.

David Timms reminds us that in the "olden days" back when Grampa Enoch walked the earth, he walked with God. Apparently, Grandson Noah (480 year old Noah) took all that Grampa had to say about God to heart because after another 120 years, God saved Noah and his family from the flood. Of course there is a lot to that concerning obedience and preaching about something no one has ever heard of before like Flood and Rain.

How would you like to wait 75 years to become useful to God like Abraham did? Or how about working 14 years for the woman you love? Or waiting 80 years to fulfill your mission like Moses did? It's all in this book and it is all about how this applies to our lives today.

I wish I had this sage advice back when I was a lot younger because I think my life and that of my children would have been a lot more peaceful and just perhaps, I would have been a lot more useful to God a lot earlier.

Waiting--the Key to Joy, Peace, and Abundance
No one likes to wait. Our irritation level rises in checkout lines, train stations, restaurants, and doctors' offices. We don't have time to waste. But Scripture constantly speaks of waiting: "Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength" (Isaiah 40:31).
The good news is that waiting on God is much more than watching the clock. Waiting plays a vital role in our spiritual formation as we draw closer to the Lord and respond to His leading. Challenging believers to rediscover this lost spiritual discipline, pastor and Bible professor David Timms reveals the hidden treasures of waiting on God--the peace and joy of being with Him.
The heroes of the faith all waited on God. And just like Abraham, Moses, and David, you'll find that your best moments arise from God's timing, not your own. Every covenant God made came at the end of a season of waiting. God's rewards wait for you when you learn to practice Sacred Waiting.

David Timms teaches New Testament and Theology and serves as chair of the Graduate Ministry Department at Hope International University in Fullerton, California. Australian by birth, David has been a church planter, pastor, and trainer of pastors for twenty-five years. He publishes an e-zine, In Hope, that shares his reflections on Christian leadership and spiritual formation. He and his wife, Kim, have three sons and live in Fullerton, California.

It's Not About Him by Michelle Sutton

Here is the kind of novel every teen needs to read. It isn't about what happened at the party, it's the 9 months after. It's about what's best for everyone. It's about raw feelings and about someone who doesn't have much self esteem so can't recognize true love when she sees it.

That was probably the most aggravating thing... the chick kept whining and thinking she's got to do all this alone. Which, in actuality, is what most of all women think. We've become so feminist that we abhor appearing weak or needy or reaching out for those close to us.

It's a good effort and one that I would recommend to every young girl. We should absolutely explore all possibilities. We should never assume we are always safe because we are not. Consequences will happen. Einstein taught us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Stands to reason that we must suffer the consequences of our actions. This is what Sutton explores in this novel, and she's done a really good job.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

It's Not About Him

Sheaf House (September 1, 2009)

by

Michelle Sutton


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michelle Sutton, otherwise known as the Edgy Inspirational Author, is Editor-in-chief of Christian Fiction Online Magazine, a member of ACFW, a social worker by trade, and a prolific reader/book reviewer/blogger the rest of the time.

She lives in Arizona with her husband of nineteen years and her two teenaged sons. Michelle is also the author of It's Not about Me (2008) and It's Not About Him (Sheaf House 2009). She has nine other titles releasing over the next three years.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Susie passed out while drinking at Jeff’s party and later discovered she’s pregnant. She has no idea who the father is and considers having an abortion, but instead decides to place her baby for adoption. Following through ends up being more wrenching than she imagined, but she’s determined to do the right thing for her baby.

Jeff feels guilty that Susie was taken advantage of at his party and offers to marry her so she won’t have to give up her baby, like his birth mother did with him. But Susie refuses, insisting he should he marry someone he loves. Can he convince her that his love is genuine before it’s too late? Can she make him understand that it’s not about him—it’s about what’s best for her child?

If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter of It's Not About Him, go HERE

The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller

I was watching Antiques Road Show and to my amazement they showcased some carousels in Spokane, Washington. Did you know that the carousel horses from circa 1910 are worth at the least $30,000? And the more rare ones, more ornate are worth $40,000 to $50,000 as long as they are in good condition. Then the exotic animals are worth upwards of $100,000.

Judith Miller, in her novel The Carousel Painter does go into the history of carousel wood working and painting, she also tells us that the exotic animals are very rare because of the costs involved.

But, what I found most interesting was how she explored the prejudice against women in the work place… especially the man’s work place. How hard it was for women back a century ago or even longer ago than that. History talks a lot about women who had plenty of money before they married but their husbands took over and left them destitute because once a woman married, all the money landed in the husband’s hands. That doesn't happen to Carrington Brouwer in this novel by Judith Miller. Nonetheless, the history in this effort is accurate.

This was a very well developed story. It got a little Soap Opera-like in the middle when the reader begins to thing “What else bad can happen?” Then the story coalesces into a rather neat mystery and is very enjoyable thereafter. It is written in the first person and very well done. There are lots of excellent observations that are very believable. Delicious villains, a cranky hero, a very warm hearted boarding house keeper who is a very bad cook, a most level-headed and quite charming protagonist all mix together in a happy recipe for fun reading.

Carrington Brouwer’s father is a fabulous painter in France, but passes away before becoming really famous. She has two of his paintings and off she goes to America to live with one of her father’s students until she can find work. Little did she know that her friend’s mother is extremely social conscious with little regard for a starving friend of her daughter’s. Fortunately, her friend’s father owns a carousel factory and, since she has all of her father’s talent and then some, she asks him for a job. An unlikely ally, her friend’s mother, pushes the issue and Carrington settles in to paint carousel horses. Then a very expensive necklace of the mother goes missing. Carrington must find the culprit, help save her friend from the clutches of a scoundrel, win, if not the affections, the respect of her co-workers, and fall in love with the very cranky carousel factory manager—all while trying to survive on terrible food.

This is a great, fast-paced story. I’ll be looking for more from Judith Miller!

That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake

In Gooding, Texas there is no physican and no vet. The good people of Gooding hire one of each sight unseen. What they don't know is that Taylor, the physician, is the female of the twins and is quite ready to take on the monumental task of winning the males of the species over to the modern idea of a female doctor.

While she and her vet brother tackle the town, he woos and wins a wife. The cantankerous blacksmith finds out she's quite up to his verbal duals and she wins his heart. I have to say, that I got really tired of her way of thinking she had to do everything all by herself along about 1/4 to 1/2 of the way through this tome. I was quite surprised at this because Cathy is an old hand at writing, being an author of 25 novels.

One most excellent thing about this novel is exploring the trials and tribulations of a female physican. Back in the very lat 1880's and 1890's, the number of female to male going to medical school was about 1 to 3, about 25% of all medical students were female. Then the males realized this wasn't a very good thing for them. If they let this trend go on, soon the females would out number the males and this very manly profession would become female dominated. That just couldn't be. So then the medical schools' professors and deans and presidents (all male) decided to be more stringent against females in school, effectively steming the tide of female students. Some propaganda filtered out which caused a lot of hullabaloo concerning female physcians, thus further steming the tide. By 1925, female students numbered 5%. What a waste!

I have not read any of Hake's other novels, but frankly I was not very impressed with this one. If you like soap operas, then you'll like this novel. It has some Small Town flavor, but it could have had so much more.

Dawn's Prelude by Tracy Peterson

I have a huge respect for Tracy Peterson. She is such a prolific writer and has given us some truly wonderful stories. This one, however, is formulaic. After the first section which is excellent and has so much potential to be one of her best novels, she writes the girl into Alaska where it becomes the most predictable edition ever of her love stories.

I have loved most of her stories. They give great snapshots into Christian life, no matter which century the stories are set. Yet, this one is sadly flat. Frankly, I think Peterson should take a break for about 6 months and go live again. Shake the computer bytes out of her system and restart her engine with some refreshing adventure. Maybe try a different venue, or different genre, because the gal can write, make no mistake about that.

I want to be able to trust a Tracy Peterson novel. I want to be able to buy the things without having to read the back cover and decide if it's the kind of story for me... and without having to read the first 10-15 pages to see how she writes. Of course it's challenging. How can anyone write more than 80 novels and have every single one of them a fresh story? Well... Barbara Cartland didn't seem to have too much trouble, but even her well went a tad dry now and again. That is when Barbara changed centuries, changed continents, and it seemed to work. Agatha Christie did very well. Of course back in those days, an author had to really write. Today, it seems that a write merely needs to have some semblance of a story and they get published. That is NOT Tracy Peterson, but if she doesn't watch out, she'll lose her readers because once the trust is lost, it is rare to earn it back.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Dawn's Prelude
(Bethany House - October 2009)
by
Tracie Peterson


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 70 novels. She teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research.

Ephesians 1:18 has become a cornerstone verse for a new non-fiction book she's been working on -- its also become a cornerstone in her life. The verse reads, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."

Tracie and her family live in Belgrade, Montana.






ABOUT THE BOOK

Newly widowed Lydia Sellers discovers that through an unforeseen fluke, she is the sole recipient of her husband's fortune. But instead of granting her security, it only causes strife as her adult stepchildren battle to regain the inheritance for themselves.

Lydia, longing to put the memories of her painful marriage behind her, determines to travel to Alaska to join her aunt. Lydia's arrival in Sitka, however, brings two things she didn't expect.

One is the acquaintance of Kjell Bjorklund, the handsome owner of the sawmill. Second is the discovery that she is pregnant with her dead husband's child. What will this mean for her budding relationship with Kjell? And what lengths will her stepchildren go to reclaim their father's fortune? Lydia soon finds her life--and that of her child's--on the line.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Dawn's Prelude, go HERE

Gone To Green by Judy Christie

This novel was a delight to read. It is extremely well balanced, it has the charm of Old South and Small Town. I especially liked the newspaper angle, since my background is in newspaper, too... especially since I was an editor of a weekly paper in Louisiana. There is so much that is true in that story, I thought I might be reading back issues of my old paper.

The characters are well developed and there really isn't too much whining from the protag. I really like that.

On the back cover, the story is compared to the Harmony Series. It is not like it very much because there isn't much Laugh Out Loud in the novel, although there are vast amounts of Grin Out Loud and Chuckle Out Loud.

Judy Christie has truly captured the flavor of a small newspaper, and the impact it has on the small town, including all the politics in a fun and lighthearted way that keeps your interest, keeps you turning pages and even keeps you up at night when you've got to get to work early. You don't mind, though, because you've had a great evening of satisfying reading.

This is well worth the money and is a keeper for the book shelf. I highly recommend it.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Gone To Green

Abingdon Press (August 2009)

by

Judy Christie


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Judy Pace Christie, after working as a journalist for twenty-five years, left the daily news business to open a consulting firm that works with individuals, businesses, and churches on strategies for meaningful life and work, including goal-setting, living fully, and balancing personal and professional lives. She is the author of Hurry Less, Worry Less; Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmastime; and co-author of Awesome Altars. Judy and her husband live in northwest Louisiana.




ABOUT THE BOOK

Lois goes from being a corporate journalist at a large paper in the Midwest to the owner of The Green News-Item, a small twice-weekly newspaper in rural North Louisiana. The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.

When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people. She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2, she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named Kevin.

Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of real people and the importance of being part of a community.

While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Gone To Green, go HERE

Offworld by Robin Parrish

I have a tremendous respect for Robin Parrish. He's given so much to the Christian Fiction world through his INFUZE internet magazine and through his books. He really is a good writer.

Offworld has a great science fiction premise and is executed quite well with none of that "deflating reality" when the reader realizes that what's on the cover isn't what's inside. (All too often I've had that feeling.)

Robin actually produces a little more than what is expected in this offering. It kept me reading well past midnight, which is saying a LOT for these old bones and eyes. It's a worthy read and worth the money.

But... to be very fair to those of us readers who actually live in Mississippi and Louisiana...

Hurricane season is June through November (even though it's been more than 80 years since a hurricane came into the Gulf region after October.

In no way by any wild stretch of the imagination could the Mighty Mississippi River flood Biloxi much less Gulfport by 12 inches much, much less 12 feet, no matter what time of year. The river gets really high in March, April and May. But around June it starts falling. Because of the terrain and the elevation between these two cities and the Mississippi it is impossible. Even in the Great Flood of 1929, when the levees broke just north of Vicksburg, the land was flooded with 4 feet of water, but it did not flood Vicksburg or Natchez (50 miles south of Vicksburg). It took a superhuman effort on the part of the Corps of Engineers in 1929 to keep the river from shifting courses to the Achafalaya Basin (close to Lafayette). If the river was as high as suggested, then New Orleans would have been underwater. The levees are not that high, and if the population was gone, then the pumps would not have started to keep the city dry unless there are MAJOR renovations and MAJOR changes to the pumps and levee systems.

I attribute this problem to lack of research on the author's part. In a SyFy novel, anything goes just about, but simple research of terrain and feasibility probabilities of what ever event that you are writing about is critical. If something is impossible, then a reasonable explanation should be offered and it doesn't have to be more than a sentence or two. Something like: "Chris, all this water is coming from the Mississippi River. Before the earthquake of 2021, it would have been impossible. With no one to monitor the locks systems, the river has over run the locks and the spillways from St. Louis to here."

I couldn't concentrate on the story for 2-3 chapters because I knew what I was reading was not only implausible, but impossible.

Just keep reminding yourself, "This is science fiction, anything is possible," and you'll enjoy the story.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Offworld
Bethany House (July 1, 2009)
by
Robin Parrish

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist. In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract with Bethany House Publishers. They contracted him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels including Fearless and Merciless. A trilogy that unfolded in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Robin Parrish is a journalist who's written about pop culture for more than a decade. Currently he serves as Senior Editor at XZOOSIA.com, a community portal that fuses social networking with magazine-style features about entertainment and culture. He and his wife, Karen and son live in North Carolina.



ABOUT THE BOOK

"Every Person on This Planet Has Disappeared."

Commander Christopher Burke and his crew are humanity's greatest explorers. They've finished their mission on the red dirt of Mars and now they just want to get back to Earth. To see friends, family, and loved ones. To be home. But even with communication to ground control cut and a perilous landing, nothing could prepare the crew for what they discover when they step foot back on planet Earth.

Everyone...everywhere...is gone.

It's not a dream. It's not a trick. Now Burke and his team have one mission:find out who or what is behind the disappearance of all mankind.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Offworld, go HERE

Watch the book trailer:

Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan

I knew before I looked at the bio that this book was written by a fellow journalist... newspaper, that is. Somehow we know each other just by sentence structure and the way we call people by their last names all the time.

This is a fairly well crafted story. I could tell before the end of the first chapter that I'd like this book, then that fatal error happened. The author switched channels almost mid-sentence and we're off somewhere plotting the demise of someone we had just gotten acquainted with. Ooops, I ended that sentence with a preposition. Ah, well.

While the kind of theatrics works well in movies because the viewer can see faces and tell characters apart quickly by gender, hair color, voice, color of skin, and so forth, the book reader needs a bit more lead in than it takes for the beginning credits to really care about what happens to the protagonist. Especially, when we already have the tension built in the prologue a century before all the "action" actually starts. Why do novelists and editors continue to believe that novel stories can be treated just like movies? They cannot.

Movies grab emotion simply because the actors are projecting emotions. Readers must read and then feel the emotion. We can certainly be led down any emotional path and have a huge buy it simply because we are emotionally into the story. Contriving tension is immediately recognized and the experienced reader will back away from it because it is a contrivance rather than real... it is recognized as a theatrical trick, rather than a clever twist in the storyline.

Once a novelist loses the reader because of a contrivence, it is almost impossible to regain that trust and there goes another lost sale.

The second thing is, a movie goer will buy into the most absurd things just because it's a movie... who could possibly believe there was a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence and that it would lead to a "National Treasure"? Completely absurd. But, somehow the theatrics and the actors make it believable.

Readers, on the other hand, must have something to hold on to that makes the premise believable, especially a book that touts itself as Christian Fiction, and most especially a book that has a section "Fulfilled Prophecy". An underground Temple is not believable.

Anyone who has studied prohecy, both old testament and new testament, recognizes this as an unbelievable tale of wishful thinking. It is most assuredly out of context as well as excruciatingly improbable. The Third Temple underground would be obscene to Jews today because it is so far from what God has said would happen, and it would be unthinkable to Hebrews of centuries past because it is not what God said would happen. It was improbable, impossible to believe, and I simply lost patience with it.

The pros of the story, though, is that the characters were very well developed and quite charming. I found myself loving the greatest and the least equally. The crafting of the story is superb (except for the side jaunts which are unnecessary to build tension). The storyline flow is very good, and I have no doubt that it would also make a great script. Any other premise, and I would have ingested this book with the reverence given a Christmas Dinner... but, the end could not justify the means for me.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Sacred Cipher
Kregel Publications (July 31, 2009)
by
Terry Brennan


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Over the past 35 years, Terry Brennan has accumulated a broad range of experience in both the profit and non-profit business sectors.

His 22-year, award winning journalism career included:
• Seven years as a sportswriter and editor with The Philadelphia Bulletin, at the time the largest-circulation afternoon newspaper in the nation;
• Leading The Mercury of Pottstown (PA), as its editor, to a Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing;
• Serving as Executive Editor of a multi-national newspaper firm – Ingersoll Publications – with papers in the USA, England and Ireland.

In 1996 Brennan transferred his successful management career to the non-profit sector and served for 12 years as Vice President of Operations for the Christian Herald Association, Inc., the parent organization of four New York City ministries, including The Bowery Mission.

Now Chief Operating Officer of the National Organization on Disability, Brennan also won the Valley Forge Award for editorial writing from the Freedoms Foundation. His two adult sons and their families live in Pennsylvania. Terry, his wife Andrea and their two adult children live in New York City. The Sacred Cipher is his first novel.



ABOUT THE BOOK

History's greatest secret could be tomorrow's greatest threat More historically and biblically accurate than The DaVinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher combines action and mystery to draw readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades.

When an ancient scroll appears in a secret room of the Bowery Mission in New York City, Tom Bohannon is both stunned and intrigued. The enigma of the scroll's contents will send Bohannon and his team ricocheting around the world, drawing the heat of both Jewish and Muslim militaries, and bringing the Middle East to the brink of nuclear war in this heart-pounding adventure of historical proportions. The Sacred Cipher is a riveting, fact-based tale of mystery and suspense.


If you want to read the Prologue of The Sacred Cipher, go HERE

Dreamhouse Kings: Timescape by Robert Liparulo

I have rarely read such an exciting series as packed into this one. You do have to read all the ones that go before in order to understand what's going on. This series was enthusiastically embraced by youth as well as adults at my church. It isn't just for boys or just for girls either. It has aspects of interest for both genders and you can't beat the suspense!

In Timescape we take up exactly where we left off in Gatekeepers. What is so interesting is that we get a telescopic glimpse of history, as well as some insight into how it must have felt to live "back then". Liparulo takes this to the next step and gives us a glimpse into what it might be like to alter history... or to live in the future.

Some of this is not for the faint hearted, and I don't recommend this for children under 12 or 13. It is graphic in places, and frightening. However, the moral delimmas tackled are quite interesting. Like it or not, willing to admit it or not, we must acknowledge that our young people are being deluged with moral delimmas at earlier and earlier ages. Decisions that I made at sixteen are being considered by twelve year olds today. That is a horror story in itself.

This series is better than Harry Potter and, in my opinion, is far better morally and ethically than the subtle study of the occult. Looking for something a little different for Christmas this year? Get this series. You and your special teen will be so glad you did.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Timescape
Thomas Nelson (July 14, 2009)
by
Robert Liparulo


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first novel, Comes a Horseman, released to critical acclaim. Each of his subsequent thrillers—Germ, Deadfall, and Deadlock—secured his place as one of today’s most popular and daring thriller writers.

He is known for investing deep research and chillingly accurate predictions of near-future scenarios into his stories. In fact, his thorough, journalistic approach to research has resulted in his becoming an expert on the various topics he explores in his fiction, and he has appeared on such media outlets as CNN and ABC Radio.

Liparulo’s visual style of writing has caught the eye of Hollywood producers. Currently, three of his novels for adults are in various stages of development for the big screen: the film rights to Comes A Horseman. were purchased by the producer of Tom Clancy’s movies; and Liparulo is penning the screenplays for GERM and Deadfall
for two top producers. He is also working with the director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Holes) on a political thriller. Novelist Michael Palmer calls Deadfall “a brilliantly crafted thriller.” March 31st marked the publication of Deadfall’s follow-up, Deadlock, which novelist Gayle Lynds calls, “best of high-octane suspense.”

Liparulo’s bestselling young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, debuted last year with House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods. Book three, Gatekeepers, released in January, and number four, Timescape, in July. The series has garnered praise from readers, both young and old, as well as attracting famous fans who themselves know the genre inside and out. Of the series, Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine says, “I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?”

With the next two Dreamhouse books “in the can,” he is currently working on his next thriller, which for the first time injects supernatural elements into his brand of gun-blazing storytelling. The story is so compelling, two Hollywood studios are already in talks to acquire it—despite its publication date being more than a year away. After that comes a trilogy of novels, based on his acclaimed short story, which appeared in James Patterson’s Thriller anthology. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” He lives with his family in Colorado.


ABOUT THE BOOK

David, Xander, Dad, and Keal have discovered a terrible secret. Now, finding Mom is only a small part of their mission. And time is running out. Using the portals to build an empire, Taksidian wants the house for himself, and there's nothing he won't do to get the family out. The consequences of his meddling reach far beyond the family--to the future of the world itself. The Kings know their survival depends on stopping the bloodthirsty assassin. If only they can find his weakness in time.

Most startling of all is their ability to change the path of history. But will their tinkering in time reunite the family and save the future . . . or set mankind on an irreversible course of destruction?




If you would like to read the first chapter of Timescape, go HERE


Enter the contest to win this book package by clicking on the image!!!