Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and other lies you've been told by Bradley R.E. Wright, PhD

Finally, some really Good News in statistics about Christians--Evangelical Christians. This non-fiction book should be on every Christian's book shelf , especially every Pastor's bookshelf.

I have been so depressed hearing how bad Christians are and how we are losing so much ground, how American isn't a Christian Nation anymore, how Christians marriages end in divorce as much or more as non-Christian marriages. I've heard that teenagers are leaving the church as fast as lightening. I've heard that sexual immorality is rampant among Christians. All of that is balderdash--poppycock.

Amen, brother, preach on about how to actually read statistics, and how the question is worded means as much as the answer given. Preach on about how few numbers answering the question also means higher differential rate (that means the percentage of accuracy versus inaccuracy is much greater).

Reading this book brought back so much of my Statistical Research college class and fond memories of Dr. David Martin, my professor for the class. But, that is a side-note only.

This Wright has his doctorate in Sociology and he literally shatters so many myths that have abounded about Christians that you feel like you have emerged from a shroud of deceit after you've finished the book. You can't get it all in one sit-down session. You have to savor it like a good cup of coffee and fresh roses.

Buy it, read it, study it, you will be so very glad you did!

ABOUT THE BOOK
You've probably heard the many negative media reports about the evangelical church, such as:

• Christian young people are leaving the Christian faith in record numbers
• The divorce rate among Christians is as high as those of nonbelievers
• Christians today are watered down in their beliefs and actions

But are these truly accurate?

In Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told, sociologist Bradley R.E. Wright shatters these popular myths, along with many others. Using the best available data, he reveals to readers why and how many of the commonly shared statistics are incomplete and inaccurate.

Price:	$14.99
ISBN:	978-0-7642-0746-4
ISBN-10:	0-7642-0746-6
Dimensions:	5.5 x 8.5
Number of pages:	256
Carton Quantity:	48
Publication Date:	Jul. 10
Formats:	Paperback

Dark in the City of Light by Paul Robertson

I absolutely adore Paul Robertson. It is a good thing he's married and I have principles about that sort of thing or I'd probably be tracking him down -- of course, that is said all in fun!

This latest novel of Paul's is a bit dark, but then the era and incidents that he writes about in Dark in the City of Light is extremely dark. From the first page, it is gripping. He writes in such a way that it is easy to understand the characters' motivations without them being written in neon lighting and arrows pointing garishly as some authors have been known to write. The subtlety is mind boggling and done with such genius, you feel as if you have been transported to late 19th century living rooms--parlors--in the middle of Paris with a few side trips to Austria.

This is an amazing work in character studies. Worthy of reading, worthy of the money spent and worthy of the most austere library shelf. The story is fast paced and adheres extremely closely to history.  I highly recommend this novel. I give it five out of five stars.

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Dark In The City Of Light Bethany House (July 1, 2010)


by Paul Robertson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and the author of The Heir. He is also a former Christian bookstore owner (for 15 years), who lives with his family in Blacksburg, Virginia.



ABOUT THE BOOK

What Evil Haunts the Shadows of 1870s Paris?


Baron Ferdinand Harsanyi — After his wife's mysterious death, this Austrian attaché holds control over mines whose coveted ore could turn the tide of war.


Therese Harsanyi — Swept up in new romance and the spectacle of Paris, the Baron's daughter is blind to the dangers stalking her family and the city she loves.


Rudolph Harsanyi — Unsure whom to trust, the Baron's son's grief over his mother's death twists into growing anger and a desire to break free.


As France and Prussia plunge toward war, one family is caught in a web of deceit, political intrigue, and murder that threatens to tear them apart.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Dark In The City Of Light, go HERE.

Nightshade by Ronie Kendig

This novel has a truly great premise. The first one third is excellent, you just can't put it down.  I appreciate how much work  went into the writing of Nightshade. The research is superb, and you get an excellent feel for how this motley crew feels being on the "out" rather than the "in" of Special Forces. Really good character development for the most part. The characters are not predictable per se, but do flirt with the edge of believability once or twice.

However, the problem of "love" entwined with "suspense/action" is very evident in the rest of Kendig's offering. It takes a genius to meld love and and action adventure. This one came close but the execution did not live up to the promise. The family scenes with Sydney and her brother and her mother just don't ring a perfect pitch. It isn't harmonized with the rest of the storyline, although it all does come together in the end. It has to, it's a romance... or is it?

Although, this is a great study in anger and pride management, the storyline seems to be cluttered with things that tend to block the flow of the story. When a story-blocker comes along, it is easy to close the book for the night, or simply skip several pages. But, don't give up on it because it does have a worthy ending. I give it two stars... I liked it, but it didn't WOW me.

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing

Nightshade Barbour Books (July 1, 2010)by


Ronie Kendig


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!!


This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series begins in July from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.


ABOUT THE BOOK

After a tour of duty in a war-torn country, embattled former Navy SEAL Max Jacobs finds himself discarded and alienated from those he loves as he

struggles with war-related PTSD. His wife, Sydney, files a restraining order against him and a petition for divorce. Max is devastated.


Then a mysterious a man appears. He says he's organizing a group that recycles veterans like Max. It's a deep-six group known as Nightshade. With

the chance to find purpose in life once again, Max is unable to resist the call of duty and signs on.


The team handles everything with precision and lethal skill...until they're called upon to rescue a missionary family from a rebel-infested jungle and avoid a reporter hunting their identities.


Will Max yield his anger and pride to a force greater than him...love?


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


Watch the trailer:

Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand

I knew Bertrand had the kind of mettle to crank out a winner and he did. Mark has woven a tail that is not only very interesting, it is fast paced and so male. The only thing that could make it better is a little less editing knife. Some paragraphs and/or scenes seemed to have been cut to the point of almost incoherence. But, I get it. That is how men think most of the time. A few words here and there actually speak volumes. But, it does cause the story flow to stutter once in a while. On the other hand...

The reader is drawn into the world of policing when a man is on the cusp of a comeback. It makes for a very satisfying read. The characters are believable, the protagonist is strong, vulnerable, wise, impatient, and downright likable. Just when you think Roland and Charlotte may be heading for divorce, they're over the rough water and back together with both oars in the water.

Another interesting point is that this story is told from an unbeliever's POV, looking into the Christian world with no little amount of skepticism. Unusual? Not really, but so well done that you forget all others that went before this story.

This is five stars out of five. A Worthy read and it's a keeper.

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Back On Murder Bethany House (July 1, 2010)

by J. Mark Betrand


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.



Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of a hung jury in Houston, and after relocating served on the jury that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead. Besides his personal website, visit his Crime Genre website at http://www.crimegenre.com/.


The next book in this series, Pattern Of Wounds will come out in the summer of 2011.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out.

A missing girl. A corrupt investigation. They thought they could get away with it, but they forgot one thing:

Roland March is BACK ON MURDER...


Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he's disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details. But when he's the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he's given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he's transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight--the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist's teen daughter.

All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he's still one of Houston's best detectives.


Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Back On Murder, go HERE.

David and Goliath by Bryan Hathaway

About the book:

David Liberty is trapped within the walls of a nursing home, inside a failing body. No longer able to move, speak, or respond to communication, David longs for escape and welcomes his impending death. His plans are changed when he is confronted by an angel, Joelle, who questions his past and irrevocably changes his future. David is given a second chance at life, but not in the manner he had hoped. His renewed body and unchanged self are thrown into the lives of others, and he is commissioned to assist them in their struggles and bridge the chasm that separates them from God. As a penalty for a lifetime of merely “talking the talk,” David is unable to speak; instead he must use actions to demonstrate his love for God and others. David’s first task is to help a major league baseball player put aside pride and once again place his family above money and fame. Next, he is thrown into a new family, in which envy threatens the life of both siblings. In the climactic conclusion, David encounters a young boy whose family is held captive to sloth and anger.

David and Goliath has three different stories which are all related. If you've read any of my reviews, you know that I am not a fan of this kind of story telling.

We see a complex relationship between faith and works in the novel, pointedly part of the theme is how God works within and through us sometimes without us even knowing how we are being used by Him or how situations are used by Him for His purposes.

I have a problem with the theology within the story, but I can't explain without a spoiler alert. On second thought, I think I'll let you judge for yourself.

Frankly, this isn't one of the best written novels I've read, in fact it really rates about a one star for readability, although there aren't any real flaws that I can point to, the story just doesn't flow like a river. The back cover information promises a super premise, So enjoy.

I received this book courtesy of Rebeca Seitz at Glass Road Public Relations free of charge for the sole purpose of a book review, not a book promotion.








Links for more information:

• Author Bryan Hathaway's website, including his bio
• Read an excerpt
• WinePress Publishing product page (with purchasing link)
• Purchase at Amazon.com

Tomorrow We Die by Shawn Grady

This story in a way reminds me of Michael Chrighten in the tremendous attention to technical details. If you have never known a paramedic or EMT, then this novel may make you cross-eyed for a few chapters. However, Shawn Grady does an excellent job with incorporating explanation of the technical with the technical jargon. It certainly brought back a lot of memories from my husband's EMT days in the chemical plant.

Grady has tightly woven a tale that is very believable, so no skipping pages or you'll miss something important. Strap yourself in for a bumpy night!

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing

Tomorrow We Die Bethany House (July 1, 2010)


by Shawn Grady

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shawn Grady signed with Bethany House Publishers in 2008. He was named “Most Promising New Writer” at the 39th Annual Mount Hermon Writers Conference. He is the author of the novels Through the Fire & Tomorrow We Die.

Shawn has served for over a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in northern Nevada. From fire engines and ambulances to tillered ladder trucks and helicopters, Shawn’s work environment has always been dynamic. The line of duty has carried him to a variety of locale, from high-rise fires in the city to the burning heavy timber of the eastern Sierras.


Shawn attended Point Loma Nazarene University as a Theology undergrad before shifting direction to acquire an Associate of Science degree in Fire Science Technology as well as Paramedic licensure through Truckee Meadows Community College.

Shawn currently lives in Reno, Nevada, just outside of Lake Tahoe. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his wife, three children and yellow Labrador.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Chase the Angel of Death and You Might Catch Him

Jonathan Trestle is a paramedic who's spent the week a few steps behind the angel of death. When he responds to a call about a man sprawled on a downtown sidewalk, Trestle isn't about to lose another victim. CPR revives the man long enough for him to hand Trestle a crumpled piece of paper and say, "Give this to Martin," before being taken to the hospital.


The note is a series of dashes and haphazard scribbles. Trestle tries to follow up with the patient later, but at the ICU he learns the man awoke, pulled out his IVs, and vanished, leaving only a single key behind. With the simple decision to honor a dying man's last wish, Jonathan tracks the key to a nearby motel where he finds the man again--this time not just dead but murdered. Unwilling to just let it drop, Jonathan is plunged into a mystery that soon threatens not only his dreams for the future but maybe even his life. He must race for the truth before the Angel of Death comes calling for him.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Tomorrow We Die, go to HERE.