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!!!

Any Minute by Joyce Meyer and Debbie Bedford

I read The Penny in almost one sitting. It was so good, I snatched at the chance to review Any Minute. I made the mistake of reading the outside back cover instead of just plunging into the story. Every page I turned I kept expecting the plunge, but it never came. I got so tired of looking for it and expecting it that I missed half the story. So, when it finally came, it was anticlimatic for me. Don't read the outside back cover! Or if you do, rest assured that the plunge doesn't happen for a very long time, so don't miss the story.

You really don't want to miss this story. While on one hand it is just the littlest bit like a characture of Today's Busy-ness Woman, it really packs a punch on what we women consider The Important Things In Life.

Have you ever sat down and listed the things in your life according to priorities? Most of us have not. It is truly quite enlightening. If you were to list the things in life according to how much time you devote to each one, I believe it would be an eye-opener for you.

Unlike what happens to most of us as we sorjourn this earth then go to be with the LORD, Sarah Harper gets a second chance to priortize the things in her life according to their true importance. We are but grass in the field, tall and green today but brown and chaff tomorrow. We should truly discover how to devote most of our time to the important things in life before God has to step in and drastically rearrange our list.

Buy this book. It is a keeper.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Any Minute
FaithWords (June 30, 2009)
by
Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford


ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, she has written more than seventy inspirational books, including The Confident Woman, I Dare You, the entire Battlefield of the Mind family of books, her first venture into fiction with The Penny, and many others. She has also released thousands of audio teachings as well as a complete video library. Joyce's Enjoying Everyday Life® radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences. Joyce and her husband, Dave, are the parents of four grown children and make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.


Deborah Bedford is a career fiction writer who began her professional life as a journalist in a Colorado mountain town.

A Rose By The Door, Deborah's first with Warner Book (name changed to FaithWords in 2006), hit bookstores in November 2001. A Morning Like This was released by Warner Books in 2002. Deborah's short story, “Connor Sapp's Baseball Summer,” is included in Multnomah Publisher's The Storytellers' Collection, Tales From Home, alongside stories by Chuck Colson, Terri Blackstock, Randy Alcorn and Karen Kingsbury.

Deborah and Jack have two children, Jeff and Avery. When she isn't writing, Deborah spends her time fly-fishing, cheering at American Legion baseball games, shopping with her daughter, singing praise songs while she walks along the banks of Flat Creek, and taking her dachshund Annie for hikes in the Tetons where they live.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Sarah Harper is driven to achieve success no matter what the cost. She wants to do good and not hurt the people she loves--especially children and her husband, Joe--but her desire to succeed in her career too often leaves little time for family.

One cold, autumn afternoon, all of that changes when Sarah's car plunges off a bridge and into a river. She is presumed dead by those on the "outside," but Sarah's spirit is still very much alive. What she discovers on the other side transforms everything about Sarah's view of life--past, present, and future.

When Sarah is revived, she is a changed woman. And the unsuspecting world around her will never be the same again.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Any Minute, go here!

The Enclave by Karen Hancock

There are very few really good Christian Science Fiction novels out there. This one is pretty good. There's all the drama and suspense of a good mystery, plus the Mad Scientist, but which one is he?

If you have read more than a couple of book reviews by me, you know by now that I cannot stand a novel full of flashbacks and all the switching between characters when there is absolutely no thread to connect them. This is like that through the first half of the book. I promised to review it, so I truly suffered through it. If you don't mind that kind of thing, then you'll probably like this offering.

After the first half of the book and just before meeting the frog-eating monster again, I settled into a really good thriller. It isn't preachy, but it does raise some scientific questions about just how far will God let man play god.

The characters are well developed, for the most part. The innocents are protected. The villain and villains get their just reward, a satisfactory climax with no real loose ends. Those are the milestones that a good, satisfying novel must meet and Karen Hancock did it. However, I really don't like it when a character shows a modicum of good sense and wisdom then loses it all somewhere in the middle acting really stupid just for a twist in the story line. That was not well done, but if you aren't reading to do a review, it most likely won't bother you.

~oOo~

When science tries to play God, Can one man summon the courage to stand in its way?

When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But when a disturbing late-night encounter with a bizarre intruder leads to a cover-up by Institute authorities, she soon realizes all isn't as it seems.

Caught in an elaborate game of deception and seduction, her only ally seems to be the brilliant but absent-minded geneticist, Cameron Reinhardt. A favorite of the Institute's charismatic director, Cameron, too,

came to K-J hoping to escape his past. But the more he learns about Lacey's attacker, the more he fears that the past still pursues him.

Not certain they can trust each other, Cameron and Lacey reluctantly work together to uncover the shocking secrets that lurk behind the Institute's respectable fa�ade - secrets that turn out to be bigger, stranger, and far more dangerous than either of them could have imagined.

Praise for Karen Hancock's books:

"Multiple Christy Award winner Karen Hancock has created a story world rich in detail and depth. Her well-written characters draw you into their world with their triumphs and struggles, failures and successes, heartbreak and joy. Return of the Guardian King holds to the same high standards set in the previous books, making the whole series keepers on my shelf."

~Cheryl Russell for Infuzemag.com

Order The Enclave from Christian Book Distributors, Barnes and Noble , Amazon.com or your local bookstore.

If you'd like to receive The Enclave BOOKMARKS for yourself or to give away to friends and/or an AUTOGRAPHED label to insert into your book, I'd love to send you one. Email me your name and address, the name of the person to whom the book should be autographed, and the name of the book you want the bookmark/autograph for.

For Other reviews see.

Brandon Barr Jennifer Bogart Keanan Brand Grace Bridges Canadianladybug Melissa Carswell Valerie Comer Amy Cruson CSFF Blog Tour Stacey Dale D. G. D. Davidson Janey DeMeo Jeff Draper Emmalyn Edwards April Erwin Karina Fabian Beth Goddard Todd Michael Greene Heather R. Hunt Becky Jesse Cris Jesse Julie Carol Keen Krystine Kercher Dawn King Mike Lynch Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Mirtika Eve Nielsen Nissa John W. Otte Steve Rice Crista Richey James Somers Speculative Faith Stephanie Rachel Starr Thomson Steve Trower Fred Warren Elizabeth Williams

Who Made You a Princess

This was a cute, bubbly teen romance with some good moral studies. I did enjoy it, even though it is written for the twelve to fifteen year old crowd.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Who Made You a Princess
FaithWords (May 13, 2009)
by
Shelley Adina


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning author Shelley Adina wrote her first teen novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages.

Shelley is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She writes books about fun and faith--with a side of glamour. Between books, Shelley loves traveling, playing the piano and Celtic harp, watching movies, and making period costumes.

The All About Us book series has its own home over on the Hachette website. Stop by and see what the five fabulous girls at Spencer Acadenmy are up to! Series Website.

Her other books in this series includes book one, It's All About Us, oook Two, The Fruit of my Lipstick, and book three, Be Strong & Curvaceous. This present book is book four.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Shani Hanna returns to SpencerAcademy for her senior year after an amazing summer spent with her friends Lissa, Gillian, and Carly. But the best part about summer was meeting Danyel Johnstone. Danyel is cute, smart, cool, and super nice. All Shani has to do is get him to see her as more than just one of the gang.

But when the girls return to school, they find a new addition to the distinguished student body: Prince Rashid al Amir of Yasir, an oil-rich desert kingdom in the Middle East. Prince Rashid moved to California to prepare for an eventual MBA at Stanford...and to romance his future wife: Shani Hanna!

It turns out, Shani's family and the prince's go back for generations, entwined in tradition, obligation, and family honor. In each generation, members of the two families have expanded their business interests through arranged marriage. Will Shani put aside her feelings for Danyel to pursue her family's wishes? Or will God answer her prayers for an intervention?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Who Made You a Princess , go HERE

Love's Pursuit by Siri Mitchell

First, I must say that I admire Siri Mitchell to an infinite degree. She is a most excellent author, developing characters that you really, really care about... characters that make you cry and that make you laugh. That is an extremely wonderful habit in a novelist.

That said, I also have to say this, I was disappointed with Love's Pursuit. I ordered this book because of Mitchell's name only. I saw her name and said "That will be a great book!" Then I get it and I find that this is not one of her best efforts. The characters are a bit flat, and the love story is forced... almost like the two did not want to fall in love, but Mitchell forced the issue.

That said, I must say that the premise of the story is very good. Mitchell takes you on a journey back in the time when women really didn't have a choice in how they were treated or who they would marry. She opens the door to some historical facts that would make the women of today shudder and strap on firearms and give a great battle cry. Although, the kind of work those women had to do back then kept them very slim and trim. We women of today would do well to do half the work they did... it would mean fewer athletic clubs for sure.

Side note: How refreshing to actually be productive while exercising rather than walking or running a great deal and getting no where. Hmmmm.

If you like historical romances, then this would be a good nightly read.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Love's Pursuit
Bethany House (June 1, 2009)
by
Siri Mitchell


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

A Constant Heart was her sixth novel. Two of her novels, Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door were Christy Award finalists. She has been called one of the clearest, most original voices in the CBA.


ABOUT THE BOOK

In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town's wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.

In trying to discover true love's path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love's Pursuit, go HERE

Shepherd's Fall by Wanda Dyson

I have this picture in my head of an extremely large man, with long blond hair, sun wrinkled skin and bright blue eyes as a bounty hunter... you know, Dog! Then my world gets turned all topsy turvy with another bounty hunter who has a lot of the same problems that Dog has--it's called life. Although, in Shepherd's Fall, the problems are a lot more serious such as divorce, a kidnapped daughter, accounts receivable are way down and there's sibling troubles too.

The man has a black cloud hanging over him. On top of all that, he has troubles with God, to boot.

But, let's put the story line to the side for a moment. From the first page, the reader is set down in an impossible situation and it is nail-biting terror. And... the girl is killed anyway. That's within the first chapter. Then we skip forward in time. Sort of a jerking from the story to tell the story, which is very laborious on the imagination. We don't have time to truly start caring deeply for the characters before we are set down into another set of problems which seemingly don't have anything to do with the previous problem except it turns out the girl was the daughter's best friend. Talk about some trust issues! So, in the character development department, Dyson gets two stars. There is a problem with back stories. The reader should not be bogged down with background stories because that lends to confusion. When you don't know what to care about, you tend to lose interest in the story.

The story line has too many rabbit trails that don't lend a great deal to the story line. It's a lot like walking down the hall and opening doors to catch a bit of drama, then close the door and open another to catch a bit of different drama. All this does is drag down the suspense. But, hey, this is a problem that a lot of accomplished authors are having these days. Stuart Woods has the exact same problem in his latest Stone Barrington novel. Sigh...

But, the premise is very interesting. I would buy the rest of this series because the interplay between the brothers and the other characters is interesting, and sometimes quite funny. I think the spoiled brat wife has seen the light and grown up a bit. Whether the spoiled brat daughter has, is yet to be seen. Those characters were, quite frankly, extremely irritating and I nearly quit reading the book because of them. That kind of drama is not my cup of tea. If its an action book, then give me action. Don't bog the thing down with contrived character flaws.

Please don't get the wrong idea here, though. It is definitely a two star novel and worthy of the money. Check out the first chapter and see if I'm not correct.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Shepherd's Fall
WaterBrook Press (April 14, 2009)
by
Wanda Dyson


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wanda Dyson lives with her severely autistic teenager on a busy farm with horses, chickens, dogs, cats, rabbits, and the occasional fox, deer, groundhog, and snake. She could seriously live without the snakes, but that's life in the country.

After writing three critically acclaimed suspense novels, she was asked to write the true story of Tina Zahn (Why I Jumped), which was featured on Oprah. Readers characterize her books as "riviting" and "Packed with twists and turns."

Wanda serves on the board of several writers conferences across the country including the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.

Wanda has finished the second in this series called Shepherd's Run,that will come out in 2010. And she's hard at work on the third and final installment of the Prodigal Recovery Series - Marti's story -- tentatively called Shepherd's Quest.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Bounty hunter Greg Price is fearless when it comes to chasing down criminals. It's his difficult ex-wife, rebellious teenage daughter, and dysfunctional siblings that keep him awake at night. In charge of the family business, the Prodigal Recovery Agency, he thinks of himself as a shepherd of sorts. When his "flock" is out of his control, Greg's well-ordered universe falls into chaos.

Prodigal Recovery's search for Zeena, a prostitute on the run, leads to a faulty arrest, complicating Greg's business. He is thrown together with Zeena's twin, the beautiful Annie, and the two find themselves on a desperate search. The stakes significantly increase when Greg's daughter is kidnapped. Now, to save someone he loves, Greg must risk everything.but will it be enough

If you would like to read a Prologue excerpt from Shepherd's Fall, go HERE

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

I'm late, I know. Who knew that Ponca City, Oklahoma had city wide WiFi, but it didn't reach my aunt's house and I would be the family Taxi Driver for the week? Ah well. If only vacations were really vacations...

Deeanne Gist has done it again with a wonderful historical romance in the upper west of the U.S. right after the Civil War and all about logging... well, almost. Since my dad was a logger in the late 1940s, this was a very interesting nostaglia trip for me. I fully enjoyed the whole trip around the Horn and all the news articles (that were really and truly printed in for real newspapers). Also, the characters were well developed, for the most part. There were a LOT of characters in this book, but not so many that it was confusing. It was just that a lot were mentioned and not developed which gave the story a two-demensional feel at times. However, the other characterizations were most excellent. Nothing happened out-of-character, and it was a good plot line as well.

Gist is also getting much better at period venacular. So once, you get into the dialogue wagon, there aren't any hiccups that jerk you into the present. This one is a keeper and worth the money. If you like period pieces and historical romance, you'll like this one. It is a bit formulaic in the romance department up to about the three quarter mark, then you've got a most delicious story development that will definitely require a hanky.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Bride In The Bargain
Bethany House (June 1, 2009)
by
Deeanne Gist


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.

Since the debut of those novels, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, two RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.



ABOUT THE BOOK

The Wedding Is All Planned...
Someone Just Needs to Tell the Bride
In 1860s Seattle, redwoods were plentiful but women scarce. Yet a man with a wife could secure 640 acres of timberland for free.

Joe Denton doesn't have a wife, though. His died before she could follow him to Seattle and now the local judge is threatening to take away his claim. In desperation, he buys himself a Mercer bride--one of the eastern widows and orphans brought to the Territory by entrepreneur Asa Mercer.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Mercer is an escape from the aftermath of the Civil War. She signed on to become a cook--not a bride. When she's handed over to Denton, her stubborn refusal to wed jeopardizes his land. With only a few months before he loses all he holds dear, can he convince this provoking, but beguiling, easterner to become his lawfully wedded wife?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Bride In The Bargain, go HERE

Held Hostage by Ken Cooper

Held Hostage: A Serial BAnk Robber's Road to Redemption



Who says miracles don't happen these days?

For instance, a young boy runs into his home and tells his mom that one day he was going to preach. "She nearly fainted and said she would be praying..." and she did for many, many years.

Ken Cooper was a decent sort of man, got excellent grades in school, went to college, but had a penchant for stealing. He loved the adrelenin rush of it, the "natural" high it gave him.

He met a girl that made him "see the light" so to speak and they had a baby. He resolved to be the best husband and best dad anyone could hope for. He was, too... until his wife died and he gave his child away because he couldn't take care of her. He felt like a failure, and that's when he decided to rob banks.

As a career, it didn't have much of a future. In fact, the last bank he robbed, he'd almost decided not to rob it. That had to be the worst, and the best day of his life, because Ken Cooper met Jesus for real while he was in prison. The fact that he was supposed to spend the rest of his life in prison without any possibility of parole and yet four years later, he was standing in front of a church crowd giving his testimony is nothing but a miracle.

The road between the two, however, was long, full of twists and turns and hair-raising-adrelenin-rushing-cliff-hangers. Ken called robbing banks, his "banking business". He conducted business with a loaded gun and numerous disguises. The amazing thing is that he became very well known throughout Kentucky as he was the state PR man as well as Cumberland College promotions man. He lead a double-life, and nair the twain should meet except on one hot, horrendous day.

Ken Cooper can tell a story. He weaves in and out like a well-honed loom. He does an amazing job of drawing the reader into his thought process. You become immersed in his woes and his highs. You hold your breath with him as is cellblock is chosen for him by Mrs. Joseph. You mourn with him the loss of his family and his seperation from loved ones. You cheer him when he realizes how Jesus cleanses the most vile and pulls those from the deepest mire. You rejoice with him when he rejoices that only God and His goodness could have arranged his shower mates, because Malo told him that "A muscle-bound homo they called Bear bought you." Only God could have made all points and purposes come together so that he stepped into the shower with a huge hometown boy who hated the sex traders, too.

This is a smooth read. It is not for the fainthearted, but is worthy of some late nights. I recommend it. It is worth the money and is a keeper. You can buy Held Hostage from Chosen Books but it won't hit the book store shelves until August. Look for it, don't miss it!

Ken Cooper, who served four years of a 99-year sentence, later worked with four others to found Prisoners of Christ, a faith-based reentry ministry for the transition of inmates plagued with addictions. Now he heads up Ken Cooper Prison Ministries, involved in prison ministry organization development, consulting work, and education on overcoming addictions. Ken has been featured in numerous media outlets including Time, The Christian Science Monitor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Associated Press.Ken and his wife, June, live in Jacksonville, Florida.

Scream by Mike Dellosso

Everyone by now knows how I feel about books that switch from one character and apparently different storyline to another. Back and forth, back and forth without one connecting thread until I want to SCREAM with frustration. It is a quirk of mine, and I can't seem to give the authors (and editors) a break when they use this gambit. It does NOT make the story more interesting and creates unnecessary tension, in my opinion. My old, feeble brain can't seem to make the connections between the dots that are so far apart they have no relationship. And please, don't tell me on the outside back cover what I won't find until the last half of the book. That is so totally unfair!

However, let me see if I can give it a fair shot...

Scream is an excellently written novel by Mike Dellosso with a great deal of suspense. I cannot imagine what it would be like to hear screams from Hell just before my best friend died. It would be mind numbing. Dellosso does a great job describing this and drawing you into a most satisfying mystery until you are jerked away into another, completely different mystery into the mind of a kidnapper and apparent serial killer.

Dellosso also does a very good job getting inside the head of an unfaithful husband who no longer believes God. The characters are very well developed, but you do not have an immediate sense of who the protagonist actually is because you slip inside the heads of a lot of characters right up front. That doesn't help the reader to latch onto, or begin to actually care about a particular person immediately. You really don't want to waste some emotion on someone who ends up dead within a few pages. That makes you draw back from the characters somewhat. But, don't. It is well worth it to the last page because the investment you make in Mark Stone (the guy who hears the screams from Hell) is a worthy character.

Unless you are a person who reads the last page of a novel, don't read that outside back cover. Well, if you do, please note the name Mark Stone. That's the guy that you'll need to develop an emotional attachment to in order to keep from getting dizzy the first half of the book. But, it does, even though you have strong doubts, have a happy ending.

This novel is not for the fainthearted. It has some heart-stopping pages that will keep you up at night. Happy reading...

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Scream
Realms (March 3, 2009)
by
Mike Dellosso


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mike now lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Jen, and their three daughters. He writes a monthly column for Writer . . .Interrupted.

He was a newspaper correspondent/columnist for over three years and has published several articles for The Candle of Prayer inspirational booklets. Mike also has edited and contributed to numerous Christian-themed Web sites and e-newsletters.

Mike is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, the Relief Writer's Network, and International Thriller Writers. He received his BA degree in sports exercise and medicine from Messiah College and his MBS degree in theology from Master's Graduate School of Divinity.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Otherworldly Screams...
A Madman on the Loose...
This Time the Stakes Are Higher Than Ever

While talking to his friend on the phone, Mark Stone is startled by a cacophony of otherworldly screams. Seconds later, a tragic accident claims his friend's life. When this happens several more times--screams followed by an untimely death--he is compelled to act.

Battling his failure as a husband and struggling with his own damaged faith, Mark embarks on a mission to find the meaning behind the screams and hopefully stop death from calling on its next victim. When his estranged wife is kidnapped and he again hears the screams as she calls from her cell phone, his search becomes much more personal and much more urgent.

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

Jillian Dare

If you ever saw that movie Au Pare which was good, you've got a pretty good picture of what this book is like. Although, the story is not the same at all, it has the same premise. Young girl gets nanny job, faces aversity from some unknown person and falls in love with handsome father of child. Now, if you have ever read the book Jane Eyre (which is an absolute must read because it is so very good), you've got the idea of the story line of this book.

Honestly, Melanie M. Jeschke did not do a great job of moderizing Jane Eyre, in my opinion. The old story was darkly romantic and heavy with mystery. This novel is not. While the characters are fairly well developed, and you do notice within the first 10 pages or so that this is the retelling of Jane Eyre, (the cover tells you that, too) it does not live up to expectations. The supporting characters are not developed well. They don't have much depth and this detracts from the story, making the reader want to fill in a hole somewhere but you don't know where the hole is.

I have a strong feeling that this is an editing problem, not the author's problem because publishers these days don't want to publish books with more than 97,000 to 100,000 words. Jane Eyre had 200,000 words or more and every single one of them was needed to progress the feel of story which is what Jane is all about.

Jane went to work in a dark and brooding household, whereas Jillian goes to work in a bright and airy mansion of a place. Jane feels closed in and almost oppressed by the mystery, and Jillian is merely puzzled. Jane is frightened and timid, but perserveres, Jillian is bold and health conscious, which is fine, but is a bit incongruous to the Jane Eyre tradition.

I know, Jeschke did not want to do a story exactly like the old one. I think she did a terrific job of creating a unique enough novel, which was definitely inspired by the old classic. I just think the atmosphere of the old would have lent itself very well to modernization, in fact it would have been even more gothic than gothic. I give this one two stars. It is mildly interesting.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Jillian Dare: A Novel
Revell (May 1, 2009)
by
Melanie M. Jeschke


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melanie Morey Jeschke (pronounced jes-key), a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from University of Virginia as a Phi Beta Kappa with an Honors degree in English Literature and a minor in European and English History.

A free-lance travel writer, Melanie contributed the Oxford chapter to the Rick Steves’ England 2006 guidebook. She is a member of the Capital Christian Writers and Christian Fiction Writers as well as three book clubs, and taught high-school English before home-schooling most of her nine children. Melanie lectures on Lewis and Tolkien, Oxford, and writing, and gives inspirational talks to all manner of groups, including university classes, women’s clubs, young professionals, teens, and school children.

A fourth generation pastor’s wife (her father Dr. Earl Morey is a retired Presbyterian minister), Melanie resides in the Greater Washington, D.C. area with her children and husband Bill Jeschke, a soccer coach and the Senior Pastor of The King’s Chapel, an non-denominational Christian church in Fairfax, Virginia.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Jillian Dare leaves her Shenandoah Valley foster home behind and strikes out on her own as a nanny at a large country estate in northern Virginia. She is delighted with the beauty of her new home, the affection of her young charge Cadence Remington, and the opportunity for frequent travel to the Remington castle in England.

She is less certain about her feelings for her handsome but moody employer, Ethan. In spite of herself, Jillian realizes she is falling for her boss. But how can a humble girl ever hope to win a wealthy man of the world? And what dark secrets from the past is he hiding? This contemporary story, inspired by the well-loved classic Jane Eyre, will capture readers' hearts.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Jillian Dare: A Novel, go HERE

Miserly Moms-

Jonni McCoy has got a handle on all things frugal. I just thought I knew all the tricks, growing up in a very frugal home with a very frugal Mom. Jonni has taught an old dog lots of new tricks.

Even though the title says Moms, everyone should have this book and should study it because there is something in it for everyone.

For the longest time, I have hated how grocery prices keep going up an up. After the price of gasoline topped $4.00 a gallon, I knew it wouldn't be long before we'd see a reflection of it at the grocery. It really isn't their fault, diesel prices haven't gone down much and trucking is what moves the food from Pacific Coast to Atlantic Coast.

I highly recommend this book. It has loads of excellent advice with menus and some recipes, too, just to prove that it really can be done. We do not have to live on two incomes!

Did you know that coupons really do not save you as much as you think? That house brands are usually just as good and cheaper than the name brands with the coupon? I knew that. I had figured that out. But, what I did not know was that you should not do all your shopping at the same store.

Take the time to find the deals at each store and shop just for the deals. I've always known not to shop when hungry, but I didn't realize how much I could save if I went to several different stores for my weekly shopping. Jonni tells me that I should plan my meals around the weekly specials on meats, rather than plan meals and then hope to find cheap.

Oh, yes, definitely everyone needs this book. It'll make your pocketbook fatter.

According to Their Deeds by Paul Robertson

Paul Robertson has created the most charming characters in Charles and Dorothy Beale, and don't forget the formidable Angelo. This is quite possibly the best novel of the year. I could not put it down and even though I had to be up early, I read deep into the night. I loved it! I want more of it!

Robertson is an expert wordsmith. His play on words, sophisticated puns, and corny puns keep this murder mystery moving at a very fast pace. There is not one yawning page in the whole book. These days, that is quite an achievement. One of my favorites is this line: "He was a teapot of a man, short and stout..." and there was something about him coming steaming and whistling into the room, but I've forgotten the exact wording so I won't butcher the quote here.

Let's talk about Charles for a moment. He is a rare book store owner and drops $27,000 on 13 books at an auction without the least drop of sweat. Nevertheless, the running of this most amazing book store does not plug the storyline flow. Anytime he breezes in or out of the store, he asks his faithful sales clerk, Alice, what did we sell this morning? They always have sold something and it is amazing how it has something to do with what is going on. Fascinating. Charles is also a most wonderful romantic. He celebrates with his wife, Dorothy, by handing her one book at a time and the title of it recalls a moment of their life together. It is blissfully charming.

Robertson has an excellent command of suspense as well. He plays the story out in a satisfying way; we learn as Charles learns, we are mortified when Charles is mortified, we are joyful when Charles is joyful. However, the very end is a pleasant surprise, not jolting, not discovered long before the last page. The story is enhanced by the ending, not stretched into impatience or yawning boredom. Robertson gives the reader just enough to figure it out just before it is revealed who is behind all the turmoil and murder so the reader feels a great deal of satisfaction. If it had been done any other way, it would not have matched the pace and charm of the story.

Only one thing that mars this delicious experience and that is the conversations between Charles and the dead man. Some of it lends quite well to the story and some of it bogs it down. It is a most highbrow discussion and if you want more insight into the murdered man and why he was murdered, then you can study those conversations if you like that sort of thing. Or... you can skip through them. I did both and it did not subtract from the enjoyment or the understanding.

Simply put, job very well done, Paul Robertson. I want more of this fare!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
According To Their Deeds
Bethany House (March 1, 2009)
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

A Deadly Game of Justice Versus Mercy Charles Beale lives outside the shadow of Washington, D.C. Politics and power matter only when a client crosses the Potomac to visit his Alexandria Rare Books shop.

But that all changes when a former client--a man deeply connected in the Justice Department--is found murdered after a break-in gone bad. When Charles reclaims at auction the books he'd once sold, he quickly discovers he's bought more trouble than he could have ever imagined.

Inside one volume are secrets. A collection of sins that, if revealed, could destroy reputations, careers--even lives. Charles soon learns he isn't the only who knows. Going to the police means ruining a multitude of lives. But staying silent puts a target on his shop, his wife--and himself. Charles must decide: Should one mistake really cost you everything?

If you would like to read the first chapter of According To Their Deeds, go HERE