She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

I don't know when I've enjoyed a historical romance more than this one. It has been a very long time. My advice is to hurry up and buy it, but don't start reading it when you settle into bed because you'll look up and suddenly it will be 2 AM! I couldn't believe how quickly time flew while I read. I'd think, just one more chapter, and two hours later, my eyes all bleary, I'd have to reluctantly put it aside and turn out the lights.

The characters are delightful, very well developed and quite believable. The dialogue is magnificent. The 1890s were atrocious times for women who had to suffer in corsets and really were not their own persons. The 1890s were also a time when women began to come out of their cocoons, but it would be another 20 years before women would be professionals at anything except "polite society". 

Siri Mitchell has captured an era in intricate detail, with an understated flamboyance. All the glitter and the pomp are there, with the underlying concern of how the poor lived, the station of daughters who must catch The Catch of the Season with no regard for love or honor are displayed with seeming ease.

My favorite is that she has captured the art of nuance in prose. She tells the story in dialogue, and a sharp reader will “get it” without it having to be explained. I absolutely LOVE that! I do not need or want for everything to be laid out in neon signage. Just tell the story with the lifted brow, a slight smile and the turn of a shoulder at the perfect moment.

Excellent read!! Five out of Five Stars. A keeper.

Siri Mitchell is the author of nearly a dozen novels, among them the critically acclaimed Christy Award finalists Chateau of Echoesand The Cubicle Next Door. A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in business, she has worked in many different levels of government. As military spouse, she has lived in places as varied as Tokyo and Paris. Siri currently lives in the DC-metro area. Visit www.sirimitchell.com

I have reviewed this book for Bethany House with no compensation.

Deceit by Brandilyn Collins

I have read a lot of Brandilyn Collins' books over the past several years. She truly is a master at suspense. She has done a fabulous job of weaving suspense with a little bit of romance. Just the right touch. There's no car racing down the road and two people gazing rapturously into each other's eyes. No scene where bullets are flying about and two people suddenly can't keep their hands off each other or their lips apart!

Good writing, good character development, and good storyline keep you turning pages. This story bolts out of the box and never stops until the finish line, and there's no dangling story holes that keep you wondering.

I did get a bit tired of the Jelly Belly references, although, it was probably more mouth watering flavors rather than that I don't like jelly beans.

I love the older woman as a main character. Older women have more character, usually make wiser choices and don't have that "princess" attitude, at least this one did. That makes for a much more believable story. The villain is someone that you just love to hate and there's one of these characters in everyone's life. Although, they don't often resort to murder.

So when you settle into your bed at night to read, be sure to lock all your doors and windows before you crack open this book. You'll want to get up and check them all again, trust me on this. Be sure you are tucked into bed tightly because the plot twists and turns will toss you about considerably.

Oh... and one other thing.... This one is 5 Stars out of 5 Stars, a keeper for sure. It's also one that you'll probably want to read again. So buckle up!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Deceit
Zondervan (June 18, 2010)
by
Brandilyn Collins

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:





Brandilyn Collins is an award-winning and best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®. These harrowing crime thrillers have earned her the tagline "Don't forget to b r e a t h e..."® Brandilyn's first book, A Question of Innocence, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including the Phil Donahue and Leeza talk shows. Brandilyn is also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons). She is now working on her 20th book.
In addition, Brandilyn’s other latest release is Final Touch, third in The Rayne Tour series—young adult suspense co-written with her daughter, Amberly. The Rayne Tour series features Shaley O’Connor, daughter of a rock star, who just may have it all—until murder crashes her world.

ABOUT THE BOOK

     Skip Tracer Joanne Weeks knows Baxter Jackson killed his second wife---and Joanne's best friend---seven years ago. But Jackson, a church elder and beloved member of the town, walks the streets a free man.

The police tell Joanne to leave well enough alone, but Joanne is determined to bring Jackson down. Using her skip tracing skills, she sets out to locate Melissa Harkoff, now twenty-two, who lived in the Jackson home at the time of Linda Jackson's disappearance.

As Joanne drives home on a rainy winter night, a hooded figure darts in front of her car. In her headlight beams she glimpses the half-concealed face of a man, a rivulet of blood jagging down his cheek. She squeals to a stop but clips him with her right fender. Shaking, she gets out of her car in the pouring rain. The man will not let her see his face. Before he limps off into the night he warns her not to talk to police.

As Joanne tries to find Melissa, someone seems to be after her. Who was the man she hit on the road. Is Baxter Jackson out to silence her? Or is some other skip she's traced in the past now out for revenge?

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

A Matter Of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher

I adore Robin Lee Hatcher. She is an amazing story weaver. I loved this series, but it seems to me that she was tired of the story when she got to this one. It didn't grab as well as the others and you didn't just fall in love with the characters as much. Make no mistake, it was a great character study of Daphne McKinley as a turn of the century dime novelist. I fully appreciate the glass floor for female authors (especially of the kind Daphne wrote--shoot 'em ups of the wild west). However, I got so tired of her "struggle" concerning her "lie" about being a male novelist and writing about a real character, Rawhide Rick, exposing his cruel character.

I don't mind thin plots where you know where the thing is going. It is always fun to see how an author makes it happen. This storyline was completely clear what was going to happen on the last page before you get to the end of the second chapter. No need for a Spoiler Alert because you know I don't do that sort of thing. Suffice it to say, it was extremely predictable and the situations and circumstances were not greatly inspired. I was disappointed.

Robin is such an excellent author, I grade this on a different scale than for a first-timer. Which is why I was so disappointed. I give this one ** two stars out of five. She has done so much better in the past, and I expect great things in the future.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Matter Of Character

Zondervan (May 25, 2010)

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

It's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho. But Daphne has a secret.

A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories ... except Daphne.

When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.

Robin is conducting a contest for the new book. Join in the fun HERE.

If you would like to read the Prologue and first Chapter of A Matter Of Character, go HERE.

Broken by Travis Thrasher

I read Travis Thrasher's last novel called Isolation. It was one of the most depressing books that I have ever read. This one is not much different. I gave this one the best effort I could and I still had to start skimming. There are flashbacks and twists and flipping from one character to another which is just not done well enough for the reader to have a comfortable story flow read.

Thrasher uses a gimmick which is basically cheating the reader. When the main character knows everything, but the author holds back the information, the trust between author and reader is destroyed. When the reader is given bits and pieces of information to piece together as in a mystery, it is far different because the protagonist has either memory loss or doesn't know any more than the reader, therefore it is a proper tension builder which the reader can trust. When the protagonist knows all the details and the reader knows nothing, it is a cheap way to build tension which destroys any kind of trust a reader could have in the author.

The reader is told about ruthless violence, extreme angst of the main character, without any reasons given or hints of reasons except for the murder. But why did the protag have such fear, and why did she change her name and leave town? I really wish MEN would quit trying to get into the heads of women in novels. They just can't do it, so why try? They do not understand us so it rarely works. Because of this, interest wanes after about the fourth chapter.

I give this a * one star out of five at best. The one star comes from the story premise which is very good. If it had been told in a more straightforward manner, and if it had been told from one POV instead of several, then it would rate **** four stars. The execution just didn't match the premise.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Broken
FaithWords (May 25, 2010)
by
Travis Thrasher
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

It was during third grade after a teacher encouraged him in his writing and as he read through The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis that Travis decided he wanted to be a writer. The dream never left him, and allowed him to fulfill that dream of writing fulltime in 2007.


Travis Thrasher is the author of numerous works of fiction, including his most personal and perhaps his deepest work, Sky Blue, that was published in summer of 2007. This year he has to novels published, Out of the Devil’s Mouth, and a supernatural thriller, Isolation.

Travis is married to Sharon and they are the proud parents of Kylie, born in November, 2006, and Hailey, a Shih-Tzu that looks like an Ewok. They live in suburban Chicago.

Stop by and visit Travis at his Blog where you can sign up to follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Laila had it all--love, family, wealth, and faith. But when her faith crumbles, her world falls apart and Laila finds herself living an empty, dangerous life as a call girl in Chicago.

When she is threatened, Laila shoots and kills a client in self-defense, sending herself into a spiral of guilt and emptiness. Six months later, she is trying to move on, but she's haunted by the past. She hasn't told anyone about the man she killed, and she's still estranged from her family.

When she is approached by a stranger who says he knows what she did, Laila has no choice but to run. But the stranger stays close behind, and Laila begins having visions of the man she killed. Little does she know she's being hounded by something not of this world, something that knows her deepest, darkest secret.

Scared and wandering, will Laila regain her trust in God to protect her from these demons? Or will her plea for salvation come too late?

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

Deadly Disclosures by Julie Cave

This has an excellent story premise and the suspense is top notch. However, there are so many things that are disturbing.

The number one thing is when the suspense is building, we've got a lot of good questions that are sure to be answered at the turn of a page and then BOOM, a snippet of "past life" is dropped in the first paragraph of the page which totally wipes out the entire suspense thing, ruining any delicious feeling of anticipation and mystery, snatching the storyline's flow and shoving the reader into a swirling eddy sideshow. It doesn't work because it is manipulation of the reader and the story. Either decide the focus will be the past of the heroine and use the job as the FBI agent as a backdrop story, or be up front in a prologue and spill the whole bean pot about the protagonist's history. Do not spoil the show since the history of the protag does not mean beans to the plot of the murder of the Smithsonian Director.

This story goes in way too many directions to be coherent. It would have be a great thriller if we didn't that this pitiful angst of the protag which is medicated with alcohol to the point of a clear need for intervention. This is written like one of those CSI episodes which has two character's solving one crime and another two solving a different crime. It's okay that the two are parallel and never meet into one big crime because we have the continuity of the two sets of characters. When you switch, you know which story you are in because of the characters. Here we don't have such relief. We've got two main plots with one character. It doesn't flow well.

One plot is extremely melodramatic. While I can appreciate Cave is trying to be sensitive to alcoholism and showing there is good cause for people to want to medicate on alcohol, it is obvious that she has not lived with an alcoholic nor has suffered from it. I can say this because I have lived through both. This part of the story is two dimensional at best and some of it reads like a rehab center's brochure, and not at all like a character study. Another problem is the back story for Thomas who was the guy kidnapped, then murdered. It is written in italics and that's when you know... OH, here's more about Thomas. That is a story flow stopper and just does not integrate well with the other two plots. We get seasick from the flipflop, teeter here totter there, bait and switch. I'm thinking this is the poorest editing I've seen in a long time.

The other plot is GREAT! It has wonderful development, great suspense, really evil characters, really nice characters, and some characters that don't have a clue which all work very well within the texture of the story. So here, you'll have to take the bad with the good if you want to read this book. For me, it was Skim City.

I give it one star out of five.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing

Deadly Disclosure New Leaf Publishing Group/Master Books (February 15, 2010) by

Julie Cave

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie first heard a creation science speaker at her church when she was just 15, igniting her interest in creation science and sparking an enthusiasm for defending the Bible’s account of creation. She has obtained a degree in health science, and is currently completing a degree in law. Julie is married with one daughter and lives on the east coast of Australia.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Suspense-filled mystery which answers an ominous question: How far will some go to silence an influential Christian voice?

Thomas Whitfield, proud Secretary of the Smithsonian and its extensive scientific influence, has disappeared from his office with foul play suspected. Dinah Harris, an FBI agent struggling with alcohol and depression, is seeking answers amidst the fallout of her own personal issues.

Whitfield's body is eventually found, and other people connected to him begin dying as well, ultimately exposing a broader conspiracy connected to Whitfield's recent conversion to Christ and promotion of a biblical worldview in an academic world of financial gain hostile to this concept.

Will Dinah be able to experience the redemptive power of Christ before it's too late? Or will the ominous danger stalking her investigation claim another victim?

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



Watch the Video Book Trailer:

Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr

This novel is wonderful. It is a love story where the characters actually have reasons to fall in love. We don't have to go through the cliche's of contrived conflict, and the wise council of Scarlett O'Hara's papa "Scarlett, me darling, just being man and woman is opposite enough," holds true. 


I read into the wee hours of the morning in a most delicious way which reminded me of flashlights under the covers only now I can breathe and I don't have to worry about Dad's grumping. This is a Historical romance.


Elvira Kilmer has faced numerous challenges in her barely more than 30 years which is why she is a spinster. She's been thrown out of her cousin's house and her other cousin is forcing her to take care of a pair of boys (6 & 3) who just lost their mother. She believes their father is overcome with grief. When he asks her to marry him, this handsome man who is younger by a few years, she is humiliated down to her toes. She can't believe God would do this to her after she had prayed and prayed. What follows is a wonderful story.


The characters are so well developed they become friends you want to pray for, and the situations/circumstances are so believable you ponder the solution as if it were your own. This is story telling at its best. I highly recommend it!





Delia Parr, pen name for Mary Lechleidner, is the author of 10 historical novels and the winner of several awards, including the Laurel Wreath Award for Historical Romance and the Aspen Gold Award for Best Inspirational Book. She is a full-time high school teacher who spends her summer vacations writing and kayaking. The mother of three grown children, she lives in Collingswood, New Jersey. Visitwww.deliaparr.com for more information

Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes

I must begin this by saying that Gina Holmes is a truly insightful woman. Her blog, Novel Journey, is something to be admired and enjoyed by author and reader alike. She can ask some thought provoking questions that can get right to the heart of any issue that should be explored.

Gina Holmes began her career in 1998, penning articles and short stories. In 2005 she founded the influential literary blog, Novel Journey. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit www.ginaholmes.com or www.noveljourney.blogspot.com.

 ABOUT THE BOOK 


I have read lots of books about dying women -- cancer of breast, skin, lungs, brain, etc -- most of them were excruciatingly poignant. I do not know if I could have read them all if I were close to someone dying, because I have the kind of personality that identifies, if at all possible, with the protagonist of the story.

Gina Holmes must have been close to someone who was a mother and who was dying to catch the intensity of feelings that this story captures. Either that, or she interviewed many mothers.

The way she writes this story, the reader is sitting on the porch with Jenny Lucas, and you can smell the lake on the moisture laden breeze. Emotions we take for granted seem to peak and rise rather than ebb and flow in Jenny's breast. She learns, in the few short months she has left, she learns about forgiveness... about what true love is rather than clingy infatuation... and she learns how a deep abiding relationship with God turns the bitterest of anger into a soft acceptance of what is best for her tiny daughter.

You will smile and you will cry. Reading this book is a good experienced. But, I did get to a point where I wonder if Jenny would ever die. So much happens here that it becomes a point of circumstance reaction rather than character growth. However, Jenny learns a lot. She records the lessons in her journal and that becomes a treasure. Made me understand why I love writing so much. It is because I feel a burning desire to pass along what I've learned. I so identified with this character. I believe you will, too. This one is a keeper.

Read the first chapter here

A Woman Called Sage by DiAnn Mills

I read this novel in about three days. It was engrossing, but fell a little flat in the middle. 


What better premise than a woman bounty hunter who is looking for revenge and a Sheriff who has no time for women? We have all the ingredients for a great story: murder, intrigue, mystery, kidnapping... typical day in the old wild, wild, west, right? We also have a novelist who has written more than forty books with more than a 1.5 million books sold. How can that fall flat?


I have not read any of her other novels so I have nothing to compare it to, but this story does fall a little flat. Here is another example that suspense and love triangles don't mingle well in one novel. Either stay focused on the mystery/suspense and let a little love blossom, or leave out the love angle altogether. There is enough conflict with the five murderous McCaw brothers on the loose and the one that Sage Morrow was able to bring in got loose and injured the sheriff. Sage knew it was too easy bringing him in, so that tension could have been built to a nerve searing point that would keep awake the most sleepy reader. Added to that we have a kidnapping of two young boys, the sheriff laid up from his injuries and only Sage willing and able to track the bad guys. 


It sketching the character of Sage, Mills does a pretty good job, except there is a problem which looks a bit like melodrama. Sage is tough as nails when it comes to wanting revenge for the death of her husband and son, but she tears up at the thought of two little boys at the mercy to those who killed her husband.


I did like the conflict created by the preacher Waller. His being a man-called preacher instead of a God-called man was loud and clear and an excellent character study. The kind of character you love to hate. 


There are a lot of characters in this story, most of them lend very well to the flow of the story. Most are developed well, too, which gives a little spice to it. The part where the romance comes to a head so to speak, comes at a time in the storyline which makes me so impatient, makes me ask, "REALLY? You are going to woo a gal while the murders are lurking so close by you can smell their breath?" That kind of writing makes me want to toss the book on the floor and go to sleep... but, with only a few pages left, I couldn't let the murderers go scott-free, could I? Nor will you.

This week, the



Christian Fiction Blog Alliance



is introducing



A Woman Called SageZondervan (April 1, 2010)by



DiAnn Mills





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has more than forty books in print and has sold more than a million copies.

DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels.


Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2007, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild.

She lives in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

ABOUT THE BOOK

They took away everything she loved...now, she’s out for revenge.

Sage Morrow had it all: life on a beautiful Colorado ranch, a husband who adored her, and a baby on the way. Until five ruthless gunmen rode up to their ranch and changed her life forever. Now Sage is a bounty hunter bent on retribution.

Accompanied only by her majestic hawk, she travels throughout the Rocky Mountains in search of injustice, determined to stamp it out wherever it’s found. The stakes are raised when two young boys are kidnapped and Sage is forced to work with Marshall Parker Timmons to rescue them. But Sage may ultimately get more than she bargained for.

In this exciting historical romance set in the late 1800s, murder, intrigue, kidnapping, and questions of faith will keep you in suspense until the final pages.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Woman Called Sage, go HERE.
Watch the Video Book Trailer:

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

Discovering the secret of a Man's Soul...

I read that and thought, "WOW! Finally someone who can explain why men think and do the things they do." Since I am a member of Book Sneeze at Thomas Nelson, I thought I'd see what this was all about.

John Eldredge wrote this book about ten years ago, and he has now updated it for today's man (and woman). I discovered that men today need permission to really be men. I heartily agree with that statement. Feminists have de-genderized society to the point that I'm not sure who is who anymore.

I have observed within my own experience the three things a man must have in order not to lose his being: 1. Battle to fight, 2. an Adventure to live, and 3. a Beauty of rescue. Each of these three things work together to make up a man's character. One can see perfectly what kind of man a man is when you study the fights he chooses, the adventures he takes, and the kind of Beauty that he links arms with through life.

There was something so satisfying about this book, simply because my 50+ years of observations rang true to what Eldredge was saying. He also does an excellent job in correlating Manly Jesus to manly things, all the while leaving room for tenderness with the Beauty and the Children as he succinctly states, "And all his wildness and all his fierceness are inseparable from his romantic heart...music, wine, poetry, sunsets, those were His inventions, not ours. We simply discovered what He had already thought of."

Its enough to make a maidenly heart flutter. And enough to give men permission to be all they can be, and still be lovely and comely in God's eyes as well as woman's. This is a keeper. Buy it, and give it to your son or husband or nephew or son-in-law. They will appreciate it and so will their wives.

The Sword by Bryan Litfin

This novel was an interesting foray into the What If world. What if all except a few in the world were annihilated? What if those who survived didn't know much if anything about God? What if a demon of incredible power suffused... no, wait, that isn't right. What if an evil person who knew about God was influenced by Satan to suppress everything having to do with the one true God? But then one young man who happened to be a professor at a college found out about God. What a great concept!

In fact you will find two such books on Christian Book Stores shelves with this premise. Neither relate to the other and the story lines actually are a lot different.

In The Sword, you have all the elements of adventure and intrigue almost from the first page. The protag, Teofil, is rather two dimensional at first because we just don't know what he looks like, we don't know his name, but boy we've got an excellent man and bear fight over the fresh wild boar kill. The man was salivating over roasted pork ribs. The day is saved by a slip of a girl/woman who fires an arrow into the bear's chest.  I'm thinking this is going to be a most satisfying read. But, I'm only on page 29.

The characters are numerous, so much so, that if you don't read straight through you are likely to forget who is who. I am not saying this is a bad thing. Any reader knows that when a character is given a name, then you will meet that character again, so you try hard to remember who is who. Because this is a trilogy (book 1) I realize there will be a lot of characters, and it could be because I'm getting old, for me it was hard to keep track of them all.

The story takes place on earth 400 years after the catastrophe. There should be some things that are the same, but everything--building, landmarks, everything--was overgrown or completely gone, so there wasn't any geographic connection. I couldn't envision where this took place. Again, I'm not saying that it is a bad thing, it was just a little disconcerting for me because I knew it was earth, but nothing recognizable not even places. I know there is an analogy in some of the names, but I didn't catch them... like the place called Toon. My first thought was, "Wonder if we'll meet Daffy?" Call me sacrilegious.

For me, the story was good. I love good vs evil stories. I love it when the heroine isn't this weak-kneed, screamer. I love it when she's fiery and womanly. It is very hard to write, but Litfin captured this very well. There was nothing cartoonish about our Ana. I also love it when the rogues are truly, thickly evil.

I do recommend this first novel by Bryan Litfin. I warn you, if you'll be up late at night. Once you get all the characters straight, it is a delicious read.

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


The SwordCrossway Books (April 30, 2010)by


Bryan M. Litfin

ABOUT THE BOOK

This novel of page-turning action and adventure poses the question, "If a society had no knowledge of Christianity, and then a Bible were discovered, what would happen?"

Four hundred years after a deadly virus and nuclear war destroyed the modern world, a new and noble civilization emerges. In this kingdom, called Chiveis, snowcapped mountains provide protection, and fields and livestock provide food. The people live medieval-style lives, with almost no knowledge of the "ancient" world. Safe in their natural stronghold, the Chiveisi have everything they need, even their own religion. Christianity has been forgotten—until a young army scout comes across a strange book.

With that discovery, this work of speculative fiction takes readers on a journey that encompasses adventure, romance, and the revelation of the one true God. Through compelling narrative and powerful character development, The Sword speaks to God's goodness, his refusal to tolerate sin, man's need to bow before him, and the eternality and power of his Word. Fantasy and adventure readers will be hooked by this first book in a forthcoming trilogy.

Visit the book website at The Sword to see amazing videos and a wealth of information about the trilogy!

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bryan Litfin was born in Dallas, but lived in Memphis, Tennessee and Oxford, England, where he discovered that the house of his favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien, was only five doors down from his own. Bryan still enjoys epic adventure stories, as well as historical fiction. However, most of his reading these days is taken up by academia.

After marrying his high school sweetheart, Carolyn (a true Southern belle), he went on to study for a master’s degree in historical theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. From there he went to the University of Virginia, taking a PhD in the field of ancient church history. He is the author of Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction (Brazos, 2007), as well as several scholarly articles and essays.

In 2002, Bryan took a position on the faculty at Moody Bible Institute in downtown Chicago, where he is a professor in the Theology Department. He teaches courses in theology, church history, and Western civilization from the ancient and medieval periods.

On the morning of January 6, 2007, Bryan woke up with an epiphany. Having finished writing his primer on the ancient church, he had the idea of trying his hand at fiction. The thought occurred to him that the writer of speculative fiction typically has two options. He can create an imaginary land like Middle Earth (which offers great creative freedom but is unrealistic), or he can delve into genuine history (which is realistic, yet limted to what ‘actually occurred.’) However, if a writer were to create a future world as in the Chiveis trilogy, it could be both realistic and creatively unlimited.

This little dream stayed in Bryan’s mind while he researched how to write fiction, and also researched the European landscape where the novel would be set. He planned a trip to the story locations, then went there in the summer with a buddy from grad school. Bryan and Jeff rented a Beemer and drove all over Europe from the Alps to the Black Forest with a video camera in hand. With that epic setting fresh in his mind, Bryan returned home and began to write.

Today Bryan lives in downtown Wheaton in a Victorian house built in 1887. He is blessed by God to be married to Carolyn, and to be the father of two amazing children, William, 11, and Anna, 9. For recreation Bryan enjoys basketball, traveling, and hiking anywhere there are mountains (which means getting far away from the Midwest – preferably to his beloved Smokies).

3-3-3 You Are Free by James Bars

This is a message so very simple, and yet so many people fear it, and think it is the hardest thing in the world to do--Live Free.

God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7. This is one of my all time favorite verses. I was delighted to see it quoted in the Hidden Chapter. I believe the principles laid out in this book are so very simple to understand, not very hard to follow, and so very easy if we rely upon the Power of God to live free. That is the message in a nutshell. Who needs it? Everyone does, not just Christians. It is a bit elementary if one has been a Christian since 1902, but, then what person doesn't need a gentle reminder every now and again of how much God loves us?

There is an old saying that practice makes perfect. Well, the godly definition of perfect is Complete. Jesus makes us whole and complete. This book is chock full of guidelines on how to allow Jesus to reign in your life. Every Christian needs that! What's truly great about this book is that you can give it to every lost person you love and just maybe you'll be taking them along with you when we meet Jesus in the air.

I recommend this book for anyone. It isn't a fluffy afternoon read, you'll need to dig into it, but that is part of the journey in building your relationship with our LORD.

Blake Bars has this to say...

When it comes to screwing up one’s life, my Dad, Jim Bars, is pretty much an expert.  As his son, I didn’t know him as the mess he had been.  All I knew was what I heard from stories and there were a lot of them.  Throughout my youth I saw that God was important to him; I knew he went to AA meetings a lot and was involved in prison ministries. 

 I knew he wasn’t perfect, but I saw that he continuously strived to improve himself.  The Japanese call this kaizen, which is the practice of continuous improvement.  

 His example was and still is a living testament to me: No matter how broken and how hopeless a man becomes through trials and sufferings here on earth, through God he can be restored to a life of wholeness and hope. – Blake Bars

Jim is an expert at making a mess out of life and then cleaning it up.  He has been almost as broken as one person can get and still be alive.  In a desperate search for hope and wholeness, Jim studied psychology, philosophy, Biblical phenomena and neural-science for nearly thirty years.  During this time he also facilitated Bible studies and personal growth groups. 

Jim has found the Way to joy, peace, love, future, health and true prosperity.  He writes with one purpose: to help enable his readers to also find the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Jim has authored 3-3-3 You Are Free!!!, its companion the 3-3-3 Daily Life Planner, Whose Are You? and the Recovery Journal.  Jim is a member of the National Bible Association and Christian Writers Fellowship International.

not a sparrow falls by Linda Nichols

Right now, I am standing and applauding Bethany House for finding such a jewel as Linda Nichols.

I believe Linda's grandmother and my grandmother were best friends, for she has captured the sights, sounds and smells of my girlhood between the pages of this book regarding the grandmother character.

The reader is caught up into the sphere of spiritual warfare from the very first page, and then reads how it all plays out in the earthly realm. I know I have read the first few pages of this before and I'm thinking it was a contest that Dave Long held on conversion experience. It was so gripping then that I remember it to this day.

This story is very unique and, yet, it is the oldest story since time began because we all get caught in Satan's web of seduction, we all think there is no way out, we all bargain with God at one time or another, we all get angry at circumstances and must fight to forgive our loved one's choices, and we all find out sooner or later that only God can cure all ills, heal all wounds and change all hearts... if we just allow Him the elbow room to do it.

This story is very well-woven. The characters are first rate developed and we see personalities clash in a most believable way. What I love most about this story is that every character grows, blossoms, and finds sure footing on their life path.

The main character, Bridie Collins, is worn out from the bad choices she has made. One day, she's had enough of buying ingredients for cooking meth and being the maid for two slothful drug dealers, so she bides her time until they both crash from too much of a bad thing. She steals the drug money and makes her getaway, calling a hot tip line to make sure that Jonah is arrested and put safely away so he won't come after her. The drug money is stolen so her plans for getting far, far away go awry. She settles in Virginia. Bridie is not her real name, it is her mother's. Somehow, taking on the name of her mother settles her spirit and infuses her soul with a modicum of peace. She is still running away from her bad choices and not facing the music, but we realize that she has some spiritual growing to do before that can happen. It may be the middle of winter, when snow swirling around, but what a garden grows in the little family that is blessed with her.

There are a couple of things that distract somewhat, and keep this story from being 5+ stars. When the paths of Bridie and Jonah part, we follow Bridie and then we're jerked from that story into the jail cell of Jonah. It does not lend to the storyline at all knowing what Jonah is thinking. The tension is better built with the fear from Bridie rather than Jonah's intentions. Also, there isn't a thing added to the storyline by knowing what Jonah's attorney is thinking or that she finally winds up out of the public defender's office and in the prosecutor's office. Those were major distractions.

In my opinion, it doesn't matter how excellently a story is written if we are led down dead end paths which do not include the protagonist. In crafting a believable story, the writer should understand that the reader feels cheated and bewildered when we don't know where we're going, there isn't any light at the end of the tunnel, and we're in the company of a character we do not know.

But don't let that keep you from buying this book for your Keeper Shelf. It is an extremely good character study of a pastor who is man-called, not God-called and of a woman who is coming to terms, with God's help, with her bad choices and how God works in our lives for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Excellent read. Time well spent.

Linda Nichols, a graduate of the University of Washington, is a novelist with a unique gift for touching readers' hearts with her stories. She is also the author of the acclaimed novelsIf I Gained the World and At the Scent of Water. She and her family make their home in Tacoma, Washington. Visit Linda's Web site at www.lindanichols.org