Angela Hunt's contest

Angela Hunt has a NEW book coming out soon. I'm so excited! 

Go dig out your favorite photo of you and your sister and send it in!

Share It With a Sister

We have waited a long time for the arrival of a new Angela Hunt novel, so in honor of the soon-coming release of The Fine Art of Insincerity, she's having a "Share it with a Sister" contest!

Since Insincerity is about three sisters, you can enter the contest by showing off your sisters. To enter, simply email a digital photo of you and your sister(s) (they don't have to be biological sisters) to aehcontest@gmail.com.  

Enter as many times as you wish between March 1 and May 1, but only one entry per day, please.  If you don't have a photo of you and your sister handy, you may enter simply by sending an email to that address with "Contest Entry" in the subject line. 

Each week she'll be taking some of submitted photos and inserting them into the "Sisters" video that will play at http://www.angelahuntbooks.com.  So check the website often--you may see your smiling face! 

The grand prize winner of the random drawing will receive a tote bag filled with Angela Hunt books for herself and ten copies of Insincerity for her book club.  (If you don't have a book club, call some friends.  There's no better way to get started!)  

Five first place winners will receive an autographed copy of The Fine Art of Insincerity, which officially releases on May 3.  And yes, the first video playing is made up of pictures of Angela and her younger sisters!  Watch the video here:  http://www.angelahuntbooks.com

Operation Bonnet by Kimberly Stuart

If you like Sassy Heroines, then you'll really like this offering from Kimberly Stuart. It isn't your "usual" Amish Bonnet novel. 

Nellie Monroe has one deep desire and that is to become a private investigator; and she even took a course to do it. She has no hope for a case until one young man asks her to find out if his true love is going to marry another because he left the Amish circle to live with The English. 

Nellie is a very charming, and quite disarming character. Her wild, red hair depicts her wild and sassy personality which is just as tangled as her hair. Kimberly Stuart does a good job with character development even with some of the background characters, but it seems a bit heavy-handed. The jokes and quirks of each character get tiring.

The first few lines of chapter one make you want to laugh out loud, but when she takes such a long time to get to the point (Nellie actually going undercover at the Amish which is promised prominently on the back cover) you wonder if that really is the point. Characterization is a tricky thing. If the author doesn't do will with the characters then the story falls flat. Certainly, this story is far from that, and there is everything right with quirky and a bit eccentric in the storyline. 

This is a great Sunday afternoon read. I rate it three stars.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Operation Bonnet David C. Cook; New edition (February 1, 2011) by Kimberly Stuart



ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kimberly says:

I am a writer of comedic fiction, and would like to suggest that you laugh regularly when reading my books. Let’s also try for one to two teary moments. If you are crying more than that, you don’t understand my sense of humor and should move on to another author.


I grew up in a book-loving home. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. My mom loves books. My dad loves to read the first chapters of books and then make us all listen as he recites his favorite passages. I, however, enjoy reading books in their entirety and came into writing as a result of book-love. After earning two fancy degrees in education and Spanish, I promptly let the thinking part of my brain take a breather and instead became pregnant. (I’m sure a lot of other things happened between early literacy and pregnancy but I don’t really remember any of that. If you also have shared your uterus with another human, you understand.)


In an effort to author a book that would entertain my sassy, irreverent, breast-feeding/drooping friends, I wrote my first novel, Balancing Act. People were so nice to me after that, I decided to continue with writing. Also, I can’t craft, knit, or scrapbook, so what else was a nice, Christian girl to do?


In addition to writing books to make my friends laugh and cry, I observe the chaos at the home I share with my unfailingly supportive husband and three offspring. We’re doing our best and so far, no one’s been to prison.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe has a restless brilliance that makes her a bit of an odd duck. She wants to be a private investigator, even though her tiny hometown offers no hope of clients. Until she meets Amos Shetler, an Amish dropout carrying a torch for the girl he left behind.


So Nellie straps on her bonnet and goes undercover to get the dish. But though she’s brainy, Nellie is clueless when it comes to real life and real relationships. Soon she’s alienated her best friend, angered her college professor, and botched her case.


Operation Bonnet is a comedy of errors, a surprising take on love, and a story of grace.



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


Watch the book video trailer:

the mountains bow down by Sibella Giorello

This is a WOW, 5-Star novel. The end of the first chapter made me gasp and I was hooked for every page until the end. I'm delighted to say that Christian Fiction has a magnificent author in Sibella Giorello. You won't want to miss a single paragraph of this novel, and for sure you'll want to purchase all the other books by Giorello.

Even though this is well into the Raleigh Harmon series, it is a perfect stand alone. You know something went on before, but you don't need that information for the storyline or for the characters believability and development.

The cruise ship is a great place for a murder mystery, and the suspects are mostly neurotic Hollywood types, but the way Giorello moves the plot along, you really aren't sure who the killer is until the last which is extremely satisfying.

I have complained so much before that writers are basically inept at combining romance with suspense. I have seen them make characters kiss at the most inopportune times or exchange mooning glances while embedded in unraveling a knot of mystery. Well, I stand corrected. Giorello is a genius at adding that romance touch with just the right amount of flavor and spice. Excellently done. 

This one is a keeper!

ABOUT THE BOOK
Even Alaska can't give Raleigh Harmon a vacation from her job as an FBI forensic geologist.
A cruise to Alaska sounds like the perfect vacation--it's a geologist's dream and will give Raleigh space to sort out her feelings about her recent engagement. But before the ship even reaches its first port, a case manages to find her. The producer of a movie that's being filmed onboard goes missing and is then discovered hanging from the railing. Suicide seems to be the cause, but Raleigh quickly realizes the pieces don't add up.

When the Seattle field office sends Jack Stephanson to assist her in the investigation, her personal uncertainty skyrockets. Why is it that she forgets to even call her fiance back in Virginia. And Jack seems to know her as well as she knows herself. She'll have to wait to sort out those feelings, though, because she and Jack only have five days before the cruise ends to solve this case.

Living in the Overlap by Steve Schaefer

 MY REVIEW
 This is not something you can read over night or even in a week. It is a deeply thought provoking book that asks many questions of you and your understanding of the Gospel. Schaefer offers many answers to these questions, but the most telling will be the answers you offer. We Christians were given a command to share the Gospel as we go about our daily living and to edify the body of Christ. If we do not understand what we believe and why we believe it, then we cannot be effective witnesses, nor can we come close to being an effective edifier.

This is an excellent study book, and one that could even be a hand book. I do not agree with everything Schaefer says, but then the basics are there and that is the most important thing.



ABOUT THE BOOK
How should we deal with our doubts?
What should we keep in mind when we pray for healing?
How can we share the gospel more effectively?

Steve Schaefer contends that when we understand Jesus’ central message—the kingdom of God—we can better handle such issues. The Old Testament prophets predicted the coming of God’s end-time kingdom, but the New Testament reveals a surprising twist: the kingdom arrives in two stages. The first stage arrived with Jesus’ first coming. The second stage will arrive at his second coming. So what happens in between?

Living in the Overlap clarifies a topic that many Christians find mysterious, exploring the challenges and benefits of living in a kingdom that is both “already” and “not yet.” It offers strategies for successful kingdom living, tackling issues such as:

• Praying for healing
• Walking by faith
• Dealing with temptation
• Being used by God
• Loving others

If you want a deeper understanding of Jesus’ kingdom message, and if you want to explore the kingdom’s implications for your life today, let this provocative and enlightening book be your guide.

Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate

This is a most charming novel. It has a little suspense, a little tragedy, and a lot of great romance. You can't miss with this one.

While I really love her series about the folks from Daily, Texas, it didn't take very long to fall in love with the Game Warden and the Psychologist along with all the other characters that live in this rural area wrapped around a lake and a river in Texas. It has such depth of characterizations in a down home sort of way.

If you've ever lived in a rural town beside or near a lake, then you've already met the characters in this book. What a fun and amazing nostalgia trip for me. If you've never lived in a rural town before, then you're going to want to after reading this novel. Don't miss the baby raccoon in the shower, the Moaning Lady, or Len who is one of the scrungiest, but most interesting characters I've ever read about.

This is a Five Star offering and is well worth the money.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Larkspur Cove Bethany House (February 1, 2011) by Lisa Wingate


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Wingate is an award-winning journalist, magazine columnist, popular inspirational speaker and a national bestselling author of sixteen books. Her first mainstream novel, Tending Roses, is in its eighteenth printing from Penguin Putnam. Tending Roses is a staple on the shelves of national bookstore chains as well as in many independent bookstores.

Recently, Lisa’s Blue Sky Hill Series, set in Dallas, received national attention with back-to-back nominations for American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award for A Month of Summer (2009) and The Summer Kitchen (2010). Pithy, emotional, and inspirational, her stories bring to life characters so real that readers often write to ask what is happening to them after the book ends.

Lisa is one of a select group of authors to find success in both the Christian and mainstream markets, writing for both Bethany House, a Christian publisher, and NAL Penguin Putnam, a general market publisher. Her bestselling books have become a hallmark of inspirational fiction. Her works have been featured by the National Reader's Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, the Literary Guild, Crossings Book Club, American Profiles and have been chosen for numerous awards.

When not busy dreaming up stories, Lisa spends time on the road as a motivational speaker. Via internet, she shares with readers as far away as India, where her book, Tending Roses, has been used to promote women's literacy, and as close to home as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the county library system has used Tending Roses to help volunteer mentors teach adults to read. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Adventure is the last thing on Andrea Henderson's mind when she moves to Moses Lake. After surviving the worst year of her life, she's struggling to build a new life for herself and her son as a social worker. Perhaps in doing a job that makes a difference, she can find some sense of purpose and solace in her shattered faith. For new Moses Lake game warden Mart McClendon, finding a sense of purpose in life isn't an issue. He took the job to get out of southwest Texas and the constant reminders of a tragedy for which he can't forgive himself. But when a little girl is seen with the town recluse, Mart and Andrea are drawn together in the search for her identity. The little girl offers them both a new chance at redemption and hope--and may bring them closer than either ever planned.

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

Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy

Let me just say that the premise for this book was quite good. The back cover information and build up had me on my toes. After the second chapter, I was yawning; and it wasn't because I read after I go to bed.

The book is well-written, but the problem isn't with the writing; it is with the plot flow. There was a manipulative quality about this plot that made it not ring true. However, since this is based on a true story, I know that truth is stranger than fiction so I didn't have a problem with that. On the other hand, shouldn't stories based on truth have more believability and less manipulation? I think, perhaps, my problem was with the depressing subject matter at the very beginning. When we find out little Shelia made pick-ups for her bookie dad who turned out to be a complex strong man with a weak streak. A reader should be in the mood to read past that part into the good part.

The rest of the book is intriguing. I give this one three out of five stars.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Rhythm of Secrets Kregel Publications (December 22, 2010) by Patti Lacy



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patti Lacy, Baylor graduate, taught community college humanities until God called her to span seas and secrets in her novels, An Irishwoman's Tale and What the Bayou Saw. She has two grown children and a dog named Laura. She and her husband can be seen jog-walking the streets of Normal, Illinois, an amazing place to live for a woman born in a car. For more information, visit Patti's website at www.pattilacy.com, her blog at www.pattilacy.com/blog, and her Facebook daily Artbites.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Sheila Franklin has masqueraded as the precocious daughter of avant-garde parents in colorful 1940s New Orleans, a teen desperate for love and acceptance, and an unwed mother sent North with her shame.


After marrying Edward, Sheila artfully masks her secrets, allowing Edward to gain prominence as a conservative pastor. When one phone call from a disillusioned Vietnam veteran destroys her cover, Sheila faces an impossible choice: save her son and his beloved…or imperil Edward’s ambitions.


Inspired by a true story, The Rhythm of Secrets intermingles jazz, classical, and sacred music in a symphony trumpeting God’s grace.


Endorsements:

“A vibrant journey across time in search of the greatest truth of all: grace.”—Tosca Lee, author of Havah: The Story of Eve and Demon: A Memoir

“No longer a ‘well-kept secret,’ Patti Lacy is a master storyteller who speaks to the soul with a powerful and unique rhythm, weaving a tale so emotionally rich that story and reader become one.”—Julie Lessman, author of The Daughters of Boston series and A Hope Undaunted

“Patti Lacy pens another beautifully written story in The Rhythm of Secrets. I couldn’t put it down!”—Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of The Black Cloister

“The Rhythm of Secrets is a stirring story of faith and endurance that will keep readers turning the page until every last secret is revealed.”—Tina Ann Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us and Rose House


If you would like to read an excerpt of Rhythm of Secrets, go HERE.

The Fence My Father Built by Linda S. Clare

 MY REVIEW...
This is an intriguing story of a women who lost her first love and her journey back to the Lord through settling the affairs of her father after he passed away. I cannot imagine not growing up without my father's faith guiding me and directing me. My dad left me with an incredibly wonderful legacy of Christian faith.

This story depicts how a Christian legacy can influence people even after the father... mother... or other loved one has gone on to be with the Lord. It is moving and so on target with what kinds of problems we face today. Greed is the same no matter if you face in across a board room table or in the desert. Loneliness, security or lack there of, children who are angry and spoiled or who are sweet and loving, we live with these because we live in a temporary home.

ABOUT THE BOOK...
In The Fence My Father Built, when legally separated Muri Pond, a librarian, hauls her kids, teenage Nova and eleven year-old Truman, out to the tiny town of Murkee, Oregon, where her father, Joe Pond lived and died, she’s confronted by a neighbor’s harassment over water rights and Joe’s legacy: a fence made from old oven doors.

The fence and accompanying house trailer horrify rebellious Nova, who runs away to the drug-infested streets of Seattle. Muri searches for her daughter and for something to believe in, all the while trying to save her inheritance from the conniving neighbor who calls her dad Chief Joseph. Along with Joe’s sister, Aunt Lutie, and the Red Rock Tabernacle Ladies, Muri must rediscover the faith her alcoholic dad never abandoned in order to reclaim her own spiritual path.

Someone to Blame by C.S. Larkin

C.S. Larkin is a prolific writer. In this novel, she has studied how losing loved ones affect the rest of your life. Interestingly, forgiveness is crucial to healthy living, yet, so many people have overlooked this element.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Someone To Blame Zondervan (September 21, 2010) by C. S. Lakin



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

C. S. Lakin is a novelist and professional copyeditor and writing coach. She is currently working on her eleventh novel, a contemporary family saga drawn from the biblical story of Jacob. Someone to Blame(Zondervan), an intense relational drama and winner of the 2009 First Novel contest, released in October 2010, and she is also the author of the allegorical adult fantasy series The Gates of Heaven, featuring The Wolf of Tebron and the upcoming release The Map Across Time (March 2011). She is currently completing her tenth novel and developing a dog memoir of epic proportion.




ABOUT THE BOOK

In the wake of heartrending family tragedies, Matt and Irene Moore move with their fourteen-year-old daughter, Casey, to a small town. Their goal is to get far away from the daily reminders that leave each of them raw and guilt-ridden. Their hope is to find redemption, repair, and renewal. Instead, the threads that hold them together unravel even more.



Breakers, a small community perched on the rocky coast of the Pacific Northwest, is draped with cold isolation that seems to mirror the hearts. As they settle into their new life, old grief settles with them. Matt is always on edge and easily angered, Irene is sad and pensive, and Casey is confused and defiant. They've once more set the stage for calamity. Into this mix comes Billy Thurber, a young drifter with his own conflicts, whose life unexpectedly entangles with the Moores'.


His arrival in Breakers parallels a rash of hateful and senseless crimes, and soon the whole town -- eager for someone to blame -- goes after Thurber with murderous intent. Out of this dangerous chaos, however, the Moores find unexpected grace and healing in a most unlikely way.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Someone To Blame, go HERE.

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

An absolutely charming novel. The hinting of some horrible behavior as the reason Miss Mariah Aubrey must live in seclusion, is something not quite Jane Austin, but close. The story unfolds in delightful Regency aplomb, and as each character is developed (and each one is carefully crafted in much more than two dimensions), the reader is able to let go of modern worries and submerge in olden days glory, fashion, and manners.

The storyline is excellent. The characters are well balanced in development, therefore they interact believably. Some of the twists are obvious and a little bit mechanical, but for the most part this is a smooth moving charmer.

This sits right on top of 4 out of 5 stars.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Girl in the Gatehouse Bethany House (January 1, 2011) by Julie Klassen



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Julie says: My background is in advertising and marketing, but I am blessed with a dream job—working as an editor of Christian fiction. I have been writing since childhood, but Lady of Milkweed Manor was my first novel. It was a finalist for a Christy Award and won second place in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards. My second novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, was a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year awards. I am currently writing one novel a year.


I graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends.


My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.




ABOUT THE BOOK

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made.


When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans. The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Girl in the Gatehouse, go HERE

The Map Across Time by C.S. Lakin

This is the second in a series called The Gates of Heaven. You would do well to read the first in the series called The Wolf of Tebron because this one starts in a different place, but refers to the other characters without a lot of explanation. I really like sequels like this because rereading a book is tedious.

The storyline is good, the promises of what the book is about is also good. I have found that isn't always the case. An ancient curse plagues the kingdom of Sherbourne, and unless it is stopped, all will fall to ruin. The King, obsessed with greed, cannot see the danger. But his teenage twin children, Aletha and Adin, know they must act. A hermit leads Adin to a magical map that will send him back in time to discover the origin of the curse.

The author probes unfailing love, trust, and something much less obvious in how even the least and unworthy has purpose. It is an interesting study, but it is classified as "adult" and I believe it is more in line with young adult. The ten years old to sixteen year old age range would find this a fascinating adventure, I'm quite sure. Judging it from that perspective, I give it 4 stars out of 5.

The Lucado Study Bible

I had the opportunity to review the new study bible by Max Lucado. I am so very impressed with the life lessons and the way it is formatted to fit into our modern lifestyles. However, it really isn't a study bible perse' because it doesn't have a lot of references or word studies. But, it does have more than 1,000 life lessons which help put biblical principles into perspective as well as application.

I highly recommend this for anyone who is serious about applying biblical principles to their lifestyle.

ABOUT the book from the publisher website...
With more than 1,000 "Life Lessons" offering insights straight from Max, the message of God's Word will be more meaningful and impactful than ever. This beautifully designed Bible, available in hardcover and Leathersoft cover options, contains practical application drawn from Max Lucado's entire career—from his first book to his latest release, Outlive Your Life. For the first time, all the devotional material in this fully-revised edition of The Inspirational Study Bible is from Max Lucado and uses the popular and reliable New King James Version® (NKJV) translation! Features include:

• Two-color design throughout
• More than 1,000 insightful Life Lessons
• Christ Through the Bible sidebars
• Topical Index
• New King James Version text

A perfect companion for Max Lucado's Outlive Your Life DVD-Based Study (9781418543945).

Lies The Government Told You by Judge A.P. Napolitano

I wrote an essay back in 2005 about how much America's chosen path resembles Ancient Roman Empire's destructive path. I am surprised at how closely this book follows that line of thinking. (Glenn Beck is going down that thought process, too.)

I recommend this book if for no other reason that you will see exactly how much we have been deceived by our government (by far not it is not a partisan deception, but full fledged political deception, nonetheless).

I was not surprised at all with the contents. My eyes have been wide open, but I do wonder at how many of the citizens of the United States will be surprised at the economic lies we've been fed.

Something that I've noticed, but had not put to print on my blog is that we citizens are no longer presumed innocent. Nixon signed a bill into law that judges should consider "danger to community" when setting bail. It is an undoubted law that the presumption of innocence gives the defendant the "unhampered ability to prepare for trial", yet the bill now takes away the presumption and inserts "presumed guilty until trial".

We sit in our living rooms and say, "Yeah! That crook isn't on the streets any longer," never realizing that each and every citizen has the right to an excellent defense as well as the presumption of innocence. When did we lose sight of that?

ABOUT THE BOOK
What new crisis will the federal government manufacture in order to acquire more power over individuals? What new lies will it tell?
Throughout our history, the federal government has lied to send our children off to war, lied to take our money, lied to steal our property, lied to gain our trust, and lied to enhance its power over us. Not only does the government lie to us, we lie to ourselves. We won’t admit that each time we let the government get away with misleading us, we are allowing it to increase in size and power and decrease our personal liberty.
In acquiescing to the government’s continuous fraudulent behavior, we bear partial responsibility for the erosion of our individual liberties and the ever-expanding federal regulation of private behavior. This book attacks the culture in government that facilitates lying, and it challenges readers to recognize that culture, to confront it, and to be rid of it.