My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

MY REVIEW
It has been a very long time since I have enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed My Stubborn Heart. It is a major study in overcoming grief of a loved one, and finally letting go of guilt, but from the vantage point of years down the line, and from the viewpoint of the woman reaching out.

The story isn't a brand new one. The characters are regular people who have had problems and troubles. It's life. But more than that. The characters actually breathe. They are sloppy in a human sort of way. You can feel the elation, the hurt, the hope, the budding love, the dashed hopes, the decision to push past it all and hold on to that part of the other person that makes life worth living.

There is only one place in the story that seems contrived. The reader doesn't find out that Kate is burned out on work because of something serious that happened. When it comes time to decide to either stay or go, we find out there is something that happened with one of the kids Kate worked with and that is something that seems thrown in. However, that is such a small thing compared to the very real down-to-earth writing. Wade seems to be a master at dialogue and character development. Even the peripheral characters are well-developed and all of them have individual personalities. That's very hard to do for any writer. 

Wade had created a most delightful romance that reminds me of those anticipation moments that you expect from veteran authors. This is author is one you should be watching. It's a keeper, and very much worth the money.

Here's a 5 of 5 stars novel. Buy it!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing My Stubborn Heart • Bethany House Publishers; Original edition (May 1, 2012)
by Becky Wade

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University. As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States. A mom of three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas.


ABOUT THE BOOK

A Sensational CBA Debut in Contemporary Romance!

This summer author Becky Wade makes her CBA debut with a fun -- and funny -- contemporary romance. Amidst the light-hearted banter and laugh-out-loud moments is a compelling spiritual journey of one woman's choice to listen to God and wait on him. Filled with humor and authentic romance, My Stubborn Heart is shaping up to be the hit of the summer.

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When Kate's grandmother asks Kate to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Yet, she discovers a different kind of project upon meeting the man hired to renovate the house. ;Matt Jarreau is attractive and clearly wounded -- hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Kate can't help but set her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light... whether he likes it or not.

If you would like to read the first chapter of My Stubborn Heart, go HERE.

3) Creating: More Magic in The Hunger Games(T by Randy Ingermanson

Third article in Randy Ingermanson's monthly newsletter reprinted with permission.


Every novelist should read THE HUNGER GAMES. It's become one of the standard works of fiction that everybody knows.

When you read a great novel, you should also analyze it to see how it works. To see if you can steal any of its techniques.

Last month I began my analysis of THE HUNGER GAMES by writing a one-sentence summary of the book.

This month, I had intended to analyze the Three-Act Structure of the novel, but I'm thinking that it makes more sense to first talk about the characters.

All great fiction is built on great characters. THE HUNGER GAMES has several superb characters. What makes them work?

We'll begin with Katniss Everdeen, the lead character. Katniss is not a completely likable character. She is sometimes self-centered and occasionally acts without thinking. Katniss has a tough outer shell and she really only loves one other person on the planet.

What makes us love Katniss? Why do we root for her?

We love Katniss because she loves her little sister Prim, one of the very few characters in the novel who is genuinely good. Katniss will do anything to make sure Prim doesn't go hungry and that she lives in some sort of safety.

Katniss hunts in the woods illegally so she can put food on the table for Prim. Katniss won't let Prim put her name in the Hunger Games lottery extra times, which would get her free food from the corrupt government. Katniss even puts up with Prim's surly cat.

So it's a massive disaster for Katniss at the end of chapter one when Prim's name is drawn to represent District 12 in the Hunger Games.

This is a death sentence and the reader knows it. How could this happen? Lots of other kids have their name on dozens of lottery tickets. Katniss has her name on 20. Prim's name is there only once. Yet her name is drawn. It's not fair!

Anyone would be in shock if their sister's name were drawn in the lottery. Anyone would take a few seconds to freak out. But most people wouldn't do anything about it.

Katniss isn't most people. Almost instantly, she goes into action, moving to intercept Prim. Before Prim can go up on the stage, Katniss has reached her. The reader doesn't know it yet, but there's one thing Katniss can do to save Prim.

Katniss can volunteer to go in her place.

You have to love somebody a lot to do that. Katniss loves Prim more than anything. She doesn't even think about it. She just acts.

That's why we love her. That's why we'll forgive her later for her harshness and self-centered behavior.


Now would be a good time to talk about values. Values are important because they drive a character's actions, and therefore they drive the story.

"Values" is a word that gets used in many different ways by different people.

Let me define what I mean by "values."

Values are "core truths" for a character that take this form: "Nothing is more important than __________."

For example, most characters in most novels would agree that, "Nothing is more important than survival."

The survival instinct runs strong. Katniss certainly agrees with this one. Yet she's just taken on her sister's death sentence. Why?

Because Katniss has another value: "Nothing is more important than protecting my sister Prim."

Two values in conflict with each other. They can't both be true. Which of them is "more true?"

If you asked Katniss at the beginning of the story, she'd probably say that they're equally true. Of course survival has the highest priority. And of course Prim has the highest priority. There's no way to know which is a stronger value for Katniss.

Until you put her back to the wall and force her to choose.

Katniss can't have both.

She chooses Prim. Prim is more important to Katniss than survival.

But Katniss has a third value that she believes in, and it's a value that's going to dictate many of her choices throughout the novel. This value is implicit. Katniss never says it anywhere, but she does believe it:

"Nothing is more important than avoiding love, because the more people you love, the more people you have to lose, and losing them is intolerable."

Katniss once loved her father, but she lost him in the mine explosion.

She once loved her mother, but her mother went into a stuporous depression after the death of her husband and Katniss has lost the ability to love her.

The only person Katniss loves now is Prim, and the government has used that to put Katniss in the arena. That is the hazard of love. Katniss is terrified of love.

There's another person Katniss is tempted to love in the novel -- the other tribute from District 12, Peeta Mellark.

Peeta is a decent guy. Honest, hard-working, kind. Peeta once saved Katniss's life, years ago when she was starving to death. He got a beating for it, but he did it anyway, knowing he'd be punished.

Peeta is a wonderful guy, and he's been in love with Katniss ever since he can remember.

If Katniss were free to love him back, maybe she would. But she's not free. Peeta is going to the Hunger Games right along with Katniss, and they can't both survive.

Whether she likes Peeta or not, Katniss doesn't dare love him, because it'll hurt too much to lose him.


So there we have it. Katniss has three core values. Two of those are put in conflict very early in the story, forcing Katniss to make a horrible choice.

Once the choice is made, she has to live with it. What's going to guide her through the rest of the story?

Two things: her ambition and her goal.

It's easy to confuse these two things. By the word "ambition" I mean the abstract thing Katniss wants most. That thing is "to stay alive."

The problem is that "staying alive" can take many forms. Katniss needs a specific, concrete strategy -- a "goal."

Katniss has a simple goal: When the Games begin, she will avoid fighting. She'll run and hide while the others kill each other. If somebody finds her, she'll run if possible. She'll fight as a last resort.

This strategy might keep her alive or it might fail, but it's in line with Katniss's values and it tells her clearly how to behave. It's a good goal going into the Games.

If Katniss were the only character we cared about in the faceless mob, then the story would be a simple survival tale.

But Peeta makes it a lot more complicated. Peeta is a genuinely good person and we care about him because he once saved Katniss from starving.

Peeta has three values:

* Nothing is more important than survival.

* Nothing is more important than keeping Katniss alive.

* Nothing is more important than being true to who you
  are.

We never get inside Peeta's head, so it's not so easy to know how he handles the conflicts between these values. Eventually, we realize that he values the survival of Katniss more than his own survival.

So Peeta's ambition is identical to Katniss's. The abstract thing he wants most is to keep her alive.

He translates this into a specific and concrete goal. When the Games begin, he will join forces with the brutal "Career Tributes." He'll help them hunt down the weak. He'll be there when they corner Katniss. And when they swoop in for the kill, he'll take them out -- as many as he can, giving Katniss her best chance against the rest.

This is a hard choice. To execute this plan, Peeta has to violate his principles and kill the weak. He has to sacrifice himself. He has no guarantee that Katniss will survive, but it's the best he can see to do.

Going into the Games, Katniss and Peeta have clear goals. Things ought to go simply, but they never do in combat. The rest of the story shows us Katniss and Peeta shifting their goals a bit as things go horribly wrong.

But always, their goals are guided by their shared ambition -- keeping Katniss alive.

And always, their actions are guided by the best balance they can find between their conflicting values.


What makes THE HUNGER GAMES WORK? At its core, it's the tectonic conflict in values for both Katniss and Peeta.

To survive, Katniss has to pretend to be in love with Peeta. But actions have consequences, and once you've kissed a guy, you've opened the door for that deadly thing called love.

To help Katniss survive, Peeta has to sacrifice his own safety. But his self-sacrifice arouses love in her, and love will get Katniss killed if she isn't careful.


There's more to say about THE HUNGER GAMES, and we'll say more of it next month in this column.

_________________________________________
This article is reprinted by permission of the author.

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the
Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced
Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 31,000 readers.
If you want to learn the craft and marketing of
fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to
editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing
and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.

Special interview with Robert Liparulo - 13th Tribe

Robert Liparulo 

I loved The 13th Tribe just released by Thoma Nelson which I reviewed here, and every other novel he's written. So I asked Bob if he had time for another interview. He did, so we did it.  So here it is~

 

Gina:  Here are things that I know about you… you are kind, generous, focused, love God with all your heart, married with children, and you have a good memory. What else? Tell us about some of your hopes and dreams, please. Tell us about the real Bob Liparulo…

Bob: Hmmm . . . what else do you know about me? 

Gina: LOL

Bob: No, thanks for those kind thoughts. I know God wired me to write, so I’m living my dream. I hope that He will allow me to do it until I die. I like to travel, and would like to take my family to live for at least three months in each of my favorite places: Tuscany, London, the Azores Islands, Berchtesgaden (Germany), Maui. Then find some new favorites.

I’d like to eventually start a program for new writers, in which a foundation I create gives them a place to stay and living expenses for a year, so they can finish a novel and have a little time to find an agent and (I hope) a publisher. That’s a dream that may be in the far future, but I’ve been thinking about it for ten year; I hope I’m closer than when I started. I know how difficult it is to have a full-time job and a family to support, and this burning desire to get a novel-writing career off the ground. It could be extremely frustrating.

Gina: That is such a fabulous ambition. I think it would be great to for upcoming authors to be able to completely concentrate on their work, and have time to find a publisher without having to worry about bills or where the next meal comes from.

I can feel your heart for God in your writing. I also can read your heart for children and young people. You have a running theme with children in your books for adults. Why do you almost always have a child character; and how do you get their dialogue so true to life?

Bob: I write thrillers, which almost always necessitates bringing protagonists to a near breaking point. For me, the thought of my family being in danger would do that . . . or really any child. They’re most precious commodity, and I believe God had given us specific instructions to protect them. So, getting children into my stories is a way of raising the stakes for the protagonists.

And 6 Young Adult Novels

Writing children realistically I think is a matter of two things: I remember my own childhood very well. I had an incredibly fantastic childhood. My parents were wonderful, and my father was an Air Force officer, which allowed us to live and travel throughout the world. I’m still very much in touch with that inner child. And it also helps that I have four children of my own. I’m very involved in their lives; we’re always doing things and hanging out. So I get to observe them being kids. I don’t consciously absorb their vocabulary and mannerisms for my stories, but I’m taking it all in just the same.

Gina: What a blessing to be able to view up close and personal your children at play and growing up. That is a sign of a great father. And that does shine in your writing.

On a little different note, who is your favorite fiction author, Bob? What about that author inspired you to write? What book are you reading now?

Bob: My favorite author, the one whose books I most enjoy and who inspired me to be a novelist, is Richard Matheson. When I was twelve, I read his I Am Legend, and it moved me to tears. I thought, If books can do that—make a pretty tough kid cry using only words—I want to do that. Along the way, I fell in love with the stories of Ray Bradbury, Michael Crichton, Peter Benchley, Thomas Perry, Orson Scott Card, Stephen King, Dean Koontz . . . it’s a long list. Right now, I’m reading Switch by Elmore Leonard (my second-favorite writer) and Eric Wilson’s Two Seconds Late.

Gina: I noticed in the Christian Fiction Magazine interview with Kim Ford that you felt God calling you to write in a different direction pouring more of your faith into the soul of your writing. You poured so much work into research of all kinds, including theology, is there any particular part of that research that made your heart resonate? Would you tell us about it?

Bob: Writing about vigilantes, about frontier justice, I was particularly interested in God’s forgiveness and grace. I wanted to make a correlation between how difficult it is for humans to forgive—especially a heinous crime—or grasp the difference between justice and retaliation and God’s forgiving nature. I thought I understood how loving and gracious God is, but even so, I was blown away be the many, many times He forgives us the most terrible things. We are unfaithful, blasphemous, cruel—and He still treats us with love and forgiveness. With Him, grace knows no bounds. I can't even get my head around it, it’s so beautiful, so not human. I pray that I may see things with His eyes a little more every day.

Gina: Now that The 13th Tribe is out, and you are working on the sequel, and you are writing a screenplay, tell us how you manage your time. What kind of discipline is required? What does your day look like? Is there anything that you find particularly challenging?

Bob: Hmmm . . . you know, maybe I need to work smarter, not harder, but I’ve found that it’s all about putting in the time. I usually spend my days on administrative tasks, setting up my schedule, lining up interviews for research, staying organized. That way I can break away if my wife or kids need me for something. Then I start writing around nine in the evening and stop at three or four in the morning, which gives me uninterrupted time to immerse myself in my story. The discipline to put in those hours took a long time to develop. It’s pretty routine now, and it seems to work.

Gina: Which characters from The 13th Tribe will appear in the sequel? Jagger???

Bob:I better not say; it might spoil the fun for people who haven’t read The 13^th Tribe yet. What I can say about the sequel: As the story opens, we’re back at St. Catherine’s Monastery when a group attacks. We find out there is another group of immortals, called the Clan. These guys are really nasty. They don’t care for God at all, and their only goal is to grief God by hurting his children. They get their hands on an artifact that allows them to peel back the curtain between our world and the spiritual realm. At the same time, the Tribe returns to the monastery to kidnap someone. Our heroes have to stop both the Clan and the Tribe. I had a great time writing it.

Gina:Oh man! What a teaser :) There's no wonder you write suspense so well. I can't even imagine how intense that one will be! 

If you were sitting on the back porch on a summer day drinking ice tea with Grasshopper, who you are mentoring, and your mentor… What would the conversation be about?

Bob: I’d ask him what he was doing on the porch talking to me: He needs to be back at his writing desk finishing his latest project. Finishing things is the number discipline all writers must possess. Don’t change your mind mid-story, don’t revise the first half until there’s a second half, don’t give up. Finish everything you start, even if no one ever sees it.

(I'm thrilled that Bob took the time to answer some questions. I hope you take the time to either order his new book, or any of his previous works. To find out more about them, go to his website  here.)

Marketing: 24 Secrets of Ebook Publishing Success by Randy Ingermanson

(Editor's note: This is a reprint of an article by Randy Ingermanson)

I'm currently reading a free e-book by Mark Coker, the CEO of Smashwords. I heard Mark speak last year at the Novelists, Inc. conference, and I was tremendously impressed with him.

Smashwords is an e-book distributor that helps you publish your work and distribute it to most of the major online retailers (all except Amazon).

Mark's new e-book is free. You can get it at Smashwords.com. The title is THE SECRETS TO EBOOK PUBLISHING SUCCESS. You can get it here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145431


Here are my thoughts (Randy's) on a few of Mark's secrets:


Secret 1: "Write a great book."

This is the conventional wisdom among publishing professionals, and I agree. One of the linchpins of my own strategy has always been that marketing is easy if you have great craft. So spend your energy developing your craft.

This is why my own teaching focuses so heavily on craft. You might get some short term success by brilliantly marketing a second-rate book. But you'll be forever marked as a "great marketer, lousy writer." Who wants that?

Mark thinks that about 80% of the success of a book is due to its quality. I don't know whether this is true or how one would prove this. It seems plausible, but I'm not married to a number.

The main point is that great marketing starts with a great product. If you want to make your marketing easier, improve your craft.


Secret #5: "Write another great book."

Mark's point here is that every book you write is a marketing platform for every other book you write.

What? Not Facebook? Not Twitter? Not your blog?

Well, no. A post on Facebook or Twitter has a lifetime of about 3 hours and then it's gone. After that, it has no more effect on the world and can't do a blessed thing to help market any of your books.

Whereas a book you wrote ten years ago may very well be the road by which a new reader discovers you today. If you've written another 20 books in those ten years, then that old book now serves as a sample of all 20 of your other books.

And furthermore, each of those 20 serves as marketing for the ten-year-old book. And for each other.

All your books are marketing for all your other books. There is a simple math rule to describe roughly how effectively your books market each other.

Having 2 books published is about 4 times as good as having only 1 book.

Having 3 books published is about 9 times as good.

Having 10 books published is about 100 times as good.

Every book is helping market every other book. (As long as you have followed Secret #1 and written a great book. Bad books don't help each other.)

Yes, it's true that you can get short-term results from Facebook or Twitter. Nobody seems to know how much, but you can get something.

Yes, it's also true that you can get results from your blog. A blog post is forever, and so a blog can give you long-term results.

But e-books are forever too. They never go out of print unless you get embarrassed by them and pull them from the online retailers. The advantage of an e-book is that it's the best indicator of what your other books are like. If a reader likes one of your books, she'll probably like all of them.

So write your best e-book and then write another, and another, and another.


Secret 11: "Give (some of) your books away for free."

I have long been a fan of giving away some things for free. And not your worst stuff, either. I believe in giving away some of your very best stuff. Give away some of your gold.

Just as an example, one of the very best ideas I've ever had was the ten steps for designing a novel that I named the "Snowflake method." I posted an article on the Snowflake on my web site about nine years ago. It has since been viewed over 2.5 million times and it has
made me famous. I constantly hear from people who say that the Snowflake has revolutionized their writing. It's not for everybody, but it's gold for many people.

Giving stuff away free works. Mark Coker does this a lot. You can convert your books to e-books on Smashwords at no cost. You can post them for sale there at no up-front cost. (Smashwords will sell them for you and keep a small percentage as a consignment fee. This
is a great deal for you and it gives Smashwords an incentive to give you great service.)

Mark's e-book is free. Why? It helps authors and it gets the word out about Smashwords. Any writer will benefit from his e-book, and many of them will choose to work with Smashwords, which will then eventually earn him a tidy profit.

I don't think you should give everything away for free. You need to eat and pay your bills. But giving away some of your very best stuff can make good sense.

Mark estimates that free books on Smashwords are downloaded 50 to 100 times more than paid books. This works wonderfully if you have a number of other titles, because the free book acts as marketing for all the others. (Remember Secret #6.)


Secret #17: "Platform building starts yesterday."

Your platform is whatever you have in place that allows you to reach readers. This may be a speaking business, a web site, a blog, a Facebook page or profile, a Twitter presence, an e-mail list, or whatever.

If you don't have a platform today, then you can't use it for marketing your books. But you can use your books to help build your platform. Then tomorrow, your platform may be of some value in promoting your books.

Mark has a simple formula for building a strong platform: Be useful to other people.

By no great coincidence, this is essentially the same as my own formula for building a platform: Say things that are valuable to other people.

You don't actually have to say much about your products when you follow this formula. If you are useful to other people, if you say things they value, then they'll tell other people about you and your platform will grow.

A small fraction of those you reach with your platform will buy your products. It's silly to worry about those who don't buy your stuff. Focus on doing things that make the world a better place and you'll be rewarded financially. Maybe a little; maybe a lot.


I've talked about 4 of Mark's secrets. There are a couple of dozen more. Here are some of the most interesting:
* "Practice metadata magic"
* "Understand the algorithm"
* "How retailers select titles for feature promotion"
* "Architect for virality"
* "Practice the never-ending book launch"
* "Maximize distribution"
* "Think beyond price"


I highly recommend THE SECRETS OF EBOOK PUBLISHING SUCCESS. There is gold in this e-book. And you can't beat the price. Free.

The world would be a better place if all authors took the advice Mark gives in this book. Authors would do better. Readers would have an easier time finding the books they want.

Here's the direct link to Mark's e-book again: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145431

Have fun!
________________________________

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the
Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced
Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 30,000 readers.
If you want to learn the craft and marketing of
fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to
editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing
and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.

The 13th Tribe by Robert Liparulo

MY REVIEW
I love the way Liparulo's mind works. It is just as devious and dark as his characters else how could he create such deep, dark characters? But I know he is kind and courteous and loves God with all his heart. The suspense is gripping, just as in his other books. It builds to a frightening crescendo and doesn't let up until the next to last page. Liparulo can build a climax and milk it to an inch.

He also does an excellent job with character construction. Each one has a mind and personality which doesn't happen very often these days. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense and mystery. Another 5 of 5 stars for Liparulo's latest.

Be sure to check out Liparulo's interview.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The 13th Tribe Thomas Nelson (April 3, 2012) by Robert Liparulo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Best-selling novelist Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first three critically acclaimed thrillers—Comes a Horseman, Germ, and Deadfall—were optioned by Hollywood producers, as well as his Dreamhouse Kings series for young adults. Bestselling author Ted Dekker calls The 13th Tribe, released in April 2012, “a phenomenal story.” Liparulo is currently working with director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) on the novel and screenplay of a political thriller. New York Times best-selling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” Liparulo lives in Colorado with his family.

Visit Robert Liparulo's Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/LiparuloFans, or at Twitter @robertliparulo.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Their story didn't start this year . . . or even this millennium.
It began when Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Tired of waiting on the One True God, the twelve tribes of Israel began worshipping a golden calf through pagan revelry. Many received immediate death for their idolatry, but 40 were handed a far worse punishment-endless life on earth with no chance to see the face of God.

This group of immortals became the 13th Tribe, and they've been trying to earn their way into heaven ever since-by killing sinners. Though their logic is twisted, their brilliance is undeniable. Their wrath is unstoppable. And the technology they possess is beyond anything mere humans have ever seen.

Jagger Baird knows nothing about the Tribe when he's hired as head of security for an archaeological dig on Mt. Sinai. The former Army Ranger is still reeling from an accident that claimed the life of his best friend, his arm, and his faith in God.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The 13th Tribe, go HERE.

Cooking the Books by Bonnie Calhoun

MY REVIEW

I  do not like stories that flip back and forth among characters, especially those stories written in first person by one of the characters. However, Calhoun does a bang-up job with this novel, even if it is written from several different viewpoints.


This begins as a sassy story and sassy heroine who has a huge nervousness with the gun her mother gave her. The bookstore and the building now belong to her, but she'd rather have her mother back alive. The characters are developed well, but the storyline drags just a little. I think if the whole thing was written in first person, that would not be noticed at all. I love the peek into Sloane's thought processses!

The ending is full of tension and nail-biting suspense. I was on the edge of my seat! It is a worthy read :) 4 out of 5 stars!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Cooking The Books Abingdon Press (April 2012) by Bonnie S. Calhoun

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As the Owner/Director of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Bonnie has helped use the 220+ blogs of the Alliance to promote many titles on the Christian bestseller list. She also owns and publishes the Christian Fiction Online magazine which is devoted to readers and writers of Christian fiction. She is the Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). At ACFW she was named the ‘Mentor of the Year,’ for 2011, and she is the current President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network. Bonnie is also the Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.

In her spare time she is an avid social media junkie, and teaches Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and HTML as recreational occupations. She also has a novel coming out in the Abingdon Quilts of Love series. Her novel Pieces of the Heart will publish August of 2013.

Bonnie and her husband Bob live in a log cabin on 15 acres in upstate area of Binghamton, New York with a dog and cat who consider the humans as wait-staff.


ABOUT THE BOOK

After her mother dies from a heart attack, Sloane Templeton goes from Cyber Crimes Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. She also "inherits" a half-batty store manager; a strange bunch of little old people from the neighborhood who meet at the store once a week, but never read books, called the Granny Oakleys Book Club; and Aunt Verline, who fancies herself an Iron Chef when in reality you need a cast iron stomach to partake of her culinary disasters. And with a group like this you should never ask, “What else can go wrong?”

A lot! Sloane begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone is out to kill her. Can her life get more crazy?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Cooking The Books, go HERE.

Watch the book video:



If you'd like to read interviews with Bonnie, try these:
Everbody Needs A Little Romance
A Christian Writers World
Novel Rocket
ACFW - Fiction Finder

Final Shot by Stephen Bly

This is the last of a very popular series by Stephen Bly. His sons and wife meticulously put this book together from Bly's final notes of the story. He passed away in 2011 and they thought the series needed an ending that was worthy of Bly's work.

I have not read any of Bly's books and I'm sorry that I missed them. I seriously do not have a clue where this book came from... it just showed up in my mail box. I get so many books because of my review blog that I have had to write down those that I actually order. I do not remember ordering this one.

Janet, Bly's wife is a famous author in her own right. The book is good, even if there were several that went before this one. I didn't feel left out at the beginning, and that is a huge thing. You can find out more about them here.

ABOUT THE BOOK
 
It’s 1905. Two orphans flee Oregon’s Tillamook Head. One of them is branded a hero. Will they tell the truth and risk the wrath of a dangerous man?
Meanwhile, legendary retired lawman Stuart Brannon — now a rancher and widower — had no intention of leaving his beloved Arizona Territory to attend the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Oregon, nor to participate in a celebrity golf tournament. His life no longer consisted of men to track down . . . people trying to kill him . . .gangs preying on the innocent. Then the telegram came: Stuart, I need you in Portland. Tim Wiseman is missing. I think there’s a cover-up going on . . . I’ll contact you there. T.R. How could he refuse a request from the President of the United States? Read More…

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“…as good if not better than anything of (Louis L’Amour). I shall remain a fan of Stephen Bly.” - Jimmy Dickens  (the Grand Ole Opry)
“Bly does a lot of things right for lovers of the traditional western…(he) clearly knows the country he writes about…Luke Short and Frank Gruber come to mind.” -Library Journal
“In this fresh contribution to the CBA market, Bly…pens an amusing parody…(Paperback Writer) is a funny, enjoyable romp….” -Publishers Weekly

Taking your small group off life support

MY REVIEW

I have not read a non-fiction book that is so detailed and worthy of collegiate study as this one in a long while. I've decided to use this book in one of my graduate classes to study Christian groups. It is that good. I highly recommend this for any church committee chairperson, a youth pastor, or pastor to understand how Christian group dynamics are supposed to work. It has some truly wonderful ideas in how a group's identity unfolds, and how your group can prosper with the proper boundaries set up and with Jesus as the ultimate administrator. Don't miss this one! It is a keeper.

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Brad House calls on churches to wake up to the possibilities for life-transforming, gospel ministry through small groups. In recent years Mars Hill Church, based in Seattle, has experienced the rich blessings that exist within healthy community groups. In Community, House provides a resource for other churches to experience these blessings.

House examines healthy, gospel-centered small groups in three sections. In the first, he lays a foundation for the need and purpose of small-group community. He then presents a big-picture “health plan” for small groups, looking closely at the nuts and bolts of small-group ministry. The book ends with a practical section detailing ways churches can move forward to missional small groups that bless each other, the church, and their communities.
With wisdom and candor, House helps churches think carefully about the state of their own small groups and, where necessary, take steps toward a healthier, gospel-centered community. Pastors and church leaders, as well as small groups, will find this guide to be a catalyst in their growth and development.

Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love

MY REVIEW
 
This is the first book I've read by Dorothy Love. I didn't know it was the second in a series, and if I had, I would not have ordered it.

I do not have a lot of patience with works that need better editing. I can certainly appreciate deeply that an editor tries to keep the author's voice. I'm not talking about a professional editor, but editing by the author herself. The only place where convoluted sentences are acceptable to me is in the Bible. After the 4th chapter, I quit reading it because there were characters I did not know; there were things not explained; there were places not described. As far as I am concerned this book should not have been cut in half and published as two works. Keep the thing as a whole if this is what will be presented to the public as a second work. On second thought, I give this work only 1 star.

Book Description

She’s a beautiful young widow. He’s a Southern gentleman with a thirst for adventure. Both need a place to call home.
After losing her husband in the Civil War, Carrie Daly is scared she will never have the family she longs for. Eligible bachelors are scarce in Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, but Carrie Daly has found love. Not the weak-in-the-knees kind, but something practical. Still, she isn't quite ready to set a wedding date with Nate Chastain.
Griff Rutledge is a former member of Charleston society, but has been estranged from his family for years. He’s determined to remain unattached, never settling in one place for too long. But when asked to train a Thoroughbred for an upcoming race in Hickory Ridge, he decides to stay awhile.
Despite objections from the townsfolk, and her fear that true happiness has eluded her, Carrie is drawn to Griff's kindness and charm. It will take a leap of faith for them to open their hearts and claim God's promise to trade beauty for ashes.

The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

MY REVIEW


Siri Mitchell has a tremendous talent for spinning a great yarn. This one takes the reader back to the Revolutionary War to view it from the Quakers' point of view. I have long believed the belief to not take up arms was something ill considered not to mention completely unbiblical. However, Mitchell takes a close look at this belief, along with the passions of that era. I have learned that the history we studied in school wasn't quite the complete history. Some of the brutality was shielded from us, and I'm not so sure that was a good thing. How else can one learn the reasons why our forefathers were so deeply passionate about freedom?

Mitchell always does a fabulous job with weaving history and story together seamlessly without long descriptive passages. Anyone familiar with history will pick up instantly on the things hinted at and will be intrigued, like me, to check out some fact or another. It's a keeper, for sure.

I give it 4 stars out of 5 stars.

     

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Messenger Bethany House Publishers (March 1, 2012) by Siri Mitchell


ABOUT THE BOOK

Hannah Sunderland felt content in her embrace of the Quaker faith

...until her twin brother ran off and joined the army and ended up captured and in jail. Suddenly Hannah's world turns on end. She longs to bring her brother some measure of comfort in the squalid, frigid prison where he remains. But the Quakers believe they are not to take sides, not to take up arms. Can she sit by and do nothing while he suffers?

Jeremiah Jones has an enormous task before him. Responsibility for a spy ring is now his, and he desperately needs access to the men in prison, whom they are seeking to free. A possible solution is to garner a pass for Hannah. But while she is fine to the eye, she holds only disdain for him--and agreeing would mean disobeying those she loves and abandoning a bedrock of her faith.

With skill and sensitivity, Mitchell tells a story of two unlikely heroes seeking God's voice, finding the courage to act, and discovering the powerful embrace of love.

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


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 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 speaker 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.

Chasing the Sun by Tracie Peterson

MY REVIEW

As always, Tracie Peterson has a marvelous way of capturing the reader's attention from the first page. This novel is an interesting looks at Civil War era Texas and Vicksburg, MS. As a Louisiana/Mississippi native, I enjoyed this yarn.

Hanna is extremely resourceful if a little dense from the beginning, or maybe trusting is a better word. Peterson develops her characters in a believable environment. However, I lose patience quickly with see-through plots, and this is one of those. Almost from the first chapter you can see how the story will evolve, and still you hope there will be a twist that will upturn your basket of expectations. That doesn't happen, but the story is still a good one; and the dialogue, while not exactly sparkling, it has some excellent moments.

Peterson also does an exemplary job of highlighting how prejudice sometimes rules our worlds, but can be overcome simply by trying to understand each others' worlds through others' eyes: Why would an Indian think his way is better to sleep on the ground under the stars?

All in all, this is a good read. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Chasing The Sun Bethany House Publishers (March 1, 2012) by Tracie Peterson

ABOUT THE BOOK

When her father disappears in war-torn Mississippi, Hannah Dandridge finds herself responsible not only for her younger siblings but for the ranch her father recently acquired on the Texas plains. Though a marriage of convenience could ease her predicament, she determines to trust God for direction.

Wounded soldier William Barnett returns to his home only to discover that his family's ranch has been seized. Though angry and bitter at this turn of events, he's surprised to discover that it is a beautiful young woman with amazing fortitude who is struggling to keep the place running.

Hannah, desperate for help, and William, desperate to regain his family's land, form an uneasy truce. But nearby Comanche tribes, the arrival of Confederate soldiers, and a persistent suitor all threaten the growing attraction that builds between them. Will they be able to set aside their own dreams and embrace the promise of a future together?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Chasing The Sun, go HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 85 novels.
She received her first book contract in November, 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishings' Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row.

In December, 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers to co-write a series with author Judith Pella. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers.

She teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research.

Tracie was awarded the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for 2007 Inspirational Fiction and her books have won numerous awards for favorite books in a variety of contests.

Making her home in Montana, this Kansas native enjoys spending time with family--especially her three grandchildren--Rainy, Fox and Max. She's active in her church as the Director of Women's Ministries, coordinates a yearly writer's retreat for published authors, and travels, as time permits, to research her books.

How fascinating are you? by Randy Ingermanson

4) Marketing: How Fascinating Are You?


If you want to stand out in a crowded market, then you
should be thinking about how fascinating you are. You
need fans who love your fiction. Who talk about your
fiction. Who talk about you.

Fascination explains why Apple's new products create
lines around the block every time Apple releases its
latest gizmo.

Fascination made Marilyn Monroe a cult icon.

Fascination helped bring Adolf Hitler to power.

I've been reading a book lately, FASCINATE, by Sally
Hogshead, a well known brand consultant and speaker.

There are seven ways to trigger fascination, according
to Ms. Hogshead. She summarizes each of these by a
single word:

* Lust
* Mystique
* Alarm
* Prestige
* Power
* Vice
* Trust

Any surprises there? Not yet, I hope. Each of these
sounds reasonable.

The surprises come when you unpack each of these words
to figure out what makes them work. None of them are as
simple as they seem.

Let's look at each of these in turn.


* Lust is anticipation of pleasure. No, it's not just
about sex. It can be the anticipation of anything you
like. Food. Beauty. Skiing. Dancing. Wine. Laughter.
Any sort of pleasure, whether naughty or nice, is fair
game for the Lust trigger.

Lust partly explains the intrigue of Marilyn Monroe,
who was definitely a pleasure to look at. Marilyn's
fans couldn't wait to see her in action.

Lust is part of the appeal of Apple Computer. Every
device Apple makes is both a work of art and a pleasure
to use. Apple fans can't wait for the next cool thing
that they never knew they needed.

Lust, oddly enough, explains part of the success of the
late comedian George Carlin. If you liked his kind of
humor, then you simply couldn't wait to hear his next
routine.

But Lust isn't the only trigger for fascination. As
we'll see, each of the above fired multiple triggers.


* Mystique is about raising questions and NOT answering
them. Those unanswered questions, if they're
interesting enough, will get inside your mind and gnaw
at you forever.

Mystique explains the popular fascination with UFOs.
What aren't "they" telling us about the crash in
Roswell? What are "they" hiding at Area 51? Why won't
"they" come clean about the anti-gravity drive machine?

Mystique is one of the triggers Apple Computer relies
on heavily. What kind of camera will the next iPhone
have? What killer app will it unleash next? Will Apple
fix that one pesky flaw that current iPhone owners love
to hate? Numerous rumor web sites thrive on these kind
of questions. How many rumor web sites deal with
similar questions about HP, Microsoft, or Google?

Mystique is the reason that the Kennedy assassination
still fascinates conspiracy theorists. When Lee Harvey
Oswald was murdered two days after the assassination,
he left behind a zillion questions. Those questions can
never be answered, and that creates mystique.


* Alarm is the fear of something horrible happening. If
it's bad enough, likely enough, and imminent enough,
it's going to fascinate a lot of people.

Alarm about "the Russians" made them endlessly
fascinating in Cold War novels by John LeCarre, Robert
Ludlum, and Tom Clancy. When the Soviet Union broke
wide open, that fear dissipated and Cold War novels lost
most of their fizz.

Alarm about "radical Islam" now fills very much the
same role, which is why you now see more novels
featuring Islamic terrorists than Russian spies. Alarm
only works if people believe it (whether or not that
belief is justified).

Alarm about an impending apocalypse drives the current
fascination with the alleged end of the Mayan calendar
this year, for pretty much the same reasons that alarm
over the second coming of Jesus has driven apocalyptic
fever numerous times over the centuries.


* Prestige is the respect we give to those who have
rank.

Prestige is part of the reason that every US President
becomes instantly fascinating the moment he gets
elected.

Prestige is one reason for the popularity of the
British TV series DOWNTON ABBEY. (Excellent writing and
acting are the other reasons.) The series centers on an
aristocratic British family and its cast of servants,
beginning in 1912 and continuing through World War I.

Prestige is part of the driver for the popularity of
Apple's products. Rightly or wrongly, owning an iPhone
gives you more prestige than owning an Android or
Blackberry.


* Power is the ability to control.

Power is another part of the reason that US Presidents
become fascinating when they take office. The President
is commander in chief of the world's most powerful
military. The President can press "the button."

Power makes the schoolyard bully fascinating. When a
nerdy kid stands up to the bully, fights him, and wins,
the bully loses his power. Suddenly, the nerd is the
fascinating guy and the bully's a bore.

Power makes Google fascinating, because it plays a
major role in deciding the winners and the losers in
the great global marketing game known as search engine
optimization.


* Vice is anything that you "aren't supposed to do."

Vice is coloring outside the lines. It's the Pandora's
Box you aren't supposed to open. It's the forbidden
fruit you aren't supposed to eat. When there's no
reason given to you for a restriction, vice creates in
you a fascination that grows and grows until you feel
compelled to break the rule.

Vice made comedian George Carlin famous in 1972, when
he developed a comedy routine named "Seven Words You
Can Never Say on Television." By saying the words that
must not be spoken, he made himself instantly
fascinating. Forty years later, people still remember
that routine.

Vice was part of the fascination of Marilyn Monroe. The
breathy voice she used in singing Happy Birthday to
John Kennedy came across as delightfully sinful.


* Trust is your loyalty to the familiar or the reliable.

Trust is the reason you choose the unhealthful fast
food in the airport Food Court, rather than the
healthful-looking option from the no-name joint. In
unfamiliar territory, you want to know exactly what
you're going to get and  exactly how long it's going to
take to get it.

Trust is a part of the reason Adolf Hitler could
convince a nation to believe the unbelievable. He
repeated the same simple message over and over with no
variation. He eliminated the voice of the opposition.
The same lie, repeated every day, became familiar and
eventually built trust.

Trust is a major part of brand loyalty. FedEx built its
brand on the slogan, "When it absolutely, positively
has to be there overnight." If FedEx failed to deliver
overnight, you'd feel betrayed. If the post office
failed, you wouldn't, because the post office offers
you much lower expectations.


In marketing your fiction, you want to build
fascination in the minds of your fans. How do you do
that?

You choose which of the seven fascination triggers you
intend to pull, and then you focus on those.

Typically, you can focus on three or four triggers.

Your cover art, your web site, your blog, your Facebook
page, your Twitter page -- every part of your public
face -- should present the same message and pull the
same fascination triggers.

Your marketing success will depend on how hard you pull
those triggers and how consistently you pull them.


Want to know more about those fascination triggers?
Want to know how to choose the ones that are right for
you? Want to know how to pull them?

Check out Sally Hogshead's book FASCINATE. Part 3 is
designed to help you figure out how to make your own
marketing more fascinating.

You can visit Ms. Hogshead's web site here and take her
"F-test" to learn your "F-score":
http://www.SallyHogshead.com

~~~~~~~~~~~

This article is reprinted by permission of the author.

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the
Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing
E-zine, with more than 29,000 readers, every month. If
you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction,
AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND
have FUN doing it, visit
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing
and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.