Guess what! The August issue for Christian Fiction Online Magazine is up.
So if you are a fan of Christian fiction be sure to take a look and check out all the best, buzz, berzerk, brilliant, bizz, and blitz the new online magazine has to offer!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
August Book List
For the month of August we'll enjoy reading:
- Dogwood by Chris Fabry
- All Through the Night by Davis Bunn
- Finding Stephanie by Susan May Warren
- The Jewel of Gresham Green by Lawana Blackwell
- That's (Not Exactly) Amore by Tracey Bateman
- Twice Loved by Lori Copeland
- A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Try Darkness
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
JAMES SCOTT BELL is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He has also been the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.
The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up and still lives in Los Angeles. His first Buchanan thriller, TRY DYING, was released to high critical praise, while his book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Ty Buchanan is living on the peaceful grounds of St. Monica’s, far away from the glamorous life he led as a rising trial lawyer for a big L.A. firm. Recovering from the death of his fiancée and a false accusation of murder, Buchanan has found his previous ambitions unrewarding. Now he prefers offering legal services to the poor and the underrepresented from his “office” at local coffee bar The Freudian Sip. With his new friends, the philosophizing Father Bob and basketball-playing Sister Mary Veritas, Buchanan has found a new family of sorts.
One of his first clients is a mysterious woman who arrives with her six-year-old daughter. They are being illegally evicted from a downtown transient hotel, an interest that Ty soon discovers is represented by his old law firm and his former best friend, Al Bradshaw. Buchanan won’t back down. He’s going to fight for the woman’s rights.
But then she ends up dead, and the case moves from the courtroom to the streets. Determined to find the killer and protect the little girl, who has no last name and no other family, Buchanan finds he must depend on skills he never needed in the employ of a civil law firm.
The trail leads Buchanan through the sordid underbelly of the city and to the mansions and yachts of the rich and famous. No one is anxious to talk.
But somebody wants Buchanan to shut up. For good.
Now he must use every legal and physical edge he knows to keep himself and the girl alive.
Once again evoking the neo-noir setting of contemporary Los Angeles, Bell delivers another thriller where darkness falls and the suspense never rests.
If you would like to read chapters 1 & 2, go HERE
My thoughts:
First, I really enjoyed reading the first book in this series, Try Dying. I loved the suspense and trying to figure out who-dunnit. Ty's sarcasm cracked me up and Bell's writing style made it entertaining to read.
In the second book, Try Darkness, the story was good but not as suspenseful as the first. Maybe because Ty didn't get into as much trouble as he did in the first book. The characters carried over well, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as Try Dying. But that's just me.
I recommend both books. The Christian theme is more subtle (even though a main character is a nun and Ty lives at a monestary), so it's not real preachy...which is nice. I look forward to reading more from Bell.
“Bell has created in Buchanan an appealing and series-worthy protagonist, and the tale equally balances action and drama, motion and emotion. Readers who pride themselves on figuring out the answers before an author reveals them are in for a surprise, too: Bell is very good at keeping secrets. Fans of thrillers with lawyers as their central characters—Lescroart and Margolin, especially—will welcome this new addition to their must-read lists.”
—Booklist
“Engaging whodunit series kickoff . . . Readers will enjoy Bell's talent for description and character development.”
—Publishers Weekly
“James Scott Bell has written himself into a niche that traditionally has been reserved for the likes of Raymond Chandler.”
—Los Angeles Times
“A master of suspense.”
—Library Journal
“One of the best writers out there, bar none.”
—In the Library Review
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Edge Of Recall
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Of her three main interests, art, music and writing, she chose to study English at the University of Colorado and thrived on Creative Writing and Literature classes. She married her husband Jim, and turned her energy to building a family. They have four children whom they have home schooled for all or most of their education. Kristen is a music minister with the ecumenical covenant community People of Praise.Once she realized the stories in her head were truly a calling from the Lord, she made writing not just a passion, but a ministry. She has written seven historical fiction novels as part of the The Rocky Mountain Legacy series, the Diamond of the Rockies series, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. Most recently, she has written several contemporary fiction novels, including Echoes, Freefall and Unforgotten.
Kristen and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Tessa Young, an up-and-coming landscape architect who specializes in the design and creation of labyrinths, has immersed herself in the mythological, spiritual, and healing aspects of the elaborate structures. She also is searching for God and hoping to make sense of the nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.When Smith Chandler, an estranged colleague--with whom she'd half fallen in love a dozen times before catching herself every time--calls to propose a project he claims is the opportunity of a lifetime, she reluctantly agrees to check it out. Smith is reconstructing a pre-Revolutionary War abbey for wealthy clients. Among its remarkable features is an overgrown labyrinth.
Unable to resist, Tessa accepts his offer to work with him. Soon she is immersed in the project of a lifetime. But one evening, after weeks of work in the labyrinth, Tessa and Smith are attacked. While protecting Tessa, Smith is stabbed, and the nightmare begins...again.
If You would like to read the first chapter, go HERE
Monday, July 7, 2008
Wiser Than Serpents
You've GOT to read this. Ok wait, I'm getting ahead of myself here. This is no ordinary blog tour because this is no ordinary book.
Susan May Warren hasn't written just a great piece of fiction (and oh, it is!), she's dug in and written about what is a horrific reality for some. As we go through our day to day lives, running errands and griping about the slow driver in front of us, there are men, women and children who are being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Yes, in today's world.
Keep reading...there's a surprise at the end of this post!
About Wiser Than Serpents: When her sister vanishes into a human slave ring, FSB agent Yanna Andrevka is determined to rescue her. Unfortunately, she's in over her head, with no way out, especially after destroying the undercover operation of Delta Force Operative David Curtiss, who is deep undercover in the Twin Serpents crime syndicate. David has his hands full trying to save Yana, and his operation -- one that could rescue hundreds of women from the Serpent, or cost he and Yanna their lives. The thrilling next chapter of the Mission: Russia series!
A Note From Susan: Did you know that there are 27 million people around the globe held as slaves today – more than 80% of them women and children, and up to 50% minors. In fact, there are MORE slaves today than were in the time of William Wilberforce. That leaves me horrified, and it was those stats that compelled me to write a story with a human trafficking plotline.
Wiser than Serpents is a continuation of the Mission:Russia series, a thriller about Yanna, whose sister is snatched through a Russian dating service, and disappears. Yanna enlists the help of Delta Force Captain, David Curtiss to find and rescue her. Readers who’ve read, In Sheep’s Clothing and Sands of Time will recognize Yanna as the tech expert, and David as the solid Christian of the group. (Read the 5-Rose Review here!)
The book is written from the point of views of the rescuers, not the victims, and offers hope and empowerment, instead of feelings of helplessness. It raises awareness without lowering the standards of Christian fiction.
However, the world is real, and the need to get involved is great. I so greatly admire people who take their beliefs and put action to them –hence why a portion of the proceeds of Wiser than Serpents is going to help the International Justice Mission, (www.ijm.org), an organization dedicated to rescuing victims and fighting the scourge of slavery.
About Susan: Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of seventeen novels and novellas with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. Her first book, Happily Ever After won the American Fiction Christian Writers Book of the Year in 2003, and was a 2003 Christy Award finalist. In Sheep’s Clothing, a thriller set in Russia, was a 2006 Christy Award finalist and won the 2006 Inspirational Reader’s Choice award. A former missionary to Russia, Susan May Warren now writes Suspense/Romance and Chick Lit full time from her home in northern Minnesota.
My thoughts:
I highly recommend Wiser Than Serpents! It's an amazing piece of work just as a stand-alone fiction, but knowing the subject is a harsh reality brings it into a whole new light. This is no casual story about a rescue. It's an on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of thrill ride. I love that it's written from the rescuers' perspective, so it's not only full of action, suspense and life-threatening situations, but it's also full of hope, courage and reliance on God. It opened my eyes to a real problem in the world today without being preachy. Oh, and just so you're not loaded down with the run in and shoot 'em up scene, there's a romantic side woven in as well.
Even though this is the third book in a series (I haven't read the first two), it feels full and complete on it's own. Susan gives enough background along the way so we're not feeling left out...and enough to pique my interest into running to the bookstore going to get the other two books.
Susan is donating 15% of the books royalties to the International Justice Mission (http://www.ijm.org/)! Let’s help spread the word about the IJM and their vital work!
Susan’s Website: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/
Susan’s Blog: http://susanmaywarren.typepad.com/scribbles/
Contest Info! Susan will be giving away 3 SIGNED sets of the Mission: Russia (In Sheep’s Clothing, Sands of Time, and Wiser Than Serpents) series. To enter the contest…click on over to Susan’s blog tour post here (http://susanmaywarren.typepad.com/scribbles/2008/07/wiser-than-serp.html) and tell us which ministries/charities you support and why! Susan will randomly select three winners!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Love Starts With Elle - Tour
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rachel Hauck is a forty-something, a child of the '60's, '70's, '80's, '90's and '00's, who roller skated through the '70's into the '80's with Farrah Fawcet hair and a three-speed orange Camero. She graduated from Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) with a degree in Journalism.After graduation, she hired on at Harris Publishing as a software trainer, destermined to see the world. But, she's traveled to Ireland, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Canada and the U.S. from California to Maine.
Rachel met Tony, her husband, in '87, at church, of all places. They married in '92.
They don't have any children of their own, just lots of kids-in-the-Lord and they love them all. However, they do have two very spoiled dogs, and a very demanding cat.
With a little help from my friends, my first book was published in ' 04, Lambert's Pride, a romance novel. My current release is Sweet Caroline from Thomas Nelson. Romantic Times Book Club gave both books their highest rank of 4.5 stars, with Love Starts With Elle being honored as Top Pick!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Elle's living the dream-but is it her dream or his?Elle loves life in Beaufort, South Carolina-lazy summer days on the sand bar, coastal bonfires, and dinners with friends sharing a lifetime of memories. And she's found her niche as the owner of a successful art gallery too. Life is good.
Then the dynamic pastor of her small town church sweeps her off her feet. She's never known a man like Jeremiah-one who breathes in confidence and exhales all doubt. When he proposes in the setting sunlight, Elle hands him her heart on a silver platter.
But Jeremiah's just accepted a large pastorate in a different state. If she's serious about their relationship, Elle will take "the call," too, leaving behind the people and place she loves so dearly. Elle's friendship with her new tenant, widower Heath McCord, and his young daughter make things even more complicated.
Is love transferrable across the miles? And can you take it with you when you go?
If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
July Book List
For the month of July we'll get to enjoy:
- Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck
- Wiser Than Serpents by Susan May Warren
- The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann
- Try Darkness by James Scott Bell
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