Thursday, January 29, 2009

K is for...


My friend Jennifer passed along a fun meme,where she was assigned a letter and had to list 10 of her favorite things that began with that letter. She assigned me the letter 'K'.

So here are ten of my favorite things that begin with 'K':

1. Krispy Kreme donuts...especially warm and fresh!
2. Kisses...of the Hershey's variety, especially the ones filled with caramel.
3. Kansas...it's the state of my birth, and it's celebrating its 148th birthday today!
4. Kansas State University...where I went to college. GO WILDCATS!
5. Kim...my older sister.
6. Kentucky Thunder (& Ricky Skaggs)...love that bluegrass music!
7. Kettle Corn...sweet, salty, crunchy - what's not to love.
8. Kitchen design shows on HGTV...they're giving me good ideas as I long for the day when I can redo my 70's kitchen.
9. Kraft Mac & Cheese mixed with tuna, corn, and peas, sprinkled with shredded cheese...one of those 'comfort foods' from my childhood.
10.Kurt Warner...had to put that in since he's the reason I'm rooting for the Cardinals over the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

If you want to play along, just leave a comment and I will assign you a letter.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Gatekeepers (Dreamhouse Kings #3) by Robert Liparulo


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Gatekeepers
(Dreamhouse Kings #3)

Thomas Nelson (January 6, 2009)

by

Robert Liparulo



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert is an award-winning author of over a thousand published articles and short stories. He is currently a contributing editor for New Man magazine. His work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Travel & Leisure, Modern Bride, Consumers Digest, Chief Executive, and The Arizona Daily Star, among other publications. In addition, he previously worked as a celebrity journalist, interviewing Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Charlton Heston, and others for magazines such as Rocky Road, Preview, and L.A. Weekly.

Robert is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

Robert's first novel painted a scenario so frighteningly real that six Hollywood producers were bidding on movie rights before the novel was completed. His acclaimed debut novel, Comes A Horseman, is being made into a major motion picture by producer Mace Neufeld and his short story "Kill Zone" was featured in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson.

Bob has sold the film rights to his second book, GERM. And he is writing the screenplay for a yet-to-be-written political thriller, which sold to Phoenix Pictures, for Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) to direct!

And his third book Deadfall. debuted to rave reviews!


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Bob Liparulo wants to give away a signed 3 book set of the DreamHouse Kings books! Send an email to Bob [at] Liparulo [dot] com and put "CFBA" in the subject line. He will pick a winner next week!!!!

In the third novel of this young adult series, the mystery deepens in a house that is more than meets the eye.

The Kings have been in the creepy old place, their new home, for only a few days, but they've experienced enough terror to last a lifetime. And the mystery is growing even more baffling. Shadowy and shifting, the big house conceals doors into other worlds that blur the line between memories and dreams-and the slightest misstep can change history forever.

At least, that's if they believe the trembling old man who shows up claiming to know them. "There's a reason you're in the house," he tells them. "As gatekeepers, we must make sure only those events that are supposed to happen get through to the future."

The problem is that horrors beyond description wait on the other side of those gates. As if that weren't enough, the Kings are also menaced by sinister forces on this side-like the dark, ancient stranger Taksidian, who wants them out now.

It's hard to believe that things could have gotten worse for the King family-but they have. Dad's in handcuffs, the school bully has just found the secret portal that leads from the high school to the house, and Xander is sure he's found Mom, but they can't get back to her. Then Jesse arrives, and he seems to be a virtual Obi Wan of knowledge about the place. But is he the key they need to unlock the secrets, or just a crazy old man?

Dangers are increasing from within and without when Xander makes a startling discovery that explains why they haven't found any rooms that lead to the future. Alongside the threats, though, they're also starting to find some surprising allies.
All they have to do is get organized, get psyched, and get Mom. But that isn't nearly as easy as it sounds.

Xander, David, and Toria must venture beyond the gates to save their missing mother-and discover how truly high the stakes have become.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Gatekeepers
(Dreamhouse Kings #3)
, go HERE.

What they're saying:

Review
"If you like creepy and mysterious, this is the house for you! Every room opens a door to magic, true horror, and amazing surprises. I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?" --R.L. Stine (Goosebumps)

Review
"A powerhouse storyteller delivers his most fantastic ride yet!"
-Ted Dekker, bestselling author of Kiss, Chosen and Infidel


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

2009 Fiction Finalists for ECPA Book Awards

The 2009 Finalists for the ECPA Christian Book Award (formerly known as The Gold Medallion) have been announced. Awards are given in six categories (Bible, Bible Reference & Study, Christian Life, Fiction, Children & Youth, and Inspiration & Gift) and you can see the complete list of finalists here. Winners will be announced at the Christian Book Expo on March 19, 2009. I just wanted to mention the finalists in the fiction category, since I read that category more than any other. Here's the list...


Home Another Way
Christa Parrish
Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group

Less Than Dead
Tim Downs
Thomas Nelson


Riven
Jerry B. Jenkins
Tyndale House Publishers


The Outsider
Ann H. Gabhart
Revell/Baker Publishing Group


The Shape of Mercy
Susan Meissner
WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

I've only had the opportunity to read 'Home Another Way'. How about you? Have you had a chance to read these novels, and if you have do you a have a favorite that you'll be rooting for?

Sunday, January 25, 2009

The Red Siren by M L Tyndall


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Red Siren

(Barbour Publishing, Inc - January 2009)

by

M.L. Tyndall



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M. L. (MARYLU) TYNDALL grew up on the beaches of South Florida loving the sea and the warm tropics. But despite the beauty around her, she always felt an ache in her soul--a longing for something more.

After college, she married and moved to California where she had two children and settled into a job at a local computer company. Although she had done everything the world expected, she was still miserable. She hated her job and her marriage was falling apart.

Still searching for purpose, adventure and true love, she spent her late twenties and early thirties doing all the things the world told her would make her happy, and after years, her children suffered, her second marriage suffered, and she was still miserable.

One day, she picked up her old Bible, dusted it off, and began to read. Somewhere in the middle, God opened her hardened heart to see that He was real, that He still loved her, and that He had a purpose for her life, if she'd only give her heart to Him completely.

Her current releases in the Legacy of The Kings Pirates series include:The Restitution, The Reliance, and The Redemption and The Falcon And The Sparrow

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Lady Faith Westcott has turned her back on God and on man. Having witnessed the hypocrisy in the Church of England, her older sister's abuse at the hand of her husband, and her own mother's untimely death in childbirth, Faith has determined never to marry and to gain enough wealth so she and her two sisters will never have to depend on man or God again.

To that end, though a lady by day, she becomes a pirate by night and begins her sordid career off Portsmouth when she attacks and plunders a merchant ship commanded by the young Dajon Waite. Humiliated at being defeated by a pirate and a woman no less, Dajon returns home without cargo and ship, and his father expels him from the family merchant business.

After a brief sojourn into debased society, Dajon rejoins the Royal Navy, where he finds comfort in the strict rules and redemption through his service to others. Three years later, he is sent to the frontier outpost of Charles Town, South Carolina to deal with the pirate problem. There, he connects with his mentor and old friend, Admiral Westcott, who has just arrived with his three daughters.

Much to Dajon's utter dismay, Admiral Westcott, who is being called away to Spain, asks Dajon to be temporary guardian of his three lovely daughters. One of the ladies seems familiar to him, a striking redhead who immediately sends his heart thumping.

Faith recognizes Captain Waite as the buffoon whose ship she plundered off Portsmouth. Yet, he appears no longer the fool, but instead a tall, handsome and commanding naval officer. Despite her immediate attraction to him, she labels him the enemy, but sparks are guaranteed to fly during the next few months when independent, headstrong and rebellious Faith falls in love with God-fearing honorable, rule-following Dajon-especially when Faith continues her pirating off the Carolina coast while her father is away.

Will Dajon catch her? And what will this man of honor and duty do when he does?


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

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Faith 'n Fiction Saturdays: What's on your keeper shelf



It's time once again for Faith 'n Fiction Saturday with My Friend Amy, and if you'd like to participate, feel free to check out her blog post with this weeks question.

One thing we share in common is a love of books. I know there are participants of Faith 'n Fiction Saturdays that read over 200 books a year!
But while we may read a lot of books, only a few books in our lifetimes are special enough that we would never part with them, always recommend them, and maybe even reread them.

So...what fiction books with faith elements are on your keeper shelf? Please keep your answers to no more than 5 books!


I'll start out by saying I'm not much of a re-reader, so the ones on my list are ones that I recommend everyone read. For some reason, the books that I count among my favorites don't necessarily have happy endings, but I find that a book that doesn't seems to speak to me more - I guess since life isn't always about happy endings. So here goes...

1. After Anne by Roxanne Henke

2. The Debt by Angela Hunt

3. Jimmy by Robert Whitlow

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Centurion's Wife

(Bethany House Publishers - January 1, 2009)

by

Davis Bunn and Janette Oke



ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Davis Bunn is an internationally acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences span reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include My Soul To Keep, and Full Circle. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was named Novelist in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.


Janette Oke's first novel, a prairie love story titled Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. This book was followed by more than 75 others.

After Love Comes Softly was published, Oke found her readers asking for more. That book led to a series of eight others in her Love Comes Softly series. She has written multiple fiction series, including The Canadian West, Seasons of the Heart and Women of the West. Her most recent releases include a beautiful children's picture book, I Wonder...Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb and The Song of Acadia series, co-written with T. Davis Bunn.

Janette Oke's warm writing style has won the hearts of millions of readers. She has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medallion Award, The Christy Award of Excellence, the 1992 President's Award for her significant contribution to the category of Christian fiction from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and in 1999 the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association International. Beloved worldwide, her books have been translated into fourteen languages.

She and her husband live nearby in Alberta, Canada.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist's perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity...and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma.

Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first-century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil--facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions.

Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death--and missing body--is causing such furor.

This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, the story unfolds the testing of loyalties--between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Centurion's Wife, go HERE.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Chantel Hobbs Giveaway Winner...

is Carla! Congratulations to you - an email is on the way.

Thanks everyone for stopping by - I do appreciate all the comments.

Hope everyone has a great week - Happy Reading!

Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Stand-In Groom

(Barbour Publishing, Inc - January 2009)

by

Kaye Dacus



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kaye Dacus is an author and editor who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. A former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kaye enjoys being an active ACFW member and the fellowship and community of hundreds of other writers from across the country and around the world that she finds there.

She currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, which she co-founded in 2003 with three other writers. Each month, she teaches a two-hour workshop on an aspect of the craft of writing at the MTCW monthly meeting. But her greatest joy comes from mentoring new writers through her website and seeing them experience those “aha” moments when a tricky concept becomes clear.




ABOUT THE BOOK:

When wedding planner Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, she thinks she's found the man of her dreams. But when he turns out to be a client, her "dream" quickly turns into a nightmare. Will Anne risk her heart and career on this engaging Englishman?

George came to Louisiana to plan his employer's wedding and pose as the groom. But how can he feign affection for a supposed fiancee when he's so achingly attracted to the wedding planner? And what will happen when Anne discovers his role has been Stand-In Groom only? Will she ever trust George again? Can God help these two believers find a happy ending?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Stand-In Groom, go HERE.

What they're saying about it:

“Dacus pulls off a delightful story that places readers in the heart of the South with the debut of the Brides of Bonneterre series. Readers will enjoy this look at how lives are transformed through devastating events and how forgiveness is the key to a promising future. Nothing is as it seems in this heartwarming story.”
Romantic Times, 4-Star Review

“Absolutely delightful! I enjoyed Stand-In Groom from cover to cover! Ms. Dacus’s clever story and wonderful prose will draw you away to a place deep in the heart of Louisiana, surrounding you with the scents, sounds, and sights of the deep south. A story filled with romance and intrigue, betrayal and forgiveness, I found myself laughing, crying and rejoicing right along with the characters.”
M.L. Tyndall, author of The Falcon and the Sparrow and the award-winning Legacy of the King’s Pirates series

“Stand-In Groom is as sweet, beautiful, and chaotic as a perfectly planned wedding. Anne is a bright and wounded heroine you’re going to care about for a long time. George is a hero to capture your heart. Kaye Dacus will take you along for a fun, poignent ride in Stand-In Groom.”
Mary Connealy, author of the Lassoed in Texas series and Of Mice...and Murder


My Thoughts:

I'm always in search of new authors, so I was excited to get a copy of this book, as it includes some of my favorite things to read about - a setting in Louisiana and an English gentleman. Stand-In Groom was so enjoyable, and George and Anne have such great chemistry, that I'm definitely looking forward to see what Kaye Dacus has in store in book two in this series, Menu for Romance, coming in July.

Friday, January 16, 2009

The Jury is Still Out...

...and you can be a part of it. Randy Singer has a new book coming out later this year (July) called The Justice Game. It involves a court case that centers around the gun control issue. He is giving his readers the opportunity to render the verdict in the case. All you have to do is head over to his website watch a short video, read the characters opening statements, then decide your vote as if you were a member of the jury. The verdict voted on by the readers will be written into the story line and won't be revealed until the book is released. I can't say as I've ever heard of any author willing to give his audience this much involvement in the outcome of a novel.

In Randy's words, “I wanted to do something different and get my readers really involved in the story. This gives them an opportunity to hear both sides of the national gun debate and gets them thinking. Plus, it adds an element of fun to the book.”

I'll tell you, I watched the video and read those chapters containing the opening statements last night, and I'm still deliberating. I've served on juries before, but the cases involved were much less complex and impacting as this one seems to be. I am really looking forward to see how this collaborative novel by Randy Singer and his readers will turn out. Stay tuned...

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Lucy Doesn't Wear Pink by Nancy Rue

About Lucy Doesn't Wear Pink:

Growing up is hard when you don’t have a mother—but God helps Lucy find her way.

Lucy is a feisty, precocious tomboy who questions everything—even God. It’s not hard to see why: a horrible accident killed her mother and blinded her father, turning her life upside down. It will take a strong but gentle housekeeper—who insists on Bible study along with homework—to show Lucy that there are many ways to become the woman God intends her to be.

Lucy’s bossy, career-minded Aunt Karen thinks eleven-year-old Lucy needs a woman’s influence. Enter Inez—a housekeeper with a will as strong as Lucy’s—and her granddaughter Mora, a girly-girl who is Lucy’s polar opposite. Will the girls ever find common ground? Inez just might have the answers when she teaches them the story of Ruth and Naomi.

My thoughts:

I *love* Lucy - she's a tomboy just like I was at that age (and I'm still a no-frills kinda gal). She's going through some tough times, dealing with her mom's death and her father's blindness, not really fitting in the town she lives in because she's different from most of the kids at school by being white and not Hispanic, but she finds help through her love of soccer as well as having good mentors - in her father, her soccer coach, and her new housekeeper. Each one plays a key part in helping put the pieces back into the puzzle of her life. So if you're amidst struggles in your life, do what Lucy does - when life hands you lemons...play soccer!

Be sure to check out Nancy Rue's website for more information on all of her great books.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Sweetwater Gap

(Thomas Nelson - December 16, 2008)

by

Denise Hunter



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too







ABOUT THE BOOK:

A story of new beginnings from best-selling Romance for Good™ author Denise Hunter.

When Josephine's family insists she come home to help with the harvest, the timing works. But her return isn't simple benevolence-she plans to persuade the family to sell the failing orchard.

The new manager's presence is making it difficult. Grady MacKenzie takes an immediate disliking to Josephine and becomes outright cantankerous when she tries talking her family into selling. As she and Grady work side by side in the orchard, she begins to appreciate his devotion and quiet faith. She senses a vulnerability in him that makes her want to delve deeper, but there's no point letting her heart have its way-he's tied to the orchard, and she could never stay there.

A brush with death tears down Josephine's defenses and for the first time in her life, she feels freedom-freedom from the heavy burden of guilt, freedom to live her life the way it was intended, with a heart full of love.

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

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Award

SmilingSal over at Book Critiques bestowed the Premios Dardo Award on this blog.

This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.

Not sure I'm totally deserving, but thanks Sal.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Tour & Giveaway: Never Say Diet Book & Fitness Trainer by Chantel Hobbs


About these books:

After years of failed diet attempts, Chantel Hobbs discovered the missing ingredient to permanent weight loss: to change your life, you first have to change the way you think.

She developed a balanced plan for exercise and nutrition and lost two hundred pounds. Now, through writing, speaking, and her work as a personal trainer, she inspires others to achieve far more than they thought possible.

In Never Say Diet, now available in trade paperback, Chantel provides everything readers need to lose weight for good, including:

-Simple, step-by-step workout routines that fit into a normal weekday schedule
-A realistic approach to nutrition that helps people break their bondage to food
-Strategies for staying motivated when life takes unexpected turns
-Keys to dealing with discouragement by relying on God’s strength
-The secret to moving beyond past failures and getting over old excuses

Chantel helps readers make the five commitments that are necessary for changing their lives. Her high-energy, no-nonsense approach inspires readers to achieve results that last in body, mind, and spirit.

Personal Trainer: Her newest book, The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach, now allows readers to have Chantel show up each week to inspire, encourage, and energize them on the journey to a healthy life that centers on body, mind, and spirit.

This fitness guide helps readers set new weight-loss goals and create an exercise schedule that works in the midst of life’s constant demands. Readers will be inspired with Scripture, and they will welcome Chantel’s healthy eating plan with simple, energy-and-nutrition-packed recipes. Weekly checklists and personal evaluations direct readers in reaching their goals. Plus, Chantel’s personal and entertaining stories provide the motivation needed to get through even the most frustrating days.

With Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach readers will establish new fitness habits that burn off excess weight, increase strength, and establish a new, healthy way of living.

About Chantel Hobbs:

Chantel Hobbs is a personal trainer, certified spinning instructor, and motivational speaker whose no-excuses approach to fitness has won her a grateful following across the country. The author of Never Say Diet, Chantel hosts a weekly fitness program on Reach FM radio and is a regular guest on Way FM. Her “Ditch the Diet, Do the Weekend” bootcamp takes place several times a year in a variety of locations. She has presented her unique approach to lasting fitness in People magazine and on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, The 700 Club, Living the Life, and Paula White Today. Chantel enjoys life with her husband and their four children in South Florida.

My thoughts:

It's the beginning of a new year and I need to get back on the wagon. After I had my second daughter in July of 2006, instead of keeping off the baby weight I lost when I had her, I let my weight creep back up to my 9 month pregnancy weight. I know many of you have been there. Last summer I half-heartedly decided that I was going to get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight (or lower). I started watching my calories and such, and have thankfully lost 16 of those 23 pounds and have successfully kept them off for almost 6 months. But as this new year starts, I need a jump start - and after having read Chantel's book, I realize I need to change the way I think. I can't be satisfied with "almost" making it back to my pre-pregnancy weight. This is the year I get it done - and keep it off for good.

What I really like about Chantel's book is that from the very beginning it's not about what you shouldn't do, it's more about what you should do. It starts out with "move your body", then gradually leads you through to the realization that you should eat to fuel your body, and you don't want your body running on junk. One other thing that I think is a big plus - the personal trainer log. So many times I'd read a health/diet/fitness book and it 'tells' you what do - this fitness log (which is handy by being small enough to stick in a gym bag or purse) guides you step by step along the way.

So are you ready to make a change?

One individual (US residents only please) will win a set of these books - to be in the running, all you have to do is leave a comment with your contact info (you at yoohoo dot com) by Sunday, January 18th, at midnight central time. I'll contact the winner on Monday.

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

KISS

(Thomas Nelson - January 6, 2009)

by

Ted Dekker
and
Erin Healy


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.

After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.

Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), Obsessed, Renegade, and Chaos.

*******************

Erin Healy is an award-winning fiction editor who has worked with talented novelists such as James Scott Bell, Melody Carlson, Colleen Coble, Brandilyn Collins, L. B. Graham, Rene Gutteridge, Michelle McKinney Hammond, Robin Lee Hatcher, Denise Hildreth, Denise Hunter, Randy Ingermanson, Jane Kirkpatrick, Gilbert Morris, Frank Peretti, Lisa Samson, Randy Singer, Robert Whitlow, and many others.

She began working with Ted Dekker in 2002 and edited twelve of his heart-pounding stories before their collaboration on Kiss, the first novel to seat her on "the other side of the desk."

Erin is the owner of WordWright Editorial Services, a Colorado-based consulting firm specializing in fiction book development. She and her husband, Tim, are the proud parents of two children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Let me tell you all I know for sure. My name. Shauna.

I woke up in a hospital bed missing six months of my memory. In the room was my loving boyfriend-how could I have forgotten him?-my uncle and my abusive stepmother. Everyone blames me for the tragic car accident that left me near death and my dear brother brain damaged. But what they say can't be true-can it?

I believe the medicine is doing strange things to my memory. I'm unsure who I can trust and who I should run from. And I'm starting to remember things I've never known. Things not about me. I think I'm going crazy.

And even worse, I think they want to kill me.

But who? And for what? Is dying for the truth really better than living with a lie?


Sometimes dying with the truth is better than living with a lie.

After a car accident puts Shauna McAllister in a coma and wipes out six months of her memory, she returns to her childhood home to recover, but her arrival is fraught with confusion.

Her estranged father, a senator bidding on the White House, and her abusive stepmother blame Shauna for the tragedy, which has left her beloved brother severely brain damaged. Leaning on Wayne Spade, a forgotten but hopeful lover who stays by her side, Shauna tries to sort out what happened that night by jarring her memory to life. Instead, she acquires a mysterious mental ability that will either lead her to truth or get her killed by the people trying to hide it.

In this blind game of cat and mouse that stares even the darkest memories in the face, Shauna is sure of only one thing: if she remembers, she dies.

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

Watch the Video Trailer





What people are saying about KISS:
“The human brain could actually be the real final frontier—we know so little about it and yet it drives the world as we know it. So when authors like Erin and Ted bravely explore these mysterious regions, going into complex places like memory and soul and relationships, I become hooked. The creativity of this suspenseful story is sure to hook other readers as well. Very memorable!”
~Melody Carlson, author of Finding Alice and The Other Side of Darkness

“Dekker and Healy prove a winning team in this intriguing, imaginative thriller.”
~James Scott Bell, bestselling author of Try Darkness

“Kiss by Erin Healy and Ted Dekker is a superb thriller that hooked me from the first sentence. The original plot kept me guessing, and I may never look at a kiss the same way again. I’ll be watching for the next book!”
~Colleen Coble, author of Cry in the Night

“The writing team of Erin Healy and Ted Dekker has taken me through a page-turner with Kiss. It’s one of those books that you think about when you’re not reading it. I highly recommend it, especially if you don’t mind staying up late because you can’t put the book down!”
~Rene Gutteridge, author of Skid and My Life As a Doormat


Saturday, January 10, 2009

Faith 'n Fiction Saturday - Anticipated Reads for 2009



This is my first blog post as part of Faith 'n Fiction Saturday, courtesy of My Friend Amy. Why don't you join in the fun as Amy poses this question on her blog today:

There are a lot of great new books being published in 2009! But which ones are you the most excited about? Please pick some Christian fiction books you are excited to read this year and tell us all about them! But just to give this a little twist...be sure to visit everyone else's posts and find some books you might be interested in reading as well that are different from your picks! It will come in handy for a fun bonus question next week!

There are so many great books coming out this year that sound too good to pass up. This is just a sampling of the dozens of books I've got my eye on.

Turning the Paige by Laura Jensen Walker (March)

Welcome to the in-between world of Paige Kelley.

At thirty-five, she’s put her dreams on hold to care for her ailing, high-maintenance mother. Three years after her divorce she’s still not dating, still working at her temp job, and still longing for motherhood even though, as her own mother often points out, “You’re not getting any younger, you know!”

When her Getaway Girls book club friends urge Paige to break free and get on with her life, she desperately wants to try. But how? What about her mom? The unexpected answers come from a surprising source. A trip to Scotland and a potential new love interest help launch an exciting new chapter in her life, and lead Paige to discover that God’s plan for her life promises to be more than she ever imagined.

Play it Again SAHM by Meredith Efken (March)

After years of friendship, the women of the SAHM I Am email loop are finally meeting in person. But with two new moms trying to blend in with Dulcie and the gang, there's bound to be trouble!
Earth mother Iona and young mom Hannah are thrilled to join the weekend getaway sans hubbies and kids. But sparks fly when Hannah's know-it-all attitude clashes with "Queen of Ego" Rosalyn. When things go from bad to worse, one mom must step in to save the weekend from total disaster!

The Secret by Beverly Lewis (March)

In the seemingly ordinary Amish home of Grace Byler, secrets abound. Why does her mother weep in the night? Why does her father refuse to admit something is dreadfully wrong? Then, in one startling moment, everything Grace assumed she knew is shattered. Her mother's disappearance leaves Grace reeling and unable to keep her betrothal promise to her long-time beau. Left to pick up the pieces of her life, Grace questions all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment. Heather Nelson is an English grad student, stunned by a doctor's diagnosis. Surely fate would not allow her father to lose his only daughter after the death of his wife a few years before. In denial and telling no one she is terminally ill, Heather travels to Lancaster County--the last place she and her mother had visited together. Will Heather find healing for body and spirit? As the lives of four wounded souls begin to weave together like an Amish patchwork quilt, they each discover missing pieces of their life puzzles--and glimpse the merciful and loving hand of God.

Shepherd's Fall by W L Dyson (April)

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

Danger comes too close to home.
Prodigal Recovery’s search for Zeena, a prostitute on the run, leads to a faulty arrest, complicating Greg’s business. He is thrown together with Zeena’s twin, the beautiful Annie, and the two find themselves on a desperate search. The stakes significantly increase when Greg’s daughter is kidnapped.

Can the shepherd stand?
Greg and Annie unwittingly uncover a drug trafficking ring that further condemns the kidnapper. Now, to save someone he loves, Greg must risk everything…but will it be enough?

The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir (May)

Eleven months ago, Ray Quinn was a tough, quick-witted Orlando homicide detective at the top of his game–until a barrage of bullets ended his career…and his partner’s life.

Now medically retired with a painful handicap, Ray battles the haunting guilt for his partner’s death. Numbing the pain with alcohol and attitude, Ray takes a job as a night watchman at a swanky Orlando condo.

But when a pastor and an exotic dancer are found dead in one of the condos in an apparent murder-suicide, Ray can no longer linger in the shadows. The pastor’s sister is convinced her brother was framed and begs Ray to take on an impossible case–to challenge the evidence and clear her brother’s name.

Ray reluctantly pulls the threads of this supposedly dead-end case only to unravel a murder investigation so deep that it threatens to turn the Orlando political landscape upside down and transform old friends into new enemies. As Ray chases down leads and interrogates suspects, someone is watching his every move, someone determined to keep him from ever finding out the truth–at any cost.

Sunset Beach by Trish Perry (June)

Meet Aralyn Miller, a recent college graduate with plans to get her master’s degree in psychology. With the intention of resolving some family drama and putting her academic interests to the test, Aralyn cleverly invites her mother, Teresa, and her mother’s estranged twin, Aunt Melanie, to the quiet and quirky beach house. They both show up...and with surprises of their own. Teresa, a successful opera singer, brings her latest protégé, Irina, and Melanie brings along secrets about Teresa and the identity of Aralyn’s long–gone father.

The strong personalities cause some big waves, and Aralyn is in over her head. Soon she is drawn to the faith of Irina and Irina’s charming brother, Grigori, and to their story of being adopted as children from a Russian orphanage by a Christian couple from America.

Finding Dwain by Beryl Cahoon (June)

Dane Campbell will be seventeen on September 30th and so will the twin brother he has never metDwain. Dane has asked God to bring his brother home and he, along with his entire senior class, is determined to do whatever it takes to find Dwain and get him home. Social Worker Zelda Cloud has blocked every effort of returning Dwain to his family. She wont let anyone undermine her authority. She will see Dane and his whole senior class locked behind bars before she will allow them to use information someone has taken from her file cabinet. Wealthy land owner George McCain has adopted five healthy sons. Zelda assured him that every one of them is from strong farming families. So why does the senior class project, Finding Dwain, make George McCain uneasy?

Offworld by Robin Parrish (July)

The return of NASA's first manned mission to Mars was supposed to be a momentous day. But when the crew loses touch with ground control before entry, things look bleak. Safe after a treacherous landing, the crew emerges to discover the unthinkable--every man, woman, child, and animal has vanished without a trace. Alone now on their home planet, the crew sets out to discover where everyone has gone--and how to get them back--only to discover they may not be as alone as they thought.

The Justice Game by Randy Singer (July)

After the target of an investigative report storms a Virginia Beach television station, he kills one of the anchors before the SWAT team takes him down. Following the victim’s funeral, her family files a lawsuit against the gun company who manufactured the killer’s weapon of choice. The lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant—Kelly Starling and Jason Noble—are young, charismatic, and successful. They’re also easy blackmail targets, both harboring a personal secret so devastating it could destroy their careers. Millions of dollars—and more than a few lives—are at stake. But as Kelly and Jason battle each other, they discover that the real fight is with unseen forces intent on controlling them both

Sweet Waters by Julie Carobini (August)

There’s nothing left for Tara Sweet in landlocked Dexton, Missouri. Her fiancé called off their wedding, her sister is moving to Manhattan, and now her mother is marrying a much younger man with plans for a yearlong honeymoon in Europe. Tara believes a move back to her childhood home of Otter Bay, California, will help restore the fun and fearlessness she’s already missing in her twenties. Playing back memories of idyllic times spent there with her father along the majestic coast, a fairytale seems just around the corner.

Better make that a soap opera. After Tara finds a job in Otter Bay, makes friends at The Red Abalone Grill, and perhaps even a new flame in firefighter Josh, she begins to uncover shocking secrets about why her family left this heaven on earth all those years ago. And though she will have to question everything she has ever known, the faith that Tara must depend upon will be sweeter than ever before.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Perfect Match by Susan May Warren


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Perfect Match

(Tyndale House - January 1, 2009)

by

Susan May Warren



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. Her favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota is where she met her husband, honeymooned, and dreamed of living.

The north woods easily became the foundation for her first series, The Deep Haven series, based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. Her first full-length book, Happily Ever After, became a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.

As an award winning author, Susan returned home in 2004, to her native Minnesota after serving for eight years with her husband and four children as missionaries with SEND International in Far East Russia. She now writes full time from Minnesota's north woods and the beautiful town that she always dreamed of living in.

You can sample a chapter of each and every one of Susan's novels on her website, HERE.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ellie Karlson is new to Deep Haven. As the town’s interim fire chief, she is determined to lead the local macho fire crew in spite of their misconceptions about her. But when someone begins setting deadly fires, Ellie faces the biggest challenge of her life. Especially when sparks fly with one of the volunteers on her crew: Pastor Dan Matthews. As Ellie battles to do her job and win the respect of her crew, she finds that there is one fire she can’t fight—the one Dan has set in her heart.
(This book is the repackaged edition published in 2004)

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

Awards:

2004 American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year

A Romantic Times Magazine TOP PICK – 4½ stars

Review:

Romantic Times Magazine:
Vibrant characters and vivid language zoom this action-packed romance to the top of the charts. This is a one-sitting read –once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down.


Tuesday, January 6, 2009

What Kind of Reader are You?

What Kind of Reader Are You?
Your Result: Dedicated Reader
 

You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.

Book Snob
 
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
 
Literate Good Citizen
 
Fad Reader
 
Non-Reader
 
What Kind of Reader Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz


Hat tip to This That and the Other Thing.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Wanted by Shelley Shepard Gray


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Wanted

(Avon Inspire - January 6, 2009)

by

Shelley Shepard Gray



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hidden is Shelley’s first foray into inspirational fiction. Previously, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time. Shelley is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and is part of the Telecare ministry, which calls homebound members on a regular basis. Shelley looks forward to the opportunity to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.

This is the second book in the Sisters Of Heart series. The first was Hidden.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Twenty-year-old Katie Brenneman has always quietly fancied Jonathan Lundy. So when the brokenhearted widower asks her to help him take care of his two young girls, Katie knows it will be a trying time-yet she cannot pass up a golden opportunity to get to know this man better.

Just as she's settling into her new life, a message arrives from Katie's past, threatening to expose her darkest secrets. During her Rumspringa, her running-around years, she experimented with activities forbidden in the Amish way of life. Frightened by how far she'd strayed from her values, Katie ran back home, vowing to cut all ties with the outside world. Now her transgressions are coming back to haunt her, just as Jonathan seems willing to welcome her into his heart.

Will the past destroy Katie's chances for love? Or will Katie finally allow herself to accept God's love, forgive her past...and receive everything she's ever wanted?

If you would like to read an excerpt of Chapter 1 of Wanted, go HERE.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Hidden, but haven't gotten a chance to read this one yet. I am definitely looking forward to reading it.


Sunday, January 4, 2009

Liberty Letters: Attack at Pearl Harbor by Nancy LeSourd

About Attack at Pearl Harbor:

Learning to fly is all Navy daughter Meredith Lyons has ever dreamed about, but when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Meredith comes to the aid of the wounded and discovers strength she never knew she had. Her best friend, Catherine Clark, a high school reporter, finds herself the center of the story, when her Navy father, stationed at Pearl Harbor, is missing. Excellent for educators and homeschool use.

THE ASPIRATIONS OF TWO YOUNG WOMEN PROPEL THEM INTO THE PATH OF A FATEFUL DAY

Standing on the airfield in Hawaii, watching a boy her age take his first solo flight, Meredith vows again to learn to fly. In Washington, D.C., her friend Catherine is equally determined to write real news stories for the school newspaper. As December 7, 1941, approaches, the girls have no idea that their faith and their dreams are about to carry them through one of the biggest events in the life of their nation. In this revised edition, The Liberty Letters® series introduces fictional characters whose courage, ingenuity, and faith shaped events in U.S. history. Through the power of friendship, each story reveals how God works through ordinary teens in extraordinary times.

About Nancy LeSourd:

Nancy LeSourd is an author, attorney, wife, and mother of two, who lives in the Washington D. C. area. She has a B.A. in political science from Agnes Scott College, a M.A. from Tufts University in secondary education with an emphasis on American History, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. A William Robertson Coe fellow in American history, she taught American history to middle and high school students. For more information, visit libertyletters.com.

My thoughts:

One of my favorite historical eras to read about is the time period that includes World War II. As I experienced the "date that will live in infamy" through the writings of Catherine and Merrie, courtesy of Nancy LeSourd, I couldn't help but feel the apprehension and anguish they experience leading up to, amidst, and after the Pearl Harbor Invasion. One thing that really fascinated me about the story is how much the country felt like the invasion was imminent and the amount of preparation that was done knowing the likelihood of the invasion. The book also contains secondary story lines that are intriguing, as well as some interesting photographs to go along with the story that I'm sure you'll enjoy. If you are a fan of historical fiction, or know a young adult who is, this book is a must read. I am also looking forward to reading the other titles in the Liberty Letters® series as well.