Reclaiming Nick by Susan May Warren

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

RECLAIMING NICK

(Tyndale Fiction, 2007)

by

Susan May Warren

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award winning author SUSAN MAY WARREN recently returned home 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. Be sure to visit Susan's website.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

RECLAIMING NICK is the first of The Noble Legacy series. Book Two, Taming Rafe, will be available January 2008.

A Modern Day Prodigal Comes Home...

NICK NOBLE HADN'T PLANNED ON BEING THE PRODIGAL SON.

But when his father dies and leaves half of Silver Buckle--the Noble family ranch--to Nick’s former best friend, he must return home to face his mistakes, and guarantee that the Silver Buckle stays in the Noble family.

Award-winning journalist Piper Sullivan believes Nick framed her brother for murder, and she’s determined to find justice. But following Nick to the Silver Buckle and posing as a ranch cook proves more challenging than she thinks. So does resisting his charming smile.

As Nick seeks to overturn his father’s will--and Piper digs for answers--family secrets surface that send Nick’s life into a tailspin. But there’s someone who’s out to take the Silver Buckle from the Noble family, and he’ll stop at nothing--even murder--to make it happen.

Endorsement:

“Susan May Warren once again delivers that perfect combination of heart-pumping suspense and heart-warming romance.”--Tracey Bateman, author of the Claire Everett series

If you would like to hear more about Nick, he has his own blog. Also, the first chapter is there...

Ultimate Bible Quiz

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Got this off of Robin Bayne's blog, and thought others might like to test their knowledge of Biblical facts. Enjoy, all!

It Happens Every Spring by Dr. Gary Chapman & Catherine Palmer

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING
(Tyndale Fiction, 2007)

by

Gary Chapman

and

Catherine Palmer

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

GARY CHAPMAN is the author of the New York Times best seller The Five Love Languages and numerous other books. He's the director of Marriage & Family Life Consultants, Inc., and host of A Growing Marriage, a syndicated radio program heard on over 100 stations across North America. He and his wife, Karolyn, live in North Carolina.

CATHERINE PALMER is the Christy Award-winning, CBA best-selling author of more than forty novels--including The Bachelor's Bargain--which have more than 2 million copies in print. She lives in Missouri with her husband, Tim, and two sons.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING is the first of The Four Seasons fiction series, based on the ever-changing cycles of relationships detailed in Gary Chapman's nonfiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage. The novels will focus on four couples, each moving in and out of a different season.

Word travels fast at the Just As I Am beauty shop.

So when a simple homeless man appears on Steve and Brenda Hansen's doorstep, the entire shop is set abuzz, especially when Brenda lets him sleep on their porch.

That's not all the neighbors are talking about. Spring may be blooming outdoors, but an icy chill has settled over the Hansens' marriage. Steve is keeping late hours with clients, and the usually upbeat Brenda is feeling the absence of her husband and her college-age kids.

Add to that the unsavory business moving in next to the beauty shop and the entire community gets turned upside down. Now Brenda's friends must unite to pull her out of her rut and keep the unwanted sotre out of town. But can Steve and Brenda learn to thaw their chilly marriage and enjoy the hope spring offers?

**I read this book right after it came out and I really enjoyed it. One unique aspect that endeared me to the book is the fact that it is set near the Lake of the Ozarks which is about two hours from where I live. Although parts of the book sounded like they came straight out of Chapman's "The Four Seasons of Marriage" making the dialogue seem somewhat stilted, the book's message does hit its mark. There are many endearing characters (especially Cody) that you'll look forward to hearing more about in coming books which includes the May release of Summer Breeze.**

The Reliance by M. L. Tyndall

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing
THE RELIANCE by Mary Lu Tyndall. (Barbour, January 1, 2007)

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's only give her heart to Him completely.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A YOUNG BRIDE separated from her husband just as a child has been conceived...

A GRIEVING HUSBAND tempted to take his anger out through the vices of his past...

A MARRIAGE AND A SHIP threatenend to be split apart by villainous Caribbean pirates...

In
THE RELIANCE, Edmund Merrick tormented by the apparent demise of his pregnant wife Charlisse, sails away to drown his sorrows. He turns his back on God and reverts to a life of villainy, joining forces with the demented French pirate Collier. When his mind clears from its rum-induced haze, will Edmund find the will to escape?

Seemingly abandoned by her new husband, Charlisse battles her own insecurities as she is thrown into the clutches of the vengeful pirate Kent, who holds her and Lady Isabel captive.

Will she be swept away by the undertow of treachery and despair? Can Edmund and Charlisse battle the tempests that threaten to tear them apart and steer their way to the faith-filled haven they so desperately seek? Or will they ultimately lose their love and lives to the whirlpool of treachery and deceit?

SAHM I Am

About the book: Dulcie Huckleberry is part of an e-mail chat group for Christian stay-at-home mothers. She and artsy Zelia, soccer-mom Jocelyn, farmer's wife Brenna, pastor's spouse Phyllis, and Martha Stewart wannabe Rosalyn "talk" about their lives and faith issues. What will they do when Ros's "perfect" sister chimes in?

SAHM I Am is a book I just couldn't pass up, since I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom myself. Meredith Efken presents this book in a really unique way - it's written totally in email format. I was hooked from the first page and I could see myself in many of the scenarios the characters in the book encountered. You wouldn't have to be a SAHM to enjoy this book, as it's cute and funny but includes touching parts as well.



@ Home for the Holidays is a second book that continues the story of the SAHM's as they go through the holiday season.

About the book: How can you balance housework, home crises, and a husband in the weeks before Christmas without losing your mind? Stay-at-home moms Dulcie, Zelia, Jocelyn, Rosalyn, and Veronica know how! They help each other through domestic drama by plugging in their laptops and tapping seasonal messages of sisterhood, sanity, and the real Christmas spirit.

I was also fortunate to find this online read featuring the SAHM gals as well. Enjoy Bedtime Battles by Meredith Efken.

The book that started it all...

I've always been an avid reader but for a few years following my high school graduation I didn't spend nearly as much time reading as I had before. Life got busy with college, early days of marriage, etc., and reading fell by the way side. I starting reading again a little over 10 years ago, and can still remember the first Christian Fiction book I picked up. It was Janette Oke's book, A Gown of Spanish Lace.

Do you remember the book that sparked a love of Christian Fiction in you? I'd love to hear your answers.

Are You a Re-Reader?

I've asked many readers this question and results are usually about half and half. How about you? Do you have books that you love so much you read them over and over? (If you do - what are they and what is it about them that makes you want to re-read them?) Or are you like me - with so many new books coming out (and a TBR pile that's out of this world) you simply don't have the time? I'd love to hear your answers...

The Watchers by Mark Andrew Olsen

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing

THE WATCHERS

( Bethany House, March 1, 2007)
by

MARK ANDREW OLSEN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MARK ANDREW OLSEN whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated on bestsellers Hadassah (now the major motion picture: One Night With the King), The Hadassah Covenant, and Rescued. The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a graduate of Baylor University. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Just below the surface among the family of God lives another family tree--one traced in spirit, invisible and ageless, known as the Watchers. For two thousand years they've seen beyond the veil separating this world from the next, passing on their gift through a lineage mostly overlooked. Throughout history they've scouted the borders of the supernatural frontier, but now their survival hangs by a thread. And their fate lies in the hands of a young woman, her would-be killer, and a mystery they must solve....

"Congratulations. You just reached my own little corner of cyberspace.

Who am I?

Abby Sherman, that's who.

Who are you? And why are you checking me out?

Drop me a few pixels, and let's find out!"

With that innocent invitation, Abby Sherman unwittingly steps in the crosshairs of history, and thus begins her harrowing tale--taking her from ocean-front Malibu to the streets of London, the jungles in West Africa, the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and to the very gates of heaven itself!

A sneak preview of eternity becomes her one-way ticket to danger--and discovery….

Two lives collide in a globe-circling adventure involving both peril and discovery: Abby, a young woman whose visions of heaven turn her into a Web-celebrity; and Dylan, a troubled young man sent by an ancient foe to silence her. From California beachfronts to Nigerian rain forests to Jerusalem and back again, THE WATCHERS is high-octane blends of action, mystery, and spiritual battle spanning centuries.

A woman's awe-inspiring vision launches her on a quest through distant lands and ancient history, face-to-face with eternity and into the arms of a family line on the brink of annihilation...

A man who is hired to exterminate her discovers the folly of blind loyalty, then learns how to wage war in a realm he never believed had existed...

An extraordinary saga of the unseen war against evil, the reality of the supernatural, and the transforming power of forgiveness.

ENDORSEMENT:

"A writer who can take your breath away with a single sentence. A welcome, fresh voice that must be read!"--Ted Dekker

Upcoming Books

I love finding out when one of my favorite authors is coming out with a new book. I keep a file on Microsoft Word of the titles and dates of upcoming books that I want to read and it gets updated on a regular basis. My list is already going into 2008. Amazon.com, Christianbook.com - Fiction, author and publisher websites, Christian Fiction fan websites and blogs, as well as excerpts in the backs of books are where I head to keep up with future releases.

How do you keep apprised of upcoming books, and how do you keep track of new titles you'd like to read?

I'd also love to hear of any books that you're looking forward to in the next few months. Here are a just a few that I'm anticipating...


Black Ice by Linda Hall - due out later this month

Horrified at the discovery of a frozen body behind her Canadian bed-and-breakfast, Lenore Featherjohn hires detective Jake Rikker and his crusty partner. When the investigation leads to a local minister's wife, she and Lenore are forced to face long-hidden secrets---but who did kill the strange teenaged girl?




Finders Fee by Alton Gansky - due out in April

A terrifying phone call sweeps rich and powerful businesswoman Judith Find into a desperate search for a kidnapped boy. Teamed with a mysterious stranger, Judith must decide if Luke Becker is an ally or an agent of the kidnapper---and how much it will cost to rescue 8-year-old Abel Palek. Is he worth her own life?





Snitch by Rene Gutteridge - due out in May

Convinced that he's going to die of boredom, Las Vegas police sergeant Ron Yeager comes out of retirement to head an auto theft undercover team filled with inexperienced egos and eccentrics who couldn't sneak up on a statue! Will Yeager's force be transformed in time to stop a bigger crime than any of them expected?



Gone with the Groom by Janice Thompson - due out in June

The best laid plans of brides and men go awry when Annie Peterson's future son-in-law Scott disappears. Have pre-wedding jitters caused Brandi's fiance to take flight, or are more sinister forces at work? Surely Annie can solve the riddle. But who could be behind this apparent kidnapping caper? Maybe the drug company Scott works for has hidden motives. Perhaps it's the handiwork of Otis, Scott's deceitful dad. But then again it could be the shady wedding photographer, or the "political enemies" of Scott's mother. Will Annie solve the mystery and recover the missing groom, or will she suffer "regrets only"?


Catch a Rising Star by Tracey Bateman - due out in July

When thirty-something Tabby Brockman has the opportunity to reclaim her role as a killed-off character on the nation's #1 daytime soap opera, she figures this must be God's reward. But back on the set, she's faced with the same hateful head writer who killed off her character in the first place, kids who drive her crazy, a stage dad who rubs her completely wrong, and and an unwanted boyfriend who can't seem to get the message. Faced with this dizzying rollercoaster of challenges, Tabby has to wonder: is she finally a star on the rise or just on the brink of another spectacular fall?

A Valley of Betrayal

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Valley Of Betrayal

(Moody Publishers - February 1, 2007)

by Tricia Goyer (fellow CFBA member, blogger, writer, and homeschooling mom!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tricia is a members of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. She also has a blog, It's Real Life and a parenting blog Generation NeXt.

TRICIA GOYER is the author of five novels, two nonfiction books and one children's book. She also was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference Writer of the Year in 2003. In 2005, her novel Night Song, the second title in Tricia’s World War II series, won ACFW's Book of the Year for Best Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of A Thousand Nights also won book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. Tricia and her husband, John, live with their family in northwestern Montana.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

We are pleased to be able to review her exciting Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War, A Valley Of Betrayal

For reasons beyond her control, Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside, searching for her beloved Michael. His work as a news photographer has taken him deep into the country wracked by civil war. What was once a thriving paradise has become a battleground for Nazi-backed Franco fascist soldiers and Spanish patriots. She is caught up in the escalating events when the route to safety is blocked and fighting surrounds her.

Secrets abound in the ruined Spain. Michael is loving but elusive, especially about beautiful maria. The American who helped Sophie sneak into Spain turns up in odd places. Michael's friend Jose knows more than he tells. When reports of Michael's dissappearance reach her, Sophie is devastaed. What are her feelings for Philip, an American soldier who comes to her rescue?

Sophie must sift truth from lies as she becomes more embroiled in the war that threatens her life and breaks her heart. On her darkest night, Sophie takes refuge with a brigade of international compatriots. Among these volunteers, she pledges to make the plight of the Spanish people known around the world through the power of art.

Acclaimed author Tricia Goyer creates a riviting cast of characters against the backdrop of pre-WWII spain. Love, loss, pain, and beauty abound in A Valley Of Betrayal, the first book in her new series, Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War.

Prayers Going Out...

My prayers are going out on behalf of all the families that have suffered loss of family and property in the tornadoes that were spawned over Kansas, Missouri, Georgia and Alabama on Thursday. May God hold each and every one of you in His comforting arms at this moment and in the coming days.