Spring Reading Thing 2008

I'm FINISHED...with two weeks to spare and having read 12 extra books! Hmmm....wonder how many more books I can read in the next couple of weeks?


I've got my list together and am raring to go - will you join me? If you are interested in joining the Spring Reading thing, click here and Katrina of Callapidder Days can fill you in on what to do.

How many books can I read by June 19th? I am starting with a conservative list based on the number of books I've read so far this year, but will hopefully get to add some bonus books in the end! So without further delay, here's my list...

~ Death of a Garage Sale Newbie by Sharon Dunn
~ I Heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson
~ She Always Wore Red by Angela Hunt
~ Lorna by Debra White Smith
~ Mooch by Adam Palmer
~ My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogel Sawyer
~ The Forbidden by Beverly Lewis
~ Tartarus by Jack Cavanaugh
~ Sisterchicks Go Brit by Robin Jones Gunn
~ Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper
~ Adam by Ted Dekker

Gonna try to also trim a few off my shelf...

~ A Sister's Test by Wanda Brunstetter
~ A Season of Forgiveness by Brenda Coulter
~ Darcy's Inheritance by Linda Ford
~ Her Daddy's Eyes by Gary Parker
~ Giving Thanks for Baby by Terri Reed
~ Every Good and Perfect Gift by Sharon K. Souza
~ Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
~ A Christmas to Die For by Marta Perry
~ Buried Sins by Marta Perry

~~ ~~ Bonus Books (I'll add them as I finish them) ~~ ~~

~ Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
~ My Bat Boy Days: Lessons I Learned from the Boys of Summer by Steve Garvey
~ A Bride So Fair by Carol Cox
~ A Promise for Tomorrow by Sara DuBose
~ A Steal of a Deal by Ginny Aiken
~ Healing Promises by Amy Wallace
~ Bella: A Novelization by Lisa Samson
~ Skid by Rene Gutteridge
~ Fallen by Matthew Raley
~ Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash by John Carter Cash
~ A Sister's Hope by Wanda Brunstetter
~ Hidden by Shelley Shepard Gray
~ Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock
~ Along Came a Cowboy by Christine Lynxwiler
~ The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo

*Bold denotes books I've finished*

From A Distance by Tamera Alexander

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

From A Distance
(Bethany House - June 1, 2008)
by
Tamera Alexander


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots and poignant prose resonate with readers. Tamera is a finalist for the 2008 Christy Award Remembered, and has been awarded the coveted RITA® from Romance Writers of America Revealed, along with Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction of 2006 Rekindled. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in the quaint town of historic Franklin, Tennessee, where they enjoy life with their two college-age children and a precious—and precocious—silky terrier named Jack.

A Note from Tamera:

Stories are journeys, and each story I write is a journey for me.

Rekindled began with a dream—the image of a man returning home on horseback. He came upon a freshly dug grave and when he knelt to read the name carved into the roughhewn wooden cross, he discovered the name was…his own. The inspiration for Revealed grew from two characters in Rekindled whose stories needed to be told. But even more, whose stories I needed to tell. Writing Revealed was a very personal journey for me, and a healing one. For Remembered, I met that story’s heroine (figuratively, of course) while strolling the ancient cobblestoned pathways of a three hundred-year-old cemetery in northern Paris, France. And From A Distance came from a question I was struggling with in my own life at the time, “What happens when the dream you asked God for isn’t what you thought it would be?”

For me, the greatest thrill of these writing journeys is when Christ reveals Himself in some new way, and I take a step closer to Him. And my deepest desire is that readers of my books will do that as well—take steps closer to Him as they read. After all, it’s all about Him.

In the Potter’s Hand,

Tamera


ABOUT THE BOOK:

What happens when dreams aren’t what you imagined,

And secrets you’ve spent a lifetime guarding are finally laid bare?

Determined to become one of the country’s premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.

Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he’ll do anything to protect his land and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He’s a man of his word, but repaying that debt will bring secrets from his past to light.

Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth’s lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met . . . from a distance.

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

“…a rich historical romance by possibly the best new writer in this subgenre.”
--Library Journal

“…a most amazing story. The characters are more than words on the page; they become real people.”
--Romantic Times

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper

About Fatal Deduction:

Libby Burton longs to be close to her twin sister, Tori, but their lives have taken them in different directions. Forced to share Aunt Stella’s old Philadelphia home in order to receive their inheritance, Libby hopes for a change, but it isn’t looking good so far.

First, Tori tries to steal the affection and allegiance of Libby’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Chloe. Then when a crossword puzzle with a hidden warning shows up on their doorstep, Tori refuses to take it seriously—in spite of the dead man who delivers it.

Libby finds comfort in neighbor Drew Canfield, but he hesitates to trust her after his disastrous marriage. As Libby struggles to act faithfully in the midst of these confusing relationships, she must also deal with a stolen diamond and a botched kidnapping. The answer to her problems lies in the riddles of the crosswords, if only she can solve the puzzle before it’s too late.

About Gayle Roper:

Gayle Roper has been writing mystery and romantic suspense novels for more than thirty years and is the author of over forty-five books. She is a three-time Christy Award finalist, the winner of three Holt Medallions, and the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times magazine. Her novel Autumn Dreams won Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance. She and her husband, Chuck, divide their time between Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada.

My Thoughts:

I think this is one of the best books I've read so far this year. Gayle has given us such an intriguing tale, full of real characters with real emotions, and the use of crossword puzzles as the means to convey the ominous clues lends to this books uniqueness. This is definitely a book I'll be passing along!

Would you like a chance to win a copy of this great book?

Guess what - I have two copies of this book to give away on this blog tour! Please leave a comment on this post with your contact info in this format (you at yoohoo dot com) by midnight central time on Sunday, June 8, 2008. I'll draw the winners on Monday morning. US residents only, please.

Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

Washington's Lady
(Bethany House - June 1, 2008)
by
Nancy Moser


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Moser is the author of three inspirational humor books and eighteen novels, including Solemnly Swear, Just Jane, and Time Lottery, a Christy Award winner. She is an inspirational speaker, giving seminars around the country. She has earned a degree in architecture; run a business with her husband; traveled extensively in Europe; and has performed in various theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She and her husband have three grown children and make their home in the Midwest.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

It has been said that without George Washington there would be no United States. But without Martha, there would be no George Washington. He called her "my other self."

Who was this woman who captured the heart of our country's founder? She dreams of a quiet life with her beloved George, but war looms...

Though still a young woman, Martha Dandridge Custis was a wealthy, attractive widow and the mother of two small children with no desire to remarry. But when a striking war hero steps into her life, she realizes that she is ready to love again. She is courted by, then marries the French and Indian War hero.

Yet she wonders whether this man, accustomed to courageous military exploits, can settle down to a simple life of farming and being a father to her children. Even as she longs for domestic bliss, Martha soon realizes she will have to risk everything dear to her and find the courage to get behind a dream much larger than her own.

Her new life as Martha Washington took her through blissful times at Mount Vernon, family tragedies, six years of her husband's absence during the Revolutionary War, and her position as a reluctant First Lady.

Known for moving first-person novels of Nannerl Mozart and Jane Austen, in Washington's Lady, Nancy Moser now brings to life the loves and trials of the First First Lady of the United States.

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

Winner of Skid...

is Smilingsal! Congrats! Be on the lookout for my email...

I appreciate all the comments and want to also thank my lovely 7 year old daughter who helped out by drawing the contest winner.

Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

Ruby Among Us
(WaterBrook Press - May 20, 2008)
by
Tina Ann Forkner


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:





Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. Originally from Oklahoma, she graduated with honors in English from CSU Sacramento before ultimately settling in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming where she now resides with her husband and their three children. Tina serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors and enjoys gardening, spending time outdoors with her family, and works as a full-time writer.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sometimes, the key that unlocks your future lies in someone else’s past...

In Ruby Among Us, Lucy DiCamillo is safely surrounded by her books, music, and art─but none of these reclusive comforts or even the protective efforts of her grandmother, Kitty can shield her from the memory of the mother she can no longer remember. Lucy senses her grandmother holds the key, but Kitty seems as eager to hide from the past as Lucy is eager to find it.

From the streets of San Francisco and Sacramento, to the lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley, Lucy follows the thread of memory in search for a heritage that seems long-buried with her mother, Ruby.

What she finds is enigmatic and stirring in this redemptive tale about the power of faith and mother-daughter love.

“What an incredible story. As both mothers and daughters, Ruby Among Us struck a special cord in each of the four of us. Tina writes in a way that makes us feel like we’re there; from the first line, we were captivated and drawn into an intricate weaving of the precious and fragile relationships that define us.”
~Point of Grace~

“Reading is a passion of mine, and when I find myself identifying with the characters, anxious to get to the next page to find answers to my questions, I know I’m into a good book! The daughter-mother-grandmother theme in Ruby Among Us pulled me in. Wonderful story-telling.”
~Jordin Sparks~, 2007 winner of American Idol

“Highly recommended. If you’re a mother or daughter, you’re going to love Ruby Among Us. Forkner does an extraordinary job…. I look forward to more from this author.”
~Ane Mulligan~, Novel Journey

“Don’t miss this one! Tina Ann Forkner is a strong new voice in fiction and Ruby Among Us is an amazing story of trials, regrets, and, ultimately, redemption. Lucy and her family history in the historic wine country of Sonoma bring to life the Scriptures about the Vine and His branches.”
~Kristin Billerbeck~, author of The Trophy Wives Club

If you would like to read the first chapter go HERE

Blog Tour: Skid by Rene Gutteridge & Giveaway

About Skid:

Blissfully unaware that Atlantica Flight 1945 from Atlanta to Amsterdam is about to make aviation history, First Officer Danny McSweeney focuses his energies on navigating the turbulent personalities of an eccentric female captain, a co-pilot with a talent for tactless comments and conspiracy theories, and a lead flight attendant with an outsized attitude that definitely exceeds the limits for carry-on baggage.

On the other side of the cockpit door, the unscheduled in-flight entertainment includes a potbellied pig, a jittery diamond courier, and the recently jilted Lucy Meredith, whose personal mantra of “What Would Oprah Do?” will be challenged by the sudden appearance of her ex and his new traveling partner. On her left sits Hank Hazard, whose unusually polite but constant requests–prompted by his covert role as a spy for the airline–test the limits of the crew’s customer service.

But as Lucy and the rest of the crew discover, Hank’s odd behavior is linked to a quiet faith that may play a key role in the fate of everyone on board. Especially when an unexpected traveler sets this already bumpy flight on a course toward the unfriendly skies.



About Rene Gutteridge:

Rene Gutteridge is the author of twelve novels, including the Boo series, the Storm series, and the novelization for The Ultimate Gift, as well as Scoop and Snitch, the first two Occupational Hazard novels. She lives with her husband, Sean, and their two children in Oklahoma City.



My Thoughts:

Flight 1945 is the funniest flight you'll ever take. Rene mixes up such a hilarious grab bag of characters and the situations she puts them in will have you rolling in the aisles. So grab your boarding pass and don't miss the plane.

Would you like a chance to win this great book?

Please leave a comment on this post with your contact info in this format (you at yoohoo dot com) by midnight central time on Saturday, May 31, 2008. I'll draw the winner on Sunday morning. US residents only, please.

Generation Next Marriage by Tricia Goyer

About Generation Next Marriage by Tricia Goyer:

Do you still find yourself humming the love songs of the 80s and 90s?

Do you still believe that every marriage should be between soul mates?

But...do you wonder how you can succeed at love and marriage when the generation you grew up in didn’t?

Marriage isn’t what it used to be–it can be better than ever.

If you are a Gen Xer, your marriage has challenges and potentials that no other generation has known. A Gen Xer herself, Tricia Goyer offers realistic help to achieve the God-honoring marriage you long for. She includes…

•Ways to protect your marriage despite the broken relationships modeled in your youth
•Stories, suggestions, and confessions from fellow Gen Xers facing the “What now?” question of real-life marriage
•Advice from the ultimate marriage survival guide: the Bible
•Stats, quizzes, sidebars, and study questions related to this “relationally challenged” time in history
•Practical helps for negotiating kids, work, sex, money, and dirty laundry–sometimes all in the same evening

If you are part of a generation of adults who don’t want to bow to their culture or live and love like their parents did . . . this book is for you.

My thoughts:

This is definitely not your Mom and Dad's marriage relationship resource! From the groovy Corvette on the cover to all the great music lyrics from my past to all the relevant advice key to my generation, this book is a must have for anyone from age 25 - 45 who desires to either keep their their relationship with their spouse strong, or who needs a little boost in getting things back on track. I got a lot of valuable information (and a lot of conviction as well - LOL) from Tricia's book. This is definitely a book I'll be keeping close at hand.

Sisterchicks Go Brit! Book Giveaway from Robin Jones Gunn

Sisterchicks Go Brit!
In Stores Now

London calling all Sisterchicks...
Hop on a bus to pick up your copy today.


Enter to win a FREE, autographed copy of Sisterchicks Go Brit!. It's easy! Just post this bus photo on your blog, Myspace, or Facebook page and send the webpage link to robinsnest at robingunn dot com.

Robin will enter you in a drawing for one of 20 copies of Sisterchicks Go Brit!.

The 20 winners will be notified via email by June 4th.

The Sisterchicks are back — and they're headed to jolly old England!

"Midlife Mamas" Kellie and Liz tour the land of Lewis and Tolkien, sail over the Cotswolds in a hot air balloon, and enjoy high tea at the Ritz. But it's their unexpected detours that yield the wildest adventures—and greatest lessons—of all.

Don't you just love this cover?

Isn't this a beautiful cover - it caught my eye as I was browsing amazon.com a couple of days ago.


About A Beautiful Fall by Chris Coppernoll:

High-powered Boston attorney Emma Madison is celebrating her latest courtroom victory when she gets a call from a number she doesn't recognize. Area code 803 home. Juneberry, South Carolina eight hundred miles, twelve years, and a lifetime away from Boston. Emma's father has had a serious heart attack. Emma rushes to his bedside, and a weekend trip threatens to become an extended stay. She has to work fast to arrange the affairs of his small-town law practice so she can return to her life and career in Boston.

And then Michael Evans shows up. They'd shared hopes, dreams, and a passionate love as young college students during a long-ago summer. But Emma walked away from Michael and from Juneberry to finish college and start a new life. Michael has never forgotten her.

Enveloped in the warmth of family and small-town life and discovering that she still cares for Michael, Emma knows she'll have to make a choice between the career she's worked so hard to build and the love she left behind.

A Beautiful Fall releases in October and is published by David C Cook Publishing.

Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Broken Angel
(WaterBrook Press - May 20, 2008)
by
Sigmund Brouwer


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen best-selling novels for children and adults. His newest book is Fuse of Armageddon and his novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC’s Good Morning America. A champion of literacy, he teaches writing workshops for students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Her birth was shrouded in mystery and tragedy.
Her destiny is beyond comprehension.
Her pursuers long to see her broken.
She fights to soar.

A father's love for his daughter…a decision that would change both their lives forever. But who is she really─and why must she now run for her life?

Caitlin's body has made her an outcast, a freak, and the target of vicious bounty hunters. As she begins a perilous journey, she is forced to seek answers for her father's betrayal in the only things she can carry with her─a letter he passes her before forcing her to run, and their shared memories together.

Being hunted forces Caitlyn to partner with two equally lonely companions, one longing to escape the horror of factory life in Appalachia and the others, an unexpected fugitive. Together the three will fight to reach a mysterious group that might be friend or foe, where Caitlyn hopes to uncover the secrets of her past...and the destiny she must fulfill.

In the rough, shadowy hills of Appalachia, a nation carved from the United States following years of government infighting, Caitlyn and her companions are the prey in a terrifying hunt. They must outwit the relentless bounty hunters, skirt an oppressive, ever-watchful society, and find passage over the walls of Appalachia to reveal the dark secrets behind Caitlyn’s existence–and understand her father’s betrayal.

Prepare yourself to experience a chilling America of the very near future, as you discover the unforgettable secret of the Broken Angel.

In this engrossing, lightning-paced story with a post-apocalyptic edge, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer weaves a heroic, harrowing journey through the path of a treacherous culture only one or two steps removed from our own.

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

Winner of Finding Hollywood Nobody...

...is Karin! Congrats to you and thanks for the other comments.

Stay tuned the next couple of weeks, because I have a couple of more book giveaways coming!

Happy Reading everyone.

Embrace Me by Lisa Samson

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Embrace Me
(Thomas Nelson - March 4, 2008)
by
Lisa Samson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Samson is a Christy Award-winning author of 19 books, including the Women of the Faith Novel of the Year, Quaker Summer. Lisa has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as "a talented novelist who isn't afraid to take risks."


In Embrace Me, the latest novel by acclaimed author Lisa Samson, readers are privy to the realization that regardless of outward appearances…hideous, attractive, or even ordinary…persons are all looking for the same things: love, forgiveness, and redemption.

This story explores a world that is neither comfortable nor safe, a world that people like Valentine know all too well. Masterfully crafted by Samson and populated by her most compelling cast of characters yet. It is a tale of forgiveness that extends into all spheres of life: forgiving others, forgiving oneself, forgiving the past.

She lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband and three kids.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Biting and gentle, hard-edged and hopeful...a beautiful fable of love and power, hiding and seeking, woundedness and redemption.

When a "lizard woman", a self-mutilating preacher, a tattooed monk, and a sleazy lobbyist find themselves in the same North Carolina town one winter, their lives are edging precariously close to disaster...and improbably close to grace.

Valentine, due to her own drastic self-disfigurement, has very few friends in this world, and it appears as if she may be destined to spend the rest of her life practically alone. But life gives her one good friend, Lella, whose own handicap puts her in the same freakish category as Valentine. As part of Roland's Wayfaring Marvel and Oddities Show, a traveling band of misfits, they seem to have found their niches in an often curiously cruel world.

Residing in a world where masks are mandatory, Valentine has a hard time removing hers, because of her disfigured face but more so because of her damaged soul. It is much easier for her to listen endlessly to different versions of a favorite song, Embraceable You, and escape reality. Yet, life has more in store for her when she meets Augustine, replete with the tattoos, dreadlocks, and his own secrets. With his arrival, Valentine's soul takes a turn.

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

A Sister's Hope by Wanda Brunstetter

About A Sister's Hope:

Lose yourself in Holmes County, where romance, suspense, mystery, and faith-filled Amish ways rule the day! Martha Hostettler is concerned about the continuous attacks being made on her Amish family. With a definite motive and a myriad of methods, Luke Friesen looks like the culprit. Determined to clear his name, Martha decides to play detective. What will the search for truth cost her?





About Wanda Brunstetter:

Fascinated by the Amish people during the years of visiting her husband's family in Pennsylvania, WANDA E. BRUNSTETTER combined her interest with her writing and now has eleven novels about the Amish in print, along with numerous other stories and ministry booklets. She lives in Washington State, where her husband is a pastor, but takes every opportunity to visit Amish settlements throughout the states.




My thoughts:

A little over a month ago I read A Sister's Test, the second book in the Sisters of Holmes County series by Wanda Brunstetter, and after finishing it I was so disappointed that I would have to wait until July to find out what other sinister occurences would happen in the lives of the Hostettler family and to figure out who was responsible for all these dastardly deeds. Well, thanks to Danielle at Glass Road Public Relations, my wait is over. She graciously sent me a copy of A Sister's Hope a few weeks ago and I've finally gotten a chance to read it.

Wanda Brunstetter has done an excellent job in this series planting doubt in reader's minds on who has been heaping misfortune on the Hostettler family. As I read this final book I waffled back and forth between a few of the characters, changing my mind every few pages on who I thought the guilty party would be. In the end I found myself relieved that it wasn't who I thought it was. I was satisfied that all the great story lines were tied up nicely at the books conclusion, but also saddened because this means I have to say goodbye to a bunch of great characters. If you consider yourself a fan of Amish fiction, get a hold of this series, you won't be disappointed.

More to look forward to from Wanda Brunstetter...

About White Christmas Pie:

Step into Amish country for this bittersweet holiday romance. Here you'll meet Will Henderson, a young man tortured by his past, and Karen Yoder, a young woman looking for answers. Add a desperate father searching for his son, and you have all the ingredients for a first-class romance that will inspire and enthrall.

Due out September 2008

And for Wanda's younger readers (my seven year old daughter loved the first two books):

About Book 3 - Out of Control:

Ten-year-old Rachel is driving her Amish friends and family "buggy" with her lack of patience. Her attempts to control every situation bring her trouble at every turn-from sledding into a creek to scorching a yummy shoo-fly pie, to flunking a test in school, to being dragged facedown in the snow. Can Grandpa's wise words regarding patience get through to Rachel? Or will she spend the winter getting into more trouble than her Lancaster County family and schoolmates can handle? What will it take to teach Rachel that there are some things she just can't control?


About Book 4 - New Beginnings:

Spring has sprung! And ten-year-old Rachel Yoder is filled with the hope of good things to come. But then she learns that her best friend is moving away. What will she do without her? When a new girl named Audra shows up at the Amish schoolhouse, Rachel soon finds herself with a stinky sandwich, a mud-spattered dress, a sore nose, and a rotten attitude. As things go from bad to worse, Rachel gets grumpier and grumpier. If she doesn't soon find a way to forgive others, she'll be in danger of losing more than one friend. Is there any way Rachel can make a new beginning?

Books 3 and 4 due out June 2008

About Book 5 - A Happy Heart:

Welcome back to Lancaster County, and join lovable and outrageously rambunctious eleven-year-old Rachel Yoder, as she learns an important lesson about happiness. New from bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter is another winner in the Rachel Yoder-Always Trouble Somewhere series. Your kids will join eleven-year-old Rachel on her next adventure, as she experiences a case of the grumpies when things don't go her way and she eventually learns an important lesson about happiness.

About Book 6 - Just Plain Foolishness:

Welcome back to Lancaster County, and join lovable and outrageously rambunctious eleven-year-old Rachel Yoder, as she learns an important lesson about contentment. Rachel Yoder embarks on a topsy-turvy adventure, as she experiences feelings of jealousy and discontent with the arrival of a new baby sister and longings for things she doesn't have. . .'ventually learning that she's still special and that "things" don't bring real happiness.

Books 5 and 6 are due out December 2008

All of the above books are published by Barbour.

Healing Promises by Amy Wallace

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Healing Promises

(Multnomah Publishers - April 15, 2008)

by

Amy Wallace

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams, a homeschool mom, and a self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books, including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Facing a new threat.

When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he’s seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren’t retreating into doctor mode…he needs his wife now more than ever.

Frozen in fear.

Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission–beating cancer when she can, easing her patients’ suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but in this case, the question of God’s healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?

Faith under fire.

As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?

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

Blog Tour: Whisper of Freedom by Tricia Goyer

Welcome to the blog and MEME tour for A Whisper of Freedom, Book 3 in Tricia Goyer's Spanish Civil War series.


Here are the MEME questions (and my answers)! Feel free to answer the MEME questions yourself and see below for a great chance to win an awesome prize if you do!

1. List three things you would do with a chest full of gold (assuming you got to keep it!)

~ Tithe & give offerings
~ Pay off all of our bills
~ Add to our daughters' college funds

2. List three charities/missions/organizations you support (and why).

~ Our church
~ Our local Pregnancy Care Center - they are such a valuable resource in our community
~ We support two orphans in India as well as the church that runs the orphanage

3. List three ways you have volunteered your time/services.

~ I am nursery director in our church - gotta love on those babies! *grin*
~ I help with the two book fairs at my daughter's primary school each year
~ The pastor of the aforementioned church/orphanage in India is itinerating in the states in a few weeks and we are honored to have him and his wife stay in our MIL quarters while they are here

4. List three things you keep "hidden" when company comes over.

~ The stash of papers that usually sits on my kitchen counter
~ I always shut my bedroom door
~ Dirty laundry

5. List the last three things you've lost.

~ Sleep
~ I don't usually lose much - I may be slightly disorganized but I can usually remember where I've put things. *grin*

6. List the last three things you've found.

~ Money
~ One of my daughter's favorite hair ribbons
~ a recipe from my mother

****During the tour, you can enter to win one of FIVE signed copies of A Whisper of Freedom by signing up for Tricia's newsletter here!

****Three brave "players" will be selected at random to win their own lost gold (Gourmet chocolate coins and all three books in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series). To enter all you have to do is answer the MEME on your blog and then leave a comment on Tricia’s blog tour post here that you’ve posted your MEME. You can also check out the other stops that the blog tour is making and see what great answers the other bloggers have on their MEME's at that link as well. Easy.


About A Whisper of Freedom:

Battles heat up…not only those being waged by the soldiers on both sides fighting for Spain, but in the hearts and minds of the men and women who must sacrifice more than their dreams to save the lives of their loved ones.

In this meticulously researched novel, brave and idealistic Sophie, Philip, Jose, and Deion realize their only hope for freedom is escaping Spain's borders.

By continuing the story of this band of volunteers during the Spanish Civil War, A Whisper of Freedom proves that there are whispers of hope and liberty that resonate through even the darkest night.


About Tricia:

Tricia Goyer is the author of twelve books including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted, and the children's book, 10 Minutes to Showtime. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like Today's Christian Woman and Focus on the Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in the mountains of Montana.

Check out these extra links as well:

A Valley of Betrayal - Book 1
A Shadow of Treason - Book 2
Book excerpt
Watch the series trailer

Blog Tour: Healing Promises by Amy Wallace

About Healing Promises:

Facing a new threat.
When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he’s seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren’t retreating into doctor mode…he needs his wife now more than ever.

Frozen in fear.
Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission–beating cancer when she can, easing her patients’ suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but in this case, the question of God’s healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?

Faith under fire.
As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?


About Amy Wallace:

Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams, a homeschool mom, and a self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books, including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.






My thoughts:

I have not had the chance to read the first book in this series (Ransomed Dreams) but I've got to put it in my to-be-read pile. This book has such a wonderful cast of characters, so true to life, who face some pretty tough odds. You feel their heart-break and see their fears and failings as Clint and Sara face cancer head on and Clint and his colleagues desperately search for a serial kidnapper/killer. But even as Clint and Sara are facing a time of great trial, hope comes to them in a way they don't really expect. The ending of this story definitely did not disappoint - and I can't wait to read the next book in the series - Hanna and Michael's story - due out Spring 2009.

Blog Tour: Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson and Giveaway

Scotty Fitzgerald, oft-neglected daughter of well-known Hollywood food stylist Charley, knows the “inside scoop” about the Hollywood stars we can’t get enough of. Having spent her life in an RV driving from set to set while her mom “styled food” for celebrities, Scotty sees what the fans do not. And she reveals it regularly on her Hollywood Nobody blog, though she’d rather be as far away from Hollywood as anyone can get. After all, Scotty has enough drama in her own life!

After learning that her ‘mother’ is really her grandmother, Charley finds out her real parents were probably killed in a mafia-style shooting reminiscent of The Sopranos. Scotty’s now certain a sinister “Biker Guy” who’s continued to track her and her mom must be connected to her parents’ shooting. There’s a pretty good chance, she decides, that he’s looking to finish the job by taking her life.

So Scotty and Charley do what they’ve always done—run and avoid the situation. But a life on the run is exhausting and Scotty’s had just about enough—enough to ignore Charley’s motherly direction and chart her own course. Let’s just hope it isn’t a course that puts her in the crosshairs of her own parents’ murderer.

Themes of the Book

Finding identity. Teen Pregnancy. Exploring faith for the first time. Learning to listen to the Holy Spirit. Encountering new environments. Discovering the courage to act on your convictions.

Lisa Samson is the author of twenty books, including the Christy-Award-winning Songbird. Finding Hollywood Nobody is the second book in the Hollywood series. Lisa is the mother of three children. To learn more, visit lisasamson.typepad.com.

Q&A with Lisa Samson, author of Finding Hollywood Nobody

Q. Discovering who you are is a major theme in Finding Hollywood Nobody. Scotty feels compelled to learn more about her real parents when she discovers that her mother is really her grandmother and that her parents were likely killed in a mafia-style shootout. What do you think principally defines who we are genetics & family or how we see ourselves?

A. Being no expert in such things, I really couldn't say. There are way too many stories of twins separated at birth, growing up in very different homes, who end up living very similar lives. So I'd say genetics plays a large part. But just look and see what happens to people who are raised with many more advantages than those who aren't. So family as well as social standing hold a lot of sway as well. And then . . . how we see ourselves is a large part, especially how we see ourselves in light of God. Do we really believe God loves us? So can I answer yes to all three? I think we tend to get in trouble when we try and reduce the human psyche to one principle issue, anyway. As the Bible says, "we are fearfully and wonderfully made."

Q. What would you recommend to people in a similar situation as Scotty either through adoption or other circumstances? In your opinion - is finding your genetic heritage worth risking everything?

A. I wouldn't recommend anything! I think every situation is different and I would recommend committing the matter of finding one's biological parent to intense prayer before even thinking of making a move. Let the Spirit guide above all else.

Q. What was your inspiration behind the Hollywood Nobody series?

A. I just wanted to write a fun series. There are a lot of good series out there with teens in a more typical home situation, with either one parent around or two, living in a town, going to school, dealing with friends. But I wanted to remove my main character from the everyday world teens find themselves in and see what she did. I'm fascinated by what happens in Hollywood so setting it in that world, but on its edges, was something interesting for me. I swear, there are times I read what's happening to some of these young actresses and singers and can hardly believe my ears. I wanted to be able to explore a teenage girl's reaction to some of these foibles.

Q. What can you tell us about what’s in store for Scotty in Book 3?

A. Scotty finds some romance! As does Charley. And, of course, Seth "hottie" Haas, finds himself feeling a little threatened! The search for her mother continues full force. The book takes place in the mountains surrounding Asheville, North Carolina on the set of a Scottish epic film. Lots of guys in kilts. I’m just sayin'!

My thoughts:

I loved this book - it hooked me in right away and I just couldn't put it down. Scotty is a character you'll never forget.

Want to chance to win a copy of Finding Hollywood Nobody?

Please leave a comment on this post with your contact info in this format (you at yoohoo dot com) by midnight central time on Sunday, May 18, 2008. I'll draw the winner first thing Monday morning. US residents only, please.

The Warriors by Mark Andrew Olsen

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Warriors
(Bethany House - April 1, 2008)
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. His last novel was the supernatural thriller The Watchers.

The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a Professional Writing graduate of Baylor University. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A failed recon mission deep in the tunnels of Afghanistan has provoked a demonic onslaught that had been brewing for centuries. The mission's sole survivor is reformed black ops assassin Dylan Hatfield, and he once again teams up with Abby Sherman, now at the helm of the Watchers, an ancient spiritual force. Uncovering and preventing a secret wave of death whispered across cyberspace and threatening to be unleash against civilization will require another level of spiritual power and expertise--the Warriors.

Journeying across the Alps of Europe through the multilayered history of warfare in the unseen world, Dylan and Abby uncover an age-old stone engraving that rouses the church's Warriors to action, placing them dead center in one of the fiercest spiritual battles of their time!

And once again they are reminded: This is all part of a vast and perpetual war, a war beyond all human conflicts, one that has engulfed heaven and earth since before the dawn of history....

Abby Sherman is headed back to Israel, where a Watcher, the Sentinel of Jerusalem, lies dying. In her last breaths the old woman tells Abby of an ancient document prophesying humanity's full-scale entry into the ongoing conflict between armies of heaven and fallen angels.

Dylan Hatfield has decided to answer a summons from his old boss and join a secret operation, its mission to reconnoiter the Afghani tunnel complex from which Osama bin Laden escaped in 2001. What he discovers sears his very soul and likely will end his life.

Abby learns of the peril facing Dylan, and she sends out a call for intercession on his behalf. Her frantic email message sets in motion a series of harrowing events, propelling the two on a new mission and quest--one where the stakes are the lives of millions!

The Warriors is packed with high-octane action, featuring exotic international locales, with characters in a clash against spiritual "principalities and powers" with eternal consequences, The Warriors is a story that will enthrall, enlighten, and engage its readers.

If that piques your interest, you can read the first chapter HERE

"Olsen, one of the better writers in this subgenre, delivers powerful, action-packed plots that delve into mystical paranormal worlds."
~Library Journal, Feb. 2008

"Olsen delivers an entertaining thriller likely to be enjoyed especially by fans of the spiritual warfare genre."
~PUBLISHERS WEEKLY