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This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Hometown Favorite

Revell (September 1, 2008)

by

Bill Barton and Henry O. Arnold

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Bill Barton is a business partner with Compass Technologies. An active member and volunteer at his church, Hendersonville Chapel, Barton is a regular speaker at services and other events. He lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his family.

Henry O. Arnold has been a professional actor, writer, and director in theatre, film, and television. He co-wrote and produced the film The Second Chance starring Michael W. Smith and wrote the screenplay for the first authorized film documentary on evangelist Billy Graham, God’s Ambassador. Arnold lives in Portland, Tennessee.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Talented, handsome, and personable, Dewayne Jobe rose from humble beginnings in rural Mississippi to play college football in Southern California and beyond. One of the best wide receivers in college ball, Dewayne is assured a promising career in professional football as one of those rare athletes whose exceptional abilities place him in a league of his own.

He easily finds success both on and off the field. Dewayne’s got a beautiful, intelligent wife running his lucrative endorsement business and carrying his child and the pristine white picket fence to boot. The only thing lacking is a road sign confirming his address on Easy Street.

But catastrophe looms right around the corner and ultimately strikes with a crushing vengeance. Will Dewayne’s faith and character stand the test of such tragedy? Or will he lose everything–including the love of his life?

This modern retelling of the story of Job will capture readers with the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people–and how good people can survive.

Combining realistic sports action and a deadly serious challenge to faith, Hometown Favorite is a story that won’t let you up off the turf until the game clock hits zero.

If you’d like to read the first chapter of Hometown Favorite, go HERE

Sally Says: When they say the book has realistic sports action, they’re not kidding. A good chunk, maybe the first third or half, is pretty detailed football action. Now I’m a big baseball fan and I do like football once baseball’s over, but the details on the sports was a bit much for me.

That second half of the book made the first overly sport part all worth it. I do recommend Hometown Favorite. You may decide to skim some of the sports action, but once you get to the heart of the story, I think you’ll find it an amazing read.

But hang on. The second half of the book blew me away and actually gave reason for the sports information I’d read. This is another book that isn’t what you first think when you read that opening chapter, and again that’s a good thing.

I don’t want to give away what happens, but it came as a total surprise to me, and the book turned out to be an incredibly touching story of finding hope in the midst of terrible hurt.

My son was sure this baby had decided not to be born, after all.

It’s been a busy year, and I’m sure that with another child, it’ll only be busier, but I hope to get back to blogging more. At least once I get some good chunks of sleep in.

Here’s to sleeping on my stomach again.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Constant Heart

(Bethany House October 1, 2008)

by

Siri Mitchell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.†When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

A Constant Heart is her sixth novel. Two of her novels, Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door were Christy Award finalists. She has been called one of the clearest, most original voices in the CBA.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In a world of wealth, power, and privilege…love is the only forbidden luxury.

“Trust was a valuable commodity at court. Traded by everyone, but possessed by no one. Its rarity was surpassed only by love. Love implied commitment and how could any of us commit ourselves to any but the Queen? Love implied singularity and how could any of us benefit another if our affections were bound to one in exclusivity? Love was never looked for and rarely found. When it was, it always ended badly.â€

In Queen Elizabeth’s court where men and women willingly trade virtue for power, is it possible for Marget to obtain her heart’s desire or is the promise of love only an illusion?

A riveting glimpse into Queen Elizabeth’s Court…

Born with the face of an angel, Marget Barnardsen is blessed. Her father is a knight, and now she is to be married to the Earl of Lytham. Her destiny is guaranteed … at least, it would seem so. But when her introduction to court goes awry and Queen Elizabeth despises her, Marget fears she’s lost her husband forever. Desperate to win him back, she’ll do whatever it takes to discover how she failed and capture again the love of a man bound to the queen.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Constant Heart, go HERE

Sally Says:

Siri Mitchell is one of my new favorite authors.

Really. I’ve read three of her books (loved Chateau of Echoes – read it three times), and I really need to get my hands on the three books of hers I haven’t read. This is the first historical I’ve read by Siri, and it is fantastic.

Typically I don’t read historical fiction, but historical English fiction has intrigued me for a while now. This book gives you an eye-opening look at life in Queen Elizabeth’s court and will make you very glad you didn’t live in that time period. Very, very glad. :) While the book starts out with what may seem like a cliched storyline, it quickly turns out to be so much more than a simple romance. I was sad to see Marget’s story end and would love to hear there’s a sequel coming.

If you’re looking for a book that’s blatantly Christian, this one isn’t it. It’s an incredibly well-written, riveting, clean story that does mention God but isn’t about life as a Christian or growing as a Christian. To me, that’s not a problem — I want gripping, clean stories, and Siri has delivered with A Constant Heart. If you’ve never read a book by Siri Mitchell, pick this one up. You’ll enjoy it.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

When The Soul Mends

WaterBrook Press (September 16, 2008)

by

Cindy Woodsmall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cindy Woodsmall is a veteran homeschool mom. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.

Her first novel, When The Heart Cries, released in 2006 to much acclaim and became a Christian Book Association best seller. Cindy was a 2007 ECPA Christian Book Award finalist, along with Karen Kingsbury, Angela Hunt, and Charles Martin.

Her last book, When the Morning Comes, hit the New York Times best-sellers extended list and the Christian Book Association best-sellers list.

Cindy’s real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity.

Cindy, her husband, their three sons and daughter-in-law reside in Georgia. Her husband is a registered land surveyor and a vice president at an engineering firm. Their oldest son has a bachelor’s degree in nuclear medicine and works at a local hospital. Their second son and his wife are both students at the University of Georgia. Their teen-aged son keeps the household energized with his love of music, books, and writing.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Returning to the home she fled in disgrace, will Hannah find healing for the wounds of the past?

After receiving a desperate and confusing call from her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community of her Pennsylvania childhood.

Having fled in disgrace more than two years earlier, she finally has settled into a satisfying role in the Englischer world. She also has found love and a new family with the wealthy Martin Palmer and the children she is helping him raise. But almost immediately after her arrival in Owl’s Perch, the disapproval of those who ostracized her, including her headstrong father, reopens old wounds.

As Hannah is thrown together with former fiancé Paul Waddell to work for her sister Sarah’s mental health, hidden truths surface about events during Hannah’s absence, and she faces an agonizing decision. Will she choose the Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she heed the call to return to the Plain Life–and perhaps to her first love?

If you would like to read the first chapter of When The Soul Mends, go HERE

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Dogwood

(Tyndale House Publishers - July 9, 2008)

by

Chris Fabry

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Fabry has a variety of titles to his credit including At the Corner of Mundane and Grace, Spiritually Correct Bedtime Stories, Away with the Manger, The H.I.M. Book, and The 77 Habits of Highly Effective Christians. His latest work is a collaboration with Jerry B. Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye.

Chris has recently completed the final book in the Left Behind The Kids series, available Fall 2004. Readers of all ages have followed the lives of Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and the others. Now read how their exciting stories culminate in book 40 of this beloved series. Dogwood is his first adult fiction.

Chris and his wife, Andrea, are the parents of nine children and make their home in Colorado. Chris has worked in Christian radio and now enjoys narrating audio books as well as writing. He believes his career as a husband and father is the real evidence of God’s grace in his life.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the small town of Dogwood, West Virginia, Karin has buried her shattered dreams by settling for a faithful husband whose emotional distance from her deep passions and conflicts leaves her isolated. Loaded with guilt, she tries to raise three small children and “do life” the best she can.

Will returns to Dogwood intent on pursuing the only woman he has ever loved–only to find there is far more standing in his way than lost years in prison. The secrets of Will and Karin’s past begin to emerge through Danny Boyd, a young boy who wishes he hadn’t survived the tragedy that knit those two together as well as tore them apart.

The trigger that will lay their pain bare and force them to face it rather than flee is the unlikely figure of Ruthie Bowles, a withered, wiry old woman who leads Karin so deep into her anger against God that it forces unexpected consequences.

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

Sally Says: Dogwood is not the type of book I normally read. It’s not Southern fiction because it’s set in West Virginia, but it reads a lot like Southern fiction.

The book is written from the viewpoint of four different characters. The story is really about a tragic event that happened in the past, and my one critique was that the book was vague about what happened for too long. But once I reached the end — and what a surprising twist the end was! — I understood why the story was so vague, but I still wish the author could have filled us in a little bit earlier.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I think this is one that depends on your tastes. It’s got more of a literary feel which I don’t tend to care for, but it’s well-written with an ending you really never see coming. If you like literary, Southern fiction, you’ll love Dogwood.

It’s always exciting when a friend gets that first contract. Georgiana Daniels is an online buddy I got to meet in person at last year’s ACFW conference. Her first book, Table for One, has just released in paperback, and I got a chance to read it.

BACK COVER:

Successful stockbroker Lucy Brocklehurst hasn’t had a date in four years. In a town where the ratio of single women to men is 7:1, she’s determined to wait on God for the perfect mate–as long as it’s the hot new youth pastor at her church.

Lucy will do anything to get his attention, including volunteering for the youth group. Through a series of misadventures on the teen outings, Lucy finds herself falling in love with a kindhearted chaperone named Edgar Flowers. But when their relationship grows serious, Lucy discovers the lengths his recently widowed mother will go to in order to keep them apart. What starts out as harmless interference turns into an all out tug of war, with Edgar as the prize!

Will Lucy crumble under the scrutiny of her would-be mother-in-law? Or can Lucy and Edgar’s budding romance survive the schemes of his meddling mom?

AUTHOR BIO:

Georgiana Daniels is the wife of a super-generous husband, and the mother of a teen and two tots. After graduating with a degree in public relations, she spent several years in the business world, but now has the privilege of staying home and working on the stories she loves. Table for One is her first book. When not writing, she spends her time burning up miles on the treadmill, blogging, and participating in ACFW and RWA.

Sally Says: Table for One was a lot of fun with the right mix of humor and real-life drama. Lucy Brocklehurst, gotta love that name, is a lovable heroine who’s trying so hard to do what’s right — and find the right man at the same time. Throughout the book, she’s getting into embarrassing scrapes, but she’s a tough girl who’s smart enough to realize when she’s made the wrong choice. Poor thing–we just wish that sometimes she’d know the right way to make up for those wrongs! :)

There was a time or two when I thought another character was too hard on Lucy, but other than that the book is a great story about life as a single Christian female. Lucy’s a brave woman who takes on more than I probably would, and as I finished the book, I found myself hoping that everything would turn out just fine for her, almost as if she were real.

If you’re a fan of chick lit or romance, you’ll enjoy Table for One. Congrats on your first book, Georgiana, and may there be many more!

Click here or here if you’d like information on how to purchase the book. For any of you who like e-books, Table for One is available in that format. And check out Georgiana’s blog where she’s posting most days of the week.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Falcon And The Sparrow

(Barbour Publishing, Inc - August 1, 2008)

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

ABOUT THE BOOK
When Mademoiselle Dominique Dawson sets foot on the soil of her beloved homeland, England, she feels neither the happiness nor the excitement she expected upon her
return to the place of her birth. Alone for the first time in her life, without family, without friends, without protection, she now faces a far more frightening prospect, for she has come to the country she loves as an enemy-a spy for Napoleon.

Forced to betray England or never see her only brother alive again, Dominique has accepted a position as governess to the son of Admiral Chase Randal, a harsh man, still bitter over the loss of his wife. Will Dominique find the strength she needs through God to follow through with the plan to rescue her brother? Will Chase find comfort for his bitter heart in God’s arms and be able to love again?

And what new deceptions will they both find in France when they arrive to carry out their plan?

If you would like to read an excerpt of The Falcon And The Sparrow, go HERE

Sally Says: I hate having to review a book before I’m completely done with it, but we’re in the middle of VBS and I’m trying to get ready for a baby and finish with three editing clients all in one week so I haven’t finished The Falcon and the Sparrow yet.

But so far I can say it’s a fun read, as MaryLu’s book’s tend to be. She’s taken that tried-and-true story of the governess and the widowed father and given it a new twist–the governess is a spy. There’s humor and romance, and so far the book has been a light but very fun read. If you like romance and the regency period (I think that’s the correct setting), then go get The Falcon and the Sparrow.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Painted Dresses

(WaterBrook Press - July 15, 2008)

by

Patricia Hickman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Patricia Hickman is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, whose work has been praised by critics and readers alike.

Patricia Hickman began writing many years ago after an invitation to join a writer’s critique group. It was headed up by best-selling author Dr. Gilbert Morris, a pioneer in Christian fiction who has written many best selling titles. The group eventually came to be called the “Nubbing Chits”. All four members of the original “Chits” have gone on to become award-winning and best selling novelists (good fruit, Gil!).

Patty signed her first multi-book contract with Bethany House Publishers. After she wrote several novels “for the market”, she assessed her writer’s life and decided she would follow the leanings of her heart. She says, “It had to be God leading me into the next work which wound up being my first break-out book, Katrina’s Wings. I had never read a southern mainstream novel, yet I knew that one lived in my head, begging to be brought out and developed.” She wanted to create deeper stories that broke away from convention and formula. From her own journey in life, she created a world based upon her hometown in the 70’s, including Earthly Vows and Whisper Town from the Millwood Hollow Series.

Patty and her husband, Randy, have planted two churches in North Carolina. Her husband pastors Family Christian Center, located in Huntersville. The Hickmans have three children, two on earth and one in heaven. Their daughter, Jessi, was involved in a fatal automobile accident in 2001. Through her writing and speaking, Patty seeks to offer help, hope and encouragement to those who walk the daily road of loss and grief.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this story of sisterhood and unexpected paths, Gaylen Syler-Boatwright flees her unraveling marriage to take refuge in a mountain cottage owned by her deceased aunt. Burdened with looking after her adult sister, Delia, she is shocked to find a trail of family secrets hidden within her aunt’s odd collection of framed, painted dresses. With Delia, who attracts trouble as a daily occupation, Gaylen embarks on a road trip that throws the unlikely pair together on a journey to painful understanding and delightful revelations.

Steeped in Hickman’s trademark humor, her spare writing voice, and the bittersweet pathos of the South, Painted Dresses powerfully captures a woman’s desperate longing to uncover a hidden, broken life and discover the liberty of living authentically, even when the things exposed are shrouded in shame.

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

Sally Says: The book’s back cover says that Patricia Hickman writes with the bittersweet pathos of the South, and that could not be more true in Painted Dresses. If you’re a big fan of Southern fiction, you will probably love this book.

I am not a big fan of Southern fiction. Those novels tend to be hit-or-miss for me. And this book, to me, did miss.

I know this is going to be one of those reviews that will be largely based on preference. I have to say that Patricia is an excellent writer. There were no writing techniques that bothered me in this book. It was all taste.

First, there are a lot of characters, and I had a hard time figuring out all the family. Some of them I never did get straight, but fortunately that didn’t turn out to be a big deal. Second, many of the characters were rather crude, unpolished. I’m not talking manners or etiquette — rather they sometimes edged on coming across as vulgar and uncouth. (Sheesh, I sound so snobbish here, I know.) Along with this, the book was a bit edgy for my tastes. There were some brief scenes that gave me too much info.

Lastly, the secret of the painted dresses is not a pretty one. There have been other books written on this topic (I won’t give it away for those of you who decide to read it), books I’ve read and enjoyed and found tasteful, but this one was just a bit too graphic, a bit too much. I found it to be almost depressing the closer I came to the end.

So to sum it up — aren’t you glad? — if you enjoy Southern fiction, you’ll love it. Great writing, a lot of realism. If you’re a bit queasy about certain topics, this may not be your cup of tea.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing
Sisterchick Go Brit

Multnomah Publishers (May 20, 2008)

by

Robin Jones Gunn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin grew up in Orange County, California and has lived in all kinds of interesting places, including Reno and Hawaii.

Robin’s first novel was published in 1988, and she has continued to write between two to five books a year. Her 63 published books include 47 novels, all of which are still in print. Sales of her popular Christy Miller Series, Glenbrooke Series and Sisterchicks Series, including Sisterchicks in Gondolas and the new Katie Weldon Series including Peculiar Treasures all of which are approaching four million copies sold, with translations in nine languages.

Robin’s passion for storytelling and travel are evident in all her books, especially the Sisterchicks novels, and she has received thousands of letters from readers around the world who have come to know Christ through her writing. She sees this as her dream come true. Her novels are traveling to foreign lands and her characters are doing what she always longed to do; telling people about God’s love.

She and her husband currently live near Portland, Oregon and have been married for 30 years. They spent their first 22 years of marriage working together in youth ministry, and enjoying life with their son and daughter who are now both grown.

As a frequent speaker at local and international events, one of Robin’s favorite topics is how God is the Relentless Lover and we are His first love. She delights in telling stories of how God uses fiction to change lives.

Robin is the recipient of the Christy Award, the Mt. Hermon Pacesetter Award, the Sherwood E. Wirt Award and is a Gold Medallion Finalist. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and the Board of Directors for Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers’ Guild.

ABOUT THE BOOK
SISTERCHICK® n: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat.

Two midlife mamas hop over to jolly ole England and encounter so much more than the usual tourist stops. Liz does have a bit of a childhood crush on Big Ben, and she has hoped to “meet†him ever since her fifteenth birthday. Kellie dreams of starting an interior design business and figures Liz needs to be a part of that equation–a calculation that hasn’t added up for Liz yet.

Nothing on the excursion goes the way these two friends had envisioned. They start with a village pancake race and end up being held for questioning on The Underground. Kellie and Liz take a wild tour through the land of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien and then find themselves swept up, up, and away in a hot air balloon over the Cotswalds. London beckons with the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, shopping at Portabella Road in Knotting Hill, and of course, reservations at the Ritz for a posh high tea.

A few detours along the way and the possibility of being lost in a London fog of wonderment aren’t enough to stop these two Sisterchicks! Each step of their regal journey is lined with evidence of God’s gracious compassion, and both come to realize that God knows their every wish. He is the One who planted every dream in their hearts.

And, oh, what a surprise awaits them when they return home!

To read the first chapter, go HERE

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing
Wind River

(Bethany House July 1, 2008)

by

Tom Morrisey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tom Morrisey is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society - Cave Diving Section.

He has launched, edited or contributed to numerous national publications and is an award-winning adventure-travel writer. A popular speaker, he is also active in both evangelism and the arts. Morrisey earned an MFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University, and his fiction has been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines.

His first novel, Yucatan Deep (Zondervan, 2002) was a finalist for the Christy award, and he is the author of four other novels: In High Places (Bethany House Publishers, 2007), Dark Fathom (Zondervan, 2005), Deep Blue, (Zondervan 2004), and Turn Four (Zondervan 2004). In addition Tom has also written two nonfiction books: 20 American Peaks & Crags (Contemporary Books, 1978) and Wild by Nature (Baker Books, 2001). He and his family live in Orlando, Florida.

ABOUT THE BOOK

You Can’t Outrun the Sins of Your Past
Desperate to forget what happened to him in Iraq, Tyler Perkins flees to the emptiness of Wyoming. He’s here to escape and also to fulfill a long-ago promise by accompanying his 86-year-old friend Soren Andeman on a fly-fishing trip–once more for old time’s sake. But their trek to an idyllic trout lake soon becomes something more deeply harrowing–a journey that uncovers long-held lies, deadly crimes, and the buried secrets of the past. Ty barely has time to contemplate the question of what constitutes justice when nature unleashes her own revenge. Trapped in a race back to safety, he must face his own guilt-ridden past or risk being consumed.

Powerfully imagined by the acclaimed author of In High Places, Wind River is an engaging wilderness adventure that explores the power of confession, the beauty of forgiveness, and the freedom of truth unveiled.

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

Sally Says: A couple years ago I read Tom Morrissey’s first book and enjoyed it enough that I remembered his name and said I needed to read his future books. So I did, this being the second of his that I’ve read.

But Wind River fell flat to me. Part of that may be due to the actual writing, but part of it may be due to the back cover copy. The back cover promised a suspense book, a story full of long-buried secrets, some danger perhaps, and a dramatic climax when nature gets involved.

The book had little of any of that.

The first 200 pages were a camping trip with very little conflict, very little action. Yes, Ty has his war issues and the way it’s affected his marriage, but that hardly takes up any space. Instead Ty and Soren take a camping trip, and the story is full of them fly-fishing and eating their catches, getting equipment packed up and then unpacked when they stop. I kept waiting for the story to start, but instead there were more details on types of lures used and brand names of various camping equipment that I couldn’t decipher even by their use in the novel. It wasn’t until the last 100 pages that what was promised on the back cover ever appeared in the book, and even then it wasn’t anywhere near as intense as what it was made to sound like.

So I can blame that part on whoever wrote the back cover copy — which probably wasn’t the author. Whenever a back cover copy only tells the climax of the book, the reader’s in for a disappointment because either they know everything that leads up to that climax from the back cover copy or (as in this case) there’s just not much happening.

But another problem with the book was the way the characters were so distant from the reader. The technical term, I believe, is called Deep Point of View, and this book was about as far from that as possible. Deep POV is getting the reader inside the character’s head, letting us hear his struggles, his thoughts, his reactions, etc. It makes US the character and makes us root for him.

There was very little to none of that in this book. And I kept seeing opportunities for it all over the place. Perhaps it was done on purpose to show how distanced Ty was keeping himself from people, but instead it made the book fall flat. Instead of a fishing scene that shows how much Ty’s struggling with someone, it was just a fishing scene. We were watching people camp without every getting inside their minds.

So for me, Wind River was not a good read. I won’t rule out any of Tom’s other books because I remember how much I enjoyed that first one, but I do hope they’re all different from this latest one.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

I Heart Bloomberg

David C. Cook (April 1, 2008)

by

Melody Carlson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melody Carlson is the best-selling author of more than 100 books for adults, children, and teens, including three of her latest, These Boots Weren’t Made For Walking, A Mile In My Flip-Flops, and Mixed Bags. She and her husband, the parents of two grown sons, make their home near the Cascade Mountains in Central Oregon. Melody is a full-time writer as well as an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.

Favorite Bible verse: John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” It’s the “whosoever†part that gets me. That’s who I write for – “whosoever†and to me that means everyone and anyone.

Carlson, author of more than 100 books, begins her 86 Bloomberg Place series with I Heart Bloomberg that functions mostly to set up future storylines. Three women rent rooms at 86Bloomberg Place:

ABOUT THE BOOK

Kendall’s managed to wrangle her grandmother’s house-free and clear-except for the rules. No male roommates. But that’s ok, with the right ad she’ll pull in some girls, their rent and if she’s lucky, she won’t have to go to work any time soon.

For their part, Anna, Lelani, and Megan all have their reasons for wanting to move in: Anna has got to get out from under her overprotective parents; Lelani can’t take another day in her aunt’s tiny crackerbox house overflowing with toddlers and Megan needs a place free of her current roommate from Hades.

Though they come with assorted extra baggage filled with broken hearts and dreams, they will discover they also have a vast array of hidden strengths. And they struggle to become the women they want to be, they’ll find new hope and maybe even Kendall will learn a thing or two about life, love and the true meaning of friendship.

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

SALLY SAYS:

I may be showing my age here (which I didn’t think was that high), but here goes.

I Heart Bloomberg is a light summer read, and halfway through it–knowing I had to review it–I wasn’t sure what I was going to say.

On one hand, the characters, most fresh from college or in their mid-twenties, are dealing with scenarios that as a mom and mother of two and 2/3rds :) I felt way past. Granted, one was dealing with the loss of her dad, but even her character moved past that quickly, and her struggle throughout the book dealt with getting along with her roommate. And then there was the one character that annoyed me to no end with her shallowness. I kept wishing someone would shake her. And then shake her again.

I finally decided that my problem with the story was that I felt way too old for the book. Their problems with each other seemed petty, and I had a hard time being patient with them and identifying with them as a reader. I don’t say that arrogantly, but I’m in a different phase of my life than they are. And so what matters to them didn’t matter to me.

But on the other hand, I wanted to find out what happened. The farther along in the book I went, the more I read — in other words, I couldn’t put the thing down.

So hmm. What does this mean?

I Heart Bloomberg is a light, fun read. If you love light and fun (which I do) and stories about being footloose and fancy free and worrying about hair, makeup, and expensive clothes, you’ll enjoy the book. If you crave more serious, issue-driven fiction like I do, you may not care for this book as much.

But whatever you think of those characters three chapters in, I’d like to see you put the book down.

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

SALLY SAYS:

With Memorial Day just past and the Fourth of July approaching, Washington’s Lady by Nancy Moser, is the perfect summer read. If you’re just the littlest bit patriotic, this book will leave you teary-eyed.

We all know that George Washington made many sacrifices as the leader of the American forces, but you’ll be surprised to learn all the sacrifices his wife Martha made. The book starts with the death of Martha’s first husband and moves quickly into her courtship with George Washington, which will make you smile more than once. From there, you get an eye-opening peak into the difficulty of life in the 1700’s. And from there you go knee-deep into the trials of the War and the stories of a nation who won but should have lost.

I think we often have a fantasy story-book ending of George and Martha’s life after the war, but the reality is so much different than expected. I have a much deeper respect for both George and Martha after reading all that they gave up — for us today.

Nancy Moser has written two previous historical fiction novels, but this one tops them both. Yes, the book is based on history and fact, but some sections had to be guessed at, and Nancy includes a section at the end that differentiates between what was fact and what was fiction.

Go buy this book and take it on your vacation. You won’t regret it.

. . . when the freecreditreport.com commercials come on, we can sit there and rewind them and play them over and over.

And over.

After a week with having to think of ketchup-less foods to cook, I can now say we are a ketchup-filled household again.

I think Bacon Cheeseburgers with lots of ketchup is on the menu for tonight.

Thank you to all who expressed their concern for me and my family’s welfare.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Athol Dickson’s university-level training in painting, sculpture, and architecture was followed by a long career as an architect then his decision several years ago to devote full time to writing.

Athol Dickson’s writing has been favorably compared to the work of Octavia Butler
(Publisher’s Weekly), Daphne du Maurier (Cindy Crosby, FaithfulReader.com) and FlanneryO’Connor (The New York Times).

His They Shall See God was a Christy Award finalist and his River Rising was a Christy Award winner, selected as one of the Booklist Top Ten Christian Novels of 2006 and a finalist for Christianity Today’s Best Novel of 2006.

He and his wife, Sue, live in Southern California. Visit AtholDickson.com for more information.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Boys who never age, giants lost in time, mist that never rises, questions never asked…on the most remote of islands off the coast of Maine, history haunts the present and Vera Gamble wrestles with a past that will not yield. Will she find refuge there, or will her ghosts prevail on…Winter Haven

Eleven years ago, Vera Gamble’s brother left their house never to be seen again. Until the day Vera gets a phone call that his body has been found…washed ashore in the tiny island town of Winter Haven, Maine. His only surviving kin, Vera travels north to claim the body…and finds herself tumbling into a tangled mystery. Her brother hasn’t aged a day since last she saw him.

Determined to uncover what happened in those lost years, Vera soon discovers there are other secrets lurking in this isolated town. But Winter Haven’s murky past now seems bound to come to light as one woman seeks the undeniable and flooding light of truth.

Sally Says:

Oh.

My.

Word.

This book blew me away, almost from the first page. Right away it had this rich, gothic feel to it, and I knew there was going to be some deep mystery I wouldn’t be able to solve.

Winter Haven is a fantastic read, whether you’re a writer or a bookworm. There’s so much to talk about in this book, so much that makes your head spin and piques your curiosity. It’s a prime example of a pageturner, yet it has the feel of a literary classic.

If you’re a writer, you need to read this book — it’s a study in so many things we writers should be doing. For example, writers are often told to make the setting another character, and Athol does that incredibly well. Without the island of Winter Haven, there is no story, no book. The plot and characters can’t exist without the richness of the setting.

Another thing writers shouldn’t do is dump loads of backstory. That’s a struggle for many of us. We think our readers need to know our characters’ pasts because that’s influencing the way they’re acting now.  Athol handles this perfectly. The characters’ pasts play heavily into the plot of this book, but he includes just the teensiest bit of back story in the perfect manner at the perfect time. What it does is create suspense, and we assume things to be one way when we find out so much later that they are the total opposite.

If there’s one flaw in the book, I felt it was in the ending. There was a part of the climax that I just didn’t buy. I can’t say what it was because it would give too much away, but I did wish the author had chosen a different twist on that one part of the ending. Either way, I still found Winter Haven a fantabulous read, one of the very best I’ve read this year. When I finished the book, I turned back to chapter one and started reading all over again.

Can’t remember the last time I’ve done that.

We are out of ketchup.

We have been out of ketchup for three days — three very long, very unred days.

Somehow I will survive.

It’s that wonderful time of year again, that personal national holiday of mine — opening day for my baseball team, the Chicago White Sox.

This year it feels a lot different. First of all, where’s spring? Second, we don’t live in Chi-town anymore. So I’ve heard almost zero about how good — or bad — my team is supposed to be. But we’ll have the DVR going tomorrow to tape the game. That’ll be a whole family thing in our house tonight.

Yesterday I caught Baseball Tonight on TV. That’s like the first robin for me, that night you happen to catch them doing one of their first shows, and you know winter’s almost over. Anyway, I soaked up the guys’ takes on who would win the divisions, and the baseball superfan in me just can’t resist giving you my predictions for the season.

Just remember you heard it here first.

AL — Red Sox, Indians, Angels; Wildcard — Tigers

NL — Mets, Scrubs (our pet name for the Cubs; my dad, who’s actually a Cubs fan, came up with that one), Diamondbacks; Wildcard — Braves

So there it is. May the White Sox prove me wrong.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As the child of missionary parents, award-winning author and journalist Jeanette Windle grew up in the rural villages, jungles, and mountains of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. Her detailed research and writing is so realistic that it has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information. Currently based in Lancaster, PA, Jeanette has lived in six countries and traveled in more than twenty. She has more than a dozen books in print, including political/suspense best-seller CrossFire and the Parker Twins series.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Fires smolder endlessly below the dangerous surface of Guatemala City’s municipal dump.

Deadlier fires seethe beneath the tenuous calm of a nation recovering from brutal civil war. Anthropologist Vicki Andrews is researching Guatemala’s “garbage people†when she stumbles across a human body. Curiosity turns to horror as she uncovers no stranger, but an American environmentalist—Vicki’s only sister, Holly.

With authorities dismissing the death as another street crime, Vicki begins tracing Holly’s last steps, a pilgrimage leading from slum squalor to the breathtaking and endangered cloud forests of the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere. But every unraveled thread raises more questions. What betrayal connects Holly’s murder, the recent massacre of a Mayan village, and the long-ago deaths of Vicki’s own parents?

Nor is Vicki the only one demanding answers. Before her search reaches its startling end, the conflagration has spilled across international borders to threaten an American administration and the current war on terror. With no one turning out to be who they’d seemed, who can Vicki trust and who should she fear?

A politically relevant tale of international intrigue and God’s redemptive beauty and hope.

Sally Says:

I just finished this book today. It’s one of those nice thick books, and I’ll say that if you buy it, you’ll get your money’s worth.

Jeanette does a good job of helping the reader see a country that he’s probably never been to. And she brought out the culture, the problems, and the history in a way that related to the story rather than as a history lesson. The middle of the story did lag a bit for me, but the beginning of the story was good enough to keep me going, and the book gave a satisfactory ending that hints at a sequel. (Is there one, Jeanette?)

Betrayed is a complex story and quite a ride. Like I said, I loved the ending, the adventure in the story, and the spiritual thread — very believable, very real. Will I read another book by Jeanette Windle?

You bet.

I’m coming out of hibernation (for reasons to be explained soon, I hope) for Camy Tang’s newest release Only Uni. I’ll get to the review in a minute, but first Camy was kind enough to answer some questions for me. It’s always fun to see how much (or little) you have in common with someone else so here goes.

Question 1: What was your best vacation?

Camy — Mine was a trip up north to Mendocino county for our first anniversary–we stayed at this delectable bed and breakfast with an oceanside view and a terrific restaurant, and we went wine tasting.

Sally — My husband and I took a trip to Denver about 6 months before our first child was born. We toured the whole area from Estes Park in the north down to the Royal Gorge and everything in between. I went horseback riding through the Garden of the Gods, took the train to the top of Pikes Peak (amazing), and freaked out at signs that read, “Beware of rattlers” at the Flying W Ranch. There were no rattler sightings so it was a good trip.

Question 2: What’s your favorite childhood book?

Camy — Mine was A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Something about Sara Crewe’s troubles and how she overcame them always made me feel so good.

Sally — I still love Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, and I’m slowly reading them now to my daughter. My favorite one is The Longest Winter. I think I’d read it a couple times before I realized how serious their situation was. Yikes.

Question 3: What was the last movie you watched?

Camy — I saw Northanger Abbey (the Masterpiece movie that aired a few weeks ago, I saw it again on Tivo),but the last movie I saw with my husband was Zodiac, about the San Francisco Bay Area serial killer WHO WAS NEVER CAUGHT. Woooooooo

Sally — Good thing you don’t live anywhere near San — oh. Hmm.

The last movie I saw was Pride and Prejudice. Ironically, the movie I watched before that was also Pride & Prejudice, the 1995 version. I had to compare the two to see which one was better, and I shocked myself by preferring the 1995 BBC A&E version. Wonderfully done, much truer to the book, and allowed character emotions to fully develop.

Question 4: If you could eat only one more candy bar, what would it be?

Camy — I’d eat a Twix bar.

Sally — I so should not eat another candy bar. Ever. Really. Chocolate and I — not good.

Question 5: What are you reading right now?

Camy — I just finished PETTICOAT RANCH by Mary Connealy and I just started MISS MATCH by Erynn Mangum.

Sally — I’m working on BETRAYED by Jeanette Windle. It’s a big thick book, but it’s been good so far. In fact, I’ll be reviewing it before the week’s out.

And now for the book.

Flirty biologist Trish Sakai has alienated her best friends and her family because of her wild behavior with her artist ex-boyfriend, Kazuo. Then she finds her father kissing another woman, and her mom suffers a heart attack. Convinced God is punishing her for her sexual promiscuity, Trish comes up with three rules from First and Second Corinthians: 1) Stop looking at guys, 2) Only date Christians, and 3) Persevere in hardship by relying on God. If she follows them, God will restore her life to the way it was before her mistakes. If she can somehow regain her chastity, she won’t feel as dirty and unworthy as she does now. They’re only three rules. How hard can it be?

Handsome Spenser finds himself attracted to his coworker Trish, but his dinner invitation gets slammed down with a lame excuse about Corinthians and rules. That cools his ardor pretty quick. But then Spenser discover that his old enemy Kazuo needs Trish as the “muse†for his unfinished masterpiece painting due in a few months for a gallery show. Kazuo pursues Trish with everything he’s got, but Spenser decides to throw a wrench in Kazuo’s plans by pretending to pursue Trish himself.

Trish is going nuts trying to stand firm against two hunky guys. Her three simple rules aren’t so simple anymore . . .

Sally Says: Again, Camy Tang pulls out a fun yet surprising book. Her first book, Sushi for One?, started out with comedy, and so does Only Uni. Yes, there’s seriousness to Trish’s problems, but there’s a good deal included that makes you laugh.

And then suddenly you find yourself facing ginormously major decisions, problems, and issues that make you think and feel for the characters. Camy really has a way of taking what at first glance appears to be light, escapist fiction and turning it into some pretty deep thinking.

Only Uni is a fun story that has a satisfying ending. And don’t you all just love that cover? It’s amazing.

You can find Camy daily on her blog Camy’s Loft. If you’d like more information about the book, check out all the reviews listed here.

Thanks for stopping by, Camy. And lock those doors and windows tonight, okay?