Curmudgeon's Rant

We've moved....

2007-12-31T23:41:00.000-08:00

Beginning January 1st, 2008,

we are moving to our new blog:

Please update your blogrolls so you don't lose me:

http://novelspotlight.blogspot.com/

I hope we see you there!

I’m not sure what the future might hold for the Rant, but Curmudgeon’s are full of surprises. This might go back to what it started as, just an old guy’s blog. Who knows?

God bless you all!

David Meigs
God's Curmudgeon

Distant Heart, by Tracey Bateman

2007-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Distant Heart
(Avon Inspire January 2, 2008)
by
Tracey Bateman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracey Bateman is the award-winning author of more than twenty-five books, including Defiant Heart, the first in the Westward Hearts series. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and recently served on the board as President. She lives in Lebanon, Montana, with her husband and their four children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the second book in the Westward Hearts trilogy, will the promise of a new life out west heal the scars of Toni's past?

This series tells the stories of three strong women as they struggle to survive on the rough wagon train and lose their hearts to unlikely heroes along the way/ Thin Little House on the Prairie meets Francine river's Redeeming Love and you begin to get a sense of the riveting historical series that Tracey Bateman has created.

In this second installment, we follow Toni Rodden, a former prostitute who sought to escape her past and build a new life, and a new reputation, when she joined the wagon train. Despite much resentment and distrust from the other women, Toni has finally earned a place on the wagon train and found a surrogate family in Fannie Caldwell and her two siblings. For the first time in her life, Toni actually feels free.

But while Toni once harbored dreams that her new life might include a husband and family, she soon realizes the stigma that comes with her past is difficult to see beyond and that she'll never be truly loved or seen as worthy. As the trip out west begins to teach her to survive on her own, she resolves to make her own living as a seamstress when the train finally reaches Oregon.

But despite Toni's conviction that no man will be able to see beyond her marred past, Sam Two-feathers, the wagon scout and acting preacher for the train seems to know of a love that forgives sins and values much more than outward appearances. Will Sam have the confidence to declare his love? Will Toni be able to trust in a God that can forgive even the darkest past? Faith, love, and courage will be put to the test in Distant Heart.

What Lies Within, by Karen Ball

2007-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

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What Lies Within (Multnomah), is the 3rd installment in the Family Honor Series, by best selling author, Karen Ball. I can sum this book up with just one word. AWESOME!

Pick up a copy at Amazon

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ABOUT THE BOOK

NOTHING’S GOING TO STOP
UNTIL THE GROUND
CRUMBLES BENEATH HER FEET

Kyla Justice has arrived. Her company, Justice Construction, is one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful companies in the Pacific Northwest. And yet, something is missing. Not until she’s called on to build a center for inner-city kids does she realize what it is: her sense of purpose. Now nothing can stop her, not the low budget, not supply problems, not gang opposition, not her boyfriend’s suggestion that she sell her business and marry him–and most especially not that disagreeable Rafael Murphy.

Rafe Murphy understands battle. Wounded in action, this Force Recon Marine carries the scars–and the nightmares–to prove it. Though he can’t fight overseas any longer, he’s found his place as a warrior in the civilian world. So he soldiers on, trusting that one of these days, God will reveal to him why Rafe survived the ambush in Iraq. That day has arrived.

Kyla and Rafe both discover that determination alone won’t carry them through danger and challenges. When gang violence threatens their very foundations, there’s only one way to survive: rely on each other, be real–and surrender to God. In other words, risk everything…

Karen Ball is the bestselling author of over seven novels and four novellas, including Shattered Justice, Kaleidoscope Eyes, and The Breaking Point. Her powerful writing blends humor, poignancy, and honesty with God’s truth. Karen lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, and their “kids”–a mischief-making Siberian husky and an indefatigable Aussie-terrier mix.

One-Eyed Jack, by Paula Miller

2007-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a gift for that seven to eleven year old in your life?

A book will live inside your child’s memories long after those over-hyped toys lie forgotten at the bottom of the toy box. A book can transport them to the jungles of Africa, the deepest reaches of space, or as is the case of today’s novel, they can share the life of a boy and his dog. What toy could compete with that?

One-Eyed Jack (Blooming Tree Press), by Paula Miller, is the finest children’s book I’ve reviewed all year. I was impressed with every aspect, from its lovely illustrations (by Chris Forrest) to the lovable characters and their delightful tale with just the right mix of adventure, giggles and nail-biting tension.

One-Eyed Jack is set in the untamed wilderness of 1880’s Montana, where Nate lives on a cattle ranch with his brother Billy, sister Mabel Sue, Ma, Pa and his wise, old Grandpa Albert.

Then one day Nate finds an injured puppy and wants to nurse it back to health. But for some mysterious reason, Pa’s dead set against it. “...It’s better to put him out of his misery right now. He’ll grow up to be nothing but trouble, anyhow.” (Pa said)

Can Nate change Pa’s mind? Or is Pa right and the puppy will cause all kinds of mischief? You’ll have to buy the book to find out; I wouldn’t dare spoil the fun.

Get a copy for every kid on your Christmas list. They are going to love you for it.

Pick up a copy at Amazon

Paula Miller is the author of children's book, One-Eyed Jack, the first in The Faces of History Series and several short stories included in The Best Sister in the World, All My Bad Habits I Learned From Grandpa, Mistletoe Madness and more. She has published numerous articles and is a regular columnist in the popular Home School Enrichment magazine.

Paula frequently teaches writing workshops and speaks at local homeschool groups, libraries, and elementary and middle schools around southcentral Minnesota where she lives with her husband Travis and four sons.

Visit Paula’s Website

Cooking with Pooh

2007-12-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

No kidding, I’m not making it up. It’s a real book for children. But what can I say about it? They are cooking with Pooh...

Pick up a copy from Amazon

Bluegrass Peril, by Virginia Smith

2007-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Bluegrass Peril

(Steeple Hill December 4, 2007)

by

Virginia Smith

Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker in the summer of 2005. Since then she has contracted eight novels and numerous articles and short stories.

She writes contemporary humorous novels for the Christian market, including her debut, Just As I Am (Kregel Publications, March 2006) and her new release, Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill, August 2007). Her short fiction has been anthologized, and her articles have been published in a variety of Christian magazines.

An energetic speaker, Virginia loves to exemplify God’s truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, “Biblical Truths in Star Trek.”

ABOUT THE BOOK:

WHO KILLED HER BOSS?

Local police had tagged single mom Becky Dennison as their prime suspect. But she'd only been in the wrong place at the wrong time...admittedly, with her boss's lifeless body. Sure it looked bad, but Becky had no motive for killing...even if she had opportunity.

When the director of the retirement farm for thoroughbred champions is murdered, Becky Dennison teams up with the handsome manager of a neighboring horse farm, Scott Lewis, to find her boss's killer. Soon the amateur detective are hot on the trail of the murderer...even as their feelings for each other deepen.

The amateur sleuths uncover a trail of clues that lead them into the intricate society of Kentucky's elite thoroughbred breeding industry. They soon find themselves surrounded by the mint julep set - jealous southern belles and intensely competitive horse breeders - in a high-stakes game of danger, money, and that famous southern pride.

And for Becky and Scott, this race on the Kentucky tracks has the greatest stakes of all: life or death!

Romantic Times awarded Bluegrass Peril
* * * * FOUR STARS! * * * *

A Shadow of Treason, by Tricia Goyer

2007-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

If you are a lover of historical fiction, as I am, then today’s novel spotlight is for you. A Shadow of Treason (Moody), by Tricia Goyer, is the second installment in the beloved Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series. And nobody writes historical fiction better than Tricia Goyer.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sophie discovers that nothing is as she first imagined. When Walt, the reporter who helped her over the border, shows up again after Guernica is bombed, Sophie is given an impossible mission. She must leave behind the man she’s fallen in love with and return to the person who betrayed her. Another layer of the war in Spain is revealed as Sophie is drawn into the international espionage schemes that could turn the tide of the war and help protect the soldiers from the International Brigade ... she must find a way to get a critical piece of information to Walt in time.

Pick up a copy at Amazon ... Visit Tricia’s website.. Read an excerpt

Tricia Goyer is the author of seven novels, two nonfiction books, and one children's book. Tricia was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference "Writer of the year" in 2003. Her novels Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights won ACFW's Book of the year for Long Historical Romance. Tricia lives in Montana with her husband and three kids where she homeschools, leads children's church, and mentors teenage mothers.

She has written seven novels for Moody Publishing:
From Dust and Ashes (2003)
Night Song (2004)
Dawn of a Thousand Nights (2005);
Arms of Deliverance (2006)
A Valley of Betrayal (2007)
A Shadow of Treason (Fall 2007)
A Whisper of Freedom (February 2008)

Night Song was awarded American Christian Fiction Writer's 2005 Book of the Year for Best Long Historical. Dawn of a Thousand Nights won the same award in 2006.

Tricia has also written Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being a Young Mom (Zondervan, 2004), 10 Minutes to Showtime (Thomas Nelson, 2004), and Generation NeXt Parenting (Multnomah, 2006). Life Interrupted was a 2005 Gold Medallion finalist in the Youth Category.

Also, coming out in the next year are: My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson, 2007), Generation NeXt Marriage (Multnomah, Spring 2008), and 3:16-the teen version of the a book by Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson, Spring 2008).

Tricia and her husband John live with their three children in Kalispell, Montana. Tricia's grandmother also lives with them, and Tricia volunteers mentoring teen moms and leading children's church. Although Tricia doesn't live on a farm, she can hit one with a rock by standing on her back porch and giving it a good throw.

INTERVIEW
Q and A with Tricia!

Q: A Shadow of Treason follows A Valley of Betrayal. This is the first time you've written books as a series instead of stand alone. Which way do you like better?

A: I love writing in series. It was great to continue with the same characters. In my stand-alone books I fell in love with these people and then I had to say good-bye after one book. It was wonderful to be able to continue on.

Q: In A Shadow of Treason Sophie must return to the person who betrayed her in an effort to help the Spanish people. It makes the book hard to put down because the reader has to know how Sophie's heart will deal with it. Why did you decide to make this an element of the book?

A: There are very few of us who go through life without giving away a part of our hearts to someone who didn't deserve it. Even though Sophie had the best intentions, she gave away her heart and she was hurt-not only that she must revisit those emotions.

I wanted to include this element-to delve into the topic that emotions are sometimes as big of a trap as any physical cage. Emotions are real and they guide us -- even when we don't want to admit it. Poor Sophie, not only does she have to deal with a war around her -- she also has to deal with a war within herself. It's something I've battled, and mostly likely others have too.

Q: There is an interesting element that arises in this book and that is Spanish gold. I know you can't tell us what happens in this book, but can you give us a brief history of this gold?

A: Sure. When I was researching I came upon something interesting. The Spaniards, as we know, had taken much Aztec and Inca gold during the time of the conquistadors. Well, at the start of The Spanish Civil War much of this gold was still held in Madrid. In fact Spain had the fourth largest gold reserves in the world at that time. The Republican government was afraid Franco would take the city and the gold. They had to get it out of Madrid and this included transporting priceless artifacts. The element of gold does make its way into my story. It was great to include this little-known (and true!) element into my story.

Q: Another historical fact I learned about was the Nazi involvement during this time. Not only were the Germans active in Spain, but they had spy networks busy around the world. How did you find out about this?

A: I love reading tons of research books. Usually I find one little element that I dig out and turn into a plot line. This is what happened with my plot-line for the Nazi pilot, Ritter. I dug up this bit of research of Nazi involvement in Spain -- and the United States -- because a lot of people aren't aware of the Nazi involvement prior to WWII. The truth is they were busy at work getting the land, information, and resources they needed far before they threatened the nations around them. The Germans knew what they wanted and how to get it. And most of the time they succeeded!

Q: A Shadow of Treason is Book Two. When will Book Three be out? Can you give us a hint of how the story continues?

A: Book Three is A Whisper of Freedom. It will be out February 2008. The characters that we love are all still in the midst of danger at the end of Book Two. Book Three continues their stories as we follow their journeys in -- and (for a few) out -- of Spain. It's an exciting conclusion to the series!

Q: Wow, so we have a least one more fiction book to look forward to in the near future. Are you working on any non-fiction?

A: Yes, I have two non-fiction books that will be out the early part of 2008. Generation NeXt Marriage is a marriage book for today's couples. It talks about our marriage role models, our struggles, and what we're doing right as a generation. It also gives advice for holding it together.

I've also been privileged to work on the teen edition of Max Lucado's book 3:16. It was a great project to work on. What an honor!

The Minor Protection Act, by Jodi Cowles

2007-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

It is December 1st, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

This month's feature author is:

JODI COWLES

and her book:

The Minor Protection Act
Musterion (December 1, 2005)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jodi Cowles caught the travel bug when her parents took her on her first international flight at six months of age. Since then she’s been in over 30 countries. Along the way she’s gotten locked out of her cabin on an all night train to Kiev, helped deliver a baby in Indonesia, taught English in South Korea, gone spelunking in Guam, hiked the Golan Heights and laid bricks in Zimbabwe. Her interest in politics stems from hunting Easter eggs on the south lawn of the White House as a child. For her 30th birthday she ran the LA Marathon and promised to get serious about publishing. Jodi resides in Boise, Idaho and this is her first novel.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

If the politically correct set was searching for a poster couple, they would need to look no further than Erik and Roselyn Jessup. In college they lit up doobies while attending passionate speeches about legalizing marijuana and freeing Tibet. Erik was even arrested once for helping break into an animal research center. Roselyn bailed him out. After five years of dating they decided to tie the knot. Seven years later, after Roselyn had enough time to get established in her career, she gave birth to their pride and joy, Jayla Lynn Jessup.

Both had satisfying full-time jobs that left them only enough time to pour themselves into Jayla. They attended every event at school, even if it meant working overtime and paying the after school program for a few extra hours. When Jayla made the principal's list or won a spelling bee, they were cheering, and filming, from the front row.

Jayla began junior high at a brand new school with a brand new curriculum. It was being called "progressive" in the papers; the first program of its kind implemented in California with plans for a nationwide rollout over the next 10 years. Praise poured in from around the country, applauding the straight talk about sexuality and focus on tolerance.

Erik and Roselyn were thrilled to have their daughter in this groundbreaking program. Granted, it took several phone calls to district authorities to accomplish the transfer and Roselyn had to drive an extra 30 minutes each morning to drop off Jayla, but it was quite a coup to brag about in their circle of friends.

Jayla turned 13 two years into junior high. For her birthday she told her parents she wanted to order pizza and hang around the house – there was something she needed to tell them. Over pepperoni and Coke, Jayla calmly informed them that she'd been discussing it with her friends and teachers and had decided she was gay.

Though she had never had a girlfriend, or a boyfriend for that matter, Erik and Roselyn were quick to affirm her decision and let her know she had their full support. Roselyn applauded her daughter's honest, courageous move and told Jayla how proud she was. Erik was also supportive and went so far as to tease Jayla about her best friend Sara.

There weren't too many lesbians in her junior high and Jayla had a pretty average experience, but she attracted attention when she entered high school wearing the rainbow buttons specially purchased by her mother. Soon she was 15 and seriously involved with Carla, the 17-year-old senior who was President of the Gay Pride Club. When Erik and Roselyn saw the relationship deepening they sat Jayla down and had a heart to heart "sex talk," encouraging her to be responsible and safe, and only to have sex if she was truly in love.

She was. However, when the year ended Carla left for college on the east coast and broke off the relationship in a letter.

Jayla was heartbroken. Erik and Roselyn were quick to comfort, as any loving parents of a shattered teenager, but their answers seemed hollow to Jayla, their comfort cold. At 16 she began dabbling in drugs - a first for her.

By the time her senior year began the family bond that was once so strong had disintegrated to the degree that she seldom spoke to her parents unless it was to strike out in anger. She had not entered into another dating relationship, as much as they encouraged her in that direction. Rather, she seemed withdrawn from the world and spent endless hours either locked in her room or suspiciously absent. Finally, Roselyn had enough and took her to a doctor who prescribed an anti-depressant for teenagers that had just been released on the market.

By Christmas the medication seemed to be working. Jayla was coming around, spending more time at home. She seemed calmer and more at peace. They were even beginning to talk about college. But New Year's morning they found her dead, her anti-depressant bottle and a quart of vodka laying empty in the trash and a mass of journals and letters scattered around her in the bed.

Erik and Roselyn were devastated. Jayla had been their whole life. They dove into the letters and journals, trying to make sense of it all. What they found only served to inflame their anger. Some boy named Nick had been telling their daughter that she was a sinner, quoting Bible verses that said her sexual preference was an abomination before God. Jayla's journal was full of self-loathing, page after page about her relationship with Carla, page after page of rambling, agonizing pain. Why was she made like this if homosexuality was a sin? Why would her parents have supported her if it were an abomination? Why had she listened to the seventh grade teacher who told her experimentation was the best way to determine her sexuality? What was wrong with her?

They could hardly stand to finish it but they read every word. In the end their grief found relief, as it so often does, in bitterness and hatred. The day after Jayla's funeral, attended by hundreds of students from Jayla’s school, Erik and Roselyn met with the District Attorney. A year later, bitterness not yet assuaged, they went to see a lawyer. In the culture of America, where there is rarely tragedy unaccompanied by litigation, they found a willing law firm. Someone would pay.

For Parents Only, by Feildhahn and Rice

2007-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

*** I have a free copy of For Parents Only for the first two lucky readers to send me an email with their shipping address (USA only).

After nearly thirty years of working with youth, you'd think I'd learned just about everything there is to know about kids. Yeah right! But it took being a parent to learn just how little I really knew.

Have you ever wished your kids had come with a training manual? Well, now we have one, thanks to authors, Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice. For Parents Only (Multnomah), helps to explain what is going on inside the minds of the most precious people in our lives, our kids.

Pick up a copy at Amazon

.ABOUT THE BOOK

For every bewildered parent, there’s a kid longing to be understood.

What parent hasn’t occasionally looked at their beloved but bewildering offspring and wondered, What in the world is he thinking? or Why is my sweet little girl acting like that?

In this remarkable book, Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa Rice take you inside the mind of teens and preteens through the same innovative approach that seized national attention in the best-selling books For Women Only, For Men Only, and For Young Women Only. They explore the results of a nationwide survey and personal interviews with more than 1,000 real-life teens and tweens to tackle those things parents often don’t “get” about their kids. You’ll hear first-hand about the longings that drive your kids’ seemingly illogical decisions, the truth behind those exasperating “attitude problems,” and what your children would tell you if they could trust you to truly listen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Shaunti Feldhahn is a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, public speaker, and a best-selling author whose books include For Women Only. After working on Wall Street and Capitol Hill, this mother of two now applies her analytical skills to illuminating surprising truths about relationships.

Lisa A. Rice is the associate editor of Christian Living magazine, the mother/foster mom of three teenager girls, and one teenage boy, and an experienced screenwriter and producer. She’s also the coauthor, with Shaunti, of For Young Women Only.

PRAISE

"Shaunti and Lisa have done an outstanding job talking about the issues, confusion, and dreams our kids face as they grow–and thus the issues we face as parents. Someone once said to me, ‘God gives us the most important job in the world called parenting, and gives that job to inexperienced people.’ That is so true. But as you understand the inner life of your child, you will be much better equipped to meet the challenges and joys of being a good parent. I encourage you to pick up this book and start the journey of understanding today.”
Jim Daly, president, Focus on the Family

“Shaunti and Lisa have boldly gone where no one has gone before: straight into the brain of a teenager! The insights they have found give us a unique peek into the hopes, fears, desires, and challenges facing the next generation. Savvy parents will read and respond to what they learn in this book, and their family will be better as a result.”
Dennis Rainey, president, FamilyLife

“I will be buying this book by the case. As a youth minister, I’m always trying to communicate to parents exactly what Shaunti and Lisa so eloquently and poignantly communicate in For Parents Only. Every parent of teens should read this brilliant book!”
Dannah Gresh, author of And the Bride Wore White

“Sandra and I love this book! With two teenage boys and a daughter who just started middle school, we soaked up Shaunti and Lisa’s insights and discoveries like sponges. This is not just another book on parenting. It is a fascinating look at the way your child’s mind works. We plan to use For Parents Only as a curriculum in our home group.”
Andy Stanley, pastor, North Point Community Church

“Shaunti and Lisa dive into the deepest core of kids’ hearts to bring parents amazingly insightful truths and advice. They hit the bull’s-eye when it comes to advice on raising children in the twenty-first century!”
Dr. Joe White, president of Kanakuk Kamps

“At times I felt like I was sitting at a school lunch table, listening in on how kids really feel about their parents and what they would like to tell them. Shaunti and Lisa do an exceptional job of researching the topic and then making very practical suggestions. This gets my Five-Star rating on the HomeWord.com web site.”
Jim Burns, Ph.D., President, HomeWord, and author of Confident Parenting

“I am so grateful for the hours of compassionate listening, ton of credible research, and weight of brutal honesty represented within the pages of this book. As a mother of three teenagers, I am the first to admit that I need help! Thank you, Shaunti and Lisa, for coming alongside on this wild, woolly, and wonderful adventure.”
Lisa Whelchel, best-selling author of Creative Correction, The Busy Mom’s Guide to Prayer, and Taking Care of the “Me” in Mommy

“For Parents Only beautifully breaks down the communication code between parents and children. Shaunti and Lisa consistently support their findings with extensive research and rock-solid solutions. This book delivers and we highly recommend it!”
Dr Gary and Barb Rosberg, America’s Family Coaches, authors of The 5 Sex Needs of Men & Women and co-hosts of Dr. Gary and Barb Rosberg–Your Marriage Coaches

“Shaunti Feldhahn’s latest series of books have helped her readers unlock some of the mysteries of family relationships. Now she and Lisa Rice have given us keys to understanding our teenagers by hearing directly from them about why they do what they do. We only wish that this book had been written when our kids were younger!”
Bob and Cheryl Reccord, speakers and co-authors of Launching Your Kids for Life

“Do you remember how Maria responded when Captain Von Trapp proposed marriage? That’s right, she said, ‘Let’s ask the children.’ Instead of speculating and postulating and pontificating, Shaunti and Lisa have done a brilliant thing. They’ve asked the children. And the children–teenagers–have told them the truth. I commend this important book to you.”
Dr. Robert Wolgemuth, best-selling author of She Calls Me Daddy and Dad’s Bible

AURALIA'S COLORS, by Jeffery Overstreet

2007-11-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
AURALIA'S COLORS
(WaterBrook Press September 4, 2007)
by
Jeffrey Overstreet

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeffrey Overstreet lives in two worlds. By day, he writes about movies at LookingCloser.org and in notable publications like Christianity Today, Paste, and Image.

His adventures in cinema are chronicled in his book Through a Screen Darkly. By night, he composes new stories found in fictional worlds of his own. Living in Shoreline, Washington, with his wife, Anne, a poet, he is a senior staff writer for Response Magazine at Seattle Pacific University.

Auralia’s Colors is his first novel. He is now hard at work on many new stories, including three more strands of The Auralia Thread.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
As a baby, she was found in a footprint.

As a girl, she was raised by thieves in a wilderness where savages lurk.

As a young woman, she will risk her life to save the world with the only secret she knows.

When thieves find an abandoned child lying in a monster’s footprint, they have no idea that their wilderness discovery will change the course of history.

Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling–and forbidden–talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar’s hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.

Auralia’s gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.

Auralia’s Colors weaves literary fantasy together with poetic prose, a suspenseful plot, adrenaline-rush action, and unpredictable characters sure to enthrall ambitious imaginations.

Visit the Website especially created for the book, Auralia's Colors. On the site, you can read the first chapter and listen to jeffrey's introduction of the book, plus a lit more!

PRAISE

"Film critic and author Overstreet (Through a Screen Darkly) offers a powerful myth for his first foray into fiction. Overstreet’s writing is precise and beautiful, and the story is masterfully told. Readers will be hungry for the next installment."
--Publishers Weekly

“Through word, image, and color Jeffrey Overstreet has crafted a work of art. From first to final page this original fantasy is sure to draw readers in. Auralia's Colors sparkles.”
-–Janet Lee Carey, award-winning author of The Beast of
Noor and Dragon's Keep

“Jeffrey Overstreet’s first fantasy, Auralia’s Colors, and its heroine’s cloak of wonders take their power from a vision of art that is auroral, looking to the return of beauty, and that intends to restore spirit and and mystery to the world. The book achieves its ends by the creation of a rich, complex universe and a series of dramatic, explosive events.”
-–Marly Youmans, author of Ingledove and The
Curse of the Raven Mocker

When the Morning Comes, by Cindy Woodsmall

2007-11-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

When the Morning Comes (WaterBrook), by Cindy Woodsmall is the second book in the highly popular, Sisters of the Quilt series, and has already sold more than 80,000 copies within the first three months. Impressive!

This delightful novel will captivate you as you follow Hannah through this heart-deep tale of breathtaking highs and gut-wrenching lows. Masterfully written, When the Morning Comes has earned my highest recommendation.

Purchase When the Morning Comes

When the Heart Cries too (book #1)

Visit Cindy’s website

Cindy Woodsmall is an author, wife, and mother of three sons. Her first novel released in 2006 to much acclaim, including a Reviewer’s Choice Award from the Road to Romance website, and became a CBA bestseller. Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband and the youngest of their three sons.

FROM THE BACK COVER

Her relationship with fiancé Paul Waddell in tatters, Hannah Lapp has fled her secluded Old Order Amish community in hopes of finding a new home in Ohio with her shunned aunt. Hampered by limited education and hiding her true identity, Hannah struggles to navigate the confusing world of the Englischers.

Back in Owl’s Perch, Pennsylvania, Paul is wracked with regret over his treatment of Hannah. Fearing for her safety, he tries to convince Hannah’s remaining allies–brother Luke, best friend Mary, and loyal Matthew Esh–to help search for his love. Hannah’s father, however, remains steadfastly convinced of her sinful behavior. His blindness to his family’s pain extends to her sister, Sarah, who shows signs of increasing instability.

Convinced her former life is irreparably destroyed, Hannah finds purpose and solace in life with her aunt and in a growing friendship with Englischer Martin Palmer. Will the countless opportunities in her new life persuade Hannah that her place is amongst the Englischers — or will she give in to her heart’s call to return home and face her past?

PRAISE

“Cindy Woodsmall writes real--real people, real conflicts, real emotions. When you open her book, you enter her world and live the story with the characters. When the Morning Comes is a journey of discovering faith, of overcoming trauma, of learning to depend on God’s sustaining strength. I eagerly await installment three of the Sisters of the Quilt Series!”
–Kim Vogel Sawyer, author of Where Willows Grow and Waiting for Summer’s Return

“Harness-making and prayer Kapps meet cell phones and photography in this latest Cindy Woodsmall novel blending the old world with the new. Through Amish and Mennonite characters in tension with their contemporary world, Cindy weaves the fabric of all faith communities hoping to be relevant to the world around them -- and each other -- while not losing the strengths of their forefathers and foremothers. When Morning Comes is a fine rendering of struggle and joy that resonates long after the last words are read.”
–Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author of the Change and Cherish Series, including A Tendering in the Storm

Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out, by Neta Jackson

2007-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out (Thomas Nelson), by Neta Jackson is book #7 in the popular Yada Yada Prayer Group series. I have to admit that this was my first taste of Neta’s writing. What a treat! Now, I can’t wait to catch up on all the fun I’ve missed in the previous six books.

Pick up a copy at Amazon

Visit Dave & Neta’s website

FROM THE BACK COVER:

From Thanksgiving and Christmas

to rolling in the New Year,

the Yada Yadas are

“decked out” to celebrate the holidays!

Turkey dinners, tree trimmings, and decking the halls-it's that time of the year again! And Jodi Baxter can't wait to celebrate. Her kids are coming home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then all of the Yadas are getting decked out for a big New Year's party.

But God's idea of “decked out” might just change the nature of their party plans. A perplexing encounter with a former student, a crime that literally knocks Jodi off her feet, a hurry-up wedding, and a child who would forever change her family … it's times like these that she really needs her prayer sisters.

This holiday season, the Yada Yadas are learning that no one can out-celebrate God. So let's help them get this party started!

Neta Jackson's award-winning Yada books have sold more than 300,000 copies and are spawning prayer groups across the country. She and her husband, Dave, are also an award-winning writing team, best known for the Trailblazer Books--a 40-volume series of historical fiction about great Christian heroes with 1.5 million in sales--and Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes (vols 1-4). They live in the Chicago metropolitan area, where the Yada stories are set.

TRY DYING, by James Scott Bell

2007-11-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

TRY DYING

(Center Street October 24, 2007)

James Scott Bell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James Scott Bell is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He is also the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.

His book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today. The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up and still lives in Los Angeles, where he is at work on his next Buchanan thriller.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

On a wet Tuesday morning in December, Ernesto Bonilla, twenty-eight, shot his twenty-three-year-old wife, Alejandra, in the backyard of their West 45th Street home in South Los Angeles. As Alejandra lay bleeding to death, Ernesto drove their Ford Explorer to the westbound Century Freeway connector where it crossed over the Harbor Freeway and pulled to a stop on the shoulder.

Bonilla stepped around the back of the SUV, ignoring the rain and the afternoon drivers on their way to LAX and the west side, placed the barrel of his .38 caliber pistol into his mouth, and fired.

His body fell over the shoulder and plunged one hundred feet, hitting the roof of a Toyota Camry heading northbound on the harbor Freeway. The impact crushed the roof of the Camry. The driver, Jacqueline Dwyer, twenty-seven, an elementary schoolteacher from Reseda, died at the scene.

This would have been simply another dark and strange coincidence, the sort of thing that shows up for a two-minute report on the local news--with live remote from the scene--and maybe gets a follow-up the next day. Eventually the story would go away, fading from the city's collective memory.

But this story did not go away. Not for me. Because Jacqueline Dwyer was the woman I was going to marry.

In Try Dying, this fast-paced thriller, lawyer Ty Buchanan must enter a world of evil to uncover the cause of his fiancee's death--even if hie has to kill for the truth.

"Bell is one of the best writers out there...he creates characters readers care about...a story worth telling."
~Library Review~

Splitting Harriet, by Tamara Leigh

2007-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Coming November 20, to a bookstore near you is SPLITTING HARRIET (Multnomah), by the bestselling novelist, Tamara Leigh.

Writing lovable characters is the key to any successful novel, and Tamara Leigh is a master of the craft. I couldn’t believe how quickly, or how deeply I became invested in the characters. SPLITTING HARRIET sank a hook in me on page one and led me along by the heartstrings.

Even in the prologue, the author had me glued to the pages. Just when I thought poor Harriet was in over her head, a tough old biddy comes to the rescue, armed with a stun gun. It was electrifying! The best part is, the book just kept getting better.

Well done, Tamara Leigh!

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Pick up a copy at Amazon ... Read an Excerpt ... Tamara’s Website

Author Bio: Tamara Leigh’s first novel, Warrior Bride, was published in 1994 and was followed by six more bestselling, award-winning historical romances for Bantam, HarperCollins, and Dorchester. Leigh’s inspirational chick lit debut, Stealing Adda, was published in 2006 to great critical acclaim. Leigh has also written for Romantic Times magazine and been a guest speaker for WaldenBooks’s corporate conference. Leigh lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two sons and enjoys time with her family, volunteer work, faux painting, and reading.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Once upon a time, I was a rebel. And I have the tattoo to prove it.Then there was the spiked hair–the shade of which changed monthly–“colorful” language that can’t be found in your everyday sixteen-count crayon box, a pack-a-day habit, less-than-modest wardrobe, and an obsession with guitar-trashing, drum-bashing music.

Did I mention I’m also a preacher’s kid? That’s right. And like the prodigal son after whom I modeled myself, I finally saw the error of my ways and returned to the fold.

Today my life is all about “lead me not into temptation.” When I’m not serving as Women’s Ministry Director at my father’s church, I’m working at Gloria’s Morning Café. I even have worthy goals, like saving enough money to buy the café, keep my Jelly Belly habit under control, and to never again hurt the people I love. No more parties. No more unsavory activities. And no more motorcycles! You’d think I was finally on the right track.

But since my dad’s replacement hired a hotshot church consultant to revive our “dying” church, things aren’t working out as planned. And now this “consultant” says I’m in need of a little reviving myself. Just who does this Maddox McCray think he is anyway? With his curly hair that could use a good clipping, tattoo that he makes no attempt to hide, and black leather pants, the man is downright dangerous. In fact, all that’s missing is a motorcycle. Or so I thought… But if he thinks he’s going to take me for a ride on that 1298cc machine of his, he can think again. Harriet Bisset is a reformed woman, and she’s going to stay that way. Even if it kills me!

PRAISE FOR SPLITTING HARRIET

"Tamara Leigh takes her experienced romance hand and delights readers with Chick Lit that sparkles and characters who come alive."
—kristin billerbeck, author of The Trophy Wives Club

"Can a rebel ever truly be reformed? This story of a prodigal daughter returned home proves God doesn't want us to rehabilitate ourselves; he just wants us to let him change our hearts. A soul-satisfying read, Leigh's vibrant story of forgiveness and grace is peopled with characters as colorful as a club-sized container of Jelly Bellys."
—SlRI L. MlTCHELL, author of The Cubicle Next Door

"Tamara Leigh delivers a thoroughly enjoyable story in Splitting Harriet. Harri dances off the pages and straight into our hearts with her hardheaded loyalty to the tradition-loving members of her church. Leigh digs deep as she delves into the inner workings of a church struggling with growth as seen through the eyes of its most compassionate and stubborn member. There's a Harri in each of us, which is why we love her so much."
—VIRGINIA SMITH, author of Stuck in the Middle

"Kudos to novelist Tamara Leigh. You'll fall in love with Harriet. She's quirky and slightly neurotic, a gal with a past who loves Jesus, snarfs jelly beans, and lives in a senior-citizen trailer park. Splitting Harriet raises the bar for Christian Chick Lit. This is a story with an edge, one that dares to go a bit deeper, yet entertains from beginning to end. Highly recommended!"
—annette smith, author of A Bigger Life and A Crooked Path

"'Splitting Harriet is every bit as clever as its title. With a cast of characters sure to make you smile, this book will not disappoint. Harriet's bad-girl past and imperfect-but-trying present make her relatable to the average woman who cringes at the rebellions of her own youth. If you're anything like me, you'll become as addicted to Harriet as she is to candy!"
—tracey bateman, author of Catch a Rising Star and Defiant Heart

"No split decision—Splitting Harriet is a fast, fun read. Harri is both as sweet as her Jelly Bellys and as forthright as a country waitress. Readers will cheer as Harri overcomes her fear of failure and of letting go to choose freedom, joy, and grace."
—sandra byrd, author of Let Them Eat Cake

"I love Harriet—prickly yet caring, full of self-doubt but trying, loving God but struggling. In other words, Harriet is just like us. You will love her too as well as the others at First Grace. Guaranteed."
—gale Roper, award-winning author of Fatal Deduction and Caught Redhanded

To all you veterans out there...

2007-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Thank You!

...and to my favorite veteran of all:

Sergeant David Meigs Jr (Army)
A CO 110th Chemical BN (TE)
Presently on his 4th tour in Iraq

Son, you make me very proud.

I love you buddy!

We miss you very much.

Stay safe & come home soon.

~Love Dad, Mom, Rochelle, Caleb, Joshua & John

...and all America too!

DEADFALL, by Robert Liparulo

2007-11-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Suspense novelist, Robert Liparulo, blew my socks off with his debut novel, Comes a Horseman, and then turned the heat up higher with his second thriller, Germ. But DEADFALL (Thomas Nelson) tops them all as my hands-down favorite Liparulo novel yet.

DEADFALL Rocks!

Attention audio book fans: .. DEADFALL is also available on CD (unabridged) in regular and MP3 formats.

...

Pick up a copy ... Audio CD ... MP3 CD

Read an excerpt ... Robert’s website
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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

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

He is currently working on his fourth novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Deep in the isolated Northwest Territories, four friends are on the trip of a lifetime. Dropped by helicopter into the Canadian wilderness, Hutch, Terry, Phil and David are looking to escape the events of a tumultuous year for two weeks of hunting, fishing and camping.

Armed only with a bow and arrow and the basics for survival, they've chosen a place far from civilization, a retreat from their turbulent lives. But they quickly discover that another group has targeted the remote region and the secluded hamlet of Fiddler Falls for a more menacing purpose: to field-test the ultimate weapon.

With more than a week before the helicopter rendezvous and no satellite phone, Hutch, a skilled bow-hunter and outdoor-survivalist, must help his friends elude their seemingly inescapable foes, as well as decide whether to run for their lives...or risk everything to help the townspeople who are being held hostage and terrorized.

PRAISE FOR DEADFALL

"Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining. Deadfall is an engrossing and imaginative tale. Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple."
—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Alexandria Link and The Venetian Betrayal

"In Deadfall, Robert Liparulo gives us a fresh, fast-paced novel that instills a well-founded fear of the villains and an admiration for the people who refuse to be victims. It truly deserves the name thriller."
—Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author of The Butcher's Boy and Silence

"What if Mad Max, Rambo, and the Wild Bunch showed up—all packing Star Wars-like weapons? You'd have Robert Liparulo's thrilling new adventure novel Deadfall. Robert Liparulo reminds us that small town life is still the scariest, and man's inhumanity to man is still The Most Dangerous Game."
—Katherine Neville, New York Times bestselling author of The Eight

"High-octane thrills are Robert Liparulo's specialty, and boy does he deliver in this ultimate tale of survival. "
—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Garden

"Liparulo delivers non-stop action that satisfies. Deadfall is a harrowing journey packed with disturbing twists and unexpected turns—an entirely modern interpretation of the classic hunter/hunted thriller novel."
—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Power Play and Killer Instinct

"Deadfall is a brilliantly crafted thriller with a terrifying premise and flawless execution. I loved it. "
—Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Fifth Vial

"Another brilliantly conceived and terrifying thriller from Robert Liparulo. Deadfall will leave you looking over your shoulder and begging for more."
—David H. Dun, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Silent

"Robert Liparulo is an extraordinary writer and Deadfall is an edge-of-the-seat thriller from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down! "
—Joan Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of The Price and The Rivals

"Robert Liparulo is a writer of immense talent."
—Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author of Relic and The Book of the Dead

"Deadfall is a heart-stopping game of survival. A masterful thriller!"
—Pat Mullan, Irish thriller writer and poet, author of Blood Red Square and The Root of All Evil

"The action never lets up in this thrill-a-page, pulse-pounding blockbuster. Robert Liparulo is a grand storyteller."
—Mystery Gazette

"Robert Liparulo has quickly established himself as one of the preeminent thriller writers around. And Deadfall is Liparulo at his absolute best. Very rarely does a writer come along who can entertain at the highest level while exploring human character so effectively."
—Bookshelf Review

"An explosive read, Deadfall will blast holes in any action fanatic's sleep pattern... full of hard and fast action and well developed characters.
—Titletrakk

"This pulse-pounding, thrilling adventure will hook you at the start and never let go."
—Fresh Fiction

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson

2007-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

It is November 1st, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

This month's feature author is:

LISA SAMSON

and her book:

Hollywood Nobody

Th1nk Books (August 30, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Samson is the author of twenty books, including the Christy Award-winning Songbird. Apples of Gold was her first novel for teens. Visit Lisa at http://www.lisasamson.com/

These days, she's working on Quaker Summer, volunteering at Kentucky Refugee Ministries, raising children and trying to be supportive of a husband in seminary. (Trying . . . some days she's downright awful. It's a good thing he's such a fabulous cook!) She can tell you one thing, it's never dull around there.

Other Novels by Lisa:
Straight Up, Club Sandwich, Songbird, Tiger Lillie, The Church Ladies, Women's Intuition: A Novel, Songbird, The Living End

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Hollywood Nobody: April 1

Happy April Fool’s Day! What better day to start a blog about Hollywood than today?

Okay, I’ve been around film sets my whole life. Indie films, yeah, and that’s all I’m saying about it here for anonymity’s sake. But trust me, I’ve had my share of embarrassing moments. Like outgrowing Tom Cruise by the age of twelve — in more ways than one, with the way he’s gotten crazier than thong underwear and low-rise jeans. Thankfully that fashion disaster has run for cover.

Underwear showing? Not a good idea.

Fact: I don’t know of a single girl who doesn’t wish the show-itall boxer-shorts phenomenon would go away as well. Guys, we just don’t want to see your underwear. Truthfully, we believe that there is a direct correlation between how much underwear you show and how much you’ve got upstairs, if you know what I mean.

I’ve seen the stars at their best and at their worst. And believe me, the worst is really, really bad. Big clue: you’d look just as pretty as they do if you went to such lengths. As you might guess, some of them are really nice and some of them are total jerks, and there’s a lot of blah in-betweeners. Like real life, pretty much, only the extremes are more extreme sometimes. I mean honestly, how many people under twenty do you know who have had more than one plastic surgery?

So you’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little hard on these folks. But if it was all sunshine and cheerleading, I doubt you’d read this blog for long, right?

Today’s Rant: Straightening irons. We’ve had enough of them, Little Stars, okay? It was bad on Helen Hunt at the Oscars, worse on Demi, yet worse on Madonna, and it’s still ridiculous. Especially on those women who are trying to hold onto their youth like Gollum holds onto that ring. Ladies, there’s a reason for keeping your hair at or above your shoulders once you hit forty, and ever after. Think Annette Bening. Now she’s got it going on. And can’t you just see why Warren Beatty settled down for her? Love her! According to The Early Show this morning, curls are back, and Little Me ain’t going to tell why I’m so glad about that!

Today’s Kudo: Aretha Franklin. Big, bold, beautiful, and the best. Her image is her excellence. Man, that woman can sing! She has a prayer chain too. I’m not very religious myself, but you got to respect people who back up what they say they believe. Unless it’s male Scientologists and "silent birth." Yeah, right. Easy for them to say.

Today’s News: I saw a young actor last summer at a Shakespeare festival in New England. Seth Haas. Seth Hot is more like it. I heard a rumor he’s reading scripts for consideration. Yes, he’s that hot. Check him out here. Tell all your friends about him. And look here on Hollywood Nobody for the first, the hottest news on this hottie. Girls, he’s only nineteen! Fair game for at least a decade-and-a-half span of ages.

I don’t know about you, but following the antics of new teen rock star Violette Dillinger is something I’m looking forward to. Her first album, released to much hype, hit Billboard’s no. 12 spot its third week out. And don’t you love her hit single "Love Comes Knocking on My Door"? This is going to be fun. A new celeb. Uncharted territory. Will Violette, who seems grounded and talented, be like her predecessors and fall into the "great defiling show-business machine" only to be spit out as a half-naked bimbo? We’ll see, won’t we? Keep your fingers crossed that the real artist survives.

Today’s Quote: "Being thought of as ‘a beautiful woman’ has spared me nothing in life. No heartache, no trouble. Beauty is essentially meaningless." Halle Berry

Later!

Friday, April 2

I knew it was coming soon. We’d been camped out in the middle of a cornfield, mind you, for two weeks. That poke on my shoulder in the middle of the night means only one thing. Time to move on.

"What, Charley?"

"Let’s head ’em on out, Scotty. We’ve got to be at a shoot in North Carolina tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got food to prepare, so you have to drive."

"I’m still only fifteen."

"It’s okay. You’re a good driver, baby."

My mom, Charley Dawn, doesn’t understand that laws exist for a reason, say, keeping large vehicles out of the hands of children. But as a food stylist, she fakes things all the time.

Her boundaries are blurred. What can I say?

Charley looks like she succumbed to the peer pressure of plastic surgery, but she hasn’t. I know this because I’m with her almost all the time. I think it’s the bleached-blond fountain of long hair she’s worn ever since I can remember. Or maybe the hand-dyed sarongs and shirts from Africa, India, or Bangladesh add to the overall appearance of youth. I have no idea. But it really makes me mad when anybody mistakes us as sisters.

I mean, come on! She had me when she was forty!

My theory: a lot of people are running around with bad eyesight and just don’t know it.

I throw the covers to my left. If I sling them to my right, they’d land on the dinette in our "home," to use the term in a fashion less meaningful than a Hollywood "I do." I grew up in this old Travco RV I call the Y.

As in Y do I have to live in this mobile home?

Y do I have to have such an oddball food stylist for a mother?

Y must we travel all year long? Y will we never live anyplace long enough for me to go to the real Y and take aerobics, yoga, Pilates or — shoot — run around the track for a while, maybe swim laps in the pool?

And Y oh Y must Charley be a vegan?

More on that later.

And Y do I know more about Hollywood than I should, or even want to? Everybody’s an actor in Hollywood, and I mean that literally. Sometimes I wonder if any of them even know who they are deep down in that corner room nobody else is allowed into.

But I wonder the same thing about myself.

"You’re not asking me to drive while you’re in the kitchen trailer, are you, Charley?"

"No. I can cook in here. And it’s a pretty flat drive. I’ll be fine."

I’m not actually worried about her. I’m thinking about how many charges the cops can slap on me.

Driving without a license.

Driving without a seat belt on the passenger.

Speeding, because knowing Charley, we’re late already.

Driving without registration. Charley figured out years ago how to lift current stickers off of license plates. She loves "sticking it to the man." Or so she says.

I kid you not.

Oh, the travails of a teenager with an old hippie for a mother. Charley is oblivious as usual as I continue my recollection of past infractions thankfully undetected by the state troopers:

Driving while someone’s in the trailer. It’s a great trailer, don’t get me wrong, a mini industrial kitchen we rigged up a couple of years ago to make her job easier. Six-range burner, A/C, and an exhaust fan that sucks up more air than Joan Rivers schmoozing on the red carpet. But it’s illegal for her to go cooking while we’re in motion.

"All right. Can I at least get dressed?"

"Why? You’re always in your pj’s anyway."

"Great, Mom."

"It’s Charley, baby. You know how I feel about social hierarchy."

"But didn’t you just give me an order to drive without a license? What if I say no?"

She reaches into the kitchen cupboard without comment and tips down a bottle of cooking oil. Charley’s as tall as a twelve-year-old.

"I mean, let’s be real, Charley. You do, in the ultimate end of things, call the shots."

I reach back for my glasses on the small shelf I installed in the side of the loft. It holds whatever book I’m reading and my journal. I love my glasses, horn-rimmed "cat glasses" as Charley calls them. Vintage 1961. Makes me want to do the twist and wear penny loafers.

"Can I at least pull my hair back?"

She huffs. "Oh, all right, Scotty! Why do you have to be so difficult?"

Charley has no clue as to how difficult teenagers can actually be. Here I am, schooling myself on the road, no wild friends. No friends at all, actually, because I hate Internet friendships. I mean, how lame, right? No boyfriend, no drugs. No alcohol either, unless you count cold syrup, because the Y gets so cold during the winter and Charley’s a huge conservationist. (Big surprise there.) I should be thankful, though. At least she stopped wearing leather fringe a couple of years ago.

I slide down from the loft, gather my circus hair into a ponytail, and slip into the driver’s seat. Charley reupholstered it last year with rainbow fabric. I asked her where the unicorns were and she just rolled her eyes. "Okay, let’s go. How long is it going to take?"

"Oh." She looks down, picks up a red pepper and hides behind it.

I turn on her. "You didn’t Google Map it?"

"You’re the computer person, not me." She peers above the stem. "I’m sorry?" She shrugs. Man, I hate it when she’s so cute. "Really sorry?"

"Charley, we’re in Wilmore, Kentucky. As in Ken-Tuck-EEE . As in the middle of nowhere." I climb out of my seat. "What part of North Carolina are we going to? It’s a wide state."

"Toledo Island. Something like that. Near Ocracoke Island. Does that sound familiar?"

"The Outer Banks?"

"Are they in North Carolina?"

Are you kidding me?

"Let me log on. This is crazy, Charley. I don’t know why you do this to me all the time."

"Sorry." She says it so Valley Girl-like. I really thought I’d be above TME: Teenage Mom Embarrassment. But no. Now, most kids don’t have mothers who dress like Stevie Nicks and took a little too much LSD back in the DAY. It doesn’t take ESP to realize who the adult in this setup is. And she had me, PDQ, out of the bonds of holy matrimony I might add, when she was forty (yes, I already told you that, but it’s still just as true), and that’s
OLD to be caught in such an inconvenient situation, don’t you think? The woman had no excuse for such behavior, FYI.

My theory: Charley’s a widow and it’s too painful to talk about my father. I mean, it’s plausible, right?

The problem is, I can remember back to when I was at least four, and I definitely do not remember a man in the picture. Except for Jeremy. More on him later too.

I flip up my laptop. I have a great satellite Internet setup in the Y. I rigged it myself because I’m a lonely geek with nothing better to do with her time than figure out this kind of stuff. I type in the info and wait for the directions. Satellite is slower than DSL, but it’s better than nothing.

"Charley! It’s seventeen hours away!" I scan the list of twists and turns between here and there. "We have to take a ferry to Ocracoke, and then Toledo Island’s off of there."

"Groovy!"

"Groovy died with platform shoes and midis."

"Whatever, Scotty." Only she says it all sunny. She’s a morning person.

"That phrase should be dead."

Honestly, I’m not big on lingo. I’ve never been good at it, which is fine by me. Who am I going to impress with cool-speak anyway? Uma Thurman? Yeah, right. "Okay, let’s go."

"We can go as long as possible and break camp on the way, you know?" Charley.

I climb back into the rainbow chair, throw the Y into drive, pull the brake, and we’re moving on down the road.

Again.

Sample from Hollywood Nobody / ISBN: 1-60006-091-9
Copyright © 2006 NavPress Publishing. All rights reserved. To order copies of this resource, come back to www.navpress.com.

Surrender Bay, by Denise Hunter

2007-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Coming November 6, to a bookstore near you, is the much awaited Surrender Bay (Thomas Nelson), by Denise Hunter. I have to admit that I was dubious about reading it, after all, it is a romance novel and I am such a manly man. Nevertheless, I was hooked on page one and couldn’t put it down.

It’s been a long time since a book has so captivated me. Surrender Bay is definitely one of the best books I’ve read all year.

Well done, Denise Hunter!

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Sam's estranged step-father dies, she inherits his ocean-front cottage in Nantucket--not because he kindly bequeathed it to her, but because he neglected to ever create a will. Sam returns to the island she left 11 years ago with her daughter Caden to fix up the house and sell it, but she isn't counting on is the fact that Landon Reed still lives two doors down from her childhood home. As their long-dormant romance begins to bud again, Sam must face the fact that Landon still doesn't know why she really left the island. Will the secrets she's hidden all these years tear them apart? Or is Landon's love really as unconditional as he claims?

Pick up a copy at Amazon ...... Visit Denise’s website ...... Read an excerpt

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped.

Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

In addition to Surrender Bay, the second Nantucket book releases in April 2008. The title is The Convenient Groom and features Kate Lawrence, a relationship advice columnist, whose groom dumps her on her wedding day. Denise is currently at work on the third Nantucket book (Oct 2008) which is untitled so far.

BOO HUMBUG, by Rene Gutteridge

2007-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

BOO HUMBUG (WaterBrook Press), by Rene Gutteridge is the perfect gift for every book lover on your Christmas list. This hot little page-turner is the 4th installment in the much loved BOO Series, behind BOO, BOO WHO & BOO HISS.

I fell in love with the full cast of delightful characters and especially the sleepwalking, obsessive-compulsive, Lois Stepaphanopolis. What a riot! I know you will love this book as much as I did. :)

ABOUT THE BOOK ....It’s Christmastime in Skary, Indiana, but the holiday season has been hijacked by maverick director Lois Stepaphanopolis as she attempts to bring her horror-ific vision of A Christmas Carol to life. But the holly-decked path from page to stage is a thorny one, as Lois attempts to rally her skeptical cast, including new father Wolfe Boone, and then she learns that her reluctant marketing director, Alfred Tennison, is truly a Christmas Scrooge.

Alfred’s grassroots marketing plan proves more than successful as the buzz builds that Skary should anticipate an overflowing audience for their opening night– but a crucial miscommunication leaves the visiting theatergoers expecting of a very different Christmas production. As chaos ensues, can the actors pull off an improv miracle — and can the Skary community convince their own Scrooge to embrace the true meaning of Christmas?

AUTHOR BIO... Rene Gutteridge is the author of several novels including Ghost Writer, the Boo series, and the Occupational Hazard novels. She is a published playwright with a degree in screenwriting and a decade of experience writing, directing, and publishing church comedy sketches. Rene is married to Sean, a musician, and is the mother of two. She is a fulltime novelist who lives and writes in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

WHAT OTHER'S ARE SAYING

“Move over Dickens, there’s a new Scrooge in town. Of course, this one may be heading for a straitjacket. With Boo Humbug, Rene Gutteridge serves up a romping good read that alternately had me scratching my head and chuckling. And just when I thought the tale had reached its peak--a surprise ending that delivers the Christmas message with feeling.”
–Tamara Leigh, author of Splitting Harriet

“A touch of eccentric, a measure of Dickens, and a generous dollop of love, and you have the perfect recipe for Christmas. Boo Humbug!”
–DiAnn Mills, When the Nile Runs Red

“What fun! I enjoyed Boo Humbug from the first page to the last. With characters that come alive and a storyline full of clever turns, it had me chuckling, cheering, and even reaching for a tissue at the end. I think I’ll have to start a new Christmas tradition — reading Rene Gutteridge’s Boo Humbug. I loved it!”
–Marlo Schalesky, author of 5 books, including Veil of Fire

“Only in Skary, Indiana, would a simple production of The Christmas Carol devolve into a hilarious disaster. With her trademark blend of insight and wit, Rene Gutteridge’s return to Skary is funny, heartwarming, and an absolute delight to read.”
–Melanie Dobson, author of Together for Good and Going for Broke

“In Boo Humbug, Rene Gutteridge and her loveable cast of characters present a story of Christmas unlike any other. Charming, witty, and fun, this tale promises to delight readers for years to come.”
–Diann Hunt, author of fourteen novels, including Be Sweet

Pick up a copy at Amazon ...... Visit Rene’s Website ..... Read an excerpt

THE RETURN, by Austin Boyd

2007-10-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

THE RETURN

(Navpress Publishing Group July 13, 2007)

by
Austin Boyd

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Austin Boyd writes from his experience as a decorated Navy pilot, spacecraft engineer and an astronaut candidate finalist. Austin lives with his wife Cindy and four children in America’s “Rocket City”--Huntsville, Alabama, where he directs business development for a large NASA and defense contractor. His creative talents include inspirational fiction and poetry, finely crafted reproduction colonial furniture, archery and long distance cycling. He serves his community as an advocate for a crisis pregnancy center and as a motivational speaker in the area of lifestyle evangelism.

THE RETURN is part of the Mars Hill Classified Series with The Evidence and The Proof

ABOUT THE BOOK:

IS SEEING BELIEVING?
Six years after completing a manned mission to the Red Planet, Admiral John Wells is set to make another journey to Mars. But this time his crew is not alone, as John's team encounters a secret colony comprised of individuals pursuing John Raines' strange religion, the "Father Race."

While John begins to uncover a web of lies on Mars, his wife and daughter are struggling for survival on earth. Now John must survive his dangerous mission and find a way back home, even as a shocking plan begins to unfold millions of miles away on earth.

Austin Boyd is back with his third thrilling novel in the Mars Hill Classified series, full of high-tech intrigue, memorable characters, and adventure that transports readers to another world.

From the Back Cover:

With nothing left for him on Earth, Rear Admiral John Wells didn't hesitate to lead a third NASA team to Mars, but he never dreamed that one day they'd look out their laboratory module into the lights of a slow-moving vehicle not their own. In the third installment of the Mars Hill Classified series, life on Mars becomes increasingly more unpredictable as the past collides with the future and nothing, not even the dead, is as it seems.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, the fate of hundreds, including John Wells' family--presumed dead these last six years--rests precariously in the hands of Malcolm Raines, self-proclaimed Guardian of the Mother Seed and Principal Cleric of Saint Michael's Remnant, and his insidious plans for the Father Race.

Wells will find himself in a race against time and all odds to expose the truth: about Mars, about Malcolm Raines, and, if he's very brave, about himself.

"Austin Boyd is one of the brightest new voices in Christian fiction. His long association with the space program lends authenticity as he reveals the turmoil in the minds and hearts of those who are willing to risk everything by making that journey. In The Return, we learn that both human emotions and God's presence reach far beyond the pull of Earth's gravity."
--Richard L Mabry, author of The Tender Scar

Illuminated, by Matt Bronleewe

2007-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Illuminated

(Thomas Nelson August 7, 2007)

Matt Bronleewe

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Matt Bronleewe is a recognized producer, songwriter and author. The former member of the band Jars of Clay, has earned numerous awards producing and co-writing albums that have sold a combined total of over 20 million copies. His songs have recently been recorded by Disney pop sensations Aly & AJ, American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, and more. Bronleewe has worked with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Michael W. Smith, International pop singer Natalie Imbruglia and Heroes star Hayden Panettiere.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Bronleewe was raised on a farm in Kansas, where he lived until he left for college in 1992. At Greenville College in Illinois, Bronleewe formed the band Jars of Clay with his dorm roommate and two neighbors, and the group soon found success. Though Bronleewe opted to leave Jars of Clay early on to pursue an academic career, he soon found himself in Nashville, co-writing, producing, and playing music professionally.

To add to his list of accomplishments, Bronleewe has expanded his love of story telling beyond music into authorship. He is currently penning a 5 book series for Thomas Nelson Fiction. Illuminated, in stores now, begins the adventurous series about rare manuscripts and the mysteries within.

Bronleewe currently resides in Brentwood, Tenn., with his wife and three children. He continues to write and produce music, and he also volunteers through his church to help disadvantaged youth in the community. Bronleewe enjoys reading, taste-testing good food and watching sports, as well as indulging his interests in art, architecture, design and science.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

IT'S BEEN 500 YEARS IN THE MAKING...PREPARE TO BE ILLUMINATED...
August Adams has failed his family before. He's sacrificed relationships in pursuit of adventure, fame, and money. Now the very lives of those he loves depend on his ability to decipher a centuries-old puzzle encrypted in the colorful hand-painted illuminations that adorn three rare Gutenberg Bibles.

It's a secret that could yield unimaginable wealth, undermine two major religions, and change the course of Western civilization. Two ruthless, ancient organizations are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. And August has the span of one transatlantic flight to figure it out.

If he fails, those he holds most dear will die. If he succeeds, he'll destroy a national treasure.

The clock ticks, the suspense mounts, and the body count rises as August pits his knowledge and his love for his family against the clock, secret societies, and even Johannes Gutenberg himself.

"...this rare breed of suspense thriller combines mysterious hidden clues, secret societies, buried treasure, double agents, and the Knights Templar...if you turned National Treasure into international treasure, traded DaVinci codes for Gutenberg Bibles, married it to Indiana Jones, and added the pacing of 24 you'd be in the neighborhood of Illuminated...on a scale of one to 10, this one goes to 11."
-Aspiring Retail Magazine

CRIMSON EVE, by Brandilyn Collins

2007-10-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today’s novel spotlight holds a special place in my heart. A year and a half ago, best selling author, Brandilyn Collins held auditions to write as one of several key characters in her upcoming Kanner Lake Series (Zondervan) in the new fan-fiction blog called Scenes and Beans.

I auditioned for the part of the curmudgeonly Wilbur Hucks and along with a couple other writers, won the part. My involvement began with the release of the first novel in the series, VIOLET DAWN (09/06) and lasted until the New Year. It was such an honor to be involved and I had a wonderful time.

CORAL MOON (04/07) was the second installment and now comes the much anticipated third novel, CRIMSON EVE. In my humble opinion, it’s the best one yet. Well done Brandilyn!

Pick up a copy at Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brandilyn Collins is a best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense™. These harrowing crime thrillers have earned her the tagline “Don’t forget to b r e a t h e…® ” She’s so well known in the industry there’s actually a club for her non-readers. That’s right. The Big Honkin’ Chickens Club (BHCC) members are proud of the fact that they’re too wimpy to read Brandilyn’s intense fiction. Now and then one of them tries. Bribing works pretty well. (Just ask Deb Raney.) Somehow they live to tell the tale.

Brandilyn writes for Zondervan, the Christian division of HarperCollins Publishers, and is currently at work on her 17th book. Her first book, A Question of Innocence, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including the Phil Donahue and Leeza talk shows.

She’s also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons), and often teaches at writers conferences. Brandilyn blogs at Forensics and Faith.

Visit her website to read the first chapters of all her books.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Carla stared at the gun and David Thornby—or whatever his name was. Her mind split in two, one side pleading this was some sick joke, the other screaming it was all too real.

“Please. You must have the wrong person. There’s no reason for someone to want me dead. I don’t have any enemies.”

“Then you’d best rethink your friends.”

Realtor Carla Radling shows an “English gentleman” a lakeside estate—and finds herself facing a gun. Who has hired this assassin to kill her, and why?

Forced on the run, Carla must uncover the scathing secrets of her past. Secrets that could destroy some very powerful people...

Brandilyn Collins fans and reviewers are saying Crimson Eve is her best book yet:

“Collins tops herself by creating a suspenseful nonstop thrill ride … Truly the best Christian Fiction suspense title so far this year.”
– Library Journal, starred review

“Crimson Eve is Collins at her very best. It left me feeling as if I’d climbed Mount Everest without oxygen … I didn’t think Brandilyn could outdo herself after reading Coral Moon. She did.”
–TitleTrakk.com

“I’ve never edited a more tightly crafted, deftly woven, compellingly written book.” –a Crimson Eve editor, with 20 years experience

“This is your best book! I could not stop reading!” – one of many readers with similar responses

Read about Violet Dawn and Coral Moon, books one and two in the Kanner Lake series.

Do you know someone who’s never read a Brandilyn Collins novel? Surely no such person exists. However, should you scrounge up such a friend—someone who enjoys suspense—here’s a special offer from Brandilyn. Be among the first 50 people between now and October 21, 2007 to e-mail her assistant at gayle.brandilyncollins@gmail.com with the person’s name, e-mail address and street address. (Due to exorbitant overseas mailing costs, United States residents only, please).

A signed copy of Crimson Eve will be sent to your friend—free—along with an e-mail from Brandilyn announcing the book is on its way, courtesy of you. (Don’t worry. Brandilyn won’t spam these email addresses. She just wants your friend to know who to thank.) No worries that this story is third in the Kanner Lake series. Each book stands alone. Brandilyn is convinced your friend will so love Crimson Eve, he/she will surely reciprocate with expensive chocolate.

Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far, by Amy Grant

2007-10-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have FREE copies of Mosaic for the first 3 people to email me (USA only).

Let’s begin today’s book spotlight by saying what this book is not. It is not another glamorized collection of fluff hyped by a publicist somewhere. It’s more—much, much more.

What this is, is a rare glimpse into the life of Amy Grant, the real person. Between the covers of Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far (WaterBrook), the author opens a window into her own soul. Amy Grant shares her memories, both happy and sad, and the lyrics to the songs they inspired.

By the time I finished reading the book, I felt like Amy was an old family friend. You will too.

Order from Amazon .......... Read an excerpt from the book

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Grant got her start in the music business with a part-time job sweeping up a Nashville music studio, which provided the perfect opportunity to duplicate a tape of her original songs as a gift for her family. A studio executive overheard her recordings–and the rest is music history.

Since the surprising success of her debut album thirty years ago, Amy has grown into a music legend, with six Grammy Awards, twenty-six Dove Awards, and six pop chart-topping hits to her credit. An inductee into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, she also was honored in 2006 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Amy lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, country music star Vince Gill. She has four children, Matt, Millie, Sarah, and Corrina, and one step-daughter, Jenny.

FROM THE BACK COVER

One of America’s most popular music artists shares beautiful pieces of an unforgettable human mosaic, revealing pieces of a life in progress.

With her unmistakable voice and honest lyrics, Amy Grant has captured a unique place in American music. As the bestselling Christian music artist of all time, a crossover pop sensation, and the wife of country music star Vince Gill, Amy has lived much of her life in the spotlight, subject to adulation, speculation, and scrutiny. Now for the first time she bares her heart and soul to reveal thoughts on everything from motherhood and marriage to fame and forgiveness. Whether describing personal moments alone on a moonlit hillside or very public ones performing with the likes of Tony Bennett and James Taylor, Amy presents a captivating collection of beautiful reflections on life, love, and faith.

Includes Never Before Published Lyrics to New Songs

Rendered with the lyrical insight we see in her music, Amy reflects on the pieces of her life through the years, forming a vivid mosaic of memories rich in color, varied in texture, and united in their heartfelt design.

A FEW WORTHY QUOTES

“Kids know who they are the minute they are born. As parents, we have the fascinating job of slowly discovering them.” p. 73

“Vince said with a smile, ‘Amy I don’t take credit where it isn’t due. I love you, but I can’t say I always understand you. What I can say is that I welcome you. I welcome you, and whatever you bring to the table.’” p. 105

“The beauty of being in the middle of life is the vantage point it provides…Even from here I can see that growing old is not for the cowardly.” p. 117

“This is trust: doing what you believe you are called to do and trusting that God will provide.” p. 120

“Like everybody else, I wish I were in better shape or had planned an upcoming event little more thoroughly. I wish I were neater. I wish I weighed what I weighed when I was in the thirties. But all those things are for another day. This day—at a hundred and forty-five pounds, at forty-six years old, with a few gray hairs and not quite enough sleep—this is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” p. 144

“At one point when I was struggling with a particularly tall thistle with a stubborn root, Terry called out to me, ‘You know, Amy, sin is a lot like that thistle you are struggling with. It can look so beautiful to the eye, be so pleasant to the senses that you hardly notice the seeds are spreading until whole fields are taken over by them.” p. 64

THE BUZZ

“Amy Grant is a remarkable woman whose contributions to the worlds of faith, charity, and entertainment continue to put her in a class of her own. And in many ways, Amy’s wonderful new book, Mosaic, is a lot like Amy herself: it sparkles with energy, brims with love, and is blessed with the same deep and beautiful spirit that I’ve witnessed so many times when Amy has performed for the kids of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. How like her to have written a book that truly celebrates the magic and poetry of life.”
—MARLO THOMAS, actress and author

“Amy is one of our favorite friends. Her life is as inspiring as her music.”
—BARBARA AND GEORGE BUSH

“Amy Grant is a bouquet of Tennessee spring flowers. Not the floral-shop type with ribbons and a greeting card, but rather the just-picked ones. Fragrant. Radiant. You spotted them in a meadow and couldn’t resist. Now they sit on the table giving fragrance and color. Amy does that as she paints and perfumes our world with her faith, her music, and her words.”
—MAX LUCADO, minister and best-selling author

“Amy Grant is simply one of the most gifted communicators I have ever known. I’ve been on stage with her in front of thousands of people—and I’ve been with her in quiet private moments when she’s offered hope and healing to someone in need. In either situation, and in everything in between, I’ve been moved by her subtle strength and her ability to say the right thing at the right time. In the lyric of a song and now in this book, Amy can turn a phrase like no other. I’m so blessed to know her and so glad that she’s sharing part of her life in these pages.”
—MICHAEL W. SMITH, singer/songwriter

“I know of no one in our field more generous of her time, talent, or resources than Amy. In my experience, one of the major pieces in the mosaic of Amy’s life so far has to be caring about others.”
—BILL GAITHER, artist, writer, and producer

“Amy Grant draws from a well of experience as a daughter, wife, mother, writer, and entertainer. Like all of us, she has had her own personal storms in life; however, her faith has never wavered. Through it all, she has given of herself and her resources to help others, and remains an inspiration to millions.”
—FRANKLIN GRAHAM, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse

Never Look Back, by Kathy Herman

2007-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today’s novel spotlight is Never Look Back (Multnomah), by best-selling author, Kathy Herman. Never Look Back is the second installment in the Phantom Hollow Series, followed by Ever Present Danger. The third and final book, The Grand Scheme, is scheduled for release in April 2008.

Never Look Back set the hook on page one and dragged me by the heartstrings through a delightful tale wrought with suspense, twists, turns, hope and redemption. It kept me up until two-thirty in the morning. I just couldn’t put it down!

Never Look Back has earned my highest recommendation. But be sure to pick up Ever Present Danger too, because you won’t want to miss a thing.

Pick up a copy at Amazon .......... Visit Kathy’s Website

AUTHOR BIO

Kathy Herman is the bestselling author of twelve novels, including The Baxter series, Poor Mrs. Rigsby, and the Seaport Suspense novels. Her thought-provoking stories are ordinary enough to be believable, and extraordinary enough to stick with the reader long after the cover is closed. Kathy and her husband, Paul, live in Texas and have three grown children and five grandchildren. They enjoy world travel, deep sea fishing, and bird watching–sometimes incorporating all three into one big adventure!

BOOK SUMMARY

FORGIVENESS IS ONE THING,
BUT WHO REALLY FORGETS?

Ivy Griffith has been released from jail after serving time for covering up the strangulation death of a high school classmate ten years earlier. She’s paid her debt to society. Kicked her drug habit. She’s making a fresh start.

Problem is, everyone in her hometown of Jacob’s Ear, Colorado, knows what she did. And her seven-year-old son, Montana, won’t stop probing about the father he has never met–the man Ivy was too stoned to even remember.

Plagued by her own shame and her little boy’s cries for male affirmation, Ivy is thrilled when Rue Kessler takes an interest in Montana and her. Maybe, just maybe, he’s the answer to prayer she’s been waiting for.

But Rue has a shadow hanging over his past and is suspected in a rash of bizarre, brutal beatings. He denies any involvement, and Ivy believes him–until she discovers he and Montana have kept a secret from her.

At a loss for what to believe or where to turn, Ivy’s on the verge of despair and wonders if even God has given up on her. Or is something bigger at play here–something being orchestrated outside of her control that’s about to bring down the curtain on everything including her past?

THE BUZZ

“Never Look Back picks up speed, racing around twists and turns, so you have to hang on tight until the end. Now I need to read the next book in the series.”

-Lauraine Snelling, bestselling author of The Red River of the North and Dakota Treasures Series, as well as The Brushstroke Legacy.

“Once again, Kathy Herman creates a world full of intrigue and suspense, full of characters easy to love, with poignant emotional and spiritual threads that transcend story and touch hearts. I cheered for Ivy and Montana and their story of hope and second chances. Don’t miss Never Look Back!”

- Susan May Warren, award-winning author of In Sheep’s Clothing

“Two lives tangled in past mistakes. A relationship no one approves of. A vicious attacker with an escalating agenda. Never Look Back is a powerful story–and an exciting read!–of how God can work for good even in the midst of evil.”

- Lorena McCourtney, author of The Ivy Malone Mystery Series

“Kathy Herman creates real characters dealing with real problems. Her novels contain unexpected moments that leave the reader wanting more. Never Look Back is no exception.”

- Janet Benrey, co-author of Glory Be! and Gone to Glory

“In Never Look Back, Kathy Herman crafts an intriguing story about fresh starts and the depths of God’s forgiveness. With likeable characters and an unlikely villain, Never Look Back makes for a truly entertaining read.”

- Marlo Schalesky, author of Veil of Fire

“Grab hold for the twists and turns of Kathy Herman’s compelling suspense filled with complex characters, vivid setting, and a red-herring plot in Never Look Back.”

- Gail Gaymer Martin, author of Michigan and Finding Christmas, a Booksellers Best Award winner.

“Kathy Herman just keeps getting better. The deep characters, heartfelt storyline, and escalating drama in Never Look Back left me wanting more. Congratulations, Kathy!”

- Creston Mapes, author of Nobody

“Kathy Herman has created a vivid sense of place in Never Look Back, an absorbing tale of suspense and intrigue filled with characters to root for–and remember.”

- Mindy Starns Clark, author of the Smart Chick Mysteries and the Million Dollar Mysteries

“Never Look Back is another page-turning mystery that will make you wish you lived in Jacob’s Ear. These characters are sure to welcome you in, offer you a cup of coffee, and ask you who you think is the villain. And if you think you know, think again. This one can fool even the most brilliant amateur sleuths among us.”

- Wanda Dyson, author of The Shefford/Johnson Case Files Suspense Series

My Life Unscripted, by Tricia Goyer

2007-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Anyone who works with youth as I do can testify that teenage girls are often ruled by their emotions. These kids ride a habitual rollercoaster of raging hormones and peer-pressure, where every little hiccup in a relationship explodes out of proportion. They seem to live and even thrive on drama. The term “teenage drama queen” aptly applies.

Today’s book spotlight tackles this tumultuous teen-hood dilemma by giving kids a way of using scriptwriting to objectively examine their choices before actually facing those difficult life-situations.

In MY LIFE UNSCRIPTED (Thomas Nelson), the author, Tricia Goyer, courageously wrote mini-scripts of some of her own most intimate struggles from her teenage years. Its powerful, life changing message touched my heart.

I decided to test the material on a real-live, teenage girl from my youth group. I asked Anjulie to read the book and then to write a short script of her own. She even agreed to a short interview! I’ve posted the results below.

I highly recommend MY LIFE UNSCRIPTED as a ministry tool for teenage girls, or for that special drama queen in your life. Well done, Tricia Goyer!

PICK UP A COPY ........ READ AN EXCERPT ........ TRICIA’S WEBSITE

ABOUT TRICIA

Tricia Goyer was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference "Writer of the Year" in 2003. Tricia was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award and she also won ACFW's "Book of the Year" for Long Historial Romance in 2005 AND in 2006. She has written hundreds of articles, Bible Study notes, and both fiction and non-fiction books. She's married to John, and they have three great kids whom she homeschools: Cory (17), Leslie (14), and Nathan (12). They make their home in Northwest Montana with their dogs, Lilly and Jake.

.

MY INTERVIEW WITH ANJULIE

ANJULIE'S SCRIPT

Int.
Basement-afternoon-establishing
ANN (12), sits against the table. Across from her are WILLIAM (18), JASEY (15), and ADAM (10). In front of her there is a line of white powder half gone, next to the powder lies an empty pen shell.

ADAM: So…..what do you think? I told you it was great!!!!

ANN: My nose hurts, but that was awesome! (coughing)

William and Jasey laugh.

WILLIAM: And it only gets better from here (he pulls out a bottle of Vodka from under his coat) you ready to try this.

ANN: (laughing) You're hilarious! Do you really think this is the first time I have ever had cheap Vodka?

JASEY: Told you Will, she's not a goody-goody. Her parents keep her trapped up in her house most of the day. What the heck do you think she does to keep herself sane?

They all begin to laugh. William opens the bottle takes a swig and passes it around.

WILLIAM: (slurring his words) Sooo Ann do you want to buy some or not?

ANN: Duh…here take it before I change my mind (hands William $60) How long does this stuff last?

JASEY: Well you'll get off your HIGH horse (chuckling at his own joke) in about 3 hours. But trust me honey, you'll want more before then.

Jasey puts on some music and before long they are all high and drunk.

WILLIAM: Ann are you OK?

ANN: Actually, I am getting really tired... OH @#*^, I'm gonna barf.

ANN runs to the bathroom, and isn't seen again for about 10 minutes. ADAM walks in after her and finds her passed out on the floor of the bathroom

ADAM: I am sooo not carrying her home.

JASEY: I'll have my sister call her mom and ask if she can spend the night…..

WILLIAM: Let's have some fun first.

,
FADE OUT