Healing Promises by Amy Wallace

Greetings Readers! 

This book was good, but rough! Oh ouch, such a deep walk through this book where one of the main characters, Clint, has cancer. And, he isn't just fighting for his life battling cancer, and praying, but he is an FBI agent. In this case that means he is trying to catch and stop a serial killer. Not just any serial killer, but one who is killing children.  Whew! Many plot lines in this book will keep the reader moving back and forth from one story line to another to see how they all "tie" in to each other.  As a teenager I was home-schooled, so my kudos go to Amy Wallace! I don't know if it is my life experiences with being a child who was home-schooled that make me see how much differently it effected Amy's clarity in writing all her characters who are children, or not. But I do deeply appreciate the way she wrote the children into her book.

As for the cancer aspect, I have several family members who have battled cancer. It is not unknown to me, and Amy Wallace did a fine job showing what the battle can be like for someone. It would not hurt anyone deal with cancer, or who has a family dealing with cancer to read this book! 

Carol :) 

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Healing Promises

(Multnomah Publishers - April 15, 2008)

by

Amy Wallace

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



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

ABOUT THE BOOK

Facing a new threat.

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

Frozen in fear.

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

Faith under fire.

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

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601420102

The Warriors By Mark Andrew Olsen

Greetings Readers!

 

The words that come to me to describe this book are "Real Life"! I realize that so many people do not see in the Spirit, but for those of us who do, life is *never* the same as everyone else's. Life here on Earth is never dull, it is never boring, it is instead an on going war until Jesus comes back end the battle. Those of us who see Angels, and Demons live lives that are not really the same as other people's. We often just sit and pray. Many who do not see do not understand. In this book those who see are called Watchers or Warriors. They have a huge mission to fulfill, and just as you or I, they don't always know exactly where God is leading them, only that He is leading.

As Christians we live in a physical world that is totally controlled by a Spirit world. Some people believe this, and others do not. Do I see, yes, I do. Do I know others who see? Yes, I do. Do I know ever so many who do not see, yes indeed! The fresh open honest writing of this book leads me to believe that if Mark Andrew Olsen doesn't see, he knows many people who do. You (Yes, you my readers!) are in a life and death battle that you need to learn more about to survive in this world. Thus, this book is highly recommended reading. It isn't just a really good story, but it is a peak into the real lives of people who live like this daily. A fast paced action packed read, this book has many merits! I urge you to check it out! 

Carol :) 

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Warriors
(Bethany House April 1, 2008)
by
Mark Andrew Olsen


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MARK ANDREW OLSEN whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated on bestsellers Hadassah (now the major motion picture: One Night With the King), The Hadassah Covenant, and Rescued. His last novel was the supernatural thriller The Watchers.

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

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076420274X

The Big Picture By Jenny B. Jones

Greetings Readers! 

The big picture, something larger than we are currently seeing! How many times are we concentrating on the little things, and missing the bigger picture? More often than we wish to say I think! This is the story of a teenage girl, Katie Parker. Her life has not been what she wants it to be. It is, like most of our lives, fraught with complications, issues, decisions that aren't clear, emotions that are hard to filter, and yet....life goes on. 

While I realize this book is in the teenage market, it is a wonderful book for adults as well. It is not trapped into an age range for anyone who remembers what it was like to be a teenager. Even as adults we still often face "teenaged' problems that have carried over into our "adult" lives. The Big Picture is well written with plenty of things to entertain anyone who reads it. I loved the characters, they were all people that I, and many others I am sure, can relate to in our own lives. I was particularly fond of Tate, and I am so glad that Jenny B. Jones worked that plot in the story line out like she did! It was what we the readers were pulling for! ;) I also really enjoyed reading a book that was written like I think at times. I don't know that everyone does this, but so often in my life I am thinking one thing while I make sure the "right and proper" things come out of my mouth. My brain in screaming prayers, while my mind works to deal with whatever situation is at hand. 

A well paced interesting read, I barely put this book down. Congratulations Jenny B. Jones on a wonderful book! 

Carol :) 

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Big Picture
(NavPress Publishing Group April 15, 2008)
by
Jenny B. Jones

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jenny B. Jones is the author of A Katie Parker Production series. The other books in the series are In Between and On The Loose. Though now an adult, she still relates to the trauma and drama of teen life. She is thrilled to see her writing dreams come true, as her previous claim to fame was singing the Star Spangled Banner at a mule-jumping championship. (The mules were greatly inspired.)

Jenny resides in Arkansas, where, as a teacher, she hangs out with teens on a regular basis.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Sometimes there’s a fine line between comedy and tragedy—and Katie Parker is walking it.

School is winding down for the summer but Katie Parker is having a bad day. After leaving the drive-in, where her imploding love life was the main attraction, Katie arrives home to a big surprise on the Scott's front porch.

Her mother, Bobbie Ann Parker, a former convict and recovering addict, wants to take Katie away from her family, friends, and church. Now Katie's life will be changed by a series of dramatic choices as she struggles to understand what family and home really means.

Katie is forced to walk away from In Between, leaving behind a family who loves her, a town drive-in to save, and a boyfriend who suddenly can’t take his eyes off his ex. When the life her mother promised begins to sink faster than one of Maxine’s stuffed bras, Katie knows she needs to rely on God to keep it together.

But where is he in all this? Can Katie survive a chaotic life with her mother—and one without the Scotts? And if God is there, will he come through before it’s too late?

A Katie Parker Production series offers teen girls real-world fiction balanced by hope and humor. The The Big Picture helps us realize that the difficult chapters in our journey are only part of God's big story for our lives.

You can read the first chapter HERE

"A heroine to love. Jones just gets better with every book, and The Big Picture is her best one yet."
~BARBARA WARREN, author of The Gathering Storm

"Such inspiration in a package of fun and faith!"
~EVA MARIE EVERSON, author of the Potluck Club series

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1600062083

Winter Haven by Athol Dickson

Hello Everyone!

At first I wasn't sure about this book. The opening didn't really catch me, I got a bit lost even at the front of it. A few pages later it latched on and I was hooked! LOL! Interestingly enough, there is a Winter Haven in Florida, but the setting is this book is far better than Florida. This book starts out with a murder, or at least a missing person, once you get into it just a bit. Vera's brother, who is 4 years old than herself, has been missing for 13 years. His body has washed ashore, so she has to go ID the body. It isn't as simple as oh, a person drowned, or anything like that. You see, Vera's brother is (or was?) autistic! (Ah, now we get to something I know some about!) Better yet, he is a Savant! A Savant who has the ENTIRE Bible memorized. What a gift!

However, as in my life nothing is as simple as it might seem on the surface. Vera is throw for a huge loop! Her brother's body has NOT AGED! To make it worse for her, Vera is seeing thing and she isn't sure if she is having visions, or just loosing her mind, or if God really just wrote her off and punished her! Vera has had so many tragic things happen to her in her life. Even her boss uses her! Can Vera figure out what happened to her brother? Can she cope with what she is seeing? Is it real, or is what she is seeing her finally loosing her mind from it all, and last but not least at all, what does Evan Frost have to do with this? He is into Viking, and so was her brother Siggy. Will Frost's spooky mansion be the healing, or the death of Vera?

I would say this book was as good as the movie "Gothica", and has a nice gothic feel to a good deal of it. I grew up on Nancy Drew and other mystery books, and I LOVE a good mystery! This book is a very good one!!!

Carol :)

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Winter Haven
(Bethany House April 1, 2008)
by
Athol Dickson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Athol Dickson's university-level training in painting, sculpture, and architecture was followed by a long career as an architect then his decision several years ago to devote full time to writing.Athol Dickson’s writing has been favorably compared to the work of Octavia Butler(Publisher’s Weekly), Daphne du Maurier (Cindy Crosby, FaithfulReader.com) and FlanneryO’Connor (The New York Times).His They Shall See God was a Christy Award finalist and his River Rising was a Christy Award winner, selected as one of the Booklist Top Ten Christian Novels of 2006 and a finalist for Christianity Today's Best Novel of 2006.He and his wife, Sue, live in Southern California. Visit www.AtholDickson.com for more information.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Boys who never age, giants lost in time, mist that never rises, questions never asked...on the most remote of islands off the coast of Maine, history haunts the present and Vera Gamble wrestles with a past that will not yield. Will she find refuge there, or will her ghosts prevail on...Winter Haven Eleven years ago, Vera Gamble's brother left their house never to be seen again. Until the day Vera gets a phone call that his body has been found...washed ashore in the tiny island town of Winter Haven, Maine. His only surviving kin, Vera travels north to claim the body...and finds herself tumbling into a tangled mystery. Her brother hasn't aged a day since last she saw him.Determined to uncover what happened in those lost years, Vera soon discovers there are other secrets lurking in this isolated town. But Winter Haven's murky past now seems bound to come to light as one woman seeks the undeniable and flooding light of truth.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764201646

The Begotton by Lisa T. Bergrer :Book 1 of The Gifted Series

Hello Readers!

POWERFUL! That is the first word that I can use to describe this book! Here is a book that is well written, and could compare to The Davinci Code in all the good ways, and none of the ones that upset!!! It also reminded me of the thrill the first Star Wars movie caused, this is definatly an epic!!! I thoroughly enjoyed the way that the characters met and meshed. It was wonderful to read and follow along. I felt like Bormeo, that I had a view of the whole thing from a wonderful perspective as it occurred. I loved the way that Lisa T. Bergren kept this book true to the Bible, but yet as real as anything I have lived in my life. :D So many people have gifts they don't use and talents that they hide away when God meant for us to use them for His kingdom and His glory. The imagery in this book was right on target, and it doesn't hurt that this is the kind of reading that is one of my most favorites! I really do hope to read the next book in this series, this one was just excellent!

Carol :)

Featured book, The Begotten http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0425210162

Featured author, Lisa T. Bergren Web site - http://www.lisatawnbergren.com/home.html

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My Soul To Keep By Melanie Wells

Hey Everyone!

What a book!!! Where have you been hiding Melanie Wells? WOW! Where is book 1 and 2, because I want to read them also. I did feel a wee bit lost that I don't know more about Peter Terry from the first 2 books, but at the same time, I was not so lost that I couldn't follow along. ;) I am really happy to have been able to read a book that see somethings like I see them. I know I said it before, but once again, this book would be a *wonderful* movie! :D It is gripping, it is well written, it is well paced, and I can't wait to read more of Melanie Wells's work! I want to add her to my new favorite authors list!

Carol :)

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
My Soul To Keep
(Multnomah Books - February 5, 2008)
by
Melanie Wells

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A native of the Texas panhandle and the child of musicians, Melanie Wells attended Southern Methodist University on a music scholarship (she's a fiddle player), and later completed graduate degrees in counseling psychology and Biblical studies at Our Lady of the Lake University and Dallas Theological Seminary. She has taught at the graduate level at both OLLU and DTS, and has been in private practice as a counselor since 1992. She is the founder and director of LifeWorks counseling associates in Dallas, Texas, a collaborative community of creative therapists. When the Day of Evil Comes is her first published work of fiction, and the first of a three-book series. The second work, The Soul Hunter was released in May, 2006. Melanie lives and writes in Dallas.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

As nasty as I knew Peter Terry to be, I never expected him to start kidnapping kids. Much less a sweet, funny little boy with nothing to protect him but a few knock-kneed women, two rabbits and a staple gun…It’s psychology professor Dylan Foster’s favorite day of the academic year…graduation day. And her little friend Christine Zocci’s sixth birthday. But the joyful summer afternoon goes south when a little boy is snatched from a neighborhood park, setting off a chain of events that seen to lead nowhere.The police are baffled, but Christine’s eerie connection with the kidnapped child sends Dylan on a chilling investigation of her own. Is the pasty, elusive stranger Peter Terry to blame? Exploding light bulbs, the deadly buzz of a Texas rattlesnake, and the vivid, disturbing dreams of a little girl are just pieces of a long trail of tantalizing clues leading Dylan in her dogged search for the truth.

“Like water rising to a boil, My soul To Keep’s suspense sneaks up on you…before you know it, you’re in the thick if a frightening drama…Superbly crafted.”---ROBERT LIPARULO, author of Deadfall, Germ, and Comes A Horseman

“Written with passion, a good dose of humor and, dare I say it, soul, this novel reminds us that we all, with grace and good fortune, bumble our way toward salvation.”---K. L. COOK, author of Late Call and The Girl From Charmelle

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590524284

Trouble The Water by Nicole Seitz

Greetings my readers!

I suppose books that are about sisters will always make me twinge a wee bit that I don't have one. I do have a much beloved brother though, so thankfully I am not devoid of a close sibling relationship. I enjoyed the style of this book, and the accents that I can hear in my mind as I read. The "accents" were a joy to read. I am Southern born and raised, so a book with Southern accents and feel to it feels like "home" to me.

In this book there is an illness that so many, even my own Mother have dealt with. A word that strikes fear in the hearts of most people, cancer. While most of us who are close to Christ know that cancer is a word that is under the name of Jesus, because his name is above *all* names, it doesn't make it an easy thing to have someone you know and love have to fight off such a thing. I can tell you from personal experience with more than once person that cancer changes a person. Sometimes that change is temporary, sometimes it is forever. I am not going to tell you who, but I will tell you that someone in this book had cancer and that you need to read this book to find out who, and what effects it had. This is not a depressing book, but a realistic and healing book and that is another reason I can say that it is a good book to read!
Carol :)

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Trouble the Water
Thomas Nelson (March 11, 2008)
by
Nicole Seitz

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Seitz is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and the author of The Spirit of Sweetgrass as well as a freelance writer/illustrator who has published in numerous low country magazines. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole shows her paintings in the Charleston, South Carolina area, where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children. Nicole is also an avid blogger, you can leave her a comment on her blog. Seitz's writing style recalls that of Southern authors like Kaye Gibbons, Anne Rivers Siddons, and Sue Monk Kidd, and this new novel, which the publisher compares to Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, surely joins the ranks of strong fiction that highlights the complicated relationships between women. Highly recommended, especially for Southern libraries.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the South Carolina Sea Islands lush setting, Nicole Seitz's second novel Trouble the Water is a poignant novel about two middle-aged sisters' journey to self-discovery. One is seeking to recreate her life yet again and learns to truly live from a group of Gullah nannies she meets on the island. The other thinks she's got it all together until her sister's imminent death from cancer causes her to re-examine her own life and seek the healing and rebirth her troubled sister managed to find on St. Anne's Island.Strong female protagonists are forced to deal with suicide, wife abuse, cancer, and grief in a realistic way that will ring true for anyone who has ever suffered great loss.

"This is another thing I know for a fact: a woman can't be an island, not really. No, it's the touching we do in other people's lives that matters when all is said and done. The silly things we do for ourselves--shiny new cars and jobs and money--they don't mean a hill of beans. Honor taught me that. My soul sisters on this island taught me that. And this is the story of true sisterhood. It's the story of Honor, come and gone, and how one flawed woman worked miracles in this mixed-up world."

"...a special sisterhood of island women whose wisdom and courage linger in the mind long after the book is closed."-NEW YORK TIMES best-selling author SUSAN WIGGS

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595544003