Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Painted Dresses by Patricia Hickman

Hi Readers! 

This book is about Gaylen, and her life. She has her life falling apart, nightmares and stress, and on top of it all, has to take care of her younger sister, Delia. All Gaylen's life, her sister Delia has not been "all there" mentally. Since Gaylen's marriage is gone as well, she is doing her best to deal with her Father's death when Delia gets them into an incident! Fleeing to a family cabin, they find  and get very curious about several famed painted dress! Yep, the dresses have been dipped in paint, and mounted on canvas. 

The dresses start to lead a trail into the past.  Each one has a relations name on the back, and since the Aunt who owned the cabin is dead, it falls to these sisters go seeking long "lost" family members. In the process they start to find the truth, secrets, and lies hidden behind the "paint" of each dress.  These Southern women, (YEAH SOUTHERN GALS!) are going to have to figure out who to live whole lives, with out secrets or shame from things in the past. This book has lots of Faith issues in it, and over all it was quite likable. 

Carol :) 



This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Painted Dresses

(WaterBrook Press - July 15, 2008)

by

Patricia Hickman



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

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

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

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


ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400071992
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Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

Hello Readers! 

If you like "Law and Order" or "CSI" type TV shows then I think you will like this book! (Yes, I like both shows.) I have really been enjoying it. I found the first part harder to get into, but I was tired so I can't say that it is the book. Once I dug in for a few chapters I was hooked. I have always loved a good murder mystery, and this one has Nuns and Priests in it. To me, that makes it more unique! 

The law aspect is wonderful! I appreciate Mr. Bell writing about what he knows in such a wonderful way! I really enjoyed the main character being a lawyer working for the "little man". It is a nice setting to have a lawyer living on church grounds and actively working to represent those who have no one to represent them otherwise.  In fact, I wish I could have Ty Buchanan on my side for legal representation if the need arose again!

We would all do well to remember that uncovering evil is never easy. It doesn't want to be exposed, and it will fight being brought into the light. It often has to be exposed and dealt with. I do not think you will be disappointed with this book! 

Carol :) 

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Try Darkness

(Center Street - July 30, 2008)

by

James Scott Bell



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JAMES SCOTT BELL is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He has also been the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.

The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up and still lives in Los Angeles. His first Buchanan thriller, TRY DYING, was released to high critical praise, while his book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Ty Buchanan is living on the peaceful grounds of St. Monica’s, far away from the glamorous life he led as a rising trial lawyer for a big L.A. firm. Recovering from the death of his fiancée and a false accusation of murder, Buchanan has found his previous ambitions unrewarding. Now he prefers offering legal services to the poor and the underrepresented from his “office” at local coffee bar The Freudian Sip. With his new friends, the philosophizing Father Bob and basketball-playing Sister Mary Veritas, Buchanan has found a new family of sorts.

One of his first clients is a mysterious woman who arrives with her six-year-old daughter. They are being illegally evicted from a downtown transient hotel, an interest that Ty soon discovers is represented by his old law firm and his former best friend, Al Bradshaw. Buchanan won’t back down. He’s going to fight for the woman’s rights. But then she ends up dead, and the case moves from the courtroom to the streets. Determined to find the killer and protect the little girl, who has no last name and no other family, Buchanan finds he must depend on skills he never needed in the employ of a civil law firm.

The trail leads Buchanan through the sordid underbelly of the city and to the mansions and yachts of the rich and famous. No one is anxious to talk. But somebody wants Buchanan to shut up. For good. Now he must use every legal and physical edge he knows to keep himself and the girl alive. Once again evoking the neo-noir setting of contemporary Los Angeles, Bell delivers another thriller where darkness falls and the suspense never rests.

If you would like to read chapters 1 & 2, go HERE


“Bell has created in Buchanan an appealing and series-worthy protagonist, and the tale equally balances action and drama, motion and emotion. Readers who pride themselves on figuring out the answers before an author reveals them are in for a surprise, too: Bell is very good at keeping secrets. Fans of thrillers with lawyers as their central characters—Lescroart and Margolin, especially—will welcome this new addition to their must-read lists.”
—Booklist

“Engaging whodunit series kickoff . . . Readers will enjoy Bell's talent for description and character development.”
—Publishers Weekly

“James Scott Bell has written himself into a niche that traditionally has been reserved for the likes of Raymond Chandler.”
—Los Angeles Times

“A master of suspense.”
—Library Journal

“One of the best writers out there, bar none.”
—In the Library Review

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1599956853
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Dragonlight by Donita K. Paul

Hello Dear Readers! 

What a WONDERFUL book! I *love* dragons to start with, and wouldn't mind writing about them one day, if I ever got that good. I am thrilled to read about Amara, and its fascinating characters. I wound up reading most of this book, and then stopping. Why? Because I *REALLY* want the first 4 books so I can read them first! I hate to read the ending before I read all the beginnings! The mysteries in this book are enthralling, and I am working to save up some funds so I can buy the first 4 books! I think I am a wee bit jealous of the folks who got to read the first 4 already! (WOW!) Those little black mean dragons really have me wondering, and the doneel child....I don't think she is at all what she seems! But if I find out, I am not telling! Go get this series! I am going to find a way to do so! 

Carol :) 

Featured book, DragonLight   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400073782 .
Featured author, Donita Paul.
Web site – http://www.donitakpaul.com/
Blog – http://www.donitakpaul.com/author/blog.html 

*Participants’ Links:
(Just for fun I marked the five who also participated in CSFF’s first book tour, 
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Monday, July 7, 2008

Wind River by Tom Morrisey

Hi Everyone!

Here is a book that is like a classic western, with out being a western. It follows the life stories of an old man, Soren Andeman, and a young man, Tyler Perkins. Tyler is like a son to Soren, but often people have secrets they need help to deal with. Soren isn't any exception. Soren's issue that he needs to deal with will have profound life changing effects on Tyler.

Tyler, like so many people I know who have gone and fought in Iraq, deals with the issues of who lived, who died, and who he did or didn't kill, God is still at work.  It was a nostalgic type read, and if you have men who read, I think they would like this book! Also, I think I learned a great deal about the art of  fishing! I appreciated the wonderful photography descriptions. 

Carol :) 



This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing


Wind River

(Bethany House July 1, 2008)

by

Tom Morrisey



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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

ABOUT THE BOOK


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

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

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764203479
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The Edge Of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann

Hello Readers! 

Go grab a copy of this book if you can, because I think it was actually extraordinary! I loved the small twists and turns in the plot. This was a wonderful read, that I didn't want to put down. I was sorry when it ended, because I wanted more. Tessa is a smart, talented collage graduate. Her speciality is landscaping, and more than that, labyrinths. The labyrinth aspect of this book was very nice. Tessa has had issue since childhood, but the lines are starting to blur. Are the monsters in her dreams real, or will her passion for labyrinths take her past the brink of reality into a place where no one but God can get her out? Did Tessa stab Smith, the man she is falling in love with again, or is the monster of her dreams a real flesh and blood creature? She has a "shrink", but can he be trusted, or is his real job just to keep her from remembering something life altering?

I am not going to tell, because this book is worth reading. I don't give away endings, but I would love to read more of Kristen Heitzmann's books to see how they compare to The Edge Of Recall. And, before I post this, I have to add that any older teen-ager could read this book. The romance in it is clean and sweet, like fresh soil waiting to grow flowers. ;) 

Carol :) 


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Edge Of Recall

(Bethany House July 1, 2008)

by

Kristen Heitzmann



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Of her three main interests, art, music and writing, she chose to study English at the University of Colorado and thrived on Creative Writing and Literature classes. She married her husband Jim, and turned her energy to building a family. They have four children whom they have home schooled for all or most of their education. Kristen is a music minister with the ecumenical covenant community People of Praise.

Once she realized the stories in her head were truly a calling from the Lord, she made writing not just a passion, but a ministry. She has written seven historical fiction novels as part of the The Rocky Mountain Legacy series, the Diamond of the Rockies series, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. Most recently, she has written several contemporary fiction novels, including Echoes, Freefall and Unforgotten.

Kristen and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Tessa Young, an up-and-coming landscape architect who specializes in the design and creation of labyrinths, has immersed herself in the mythological, spiritual, and healing aspects of the elaborate structures. She also is searching for God and hoping to make sense of the nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.

When Smith Chandler, an estranged colleague--with whom she'd half fallen in love a dozen times before catching herself every time--calls to propose a project he claims is the opportunity of a lifetime, she reluctantly agrees to check it out. Smith is reconstructing a pre-Revolutionary War abbey for wealthy clients. Among its remarkable features is an overgrown labyrinth.

Unable to resist, Tessa accepts his offer to work with him. Soon she is immersed in the project of a lifetime. But one evening, after weeks of work in the labyrinth, Tessa and Smith are attacked. While protecting Tessa, Smith is stabbed, and the nightmare begins...again.


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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764228315
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Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Hidden By Shelley Shepard Gray

Hi Everyone! 

Sometimes I need a good romance and this is  an excellent choice! This was a beautiful book, a sweet good story. Anna has a lifetime of making the wrong choices where men are concerned. Her current boyfriend is becoming more and more violent and Anna has no idea what to do. In desperation she flees to the Amish community. There, at the Brenneman Bed and Breakfast, she finds some shelter. Anna is safely hidden there, until her estranged boyfriend will not stop pursuing her for the secrets she knows that could destroy his career! 

Meanwhile, Anna has found a hidden place where she can put aside most of her worries and seek God's will for her life. The new man in her life, she doesn't know if he will ever be anything past a friend, if they can even manage a friendship! Can she live in two worlds? You will have to read this book to see, because I am not going to give it all away!  I will tell you this is a really beautiful story, and I so appreciated the Amish in this book. They were portrayed so well, and so tastefully. I really liked that, and this book left me with a sweet peaceful feeling. 
I even read the preview of the next book! Guess what? I would like to read that one too! 

Carol :) 



This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Hidden

Avon Inspire (May 27, 2008)

by

Shelley Shepard Gray


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Hidden is Shelley’s first foray into inspirational fiction. Previously, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time. Shelley is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and is part of the Telecare ministry, which calls homebound members on a regular basis. Shelley looks forward to the opportunity to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Hidden is a remarkable story about the unlikely love between a modern girl on the run and an Amish boy from the family who shelters her.

When Anna decides it's time to leave her abusive boyfriend, she doesn't know where to turn. Rob is a successful and respected person in her community. He has completely won over her parents with his good looks and prestigious position at a top law firm. Only Anna has seen his dark side. But when Rob hurts Anna yet again, she realizes that she must finally help herself.

Desperate, she runs to the one place she’s always felt completely safe, the Amish Brenneman Bed and Breakfast, where years ago she and her mother once stayed, and where Anna met life-long friend Katie Brenneman. When Anna shows up years later unexpectedly, the family welcomes her in, with few questions asked, and allows her to stay, dressed as the Amish in Plain clothes, and help around the inn.

But Katie’s older brother Henry doesn’t take too kindly to the intrusion. Anna wonders if it’s because he’s already had his heart broken. To Henry’s shame, from the moment he sees Anna, he feels a strong attraction. To cover his infatuation, he tries to ignore her, knowing no good would ever come from keeping an eye on a fancy woman like her. But as he sees that Anna has a good heart and is not the selfish, spoiled woman he imagined her to be, he feels his heart pointing towards her.

Anna comes to realize that she’s found a home and true love in the last place she’d expected. How can she deny the life she left behind? And will her chance for happiness be stolen away by the man who can’t seem to let her go?

If you would like to read the Prologue, go HERE

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061474452
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