Brilliant Disguises by William Thornton

Alerting my Readers,

I have had the privilege of reviewing this book, and I have to find Mr. Thornton's e-mail address.
I greatly appreciate his allowing me to review his work! This is one INCREDIBLE self-published book, and worth the time you need to take to read it.

Brilliant Disguises follows a large time frame in the life of Leon Cameron. Leon takes a job that requires him to be a Christian, so instead of having a one-on-one relationship with Christ, Cameron gets involved in a church and learns to play the Christian game.

(I can't tell you how many people over the years I have felt  have been doing this! My own Grandfather was a Pastor. He said his ministry was to the lost, but that his mission every Sunday was to reach the lost church members!)

Cameron finds out what church his boss goes to, and he joins. He excels in wearing the mask, playing the Christian game, and is good at his job that he has secured by doing so. The head of the company and ministry, Dr. Foster, has his directives sent down, but few people ever meet him. Sometimes it seems he isn't even real!

Cameron marries a good Christian wife. He helps council those in need as he sees their issues, and figures if nothing else that knowledge gives him power. He wrestles with his Sister In Law begging for him to speak to her in Peter's voice. You see Cameron is a good imitator. He can imitate his deceased brother Peter.
He can imitate being a good husband, and he can imitate being a Christian. As the years of his life go by in this book, things just get in deeper and deeper.

In the course of the book Cameron comes to realize that almost everyone he knows is wearing a mask. He gets quite good at figuring out what their mask is, and why they wear it. But Cameron can't figure out one of the most important things... himself. Cameron lives among Christians, but he is not going to loose control and let God have him, and so he has a very odd "relationship" with God, and all those around him. He can quote the Bible quite well, and tends to understand the meanings that he should, but it is all head knowledge, and not from the heart.

And through it all, God himself never stops reaching out to Cameron, waiting, being who He is, our ever loving Father, waiting. The end of the book was good, but shocking.

This is the kind of book that "sleeping" Christians need to read! This is the kind of book that will provoke you to think, and think you should! I can see how it might really offend some people, how some people will be aghast, and then I can see how this book has the potential to help many. I am very glad I got to read it.

In the grouping of books that make you think, Brilliant Disguises and Imaginary Jesus are on the top of my list for this year. If you are able to et a copy, grab one quickly!

Carol

  Product Description

"Cameron Leon is the best man in his church,
but he doesn’t believe a thing.
He assumes many guises but runs the risk of losing everything.
Except himself. He lost that a long time ago.
Only One can give it back to him.
And Cameron has been imitating Him all along..."

http://www.amazon.com/BRILLIANT-DISGUISES-William-Thornton/dp/1441591311/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathan Rogers

Hello Dear Readers,


Get a copy of this one under the tree this year for any of your young'uns. This book would also be great for Grandpaw to read to the the whole family each night. The Charlatan's Boy  is quite captivating. 


Enter the world of Grady, and the Feechie. As you read about them, you will probably realize you might have see a Feechie, in disguise probably acting like civilized folk.  Grady isn't a real Feechie, though he would rather think he was sometimes than wonder where he really came from. Being shown off as the World's Ugliest Boy isn't much fun, but what is a feller to do for a living? Grady often longs for another life, but at the same time can't bring himself to leave the only man he has ever know, the one who has raised him, Floyd. 


Floyd will not tell Grady where he really came from, and sometimes it is just heart rending for Grady to not know who his parents were, but at the same time he can't blame them because who would want to keep a child as ugly as him? 


Grady's got a good honest soul, and he would rather work in the Feechie trade than several of Floyd's more dishonest ventures. A man has to eat, but Grady would rather do that with a kind of fun and prank that feels more honest and has more showmanship to it than selling folk fake liver pills, or bottles of cod liver oil type things to make you young again. 


About when things are at their worst Floyd decides to make sure that the whole island knows that Feechie aren't dead or gone. They are alive and well, and scary! To help everyone believe again Grady and Floyd set out on a grand scheme to create quite a scare. Grady even winds up using a "roaring machine". I remember hearing about those from my Grandparents. Seems they make such a dreadful noise that they were outlawed in some place for scaring cattle. 


And I am not going to tell you what happens from the great Feechie scare on. You are going to have to The Charlatan's Boy for yourself to find out if the Feechie are going to wind up murdering people in their beds at night, or eat'n up all the cows on the Drover's trail. 


Carol :)  

“I only know one man who might be able to tell me where I come from, and that man is a liar and a fraud.”

As far back as he can remember, the orphan Grady has tramped from village to village in the company of a huckster named Floyd. With his adolescent accomplice, Floyd perpetrates a variety of hoaxes and flimflams on the good citizens of the Corenwald frontier, such as the Ugliest Boy in the World act.

It’s a hard way to make a living, made harder by the memory of fatter times when audiences thronged to see young Grady perform as “The Wild Man of the Feechiefen Swamp.” But what can they do? Nobody believes in feechies anymore.

When Floyd stages an elaborate plot to revive Corenwalders’ belief in the mythical swamp-dwellers known as the feechiefolk, he overshoots the mark. Floyd’s Great Feechie Scare becomes widespread panic. Eager audiences become angry mobs, and in the ensuing chaos, the Charlatan’s Boy discovers the truth that has evaded him all his life—and will change his path forever.

________


“Jonathan Rogers has created a new kind of story—part fantasy, part southern fiction. It’s sad and funny and heartwarming. Imagine a southern version of a C. S. Lewis story or a Christian version of a Mark Twain tale. Imagine a world where dragons are alligators, the American South is an island kingdom of cowboys and swamp dwellers, and ugliness, it turns out, is profoundly beautiful. Jonathan Rogers, a Georgia boy with a PhD, a strong faith, and a healthy imagination, gives us a timeless story no one else could have written. I loved it.” —Andrew Peterson, author of The Wingfeather Saga
___________


Book link  - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307458229
Author’s blog/web site - http://jonathan-rogers.com/ (Be sure to check out the Feechie Film Festival for some fun!!!)


In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. 

Participants’ links
Sally Apokedak
Amy Bissell
Red Bissell
Jennifer Bogart
Thomas Clayton Booher
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Katie Hart
Bruce Hennigan
Christopher Hopper
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Shannon McDermott
Allen McGraw
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
Donita K. Paul
SarahFlan
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Elizabeth Williams
Dave Wilson

Emily of Deep Valley by Mitali Perkins

Hi Everyone! 


While this is the last review for the year for our CFBA group, I intend to post a few more reviews of other books as I read through December.  


Maud Hart Lovelace, I heard that name and said what? That name alone is very interesting! So I had to read this book. I am so glad that I have! I had not heard of this series or author before. Emily is more of a typical girl. She is horribly horribly shy! Emily winds up with a boy, Don, who is abusive. He is always putting her down, belittling her, making her feel unworthy and unlovable. She is coping with life after graduation from high school in 1912 and not being at all as she expected.


Emily has to rally herself and figure out how and what to do about her life and how to proceed. Emily of Deep Valley reminds me in a way, of Anne of Green Gables and I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind reading all the rest of the books in this series, or by this author. 


Carol 

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Emily of Deep Valley Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Reprint edition (October 12, 2010) by Mitali Perkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from Mitali: Who In The World Is Mitali Perkins?

That's a good question. I've been trying to figure it out myself, spending most of my life crossing borders.

I was born Mitali Bose in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, and always tried to live up to my name—which means “friendly” in the Bangla language. I had to! Because my family moved so much, it was the only way I could make new friends.

By the time I was 11, I'd lived in Ghana, Cameroon, London, New York and Mexico before settling in California just in time for middle school. Yep, I was the new kid again, in seventh grade, the year everybody barely makes it through.

My biggest lifeline during those early years was story. Books were my rock, my stability, my safe place as I navigated the border between California suburbia and the Bengali culture of my traditional home.

After studying political science at Stanford and public policy at U.C. Berkeley, I taught in middle school, high school and college. When I began to write fiction, my protagonists were often—not surprisingly—strong female characters trying to bridge different cultures.

Mitali Perkins is the author of several books for young people, including SECRET KEEPER (Random House), MONSOON SUMMER (Random House), RICKSHAW GIRL (Charlesbridge), and the FIRST DAUGHTER books (Dutton).

ABOUT THE BOOK

Often cited as Maud Hart Lovelace’s (of Betsy-Tacy fame) best novel, Emily of Deep Valley is now back in print, with a new foreword by acclaimed young adult author Mitali Perkins and new archival material about the characters’ real lives.

Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. The gulf between Emily and her classmates widens even more when they graduate from Deep Valley High School in 1912. Emily longs to go off to college with everyone else, but she can’t leave her grandfather. Emily resigns herself to facing a “lost winter,” but soon decides to stop feeling sorry for herself. And with a new program of study, a growing interest in the Syrian community, and a handsome new teacher at the high school to fill her days, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed...

In addition to her beloved Betsy-Tacy books, Maud Hart Lovelace wrote three more stories set in the fictional town of Deep Valley: Winona’s Pony Cart, Carney’s House Party and Emily of Deep Valley. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be delighted to find the Deep Valley books available again for the first time in many years.

If you would like to browse inside Emily of Deep Valley, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062003305

Divine Appointments by Charlene Baumbich

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for the one I have had this year.

I had started to wonder if I had missed a divine appointment, or if this book was one that needed to get to me! Some of you know the last time it was suppose to be here it didn't work out. Then this time, my book showed up late. I am just so glad it got here, but I have not finished reading it.

So far I like the snow globe, and I think this is intriguing so far, and has good humor for sure.

Happy Day After Thanksgiving, I have a book to finish reading!
Carol

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Divine Appointments WaterBrook Press; Reprint edition (September 21, 2010) by Charlene Baumbich
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Charlene Ann Baumbich is the author of the previous three books in the Partonville series. A popular speaker, journalist, and author, for several years she has lectured to women’s groups and retreats. Baumbich is also an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Today’s Christian Woman, and numerous other publications. She is the author of six nonfiction books of humor and inspiration.

Charlene says: For over two decades of writing and speaking, my passionate pursuit to entertain and rejuvenate using humor (I love to laugh-especially at myself), uncommon wisdom, and passionate insights has been affirmed through countless calls, letters, and evaluation sheets. A reader recently e-mailed, "There is so much depression and sadness in this world. I applaud you for reminding all of us to treasure the moments in our lives, and for encouraging us to find joy in the little things. What you do helps so many to rise above the heaviness of life and live, and laugh, and face another day, so thanks!!!!" That is exactly why I keep doing what I do.

I am a firm believer in the power of story (short or book-length, funny or insightful, real or fiction, on stage or page) to accomplish my purpose, which is to remind you: Don't Miss Your Life! Whether you're tuning into me live or in print, fasten your seatbelt. I promise you a wild, fun, provocative, heart-warming ride.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Josie Brooks, at the age of 47, thought she was leading an enviable single life. A successful consultant, she calls her own shots, goes where the money is, and never needs to compromise. But her precisely managed world begins to falter during a Chicago contract when an economic downturn, a bleeding heart boss, and the loyalty and kindness between endangered employees ding her coat of armor.

Throw in hot flashes, a dose of loneliness, a peculiar longing for intimacy, an
unquenchable thirst—not to mention a mysterious snow globe with a serene landscape, complete with a flowing river and lush greenery that seems to be beckoning her in—and Josie’s buttoned-up life is on the verge of coming completely undone.

Maybe her solitary existence isn’t as fulfilling as she has convinced herself to believe. It will take a few new friends, a mystical encounter, and an unexpected journey to set Josie on her own path to “right-sizing” and making the life changes that really matter. Filled with laugh-out loud moments and a gentle dash of inspiration, Divine Appointments is another heartwarming charmer from a master storyteller.

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307444724 

The Lightkeeper's Bride by Colleen Coble

Hello Readers! 


The Lighkeeper's Bride is the second in the "Mercy Falls" series, but this book stands alone very well. 


Katie was working the switchboards one evening when she hears a scary conversation between her friend Eliza and male voice, that seems like she knows it.  Even though Katie tells the authorities, Eliza vanishes and leaves her one year old little girl alone! Katie jumps in and takes care of her best friend's child, but she is determined to find out what has become of her friend. 


However, the light house keeper has offered to take care of the baby, which is a puzzle. He doesn't know about babies, and Katie's fiancé is extremely un-happy about her liaison with Will, the lighthouse keeper, or that she is not giving up on finding out what has happened to Eliza.  As Will and Katie search for answers they are drawn closer to each other, and closer to what has happened to Eliza, a very dangerous thing indeed! 


A good book with pirates, mystery, a bit of romance, some history. The Lightkeepr's Bride is a  very nice read that should please those who read it! 


Carol :) 

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Lightkeeper's Bride Thomas Nelson (October 19, 2010) by Colleen Coble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author Colleen Coble’s thirty-five novels and novellas have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA, the Holt Medallion, the ACFW Book of the Year, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, the Booksellers Best, and the 2009 Best Books of Indiana-Fiction award. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail and love begin with a happy ending.

A word from Colleen: God has been faithful, though the path has not been easy. Nothing worth doing is ever easy. God wouldn’t let me give up, and I like to think the struggle made me stronger. God has given me so much in my life, most importantly my great family, a loving church family at New Life Baptist Church, and my wonderful publishing family at Nelson Books.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A thrilling romantic mystery set in the lush Victorian age.

Central Operator Katie Russell's inquisitive ways have just uncovered her parents' plan for her marriage to wealthy bachelor Bartholomew Foster. Her heart is unmoved, but she knows the match will bring her family status and respectability.

Then Katie overhears a phone conversation that makes her uneasy and asks authorities to investigate. But the caller is nowhere to be found. Mysterious connections arise between the caller and a ship lost at sea.

Against propriety, Katie questions the new lighthouse keeper, Will Jesperson. Then a smallpox epidemic forces their quarantine in his lighthouse. Though of low social status, Will's bravery and kindness remove Katie's suspicion and win her love. Katie and Will together work to solve the mystery of the missing girl and the lost ship as God gives the couple the desire of their hearts.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Lightkeeper's Bride, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595542663 

The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson

Hello Readers,

This book opens with a bang, and that for real and quite soon in the front of it! Opening with the mob is quite a way to start a book off, much less one named The Silent Order. With in minutes of reading, I was turning pages with out a break. The book write up is a good short summery, but it shows nothing of the gripping characters or the vivid descriptions of people and places. Enter into a drastic contrast, the moffia mob vs. a quite sheltered Amish community. An Amish community where Katie is hiding, and where Detective Rollin Wells has landed. It has saved his life, but he can't live in hiding there forever, can he? And what about Katie? She has answers to Wells's past questions.

Carol

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Silent Order Summerside Press (November 1, 2010)by Melanie Dobson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good.

Prior to launching Dobson Media Group in 1999, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family where she was responsible for the publicity of events, products, films, and TV specials. Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master's degree in communication from Regent University. She has worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for fifteen years including two years as a publicist for The Family Channel.

Melanie and her husband, Jon, met in Colorado Springs in 1997 at Vanguard Church. Jon works in the field of computer animation. Since they've been married, the Dobsons have relocated numerous times including stints in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Berlin, and Southern California. These days they are enjoying their new home in the Pacific Northwest.

Jon and Melanie have adopted their two daughters —Karly (6) and Kinzel (5). When Melanie isn't writing or entertaining their girls, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, traveling, hiking, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural America - 1928. After the murder of his partner, Detective Rollin Wells hides away in an Amish home near Sugarcreek, Ohio, to find out who in the police force is
collaborating with Cleveland’s notorious mob. While Rollin searches for answers to his partner’s death, he befriends an elusive young Amish woman named Katie and her young son. As Rollin learns about Katie’s past, he’s shocked at the secret Katie is hiding - a secret that has haunted Rollin for eight years.

If you would like to read the first chapter of  The Silent Order, go HERE.



The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1609360192 

Grace by Shlley Shepard Gray

Hello, it is going to be Christmas time again soon!

Well, we have Thanksgiving first which tends to get overlooked now days, but you still have plenty of time to read this book for Christmas. In Grace you will meet a rather large family with many things going on, who run their own Bed and Breakfast. Normally they don't have any guest during Christmas. However, due to the mail running the way mail does, this year they are going to have a guest for Christmas. Before long they wind up with TWO guests at the Bed and Breakfast for Christmas!

This is throwing all sorts of kinks into everyone's plans. Some are happy, some are upset, and where do you put two strangers for a few weeks in the middle of all your family and their idea of what all is happening for Christmas?

Grace is a very nice story of, well.. grace! God's grace moves in ways we don't expect, in times we don't plan for, and His grace has plans that are beyond our imagination at times. Grace speaks of healing for broken and wounded hearts, which is what God's grace does. Simple, but yet sweet, this Amish based book is a  good book to read for Christmas.

Carol

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Grace Avon Inspire; Original edition (October 26, 2010) by Shelley Shepard Gray
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shelley Shepard Gray is the beloved author of the Sisters of the Heart series, including Hidden, Wanted, and Forgiven. Before writing, she was a teacher in both Texas and Colorado. She now writes full time and lives in southern Ohio with her husband and two children. When not writing, Shelley volunteers at church, reads, and enjoys walking her miniature dachshund on her town's scenic bike trail.





ABOUT THE BOOK

It's Christmastime at the Brenneman Bed &  Breakfast, and everyone is excited about closing down for the holiday.

Anna and Henry will be celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple, and for Katie and Jonathan Lundy, it's their first Christmas with baby Stefan. Winnie and Samuel Miller plan to stop by as well for a wonderful two weeks of family and rest.

But when two unexpected visitors show up, hoping to stay for Christmas, the family must test their commitment to hospitality. Levi is a widower who lost his wife four years ago and can't bear the thought of another Christmas alone. And Melody is a young pregnant woman who won't open up about how she ended up on her own at Christmas at almost nine months pregnant.

Anna, who knows a thing or two about keeping secrets, doesn't trust her, and strives to find out the truth about these two strangers who have disrupted their holiday. But as the Christmas spirit descends on them all, as well as snow that traps them in the inn, a healing and hopefulness takes over, allowing new relationships to be built, and the boundaries of family to be extended.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Grace, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061990965 

The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead

Attention Readers!

It is time for another wonderful book by Stephen Lawhead. I am a fan of Mr. Lawhead's work.
I am never disappointed by any of his books, though I do have favorites. I think I am missing a few, and I will have to remedy that!

The Skin Map is another shining example of Mr. Lawhead's great creativity and ability to immerse himself and his readers in a very intriguing story, which has enough plausibility to make it be a very real possibility!

(I have to run an errend, when I return I will tell you much more about this book, unless I vanish on a ley line while I am gone!)

O.k, No ley lines got me while I was gone. I have to say I am really thrilled with this book and I can't wait for the next installments of this series. I love the old England and German towns and settings that Mr. Lawhead so skillfully wove into the very fabric of The Skin Map. The idea alone of a map made of skin that has this kind of power was intriguing as well. I am throughly enjoying the transformation that Willamina is going through, as well as the massive adventure that is training Kit.

I can not wait to read the next four books!
Carol

Stephen R. Lawhead

Stephen Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction.
He has written twenty-four novels; his most recent one is The Skin Map; a BRIGHT EMPIRES novel. "Once again, Lawhead has penned an epic tale, putting a new spin on an old legend. Full of rich imagery, this page-turner will appeal to fans of suspense and fantasy." – Library Journal


The Skin Map

A BRIGHT EMPIRES NOVEL

Stephen Lawhead has embarked on his most ambitious writing project to date: the five-book BRIGHT EMPIRES series. The first volume, The Skin Map, has a publication date of 1 September 2010.

The series is underpinned by the cutting-edge work of quantum physicists, natural philosophers, and cosmologists who describe a universe not only much greater, but also far stranger than we imagine.

The Skin Map - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595548041
Author’s web site - http://www.stephenlawhead.com/



In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

http://www.stephenlawhead.com/bright-empires-novels/the-skin-map.html

Participants’ links
Red Bissell
Thomas Clayton Booher
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
George Duncan
April Erwin
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Allen McGraw
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Gavin Patchett
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Kathleen Smith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Donna Swanson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Elizabeth Williams

Dave Wilson

Lydia's Charm by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Hi Readers,

This book just must have been suppose to come to me. I didn't recall putting it on my list, but I am glad it came, as I think I needed it.  Lydia King, who is widowed, and her young son move back to Charm. (Neat name that one!) Restarting your life for any reason isn't easy. It is hard, and it hurts. Lydia is restarting because her husband has passed, and the jobs dried up where she was.

Back home with her kin isn't easy either. Nothing feels just right in many ways, and now here she is in a new job, coping with her Mama who is coping with her ailing Grandfather! Before long gifts start showing up for Lydia! There are a few single men who could be doing it, but is Lydia ready for a new husband and second father for her young son? Worse yet, Lydia's Mother has a preference if she should choose a new man.
Lydia has to find out what God wants for her, sort through her life, and to remember that God is still in control no matter what we are facing.

As all of Ms. Brunstetter's books that I have read, they are very picturesque, with very real characters, and neatly immersed in the Amish culture. Lydia's Charm has a charm all its own.

Carol

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingLydia's CharmBarbour Books (September 1, 2010)byWanda E. Brunstetter
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Note From Wanda:

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a writer. When I was in the second grade, I wrote my first poem about a moth. Luckily, I received encouragement from my teacher. During my teen years, I wrote skits that my church teen group performed during special holidays.
It wasn’t until 1980, that I took a course on writing for children and teenagers. I became serious about a career as an author. Soon after that, I began to write stories, articles, poems, and devotionals, which appeared in a variety of Christian publications. Later, I had 5 books of puppet/ventriloquist scripts published. *These books are currently available by contacting me. (wanda@wandabrunstetter.com)

My first novel was released by Barbour Publishing’s book club, Heartsong Presents, in Dec. 1997. I have now written nearly fifty books, with over 4 million books in print. Many of the novels I've written are Amish-themed.
ABOUT THE BOOK

Widowed and jobless, Lydia King moves her son and herself to Charm, Ohio, to be close to her mother and help with her grandfather. Menno Troyer, a furniture store owner, is also recently widowed and the father of four energetic boys.

Levi Stutzman, another newcomer to the area, is the only one in his family not handicapped by dwarfism and has dedicated his life to caring for them. As fall colors the countryside, will anonymous gifts left for Lydia bring her hope for a new life and romance, or will another tragedy flood her with infinite despair?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Lydia's Charm, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1602600635
Watch the book trailer:

A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow (The Monastery Murders Series)

Hi Dear Readers,

Make no bones about it, this book is just perfect for this month, or really any time you like to read. I like books like this with hot coffee, and warm blankets, soft lamp light, and I will be transported into a wonderful mystery!

I have several other books by Donna Fletcher Crow, including all of The Lord Danvers Mysteries. I am thrilled to read this first book in this new series! Mysteries, when they are well written like this one, will always  draw me in. I have to say that you can see even more depth in this series than the last ones I read! WOW! A Very Private Grave is a very good read.

Having toured and studied some Monastery, I find this a fantastic setting, and even more so a wonderful way to weave God into things. I can't wait till I can read the next book! Go read the first chapter quick, and see if you can't wait to "turn the page" and read the whole thing. Oh, and I had to list off the rest of Ms. Crow's works, so check out this other link if you have time.  http://donnafletchercrow.com/otherBooks.php


Carol :)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Very Private Grave Monarch Books (August 1, 2010) by Donna Fletcher Crow
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Donna Fletcher Crow is author of more than thirty-five novels. She has twice won first place in the Historical Fiction category from the National Association of Press Women, and has also been a finalist for "Best Inspirational Novel" from the Romance Writers of America. She is a member of The Arts Centre Group and Sisters in Crime. Find out more at www.donnafletchercrow.com.

Endorsements:
"History and mystery and murders most foul keep the pages turning ... A fascinating read." –Liz Curtis Higgs, bestelling author of Thorn in My Heart

“A Knickerbocker Glory of a thriller, a sweeping, page-turning quest served up with dollops of Church history and lashings of romance. Donna Fletcher Crow has created her own niche within the genre of clerical mysteries.” – Kate Charles, author of Deep Waters

“As in Glastonbury, Donna Fletcher Crow’s descriptions of the English and Scottish settings in her new mystery are drawn with real artistry. Lovers of British history and church history will be impressed by her grasp of both.”—Sally Wright, Edgar Award finalist and author of the Ben Reese Mysteries

ABOUT THE BOOK

Felicity Howard, a young American studying for the Anglican priesthood at the College of the Transfiguration in Yorkshire, is devastated when she finds her beloved Fr. Dominic bludgeoned to death and Fr. Antony, her church history lecturer, soaked in his blood.

Following the cryptic clues contained in a poem the dead man had pressed upon her minutes before his death, she and Fr. Antony—who is wanted for questioning by the police—flee the monastery to seek more information about Fr. Dominic and end up in the holy island of Lindisfarne, former home of Saint Cuthbert.


Their quest leads them into a dark puzzle...and considerable danger.

If you would like to read the Prologue and first Chapter of A Very Private Grave, go HERE.

Watch the book video:



The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1854249681 

Don’t Look Back by Lynette Eason

Hey Readers,

Welcome to the second book in the Women of Justice series!!  Don't Look Back takes off, and never let up! This is a can't put it down reading kind of book. While I really liked the first book, Too Close To Home, this one just takes off! You can read this book with out reading the first one, but it is even better, at least to me, as the second in the series. I know the second book of a trilogy is sometimes a little bit weaker, but not so for Don't Look Back. 


I was instantly "sucked" in by Jamie's brutal rape, and cried with her pain. While not all rapes are from a killer, many of us know the kind of pain that this act causes. I was well pleased with how Lynette Eason wove Christ into this book so beautifully. I was touched, entertained, and very pleased with this book. I also love how real this book is, that it doesn't spare, gloss over, or sugar coat the issues, even when they are hard ones, or painful ones. 


Well done, and a highly recommended read! 
Carol 

  About The Book:

Twelve years ago, forensic anthropologist Jamie Cash survived a brutal kidnapping, torture, and rape. After years of therapy, she has made a life for herself--though one that is haunted by memories of her terrifying past. She finally lets herself get close to a man, FBI agent Dakota Richards, when signs start appearing that point to one frightening fact--her attacker is back and ready to finish the job he started all those year ago. Can she escape his grasp a second time? And will she ever be able to let down her guard enough to find true love? Filled with heart-stopping suspense, gritty realism, and a touch of romance, Don't Look Back is the second book in the WOMEN OF JUSTICE series. Readers will be hooked from the beginning, finding that once you are in Lynette Eason's world, you're trapped until you turn the very last page.

  From the Back Cover:

One man lives to see her dead--the other is fighting to keep her alive.Twelve years ago, forensic anthropologist Jamie Cash survived a brutal kidnapping. After years of therapy, she has made a life for herself--though one that is haunted by memories of her terrifying past. She finally lets herself believe that she can have a close relationship with a man, when signs start appearing that point to one frightening fact--her attacker is back and ready to finish the job he started all those years ago.Can she escape his grasp a second time? And will she ever be able to let down her guard enough to find true love?

Filled with heart-stopping suspense, gritty realism, and a touch of romance, Don't Look Back pulls you into its twists and turns to hold you there until the very last page.

“Available October 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Embers Of Love by Tracie Peterson

Hello!

Another good book by Tracie Peterson!

Carol :)

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Embers of Love Bethany House (October 1, 2010)


by Tracie Peterson


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 85 novels.
She received her first book contract in November, 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishings' Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row.

In December, 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers to co-write a series with author Judith Pella. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers.

She teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research.

Tracie was awarded the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for 2007 Inspirational Fiction and her books have won numerous awards for favorite books in a variety of contests.

Making her home in Montana, this Kansas native enjoys spending time with family--especially her three grandchildren--Rainy, Fox and Max. She's active in her church as the Director of Women's Ministries, coordinates a yearly writer's retreat for published authors, and travels, as time permits, to research her books


ABOUT THE BOOK

The logging industry in eastern Texas is booming, and Deborah Vandermark plans to assist her family's business now that she's completed college. Unexpectedly, her best friend, Lizzie Decker, accompanies her back home--fleeing a wedding and groom she has no interest in.

Deborah, the determined matchmaker, puts her sights on uniting her brother and dear friend in a true love match. Deborah soon meets Dr. Christopher Clayton, a much-needed addition to the town. As their lives intersect, Deborah realizes that she has a much greater interest in medicine and science than the bookkeeping she was trained in.

But when typhoid begins to spread and Lizzie's jilted fiance returns, Deborah wonders if true love can overcome such obstacles...for those dearest to her, and for herself.

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764208209 

Love Finds You Under The Mistletoe by Irene Brand & Anita Higman

Hi All,

My life went beyond wild this week. I look forward to reading the rest of this story, but for now I have to deal with my own "story": called life! I enjoyed what I read so far. Grab some coffee, or hot tea and a warm blanket on these currently nippy evenings and enjoy reading!

Carol

This week, the



Christian Fiction Blog Alliance



is introducing



Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe Summerside Press (September 1, 2010)



by Irene Brand & Anita Higman


ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Irene Brand has written Sunday School curriculum, edited a two-year series of mission curriculum, and her works have appeared in five program-material anthologies. Her publishers include Zondervan, Standard Publishing, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Fleming-Revell, Barbour Publishing, Kregel Publications, Steeple Hill (inspirational imprint of Silhouette), and Summerside Press. She has had 4 non-fiction books published, and 43 fiction works. Her first inspirational romance was published in 1984.

Award-winning author, Anita Higman, has twenty-six books published (several coauthored) for adults and children, and she has been honored as a Barnes & Noble Author of the Month for Houston. Anita has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Her favorite things include exotic teas, movies, and all things Jane Austen.




ABOUT THE BOOK

Two Christmas stories - one historical, one contemporary - under one cover!

Love Finds You under the Mistletoe: An Appalachian Christmas

A promise to her dying sister compels Julia Mayfield to take her young nephew to Mistletoe, Kentucky, a tiny town tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains. Sparks fly when she meets David Armstrong, a World War II veteran like herself. Even as shadows from the past weave a dangerous web around Julia and David, will their love flourish like the mistletoe that blankets the nearby hills?

Love Finds You under the Mistletoe: Once Upon a Christmas Eve

Hollie Goodnight's store has just been voted best Christmas shop in America. All the new publicity draws flamboyant novelist Van Keaton to the cozy town of Noel, Missouri, demanding to write Hollie's story - a dramatic tale of misfortune and triumph. She is swept up in his world of beautiful words and fanciful interludes. . .until Owen Quigly, her lifelong best friend, launches a plan to win her back.

If you would like to read an excerpt of Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe, go HERE.

Watch the book trailer:



The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1609360044 

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

Hello Everyone!

This is the third book in this series. Tamera Alexander has done a wonderful job with all three books! I think this one toped the second one, but I really loved the first one, From A Distance because of the main character's occupation is one of my own as well. Within My Heart was gripping from the first chapter, so feel free to read it in the links below and see if you aren't hooked that quickly as well. ;)

Rachel and Rand are wonderful to read about and Ben and Lydia are able to move us to tears. Tamera did such a beautiful job of showing couples leaning on God in times of such crisis and difficulty.

Carol

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Within My Heart Bethany House; Original edition (September 1, 2010)


by Tamera Alexander


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Her second historical series, Timber Ridge Reflections (From a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart), penned in her style with deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose have earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.


These awards include the 2009 and 2008 Christy Award, the 2007 RITA for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2009 and 2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, 2007 Bookseller’s Best Award, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction for 2006, among others.

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville with Tamera's father, Doug. They enjoy life there with Joe and Tamera's two adult children, and Jack, a precious—and precocious—silky terrier.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Determined to fulfill her late husband’s dream, Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her ranch afloat with the help of her two young sons. But some days it feels as though her every effort is sabotaged. When faced with a loss she cannot afford, she’s forced to trust Rand Brookston, the one man in Timber Ridge she wishes to avoid. And with good reason. He’s a physician, just like her father, which tells her everything she needs to know about him. Or so she thinks . . .

Dr. Rand Brookston ventured west with the dream of bringing modern medicine to the wilds of the Colorado Rockies, but the townspeople have been slow to trust him. Just as slow in coming is Rand’s dream to build the town a proper clinic. When a patient’s life is threatened, Rand makes a choice—one that sends ripples through the town of Timber Ridge. And through Rachel Boyd’s stubborn heart.

From the beloved, bestselling author of From a Distance and Beyond This Moment comes an unforgettable story about faith in the face of fear, about tarnished hopes and second chances, and ultimately about the resilient courage and tenacity of hearts broken––and mended––by love.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Within My Heart, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764203916