The Sound Of Red Returning

Very interesting!

Today's review is The Sound Of Red Returning. The opening few chapters had me quite lost, or just not into this book right, or something. I think it was just me. Around chapter 6-7 things picked up. When Liesl too refuge in the church briefly, things started picking up for me. Here is where we start to understand some about Liesl's home life, and how she got to be where she is, a famous pianist.

Having her Mentor in music attacked in front of her, and then killed was one thing. Finding out this wonderful man was a Russian spy, according to the CIA was another issue. Now the sheet music that is tying into major secrets. There are codes, and almost codes with in codes. Liesl's past is coming back alive! Where she once felt safe, she now is being followed. Issues and feelings that were in the past, are now back and must be dealt with.

Liesl is now dealing with having a trip back home, to a place she seems to both love and hate. There is another mystery here, so now there is this mystery, this part of her life slowly revealing to us the reader, while at the same time Lisel is praying and keeping herself together under immense pressure, and a possible romantic interest as well.

Once I got past the first parts of this book it became a gripping fast paced story that is quite good.

Carol

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe Sound of Red ReturningKregel Publications (December 9, 2011)bySue Duffy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. She is the author of Mortal Wounds (Barbour, 2001), Fatal Loyalty (Kregel, 2010), and The Sound of Red Returning (Kregel, 2011). Sue has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children.




ABOUT THE BOOK

After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can't shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past . . . and by someone following her. When she spots a familiar and eerie face in the audience of a concert she's giving for the president in Washington, DC, the scariest day of her life comes back to her with a flash.

It has been fifteen years since Liesl watched her beloved Harvard music mentor assaulted on a dark night in Moscow and just as long since the CIA disclosed to her that he'd been spying for Russia. She had seen that man-that eerie face-the night Professor Devoe was attacked. And now he's back-and coming for her.


ENDORSEMENTS:

“Sue Duffy has mixed the mayhem of political intrigue with the melody of romance.” —Dick Bohrer, author, editor, and former journalism professor

“Intrigue and suspense come together in an incredible story of love and betrayal, commitment and courage, power and danger . . . and a God who controls it all. Sue Duffy is a wonderfully gifted writer and this book is a must-read.” —Steve Brown, founder and president of Key Life and host of Steve Brown Etc.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Sound of Red Returning, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ 0825425743 

Her Restless Heart by Barbara Cameron

Hi All,

Her Restless Heart was a very smooth book to read. Mary Katherine suffers from an over-bearing Father. Frankly, I don't mince words as much as I use to, the man is verbally abusive to his wife and daughter. He believes he is with-in his God given "rights" and his actions and attitude have driven Mary Katherine to go live with her Grandmother. Her Grandmother and cousins run a super neat Amish shop, selling to the Englishers. Mary Katherine is VERY creative, and she hasn't joined the church because of the issues with her father. So while she wrestles with forgiving her father, or not, and officially joining the "church" she is now distracted by a young man. And she has an English friend, and her family and others are worried that she will never commit and will go off to be "in the English world" and not with them.

Jacob has already joined the church, and he is farming. But his heart is fast falling for Mary Katherine. This after him taking a good long time to be sure he didn't marry the wrong woman. Amish tend to marry for life. (Something I believe in very deeply, but that doesn't always seem to work in certain situations.) Jacob isn't sure if Mary Katherine is going to be an option, in case she leaves the community, but he figures there is enough pull to keep her there. But will she be happy? Can she be as creative as she likes in her designs in weaving and quilts, or will she never be happy if she stays?

This was a nice story, with lots of colors in it from the fabrics and arts. That contrasted nicely with some of the more plain of the Plain clothing. I appreciated that the community wasn't as introverted or behind the times as some groups of Amish can be. I thought their store sounded delightful too!

Carol

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Her Restless Heart   Abingdon Press (April 2012)  by  Barbara Cameron
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Barbara Cameron is the author of more than 30 fiction and nonfiction books, three nationally televised movies (HBO-Cinemax), and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Her two novellas won the 2nd and 3rd place in the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest from the Faith, Love, and Hope chapter of RWA. Both were finalists for the novella category of the Carol Award of the American Christian Writers Award (ACFW).

When a relative took her to visit the Amish community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she felt led to write about the spiritual values and simple joys she witnessed there. She currently resides in Edgewater, FL.    


ABOUT THE BOOK

Mary Katherine is caught between the traditions of her faith and the pull of a different life. When Daniel, an Amish man living in Florida, arrives and shares her restlessness, Mary Katherine feels drawn to him and curious about the life he leads away from Lancaster County.  

But her longtime friend Jacob has been in love with her for years. He’s discouraged that she’s never viewed him as anything but a friend and despairs that he is about to lose Mary Katherine to this outsider.  

Will the conflicted Mary Katherine be lost to the English world, or to Daniel, who might take her away to Florida? Or will she embrace her Amish faith and recognize Jacob as the man she should marry and build a life with?

If you want to read the first chapter of Her Restless Heart, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426714270 

Prophet by R.J. Larson

Prophet by R.J. Larson

Hi Everyone,

Tonight I hope I will not have many errors with my post, because they have totally changed out blog format!
Prophet is a very good book that will keep you turning pages to find out what is next. Ela was an "ordinary" young woman in her village, until the Infinite (God) asked her to be His prophet. Ela accepted the calling of the Infinite and in doing so her entire life changed drastically, and suddenly. But really now... what else can one do when God calls you? You can't really live with out fulfilling your calling, so Ela and her little sister set out to do what the Infinite tells them to. Along the way they meet people, pray for those who refuse to repent, have signs, wonders and miracles happen, and wind up with a really neat Destroyer horse. Ela's sister Tzana calls him Pet, which makes us all smile.

No one has ever said the Prophetic calling or gift is an easy one, and Ela is not an exception to this. She is, however, the first female prophet (prophetess) that most people have ever seen. Time and time again the Infinite (God) saves her, delivers her, and uses her and those around her for His glory and His purposes.
Prophet is very nicely written, and in many areas has very close parallels to the prophets in the Bible.

It reminds me still of part of this verse-- I Corinthians 14:5
.... but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues....

But then again, I come from a family where this gift is in operation, and like Ela, I listen daily to hear God speak to me. His voice and his presence are treasured above all else. I do want to read the next book in this series, and see where R.J.Larson has happen where God uses Ela next.

Carol

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Prophet
Bethany House Publishers (April 1, 2012)
by
R.J. Larson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

R. J. Larson is the author of numerous devotionals featured in publications such as Women's Devotional Bible and Seasons of a Woman's Heart. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her husband and their two sons. Prophet marks her debut in the fantasy genre.




ABOUT THE BOOK

Close your eyes, Ela of Parne. Close your eyes and you will see.

Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified, bad tempered, and only seventeen--not to mention that no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as the elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite's prophet, Ela knows she will die young.

Istgard has turned their back on me. See the evil they do.

Yet after experiencing His presence, she can't imagine living without Him. Determined to follow the Infinite's voice, Ela accepts the sacred vinewood branch and is sent to bring the Infinite's word to a nation torn apart by war. Here she meets Kien, a young Traceland ambassador determined to bring his own justice for his oppressed people. As they form an unlikely partnership, Ela must surrender to her destiny . . . and determine how to balance the leading of her heart with the leading of the Infinite.

Will you accept the branch and speak my will? Will you be my prophet?

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076420971X

Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl - Tales of Goldstone Wood

Book one was Heartless.

Book two was Veiled Rose.

Book three is Moonblood. When I read Veiled Rose I understood so much more of Heartless that I read that book again, something that is unusual for me. I simply did not want to miss one single thing. Now, at long last - Moonblood. From the start of this book with our now familiar characters, I have been walking in another realm. Every time the silvery voice of the wood thrush sings I find myself holding my breath.
I can hear the song in the words:
"Beyond the Final Water falling,
The Song of Spheres recalling.
Won't you return to me?"

Maybe others hear as I do when they read, but I hear in those oft' repeated words the wooing of  the Savior, calling to those who will answer. Every time Rose Red hears "Beloved", I feel the echo pulling in my very soul. After reading the first two books I feel close to Leo and to Rose Red to feel as though I know them. Like a close friend on the net that you have never met in person. By the time I was immersed in this book, the world they live in, the Princes and the Queens, the realms they dwell in feel as real as a trip to another State.

As the poison left lingering by the Black Dragon taints the kingdom, I feel for Leo (Lionheart) as he fights with Death-In-Life, cringing and acting a coward as she tries to twist his thinking and keep him off the path that will ultimately save him. If she can keep following his dream, instead of what he should be doing, his life will be spent as it was under the Dragon's torment, watching his dreams come to pass only to watch his real dreams die yet again. This torture has so altered Daylily that she hardly knows what her mind should be anymore. (And oh- how I know a few that I care about who are so much like her!)

I have almost wept as it is too close to home, the pain Rose Red feels to have love unrequited, to feel ugly, to feel abandoned and alone. To have a destiny you can't quite see, and a future you don't know how to fulfill.
I have laughed at Monster/Bard and Poet Eanrin and aggravating yet endearing cat ways. And Leo, denying the true love he feels, breaking two other hearts, and being betrothed to one who loves him not! Prince Lionheart, stripped of his rank and now well aware of his deeds. To quote Oeric who you will have to meet him for yourself "Though you placed my love in gravest danger, perhaps caused her death...though you betrayed the Prince's Beloved into the very hands of the Dragon, still I could not look on you with hatred."

Oh and then back to Rose Red, cast into the Wilderlands by Leo, who through his own faults and lack of courage was unable to defend her enough to protect her, now is a captive in the land of Arpiar. She is trying to cope with her current situation, and her broken heart as well. Is she still her Beloved's or has she been completely cast away and forgotten?

And then there are the dragons. All the sons and daughters of the Black Dragon. Sleeping, but for how long? Moonblood is approaching and if Rose Red's own father, King Vahe succeeds in waking the horde and controlling them into doing his bidding, nothing and no one will ever be the same again. And really now, what are we to do with this Unicorn?

I think I am about breathless waiting for the next book as well. Starflower is to be the next book in this series. Meanwhile grab this entire series and you will not be disappointed. In fact, you might be changed, and you will definitely be enchanted in good ways, not bad ones.
I leave you with the echo ringing "Will you follow me?"

Carol

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Moonblood  Bethany House Publishers (April 1, 2012)  by  Anne Elisabeth Stengl

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she enjoys her profession as an art teacher, giving private lessons from her personal studio, and teaching group classes at the Apex Learning Center. She is married to the handsome man she met at fencing class and lives with him and a gaggle of cats. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. Heartless is her debut novel.

Anne Elisabeth is also the author of the Tales of Goldstone Wood, a series of fantasy adventure novels told in the classic Fairy Tale style.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Moonblood Draws Near, and Soon the Dragons Will Wake.

Desperate to regain the trust of his kingdom, Prince Lionheart reluctantly banishes his faithful servant and only friend, Rose Red. Now she is lost in the hidden realm of Arpiar, held captive by her evil goblin father, King Vahe.

Vowing to redeem himself, Lionheart plunges into the mysterious Goldstone Wood, seeking Rose Red. In strange other worlds, Lionheart must face a lyrical yet lethal tiger, a fallen unicorn, and a goblin horde on his quest to rescue the girl he betrayed.

With the Night of Moonblood fast approaching when King Vahe seeks to wake the Dragon's sleeping children, Lionheart must discover whether or not his heart contains courage before it's too late for Rose Red . . . and all those he loves.

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

Get this book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764207814 

The Discovery by Dan Walsh

This book was totally different than the other book I have read by Dan Walsh. Remembering Christmas has my review here. I wasn't exactly wild about that book, but The Discovery is far better!

Micheal and his wife inherit a beautiful historic home in South Carolina. Their lives are suddenly greatly changed and improved by this blessing, as they not only have a wonderful home that is rich with family history, but Micheal's well known Grandfather left him plenty money, and a big legacy. In fact, Micheal's Grandfather has left him his last manuscript, a big deal since Granddad was a very famous author. His Grandfather left him letters and notes that say he will know what to do with this manuscript once he reads it.

As Micheal, and us the reader as well, read through this final manuscript a story of deep love and devotion unfolds. However, it is also a story of pain, life and death and a walk with God that is growing. Dan Walsh has created a story that is a book with-in a book. It is really nice to see the characters unfold and it makes for a very rich read.

Carol

About the Book:

When aspiring writer Michael Warner inherits his grandfather's venerable Charleston estate, he settles in to write his first novel. But within the confines of the stately home, he discovers an unpublished manuscript that his grandfather, a literary giant whose novels sold in the millions, had kept hidden from everyone--but clearly intended Michael to find. As he delves deeper into the exciting tale about spies and sabotage,  Michael realizes this story is different from all of his grandfather's other books. It's actually a love story. And he discovers something that has the power to change not only his future but his past as well.

Laced with suspense and intrigue, The Discovery is a richly woven novel that explores the incredible sacrifices that must be made to forge the love of a lifetime. Author Dan Walsh delivers yet another unique and heartfelt story that will stick with readers long after they turn the last page. 

Dan Walsh's site: http://www.danwalshbooks.com/

Read the first chapter of The Discovery by clicking HERE!

Available April 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis

Oh Readers,

I still haven't gotten to see The Shunning, or read it. It is on my list that seems backed up of late. When I started reading this book I didn't have the connection that told me that THIS book The Fiddler was also by Beverly Lewis. What I did find, is that I didn't want to sit this book down to answer the phone or anything else. I found myself flying through the pages. My first pleasant surprise was that the main character we meet first is a young woman. One who plays both classical, and country fiddle/violin. I was instantly enthralled with the way this was written. Someone how has been around music can write it up properly like this.

Very quickly I was swept away with Amy Lee, or Amelia and her struggles in her life. Soon she is lost on the road in a horrible storm and winds up meeting Michael. One of the Plain people, who gives her shelter and friendship for the night. Michael is dealing with his own issues and yet he finds Amelia safe enough to show her his home and community.

Amelia is a Christian, but not Amish, of course. And Michael is getting on up there in age for having not committed to joining the Amish way of life completely. He is 25, yet hasn't figured out what he should do about his life. The ways of God, are they always the ways of the community? Even if it is an Amish community, or a Christian one?

The writing is picturesque and the story rather gentle. The ending gave me mixed emotions. Even so, it was a fast easy read, and different from the other Amish biased books I have read. I do appreciate how much of the  love of music was poured into this book.

Carol

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  The Fiddler  Bethany House Publishers (April 10, 2012)  by  Beverly Lewis ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."

Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Beverly's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."    

ABOUT THE BOOK

Come home to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania--the beloved setting where Beverly Lewis's celebrated Amish novels began--with new characters and new stories of drama, romance, and the ties that draw people together.

A wrong turn in a rainstorm leads Englisher Amelia Devries to Michael Hostetler--and the young Amishman's charming Old Order community of Hickory Hollow. Despite their very different backgrounds, Amelia and Michael both feel hemmed in by the expectations of others and struggle with how to find room for their own hopes. And what first seems to be a chance encounter might just change their lives forever.

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

Watch the book video:

GET your copy: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764209779

Always The Designer, Never The Bride by Sandra D. Bricker

Audrey Regan is a struggling wedding dress/fashion designer. New York and her inheritance are not working out as she had planned. When her best friend from childhood begs her to design her wedding gown an entire chain of events is sent in motion.

Audrey's business is failing, her social life is about dead, and her faith seems rather forgotten. All that is holding her together is what her Grandmother taught her. She is about to have to fire her very good assistant and friend, but first they have to make it through Carley's wedding. Oh, and Carley's brother-in-law who has an instant attraction to Audrey. Will they all surviving the dress design, wedding, friends and family members, or will everything she wanted slip away overnight?

This was a light, easy fast read. It has a few cute perks like recipes and wedding dress design information.
Over all it was rather cute. I do sew on occasion, and have made my own clothes, so the design part was nice. There are a great many characters in this book as well.

Carol

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Always The Designer, Never The Bride  Abingdon Press (April 2012)  by  Sandra D. Bricker  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.

The Big 5-OH! was released by Abingdon Press in the Spring of 2010, and the novel was very well-received, garnering a couple of nibbles from Hollywood.

Always the Baker, Never the Bride was released by Abingdon Press in September 2010. With its phenomenal reviews, the novel spawned a series of three more books based on the popular cast of characters at The Tanglewood Inn, a wedding destination hotel in historic Roswell, Georgia. The series cemented Sandie's spot in publishing as a flagship author of Laugh-Out-Loud romantic comedy for the inspirational market.

"Being allowed to combine my faith and my humor with my writing dream," says Bricker, "well, that's the best of all worlds, as far as I'm concerned!"  

ABOUT THE BOOK

It’s taken Audrey Regan years to establish herself as a wedding dress designer, and to date she’s been roped into creating dresses for nine of her girlfriends. Request #10 follows her vow to “Just say no!” and comes from her very best friend. She can hardly turn Carly down!

Audrey arrives in Atlanta early to perform all of her maid-of-honor duties along with final fittings for a one-of-a-kind dress. But Carly’s wedding is nothing short of an event, complete with Prince Charming, and the festivities make Audrey question whether there’s a prince of her own anywhere in her future.

Enter the groom’s brother and best man. Shaggy-haired, tattooed bad boy J.R. Hunt couldn’t be any more different from Prince Charming if he rode in on a Harley Davidson.  Oh, wait. He actually did ride in on a Harley!

If you would like to read an excerpt of the first chapter of Always The Designer, Never The Bride, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426732236 

The 13th Tribe by Robert Liparulo - The Immortal Files

Today's review is for The 13th Tribe by Robert Liparulo. Like The Dreamhouse Kings series, this book doesn't lack in anything. Action, adventure, history, trauma, and drama are all included. This is a complex book, with a great deal of depth. I really like this Author's work, and this book just took that to a new level. 

The very beginning of this story ties back to Moses. Moses went up the mountain to talk to God he was gone so long that the Israelites decided he died. Many decided that God wasn't real and that they had to have an idol to worship because they felt that they were with out God and alone. They had been steeped in a pagan culture until they lost sight of who they were, and WHOSE they were, and if the "new" and very real One God was real or not. After all, Moses had been on that mountain a really long time! Moses was gone so long that the group turned into a mob. Arron got desperate to be able to control the mob, and so and a gold calf was made for them to worship. (I still can't fathom that!)  Most of us know this Bible story, but stick with it, because with this book there is a great deal more. When Moses came down and saw what they had done, he was beyond furious! There was a huge group of people who died in a massive slaughter, and more that died afterwards as well. 

In The 13th Tribe, part of those who sinned had something else happen to them and they did not die. Though they would pray for death, and for forgiveness, 40 people have become altered, changed - Immortal. They call themselves the 13th Tribe, since they were not a part of any of the 12 tribes of Judah anymore. Instead they feel that they have been cursed to walk the Earth trying to atone for their sins by works. Some of the members of the 13th Tribe have left the group, deciding that after being around for 3,500 years that they needed to try to figure out why they were cursed (or blessed?) with Immortality on their own. It is very complicated because the core of The Tribe feels that they must do whatever it takes to cause God to forgive them so that they can die, and stand a chance of going to Heaven. They love God, and do not want to be condemned to Hell, but they feel that forgiveness is just out of their grasp. The core of the 13th Tribe is killing sinners in order to make up for their sin. They are armed to the hilt with cutting edge technology, and they are very committed to their goals. 

Unwittingly, Jagger and his family are about to find out more than they ever dreamed about "The Tribe". Jagger has been in a horrible auto accident. It caused him to loose his arm, and his best friends. This horrible experience almost tore apart his family. To keep them together and try to deal with his anger, loss of faith in God, Jagger has moved his son Tyler, and wife Beth to an archaeological dig at the base of mount Sinai. Dwelling in the monastery there and working as a security guard Jagger and his family have not even dreamed about the kinds of twists and turns their lives are about to take, or how they will or will not allow God to work in their lives. 

The 13th Tribe stands alone as a novel, but yet makes your heart cry out for the next book in the series. The characters are very vivid, and the pain they endure is not so far from our own. Robert Liparulo has tied Biblical and Historical events together with a plausible scenario to bring us a book that speaks of redemption, love, forgiveness, and healing.  

Carol 

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  The 13th Tribe  Thomas Nelson (April 3, 2012)  by  Robert Liparulo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Best-selling novelist Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first three critically acclaimed thrillers—Comes a Horseman, Germ, and Deadfall—were optioned by Hollywood producers, as well as his Dreamhouse Kings series for young adults. Bestselling author Ted Dekker calls The 13th Tribe, released in April 2012, “a phenomenal story.” Liparulo is currently working with director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) on the novel and screenplay of a political thriller. New York Times best-selling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” Liparulo lives in Colorado with his family.

Visit Robert Liparulo's Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/LiparuloFans, or at Twitter @robertliparulo.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Their story didn't start this year . . . or even this millennium.

It began when Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Tired of waiting on the One True God, the twelve tribes of Israel began worshipping a golden calf through pagan revelry. Many received immediate death for their idolatry, but 40 were handed a far worse punishment-endless life on earth with no chance to see the face of God.

This group of immortals became the 13th Tribe, and they've been trying to earn their way into heaven ever since-by killing sinners. Though their logic is twisted, their brilliance is undeniable. Their wrath is unstoppable. And the technology they possess is beyond anything mere humans have ever seen.

Jagger Baird knows nothing about the Tribe when he's hired as head of security for an archaeological dig on Mt. Sinai. The former Army Ranger is still reeling from an accident that claimed the life of his best friend, his arm, and his faith in God.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The 13th Tribe, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595541691 

Cooking The Books by Bonnie S. Calhoun

Hi Everyone! 

What a WONDERFUL way to open my first post for April. Cooking The Books is by Bonnie S. Calhoun. 

I was super excited to see a book in print by her, and looked forward to its arrival all last month! Why? { I am so glad you asked, I will try to keep this part short.}I wouldn't even have a blog if it weren't for Bonnie. I had never considered having my own blog, it just had not crossed my mind. The "Book Reviewer CFBA" logo - every post you see with that logo on it is because Bonnie Calhoun has worked it out to have it offered it to us for review. The CFBA group has opened many new doors for me and I am so grateful and thankful for that every day! I am thrilled to see someone else's dreams and goals coming to life, and to get to be a little part of that. That is what readers do, and what reviewers get to do. So now you HAVE to check out this book! 

Cooking The Books features Sloane Templeton. Sloane's mother has passed, leaving her running a book store that she isn't sure what to do about. She lives in the building that is part of the book store, as did her mother. That both helps and complicates matters in various ways. Sloane knows next to nothing about running a book store. Before her mother died she was rather happy in the Cyber Crimes Unit at her former job. Now it seems her whole world is unraveling at a very fast pace. 

It's hard enough just to get her hair done in a righteous style while avoiding too much red velvet cake, much less trying to keep track of her Aunt Verline so she doesn't blow up herself or her home. Aunt Verline fancies herself as skilled as Julie Childs, but her dishes tend to make Sloane feel like she headed for the hospital, or maybe Fear Factor. But what else is one suppose to do with kin folk who need you? 

If that isn't enough to cope with, Sloane has a few unresolved past issues. An ex-husband, and ex-boyfriend, and a current boyfriend for starters. She has strange viruses or pop-ups taking over the store's computer as well. She has a lady who is in serious trouble from more than once source coming to the store almost daily, and Sloane has her mother's best friend Fifi helping her run the store as well. Dealing with what she is going through and what she has been through, Sloane has to decide where God still fits in her life. It isn't like she threw him away, just that things haven't been o.k. since her Mother died and her life began falling apart. 

Sloane soon finds herself in the middle of some major danger, adventure, and comedy as well all because of two books. Both of these books hold secrets, and secrets can bring danger. Sloane is going to need all the help she can get (and lots of answers) to make it through this and discover the truth behind the mysteries. 

Cooking The Books has plenty of humor, scarcasim, and just plain life in it. It does leave several questions unanswered at the end. However, unlike some other books where you want to yell because you were left so rudely hanging, Cooking The Books just has you waiting for the next book to find out the answers that were left waiting to be solved. 

I am thrilled to read this new series, and I think that you will be as well! 

Carol 

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Cooking The Books Abingdon Press (April 2012) by Bonnie S. Calhoun



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As the Owner/Director of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Bonnie has helped use the 220+ blogs of the Alliance to promote many titles on the Christian bestseller list. She also owns and publishes the Christian Fiction Online magazine which is devoted to readers and writers of Christian fiction. She is the Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). At ACFW she was named the ‘Mentor of the Year,’ for 2011, and she is the current President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network. Bonnie is also the Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.

In her spare time she is an avid social media junkie, and teaches Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and HTML as recreational occupations. She also has a novel coming out in the Abingdon Quilts of Love series. Her novel Pieces of the Heart will publish August of 2013.

Bonnie and her husband Bob live in a log cabin on 15 acres in upstate area of Binghamton, New York with a dog and cat who consider the humans as wait-staff.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After her mother dies from a heart attack, Sloane Templeton goes from Cyber Crimes Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. She also "inherits" a half-batty store manager; a strange bunch of little old people from the neighborhood who meet at the store once a week, but never read books, called the Granny Oakleys Book Club; and Aunt Verline, who fancies herself an Iron Chef when in reality you need a cast iron stomach to partake of her culinary disasters. And with a group like this you should never ask, “What else can go wrong?”

A lot! Sloane begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone is out to kill her. Can her life get more crazy?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Cooking The Books, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426733887 

Watch the book video:


If you'd like to read interviews with Bonnie, try these:

Everbody Needs A Little Romance

A Christian Writers World

Novel Rocket

ACFW - Fiction Finder

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426733887