Packed with Janice Thompson’s signature humor, Stars Collide is a fun filled journey behind the scenes of Hollywood. The story features Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy whose on-screen romance has secretly crossed over into real life. When Kat’s memory challenged grandmother confuses the sitcom plot with reality and and begins to put out the word about their upcoming wedding, chaos ensues. How Scott and Kat deal with the resultant flak is the stuff that makes for good entertainment.
As always, Thompson has woven a subtle Christian lesson into the plot. Her characters are fun with a zany one or two in the mix. Stars Collide is lighthearted and entertaining reading and is great for just relaxing with a good book.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Available January 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
New Series Takes Readers Into the Glamorous Life of a Hollywood Sitcom Celebrity and Her Quest for Love
From author who is a seasoned screenwriter with an insider’s perspective on the entertainment industry, comes the first book Stars Collide in the new series from Janice Thompson, “Backstage Pass.”
In Stars Collide, Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy don’t just play two people who are secretly in love on a television sitcom—they are also head over heels for each other in real life. When the lines between reality and TV land blur, they hope they can keep their relationship under wraps.
But when Kat’s grandmother, an aging Hollywood starlet with a penchant for wearing elaborate evening gowns from Golden Age movies, mistakes their on-screen wedding proposal for the real deal, things begin to spiral out of their control. Will their secret be front-page news in the tabloids tomorrow? And can their budding romance survive the onslaught of paparazzi, wedding preparations, and misinformed in-laws?
From the sound stage to a Beverly Hills mansion to the gleaming Pacific Ocean, Stars Collide takes readers on a roller-coaster tour of Tinseltown, packing both comedic punch and tender emotion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson affords an inside look at TV land, drawing on her experiences as a screenwriter. She is the author of the Weddings by Bella series and lives in Texas.
Lisa Wingate is an award-winning journalist, magazine columnist, popular inspirational speaker and a national bestselling author of sixteen books. Her first mainstream novel, Tending Roses, is in its eighteenth printing from Penguin Putnam. Tending Roses is a staple on the shelves of national bookstore chains as well as in many independent bookstores.
Recently, Lisa’s Blue Sky Hill Series, set in Dallas, received national attention with back-to-back nominations for American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award for A Month of Summer (2009) and The Summer Kitchen (2010). Pithy, emotional, and inspirational, her stories bring to life characters so real that readers often write to ask what is happening to them after the book ends.
Lisa is one of a select group of authors to find success in both the Christian and mainstream markets, writing for both Bethany House, a Christian publisher, and NAL Penguin Putnam, a general market publisher. Her bestselling books have become a hallmark of inspirational fiction. Her works have been featured by the National Reader’s Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, the Literary Guild, Crossings Book Club, American Profiles and have been chosen for numerous awards.
When not busy dreaming up stories, Lisa spends time on the road as a motivational speaker. Via internet, she shares with readers as far away as India, where her book, Tending Roses, has been used to promote women’s literacy, and as close to home as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the county library system has used Tending Roses to help volunteer mentors teach adults to read. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Adventure is the last thing on Andrea Henderson’s mind when she moves to Moses Lake. After surviving the worst year of her life, she’s struggling to build a new life for herself and her son as a social worker. Perhaps in doing a job that makes a difference, she can find some sense of purpose and solace in her shattered faith. For new Moses Lake game warden Mart McClendon, finding a sense of purpose in life isn’t an issue. He took the job to get out of southwest Texas and the constant reminders of a tragedy for which he can’t forgive himself. But when a little girl is seen with the town recluse, Mart and Andrea are drawn together in the search for her identity. The little girl offers them both a new chance at redemption and hope–and may bring them closer than either ever planned.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Larkspur Cove, go HERE.
Learn more about Lisa and her books on her Website.
MY REVIEW:
I have eagerly looked forward to reading Larkspur Cove because I have become a huge fan of Lisa Wingate’s books. The only ones I don’t already own are on my ‘to buy’ list. Just hoping for a chance to read them all soon. But I digress. I am supposed to review Larkspur Cove here.
As I have come to expect from Lisa’s books, the characters in Larkspur Cove could literally step off the pages because they are so real. Each of them exhibits the normal everyday frailties and strengths, hopes and fears experienced by most humans so it is easy to identify with them. Lisa’s portrayal of the inhabitants of Moses Lake and the town itself, make it seem like the perfect place to live.
Larkspur Cove is told from two points of view in alternating chapters so that the reader views events from the perspectives of both Mart and Andrea. This revealed intimate facts about each of them that contributed to an understanding of why they reacted to people and situations the way they did. I liked the way each of them showed a wealth of empathy for others which ultimately helped their own wounds to heal. I particularly enjoyed how Andrea was able to learn to actually be herself due to Mart’s unconditional acceptance of her and how her personal growth enabled her to understand and forgive the people in her life who had hurt her..
Larkspur Cove is full of everything I like in a book – great characters, an interesting setting, a little humor, a bit of mystery, some suspenseful action, and of course romance. It exhibits the way God can use other people to minister emotional healing that leads to restoration and forgiveness.
I am certain that Larkspur Cove will be at the top of my favorite books for 2011.
I have read and enjoyed Irene Hannon’s books in the Steeple Hill line for several years but they were all fairly typical romantic fiction. Then along came her Heroes of Quantico series and took her writing to a new level. Each new volume got just a little bit better. Her new offering, Fatal Judgment, first book in the Guardians of Justice series, meets or exceeds the standards set by the previous series.
With a suspenseful plot that could be taken from current news events, superb character interaction, a touch of humor, surprises around every corner, and of course romance, Fatal Judgment kept me turning the pages until the very end. Spiritual content was subtle but particularly evident in the character of Liz Michaels.
For those who enjoy their romance mixed with a little crime and suspense, Fatal Judgment might just be the book for you.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Available January 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Fatal Judgment is the first novel in the new romantic suspense series “Guardians of Justice” by acclaimed author Irene Hannon, who has been recognized with accolades including RITA and Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice awards.
Author Dee Henderson has praised Hannon’s latest book, saying, “Fatal Judgment is Irene Hannon’s storytelling at its best. I enjoyed every minute.”
In Fatal Judgment, U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he’d rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward the coldhearted workaholic haven’t warmed in the five years since she drove her husband–and Jake’s best friend–to despair . . . and possible suicide.
As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, he’s forced to revise his opinion of her. And when it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life–and his heart–are in danger.
Full of suspense and romance, Fatal Judgment is a thrilling story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Irene Hannon is the author of more than 25 novels, including the CBA bestsellers Against All Odds, An Eye for an Eye, and In Harm’s Way. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, the HOLT Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier award, and the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine. She lives in Missouri.
Melody Carlson has once again proven her skill when it comes to confronting difficult teen issues with honesty and discretion. Never Been Kissed is an up close and personal account of Elise’s experiences in a new school. As the daughter of a struggling single mom, Elise lacks many of the advantages enjoyed by some of her classmates and is also somewhat naive compared to several of them. Her desire to belong seems to be realized when she is apparently accepted by a group of Asher’s friends, but she quickly finds that they have turned on her. Clandestine romantic emails from Asher lead her to believe he cares for her even though he urges her to ignore him at school. Clues abound that something is amiss but in her naivete Elise fails to catch on. Subsequent serious accusations open her eyes nearly too late to salvage her reputation.
To many parents, Never Been Kissed may seem to have inappropriate subject matter for their daughters. However, at a time when my local news is reporting one high school with over ninety pregnancies and one doctor in that area reports treating pregnant girls as young as ten, my opinion is that our children are already being exposed to much more than parents realize. Never Been Kissed is one attempt to warn these teens about the dangers of inappropriate behavior and helps to point them in the direction of a Savior who can help guide them through the pitfalls around them. My daughter is now grown but I plan to pass on my copy of Never Been Kissed to a friend with a teenage daughter. I believe this is one book that both mothers and daughters should read and discuss.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Bestselling Author Explores Teen Trend of “Sexting”
Melody Carlson helps teens understand the harsh realities of “sexting” in her latest touching and thought-provoking YA-fiction novel.
Readers will be encouraged to value purity regarding their bodies.
All Elise wants is to have her first kiss before she turns sixteen. Is that so bad? But when a friend’s poor advice and the powers of electronic technology combine, Elise heads down a dangerous road. She is accused of “sexting” and gets kicked out of school. But is she really the one to blame?
This powerful and realistic story from beloved author Melody Carlson shows teen girls the impact of their choices when it comes to respecting themselves and their integrity. Honest and relevant, Never Been Kissed will make girls laugh, cry . . . and think.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl,Anything but Normal, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody’s website at www.melodycarlson.com.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Sarah Reck, Web Publicist, Hachette Book Group for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.
Widowed at 34, amateur harpist Marie “Angel” Buchan realizes at 40 that her life and dreams are slowly slipping away. A summer in Scotland turns out to offer far more than she ever imagined! Not only does the music of her harp capture the fancy of the small coastal village she visits, she is unexpectedly drawn into a love triangle involving the local curate and the local duke.
The boyhood friends have been estranged as adults because of their mutual love of another woman (now dead) some years before. History seems destined to repeat itself, with Marie in the thick of it. Her involvement in the lives of the two men, as well as in the community, leads to a range of exciting relationships and lands Marie in the center of the mystery of a long-unsolved local murder. Eventually she must make her decision: with whom will she cast the lot of her future?
Product Details:
List Price: $16.99
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: FaithWords (January 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 044656771X
ISBN-13: 978-0446567718
TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER, PRESS THE ‘BROWSE INSIDE THIS BOOK’ BUTTON:
Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family–they survived!!
This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they’ll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series began in July 2010 from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.
This is the second book in the series.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Step into the boots of a former Marine in this heart-pounding adventure in life and love. Colton “Cowboy” Neeley is a Marine trying to find his footing as he battles flashbacks now that he’s back home. Piper Blum is a woman in hiding—from life and the assassins bent on destroying her family. When their hearts collide, more than their lives are at stake. Will Colton find a way to forgive Piper’s lies? Can Piper find a way to rescue her father, trapped in Israel? Is there any way their love, founded on her lies, can survive?
If you would like to read an excerpt of Digitalis, go HERE.
Learn more about Ronie and her books on her Website.
MY REVIEW:
If you like intense, action and suspense filled books that feature members of elite special ops forces and the women strong enough to love them, then Digitalis is probably one book you don’t want to miss.The second book in the Discarded Heroes series, Digitalis features former marine Colton Neeley aka “Cowboy” and Piper Blum, a sales clerk Colton just can’t resist. Afraid Piper will reject him if she learns of his true occupation and his unpredictable and devastating flashbacks, Colton is unaware that Piper has some heavy duty secrets of her own. When their worlds collide, the intensity of the story escalates.
Truthfully, I never thought I’d become a fan of military themed novels but Ronie Kendig has changed my mind. Her books teem with the type of action and suspense that keep me turning the pages, unwilling to stop reading until I know how things are resolved. Although fiction, the threats and crises in each story could easily be seen in current news. Digitalis is very well written with realistic characters and a perfectly paced plot. Dialogue and character relationships seem genuine. A strong message of faith is woven into the story in a natural and unobtrusive manner.
To reveal much more would spoil the story. Take my word for it, this is one book and series you don’t want to miss. I can’t wait for the next volume myself.
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New Series Takes Readers Into the Glamorous Life of a Hollywood Sitcom Celebrity and Her Quest for Love
Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson affords an inside look at TV land, drawing on her experiences as a screenwriter. She is the author of the Weddings by Bella series and lives in Texas.
