by admin | Jul 8, 2010 | Adventure, Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Suspense
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Tomorrow We Die Bethany House (July 1, 2010)
by Shawn Grady
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shawn Grady signed with Bethany House Publishers in 2008. He was named “Most Promising New Writer” at the 39th Annual Mount Hermon Writers Conference. He is the author of the novels Through the Fire & Tomorrow We Die.
Shawn has served for over a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in northern Nevada. From fire engines and ambulances to tillered ladder trucks and helicopters, Shawn’s work environment has always been dynamic. The line of duty has carried him to a variety of locale, from high-rise fires in the city to the burning heavy timber of the eastern Sierras.
Shawn attended Point Loma Nazarene University as a Theology undergrad before shifting direction to acquire an Associate of Science degree in Fire Science Technology as well as Paramedic licensure through Truckee Meadows Community College.
Shawn currently lives in Reno, Nevada, just outside of Lake Tahoe. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his wife, three children and yellow Labrador.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Chase the Angel of Death and You Might Catch Him
Jonathan Trestle is a paramedic who’s spent the week a few steps behind the angel of death. When he responds to a call about a man sprawled on a downtown sidewalk, Trestle isn’t about to lose another victim. CPR revives the man long enough for him to hand Trestle a crumpled piece of paper and say, “Give this to Martin,” before being taken to the hospital.
The note is a series of dashes and haphazard scribbles. Trestle tries to follow up with the patient later, but at the ICU he learns the man awoke, pulled out his IVs, and vanished, leaving only a single key behind. With the simple decision to honor a dying man’s last wish, Jonathan tracks the key to a nearby motel where he finds the man again–this time not just dead but murdered. Unwilling to just let it drop, Jonathan is plunged into a mystery that soon threatens not only his dreams for the future but maybe even his life. He must race for the truth before the Angel of Death comes calling for him.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Tomorrow We Die, go to HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Tomorrow We Die is a fast moving story about a paramedic who finds himself in the middle of a mystery after he is handed a cryptic note by a victim during an emergency call. After finding the same man dead, Jonathan’s curiosity leads him on a quest to find the truth. His investigation leads him into escalating danger that threatens his life and the lives of anyone who dares to help him.
I read Tomorrow We Die straight through because I was unable to put it down. Not only did the author keep the action flowing but his characters were well rounded and I could easily identify with them. The descriptions of the daily life of a paramedic were interesting and added a realistic dimension to the story. I really enjoyed this book and hope to see more from this author soon.
by admin | Jul 7, 2010 | Books, Civil War, Historical, Romance
MY REVIEW:
Unwilling Warrior is a captivating Civil War romance filled with engaging characters, a mystery or two, personal conflicts, and an excellent scriptural message. Although Valerie and Benjamin are totally unsuitable for each other by society standards, the reader knows almost from the beginning that they will end up together. Fortunately the pages in between contain such a good story that my interest was held through the end.
In my opinion, the moral of the story is to rely on God and always try to do what is right no matter what may come against you. Although Valerie had faced several major losses and changes to her life, she continued to trust the Lord to help her. She practiced her faith when she tried to minister to Catherine in spite of all the mean things the other woman had done to her.
I enjoyed Unwilling Warrior and would recommend it, especially to those who love historical romance novels.
This book was provided for review by Glass Road Public Relations.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Valerie Fontaine is frightened. Her mother has passed and the War Between the States is raging. She braves the distance and leaves her finishing school in Virginia to be home with Daddy in New Orleans for Christmas.
Benjamin McCabe has a noble dream of photographing the Civil War–until his brother is lost during a battle. He has no idea his quest to find the missing brother will lead him into the enchanting presence of a New Orleans socialite.
And neither could have guessed how their lives would be forever changed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar has been married for more than 30 years. She and her husband, Daniel, have three adult sons, daughters-in-law, and two precious grandchildren. Andrea’s educational background includes the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, where she studied in English, and Alverno College where she studied in Professional Communications and Business Management.
Andrea has been writing stories and poems since she was a little girl; however, it wasn’t until 1984 that she started submitting her work for publication. Eight years after that, she was convicted about writing for the Christian market. She read books in her genre (Inspirational Romance & Women’s Fiction), studied the market, and worked hard to hone her craft.
Finally her first novel was published in 1994. Since then she’s written numerous articles and devotionals. Andrea has also published inspiration romance novels, women’s fiction, and novellas.
In 2003, Andrea joined the Hartline Literary Agency and worked for Joyce Hart as a literary agent. She saw much success. But then in 2007, Andrea realized she was more of a teacher/encourager than a sales person. She left the agency and became a certified Christian life coach. Now, in addition to her writing, Andrea enjoys encouraging others to use their God-given talents and gifts to their fullest.
Andrea has taught workshops at such writers conferences as: Write-To-Publish; American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW); Oregon Christian Writers Conference; Mount Hermon Writers Conference and many local writers conferences. She also speaks at various churches and women’s groups.
Another of Andrea’s accomplishments is co-founder of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization. For many years she served on both its Advisory Board and as its CEO.
by admin | Jul 6, 2010 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Suspense
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
NightmareBethany House (July 1, 2010)
byRobin Parrish
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Parrish is a journalist who’s written about the intersection of faith and pop culture for more than a decade. Currently he serves as Senior Editor at XZOOSIA.com, a community portal that fuses social networking with magazine-style features about entertainment and culture.
He had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist. In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract with Bethany House Publishers. They contracted him for the rights to The Dominion Trilogy: Relentless (2006), Fearless (2007), and Merciless (2008). His science fiction thriller, Offworld came out in 2009. This summer debuts Nightmare, and he’s working on another for 2011. Robin and his wife and children live in North Carolina.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Ghost Town is the hottest amusement park in the country, offering state-of-the-art chills and thrills involving the paranormal. The park’s main ride is a haunted house that promises an encounter with a real ghost.
When Maia Peters visits during her senior year of college, she’s not expecting to be impressed. Maia grew up as the only child of a pair of world-renowned “ghost hunters,” so the paranormal is nothing new and to her most of the park is just Hollywood special effects. In fact, the ride feels pretty boring until the very end. There, a face appears from the mist. The face of Jordin Cole, a girl Maia knows who disappeared from campus a few months ago.
Convinced what she saw wasn’t a hoax and desperate to find answers to Jordin’s disappearance, Maia launches into a quest for answers. Joined by Jordin’s boyfriend–a pastor’s kid with very different ideas about paranormal and the spirit realm–Maia finds herself in a struggle against dangerous forces she never expected to confront on the edge of the spirit realm that try to keep the truth from emerging.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Nightmare, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Nightmare is a page turning, spellbinding tale that will keep the reader on edge until the electrifying climax. Written in first person from the point of view of Maia, the daughter of famous television paranormal experts, the narrative spans two time frames. Some chapters narrate Maia and Jordin’s experiences during the previous year as they explored sites famous for paranormal activity. Alternating chapters follow Maia and Jordin’s boyfriend as they frantically search for Jordin after her unexplained disappearance.
Because it features ghosts and the paranormal, Nightmare is likely to become one of those controversial books among Christian readers once word gets out about it. Although everyone may not agree with views presented in the story, they should remember that is is just that – a story. The book was well researched and gives the reader plenty to think about without drawing any concrete conclusions. Certain events in the story are obviously speculative and should be treated as such.
Mr. Parrish has penned a terrifying chiller without the usual blood and gore that is common in most books of this genre. That he has also managed to insert a wealth of spiritual truth without becoming preachy is a major achievement in my opinion. This book is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy a good supernatural thriller, Nightmare is well worth reading.
by admin | Jun 30, 2010 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Romance
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Refuge on Crescent Hill
Kregel Publications (March 11, 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:
THE HOMECOMING WASN’T WHAT SHE EXPECTED…
Jobless, homeless, and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summers as a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge.
When Camden finds evidence that she may not be the mansion’s only occupant, memories of Grandma Rosalie’s bedtime stories about secret passageways and runaway slaves fuel her imagination. What really happened at Crescent Hill? Who can she turn to for answers in this town full of strangers? And what motivates the handsome local Alex Yates to offer his help? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camdem uncovers deep family secrets within the mansion’s walls that could change her life?and the entire town?forever.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Refuge on Crescent Hill, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Refuge on Crescent Hill has all the elements needed for a great book – interesting characters, a mystery to solve, plenty of suspense, a little romance, some humor, a bit of history, and some surprises. Although the story was told from several points of view, it was never hard to follow. The author set just the right tone with the spooky old house and its rumors of ghosts. Unexpected twists in the plot kept me awake until the book was finished – I couldn’t put it down.
Refuge on Crescent Hill is a well crafted story with a satisfying ending. I highly recommend it.
