by admin | Apr 7, 2008 | Books
My Review:
Beyond the Reflection’s Edge is the first book I’ve read by Bryan Davis. After reading it, I can see why his other books have had such wide appeal. The book is a well written fantasy with enough details to be believable. The power of music is beautifully illustrated as well as descriptions of nature. The reader follows Nathan and Kelly on a wild journey from one dimension to another as they endeavor to find the answers to the murder of his parents and to complete the mission left to them. The teens learn to rely on each other and their faith while discovering the importance of love and sacrifice. The book concludes with some resolution but still enough unanswered questions to look forward to the next volume.
I would recommend this book for fairly mature youth only as it has a good bit of violence.
About Beyond the Reflection’s Edge (from back cover)
Enter a fantastical world where even mirrors tell lies.
This fast-paced adventure fantasy trilogy starts with murder and leads teenagers Nathan and Kelly out of their once-familiar world as they struggle to find answers to the tragedy. A mysterious mirror with phantom images, a camera that takes pictures of things they can’t see, and a violin that unlocks unrecognizable voices …. each enigma takes the teens farther into an alternate universe where nothing is as it seems.
Sixteen-year-old Nathan Shepherd has a great life traveling where the careers of his father, an investigator, and mother, a renowned violinist, take him … until his parents are found murdered.
Left with only a mirror and notes from his father’s last case, Nathan goes into hiding at the remote country home of Tony, his father’s college buddy, and Tony’s teenage daughter, Kelly. The mysterious mirror must be a clue to what happened to his parents, and when images appear in it – people and things that don’t exist – Nathan and Kelly painstakingly gather evidence. But the killers want the mirror too, and danger threatens the teens at every turn.
About the Author
Bryan Davis is the author of the Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire series, contemporary/fantasy books for young adults. The first book, Raising Dragons, was released in July of 2004, followed by The Candlestone, Circles of Seven, and Tears of a Dragon. Eye of the Oracle launched the Oracles of Fire series and hit number one on the CBA Young Adult best-seller list in January of 2007. Book number two, Enoch’s Ghost, came out in July and will be followed by Last of the Nephilim in the spring of 2008.
Bryan is the author of several other works including The Image of a Father (AMG) and Spit and Polish for Husbands (AMG), and four books in the Arch Books series: The Story of Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation, The Day Jesus Died, The Story of the Empty Tomb (over 100,000 sold), and Jacob’s Dream. Bryan lives in Western Tennessee with his wife, Susie, and their children. Bryan and Susie have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. From the time he taught himself how to read before school age, through his seminary years and beyond, he has demonstrated a passion for the written word, reading and writing in many disciplines and genres, including theology, fiction, devotionals, poetry, and humor.
Bryan is a graduate of the University of Florida (B.S. in Industrial Engineering). In high school, he was valedictorian of his class and won various academic awards. He was also a member of the National Honor Society and voted Most Likely to Succeed.
He continues to expand his writing education by teaching at relevant writing conferences and conventions. Although he is now a full time writer, Bryan was a computer professional for over 20 years.
by admin | Apr 7, 2008 | Books
This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing Amber Morn
(Zondervan Publishing Company – April 2008) by Brandilyn CollinsABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brandilyn Collins is a best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense™. These harrowing crime thrillers have earned her the tagline “Don’t forget to b r e a t h e …®”
Brandilyn writes for Zondervan, the Christian division of HarperCollins Publishers, and is currently at work on her 19th book. Her first, A Question of Innocence, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including the Phil Donahue and Leeza talk shows.She’s also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons), and often teaches at writers conferences.Brandilyn blogs at Forensics and Faith. Visit her Website
to read the first chapters of all her books.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The whole thing couldn’t have taken more than sixty seconds.
Bailey hung on to the counter, dazed. If she let go, she’d collapse—and the twitching fingers of the gunman would pull the trigger. The rest of her group huddled in frozen shock.
Dear God, help us! Tell me this is a dream . . .
The shooter’s teeth clenched. “ Anybody who moves is dead.”
On a beautiful Saturday morning the nationally read “Scenes and Beans” bloggers gather at Java Joint for a special celebration. Chaos erupts when three gunmen burst in and take them all hostage. One person is shot and dumped outside.
Police Chief Vince Edwards must negotiate with the desperate trio. The gunmen insist on communicating through the “comments” section of the blog—so all the world can hear their story. What they demand, Vince can’t possibly provide. But if he doesn’t, over a dozen beloved Kanner Lake citizens will die…
Amber Morn is the climactic finale to Collins’ widely read Kanner Lake series. All first three titles in the series, Violet Dawn, Coral Moon, and Crimson Eve, were bestsellers. Library Journal placed Crimson Eve on its Best Books of 2007 list, and hailed it the “Best Christian suspense of 2007.”
A few early reviews of Amber Morn:
“… essential reading … a harrowing hostage drama.” – Library Journal
“… heart-pounding … breakneck pace … satisfying and meaningful ending.” – RT Bookreviews
“This cataclysmic ending left me breathless … Kanner Lake is the Best Suspense Series of 2007/2008.” – deenasbooks.blogspot.com
“Collins has saved the best for a last .. a powerful ensemble performance.” — BookshelfReview.com
“… a staccato tempo … Sometimes you just have to close the book in order to come up for air.” – Dale Lewis
“…a masterpiece of page-turning suspense with a cast of dozens.” – Peg Phifer
by admin | Apr 4, 2008 | Books
My Review: I just finished the first two books in the Boarding School Mysteries series by Kristi Holl. It has been awhile since I had a child in the house the proper age for these books but in my estimation, the subject matter is quite appropriate for the target age group. These books would appeal to girls who love the Nancy Drew mysteries. There is just the right amount of mystery and suspense interspersed with issues and interests so important to this age group. Each book illustrates the impact of personal choices and the importance of faith and prayer in every situation. The books are long enough to tell the whole story well but short enough to hold a young person’s attention. I would recommend this series for middle school girls in particular.
FADING TRACKS – Book 1 in the Boarding School Mysteries – Back Cover 
The Boarding School Mysteries series challenges twelve-year-old Jeri McKane, a sixth grader at the private Landmark School for Girls, to trust God’s Word and direction as this amateur sleauth searches for clues in the midst of danger.
“I can’t take it anymore!” Lonely and a long way from home, 12 year-old Jeri McKane wonders whether the scholarship to prestigious Landmark School was worth it. Just when she thinks things can’t get worse, her Mom cancels out on parents’ weekend, and the school bus carrying her roommate Rosa, disappers. But this reporter for the sixth-grade newspaper has an eye like Nancy Drew, and more faith and courage than she realizes.
Join Jeri and her friends on this adventurous ride through danger and mystery as they learn to trust God when the world doesn’t make sense.
SECRETS FOR SALE – Book 2 in the Boarding School Mysteries – Back Cover
“I thought I could trust you!” With those ugly words hanging in the air, Jeri McKane is crushed. Rosa, her best friend and roomate, is being blackmailed – and blaming her. What’s going on? Unless the evil blackmailer can be nailed, Rosa could be expelled from Landmark School and her starring role in Cinderella given to a snobbish seventh grader. And worse yet, Jeri could lose her best friend just when things with her own absentee father are heating up.
Can faith, courage, and the truth win out? Join Jeri and her friends as they sort through this dark and threatening mystery and learn to trust God and each other in a brand new way.
About the Author
Kristi Holl is an award-winning author of 34 books for children, one nonfiction book for writers, and over 150 stories and articles for children and adults, as well as conference speaker and web editor. Her stories and articles have appeared in Jack and Jill, Child Life, Hi-Call, Your Life & Health, Touch, The Writer, Children’s Writer, and the SCBWI Bulletin, among others. She also wrote a mystery column and self-coaching column for the magazine Once Upon a Time.
Kristi Holl was born in Iowa, graduated from Marshalltown High School and has lived in Mason City, Cedar Falls, Red Oak, Knoxville, Conrad, and Story City (all in Iowa). In July 2003, she moved to San Antonio, Texas, where she and her husband live near two of their daughters and their families.
Kristi started as an elementary teacher after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in l974, and began writing as a hobby when staying home with her children. She has taught writing for children for the Institute of Children’s Literature since l983. In l998 she created and became Web Editor for the Institute’s web site at www.institutechildrenslit.com where she monitored Open Forums, wrote articles for the Writer’s Support Rooms and Writing Tips, and moderated online interviews with editors and writers. In 2000 she added web editing for the Long Ridge Writers Group web site at www.longridgewritersgroup.com. She retired as web editor in 2002. She now spends the majority of her time writing books. She also has a small number of Institute students, does freelance editing for Zonderkidz/Zondervan Publishing, does manuscript critiques, and speaks at writers’ conferences.
by admin | Apr 1, 2008 | Books
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
When Zeffie Got a Clue
WaterBrook Press (March 18, 2008)
by
Peggy DartyABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Peggy Darty is the award-winning author of twenty-seven books, including two other cozy mysteries set in Summer Breeze, Florida: When the Sandpiper Calls and When Bobbie Sang the Blues. She has worked in film, researched for CBS, and led writing workshops around the country. Darty and her husband call Alabama home but spend a great deal of time in Colorado, Montana, and on Florida’s Emerald Coast.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
It’s an ordinary afternoon in Summer Breeze, Florida, when a young, wide-eyed girl steps into I Saw It First, the trash-to-treasure shop Christy Castleman and her Aunt Bobbie have opened. Clutching a jewelry box, Zeffie Adams tells Christy she needs money to pay her grandmother’s medical bills, prompting Christy to offer this curious visitor more than the jewelry box is worth–or so she thinks.
But complicated questions form when Christy rips out the box’s lining and uncovers a clue to a cold case murder mystery from eight years ago. Despite warnings from her family and handsome boyfriend Dan Brockman, Christy decides to do a little detective work of her own. After all, the infamous murder happened close to her grandmother’s farm. How risky could it be to take the jewelry box back to the Strickland plantation and ask around about it?
Soon Christy finds there is more to the small box than someone wants her to know. A jewelry theft. A mansion murder. Dangerous family secrets buried in history. Can Christy convince others to let go of the past before it’s too late?
