Dear Loved One,

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a
celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be
repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are
many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world
everyone is saying that my birthday is getting closer and closer.

It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think
of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At
first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them,
but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family
and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the
meaning of the celebration.

I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner
table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and
chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped
gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest
of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for
me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in
my face .... and I wanted to be with them and share their table.

In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close
their doors to me. Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without
making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking;
there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They
were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red
wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk.
He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: 'Santa Claus,
Santa Claus' ... as if the party were in his honor!

At 12 Midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms
waiting for someone to hug me and ... do you know ... no one hugged me. Suddenly
they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great
expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for
me.

What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did
not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly
left.

Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts,
the parties and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow
me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that
almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on
the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all your
heart.

I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party,
I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever
imagined, a spectacular party.

I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many
invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend
and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters
in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the
party. Those who don't answer the invite, will be left outside.

Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party.
See you soon.
I Love you!


JESUS

CFRB Blog Tour

Don't forget to check out WIND FOLLOWER at the CFRB Blog. This book by Carole McDonnell, is an unforgettable work of sci-fi/fantasy. Since I also write the posts at CFRB you may just want to go over there and see what else I've said. Then you can click on the CFRB Members Blog Roll and check out what others are saying about this novel as well.

On sale at Amazon Books

As well as Juno Books

You won't want to miss her blog either at
Carole McDonnell's Blog

Plus if you'll Google her name or WIND FOLLOWER, you'll come up with a ton of other links as well.

For Parents Only

Summary:

Shaunti Feldhahn is known for unlocking the mysteries of relationships for men and women. Now she turns to a parent’s relationship with a child, particularly a child of the opposite sex. Drawing on the results of a nationwide survey of kids and teenagers, she explores questions such as:

* What do moms need to understand about the “tough and tender” boy who values respect over love?

* What do dads need to understand about their daughter’s need for affirmation?

* What are the six biggest pet peeves teens have about their parents?

Understanding the answers to these and other important questions can help parents make the holidays a time of celebration and unity, not strife and friction.

For Parents Only offers a unique look into a child’s mind and frees readers to communicate in healthier ways as they discover that understanding their kids may not be as complicated as they think.

Author Bio:

Shaunti Feldhahn is the author of For Women Only and numerous other books, with sales totaling nearly one million copies. A nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and public speaker, Feldhahn earned her master’s degree at Harvard University . She and her husband, Jeff, have two young children. Lisa A. Rice is the associate editor of Christian Living magazine, the mother of two teenage girls, and a screenwriter and producer.

Check it out at Random House
As well as Amazon

FAITH AWAKENED, by Grace Bridges

Day 3 Tuesday

The main character in FAITH AWAKENED is Mariah, a 22 year old young Irish woman in Belfast. Although she works with computers she feels that her job is part of an enforced slavery by the Masters over all people. Chapter 2 starts out in the most amazing and foreboding of ways. Mariah tells us, the readers, that she is going to tell her story, a story of how great the world once was, and how nearly all of mankind was destroyed. Talk about giving you a hook. Yet, even in the prologue and chapter 1 you get hooked. Grace Bridges is a very unique and gifted story teller. You'll find this out the more you read.

Before I introduce you to the other main character I need to go back to the prologue and jump around a bit. Mariah, in the prologue, is hooking up survivors to a “virtual reality cryogenic system”. That's right. Those left behind, by some horrific event she has not yet shared with us. The gist of things are that only a handful of people seem to be left living on an otherwise crowded planet. For the human race to survive those living must enter into this state of cryogenic suspension. She is fairly graphic in her depiction of all of this. She gives us hints, in that this time of entering a suspended state, are faced with a certain amount of fear and anxioty, as well as welcomed with joy.

Okay, now I can tell you a little about Faith. We start out with her as a young child and “grow up with her” so to speak. The one thing that becomes noticeable about her is her lapses of memory. There seem to be bits of her past that fade away into the mists of nothingness. In fact, there is a feeling of skipping over things when you read this chapter. Believe it or not, this is important. She grows up like any young girl, at least one with Christian parents and influence, but Grace shows all the pain and frustration at trying to figure God out. The teen years are particularly interesting, just as they are in real life. These years are the ones that most of us face some of the greatest challenges of our lives. We either stand or fall, by how we react to these challenges. She does a great job of depicting Faith.

These are the 2 main characters in FAITH AWAKENED. Grace, if I have misrepresented them in any way, I apologize ahead of time. To the rest of you, I apologize that I cannot give you more information without allowing you to experience the story for yourself. It's always a challenge to find 7 posts for a novel without giving away the major plot aspects and the ending. So I ask that you give me a little slack here. I could easily tell you the story, but then what would be the point of reading it? You must read this book, because the story held within is best told by its author, and because there are several messages that you need to come to grips with. As Mariah says, “You won't find any censorship, even though you will mourn for worlds long vanished. I intend to tell it like it really is.” She follows this up with the ominous words, “Really I can't be sure that anyone will ever read this. Yet if the human race survives, then read on and weep for what once was, and what used to be. For it is no more...”

On sale at Lulu Books

Check out her main website at Grace Bridges – The Future is What You Make It

You won't want to miss her blog either at
Grace Bridges' Blog

The best site for information, pics, audios, etc, however, can be found at
Faith Awakened

NEVER LOOK BACK, by Kathy Herman

Ivy Griffith, beautiful, single mom of an adorable 7 year old, is being released from prison. Her life seems to be on the upswing since she settled matters between her and the Lord (back in EVER PRESENT DANGER). Only Ivy can't seem to break free from her past. She tries to settle in, and with the help of her family, gets a job at the reception desk for the Christian Camp. The bond between Ivy and her son, Montana, grows...but there is something missing, something she's afraid will never be able to supple. Ivy wants very much for Montana to have a father in his life, yet she has made so many terrible choices in that area of her life she is timid to do so again. When she finally decides on Rue, a worker at the camp, she believes she's moving forward. Then come the brutal beatings of some of the towns people, and Rue doesn't have an alibi. He says he was looking at the stars. That, and a shared secret, start to wedge their way into one of the wounds in Ivy's heart, until she must trust totally on the Lord to NEVER LOOK BACK.

I'm not a romance reader, but Kathy Herman delivers some of the greatest suspense in her class. I'll not say it's the best, but only because I know writers to be people in change, always striving to be better than they were in their last book. Kathy is no different. You will love her tender touches as much as her brutal realism and the way life tears at the human heart. We can only take the pieces of our lives up, and offer them to our Lord, and in tears say, "Lord, fix it? Please." It is then we experience the love of God personally. She captures this so beautifully that it always amazes me.


Check out her book and read other reviews at Amazon.com

And visit her at her website http://www.kathyherman.com/

FLASHPOINT - Day 2

Yeah, yeah, I know I have the other blog going, but I needed to make mention of the links at the end. It was made known to me that the original links to Yellow30 Sci-Fi were wrong. I've corrected them. You'll find them at the end of this post and corrected in yesterday's as well.

So, what would you do if you had an ID chip in you, telling the government that you were a terrorist, capable of locating you no matter where you went? The Bible says that in those days there will be no place to hide. With today's chip implant technology we're already there.

Many years ago I asked my dad about a brand new satellite system that would aid our armed forces in navigation, getting advanced weather details, etc. The technology was so "sci-fi" like that it had the ability to take a picture of a person's license plate and reproduce it so others could read the numbers and letters on the plate. Being a teen at the time, who was interested in end time theology, I said, "Wow! Just imagine if those things were equipped with thermal scopes. There really wouldn't be any place left to hide." His reply to me was, "They already are equipped, it's just not been turned on."

People, the year 2036 is almost here. We have the chip implant technology, GPS satellites, and all these interesting groups that you'd expect; the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Want to have some fun? Do a Google search on "World Organizations". We're closer to a "One State" government and its churchy counter part, "One Church" than you may wish to believe. People are manipulating DNA in search of the perfect human (Dr. Mengela would be so proud). Technology has taken us into the realm of nanotechnology, meaning the ability to build simple machines at or below the atomic level. In other words, you can't see them. Where will it all end? You have a Bible? The ending is written in there. It's amazing how the Apostle John could be so accurate, especially most of the things he talked about were hundreds of years from existing on any level.

Frank Creed isn't trying to tell us something we don't already know. He's trying to prepare us for a battle too many of us are willing to admit is already here. Way to go Frank.

Sold with the big boys at Amazon Books

Don't miss out on checking this site at Make Room for FLASHPOINT

Yellow 30 Sci-Fi's July Feature book and 2008 Pluto nominee
Feature Author, Frank Creed

You also may be interested in the Yellow30 Sci-Fi review
Their review of FLASPOINT

FLASHPOINT, by Frank Creed

Day 2 Monday

This month's tour at the Christian Fiction Review Blog is FLASHPOINT, by Frank Creed, a Biblical cyber-punk view of end times. Lots of action with unrealistic sequences that he makes you feel as though they are realistic. This is a keeper folks. If you don't go out and get a copy I'm gonna let Calamity Kid handle you. He's a “Sandman” in a “muscle cell” of the “Body of Christ” in Chicago. The year is 2036, and guess what? You were right. The politics have made things worse for believers. The muscle cells fight a battle against the One State Government. If you don't read this you have no one to blame but yourself. On a scale of 1 to 5 I give FLASHPOINT about a 7. - David Brollier

Sold with the big boys at Amazon Books

Don't miss out on checking this site at Make Room for FLASHPOINT

Yellow 30 Sci-Fi's July Feature book and 2008 Pluto nominee
Feature Author, Frank Creed

You also may be interested in the Yellow30 Sci-Fi review
Their review of FLASPOINT

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Ex Files

(Touchstone June 19, 2007)

by

Victoria Christopher Murray

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Victoria Christopher Murray always knew she would become an author, even as she was taking quite an unlikely path to that destination. A native of Queens, New York, Victoria first left New York to attend Hampton Institute in Virginia where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating from Hampton, Victoria attended New York University where she received her MBA.

Victoria spent ten years in Corporate America before she decided to test her entrepreneurial spirit. She opened a Financial Services Agency for Aegon, USA where she managed the number one division for nine consecutive years. However, Victoria never lost the dream to write and when the “bug” hit her again in 1997, she answered the call.

Victoria originally self published Temptation. “I wanted to write a book as entertaining and compelling as any of the books on the market, put God in the middle, and have the book still be a page-turner. I wasn’t writing to any particular genre – I didn’t even know Christian fiction existed. I just wanted to write about people I knew and characters I could relate to.”

In 2000, Time Warner published Temptation. Temptation made numerous best sellers list across the nation and remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine consecutive months. In 2001, Temptation was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literature.

Since Temptation, Victoria has written four other novels: JOY, Truth Be Told, Grown Folks Business, and A Sin and a Shame. All of her novels have continued to be Essence bestsellers; her last three each reaching #1. In addition, Victoria has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and in 2006, she was awarded the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being the pioneer in African American Christian Fiction.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Ex Files:

A Novel About Four Women and Faith...

There are four ways a woman can handle heartbreak. She can fall apart, seek revenge, turn cold, or move on. The Ex Files is the story of these four women:

When Kendall Stewart finds her husband and her sister in bed together, she vows to never let anyone get that close again. But when she is faced with saving the life of the woman who destroyed hers, will she be able to forgive?

When an NBA superstar tells his mistress, Asia Ingrum, that he's decided to honor his marriage vows, her shock quickly gives way to revenge...but her decision may come back to haunt their five-year-old daughter.

Every night Vanessa Martin wonders why her husband committed suicide. Even worse, she contemplates joining him in eternity. Will Vanessa be able to gather the strength to live again?

Sheridan Hart is finally finding her way after a lie destroyed her seventeen-year marriage. Her new love is ready to get married, but will she commit to this younger man or is her ex-husband taking up too much space in her heart?

When their pastor asks Kendall, Asia, Vanessa, and Sheridan to meet weekly for prayer, they can't imagine they will have anything in common. But then a devastating tragedy strikes and these strangers are forced to reexamine their choices.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

LIFE, LIBBY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

(Harvest House Publishers March 1, 2007)

by

Hope Lyda

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hope Lyda has always wanted to write. Ever since she was a young tyke with a spiral notebook in hand, she had the urge to fill it. Sadly, Peggy Meets the Midgets did not cause Hope to be deemed a child prodigy, so she continued her path of education. She was grade-obsessed but also truly enjoyed sharing laughs with her circle of creative friends.

Hope attended the University of Oregon and graduated with a double major in Journalism: Advertising and Telecommunications and Film. With aspirations to write screenplays or teleplays, she of course ended up doing public relations for non-profits until she entered the publishing field in which she has worked for 10 years.

Her passions are quiet ones—she loves a good read, an afternoon of free thinking time, writing, journaling, road trips, travel, and pondering life from her back yard pergola. She loiters in bookstores frequently, though has never been arrested for such. Her big hope is to encourage others to embrace their dreams and understand their faith journeys through the practice of journaling and the art of creative living. She hopes to also inspire such things through the themes in her fiction including Hip to Be Square and Altar Call. (There are also visions of a nice Casita with a hammock in Mexico—but one thing at a time.)

When not living in her head, she resides with her husband, Marc, in the Pacific Northwest.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Libby Hawthorne makes exotic trip itineraries but never leaves Seattle. She’d like to attend church but winds up at a bookstore. She longs for love—but who has the time? Delayed happiness has been worth it, because she’s about to get her dream promotion...

Or not.

So now what?

When a corporate merger leaves her demoted and disillusioned, Libby realizes she needs to start living authentically...and soon. But just as she tries to uncover her purposed life, her cruel and unusual boss, Cecilia, demands that Libby hide Seattle’s most famous homegrown rock star in order to keep her new, bad job. For the first time in years, Libby doesn’t have a step by step plan to guide her. She must trust her faith and her heart. But what is she supposed to do with her growing admiration for Blaine Slater, a new VP from Chicago, or the surprising kindness of the rock star living incognito in her Seattle apartment? Through the humorous twist and turns, Libby uncovers a big life truth—the detours we are afraid of might just be the perfect path to happiness.

p>

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Sushi for One?

(Zondervan, September 1, 2007)

by

CAMY TANG

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Camy Tang is a member of CFBA and is a loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick-lit. She grew up in Hawaii, but now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious poi-dog. In a previous life she was a biologist researcher, but these days she is surgically attached to her computer, writing full-time. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service.

Sushi for One? (Sushi Series, Book One is her first novel. Her second, Only Uni (Sushi Series, Book Two) comes out in February 2008!

To celebrate the launch of her debut novel, she's got a huge contest going on. Camy is giving away baskets of Christian novels and an iPod Nano! Only her newsletter YahooGroup subscribers are eligible to enter, so join today.

For more information about the contest, visit her website.

Contest ends October 31, 2007!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Lex Sakai’s family, big, nosy, and marriage-minded, is ruled by a crafty grandmother. When her cousin Mariko gets married, Lex will become the OLDEST SINGLE COUSIN in the clan, a loathed position by all single female family members.

Lex has not dated for years.

Grandma homes in on this fact and demands, bribes, and threatens Lex to bring a boyfriend (not just a date) to her cousin’s wedding.

Lex does not want to date ... not since that terrible incident a few years back ... but, Grandma doesn't give her that choice.

Lex's options are slim because she has used her Bible study class on Ephesians to compile a huge list of traits for the PERFECT man (and the more she dates, the more she adds to the list).

The one man she keeps running into (and is completely attracted to) doesn’t seem to have a single quality on her list. It’s only when the always-in-control Lex loses control and lets God take over that all the pieces of this hilarious romance finally fall into place.

HIGH STREET, by Jack Stinson

This week over at the Christian Fiction Review Blog, they’re spotlighting Jack Stinson’s book HIGH STREET. (Hint: You can get to CFRB by clicking on the book title above this post) This highly emotional, introspective and realistically dark tale of a young man whose life was altered after leaving home for college and entertaining himself on High Street., is powerful. There are some great posts by the other CFRB members, so be sure to visit the CFRB main site and follow the links in the CFRB blogroll to these other posts. Be prepared for a story that reaches around your comfort zone and hits you smack in that soft core of your heart, as Stinson almost forces you to feel what Jamie Boyer feels.

Featured at Infinity Publishing

as well asBarnes and Noble

And of course
href=“"http://www.amazon.com/High-Street-Jack-Stinson/dp/0741426064”";>Amazon

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

THE DEAD WHISPER ON

(Bethany House July 1, 2007)

by

T. L. Hines

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tony is the author of the acclaimed Waking Lazarus. He has been an advertising agency owner/principal, a trade amgazine editor, and now a novelist.

He has been a professional writer for more than 15 years with articles appearing in publications as varied as Log Homes, Conservative Theological Journal, and Travel & Leisure. He is also Creative Director at Montana's largest advertising agency.

His long list of past odd jobs includes trimming Christmas trees, sorting seed potatoes, working the graveyard shift at a convenience store, and cleaning cadaver storage rooms.

As a teen he was undefeated in air guitar competitions in which he performed songs by ZZ Top.

He lives in Montana with his wife and daughter,



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Would You Run Into A Burning Building?

Candace "Canada Mac" MacHugh lives a ghost of her former life.

Once a proud Butte, Montana, miner who daily risked her life setting explosives, she's now a garbage collector in her dying hometown.

Her beloves father is dead and she doesn't speak to her mom. More than anything, Candace Mac misses her father. He promised to contact her from the "other side" if he could...but it's been eleven long years. And now even her beloved city of Butte, Montana, seems to be dying off.

Candace Mac is alone. Longing for the past. Dreaming of making a difference.

Until one night when her father's voice speaks to her from the shadows. Bud MacHugh's trademark growl. The dead, it seems, have messages they hunger to share with the world...warnings of impending disasters and grave danger. Of cities doomed to burn.

But they need Canada's help.

T.L. Hines' first novel, Waking Lazarus was named one of the Library Journal's Top 25 Genre novels of 2006. Now he's back with a gripping suspense that brings to light our fears and asks us if we still have the courage to fight for those around us. if we have the guts to be one of those who run into burning buildings.

"Chilling!" Publishers Weekly

"...a well-paced suspense populated by dynamic characters." Kirkus Discoveries

Get ready for HIGH STREET

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

THE VOID

(Multnomah Fiction August 21, 2007)

by

Mark Mynheir

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Mynheir is a cop writer. He has authored Rolling Thunder (The Truth Chasers Book One) and From the Belly of the Dragon (The Truth Chasers Book Two).

During his career as a police officer, Mark has worked as a narcotics agent, a S.W.A.T. team member, and a homicide detective. Mark and his wife, Lori, live with their three children in central Florida.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Truth Chasers Book Three

Someone’s trying to play God…and he’s turning Palm Bay into hell.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent Robbie Sanchez devotes her life to crime prevention, and it shows: She has no personal life and doesn’t know the meaning of a day off. After all, someone has to be around to clean up the mess crime leaves behind.

So when Officer Brad Worthington is brutally murdered, Agent Sanchez is called to the scene along with Brad’s best friend, Detective Eric Casey. The two turn to Lifetex, the genetics lab near the scene, hoping their elaborate security system might have captured the crime outside.

But what’s going on inside the lab is far worse: a renegade scientist is cloning humans! As Robbie and Eric pursue clues–and a growing attraction–they are caught in a deadly battle as the clones begin to act on their own volition…but this battle threatens to claim more than human life; the clones are vying for human souls.

The Void is nothing short of a page-turner. Mynheir is truly hitting his stride as one of our industry's most notable Christian novelists. This latest book has it all: suspense, humor, intrigue, realistic police action, and one thought-provoking story line.

Creston Mapes
Author of Nobody

Mark can be reached through the Contact link on his Website

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

OFF THE RECORD

(Zondervan August 15, 2007)

by

Elizabeth White

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beth White is the author of Fireworks and Fair Game, as well as the critically acclaimed Texas Gatekeepers serie from Love Inspired Suspense.

In her own words, she appreciate her most valued roles as wife and mom. Beth is also a second-grade Sunday school teacher, church orchestra member (She plays flute), and artist. She loves to read, crochet, sew, go on mission trips and avoid housework.

Beth lives in Mobile with her minister husband, and is currently on staff at First Baptist Church of North Mobile (fondly known as NoMo), in Saraland, Alabama.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ambition is on a collision course with a secret from the past.

Judge Laurel Kincade, a rising political star, is announcing her candidacy for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Her aristocratic Old South family, led by her judge grandfather, beams as she takes the podium. Then her eyes light on a reporter in the crowd…and suddenly her past becomes a threat to her future.

Journalist Cole McGaughan, religion reporter for the New York Daily Journal, has received an intriguing call from an old friend. Private investigator Matt Hogan has come across a tip…that Laurel's impeccable reputation might be a facade. Matt suggests that Cole dig up the dirt on the lovely judge in order to snag his dream job as one of the Journal's elite political reporters.

There's just one problem: Cole's history is entangles with Laurel's and he must decide if the story that could make his career is worth the price he'd have to pay.

A sensational scoop becomes a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Can Laurel and Cole find forgiveness and turn their hidden past into a hopeful future...while keeping their feelings off the record?

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

AND IF I DIE

(Faithwords August 2007)

by

John Aubrey Anderson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

John grew up in Mississippi cotton country. After graduating from Mississippi State, he received an Air Force commission and has recently retired after flying twenty-eight years for a major airline. He lives in Texas with his wife, Nan.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

AND IF I DIE is the third book in the Black and White Chronicles. The first was Abiding Darkness (August, 2006), the second was Wedgewood Grey (February, 2007).

In 1945, a spirit voice told Mr. A. J. Mason to “Be ready.”

In 1960, the spirit drew near and said the same words to the same man. “Be ready.”

On both occasions Mason ended up in bloody battles with the forces of evil. On both occasions, he saved the life of a young girl named Missy Parker. And on both occasions good people died.

It’s 1968.Missy Parker has been married to Dr. Patrick Patterson for nine years; they live in Denton, Texas. Missy plays tennis and golf; Pat is chairman of the philosophy department at North Texas State University.

Mose Washington, a black man Missy refers to as her almost-daddy, is hiding behind a new name—Mose Mann. Mose and the young black man who poses as his grandson have spent eight years successfully evading the FBI, a murderous congresswoman, and creatures from the demonic realm. They now live in Pilot Hill, Texas—fifteen miles from Pat and Missy. Mose is committing the autumn of his life to the pursuit of the knowledge of God and the protection of his “grandson”. His “grandson” is interested in honing his skills as a bull rider.

Close friends see portents of danger in events of the early summer and converge on Pilot Hill to warn the two black men that yet another confrontation with malevolent beings may be looming.

In the pre-dawn hours, on the second day of the North Texas Rodeo, the voice of an invisible being speaks to Missy Parker Patterson. The voice warns her that it is now she, not A. J. Mason, who has been chosen as the person who needs to “Be ready” . . . and Missy doesn’t want the job.

INFINITE SPACE, INFINITE GOD

ISIG Virtual Tour

When the Christian Fiction Review Blog toured INFINITE SPACE, INFINITE GOD, I took several stories and focused on them. This is one of the stories that I really loved, although there are others. I hope that if you haven't read ISIG you really should. You will be pleasantly surprised, challenged and just have some fun.

The work I want to talk about is “Interstellar Calling” by Karina Fabian. She takes an all too frequent event in the lives of way too many people and builds a story where... Sorry, almost gave the ending away. I truly loved this story, and not because Karina is known to me, but because the story spoke to my heart.

It's way too difficult to be a teenager today, and that's where Interstellar Calling begins. One overheard conversation turns a young girl's life upside down. The parents she adores, she learns, have planned to divorce. How can that possibly happen to her? This is where we meet “Frankie”. Karina does a fabulous job of showing just how hurtful that single word can be, even if the parents do love you. In that pain Frankie begins to doubt what she's learned about God.

Without giving away the story, especially the ending, I just want to say that it's when we start doubting, or challenging what we've been taught that God is finally able to break through and be Someone personal to us. It's okay to yell at God, to ask Him questions you figure He can't answer. It's okay to question His love and the teachings of the Bible. But let's be fair about it when we do. Instead of just turning our back on God when we don't get the answers we want, how about realizing that God is God. If we do we allow ourselves to be open to God, we find out that He really does hear. Not only that, but He begins to help us find our way. Our way isn't the way of religion, but the way of relationship. You can't teach that or put it into some kind of mold. From here God can tell you about Himself, what His Word is saying to you personally, suddenly, through all your frustration, what you believe has become real. You no longer believe in what people have said about God, right or wrong, but you now believe in God and what He says. This is something tha every Christian needs to foster in their own life.

Featured at Twilight Times Books

Don't miss out on checking this site at Fabian Space

And don't forget to visit Infinite Space, Infinite God

CFRB Tours THE DUKE'S HANDMAID, by Caprice Hokstad

Day 2 Monday

THE DUKE'S HANDMAID takes you to a different place, a different time, where people seem strangely the same as they are here. Although it is a more simple time, the ravages of sin can be seen as clearly as they can today, but then also can love and loyalty.

Visit any of the following links to learn more about the book:

THE DUKE'S HANDMAID is available at Amazon.com

Don't miss out on checking her site at Welcome to Latoph

And of course her blog as well at Queen of Convolution

Read the first chapter of THE DUKE'S HANDAID at THE DUKE'S HANDMAID – Chapter One

Don't forget to visit the Christian Fiction Review Blog.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

RETURN TO ME byRobin Lee Hatcher

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin is the author of over fifty novels, including Catching Katie, named one of the Best Books of 2004 by Library Journal.

Winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, two RITA Awards for Best Inspirational Romance, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Robin, who is also one of our CFBA members, lives in Boise, Idaho.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Discouraged and destitute, her dreams shattered, Roxy Burke is going home. But what lies beyond the front door?

Rejection...or a bright future?

A lot has changed since Roxy Burke escaped small town life to become a Nashville star. Her former boyfriend Wyatt has found Christ and plans to become a minister. Her sister Elena, who comforted Wyatt when Roxy ran away, is now his fiancee. Her father Jonathan, a successful businessman, is heartbroken over the estrangement of Roxy from the family.

Now Roxy...her inheritance from her grandmother squandered, her hopes of stardom dashed...finds her way home...not by choice but because it's her only option. Her father's love and forgiveness surprise her, but her very presence throws the contented Burke family into turmoil, filling Roxy with guilt and shame.

Elena is shocked to discover doubt and resentment in her heart after her father's easy acceptance of Roxy into the family circle. Wyatt wrestles with doubts about marrying Elena. And Roxy struggles to accept forgiveness. Isn't she more deserving of rejection? As the story of the prodigal plays out, each member of the Burke family must search for and accept God's grace.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

TO DANCE IN THE DESERT

(RiverOak, May 1, 2007)

by

Kathleen Popa

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Raised in the American Southwest, Kathleen began her love affair with the desert as a child. Before becoming a writer she, among other jobs, worked in both the juvenile facility fro incarcerated girls and a home for emotionally disturved children. Mother of two, sh lives in Northern California with her husband and youngest son. Visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and What Else is There? She is a member of the CFBA, too! Give her a holler!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“Not a safe world.” How many times had she heard it over and over again? Well, it is not a safe world and Dara Murphy Brogan knew it better than most, which is exactly why she had tucked herself away on a desert mountaintop. Now it was just her, the voice inside her head and the boxes of hastily packed odds and ends—all that was left of her pathetic excuse of a life. Hadn’t she chosen the desert because it was barren and brown and dead looking and far, far away from anyone who may have seen the news?

So what was this, this trespasser, this interloper, this wacked out earth mother doing dancing outside her window? Celebrating life and the Spirit in a way Dara never could have dreamed. Until she opened her door and met Jane Cameron.

A book that makes me laugh is a joy, a book that makes me cry is a rarity. But a book that moves me to dance is sublime. To Dance in the Desert is a spectacular experience. Beautifully written, deeply moving, and warmly engaging—that this is Kathleen Popa’s first novel astounds me. That she will quickly be counted among the top caliber of Christian novelists delights me. I simply loved this book.

~Kathryn Mackel, Author of The Hidden

Kathleen Popa creates a compelling vision of a small community’s power to coax waning spirits back toward life. This gem of a novel worked on me like a dream. Popa’s evocative prose captured the nuance and complexity of transformation with equal parts mystery and truth. She conjures the deserts of Dara Brogan’s life with intimate clarity, reminding us along the way of the profound strength of what we take far too much for granted—the deep friendship of kindred spirits. This is a journey worth taking.

~Jeff Berryman, Author of Leaving Ruin

I Am Not Ashamed

This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football
game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, by school
Principal, Jody McLeod.

“It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football
games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and
Country.

“Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a
Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at
this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual
perversion and call it 'an alternate lifestyle,' and if someone is
offended, that's OK.

“I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and
calling it, 'safe sex.' If someone is offended, that's OK.

“I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing
an unborn baby as a 'viable! means o f birth control.' If someone is
offended, no problem...

“I can designate a school day as 'Earth Day' and involve students in
activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess 'Mother
Earth' and call it 'ecology.'

“I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that
depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as
'simple minded' and 'ignorant' and call it 'enlightenment.'

“However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to
Bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case
Law is violated.

“This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical
Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD
and HIS Commandments.

“Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff an d
students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree.
For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst,
hypocritical... I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally.
I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression.

“For this reason, I shall 'Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's,'
and refrain from praying at this time.

“However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask
HIM,in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do
so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet.”

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands
with one another and began to pray.

They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They
prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box!

The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United
States of America- the Seat of 'Justice' in the 'one nation, under GOD.'

Somehow, Kingston, Tennessee Remembered what so many have forgotten.
We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion.
Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains!

JESUS said, “If you are ashamed of ME before men, then I will be
ashamed of you before MY FATHER.”

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

ONE STEP OVER THE BORDER

(Center Street June 12, 2007)

by

Stephen Bly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephen Bly is a pastor, a mayor, an antique Winchester gun collector and a writer.

He's mayor of a town of 308 in the mountains of Idaho, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. In his spare time, he pursues the three R's of ridin', ropin' and rodeo...and construction of Broken Arrow Crossing, a false-front western village near his home.

That keeps him very western. And he collect old Winchester rifles, which reflects his love of historical accuracy. He's also a fan of Jimmy Buffet music.

Stephen says about his writing, "I write about the West (historic or modern) from the inside. Born and raised on western ranches, I have both the heart and mind to describe things as they really were...and are. There are those who think the frontier has long passed and with it the ‘code of the west.’ The truth is, both are still around...and it’s fun to show that in a contemporary story. The West is so big, so diverse, so enchanting it’s a thrill to write about it in any era."

Stephen is the author of ninety-five books and hundreds of articles.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It’s a romp...
A road adventure...
It’s a buddy story with romantic comedy!!

Some call it CowboyLit. Rodeo cowboy Hap Bowman’s on a search for Juanita, the gal of his dreams, whom he hasn’t seen in 18 years. He seems stuck on 12-years-old and the enchanting girl he met then.

"An idiot obsession," his roping partner, Laramie Majors, chides.

But Laramie agrees to a final summer’s trek along the Rio Grande. If they don’t find Juanita during those months, Hap promises to drop the idea of the hunt for the mystery senorita. But if they find her, will she feel the same as Hap does about their years ago interlude?

In One Step Over The Border the time tested values of cowboys rub up against contemporary mores. It’s a crazy story that becomes more logical as the reader delves deeper into it. It will make you laugh and shed a tear or two.

Getting back to Hap’s pursuit . . . don’t we all have someone in the past, that we knew for only a short while, that we wish we could have known better, longer? Stephen Bly has!. So when Hap and Laramie ventured out on a quest for Hap’s Juanita, Stephen decided to invite others to go along too. Folks have been e-mailing Hap hapandlaramie@yahoo.com and asking for their own “Juanita Search Kits.”

They get a bumper sticker, magnet, bookmark, stickers, flyers, etc. It’s a whole packet of material that will equip anyone to join the fun of finding the Juanita with “the mark of God.” If they send Hap a picture of the places where they stuck their Juanita signs, they’ll receive a free copy of the book. It’s all there on the website at http://www.onestepovertheborder.com/

And there’s a very special feature on http://www.amazon.com/...some more adventures about Hap and Laramie that did NOT appear in the book, can be found on AmazonShorts in the story entitled, Aim Low, Shoot High.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

FEARLESS

(Bethany House, July 1, 2007)
by

Robin Parrish

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Parrish 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.

Born Michael Robin Parrish on October 13, 1975, Robin's earliest writing efforts took place on a plastic, toy typewriter, and resulted in several "books" (most between 10 and 30 pages long) and even a few magazines.

By the age of thirteen, he had begun winning local writing awards and became a regular in his high school's literary magazine. In college, he garnered acclaim from his English professors and fellow students while maturing and honing his skills.

After college, he entered the writing profession through a "side door" -- the Internet. More than ten years he spent writing for various websites, including About.com, CMCentral.com, and his current project Infuze Magazine, which is a unique intersection between art and faith which he also conceived of and created.

One of his more "high concept" ideas for Infuze was to return to his love for storytelling and create a serialized tale that would play out every two weeks, telling a complete, compelling story over the course of nine months. That serialized story eventually came to the attention of several publishers, who saw it as a potential debut novel for Robin Parrish.

In 2005, Bethany House Publishers brought Robin full circle by contracting him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels. A trilogy, to unfold in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008. One massive tale -- of which that first, original story would form only the foundational first volume of the three -- spread across three books.

Robin is the Editor in Chief and creator of Infuze Magazine. He and his wife Karen reside in High Point, North Carolina. Karen works for High Point's First Wesleyan Church, where Robin and Karen are members and Small Group leaders.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Book Two of the Dominion Trilogy:

The world changed after that terrible day when the sky burned, and now every heart is gripped by fear...

Earthquakes, fire, disease, and floods pummel the earth, and its citizens watch in horror.

But in the darkness there is hope -- an anonymous but powerful hero whom the public dubs "Guardian." He is Grant Borrows, one of a chosen few who walk the earth with extraordinary powers. But while Grant enjoys this new life, signs of a dangerous ancient prophecy begin coming true, and those closest to Grant worry he may be hiding a terrible secret.

A search for answers brings Grant and his friends to London, where an extraordinary discovery awaits that will challenge everything they thought they knew. With a deadly new enemy dogging his steps, Grant realizes that the world's only hope may come from unraveling the truth about himself once and for all. But what he comes face-to-face with leaves even this most powerful of men shaken with fear.

Secrets will be revealed.

Friends will make the ultimate sacrifice.

And destiny will not be denied.

The story continues...

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Wedding Bell Blues

(Avon Inspire 2007)

by

Linda Windsor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Linda, a native of Maryland's Eastern Shore, is the author of eighteen historical novels and nine contemporary romances for both the secular and Christian market. A Christy Award finalist, Linda has received numerous awards in both the ABA and CBA, including the Romantic Writers of America's Beacon Award. She lives in Salisbury, Maryland. Learn more!





ABOUT THE BOOK:

Wedding Bell Blues is the first in a new series, The Piper Cove Chronicles, that follows four women who grew up as best friends in a small community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. They have returned home from their successes and failures at college and life, determined to pursue their dreams in the town they'd once vowed to leave in the dust. True love has eluded the four friends until one by one they encounter their soul mate. Next in the series is FOR PETE'S SAKE, on sale from Avon Inspire in April 2008.

Alex Butler is a successful home decorator who hopes she has finally gotten her life together. But when Josh Turner, the man who ran away and broke her heart sixteen years ago, returns to Piper Cove to be the best man in her sister's wedding, Alex can't escape the butterflies in her stomach. But Alex has no time for distractions. Her family has enlisted her to make this the wedding of the century. To pull the event off, she pools the talents of her three best friends - Jan, who creates desserts to-die-for will help with the cake and catering, tomboy Ellen, who works at a landscaping business will handle the flowers and decorations, and Sue Ann, who can…well, Suzie Q can give Alex a much-needed reality check in the course of the wedding planning chaos.

But fate won't be stopped in this small town as Alex and Josh keep running into each other at every turn. When sparks fly, Alex soon finds herself caught in a paralyzing battle of the heart between her old-fashioned Southern father, who fiercely resents Josh for breaking his little girl's heart, and her feelings for the one man she ever truly loved.

As the wedding approaches, the Butler family faces a threat to their reputation that will shake this Chesapeake clan to their very core. In the midst of it all, can Alex and Josh resist the many forces that seem to be drawing them together?

Read an excerpt