This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS

Integrity/Thomas Nelson (March 6, 2007)

by

Nicole Seitz

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

NICOLE SEITZ is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and freelance writer/illustrator published in South Carolina Magazine, Charleston Magazine, House Calls, The Island Packet and The Bluffton Packet.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole is an exhibiting artist in the Charleston, South Carolina area where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins is a 78-year-old sweetgrass basket weaver who sits on the side of Hwy. 17 in the company of her dead husband, Daddy Jim.

Inspired by her Auntie Leona, Essie Mae finally discovers her calling in life and weaves powerful "love baskets," praying fervently over them to affect the lives of those who visit her roadside stand.

Relations are strained with her daughter Henrietta, who thinks Essie belongs in a retirement center. If Essie can't pay $10,000 in back taxes to save her home, she may have no choice. More tensions: her grandson EJ wants to marry a white girl, Essie discovers that a handsome man she's trying to find a girl for is gay, and her daughter carries a hidden secret.

When she's faced with losing her home and her stand and being put in a nursing home, Daddy Jim talks her into coming on up to Heaven to meet sweet Jesus-something she's always wanted to do.

The SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS shifts less successfully to the afterlife, where her Gullah-Creole ancestors surround her; but soon, her heavenly peace is disrupted, for she still has work to do. Now Essie Mae, who once felt powerless and invisible, must find the strength within her to keep her South Carolina family from falling apart. Together, with Daddy Jim, they team up to return to Earth and battle two spirits conjured up by Henrietta's voodoo that threatens to ruin an attempt to save the sweetgrass basket weaving culture.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

ORCHARD OF HOPE

(Revell March 1, 2007)

by

Ann Gabhart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Ann H. Gabhart has published a number of adult and young adult novels with several different publishers. The author of The Scent of Lilacs, Ann and her husband live a mile from where she was born in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. She is active in her country church, and her husband sings bass in a southern gospel quartet.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Nothing will be the same after the summer of 1964.

Drought has gripped the quiet Kentucky town of Hollyhill, and the town seems as if it is holding its breath--waiting. Jocie Brooke is nervous about starting high school. Her sister Tabitha is experiencing the weariness of waiting for a new baby. Her father David is feeling the timidity of those first steps toward true love. All of these pivotal steps in life are awaiting the Brooke family.

Into this cloud of tense anticipation, a black family from Chicago, the Hearndons move here to plant an orchard outside of town. Fresh off the Freedom Train, Myra Hearndon is sensitive to what the color of her skin may mean in a Southern town. Her family will have to contend with more than the dry ground and blazing sun as they try to create their ORCHARD OF HOPE.

Jocie finds herself befrending a boy that some townspeople shun. Due to unspoken racial lines in this southern town, the presence of these newcomers sparks a smoldering fire of unrest that will change Hollyhill..and Jocie...forever.

In this close-knit community, everything is about to change.

Let this riveting novel take you along to experience unexpected love, new life, and renewed faith amid life's trials.

PETTICOAT RANCH

Day 6 Friday

Mary's Profile on her blog reads: “Mary Connealy has three books in bookstores now or coming soon from Barbour Publishing. Mary, is married to Ivan a farmer, and she is the mother of four beautiful daughters, Joslyn, Wendy, Shelly and Katy. You can find Mary on the internet like a middle-aged, female Where's Waldo at www.maryconnealy.com! Mary is a GED Instructor by day and an author by night. And so she can remember what she's doing, she likes to wear a little crown and a Wonder Woman cape while she types.”

From contacts with her as one of CFRB's members I can tell you that while she has an amazing ability to laugh at hardships, she takes her writing very seriously. She writes, what I guess you could call, “serious humor”. That's humor that gets her through the rough places. And as Clay McClellan would say, “She's a God-fearin' woman.' In fact, I wonder just how much like Sophie she is herself. I strongly suspect she is very much like that strong woman who took to raising four daughters by herself after her husband was murdered (that's Sophie, her girls and her husband. Mary's husband and girls are doing just fine from what I understand).

English teachers and others are always telling us to write about what we know, so I'm fairly certain that her daughters also played a role in patterning Sophie's daughters after. The fact that she happens to have the same number of girls as her heroine tells me something about that. I don't know about Mary's husband, but I think Ivan must have added some wit and wisdom by his very presence. To say that he is Clay may be overstating things, but I think Mary was able to more clearly depict some of the problems a man and a woman have, especially when they are falling in love because of some of the experiences she's had with her own husband. I'm just guessing, but I'll tell you this, PETTICOAT RANCH is chock full of characters that come to life.

Don't miss tomorrow's post. I saved the best for last. Tomorrow we'll be having an interview with Mary Connealy. I think you'll enjoy it. I think I'm getting better at this. I hope you guys are too. See, there are times when we'll need to pull together, times when I'll need someone to fill in for me. I'm sure they're times when Jackie, Cynthia, Karina and the rest could use a break. Think about ministering to Christ by being able to say, “Hey, brother, (or sister), why don't you let me do that for you this week so you can get some writing done. I know how busy you've been and really appreciate all that you've done for us.” Jesus teaches us that when we do things like that we're actually doing it for Him. It's like Jesus was standing there and you had the privilege of helping Him. See you all tomorrow. God bless.

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PETTICOAT RANCH

Day 5 Thursday

Sophie's girls. It only seems right to mention these cute little monsters, or these monstrous little cuties, depending on how you look at it. As I've been saying she has 4 girls. Mandy, the oldest, followed by Beth, then Sally and finally Laura, the baby of the bunch. These girls are important to the story on several levels. They add to the drama in times of suspense. They add that special family type of humor that makes this an incredible book. And they are all different.

It would have been easy for Mary Connealy to do a cookie cutter thing in creating these little girls. But the closest she comes to that is they're all blonds. Mandy, the eldest, is closest to Sophie, although clearly her own person. She's normally in charge of the girls when Sophie has to leave the house for one reason or another. Beth, the 2nd oldest, has a fondness for animals. She's gentle in her mannerisms and if no-one else can get an animal to do something you can count on Beth. She'll get it done. 3rd in line is Sally. Sally was a “Daddy's girl” and when Clay shows up looking like her Pa come back to life she instinctively is drawn to him. Laura is the baby of the bunch and spends most of the book either sleeping or one of them tying to get her to sleep. They are all so different.

Yet, in other ways they are so very much alike. From their blond hair, the way they giggle when something strikes them funny or cry at the drop of a hat. Both of which drives Clay up a wall. They're determined too, obedient and pretty much faithful at least to their “Ma”. This contrast between similarities and differences is very realistic and I'm sure you've met thees girls before, under different names, and probably not under the same roof. Putting them all in the same place adds to some interesting mements.

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PETTICOAT RANCH

Day 4 Wednesday

Now to my favorite. Comedy. Not something you'd expect of a mystery writer maybe, but I love comedy and PETTICOAT RANCH has it to overflowing. There's been some good writing and some good comical moments in some of the other writings I've read for CFRB so far, but Mary had me belly-laughing. That's not something I normally do, even when it's good. But I just couldn't help myself.

One of the comic tacks that is taken here is Sophie's actions where they meet her emotions, and later where they meet Clay's brusque mannerisms. It's comedy that takes birth from pain, sorrow, anger, frustration and pride. Sophie acts and reacts in such a normal and believable manner because of this added layer.

Clay is a bit like Sophie, proving that opposites repel, not attract one another. Yet God wants them to be attracted to one another and the road getting there clearly goes against the grain for him. Here's a case in point (don't kill me for this Mary); once Clay is up and about after his brush with death at the beginning of the book he takes stock of the situation Sophie is in. He goes into town to buy some much needed supplies. Yet before he leaves he asks Sophie if she understands what needs to be done. She replies that she does. Then, almost as a last minute thought he asks her if she's a “God-fearin' woman”. She says she is, wondering what these questions mean. Well, Clay bought supplies alright. They included the preacher and announces they need to get married right away. She goes ballistic. The nerve of him, deciding to force himself into her life. The least he could have done was ask. Seems in his mind those 2 small questions he asked before leaving were what he considered his proposal. The really funny thing is Sophie actually goes through with it and the fun really begins.

When we look at Sophie and Clay we see ourselves and can't help but laugh. A while back some guy wrote a book call MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS. I've never read the book and I'm not necessarily endorsing in here, but the idea of 2 people, men and women, who talk, think and act so vastly different from one another is just about on the mark. I've thought to myself, as I watched my wife fluttering around the house, “If she wants me to help she'll ask.” I usually go back to my book or my DVD or whatever. The trouble is she's thinking, “What's wrong with him? Can't he see I'm swamped and need some help here?” Both expect the other to know what they're thinking and neither one does. It creates some problems, but in the long haul we can look back and say, “There goes Sophie and Clay, at it again.

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Ransomed Dreams by Amy Wallace

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

RANSOMED DREAMS

(Multnomah April 16, 2007)
by

Amy Wallace

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amy Wallace is a member of the CFBA and an avid Blogger. A self-confessed chocoholic, this freelance writer is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and serves as the liaison for the training division of the county police department. Amy is a contributing author of God Answers Moms' Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Mothers. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three daughters.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Drama. Tragedy. Thriller. Romance. Can these four actually go together? Amy Wallace's meaty first book of the Defenders of Hope Series, RANSOMED DREAMS, has successfully united these genres.

It is one of those books that after you read a little and put it down, the desire to see what will happen next is so strong that it will occupy your thoughts, compelling you to make the time to finish. But watch out! It is best consumed where no one will hear you cry because, if you have children, it will hit you like a stab in the gut and wrench you with a twist of the knife.

Although the subject at first depresses, the characters are so real and likable that you need to see what will become of them.

This book will NOT bore you.

BACK COVER COPY:

Chained To Yesterday

When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.

Forgiveness Unlocks the Future

An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people’s children and nights caring for his son. He’s through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn’t expect what’s coming next.

The Past Is the Key

A plot to kidnap a British ambassador’s daughter dangerously intersects Steven and Gracie’s worlds–a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?

ENDORSEMENTS:

Steeped in police intrigue and rich characters, Ransomed Dreams entertains, educates, and captivates. Amy Wallace is a fresh, vibrant voice in the Christian market

~Mark Mynheir, Homicide Detective and Author of The Void

Ransomed Dreams had me hooked from the start and didn't let go until the deeply satisfying ending.

~Kristin Billerbeck, Author of What a Girl Wants

PETTICOAT RANCH

Day 3 Tuesday

Romance. This is one of my least favorite genres, but every once in a while an author manages to pull it off in a way that even I find myself liking it. This is one of those times. The beauty of this romance is that the people seem realistic. It's not about some Prince Charming riding into the story to save his princess. It's about two people, very much like you and me, who are thrown into a situation where love blossoms all on its own. For these two, Clay and Sophie, it's a true miracle.

Sophie is used to looking out for herself and her girls. She takes the intrusion of Clay into her life as nothing but an unwanted aggravation. Besides, she's not trying to be found. She's trying to hide out from the people who killed her husband. So when Clay informs her they will be going to church she's really riled. And that's just one instance. Time and again they clash always leaving Sophie wondering if she shouldn't have left him in the ravine where she found him.

With Clay it's much the same story. He's used to riding the range and hanging out with other men. Now he's suddenly thrust into a world of women. When he lays down the law the girls cry. And when they cry he wishes he were back on the range. He's as stubborn as Sophie, which not only makes for a good story, but is realistic. Two people becoming one, like the Bible says, doesn't happen overnight. And these two find out just how true that is. So who has to change? Sophie or Clay? Hmmm.

Built into this is the love of God. He understands Sophie's needs, but He also understands the needs that Clay has. Neither admit to having these needs, but as the story moves forward you can see the Lord drawing them closer and closer together. So in that sense it's also a romance about our relationship with God. When we make Him the center of our life, He is able to take us and make us into what pleases us and others as well. This is one of those back stories that comes up when you take a closer look. So take a closer look. Buy the book and discover your own fascinations with it.

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Day 2 Monday

Okay, as we enter day 2 of the tour let's look at the suspense in the story. I've already touched on it out of necessity, but let's go into this more deeply. Cliff Edwards was never the kind of man to run a ranch. He was bull-headed enough, but not knowledgeable enough. Perhaps it was his lack of knowledge that made him a good target. Actually I think it was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. By the time you open the book Cliff haas already been dead for two years, murdered by “vigilantes”. I put that word in quotes because they weren't seeking justice, but something else. Enter the suspense.

Everything may have gone smoothly if it hadn't been for Clay showing up on Sophie's ranch. Because of his appearance, and a riotous string of events that putting these two together created, that the bad guys learn that Sophie hasn't really left. They thought she went home to her folks, but she didn't have anyone to go home to. So sticking close to home, but hiding out in an abandoned ranch, she takes care of herself and her 4 girls. When Clay shows up he brings them out of hiding and unknowingly has put a big old bull's eye on her back.

Clay and Sophie learn to get along, much the way a person carrying nitroglycerin gets along with the unstable compound. Much of their focus is on each other, the girls or themselves. While each has a reason to go after those who killed Cliff, they put that off to the side. It seems more important to keep the household in order. In doing so they give these black-hatted guys the chance to mount a campaign against them. No matter where you are in the book, in the background is this insidious plot to “finish the job” they started when they kill Cliff.

The one thing Clay and Sophie have in their favor is their unfailing trust in God. With stumbles and mistakes made all along the way, reminding us that we are so much like them, their trust in God never wavers. In the end it is this that is their saving grace. Although how that comes about I'm not going to tell you either. You're simply going to have to read it for yourself.

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PETTICOAT RANCH

Day 1 Sunday

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...sorry, that's about someone else. Yet you get the same kind of feel though with PETTICOAT RANCH. Is it a Western? Is it a Romance? Is it a Suspense? Is it a Comedy? With the most unique talent at combining genres and depicting her characters Mary Connealy leaves you wondering just what genre to place this book in. It neatly falls into any one of them. This is something I found truly awesome, especially since I'm not a big romance fan. Yet with the infusion of these other aspects she was able to get me to not only read, but truly enjoy this story, romance and all.

Let's take these one at a time. Western. This is a true old western story, told in the fashion that us “Baby Boomers” relished on TV when we were growing up. There's the harsh, unrelenting nature one had to deal with in the old west. No paved roads. No automobiles. No convenient stores. No modern appliances to make the daily chores easy. Yet there were those great qualities of human nature that overcame these obstacles. This is what we enjoyed watching our favorite westerns on TV as kids. And it is this that she brings back to life again in her novel.

Now in a western you have someone who wears the black hat and someone who wears a white hat. The bad guy verses the good guy. Mary makes it a little more complex, and enjoyable, than that. Sophie Edwards witnessed the brutal execution of her husband and has taken her 4 small girls into hiding. The men who killed her husband did so under the false premise of carrying out justice. She knows better, but has little time to seek revenge. In comes Clay McClellan, a man she at first fears, but later on spends much of the time arguing with. Clay has been hunting down these murderers on his own, well, as a deputized Texas Ranger. He's not used to family life, especially women. With little but raw courage and several firearms they take on the villains. How that comes about you'll have to read for yourself.

The story takes place in the panhandle of Texas, a wild and unforgiving place. The villains are just as unforgiving. Yet they serve a just God. One of the interesting this about this story is the ability to show that God has a sense of humor as well as one of compassion and justice. I truly urge everyone to go out and get this novel. Read it and enjoy it. You won't regret it.

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This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

TRIBULATION HOUSE

(Harvest House Publishers May 1, 2007)

by

Chris Well

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Chris Well is an acclaimed novelist and an award-winning magazine editor. His laugh-out-loud Christian thrillers include FORGIVING SOLOMON (one of Booklist's Top 10 Christian Novels of 2005), DELIVER US FROM EVELYN (#1 on Technorati, and a #2 Christian thriller on Amazon.com),and the semi-apocalyptic TRIBULATION HOUSE. By day, he is the Web Content Manager for Salem Publishing (CCM magazing, Youth Worker Journal, Preaching) and a contributing editor for CCM. He has also contributed to Thriller Readers Newsletter, 7ball magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and Infuse magazine. Chris and his wife make their home in Tennessee, where he is hard at work on his next novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“I Might as well just tell you right now, I killed Reverend Daniel Glory."
The book actually starts that way. Then Mark Hogan, that's who is actually telling the story, begins to explain the events that led up to the actual act itself. He gets sidetracked and there's a lot more going on than just a murder. There's this whole Rapture thing where Rev. Glory has nailed down the exact time of this blessed event. People start falling into categories. There are those, like Mark, who believe the man implicitly, those who believe that as Christians we should be busy about the Lord's work, and those who don't believe in God or this event at all. This is a story of what happens when people follow the words of people instead of the Word of God.

My Favorite Pet Peeve
Chris addresses, in his satirical, humorist fashion, how foolish it is to follow the teaching of men than of God. I'm particularly concerned with Christians who have been told that they're going to be taken out of the world before tribulation hits. Ah, you want to prove that one to me? I mean, even if you really believe and hold to a pre-tribulation Rapture, isn't there a period when Christians are going to DIE for their faith? Paul taught us that in the last days we would heap teachers who would tickle our ears. Jesus said if those days were not shortened even the elect would fall away.
While Chris Well talks humorously about a serious topic he is very serious about the topic he's teaching about. Look also for the various side trips in the story as there are some great teachings hidden there as well. Chris is wonderful storyteller.

TRIBULATION HOUSE is not merely satire, it's solid Biblical teaching couched in both humor and suspense.

Endorsement:

"In TRIBULATION HOUSE, Chris Well gives us something to laugh at, something to think about, and prods us on to being whoever Christ wishes us to be in the Body of Christ...even if it's just a Mr. Charlie. While initially not prepared such a serious topic to be treated with good doses of humor, I found it had more depth than many novels without humor."
David Brollier--THE 3RD COVENANT