Monday, January 28, 2008

Reluctant Smuggler, by Jill Elizabeth Nelson



When Desiree Jacobs “steals” a priceless Mayan mask from Museo de Arte Mejicana, little did she realize the problems it would cause. First, the “theft” was to test the museum's security system. Second, well, I'll let you read about that. Third, the arch-rivals, the Greybechs, a competing security agency that stoops to all lows in order to gain clients, or rather make sure the HJ Securities loses clients.


Desiree has a surprise for them, but isn't ready for the surprise that Presidente Montoya, Chairman Vidal, Vice Presidente Corona and others have in store for her. Nor does she feel equipped to deal with the near fatal accident of her FBI fiancee Tony Lucano.


I was hesitant to pick this one up, mostly because of other commitments, but the title fascinated me. I decided to go for it, and for the most part I'm glad. Jill Elizabeth Nelson writes a non-stop, full-throttle action/mystery. She manages to have things going wrong on two fronts, which makes it even more overwhelming, but engaging. If you're looking for a mystery, not a cozy, but something with thrills and action to it, RELUCTANT SMUGGLER is just the thing for you.




Sold with the big boys at Amazon Books


As well as Waterbrook Press


And last, but by no means least
Barnes and Noble

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

CFRB Tours NOR IRON BARS A CAGE, by Caprice Hokstad





In place of a regular post for NOR IRON BARS A CAGE, by Caprice Hokstad, I decided to put up her trailer. This will give me more time to work on the posts for her book on the Christian Fiction Review Blog, which you'll be able to read the first full week of February.



Read more, even sample chapters at Welcome to Latoph

You can find out more and purchase the book at Amazon

Monday, January 07, 2008

CFRB Blog Tour - TIME MASTERS by Geralyn Beauchamp

Day 3 Tuesday



TIME MASTERS, BOOK ONE: THE CALL, by Geralyn Beauchamp is one of the finest pieces of writing I've ever had a chance to read. She wrote this masterpiece for herself, if you can believe that. She did it just to prove that she could write. If you've read some of the other posts you'll realize that it was originally 750 pages. She managed to trim it down to 566. The thing that really irks me is she set it in her desk where no one could read it. It sat there for ten years. Can you believe it? Can you believe someone with talent like this writing a masterpiece and putting it in a desk? That's what she did though. Thank God some of her friends practically forced her to try to get it published.


Now I'm not asking you to get down on Geralyn because of this, but to show you how much she actually identifies with both of her heroes. In one sense she's Dallan MacDonald, a Scottish Highlander who must learn to accept the truth of many things that seem impossible to become the next Time Master. Wretched from his homeland in Glencoe, Scotland in 1692 he finds himself training. Now he doesn't know it, but when we get back to him it's the year 3698 and he's been there for 10 years training to be the next Time Master, something he utterly refuses to believe...until he sees her.


"Her" is Shona, the Muiraran Maiden who was stolen as a child, and hidden in another time. Dallan and the rest of us catch up with her in 1995. The problem is she doesn't know she's Muiraran. She notices some strange things about herself, especially of late, but she thinks she's a regular human. Now Dallan must join with her, but she must do so willingly, as must he, and she must accept who she really is.


If you've been paying attention you'll notice that both Dallan and Shona had some truths that they didn't believe, but had to come to grips with and accept. Geralyn is much like that. She wanted to see if she could write, not because she believed she was a writer, but to see if she could do it. So when she was finished she stuck the book in a drawer. But like Shona she needed to feed. The writer she always was had been released. Now she had to embrace who she really was. She couldn't deny who she was anymore than Dallan could deny he was a MacDonald. So you see, even the road she traveled to authorship tells us about the book she lovingly wrote. I hope you will all read it and enjoy the marvelous work it is.





Featured at her own site Welcome to Time Masters

You can find it at Barnes and Noble

As well as at Amazon

And of course at Cold Tree Press





Tangerine

Tangerine by Marilynn Griffith



This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is posting about Tangerine (Revell, January 2007) by Marilynn Griffith (fellow CFBA member, blogger, writer, and mother of *GULP* seven!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marilynn Griffith is wife to a deacon, mom to a tribe and proof that God gives second chances. Her novels include Made of Honor (Steeple Hill, Jan. 2006), Pink (Revell, Feb. 2006), Jade (Revell, June 2006), and If the Shoe Fits (Revell, 2007). Her other credits include Chicken Soup for the Christian Woman’s Soul, Cup of Comfort Devotionals and her Shades of Style series (Revell, 2006). She lives in Florida with her husband and children. To book speaking engagements or just say hello, email: marilynngriffith@gmail.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Tangerine is the third book in the Shades of Style Novels.

Fans of Pink and Jade will eat up Tangerine, the third book in the cutting-edge Shades of Style series. Jean Guerra, a designer at Garments of Praise design firm, doesn't like surprises. These days though, the unexpected meets her everywhere. Since Jean's return to the church a year ago, her God-encounters occur with increasing frequency, along with thoughts of her husband-the one she vowed to divorce and gave up on long ago. The one nobody at work knows about, not even her best friend, Lily, or her boss, Chenille. But when the designer assigned to work with Jean on a line of men's suits shows up, her heart flips. It's her husband, Nigel Salvador. Jean is finally rendered speechless. Can her bruised heart become whole enough to love again? Or will she remain in the trenches of loneliness forever?



The book link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800730429


Marilynn's website link: http://marilynngriffith.typepad.com/rhythmsofgrace/

THE 3RD COVENANT - a Comparison

The following table shows where THE 3RD COVENANT stands against 7 top authors and 14 other books.

Title

Author

Times out

times per month

Judge and Jury

Cold Moon

Death Dance

Promise Me

The 3rd Covenant

The Camel Club

Violet Dawn

3rd Degree

The Collectors

Web of Lies

The 12th Card

Words of Silk

Above and Beyond

Entombed

No Second Chance

James Patterson

Jeffery Deaver

Linda Fairstein

Harlan Coben

David Brollier

David Baldacci

Brandilyn Collins

James Patterson

David Baldacci

Brandilyn Collins

Jeffery Deaver

Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown

Linda Fairstein

Harlan Coben

CHO 9

CHO 17

CHO 17

CHO 16

CHO 11

CHO 21

CHO 4

CHO 34

CHO 2

CHO 2

CHO 17

CHO 29

CHO 30

CHO 19

CHO 31

2.25

2.43

2.43

2.28

1.83

1.71

1.3

1.08

1.00

1.00

.94

.94

.91

.82

.72