This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

RECLAIMING NICK

( Tyndale Fiction, 2007)

by

Susan May Warren

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award winning author SUSAN MAY WARREN recently returned home to her native Minnesota after serving for eight years with her husband and four children as missionaries with SEND International in Far East Russia. She now writes full time from Minnesota's north woods. Visit her Web site at www.susanmaywarren.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

RECLAIMING NICK is the first of The Noble Legacy series. Book Two, Taming Rafe, will be available January 2008.

A Modern Day Prodigal Comes Home...

NICK NOBLE HADN'T PLANNED ON BEING THE PRODIGAL SON.

But when his father dies and leaves half of Silver Buckle--the Noble family ranch--to Nick’s former best friend, he must return home to face his mistakes, and guarantee that the Silver Buckle stays in the Noble family.

Award-winning journalist Piper Sullivan believes Nick framed her brother for murder, and she’s determined to find justice. But following Nick to the Silver Buckle and posing as a ranch cook proves more challenging than she thinks. So does resisting his charming smile.

As Nick seeks to overturn his father’s will--and Piper digs for answers--family secrets surface that send Nick’s life into a tailspin. But there’s someone who’s out to take the Silver Buckle from the Noble family, and he’ll stop at nothing--even murder--to make it happen.

Endorsement:

“Susan May Warren once again delivers that perfect combination of heart-pumping suspense and heart-warming romance.”--Tracey Bateman, author of the Claire Everett series

If you would like to hear more about Nick, he has his own blog. Also, the first chapter is there...

It Happens Every Spring by Dr. Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING

( Tyndale Fiction, 2007)

by

Gary Chapman

and

Catherine Palmer

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

GARY CHAPMAN is the author of the New York Times best seller The Five Love Languages and numerous othe rbooks. He's the director of Marriage & Family Life Consultants, Inc., and host of A Growing Marriage, a syndicated radio program heard on over 100 stations across North America. He and his wife, Karolyn, live in North Carolina.

CATHERINE PALMER is the Christy Award-winning, CBA best-selling author of more than forty novels--including The Bachelor's Bargain--which have more than 2 million copies in print. She lives in Missouri with her husband, Tim, and two sons.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING is the first of The Four Seasons fiction series, based on the ever-changing cycles of relationships detailed in Gary Chapman's nonfiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage. The novels will focus on four couples, each moving in and out of a different season.

Word travels fast at the Just As I Am beauty shop.

So when a simple homeless man appears on Steve and Brenda Hansen's doorstep, the entire shop is set abuzz, especially when Brenda lets him sleep on their porch.

That's not all the neighbors are talking about. Spring may be blooming outdoors, but an icy chill has settled over the Hansens' marriage. Steve is keeping late hours with clients, and the usually upbeat Brenda is feeling the absence of her husband and her college-age kids.

Add to that the unsavory business moving in next to the beauty shop and the entire community gets turned upside down. Now Brenda's friends must unite to pull her out of her rut and keep the unwanted sotre out of town. But can Steve and Brenda learn to thaw their chilly marriage and enjoy the hope spring offers?

Recognizing a Stroke

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T.R.

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the w ord . I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously.. Please read:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK or SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) ( i.e. . It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

THE RELIANCE

( Barbour, January 1, 2007)

by

Mary Lu Tyndall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M. L. (MARYLU) TYNDALL grew up on the beaches of South Florida loving the sea and the warm tropics. But despite the beauty around her, she always felt an ache in her soul--a longing for something more.

After college, she married and moved to California where she had two children and settled into a job at a local computer company. Although she had done everything the world expected, she was still miserable. She hated her job and her marriage was falling apart.

Still searching for purpose, adventure and true love, she spent her late twenties and early thirties doing all the things the world told her would make her happy, and after years, her children suffered, her second marriage suffered, and she was still miserable.

One day, she picked up her old Bible, dusted it off, and began to read. Somewhere in the middle, God opened her hardened heart to see that He was real, that He still loved her, and that He had a purpose for her life, if she's only give her heart to Him completely.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A YOUNG BRIDE separated from her husband just as a child has been conceived...

A GRIEVING HUSBAND tempted to take his anger out through the vices of his past...

A MARRIAGE AND A SHIP threatenend to be split apart by villainous Caribbean pirates...

In
THE RELIANCE, Edmund Merrick tormented by the apparent demise of his pregnant wife Charlisse, sails away to drown his sorrows. He turns his back on God and reverts to a life of villainy, joining forces with the demented French pirate Collier. When his mind clears from its rum-induced haze, will Edmund find the will to escape?

Seemingly abandoned by her new husband, Charlisse battles her own insecurities as she is thrown into the clutches of the vengeful pirate Kent, who holds her and Lady Isabel captive.

Will she be swept away by the undertow of treachery and despair? Can Edmund and Charlisse battle the tempests that threaten to tear them apart and steer their way to the faith-filled haven they so desperately seek? Or will they ultimately lose their love and lives to the whirlpool of treachery and deceit?

THE CHRONICLES OF SOONE: HEIR TO THE KING

Day 4

What about all that psychic stuff? Yeah, I can hear the nay-sayers now. They'll be putting this great work of Christian fiction down and even possibly teaching people that this is a demonic work. I want you readers to know right up front that Somers has not added anything in this book that is offensive to the Gospel. It's the people who do not know their Bibles and think they do that will be offended the most. Well, good for James.

The Barudii warrior uses kinetic powers to enhance their natural abilities. These psychic powers aren't like those palm reader or anything of the sort. These powers are powers that are, first of all, genetically passed on. Has anyone stopped to think how Adam took care of the entire Garden of Eden on a daily basis? Could it be possible that his spirit and the Spirit of God were, at that time, so in tune that the natural abilities of his mind to move himself from place to place was commonplace? What about Philip, who after baptizing the eunich in the desert was found preaching at the city of Azotus. It says the Spirit caught up Philip and took him away. (Acts 8:26-40) If we, now being sinful, now use only 10% or less of our mind isn't it conceivable that in the sinless state we would be able to do things that would today be considered miracles? For the Barudii warrior he was simply making use of the God-given gifts he had been given. This included powers that we do not have, but prior to sin coming into the world we may well have had.

And let's not forget that we're talking about an allegory which depicts spiritual warfare in a physical sense. To do this Somers uses several different techniques, all of which I found fascinating. There is more to this than I can put down in a short post. Let's just enjoy the vision God has given James Somers and he has shared with us in his writings. After all, fiction is meant to be enjoyed, not picked apart like some frog in a biology class.

Don't miss out on checking his site at Breakneck Books

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing

THE WATCHERS

( Bethany House, March 1, 2007)
by

MARK ANDREW OLSEN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MARK ANDREW OLSEN whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated on bestsellers Hadassah (now the major motion picture: One Night With the King), The Hadassah Covenant, and Rescued. The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a graduate of Baylor University. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Just below the surface among the family of God lives another family tree--one traced in spirit, invisible and ageless, known as the Watchers. For two thousand years they've seen beyond the veil separating this world from the next, passing on their gift through a lineage mostly overlooked. Throughout history they've scouted the borders of the supernatural frontier, but now their survival hangs by a thread. And their fate lies in the hands of a young woman, her would-be killer, and a mystery they must solve....

"Congratulations. You just reached my own little corner of cyberspace.

Who am I?

Abby Sherman, that's who.

Who are you? And why are you checking me out?

Drop me a few pixels, and let's find out!"

With that innocent invitation, Abby Sherman unwittingly steps in the crosshairs of history, and thus begins her harrowing tale--taking her from ocean-front Malibu to the streets of London, the jungles in West Africa, the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and to the very gates of heaven itself!

A sneak preview of eternity becomes her one-way ticket to danger--and discovery….

Two lives collide in a globe-circling adventure involving both peril and discovery: Abby, a young woman whose visions of heaven turn her into a Web-celebrity; and Dylan, a troubled young man sent by an ancient foe to silence her. From California beachfronts to Nigerian rain forests to Jerusalem and back again, THE WATCHERS is high-octane blends of action, mystery, and spiritual battle spanning centuries.

A woman's awe-inspiring vision launches her on a quest through distant lands and ancient history, face-to-face with eternity and into the arms of a family line on the brink of annihilation...

A man who is hired to exterminate her discovers the folly of blind loyalty, then learns how to wage war in a realm he never believed had existed...

An extraordinary saga of the unseen war against evil, the reality of the supernatural, and the transforming power of forgiveness.

ENDORSEMENT:

"A writer who can take your breath away with a single sentence. A welcome, fresh voice that must be read!"--Ted Dekker

I may not be the same caliber of writer as Ted Dekker, but I have to chime in. I set the bar very high when writing my reviews. So high that many good writers only get a 4 star rating. Mark Olsen's THE WATCHERS received my first 5 star rating. It was that unexpected work of greatness that I'd been looking for, something that would stand above all the others. Isn't that what a 5 star rating is supposed to be? Well, Mark sure earned it with THE WATCHERS. There are places where it is dark, but not gory. He breaks the darkness up with just enough humanity, humor and even romance, to keep the reader tuned in. What is it about? Well, suppose you stepped out of your house one morning and could actually SEE the spiritual battleground you were standing one? This is something that he has built into the story with such eloquence that one finds themselves looking over their shoulders. Do we really want to have “the Sight” and be “Watchers”, or do we want to warm a pew in some dead church someplace. The choice is ours, but the ramifications are beyond our comprehension. This Mark Olsen brings home to us in one of the most fascinating stories I've ever read in contemporary Christian fiction. You can tell that he writes from a heart that serves the Lord. To me that's the most important quality. For you see not just the words of a man, but the vision of our God.” - David Brollier; author of THE 3RD COVENANT

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Valley Of Betrayal

(Moody Publishers - February 1, 2007)

by Tricia Goyer (fellow CFBA member, blogger, writer, and homeschooling mom!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tricia is a members of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. She also has a blog, It's Real Life and a parenting blog Generation NeXt.

TRICIA GOYER is the author of five novels, two nonfiction books and one children's book. She also was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference Writer of the Year in 2003. In 2005, her novel Night Song, the second title in Tricia’s World War II series, won ACFW's Book of the Year for Best Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of A Thousand Nights also won book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. Tricia and her husband, John, live with their family in northwestern Montana.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

We are pleased to be able to review her exciting Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War, A Valley Of Betrayal

For reasons beyond her control, Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside, searching for her beloved Michael. His work as a news photographer has taken him deep into the country wracked by civil war. What was once a thriving paradise has become a battleground for Nazi-backed Franco fascist soldiers and Spanish patriots. She is caught up in the escalating events when the route to safety is blocked and fighting surrounds her.

Secrets abound in the ruined Spain. Michael is loving but elusive, especially about beautiful maria. The American who helped Sophie sneak into Spain turns up in odd places. Michael's friend Jose knows more than he tells. When reports of Michael's dissappearance reach her, Sophie is devastaed. What are her feelings for Philip, an American soldier who comes to her rescue?

Sophie must sift truth from lies as she becomes more embroiled in the war that threatens her life and breaks her heart. On her darkest night, Sophie takes refuge with a brigade of international compatriots. Among these volunteers, she pledges to make the plight of the Spanish people known around the world through the power of art.

Acclaimed author Tricia Goyer creates a riviting cast of characters against the backdrop of pre-WWII spain. Love, loss, pain, and beauty abound in A Valley Of Betrayal, the first book in her new series, Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing
Wedgewood Grey
(Faith Words, February 2007) by John Aubrey Anderson.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


John Aubrey Anderson

John was born five miles north of the setting for Abiding Darkness, a cotton country town within a rifle shot of two rivers, a bayou, a double handful of lakes, and endless acres of woods.

After graduating from Mississippi State, he flew six years in the Air Force then twenty-nine years for a major airline. And now he gets to write.

He and his wife have been married for forty some-odd years and live in Texas—about twenty miles south of the Red River. He spends the biggest part of his time writing; she’s immersed in leading a comprehensive, women’s Bible study.

They like greasy hamburgers and Dr. Peppers, most species of warm-blooded creatures (the kind that don’t normally bite), and spending July in the mountains.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Wedgewood Grey is the second book in the Black and White Chronicles. The first was Abiding Darkness (August, 2006).

Mississippi cotton country . . . in the spring of 1960.

The War At Cat Lake is fifteen years in the fading past . . . but the demonic beings who launched that first battle, are alive and well at Cat Lake. Waiting.

Late on a Friday night, on a muddy little road a mile east of Cat Lake, a ten-year-old black child is forced to watch while a gang of white men beat his mother to death. Aided by Mose Washington, an old black man, the boy exacts a measure of his own revenge. When the sun comes up on Saturday morning, Mose and the boy are fugitives.

Missy Parker Patterson, who as a child stood at the epicenter of the first war, is married and living in Texas. In the aftermath that follows Mose Washington’s disappearance, she goes back to Cat Lake to discover that the demonic beings have been anticipating her return . . . and so begins the second battle of The War At Cat Lake.

In 1962, an old black man and his grandson move into the country near Pilot Hill, Texas. The people in the local area are told that the old gentleman’s name is Mose Mann—his grandson introduces himself as Bill.

However, the lives of the new arrivals are not as peaceful as they seem. The unassuming old black man and his grandson are being pursued by a triad of formidable and unrelenting adversaries . . . a ruthless political leader, an enduring lie, and an invisible army allied beneath the banner of a hatred for God.

Wedgewood Grey is a story about the impact of choices that real people—people like you and me—are sometimes forced to make.

The Author's Website: http://www.johnaubreyanderson.com/

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446579505

Christian Writer's Market Guide - by Sally Stuart

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Christian Writer's Market Guide
by Sally Stuart.
WaterBrook Press; Pap/Cdr edition (January 16, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sally E. Stuart is the author of thirty-four books and has sold more than one thousand articles and columns. Her long-term involvement with the Christian Writers' Market Guide as well as her marketing columns for the Christian Communicator, Oregon Christian Writers, and The Advanced Christian Writer, make her a sought-after speaker and a leading authority on Christian markets and the business of writing. Stuart is the mother of three and grandmother of eight.

ABOUT THE BOOK

For more than twenty years, the Christian Writers’ Market Guide has offered indispensable help to Christian writers. This year, for the first time, this valuable resource comes with a CD-ROM of the full text, so you can search with ease for topics, publishers, and other specific names.

The 2007 edition also includes up-to-date listings of more than 1,200 markets for books, articles, stories, poetry, and greeting cards, including information on forty new book publishers, eighty-three new periodicals, and thirty-four new literary agents. Perfect for writers in every phase, this is the resource to get noticed–and get published.

It contains listings for: 695 periodicals, 228 poetry markets, 355 book publishers, 133 online publications, 29 print-on-demand publishers, 1185 markets for the written word, 321 photography markets, 31 e-book publishers, 122 foriegn markets, 112 literary agents,and 59 newspapers.

It also gives you comprehensive lists of contests, writers groups and conferences, search engines, pay rates and submission guidelines, editorial services and websites.

Christian Writers’ Market Guide is a "must have' for any serious Christian writer that is looking to get published!


The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400071259

Sally's website is: http://www.stuartmarket.com/

LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS - Day 3

Light at the Edge of Darkness - Day Three
compiled by Cynthia MacKinnon

So, how are we doing? Everyone enjoying this wonderful book? What? You didn't get it yet? Shame on you. You have to the end of the week before C.E. Lavender sends the Takers out to get you. Only kidding

That is the short story I'd like to talk about today. “Protected”, by C.E. Lavender is an amazing story where the hero learns what it means to be a hero late in the story. In the beginning he's a cross between someone trying to make a quick buck and someone trying to run from another above him. It involves the Takers, who are sent out to, well, take people. Our hero is sent to find a shield for his boss and falls in love with the woman he's suppose to set up to be taken. You can picture this out in the old west, up in the mountains, almost anywhere that seems remote. Make your own scenery, but don't miss out on what's going on. Our reluctant hero has learned something from the woman he's fallen in love with. What can it possibility be and can he really find himself “Protected” by it if he uses it in his own life? Well, you'll have to read it to find out. I'm not telling. Daniel I. Weaver has several stories in this anthology, this is one of the less graphic, yet somehow it is more poignant that the others. Well, at least in my opinion. - David Brollier (I apologize to all for not getting the rest of the CFRB blogtour posts on this book up, but frankly I've been busy trying to get it on the CFRB site. Visit one of the links below and then click back to see the CFRB site

Visit Grace Bridges for some more views and perspectives on LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS Grace Bridges

Don't forget to visit Dan I. Weaver's blog at: http://www.danieliweaver.com/blog/

Also don't miss THE LOST GENRE GUILD blog where these writers came from; Their blog is at http://lostgenre.blogspot.com/

THE LONGING SEASON by Christine Schaub

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducting The Longing Season (Bethany House July, 2006) by Christine Schaub.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christine Schaub is the author of the MUSIC OF THE HEART series, including Finding Anna, the rest of the story behind the writing of the hymn It Is Well With My Soul (October 2005) and The Longing Season, the story behind Amazing Grace (July 2006) with Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Books.

In 2003, Christine won the On the Page screenwriting contest at Screenwriting Expo 2 in Los Angeles. Her one-page story, written on-site in 24 hours for Jacqueline Bisset, was selected by the actress as the best Oscar Wilde-type comedy for her persona.

While working in freelance corporate communications, Christine completed three feature-length screenplays, including a drama/comedy, romantic comedy, and sci-fi action/drama; developed four biopic teleplays for the stories behind the hymns; and published an online column for the MethodX website (Upper Room Ministries).

Christine honed her writing skills after more than 15 years in corporate communications for healthcare, pharmaceutical, and entertainment companies. She has also been a featured conference speaker on working with at-risk youth and changed lives in the classrooms with her creative presentation style.

Christine's love for the arts and creativity have taken her from church platforms to civic and professional stages, performing classics and dramas from her own pen.

Christine graduated from Anderson University with a bachelors degree in Mass Communications. She has served on numerous boards and committees, usually as Communications Chair, and has received both regional and national awards in writing and design.

ABOUT THE BOOK

All of the books in the MUSIC OF THE HEART series are based on a hymns and their histories. The Longing Season is about one of the greatest redemption stories of all time: John Newton and his song, Amazing Grace.

Nature conspires against him, tossing the ship like a toy. Directionless--just like his life. It seems his odyssey will end here, in the cold Atlantic.Grief and terror grip his heart, but he will not surrender...not yet.She reads the sentence again and again.The first day I saw you I began to love you.He'd written the words, sealed and posted them, then vanished.
She has a choice--turn toward the future, or wait, wating and hoping.
And so begins her season of longing.

Christine's website link is: http://www.christineschaub.typepad.com/

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764200607

GERM, by Robert Liparulo

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducting GERM(WestBow Nov 1, 2006) by Robert Liparulo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert's novel paints a scenario so frighteningly real that six Hollywood producers were bidding on movie rights before the novel was completed. His acclaimed debut novel, Comes A Horseman, is being made into a major motion picture by producer Mace Neufeld and his short story "Kill Zone" was featured in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson.

Robert is an award-winning author of over a thousand published articles and short stories. He is currently a contributing editor for New Man magazine. His work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Travel & Leisure, Modern Bride, Consumers Digest, Chief Executive, and The Arizona Daily Star, among other publications. In addition, he previously worked as a celebrity journalist, interviewing Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Charlton Heston, and others for magazines such as Rocky Road, Preview, and L.A. Weekly. He has sold or optioned three screenplays.

Robert is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

He is currently working on his third novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK

If you breathe, it will find you...

The list of 10,000 names was created for maximum devastation. On it are business leaders, housewives, politicians, celebrities, janitors, children. None know what is about to happen...but all will be part of the most frightening brand of warfare the world has ever known.

The GERM...a more advanced form of the Ebola virus...has been genetically engineered to infect only those people whose DNA matches the codes embedded within it. If your DNA is not a match, you simply catch a cold. But if your DNA is a match, within days your internal organs liquefy and you die a most painful death. There is no cure.

The release of the virus would usher in a new era of power...one in which countries are left without any form of defense, where one person or millions could be killed with 100% accuracy yet result in no collateral damage to property or those not targeted.

That time isn't coming...It is now!

GERM is coming. Pray the assassins get you first.

Bob's website link is: http://www.robertliparulo.com

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785261788

Light at the Edge of Darkness - a review

Immerse yourself in a collection of Christian Speculative Fiction that you will never forget. LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS, edited and compiled by Cynthia MacKinnon is nothing short of a gathering of the masters. In some tales the events are so graphic you may want to keep this away from young children. In others the events may seem silly or filled with so much love it can hardly be contained. If you've never read speculative fiction before you need to treat yourself to this collection of wonders. In fact, even if you have read speculative fiction this book belongs on your shelf as well. I make the following challenge. I dare you to read this book and come away feeling that Christians are somehow weaker, less intelligent, more timid or unimaginative. Go ahead. Read this book. I dare you. I dare you to find Christianity so marvelously described as here, other than the Bible. I dare you to read LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS and not come away with a special appreciation for the writers, their stories, Christianity and what it means to be a true follower of Christ. - David Brollier; author of THE 3RD COVENANT

CFRB Author Chat

Thanks to Karina Fabian, who has opened up her website to CFRB for author chats, we are not able to offer this feature to all our members. We'd like to have the author run a short (yeah right) chat a week or two before their book goes on tour. Then sometime during the blogtour of their work have another author chat. During these chats all CFRB members are welcome as is the general public, so if you have a book coming up, but it's down the road a bit you may wish to join in with us and have some fun.

Last night we had a "trial run" with Cynthia MacKinnon, editor for LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF DARKNESS as the guest host. It was a total blast. After the "designated" chat time ended we stayed on for a while. I have no idea how long the others stayed on, but I bowed out at around 10:40 PM. I knew if I didn't get off I'd be up all night. It was so much fun talking, joking and learning from each other.

Any CFRB member who would like to schedule an author chat needs to contact Karina Fabian, either through the yahoo site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CFRB or through emailing her personally at karina@fabianspace.com

Join us and join the fun.

If the Shoe Fits

By M. C. Pearson
on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 12:00 PM. 

---

No, you aren't seeing double. This month we are reviewing not one, but two books by Marilynn Griffith! This prolific writer has TWO books coming out this month! This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is posting about If the Shoe Fits (Steeple Hill Cafe', 2007) by Marilynn Griffith (fellow CFBA member, blogger, writer, and mother of 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 Tangerine (Revell, January 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:

Have Glass Slipper, Need Prince...

If the Shoe Fits is the second book in the Sassy Sistahood Novels. The first in the series was Made of Honor (Steeple Hill, Jan. 2006).

In all my thirty-five years, I, shoe designer Rochelle Gardner, have never had so many men interested in me! My teen son's dad is back in my life after suffering from amnesia (yes, really). The church deacon has had his eye on me for years (and never said a word). And the young waiter (from the restaurant I've visited for singles' events) is trying to steal my heart. I've been struggling with my faith, trying to figure out which man God has chosen for me and wondering if I have the courage to step forward, on my not-so-pretty feet, to accept love. It's almost too much for the Sassy Sistahood to handle, but my girlfriends always have my back!

The book link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373785763

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

Arms Of Deliverance (CFBA tour)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is posting about Arms of Deliverance (Moody Publishers, 2006) by Tricia Goyer (fellow CFBA member, blogger, writer, and homeschooling mom!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tricia Goyer is one the members of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance (Tricia's Blog, "It's Real Life" Tricia's Parenting Blog, "Generation NeXt") and we are pleased to be able to review her exciting historical fiction book, Arms of Deliverance. She was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference "Writer of the Year" in 2003. Tricia was also a finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award and won ACFW's "Book of the Year" for Long Historial Romance in 2005 AND in 2006. She has written hundreds of articles, Bible Study notes, and both fiction (three other WWII novels, From Dust to Ashes, Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights. Night Song, the second title in Tricia’s World War II series, won ACFW's Book of the Year for Best Long Historical Romance.) She's and non-fiction books. married to John, and they have three great kids whom she homeschools: Cory (17), Leslie (14), and Nathan (12). They make their home in Northwest Montana with their dog, Lilly.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The fourth and final novel in this exhilarating series capturing the tales of men and women swept into World War II.

EUROPE, 1944

Katrine, a Czech Jew, is so successful in her attempt to pass as an Aryan that she finds herself dating a Nazi officer. Having convinced him of her genetic purity, the officer sends her to stay at a Lebensborn home--a Nazi breeding program in which children are raised and indoctrinated by the state.

Meanwhile, two friends, Mary and Lee, one a socialite, the other a working class girl, land similar reporting jobs at the New York Tribune on the eve of the war’s outbreak. Now rivals with assignments on the frontlines of war-torn Europe, Lee joins troops sailing for Normandy, while Mary's destiny lies in the cramped quarters of a B-17 bearing down on Berlin. Before the presses roll, their lives will be indelibly marked by a caring American navigator, brave French resistors, and a maniacal Nazi officer. Arms of Deliverance is a story of unexpected redemption.

Read Chapter One on Tricia's Blog.

The link for the book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802415563

Tricia's blog: http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/

Dear CMW Forum Friends

I apologize for the huge silence that seems to have settled over this blog, and in our user group. The fact is that I have been working with Jackie Moore to set up CFRB (Christian Fiction Review Blog). We're not anywhere's near done (and I hope it stays that way), but we have gone "live" on Nov. 14th. Right now we're waiting for enough blog hosts to volunteer before we move towards the actually promotional aspect of this blog. You can check us out at
http://christianfictionreviewblog.blogspot.com
If you decide you'd like to get involved in any area please go to http://freewebs.com/sonburst and fill out our application form. (There's a link that will send you to the CFRB site on the Freewebs site. We had to move the form to Freewebs because it wouldn't work on the blog. There are actually 4 categories in which you can join with us and get involved:
1) Authors - obviously without authors and their published works we'd have nothing to review.
2) Reviewers - Likewise to be a review blog we need to have these wonderful people to help the authors get the word out about their works.
3) Blog Hosts - These people we are presently in short supply of, but truly need. These are the people who make CFRB's dynamics so widespread. So far our "widespread" only covers 3 blogs. If you have a blog you can help us, and the authors, here.
4) Other - That's right. There is a lot of work, some of it not even writing-related that people can help us with. Things like artwork, file transfers, "Think Tanks", people who know HTML, people in these and other areas who would be willing to field technical questions recieved by the oher members. And of course you can, and should, pray. We need the power of God, His Voice and direction in this.
If you can help in any of the four areas mentioned above, or in more than those areas please go to http://freewebs.com/sonburst and fill out the application. We'll get back to you when we receive your form.

So what does all of this have to do with CMWForum? CMWForum is specifically designed for Christian mystery writers. As such we need an outlet to display and showcase our talents (published achievements). CFRB is that outlet for many of you. If you can go with CFBA then do so. If you wish to go with both CFBA and CFRB realize that our structure is slightly different so that we can meet different needs. We are not in competition with them nor they with us. We are two different types of outlets. At this time we probably look a bit on the lean side. That's because we're justs starting out. We have plans to:
1. Eventually include audio and e-books.
2. Post booktrailers with our blog tours, possibly even assisting in creating them (at no charge)..
3. Provide some internal chatter:
a) Writing tips from pros
b) Marketing your excellence
c) How can I help you?

As you can see our vision isn't limited. In fact it's open to wherever God wishes to lead us. Now fiction is a very large category. We've already received some submissions and they all look very interesting. I was surprised not to see as much romance submitted. Anyway, as Christian mystery writers this is a specialized form of fiction that is included in CFRB. CFRB is for all forms of Christian fiction, but as founder of CMWForum I wanted you guys to know you weren't left out. If anything you were in the forefront of my thoughts. David

The Cubicle Next Door

The Cubicle Next Door by Siri Mitchell

15 Comments



By M. C. Pearson
on Wednesday, November 08, 2006 at 12:00 AM. 

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This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is posting about The Cubicle Next Door by Siri L. Mitchell.

If you like blogging...which you must if you are reading this...you will think this book is blogarific. After each chapter, there is a blog entry. The book is written in first person and contains some hilarious blog antics.

Imagine that you are an anonymous blogger, one who uses a silly name instead of your own, then imagine blogging about your work. Now imagine blogging about your cubicle mate of the opposite sex and calling him by an anonymous name.

I know some who have done just that.

But now imagine that your cubicle mate has discovered your blog and begins to read it out loud to you. EVERY MORNING.

The Cubicle Next Door is set in a civilian's view of working on a military post. That in itself is funny enough...then add that the main character is a tree hugging, anti-SUV lover, with a thing for Bollywood movies. (Her favorite it Bride & Prejudice.) Suddenly this civilian hippie is thrown into a cubicle next to an Air Force Pilot/Teacher who drives...yep...an SUV. Can't you feel the love?

Also, The Cubicle Next Door has some wonderful moments of self discovery.

A delightful read...here is an excerpt for you:

The Cubicle Next Door

by Siri L. Mitchell Released Aug 06

Excerpt from Chapter 1:

“So what do you think, Jackie?”

What do I think? Funny Joe should ask me that. He’s just finished reading my blog. He’s just quoted me to myself. Or is it myself to me? Do I sound surreal, as if I’m living in parallel universes?

I am!

The blog—my blog—is all about Joe. And other topics that make me want to scream. But the clever thing is, I’m anonymous. When I’m blogging.

I’m Jackie, Joe’s cubicle-mate when I’m not.

And that’s the problem.

Joe is asking Jackie (me) what I think about the Mystery Blogger (also me). And since I don’t want Joe to know the blog is all about me and what I think of him, I can’t tell him what I think about me.

My brain is starting to short circuit.

So if I can’t tell him what I think about me, I certainly can’t tell him what I think about him, so I’m going to have to pretend not to be me. Not me myself and not me The Cubicle Next Door Blogger—TCND to my fans.

I have fans!

If I were clever I’d say something like, “Look!” and point behind him and then duck out of the room when he turned around to look.

But there’s so much computer equipment stacked around my desk and so many cables snaking around the floor that I’d break my neck if I tried to run away. So that option is out.

I could try pretending I didn’t hear him. “What?”

“SUVs. So what do you think about them?”

But then we’d basically end up back where we started.

So how did I get myself into this mess?

It was all Joe’s fault.

Fake PayPal email alert!

If any of you have a PayPal account you know that they do their best to make it secure. There are those, however, who would try to gain access to your account by posing to be from PayPal. I received the following from a fraudulent PayPal "service" account:

Dear Customer:

You have recently Added the below email to your account:
ripper@mail.com
If you did not request this change of email, just click on the link below. You will
be asked to Login to your account Confirm your Confidential Information you
have with us on record and the added e-mail will be automatically deleted and
account security upgraded.

https://www.paypal.com/?customer=CA&profile=7025DDACAB

PayPal Team
Online Customer Service.

Please do not reply to this message
To speak with a representative about your online PayPal service,
or if you are unable to log on to Online Account, call 1.800.933.1717
The first thing to notice is that it is not address the customer by NAME. This PayPal (and I believe Amazon) will always do. If you EVER receive an email that claims to be from PayPal but addresses you as "Customer" be very wary.

Second, look at what the body of the message is asking you to do. It is asking you, for the sake of your own security, to go in and GIVE THEM your confidential data. Hint. Next time you want to be poor and you're getting ready to enter a bank to make a deposit, just give the money in your hands to the nearest person and be done with it. If, however, you want to utilize the gray matter between your ears and the wisdom God gives you do NOT click on any link in such an email. Instead, go out and log in directly to your account and see if there's anything weird going on. If you can't find anything tell them about this email and send them a copy. They will get right back to you. The email address for reporting this is spoof@paypal.com

Third, as Christian writers the money we have belongs to God. We are just custodians of a small portion of it from time to time. So be good stewards of His money and check these things out. Never, ever allow the enemy to come in and "steal, kill and destroy," because that's exactly what he's going to try to do.

David Brollier

James Somers: The Chronicles of Soone

James Somers: The Chronicles of SooneTHE CHRONICLES OF SOONE: HEIR TO THE KING, by James Soomers is for sale at http://www.breakneckbooks.com

Visit Soomers' blog and read more about this marvelous epic of good verses evil.