Divine Appointments

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Divine Appointments  WaterBrook Press; Reprint edition (September 21, 2010)  by  Charlene Baumbich  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Charlene Ann Baumbich is the author of the previous three books in the Partonville series. A popular speaker, journalist, and author, for several years she has lectured to women’s groups and retreats. Baumbich is also an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Today’s Christian Woman, and numerous other publications. She is the author of six nonfiction books of humor and inspiration.


Charlene says: For over two decades of writing and speaking, my passionate pursuit to entertain and rejuvenate using humor (I love to laugh-especially at myself), uncommon wisdom, and passionate insights has been affirmed through countless calls, letters, and evaluation sheets. A reader recently e-mailed, "There is so much depression and sadness in this world. I applaud you for reminding all of us to treasure the moments in our lives, and for encouraging us to find joy in the little things. What you do helps so many to rise above the heaviness of life and live, and laugh, and face another day, so thanks!!!!" That is exactly why I keep doing what I do.

I am a firm believer in the power of story (short or book-length, funny or insightful, real or fiction, on stage or page) to accomplish my purpose, which is to remind you: Don't Miss Your Life! Whether you're tuning into me live or in print, fasten your seatbelt. I promise you a wild, fun, provocative, heart-warming ride.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Josie Brooks, at the age of 47, thought she was leading an enviable single life. A successful consultant, she calls her own shots, goes where the money is, and never needs to compromise. But her precisely managed world begins to falter during a Chicago contract when an economic downturn, a bleeding heart boss, and the loyalty and kindness between endangered employees ding her coat of armor.

Throw in hot flashes, a dose of loneliness, a peculiar longing for intimacy, an
unquenchable thirst—not to mention a mysterious snow globe with a serene landscape, complete with a flowing river and lush greenery that seems to be beckoning her in—and Josie’s buttoned-up life is on the verge of coming completely undone.

Maybe her solitary existence isn’t as fulfilling as she has convinced herself to believe. It will take a few new friends, a mystical encounter, and an unexpected journey to set Josie on her own path to “right-sizing” and making the life changes that really matter. Filled with laugh-out loud moments and a gentle dash of inspiration, Divine Appointments is another heartwarming charmer from a master storyteller.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Divine Appointments, go HERE.

Happy Reading!!

The Silent Order

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  The Silent Order  Summerside Press (November 1, 2010)by  Melanie Dobson  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good.


Prior to launching Dobson Media Group in 1999, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family where she was responsible for the publicity of events, products, films, and TV specials. Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master's degree in communication from Regent University. She has worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for fifteen years including two years as a publicist for The Family Channel.

Melanie and her husband, Jon, met in Colorado Springs in 1997 at Vanguard Church. Jon works in the field of computer animation. Since they've been married, the Dobsons have relocated numerous times including stints in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Berlin, and Southern California. These days they are enjoying their new home in the Pacific Northwest.

Jon and Melanie have adopted their two daughters —Karly (6) and Kinzel (5). When Melanie isn't writing or entertaining their girls, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, traveling, hiking, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.


ABOUT THE BOOK
  

Rural America - 1928. After the murder of his partner, Detective Rollin Wells hides away in an Amish home near Sugarcreek, Ohio, to find out who in the police force is

collaborating with Cleveland’s notorious mob. While Rollin searches for answers to his partner’s death, he befriends an elusive young Amish woman named Katie and her young son. As Rollin learns about Katie’s past, he’s shocked at the secret Katie is hiding - a secret that has haunted Rollin for eight years.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Silent Order, go HERE.

Happy Reading!!

Long Time Coming - review

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Long Time Coming   Abingdon Press (November 1, 2010)  by  Vanessa Miller  



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  

Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying. Vanessa is currently in the process of turning the novels in the Rain Series into stage productions.


Vanessa has been writing since she was a young child. When she wasn’t writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels, reading great books consumed her free time. However, it wasn’t until she committed her life to the Lord in 1994 that she realized all gifts and anointing come from God. She then set out to write redemption stories that glorify God.

To date, Vanessa has completed the Rain and Storm Series. She is currently working on the Forsaken series, Second Chance at Love series and a single title, Long Time Coming. Vanessa believes that each book will touch readers across the country in a special way. It is, after all, her God-given destiny to write and produce plays and novels that bring deliverance to God’s people. These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Two women from different worlds find hope together.


Faithful Christian Deidre Clark-Morris is a professional career-minded woman with a loving husband, but no children. Kenisha Smalls has lived in poverty all her life. She has three children by three different men and has just been diagnosed with inoperable cervical cancer.

While the meeting between these two women appears accidental, it becomes their catalyst of hope. Neither woman expects the blessing that God has in store for her. While Deidre will guide Kenisha on the path to eternal life with Jesus Christ, Kenisha will teach Deidre how to stand strong against the hard-knocks of life.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Long Time Coming, go HERE


Watch the book video:



My Review

Vanessa Miller did an excellent job with this book.  I was hooked from the beginning.  Loved reading and finding out how life would play out for these women, both with struggles, both with doubts, both with fears.  Loved how she wove their lives together even though they were so different, one from the projects and one middle class.  Love how what started out as a bad situation ended with Deidra becoming such a wonderful friend.  

This book is not only enjoyable, it is motivational.  It really makes you want to find your “Kenisha” and make a difference in her life.  It makes you think about the blessings you have and how you can use those to impact someone else, not only physically but spiritually.  It really helps you to remember why we are here!!  

She does a great job addressing the issue of what appears to be “unanswered prayers”.  God’s timing is “on time”, it just may not be our time.

I really enjoyed the emotional roller coaster this book took me on.  The ups and downs, the laughter and the tears.  I would recommend this book to everyone.    Definitely one of the best I have read/reviewed this year!!

Thank you Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Happy Reading!!

Angel

Amy Inspired

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Amy Inspired Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010) by Bethany Pierce



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After completing a master's in Creative Writing and working as a visiting instructor at Miami University in Ohio, Bethany Pierce now lives with her husband in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a member of the McGuffey Art Center and continues to write. Her first book, Feeling for Bones, was one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2007.



ABOUT THE BOOK

With rejections piling up, she could use just a little inspiration...



Amy Gallagher is an aspiring writer who, after countless rejections, has settled for a career as an English professor in small-town Ohio just to pay the bills. All her dreams suddenly start to unravel as rejections pile up--both from publishers and her boyfriend.



But just as Amy fears her life is stuck in a holding pattern, she meets the mysterious, attractive, and unavailable Eli. She struggles to walk the fine line between friendship and something more with Eli, even as staying true to her faith becomes unexpectedly complicated.



When secrets, tragedy, and poor decisions cause rifts in Amy's relationships, she must come to terms with who she's become, her unrealized aspirations for her life, and the state of her faith. Can she dare to hope that she will find love and fulfillment despite it all?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Amy Inspired, go HERE.

Happy Reading
Angel

Letters to Ethan - review

About Tom McQueen

Tom McQueen died shortly after he was born. Apparently God wasn't expecting such a quick trip home so He returned Tom to his parents, Joe and Marie McQueen.

The enlightenment of that journey from birth to death and back to life again permanently colored Tom's world as a Christian therapist, consultant to Fortune 500 companies,personal coach, and author. His inspirational workshops and seminars have touched the hearts of audiences throughout North America.

Tom is the president of the American Family Foundation,Inc., a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of children and families in the United States.

An avid Tampa Bay Lightning hockey fan, Tom celebrates the blessings of his family, friends, and colleagues on Florida's beautiful west coast. And one of his very first gifts to Ethan was, of course, a miniature hockey stick.

Other Books by Tom McQueen:

◦ Near-Life Experiences: Discovering New Powers for Personal Growth

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◦ The Customer is WHY! Six Steps to Creating Legendary Service in Your Organization

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◦ Passion at Work: Ten Things Legendary Leaders Do To Improve Performance, Productivity, & Profit

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◦ BayCare Coaching: Helping Our Team Members Learn, Grow, and Develop

Have you ever thought about writing letters to your children or grandchildren as a lasting legacy?

Tom is starting a national campaign to encourage parents and grandparents to write letters to the next generation.

Please visit: www.legacynationusa.com to read letters from others and to begin work on your legacy.

Letters To Ethan:
A Grandfather's Legacy of Life & Love

Dear Ethan:

Like the rest of us, you didn't come with an owner's manual. You'll probably wonder – more than once – why you're here. What is your life's purpose? How will you face the adversity your life will surely bring?

Despite appearances, no one's life is ever simple. We have our parents and our friends to learn from; they have much to teach us. And you'll hear a lot from, and about, public figures – athletes, newscasters, actors, politicians, artists…celebrities of every kind.

But making sense of the world we live in is something each one of us struggles with. The truth is, life is complicated. It's wonderful; it's awful; it's a thrill; it's a bore. And it can feel almost unbearable at times. Almost.

Fortunately, you're blessed with a family that loves you. Your grandfather, Tom McQueen, wrote you this book. No one has all the answers, but he's already faced many of the challenges you'll encounter.

Even those of us who've been around awhile can learn a thing or twelve from your grandpa. He's helped a lot of folks as a therapist; he's inspired audiences with his seminars; and he's shared his thoughts in several other books.

In these letters to you, Ethan, your grandpa reveals the mistakes and miracles that have shaped his life. Anyone can give advice, but true wisdom is hard-won. And the book you're holding contains plenty of it.

Sincerely,
Coach Lou Holtz

My Review:

I really enjoyed Letters To Ethan.  Being a grandma, it has given me the desire to leave something similar to my grandkids.  This book is full of good advice, principles/morals to live by, and just plain fun.  To leave a legacy to our grandkids to help them deal with the issues of life and to also teach them to have fun and find the JOY in all things is wonderful.  I would recommend this book to anyone with kids and/or grandkids.  It would also be a good starting place for leaving your own kid/grandkids a piece of who you are and how you lived your life.

Happy Reading

Hatteras Girl - review

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Hatteras Girl Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010) by Alice Wisler

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alice J. Wisler is an author, public speaker, advocate, and fundraiser. She has been a guest on several radio and TV programs to promote her self-published cookbooks, Slices of Sunlight and Down the Cereal Aisle. She graduated from Eastern Mennonite University and has traveled the country in jobs that minister to people. Alice was raised in Japan and currently resides in Durham, North Carolina.

Facts about Alice
* Born in Osaka, Japan and lived in Japan for 18 years
* Went to Kyoto International School and Canadian Academy
* Majored in Social Work and graduated in 1983 from Eastern Mennonite University
* Worked at a group home for disadvantaged kids outside of Philadelphia
* Taught English and Culture Orientation at a refugee camp in the Philippines
* Taught English as a Second Language in Japan
* Speaks and teaches on Writing the Heartache
* Has three kids on earth, and one in Heaven
* Recently got married to Carl on 2/7/09

ABOUT THE BOOK

There are two things twenty-nine-year-old Jackie Donovan asks God for: an honest, wonderful man to marry, and to own a bed-and-breakfast in the Outer Banks region. In the meantime, Jackie works for Lighthouse Views magazine, writing articles about other local business owners, and intrepidly goes on the blind dates set up by her well-meaning but oh-so-clueless relatives.

There's one specific property Jackie dreams of purchasing: the Bailey Place, a fabulous old home where Jackie spent many happy childhood afternoons, a place that has now fallen into disrepair because of its outrageous price tag.

When Jackie meets handsome Davis Erickson, who holds the key to the Bailey Place, Jackie is sure God has answered both her prayers. But as Jackie learns some disturbing details about Davis's past, she begins to question her own motivation. Will she risk her long-held dreams to find out the truth?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hatteras Girl, go HERE.

My Review:

When I first started Hatteras Girl, I had a hard time getting into it.  The first few chapters seemed somewhat slow.  However, I am glad I stuck with it because I ended up really enjoying this book.  It is full of life.  Love, death, family, friends, and JOY!!  It is a story of dreams come true.  All Jackie wants in life is to own the Bailey House and to find a good man.  I have always loved staying at a Bed and Breakfast, and would love to own one someday, so seeing how Jackie goes about it was fun.  I also really enjoyed all the quirkiness of the characters.  I would recommend this book to anyone.  It is a fun, light read.

Thank you CFBA for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Happy Reading

Grace review

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Grace Avon Inspire; Original edition (October 26, 2010) by Shelley Shepard Gray


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shelley Shepard Gray is the beloved author of the Sisters of the Heart series, including Hidden, Wanted, and Forgiven. Before writing, she was a teacher in both Texas and Colorado. She now writes full time and lives in southern Ohio with her husband and two children. When not writing, Shelley volunteers at church, reads, and enjoys walking her miniature dachshund on her town's scenic bike trail.



ABOUT THE BOOK

It's Christmastime at the Brenneman Bed & Breakfast, and everyone is excited about closing down for the holiday.

Anna and Henry will be celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple, and for Katie and Jonathan Lundy, it's their first Christmas with baby Stefan. Winnie and Samuel Miller plan to stop by as well for a wonderful two weeks of family and rest.

But when two unexpected visitors show up, hoping to stay for Christmas, the family must test their commitment to hospitality. Levi is a widower who lost his wife four years ago and can't bear the thought of another Christmas alone. And Melody is a young pregnant woman who won't open up about how she ended up on her own at Christmas at almost nine months pregnant.

Anna, who knows a thing or two about keeping secrets, doesn't trust her, and strives to find out the truth about these two strangers who have disrupted their holiday. But as the Christmas spirit descends on them all, as well as snow that traps them in the inn, a healing and hopefulness takes over, allowing new relationships to be built, and the boundaries of family to be extended.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Grace, go HERE.

My Review:

This is my first Shelley Shepard Gray book.  Although I didn’t feel it was a gripping, edge of your seat, page turner, I did really enjoy it.  It was a very relaxed read.  A story that makes you feel good.  A story full of JOY and hope.

I think spending the holidays tucked away at an Amish Bed and Breakfast for the Christmas season, learning to let go of past hurts, sounds like an amazing time.  Add that to the beautiful snow and the simpler way of life, and it makes me want to be there.

But will what started out as an unexpected and somewhat unwanted situation turn into a beautiful Christmas, or will it be a disaster for all involved.  Will Melody get back home before the baby comes?  Will Levi deal with his hurt and anger?  Will Katie and the family make the best of the holidays with their guests?

This book is definitely worth reading!!  Light a fire, grab a blanket and a cup of coffee, and enjoy this feel good book!!

Thank you CFBA for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!!

Happy Reading