Verse of the Day

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. (Ephesians 5:18–20)

Verse of the Day

God can do anything, you know--far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:20 MSG)

ACFW July 2011 New Releases

I'm a little late this month. Below is the list of July new releases from ACFW members as reported to ACFW's Fiction Finder site.


More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW FictionFinder website.

Dandelion Summer by Lisa Wingate -- General Fiction from Penguin Praise.  J. Norman, recently widowed, aging and a retired space program engineer, eventually warms up to part-time caretaker Epie, an at-risk teen, as they search for his long forgotten roots when old, buried memories of a different home, a fire, red-headed children, and a black housekeeper surface.

Dangerous Reunion by Sandra Robbins -- Thriller/Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense. A woman deputy sheriff on a small barrier island off the coast of North Carolina struggles to stop a crazed killer's vendetta while battling her renewed attraction to the man who broke her heart years ago.

Love Finds You in Lancaster County by Annalisa Daughety -- Romance from Summerside Press. When Amish-born Lydia Ann Raber and Southern belle Caroline DeMarco discover a shared history of loss, the unlikely duo decides to open a gift shop in beautiful Lancaster County. There each woman finds friendship, a fresh start, and a second chance at love.

Odd Little Miracles by Fred Warren -- Fantasy from Splashdown Books. Follow the twists and turns of twenty-two bizarre tales, where odd is commonplace, little things make all the difference, and miracles are everywhere, if you know where to look...

Pursued by Lillian Duncan -- Thriller/Suspense from White Rose. Reggie Meyers has spent her life pursing the American Dream, but now she’s the one being pursued— by an unknown killer. Putting her trust in Dylan Monroe, a man she barely knows, will either be the best decision she ever made or the last.

Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry -- General Fiction from Tyndale. Residing in a parsonage is not for sissies, but living anywhere else scares the pastor’s widow spitless.

The Blessed by Ann Gabhart -- General Fiction from Revell. After being pushed into marriage to her preacher husband, Lacey Bishop follows her husband to a Shaker village. A community that believes marriage is a sin. And to make matters worse, she finds herself drawn to Isaac Kingston, a man who came to the Shakers after his young bride died. But of course any notion of love between them is only a forbidden dream. How will Lacey ever find true happiness?

The Nanny’s Homecoming by Linda Goodnight -- Romance from Love Inspired. After her fiancé calls off their wedding, Brooke Clayton has nowhere to go but home.

Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig -- Thriller/Suspense from Barbour. Former Green Beret Captain Canyon Metcalfe is unnerved when Nightshade is sent to a South American jungle that holds an eerie similarity to a dark tragedy from his past.

Verse of the Day

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. . . . "Cease striving and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:1, 10)

Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Pattern of Wounds  Bethany House (July 1, 2011)  by  J. Mark Bertrand   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

J. Mark Bertrand lived in Houston, where the series is set, for fifteen years, earning an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. But after one hurricane too many he relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota. Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of one hung jury, and served on another that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead. 



ABOUT THE BOOK

It's Christmas in Houston, and homicide detective Roland March is on the hunt for a killer. A young woman's brutal stabbing in an affluent neighborhood bears all the hallmarks of a serial murder. The only problem is that March sent the murderer to prison ten years ago. Is it a copycat -- or did March convict the wrong man?

Alienated from his colleagues and with a growing rift in his marriage, March receives messages from the killer. The bodies pile up, the pressure builds, and the violence reaches too close to home. Up against an unfathomable evil, March struggles against the clock to understand the hidden message in the pattern of wounds.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Pattern of Wounds, go HERE.

Review to come later.

Verse of the Day

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7–8)

Verse of the Day

Grant to those who mourn . . . a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:3–4 ESV)

Vigilante by Robin Parrish

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Vigilante  Bethany House (July 1, 2011)  by  Robin Parrish   


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Parrish wants to take you on a ride.

A wild ride -- which is exactly what you're in for when you pick up one of his books. And he's adamant that it will never be the same kind of experience twice.

Robin's stories mix, mingle, and meld various genres together to create thoroughly original suspense/thrillers. His Dominion Trilogy, for example, mashed up superhero action, secret societies, ancient myths, and an apocalyptic setting to create an entirely new take on the classic "hero's journey." Offworld mixed science fiction and an end-of-the-world scenario with high-octane action. Nightmare, his 2010 novel, is a spine-tingling examination of the world of the paranormal, paired with can't-put-it-down mystery. His 2011 novel, Vigilante, is an action-packed story about a soldier who sets out to change the world. Later this year, he's releasing his first ever Young Adult novel, titled Corridor.

Always pushing the envelope, ever on the edge of where modern storytelling is going, Robin Parrish will gladly and unapologetically tell you that he's an entertainer, a weaver of stories that ignite the mind and delight the heart. Defying labels and refusing pigeonholes, his imagination is fueled by the possibilities of asking "What if…?", and as anyone who's read his work knows, he has a very big imagination.

His influences as a novelist range from television and film storytellers like Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams, to masters of the modern myth like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Akin to Philip K. Dick's search for the meaning of identity, most of what Robin writes about boils down to his own ponderings and examinations of just what this thing we call "existence" is.

Robin is a full time writer. He and his wife Karen and two children live in High Point, NC.

"Robin Parrish is a keen-eyed, passionate pop cultural savant,

whose writing is as incisive and insightful as it is entertaining."

- Allan Heinberg, Executive Producer, Grey's Anatomy



ABOUT THE BOOK

Nolan Gray is an elite soldier, skilled in all forms of combat. After years fighting on foreign battlefields, witnessing unspeakable evils and atrocities firsthand, a world-weary Nolan returns home to find it just as corrupt as the war zones. Everywhere he looks, there's pain and cruelty. Society is being destroyed by wicked men who don't care who they make suffer or destroy.

Nolan decides to do what no one else can, what no one has ever attempted. He will defend the helpless. He will tear down the wicked. He will wage a one-man war on the heart of man, and he won't stop until the world is the way it should be.

The wicked have had their day. Morality's time has come. In a culture starving for a hero, can one extraordinary man make things right?


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

Review to come later.

Verse of the Day

But I will remain . . . for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. (1 Corinthians 16:8–9)

2011 Christy Award Winners

Last night was the annual Christy Awards dinner and ceremony. I took part via the live blog on the Christy Award website. Tyson Wynn and Susie May Warren did an excellent job of giving us up-to-the-minute commentary of the program and the dinner.

Here is the list of the nominees for this year. The winners are in bold and their book covers are with each section.

Christy Award 2011 Winners and Finalists

Contemporary Romance:
Sworn to Protect
by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale House)
Blood Ransom
by Lisa Harris (Zondervan)
Indivisible
by Kristin Heitzmann (WaterBrook Press)


Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas:
The Reluctant Prophet
by Nancy Rue (David C. Cook)
The Thorn
by Beverly Lewis (Bethany House)
The Waiting
by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell Books)


Contemporary Stand-alone:
Almost Heaven
by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House)
Lady in Waiting
by Susan Meissner (WaterBrook Press)
A Season of Miracles
by Rusty Whitener (Kregel Publications)


First Novel:
Heartless
by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House)
Crossing Oceans
by Gina Holmes (Tyndale House)
A Season of Miracles
by Rusty Whitener (Kregel Publications)


Historical:
While We’re Far Apart
by Lynn Austin (Bethany House)
Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther
by Ginger Garrett (David C. Cook)
For Time & Eternity
by Allison Pitman (Tyndale House)


Historical Romance:
The Girl in the Gatehouse
by Julie Klassen (Bethany House)
She Walks in Beauty
by Siri Mitchell (Bethany House)
Within My Heart
by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House)


Suspense:
The Bishop
by Steven James (Revell Books)
The Bride Collector
by Ted Dekker (Center Street)
Predator
by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan)


Visionary:
To Darkness Fled
by Jill Williamson (Marcher Lord Press)
Konig’s Fire
by Marc Schooley (Marcher Lord Press)
The Last Christian
by David Gregory (WaterBrook Press)


Young Adult:
Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Book
by Nancy Rue (Zondervan)
The Charlatan’s Boy
by Jonathan Rogers (WaterBrook Press)
The Healer’s Apprentice
by Melanie Dickerson (Zondervan)