Verse of the Day

"We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." (2 Chronicles 20:12 ESV)

Busy Summer

I haven't posted as I'd like to the last few weeks. (Okay, a couple of months, but who's counting, right? LOL) With the Colorado conference in May, editing (I truly have my plate full!), going to Mesa for two weeks, and a week in Kansas with several of my online critique partners, May and June have flown by.

Today I have an eye appointment with a neuro-ophthalmologist. A little nervous since so far they haven't been able to pinpoint the cause of the latest vision loss that showed up in March on my annual visual field test. I had an MRI which didn't show any tumors or bleeding on the optic nerve. No retinal damage. Etc., etc. Sigh. God knows. And I truly have His peace. But I would appreciate prayers just the same. *smile*

Work is waiting. I'm hoping to pop in more often this week.

Verse of the Day

Those who love your law have great peace and do not stumble. (Psalm 119:165 NLT)

Shepherd's Fall by Wanda Dyson

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Shepherd's Fall
WaterBrook Press (April 14, 2009)
by
Wanda Dyson


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wanda Dyson lives with her severely autistic teenager on a busy farm with horses, chickens, dogs, cats, rabbits, and the occasional fox, deer, groundhog, and snake. She could seriously live without the snakes, but that's life in the country.

After writing three critically acclaimed suspense novels, she was asked to write the true story of Tina Zahn (Why I Jumped), which was featured on Oprah. Readers characterize her books as "riveting" and "packed with twists and turns."

Wanda serves on the board of several writers conferences across the country including the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.

Wanda has finished the second in this series called Shepherd's Run,that will come out in 2010. And she's hard at work on the third and final installment of the Prodigal Recovery Series—Marti's story—tentatively called Shepherd's Quest.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Bounty hunter Nick Shepherd is fearless when it comes to chasing down criminals. It's his difficult ex-wife, rebellious teenage daughter, and dysfunctional siblings that keep him awake at night. In charge of the family business, the Prodigal Recovery Agency, he thinks of himself as a shepherd of sorts. When his "flock" is out of his control, Nick's well-ordered universe falls into chaos.

Prodigal Recovery's search for Zeena, a prostitute on the run, leads to a faulty arrest, complicating Nick's business. He is thrown together with Zeena's twin, the beautiful Annie, and the two find themselves on a desperate search. The stakes significantly increase when Nick's daughter is kidnapped. Now, to save someone he loves, Nick must risk everything.but will it be enough?

If you would like to read a Prologue excerpt from Shepherd's Fall, go HERE

Wanda is doing an interview for this blog . . . soon. And I'll post a review . . . when I get the book completely read.

The Firstborn by Conlan Brown

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Firstborn
Realms (May 5, 2009)
by
Conlan Brown


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in 1984, Conlan Brown was functionally illiterate until the fifth grade, when he learned how to read and write, as well as a love of story, from his grandmother. Conlan went on to start college at the age of sixteen, and now holds a Master's degree in Communication, which taught him the academic principles needed to write Firstborn.

Conlan lives on Colorado's Front Range where he is working on his next book. He enjoys video editing, film scores, and developing high octane, thought provoking fiction that turns pages and excites the senses.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Three supernatural gifts. Two thousand years of division. One moment of truth.

Hannah's head hung, long brown hair in her eyes. Her face felt pasty with cold and fatigue and pain. Arms behind her back, she sat in a chair, wrists and ankles tied to the wooden frame, chair legs bolted to the floor. A cold car. A gun. Horror. Pain. Grief. Screaming. A windshield blistering with holes. Darkness.

It all came over her like a flood. A pouring out of pictures in her mind. But then there was one more thing. Not an image, but a feeling--that half a continent away someone else had felt it all happening too.

The Firstborn, those gifted with Foresight, Hindsight, and Insight at the time of Christ's death are divided between themselves. And when an Islamic holy man is murdered outside of his mosque it becomes apparent that one of the Firstborn was to blame. Now, with the threat of a terrorist attack on an unspeakable target the Firstborn are spiraling out of control. Leaders are dying, members are being kidnapped, and unity is being forced. Three heroes, differently gifted and divided must work together to thwart those who would go too far.

Their breakneck race against time plunges them into a world of danger and through a gauntlet across the United States. From the Riverwalk of San Antonio, where Devin Bathurst, John Temple, and Hannah Rice must protect one another from assassination, to the gritty streets of Washington DC, a paramilitary compound in Pennsylvania, and ultimately back to our nation's capital, the Firstborn must unite to prevent an impending atrocity from becoming reality.

Watch The Trailer



If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of The Firstborn, go HERE

Margie's comments: While I haven't finished this book in order to give it a full review, I can say that I'm enjoying this debut novel by Conlan Brown. So . . . I will post a full review later.

Verse of the Day

"I'll go ahead of you, clearing and paving the road. I'll break down bronze city gates, smash padlocks, kick down barred entrances." (Isaiah 45:2 THE MESSAGE)

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Bride in the Bargain
Bethany House (June 1, 2009)
by
Deeanne Gist


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.

Since the debut of those novels, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, two RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.



ABOUT THE BOOK

The Wedding Is All Planned . . .
Someone Just Needs to Tell the Bride
In 1860s Seattle, redwoods were plentiful but women scarce. Yet a man with a wife could secure 640 acres of timberland for free.

Joe Denton doesn't have a wife, though. His died before she could follow him to Seattle and now the local judge is threatening to take away his claim. In desperation, he buys himself a Mercer bride--one of the eastern widows and orphans brought to the Territory by entrepreneur Asa Mercer.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Mercer is an escape from the aftermath of the Civil War. She signed on to become a cook--not a bride. When she's handed over to Denton, her stubborn refusal to wed jeopardizes his land. With only a few months before he loses all he holds dear, can he convince this provoking, but beguiling, easterner to become his lawfully wedded wife?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Bride In The Bargain, go HERE

Verse of the Day

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 AMP)

Ancient Words

As Christian writers we strive to include a spiritual thread in everything we write—or we should. If we don't what makes our articles and books and short stories any different from the secular world's? It certainly doesn't have to be blatant; subtlety works just as well. Look at the stories Jesus told, for example.

Since I was a child, I've always had a fascination for the Word of God. One my parents both nurtured in me. And over the years I've grown in my love for it (though I haven't always nurtured that love and desire as I should have). As a result the Lord has gifted me with the ability to remember and apply scripture when praying and, as He emboldens me, when counseling.

At the recent CCWC the Lord gave me strong confirmation that this indeed is His purpose for me: to encourage others to return to the ancient truths revealed in His Word. These truths are alive and very apropos to our world today.

I was part of the JOY of Rediscovering Creativity clinic. Several weeks in advance we were each given a name of another person in the clinic to pray for, send encouragement to, and then to bring a gift to present to that person during one of the clinic sessions. It was wonderful to sit in on that session and listen to the various stories people told as they gave their gifts—stories of how God had directed their thoughts to give just the perfect gift to someone they didn't know.

Tiffany Shaw got my name. She handed me a gift bag. Then explained how she had gone to my Web site and blog to find out as much as she could about me. Then she had the idea to use her photography skills for my gift. Reading my Web site, she learned that shevet meant a writer’s tool. So she gathered old pens, a couple of ink bottles, and the Bible, arranged them into a lovely still life, and photographed it. When I pulled the framed picture out of the bag, I was amazed. Such a powerful picture of how I view my writing and editing. (It's the picture at the beginning of this post. Tiffany doesn't have a Web site up yet, but if you want more info about her photography, click here.)

Isn't it so neat when God confirms what you suspect He's doing in your life? My prayer is that each of you (whether you're writers or not) would see/hear that confirmation, as well.

Verse of the Day

Where there is no understanding of the Word of the Lord, the people do whatever they want to, but happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18 NLB)