lessons from the road

Your All-Access Pass into the World of Third Day

New book takes you behind the scenes of a Christian rock icon

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—Eight years ago, Third Day, winners of 22 Dove Awards and 3 Grammys, extended Nigel James the invitation of a lifetime: the offer to tour with them as the group’s road pastor.  Since that time, Nigel has been the group’s spiritual mentor and companion.  In his new book, Lessons from the Road, he gives readers the chance to know the real Third Day—a bunch of regular guys who happen to be brilliant Christian rock musicians.

Nigel is a native of Cardiff, Wales and the founder of IGNITE, a UK-based youth discipleship initiative, and he is also a frequent speaker on American college campuses.  Prior to his tenure with Third Day, he travelled as a speaker with the Newsboys.  Having toured with the likes of Michael W. Smith, Max Lucado, and, of course, Third Day, he knows all too well the challenges of life on the road. 

“So much about traveling with the band happens behind the scenes.  Fans only see the stage performances, and occasionally they might shake hands or get an autograph,” Nigel says.  “I wanted to not only open up life on the tour bus and in the dressing room so that fans could have a clearer understanding of what tour life is all about, but also to let them know that the band is serious about their devotional life, reading, studying, and praying together.  These are just regular guys like anyone else, and they have their challenges in the Christian life as much as anyone.”

Lessons from the Road includes many firsthand accounts by each member of Third Day—Tai Anderson, Brad Avery, David Carr, Mark Lee, and Mac Powell—describing everything from avoiding the pitfalls of “Christian celebrity” to battling homesickness and finding things to do during the downtime before a concert.  Third Day fans will especially enjoy discovering the process through which songs like “Consuming Fire” and “Cry Out to Jesus” were created.  Throughout the book, Nigel also shares some of his “lessons from the road”—devotionals he has written and used with the band. 

Both individually and as a group, the members of Third Day are dedicated husbands and fathers, passionate supporters of world missions, and active participants in their local churches, and Nigel attributes their continued success to those qualities.  “Maintaining a ministry focus—and your own walk with God—is a very real challenge for anyone working in the Christian marketplace, but in the long run the bands and the artists that flourish and have staying power are the ones that are firmly rooted in the local church and the passionate pursuit of God,” he states.  “God is still involved in the ministry of Third Day, and I love being there in the middle of it all.  I’m just as genuinely excited now as I was 8 years ago.”

Trish's Take

Third Day is one of my favorite Christian bands. Their music has progressed and changed over the years, but their message has always been the same: Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. I enjoyed Lessons from the Road. I think you will too. 

once blind

Gripping Biography Opens Readers Eyes

to Horrors of 21^st-Century Slavery

Kay Strom’s new release exposes atrocities of modern-day slavery

by exploring compelling legacy of John Newton

“You may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say you did not know.” – William Wilberforce

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—Today, over two hundred years after John Newton struggled alongside William Wilberforce to bring an end to the African slave trade, three times as many people around the world are living as slaves.  When the first abolition bill passed in 1807, four million people were enslaved; today the number is estimated at twelve million.  In the new biography, Once Blind (Authentic Publishers), author Kay Marshall Strom skillfully employs the legacy of John Newton to call attention to 21^st-century slavery throughout the world. 

After years of research into the former slave ship captain’s letters, treatises, journals, and church archives, Strom has penned a riveting biographical narrative of Newton, a broken and desperate man whose stirring hymn, “Amazing Grace,” has testified to millions of his transformation from the worst of the worst to a ringing voice for God.  His personal accounts of the slave trade and piercing cry for abolition, along with the work of his friend William Wilberforce, helped turn the heart of a nation against the African slave trade to bring it to an end.  Once Blind draws readers into Newton’s life in an engaging way few biographies can.  Readers are introduced to his troubled childhood, his forced service to the Royal Navy, and God’s pursuit of Newton with relentless love and amazing grace.  Newton once told Wilberforce, “There are two things I know in my life.  I am a great sinner and Christ is a great savior.”

Strom is convinced her poignant account of John Newton’s fight against slavery two centuries ago is a very relevant call to action for believers today.  “Slavers today don’t sail the high seas with chained captives packed into the holds of their ships like in the days of John Newton,” Strom writes.  “And they certainly don’t march the slaves out to auction blocks behind the post office and sell them to the highest bidder.  Yet when people are owned as property, bought and sold, physically punished for not working hard enough, locked up so they can’t leave, and thrust into deplorable or dehumanizing work conditions, then, whatever they’re called, they are slaves…  Never have we needed John Newton’s legacy more than today!”

Unexplainably, most people are completely ignorant of the gruesome details of present-day slavery:

·         Forcing a woman or girl into commercial sex, especially one under eighteen, is one of the most common forms of human trafficking today—rampant especially in Eastern Europe, Asia, India, and Nepal.

·         Millions of people are enslaved as bonded laborers, especially in India.

·         About 218 million children between the ages of five and seventeen are trapped in child labor, according to the International Labor Organization.

·         As many as 300,000 child soldiers are presently forced into over thirty areas of conflict/war around the world.

·         The U.S. government estimates that between 15,000 and 18,000 domestic and sex workers are trafficked into America each year and then tricked into working for little or no pay.

“Bringing awareness to modern-day slavery is my passion,” states Strom.  “I have done extensive traveling and writing and have seen firsthand the individual faces of suffering in India, Sudan, and Nepal.  We as Christians have stepped back from ‘doing justice and loving mercy’ like the Bible commands, when we should be in the forefront.  As I address audiences across the country about this subject, I am asked again and again why we do not hear about these injustices.  I have to answer them honestly.  It’s inexcusable.”

Perhaps John Newton’s own explanation is just as applicable today.  “The slave trade was always unjustifiable, but inattention and interest prevented for a time the evil from being perceived.”  Fortunately, Once Blind deftly lays bare this evil, leaving readers no further defense for apathy and inaction.

Trish's Take

The story of John Newton, and how the song Amazing Grace came to be, is a gripping tale of forgiveness and redemption. I don't want to spoil the story for you, so all I will say is that you SHOULD DEFINITELY read this book!

author chat on abunga.com

I haven't posted any book reviews in a while. I was taking a bit of a break from reviewing, since it seemed like my life just sort of exploded (albeit in a good, God way) in February. I received a press release from Abunga.com today that I feel is worth sharing. I'm in the process of reading My Soul to Keep by Melanie Wells, and since she's the first author to be interviewed at Abunga.com, I feel it's appropriate to post the press release here:

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER AUTHOR TO CHAT
ABOUT WHAT LIES BETWEEN THE LINES:
Melanie Wells Joins Readers on Online Bookstore Chat

WHO:	Melanie Wells, author of the critically acclaimed Dylan Foster series – “When the Day of Evil Comes,” “The Soul Hunter” and the newly-released “My Soul to Keep.” Wells will join the family-friendly online bookstore, Abunga.com, to discuss her insights on the fiction series, writing, building story lines and using one’s creativity and imagination to shape character development.
WHAT:	“Authors at Abunga” Chat with Melanie Wells Wells’ Dylan Foster trilogy is packed with both humor and suspense. Each thriller tracks the mayhem surrounding Wells’ unlikely heroine, college psychology professor Dylan Foster. Wells, who is also a psychotherapist and accomplished musician, will provide insights into her writing style, how stories are created, and where characters come from.
wheN:	Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11 a.m. – Noon PDT / 1 – 2 p.m. CDT / 2 – 3 p.m. EDT (LIVE) At www.Abunga.com/AuthorsAtAbunga
DETAILS:	Wells is the first author to be featured on the newly-created “Authors at Abunga” chats by Agunga.com. A Texas native, Wells is an accomplished musician (she’s a fiddle player) a licensed psychotherapist, and the founder and director of Dallas-based LifeWorks counseling associates (www.wefixbrains.com). Beginning with “When the Day of Evil Comes,” each of Wells’ novels weaves a gripping tale in which the quirky, likeable Dylan Foster wrestles with her own personal demon -- Peter Terry – “a spiritual and emotional stalker,” Wells says, ”Peter Terry is a compelling character who rings true for all of us. He is a metaphor for the opposition we all have in our lives. And we can all relate to Dylan, who often feels like she’s fighting forest fires with a squirt gun.” More info found at www.Abunga.com/FeaturedAuthorWells. Abunga.com is an online bookstore founded to provide families a protected shopping environment. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Abunga.com offers more than 1.6 million family-friendly books, savings through distributor-direct prices and support to nonprofit organizations by donating 5 percent of each transaction to a customer-selected charity. For more information, visit www.Abunga.com.

do hard things

With over 10 million hits to their website TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God.

Written when they were 18 years old, Do Hard Things is the Harris twins’ revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential. Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.

Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.

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I have a brand new copy of Do Hard Things to give away. If you would like to be entered into the drawing, just send me an email. Please put "do hard things" in the subject box so my spaminator won't eat it! :)

I will draw a winner next Monday, April 21 ~ entries will close at 12:00pm (noon) CST that day. Because this giveaway came with a postage-paid envelope from the publisher, the drawing is open to residents of the lower 48 contiguous US.

family squeeze (book review)

Family Squeeze by Phil Callaway

You’re in the “Middle Ages”–sandwiched between the “greatest generation” and the “gimme” generations, busily juggling both with no relief in sight. Children are driving, and parents are not. Money is tight and so are your favorite jeans. And things that never ached before are beginning to give you trouble! For every baby boomer who wonders if it’s possible to navigate the Middle Ages with grace and style, Phil Callaway offers plenty of hope and a little hilarity, too. Because there’s nothing like a smile to make wrinkles less noticeable.


Described as “Dave Barry with a message,” author, speaker, and television host Phil Callaway has written twenty books, many of them bestsellers and is a popular speaker at conferences, camps and marriage retreats, coaxing laughter and tears from audiences worldwide. Of his personal accomplishments he rates the following highest: shutting off the TV to listen to his children’s questions (twice), taking out the garbage without being told (once), and convincing his high school sweetheart Ramona to marry him (once).
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Trish's Take

Phil Callaway has written a gem titled Family Squeeze. He relates stories from his own life, and answers questions other people have asked him, with a funny yet honest point of view.

I'm in those "Middle Ages" ~ sandwiched between aging parents who need care while raising teenagers and expecting my first grandchild from my grown daughter. Phil writes about situations that, if you have older parents and children who are still at home, you've probably experienced. He's able to find the humor in life's situations ~ and we all know laughter is good.

Family Squeeze won't tell you how to solve all of your problems, or how to invest so you'll have millions of dollars when you retire, or how to get your teenagers to listen to you. What it will do is help you to see the different situations in your life in a new light. You'll find yourself chuckling ~ maybe even laughing ~ as you read what Phil has written about his own life, and compare them to experiences in your own life. You may even find the grace to not only laugh at an event that previously perturbed you, but to also forgive and move on. I love the way Phil constantly and consistently looks to God and His Word, and refers his readers to both.

Family Squeeze is a book worth reading. And on that note ~ I have a copy of Family Squeeze to give away! If you would like to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of Family Squeeze, just send me an email. I'll draw a winner on Monday, March 30.

Due to rising postage costs (and the fact that I pay to send out a lot of these free books myself), this drawing is open to people in the lower 48 states of the US.

death of a six-foot teddy bear

Summary: When a man turns up dead in a teddy bear costume, Ginger and the other ladies of the Bargain Hunters Network learn a lesson about trusting in God rather than in wealth as they try to solve the crime and clear one of their own.



Trish's Take: Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear is the second installment of the Bargain Hunters Mystery series by Sharon Dunn. I read the first book of the series, Death of a Garage Sale Newbie, and knew I was in for a treat with the second book.

My friend De'Etta calls these books "cozy mysteries". I think that's a pretty good term to describe this type of book. It's a wonderful book to have while you curl up in your favorite chair with a soft blanket and a warm cup of coffee or tea. The characters are charming and likable, and Sharon Dunn has done a remarkable job of making her charming and likable characters also insightful and intelligent. Just when you're getting settled and start thinking the plot is becoming predictible, Sharon will throw in a twist, mix things up a bit, and add a little surprise or two that will grab your attention.

Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear is a great read ~ something to pull out on an afternoon where you want something fun and interesting to read, and you want to be entertained by the style of writing, the characters and the story itself. There are twists and turns to keep your attention, and trust me, the ending is NOT the predictible one you expect it to be! Definitely a good read ~ take it along the next time you go to your cabin, the beach, the swimming pool or want to curl up in your favorite chair and enjoy a good read for a while. You won't be disappointed.

Sharon Dunn is the author of Death of a Garage Sale Newbie, book one in the Bargain Hunters Mysteries, and the Ruby Taylor mystery novels including Sassy Cinderella, which was voted Book of the Year by American Christian Fiction Writers. She earned a BA in television production and a master’s in history Sharon lives in Bozeman, Montana, with her husband of twenty years, three children, two cats, and lots of dust bunnies.


P.S. A quick note to Sharon: I'm quite envious that you live in Bozeman ~ I grew up in Billings, and Bozeman is where my husband and I plan to retire (in about 20 years). I'll look you up! LOL

chill out, josey!

About the book:

Chill Out, Josey!

Russia? Not again. Josey's finally living the good life - she's got the man, the (almost-perfect) wedding, the two-story Cape-Cod house of her dreams. That is until her man drags her back to Moscow! Josey knows she has the guts to follow her own dreams across the world, but she's not so sure she can play the perfect wife while her husband chases after his. Josey's set on having the perfect life…even in a world without hot water, decent take-out and size-two leather fashion. But can she find the courage to tell her man the secret that will change their lives forever?

About the author:

I can't help be amazed at the gifts God has delighted me with - a wonderful husband, four amazing children, and the opportunity to write for Him. I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life. Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights. Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology. I grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series. Based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest. Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.

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Trish's Take

Susan May Warren's Chill Out, Josey! is the second book about Josey Berglund Anderson and Chase Anderson. I didn't read the first book, but I caught on to the story quickly ~ it isn't necessary to read the first book in this series to understand the characters, dynamics and basic storyline.

Chill Out, Josey! is a self-proclaimed "romance" published by Steeple Hill Books. I've not read any books published by this group before, but it appears that Christian romance is their forte'. If you've read my review blog for any time at all, you'll know I'm not a romance book reader ~ Christian or not.

I found this book funny, cute and an easy read. I sat down with a cup of coffee and sped through the story ~ and I have to admit, while I did roll my eyes more than a few times at Josey and Chase's unbelievable inability to communicate with each other, I didn't throw the book down half way through. The first-person narrative (of Josey) was entertaining ~ I found myself chuckling frequently.

So, if you enjoy the Christian romance genre, and you're looking for something cute, funny, light and easy to read, Chill Out, Josey! may fit the bill. It didn't convert me to a romance novel reader, but it did entertain me enough that I will recommend it.

You can visit Susan's website ~ http://www.susanmaywarren.com/ ~ or her blog ~ http://susanmaywarren.typepad.com/scribbles/ . She has a newsletter you can sign up to receive.

Susan is hosting a contest at http://www.susanmaywarren.com/joseycontest.html ~ just enter your funniest/craziest/most embarrassing pregnancy story for a chance to win a Chill Out, Mom Spa Basket! (see the contest page for details)

bluegrass peril

Bluegrass Peril by Virginia Smith

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

Bluegrass Peril
(Steeple Hill December 4, 2007)
by
Virginia Smith


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker in the summer of 2005. Since then she has contracted eight novels and numerous articles and short stories.

She writes contemporary humorous novels for the Christian market, including her debut, Just As I Am (Kregel Publications, March 2006) and her new release, Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill, August 2007). Her short fiction has been anthologized, and her articles have been published in a variety of Christian magazines.

An energetic speaker, Virginia loves to exemplify God’s truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, “Biblical Truths in Star Trek.”





ABOUT THE BOOK:

WHO KILLED HER BOSS?

Local police had tagged single mom Becky Dennison as their prime suspect. But she'd only been in the wrong place at the wrong time...admittedly, with her boss's lifeless body. Sure it looked bad, but Becky had no motive for killing...even if she had opportunity.

When the director of the retirement farm for thoroughbred champions is murdered, Becky Dennison teams up with the handsome manager of a neighboring horse farm, Scott Lewis, to find her boss's killer. Soon the amateur dectived are hot on the trail of the murderer...even as their feelings for each other deepen.

The amateur sleuths uncover a trail of clues that lead them into the intricate society of Kentucky's elite thoroughbred breeding industry. They soon find themselves surrounded by the mint julep set - jealous southern belles and intensely competitive horse breeders - in a high-stakes game of danger, money, and that famous southern pride.

And for Becky and Scott, this race on the Kentucky tracks has the greatest stakes of all: life or death!

Romantic Times awarded Bluegrass Peril
* * * * FOUR STARS! * * * *

finding father christmas

Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn is a novella about a young woman who sets out to find her father. Miranda grew up without a father, but all along she has "believed" in him. Using the few clues her mother left when she died, Miranda tracks her possible father to Carlton Heath, a small town in England. There she is welcomed by local inhabitants of the town ~ but they have no idea why Miranda has traveled to Carlton Heath. Nonetheless, the strangers invite Miranda to become a part of their Christmas celebrations.

Miranda reluctantly accepts the hospitality of the town, finding herself attending a play and a cast party, then being invited to stay at the home of one of the town's families. As her time in Carlton Heath lengthens, Miranda finds subtle clues as to who her father may be. But what she discovers could potentially be devastating to those very people who have welcomed her, a complete stranger, into their home and warmly included her in their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traditions.

Robin Jones Gunn has written a heartwarming tale of a young lady whose search for her earthly father leads to something much larger than she ever imagined. Finding Father Christmas is an affectionate and touching story.

and the winners are.....

The winners of the For Parents Only drawing are:

Kristen from Ohio

Amy @ In Pursuit of Proverbs 31

I will be emailing each of you ladies. Thanks to everyone who entered! Check back often as I have frequent giveaways ~ you could be the next giveaway winner! :)

the minor protection act

The Minor Protection Act by Jodi Cowles

It is December 1st, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

This month's feature author is:

JODI COWLES

and her book:

The Minor Protection Act
Musterion (December 1, 2005)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jodi Cowles caught the travel bug when her parents took her on her first international flight at six months of age. Since then she’s been in over 30 countries. Along the way she’s gotten locked out of her cabin on an all night train to Kiev, helped deliver a baby in Indonesia, taught English in South Korea, gone spelunking in Guam, hiked the Golan Heights and laid bricks in Zimbabwe. Her interest in politics stems from hunting Easter eggs on the south lawn of the White House as a child. For her 30th birthday she ran the LA Marathon and promised to get serious about publishing. Jodi resides in Boise, Idaho and this is her first novel.


AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

If the politically correct set was searching for a poster couple, they would need to look no further than Erik and Roselyn Jessup. In college they lit up doobies while attending passionate speeches about legalizing marijuana and freeing Tibet. Erik was even arrested once for helping break into an animal research center. Roselyn bailed him out. After five years of dating they decided to tie the knot. Seven years later, after Roselyn had enough time to get established in her career, she gave birth to their pride and joy, Jayla Lynn Jessup.

Both had satisfying full-time jobs that left them only enough time to pour themselves into Jayla. They attended every event at school, even if it meant working overtime and paying the after school program for a few extra hours. When Jayla made the principal's list or won a spelling bee, they were cheering, and filming, from the front row.

Jayla began junior high at a brand new school with a brand new curriculum. It was being called "progressive" in the papers; the first program of its kind implemented in California with plans for a nationwide rollout over the next 10 years. Praise poured in from around the country, applauding the straight talk about sexuality and focus on tolerance.

Erik and Roselyn were thrilled to have their daughter in this groundbreaking program. Granted, it took several phone calls to district authorities to accomplish the transfer and Roselyn had to drive an extra 30 minutes each morning to drop off Jayla, but it was quite a coup to brag about in their circle of friends.

Jayla turned 13 two years into junior high. For her birthday she told her parents she wanted to order pizza and hang around the house – there was something she needed to tell them. Over pepperoni and Coke, Jayla calmly informed them that she'd been discussing it with her friends and teachers and had decided she was gay.

Though she had never had a girlfriend, or a boyfriend for that matter, Erik and Roselyn were quick to affirm her decision and let her know she had their full support. Roselyn applauded her daughter's honest, courageous move and told Jayla how proud she was. Erik was also supportive and went so far as to tease Jayla about her best friend Sara.

There weren't too many lesbians in her junior high and Jayla had a pretty average experience, but she attracted attention when she entered high school wearing the rainbow buttons specially purchased by her mother. Soon she was 15 and seriously involved with Carla, the 17-year-old senior who was President of the Gay Pride Club. When Erik and Roselyn saw the relationship deepening they sat Jayla down and had a heart to heart "sex talk," encouraging her to be responsible and safe, and only to have sex if she was truly in love.

She was. However, when the year ended Carla left for college on the east coast and broke off the relationship in a letter.

Jayla was heartbroken. Erik and Roselyn were quick to comfort, as any loving parents of a shattered teenager, but their answers seemed hollow to Jayla, their comfort cold. At 16 she began dabbling in drugs - a first for her.

By the time her senior year began the family bond that was once so strong had disintegrated to the degree that she seldom spoke to her parents unless it was to strike out in anger. She had not entered into another dating relationship, as much as they encouraged her in that direction. Rather, she seemed withdrawn from the world and spent endless hours either locked in her room or suspiciously absent. Finally, Roselyn had enough and took her to a doctor who prescribed an anti-depressant for teenagers that had just been released on the market.

By Christmas the medication seemed to be working. Jayla was coming around, spending more time at home. She seemed calmer and more at peace. They were even beginning to talk about college. But New Year's morning they found her dead, her anti-depressant bottle and a quart of vodka laying empty in the trash and a mass of journals and letters scattered around her in the bed.

Erik and Roselyn were devastated. Jayla had been their whole life. They dove into the letters and journals, trying to make sense of it all. What they found only served to inflame their anger. Some boy named Nick had been telling their daughter that she was a sinner, quoting Bible verses that said her sexual preference was an abomination before God. Jayla's journal was full of self-loathing, page after page about her relationship with Carla, page after page of rambling, agonizing pain. Why was she made like this if homosexuality was a sin? Why would her parents have supported her if it were an abomination? Why had she listened to the seventh grade teacher who told her experimentation was the best way to determine her sexuality? What was wrong with her?

They could hardly stand to finish it but they read every word. In the end their grief found relief, as it so often does, in bitterness and hatred. The day after Jayla's funeral, attended by hundreds of students from Jayla’s school, Erik and Roselyn met with the District Attorney. A year later, bitterness not yet assuaged, they went to see a lawyer. In the culture of America, where there is rarely tragedy unaccompanied by litigation, they found a willing law firm. Someone would pay.

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Trish's Take

Wow ~ this book held my interest from the very first page. The storyline is intriguing ~ the idea of a family being sued for their beliefs, and the American government trying to outlaw Christianity?! Our knee-jerk reaction may be one of disbelief, "No way. Not in America!" ~ but Jodi really put forth a compelling, plausible scenario.

This story is in-depth and fast-paced. If you enjoy books that take a possible modern-day situation and make it seem real, you'll love this one. I know I did!

P.S. Jodi, thanks so much for the signed copy! :)

auralia's colors (cfba)

Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
AURALIA'S COLORS
(WaterBrook Press September 4, 2007)
by
Jeffrey Overstreet

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeffrey Overstreet lives in two worlds. By day, he writes about movies at LookingCloser.org and in notable publications like Christianity Today, Paste, and Image.

His adventures in cinema are chronicled in his book Through a Screen Darkly. By night, he composes new stories found in fictional worlds of his own. Living in Shoreline, Washington, with his wife, Anne, a poet, he is a senior staff writer for Response Magazine at Seattle Pacific University.

Auralia’s Colors is his first novel. He is now hard at work on many new stories, including three more strands of The Auralia Thread.





ABOUT THE BOOK:
As a baby, she was found in a footprint.

As a girl, she was raised by thieves in a wilderness where savages lurk.

As a young woman, she will risk her life to save the world with the only secret she knows.


When thieves find an abandoned child lying in a monster’s footprint, they have no idea that their wilderness discovery will change the course of history.

Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling–and forbidden–talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar’s hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.

Auralia’s gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.

Auralia’s Colors weaves literary fantasy together with poetic prose, a suspenseful plot, adrenaline-rush action, and unpredictable characters sure to enthrall ambitious imaginations.

Visit the Website especially created for the book, Auralia's Colors. On the site, you can read the first chapter and listen to jeffrey's introduction of the book, plus a lit more!

PRAISE

"Film critic and author Overstreet (Through a Screen Darkly) offers a powerful myth for his first foray into fiction. Overstreet’s writing is precise and beautiful, and the story is masterfully told. Readers will be hungry for the next installment."
--Publishers Weekly

“Through word, image, and color Jeffrey Overstreet has crafted a work of art. From first to final page this original fantasy is sure to draw readers in. Auralia's Colors sparkles.”
-–Janet Lee Carey, award-winning author of The Beast of
Noor and Dragon's Keep

“Jeffrey Overstreet’s first fantasy, Auralia’s Colors, and its heroine’s cloak of wonders take their power from a vision of art that is auroral, looking to the return of beauty, and that intends to restore spirit and and mystery to the world. The book achieves its ends by the creation of a rich, complex universe and a series of dramatic, explosive events.”
-–Marly Youmans, author of Ingledove and The
Curse of the Raven Mocker

for parents only

• Shaunti Feldhahn is known for unlocking the mysteries of relationships for men and women. Now she turns to a parent’s relationship with a child, particularly a child of the opposite sex. Drawing on the results of a nationwide survey of kids and teenagers, she explores questions such as:
  
  What do moms need to understand about the “tough and tender” boy who values respect over love?
  
  What do dads need to understand about their daughter’s need for affirmation?
  
  What are the six biggest pet peeves teens have about their parents?
  
  Understanding the answers to these and other important questions can help parents make the holidays a time of celebration and unity, not strife and friction.
  
  For Parents Only offers a unique look into a child’s mind and frees readers to communicate in healthier ways as they discover that understanding their kids may not be as complicated as they think.
  

Shaunti Feldhahn is the author of For Women Only and numerous other books, with sales totaling nearly one million copies. A nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and public speaker, Feldhahn earned her master’s degree at Harvard University. She and her husband, Jeff, have two young children.


Lisa A. Rice is the associate editor of Christian Living magazine, the mother of two teenage girls, and a screenwriter and producer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Trish's Take

I'm not one who usually recommends parenting books. There are so many reasons why I don't recommend parenting books that I won't even go into them now ~ it would take me days to list them all.

For Parents Only has received glowing reviews and recommendations by well-known "experts" such as Les & Leslie Parrott, Dennis Raney, Lisa Welchel, and Jim Daly (the president of Focus on the Family). Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa Rice, the authors of For Parents Only, did a LOT of one-on-one research, going straight to the source ~ teenagers themselves. Their questions to teens, and their interpretations of the teens' answers to those questions are interesting.

The authors offer practical advice for communicating with your teen effectively, as well as insight into how teens these days think. They interviewed and surveyed over 1,000 teenagers while putting together the information they share ~ the efforts and research they put into this book are monumental and laudable.

The only thing about this book that I have an issue with is the noticable lack of biblical, foundational Scriptural support for the advice that is given. I can't say that I found any of their methods unbiblical ~ but this book is written from the point of view of psychology, "the study of man," rather than a biblical stand point of the study of God and what He tells us in His Word.

While I won't say you shouldn't read this book, I will advise you to read it with caution. Take into account the rare mention of God, His Word, and Scriptural support. If you're having a very difficult time communicating with your teen, For Parents Only may very well give you a new understanding of how your teen thinks. It may also help you with your listening skills. You may even have an "Ah-ha!" moment or two while reading this book. Lots and lots of teens were interviewed, and they were asked very indepth questions. What may surprise you is the openness, honesty, and truthfulness of the teens when answering some very probing questions. I do believe that is all well and good. There's nothing wrong with trying to understand where your kid is coming from. The only caution I would give you is that while you may learn some great skills and insights from this book, you need to make sure you compare what is written here to what is written in the Word of God. He is our source of all things ~ even the ability to understand or communicate well with our teenagers!

Post Script: Thank you to Liz Johnson and Multnomah Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review For Parents Only.

I have 2 brand new copies of For Parents Only to give away. Thank you again to Liz Johnson and Multnomah Books for providing the books for this giveaway, as well as the envelopes and postage to send the books to their new owners!

If you would like a free copy of For Parents Only, simply send me an email. On Tuesday, December 4, I will draw from a hat the names of 2 winners from the emails I receive between now and then.

try dying (cfba)

Try Dying by James Scott Bell

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

TRY DYING

(Center Street October 24, 2007)

by

James Scott Bell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James Scott Bell is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He is also the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.

His book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today. The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up and still lives in Los Angeles, where he is at work on his next Buchanan thriller.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

On a wet Tuesday morning in December, Ernesto Bonilla, twenty-eight, shot his twenty-three-year-old wife, Alejandra, in the backyard of their West 45th Street home in South Los Angeles. As Alejandra lay bleeding to death, Ernesto drove their Ford Explorer to the westbound Century Freeway connector where it crossed over the Harbor Freeway and pulled to a stop on the shoulder.

Bonilla stepped around the back of the SUV, ignoring the rain and the afternoon drivers on their way to LAX and the west side, placed the barrel of his .38 caliber pistol into his mouth, and fired.

His body fell over the shoulder and plunged one hundred feet, hitting the roof of a Toyota Camry heading northbound on the harbor Freeway. The impact crushed the roof of the Camry. The driver, Jacqueline Dwyer, twenty-seven, an elementary schoolteacher from Reseda, died at the scene.

This would have been simply another dark and strange coincidence, the sort of thing that shows up for a two-minute report on the local news--with live remote from the scene--and maybe gets a follow-up the next day. Eventually the story would go away, fading from the city's collective memory.

But this story did not go away. Not for me. Because Jacqueline Dwyer was the woman I was going to marry.

In this fast-paced thriller, lawyer Ty Buchanan must enter a world of evil to uncover the cause of his fiancee's death--even if he has to kill for the truth.

"Bell is one of the best writers out there...he creates characters readers care about...a story worth telling."
~Library Review~

hollywood nobody

It is November 1st, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

This month's feature author is:

LISA SAMSON

and her book:

Hollywood Nobody Th1nk Books (August 30, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lisa Samson is the author of twenty books, including the Christy Award-winning Songbird. Apples of Gold was her first novel for teens. Visit Lisa at http://www.lisasamson.com/These days, she's working on Quaker Summer, volunteering at Kentucky Refugee Ministries, raising children and trying to be supportive of a husband in seminary. (Trying . . . some days she's downright awful. It's a good thing he's such a fabulous cook!) She can tell you one thing, it's never dull around there. Other Novels by Lisa: Straight Up, , Club Sandwich, Songbird, Tiger Lillie, The Church Ladies, Women's Intuition: A Novel, Songbird, The Living End AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER: Hollywood Nobody: April 1 Happy April Fool’s Day! What better day to start a blog about Hollywood than today? Okay, I’ve been around film sets my whole life. Indie films, yeah, and that’s all I’m saying about it here for anonymity’s sake. But trust me, I’ve had my share of embarrassing moments. Like outgrowing Tom Cruise by the age of twelve — in more ways than one, with the way he’s gotten crazier than thong underwear and low-rise jeans. Thankfully that fashion disaster has run for cover. Underwear showing? Not a good idea. Fact: I don’t know of a single girl who doesn’t wish the show-itall boxer-shorts phenomenon would go away as well. Guys, we just don’t want to see your underwear. Truthfully, we believe that there is a direct correlation between how much underwear you show and how much you’ve got upstairs, if you know what I mean. I’ve seen the stars at their best and at their worst. And believe me, the worst is really, really bad. Big clue: you’d look just as pretty as they do if you went to such lengths. As you might guess, some of them are really nice and some of them are total jerks, and there’s a lot of blah in-betweeners. Like real life, pretty much, only the extremes are more extreme sometimes. I mean honestly, how many people under twenty do you know who have had more than one plastic surgery? So you’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little hard on these folks. But if it was all sunshine and cheerleading, I doubt you’d read this blog for long, right? Today’s Rant: Straightening irons. We’ve had enough of them, Little Stars, okay? It was bad on Helen Hunt at the Oscars, worse on Demi, yet worse on Madonna, and it’s still ridiculous. Especially on those women who are trying to hold onto their youth like Gollum holds onto that ring. Ladies, there’s a reason for keeping your hair at or above your shoulders once you hit forty, and ever after. Think Annette Bening. Now she’s got it going on. And can’t you just see why Warren Beatty settled down for her? Love her! According to The Early Show this morning, curls are back, and Little Me ain’t going to tell why I’m so glad about that! Today’s Kudo: Aretha Franklin. Big, bold, beautiful, and the best. Her image is her excellence. Man, that woman can sing! She has a prayer chain too. I’m not very religious myself, but you got to respect people who back up what they say they believe. Unless it’s male Scientologists and "silent birth." Yeah, right. Easy for them to say. Today’s News: I saw a young actor last summer at a Shakespeare festival in New England. Seth Haas. Seth Hot is more like it. I heard a rumor he’s reading scripts for consideration. Yes, he’s that hot. Check him out here. Tell all your friends about him. And look here on Hollywood Nobody for the first, the hottest news on this hottie. Girls, he’s only nineteen! Fair game for at least a decade-and-a-half span of ages. I don’t know about you, but following the antics of new teen rock star Violette Dillinger is something I’m looking forward to. Her first album, released to much hype, hit Billboard’s no. 12 spot its third week out. And don’t you love her hit single "Love Comes Knocking on My Door"? This is going to be fun. A new celeb. Uncharted territory. Will Violette, who seems grounded and talented, be like her predecessors and fall into the "great defiling show-business machine" only to be spit out as a half-naked bimbo? We’ll see, won’t we? Keep your fingers crossed that the real artist survives. Today’s Quote: "Being thought of as ‘a beautiful woman’ has spared me nothing in life. No heartache, no trouble. Beauty is essentially meaningless." Halle Berry Later! Friday, April 2 I knew it was coming soon. We’d been camped out in the middle of a cornfield, mind you, for two weeks. That poke on my shoulder in the middle of the night means only one thing. Time to move on. "What, Charley?" "Let’s head ’em on out, Scotty. We’ve got to be at a shoot in North Carolina tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got food to prepare, so you have to drive." "I’m still only fifteen." "It’s okay. You’re a good driver, baby." My mom, Charley Dawn, doesn’t understand that laws exist for a reason, say, keeping large vehicles out of the hands of children. But as a food stylist, she fakes things all the time. Her boundaries are blurred. What can I say? Charley looks like she succumbed to the peer pressure of plastic surgery, but she hasn’t. I know this because I’m with her almost all the time. I think it’s the bleached-blond fountain of long hair she’s worn ever since I can remember. Or maybe the hand-dyed sarongs and shirts from Africa, India, or Bangladesh add to the overall appearance of youth. I have no idea. But it really makes me mad when anybody mistakes us as sisters. I mean, come on! She had me when she was forty! My theory: a lot of people are running around with bad eyesight and just don’t know it. I throw the covers to my left. If I sling them to my right, they’d land on the dinette in our "home," to use the term in a fashion less meaningful than a Hollywood "I do." I grew up in this old Travco RV I call the Y. As in Y do I have to live in this mobile home? Y do I have to have such an oddball food stylist for a mother? Y must we travel all year long? Y will we never live anyplace long enough for me to go to the real Y and take aerobics, yoga, Pilates or — shoot — run around the track for a while, maybe swim laps in the pool? And Y oh Y must Charley be a vegan? More on that later. And Y do I know more about Hollywood than I should, or even want to? Everybody’s an actor in Hollywood, and I mean that literally. Sometimes I wonder if any of them even know who they are deep down in that corner room nobody else is allowed into. But I wonder the same thing about myself. "You’re not asking me to drive while you’re in the kitchen trailer, are you, Charley?" "No. I can cook in here. And it’s a pretty flat drive. I’ll be fine." I’m not actually worried about her. I’m thinking about how many charges the cops can slap on me. Driving without a license. Driving without a seat belt on the passenger. Speeding, because knowing Charley, we’re late already. Driving without registration. Charley figured out years ago how to lift current stickers off of license plates. She loves "sticking it to the man." Or so she says. I kid you not. Oh, the travails of a teenager with an old hippie for a mother. Charley is oblivious as usual as I continue my recollection of past infractions thankfully undetected by the state troopers: Driving while someone’s in the trailer. It’s a great trailer, don’t get me wrong, a mini industrial kitchen we rigged up a couple of years ago to make her job easier. Six-range burner, A/C, and an exhaust fan that sucks up more air than Joan Rivers schmoozing on the red carpet. But it’s illegal for her to go cooking while we’re in motion. "All right. Can I at least get dressed?" "Why? You’re always in your pj’s anyway." "Great, Mom." "It’s Charley, baby. You know how I feel about social hierarchy." "But didn’t you just give me an order to drive without a license? What if I say no?" She reaches into the kitchen cupboard without comment and tips down a bottle of cooking oil. Charley’s as tall as a twelve-year-old. "I mean, let’s be real, Charley. You do, in the ultimate end of things, call the shots." I reach back for my glasses on the small shelf I installed in the side of the loft. It holds whatever book I’m reading and my journal. I love my glasses, horn-rimmed "cat glasses" as Charley calls them. Vintage 1961. Makes me want to do the twist and wear penny loafers. "Can I at least pull my hair back?" She huffs. "Oh, all right, Scotty! Why do you have to be so difficult?" Charley has no clue as to how difficult teenagers can actually be. Here I am, schooling myself on the road, no wild friends. No friends at all, actually, because I hate Internet friendships. I mean, how lame, right? No boyfriend, no drugs. No alcohol either, unless you count cold syrup, because the Y gets so cold during the winter and Charley’s a huge conservationist. (Big surprise there.) I should be thankful, though. At least she stopped wearing leather fringe a couple of years ago. I slide down from the loft, gather my circus hair into a ponytail, and slip into the driver’s seat. Charley reupholstered it last year with rainbow fabric. I asked her where the unicorns were and she just rolled her eyes. "Okay, let’s go. How long is it going to take?" "Oh." She looks down, picks up a red pepper and hides behind it. I turn on her. "You didn’t Google Map it?" "You’re the computer person, not me." She peers above the stem. "I’m sorry?" She shrugs. Man, I hate it when she’s so cute. "Really sorry?" "Charley, we’re in Wilmore, Kentucky. As in Ken-Tuck-EEE . As in the middle of nowhere." I climb out of my seat. "What part of North Carolina are we going to? It’s a wide state." "Toledo Island. Something like that. Near Ocracoke Island. Does that sound familiar?" "The Outer Banks?" "Are they in North Carolina?" Are you kidding me? "Let me log on. This is crazy, Charley. I don’t know why you do this to me all the time." "Sorry." She says it so Valley Girl-like. I really thought I’d be above TME: Teenage Mom Embarrassment. But no. Now, most kids don’t have mothers who dress like Stevie Nicks and took a little too much LSD back in the DAY. It doesn’t take ESP to realize who the adult in this setup is. And she had me, PDQ, out of the bonds of holy matrimony I might add, when she was forty (yes, I already told you that, but it’s still just as true), and that’s OLD to be caught in such an inconvenient situation, don’t you think? The woman had no excuse for such behavior, FYI. My theory: Charley’s a widow and it’s too painful to talk about my father. I mean, it’s plausible, right? The problem is, I can remember back to when I was at least four, and I definitely do not remember a man in the picture. Except for Jeremy. More on him later too. I flip up my laptop. I have a great satellite Internet setup in the Y. I rigged it myself because I’m a lonely geek with nothing better to do with her time than figure out this kind of stuff. I type in the info and wait for the directions. Satellite is slower than DSL, but it’s better than nothing. "Charley! It’s seventeen hours away!" I scan the list of twists and turns between here and there. "We have to take a ferry to Ocracoke, and then Toledo Island’s off of there." "Groovy!" "Groovy died with platform shoes and midis." "Whatever, Scotty." Only she says it all sunny. She’s a morning person. "That phrase should be dead." Honestly, I’m not big on lingo. I’ve never been good at it, which is fine by me. Who am I going to impress with cool-speak anyway? Uma Thurman? Yeah, right. "Okay, let’s go." "We can go as long as possible and break camp on the way, you know?" Charley. I climb back into the rainbow chair, throw the Y into drive, pull the brake, and we’re moving on down the road. Again.

Sample from Hollywood Nobody / ISBN: 1-60006-091-9 Copyright © 2006 NavPress Publishing. All rights reserved. To order copies of this resource, come back to www.navpress.com.