WINNER of The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul!

CONGRATULATIONS

to

DANE

Winner of a copy of The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul

Back Cover Review: The Turnaround by George Pelecanos

My husband snagged this book for me and read it very quickly. When occassionally does this, all I require is a verbal review (heehee). He said that [...] is a slice of life story, or rather, someone's life story.

He said that it is a book and style that he wouldn't normally read, but that it was very enjoyable and well-written. The way that the characters are written relates to many different kinds of people from anywhere in the U.S. and that it is a book that a variety of ages will enjoy.


One thing that I didn't realize when I got this book is that it's not from the Christian market. However, it is not vulgar although he said it may have had a word or two of profanity.

Back Cover Review: Angry Conversations With God: A Snarky But Authentic Spiritual Memoir by Susan E. Isaacs

A Snarky But Authentic Spiritual Memoir...it is Snarky, definitely Snarky. No idea what that means, but this is a definition all by itself. To my surprise, there are a number of people that I wish I could give a copy of this book to. Be warned though, it is not for the easily offended. If you can handle a little tongue in cheek - sometimes angry - honesty about one artist's struggle to understand God and His relationship to her, then by all means, get a copy!

I found myself sometimes relating to Susan. I think if we are willing to admit it many of us have had the same questions that she does about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit - but maybe haven't put so fine a point on it. Especially, out there you know, IN WRITING. I would have to say that I like Joshua Harris and I Kissed Dating Goodbye a whole lot more than she did. In fact, I think it would have helped her alot if she had taken his advice to heart, but some of us do have to find out the hard way and bruise and bloody our heads on those proverbial hard walls a few times for ourselves before we're willing to listen to reason.

All in all, a great book if you can read it with a whole lot of grace and a transparent look at your own heart. Not that I did all that, but I sure tried!

The Poet by Michael Connelly

Jack McEvoy is a Denver crime reporter with the stickiest assignment of his career. His twin brother, homicide detective Sean McEvoy, was found dead in his car from a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head--an Edgar Allen Poe quote smeared on the windshield. Jack is going to write the story. The problem is that Jack doesn't believe that his brother killed himself, and the more information he uncovers, the more it looks like Sean's death was the work of a serial killer. Jack's research turns up similar cases in cities across the country, and within days, he's sucked into an intense FBI investigation of an Internet pedophile who may also be a cop killer nicknamed the Poet. It's only a matter of time before the Poet kills again, and as Jack and the FBI team struggle to stay ahead of him, the killer moves in, dangerously close.

In a break from his Harry Bosch novels--including The Concrete Blonde and The Last Coyote--Edgar-winning novelist Michael Connelly creates a new hero who is a lot greener but no less believable. The Poet will keep readers holding their breath untilthe very end: the characters are multilayered, the plot compelling, and the denouement a true surprise. Connelly fans will not be disappointed. --Mara Friedman

ABOUT Michael Connelly:

Michael is a former journalist and has won every major prize for crime fiction. He lives in Florida.

"Infernally ingenious...an irresistibly readable thriller." -New York Times

"An intriguing new protagonist....Connelly doesn't just talk about poets, he writes like one, with a spare, elegiac tone that is the perfect voice for the haunting tale he has to tell."-People

"Chilling....Connelly puts his foot on the gas and doesn't let up." -Los Angeles Times

Michael Connelly is a former journalist and has won every major prize for crime fiction. He lives in Florida.

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 "riviting" 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

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

The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul

Donita K. Paul’s 250,000-plus-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles series has attracted a wide spectrum of dedicated fans–and they’re sure to fall in love with the new characters and adventures in her latest superbly crafted fiction novel for all ages. It’s a mind-boggling fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know little of Wulder and nothing of Paladin.

In The Vanishing Sculptor, readers will meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions–including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon–and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.

ABOUT Donita K. Paul:

Donita is a retired teacher and author of numerous novellas, short stories, and eight novels, including the best-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles, a series which has sold more than a quarter million books to date. The winner of multiple awards, she lives in Colorado Springs , Colorado , where she spends time mentoring and encouraging young writers. Visit her online at donitakpaul.com.