Russ White is an internationally recognized inter-network engineer. He has co-authored eight books in the field of network design and routing
protocols and is a regular speaker at international networking conferences.
In addition to working on several expert and senior-level network engineering certifications, he is a certified firearms instructor.
Russ, his wife, and their two children live in the Raleigh area of North Carolina, where they enjoy spending time on Jordan Lake and attending Colonial Baptist Church. Loss of Carrier is his first novel.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Bright yellow cables against a blue shirt? Carl never would have approved of that color combination. Why was his face so white? His eyes should be closed, not open. Why hadn’t one of the security guards seen this and reported it to the police? The lights were off, the cameras were useless in the dark.
Of course, the cables wrapped around Carl’s neck explained why the server wasn’t working. Loss of carrier.
Jess Wirth lives a dreary life. He spends most of his time crammed inside a cubicle, toiling as a network engineer and stewing over the details of his ugly divorce. But when he finds his co-worker dead in the basement of their office, Jess’s life takes a surprising—and unpleasant—turn.
The police quickly declare the death a suicide, but Jess isn’t so sure. Not long after he begins digging into the victim’s work, another co-worker turns up dead, convincing him once and for all that something sinister is brewing behind the cubicle walls.
His investigation leads him to a mysterious woman name Leah, who pushes him to entrust her with the information he’s collected about his dead colleagues. Wary of Leah’s motives yet inexorably drawn to her, Jess keeps her at arm’s length...until an attempt is made on both their lives. Realizing they are close on the trail of a dangerous criminal, the pair race to expose a data theft ring before they become the killer’s next victims.
Kirk Outerbridge developed a passion for storytelling at an early age. Through years of reading Fantasy and Science Fiction novels, comics, table top gaming and watching endless hours of Japanese anime, he developed a keen sense for what made stories enjoyable and more importantly—what didn’t.
While pursuing an engineering degree in college, Kirk endeavored to tell his own stories, choosing writing as the easiest and cheapest medium to master—or so he thought. Several years and several hundred thousand words later, he produced a Sci-fi trilogy that shall never (God willing) see the light of day, but that did teach him much needed lessons about the craft of writing fiction.
After college Kirk returned to his homeland of Bermuda where he reunited with his childhood friend and future wife, Ria. But before marrying his lovely wife, Kirk entered an even greater marriage and devoted his life to Christ in 2002.
With a new found direction in life, writing fell by the wayside but the urge to tell futuristic stories never left. After much prayer and contemplation, Kirk purposed his writing for God’s Will, seeking to draw to Christ those who shared his passions for all things futuristic and Sci-fi.
Kirk currently lives with his wife Ria and 18 month old son Miles in beautiful Bermuda. He is a faithful member of the Church of Christ and is a professional engineer employed by the government.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In the future, death is only a problem if you can’t afford the price. Such is the promise of Gentec Corporation’s “Miracle Treatment”, a genetic anti-aging elixir that grants eternal life—or does it?
When a Gentec client suddenly dies of natural causes, the powers that be will stop at nothing to ensure their version of eternity remains unchallenged; even if it means concocting a religious sabotage conspiracy to cover a lie.
With the media about to blow the story wide open, the credibility of Gentec and the lives of millions of clients rest on one man’s ability to uncover the truth.
Enter detective Rick Macey, religious counterterrorist expert and Gentec executive Sheila Dunn’s last hope for salvation.
Now with the clock ticking and the corporate brass seeking their own solution at any cost, Macey must track down a religious zealot out to destroy the Miracle Treatment for good.
But when Macey finds himself not only falling for his client, but confronted with the possibility that the culprit could hold a connection to his shaded past, the truth suddenly becomes a dangerous thing.
Only through a test of faith can he stop the crisis before it’s all too late and eternity falls.
If you would like to read an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Eternity Falls, go HERE.
BACK COVER REVIEW:
In this gritty novel that I would classify "especially for guys," Kirk delves into the truth of what living a lengthened life would do to those without the hope of Christ. Among other things, he delves into this concept with keen insight and all kinds of issues that I never thought of.
Kirk is a good writer and Eternity Falls has a complex plot that will keep you hooked to the end. His creation of lingo for a world about 75 years from now is fantastic - he uses creative terms and ideas that are completely vivid and understandable, and intriguing! His book reminded me of movies such as Back To The Future and The Terminator (movies near and dear to all of us that grew up in the 80s).
Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.
Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.
Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will love White Picket Fences. The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?
About SUSAN MEISSNER:
Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when she wasn’t driven to put her thoughts down on paper. Her novel The Shape of Mercy was a Publishers Weekly pick for best religious fiction of 2008 and a Christian Book Award finalist. Susan and her husband live in Southern California, where he is a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves. They are the parents of four grown children.
Back Cover Review:
I grew up in a family that lived below poverty level – according to the government. I mean, we never went without food or clothes. God kept His promise and always provided for us. My Dad was a honest, hard-working handyman. My Mom stayed at home to raise the four of us and later on, to home school us. My parents made a lot of sacrifices for us, I understand that now. We had what really mattered though - lots of love.
And now, I’m married and have my own children and we live behind the proverbial picket fence. Well, not literally because we live in the woods. Do you know what I’ve learned though? Something that I heard, but you only really know it when you’ve dreamed of having a little more and then you do: it’s true, stuff can’t make you happy – doesn’t make you happy. It is God’s love, each other’s honesty and putting one another first – stuff like that are the only things that fill a home with genuine joy.
The Janviers look like they have the perfect life when Tilly first arrives. Amanda is the classic mom with brownies in the oven and willing to whip together a mug of warm cocoa when it’s wanted. Neil is a successful and generous husband, the classic family provider. Chase and Delcey are good kids – smart, obedient - typical. Behind the picket fence of their classic suburban home lurks a past that they all want to escape from. Chase’s Mom, Amanda, has hidden from the past for so long, from the truth, but hiding from the truth is eating her up. Chase has memories of the past that tease him – and threaten him. His Dad, Neil is blocking out everything, even his own family, as he pretends that nothing bad could exist behind their perfect stucco walls. Then Tilly appears.
Tilly…without roots, unburnt by memories, carefree - except for the fact that her unpredictable dad has left her to fend for herself – and he never meant for her to end up with his sister Amanda…
Susan Meissner’s strong characters are strongly developed and she creates the stage for forceful drama in suburbia. The final set of chapters especially left me stopping for breath. The end is powerful, complex and one that will change this family forever. Susan’s story sneaks up on you with the forcefulness of wasabi. It looks like guacamole, has a gentle texture, but in a flash – a spice that brings tears to your eyes – good stuff!
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
Michael Sheehan is CEO and founder of BioResource, a company that distributes natural remedies including the popular INFLAMYAR ointment for sports injuries. He wrote One Fine Season to honor the memories of two childhood friends who died young, before they could realize their dreams.
One Fine Season is true to life. It draws on Sheehan’s religious education at a Catholic seminary and his experience as a high school baseball and collegiate soccer player. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Sheehan also earned a master’s degree in science journalism from Boston University. He lives in Northern California.
ABOUT THE BOOK
ONE FINE SEASON tells the story of a promising young athlete who must rise from the ashes of devastating personal loss to fulfill a pact made years earlier with his best friend.
Best friends Pete O’Brien and Danny Grace are gifted college athletes, both hoping for careers as professional baseball players. When tragedy strikes, Danny struggles to cope with his overwhelming grief and fulfill a pact the young men made years earlier: to play in the World Series.
Events unexpectedly thrust Danny into the spotlight with the new expansion team in Sacramento. Three guides – an aging catcher, spiritual centerfielder and wise manager – plus a beautiful woman lead him on a healing journey, revealing that even death cannot break the bonds of true friendship.
If you would like to read an excerpt from the first chapter of One Fine Season, go HERE
Mary E. DeMuth is an expert in Pioneer Parenting. She enables Christian parents to navigate our changing culture when their families left no good faith examples to follow.
Her parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2007), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005).
Mary also inspires people to face their trials through her real-to-life novels, Watching The Tree Limbs
(nominated for a Christy Award) and Wishing On Dandelions (NavPress, 2006).
Mary has spoken at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, the ACFW Conference, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, and at various churches and church planting ministries. She's also taught in Germany, Austria, Monaco, Italy, France, and the United States. Mary and her husband, Patrick, reside in Texas with their three children. They recently returned from breaking new spiritual ground in Southern France, and planting a church.
ABOUT THE BOOK
She touched Daisy’s shoulder. So cold. So hard. So unlike Daisy.
Yet so much like herself it made Emory shudder.
Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy’s murderer—a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. As questions surrounding Daisy’s death continue to mount, Emory’s safety is shattered by the pursuit of a stranger, and she can’t shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy’s disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for?
The second book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, this suspenseful novel is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and the pain of telling the truth. Most of all, it is about the power of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer holds us captive.
Watch the video:
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Slow Burn, go HERE.
BACK COVER REVIEW:
Hixon’s adopted Mom speaking to him when they first met.
“Hixon, this cornbread is the bread of God. More than daily bread, it’s his grace. Not just sustenance, but perfect flavor too. Isn’t that just like God? He gives us what we need, then surprises us with flavor.”
Big Earl speaking to a congregation of church-goers.
“The Bible says that for the joy set before Jesus, he endured the cross. Ever think that way, folks? That there is immense over-the-top joy awaiting you in glory? And in that anticipation, if you picture it just right, you can endure any sort of hardship because you know. You know. You know what’s happening today in Defiance, Texas, can’t compare to the hip-hop-happy joy that awaits you on dancing streets of gold.”
Hopefully the quotes that jumped out and grabbed my heart do this book justice. These are the ones that met me where I am. You may very well have to read it to find your own. ;)
Mary E. DeMuth has a strong poetic-style of vivid imagery that blooms on the page with the force of a spring bouquet from page one. Some of her ideas are so fresh that you’re forced to pause and savor it, like a flower with its own individual voice, beauty and scent. A Slow Burn is her second book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy. It stands strongly on its own back-binding – and I think I may like it even better than the first? Perhaps, that’s because the main character is a paradox of a woman, a woman forged with strength in the dust and dirt of Defiance, Texas and yet so broken by the fires of life that you wonder how she will find her way home to the heart of a loving God. But in Mary’s writing, as with life, no matter how much tragedy, there is always hope. And that hope pursues the broken with the relentless love of a smitten Lover – and even more it speaks of the relentless love of God, the one who desires an unbroken relationship with each and every one of us. God, the one who sees what we can be, not what we are. God speaks that very thing to Hixon’s heart, the man that He sends Emory Chance’s way. She won’t be as she is now. He tells her as Hixon struggles to embrace Emory and her prickly-pine hurtfulness. That word from God met me too. Isn’t that what so many of us want the world to know? I won’t be as I am now. God is still refining, chipping, molding and polishing me. Well, Mary wrote those words of hope into her characters’ hearts and into mine, an ordinary reader with a boat load of promised hope.
Russ White is an internationally recognized inter-network engineer. He has co-authored eight books in the field of network design and routing
Bright yellow cables against a blue shirt? Carl never would have approved of that color combination. Why was his face so white? His eyes should be closed, not open. Why hadn’t one of the security guards seen this and reported it to the police? The lights were off, the cameras were useless in the dark. 
