tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84836922024-03-13T00:19:31.518-04:00Back Cover ReviewsGretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.comBlogger403125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-47013504011619367462012-09-17T18:34:00.000-04:002012-09-17T18:37:57.515-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Back Cover Review:</span> </b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800795334/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>An Invitation To The Supernatural Life</b></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>by Michelle Perry</b></span></div>
<b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span> </b><br />
<b>Open the Floodgates of Life-Changing Encounters with God</b>
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Born
without her left hip and leg, Michele Perry is no stranger to
overwhelming impossibility. Yet again and again among the vulnerable
children in South Sudan, God uses her and her co-workers--and even the
children--to accomplish the impossible. Here she shows you, too, how to
experience God's supernatural intervention genuinely, fully in your
everyday life--wherever you live. <br />
<br />
Each chapter includes practical keys, discussion questions and application exercises to show you:<br />
<ul>
<li>how you can grow in awareness of God's presence</li>
<li>how you can be sure of His voice</li>
<li>what it's like to see a vision</li>
<li>how to recognize the holy in the ordinary</li>
<li>how to foster your own supernatural encounters with God</li>
<li>and more!</li>
</ul>
Accept His invitation and witness Him moving in miraculous and wondrous ways again and again.<br />
-----<br />
"A must-read."--Randy Clark, overseer, Apostolic Network of Global Awakening; co-author with Bill Johnson, <i>The Essential Guide to Healing</i> and <i>Healing Unplugged</i><br />
<br />
"A major mentoring tool for your life."--Sid Roth, host, <i>It's Supernatural!</i> television show<br />
<br />
-----<br />
Michele
Perry is the pioneering director for Iris Ministries South Sudan,
founded in 2006 under Rolland and Heidi Baker. She also founded Nema
International in 2007 and has spent the last fifteen years ministering
and speaking around the world. A native of Florida, Michele studied at
Baylor University and has previously served in Bangladesh, India, and
the inner cities of the U.S. She is also an artist, photographer and
poet and spends her time between the work in South Sudan and
establishing a support structure for its practical needs in the U. S.
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<h3 class="productDescriptionSource">
About the Author</h3>
Michele Perry is a visionary and creative whirlwind. An artist,
author and photographer, she travels the world to share the lessons she
is learning on this unpaved road into God's heart-- <i>and to keep learning.</i><br />
<br />
After
five years of basing in South Sudan, Michele continues to oversee the
work there while spreading her time between establishing a Western base
of creative support structures for project needs, traveling to speak and
being onsite in South Sudan roughly 1/3rd of the year mentoring and
encouraging the amazing team of missionaries and indigenous leaders that
God is raising up.<br />
<br />
She longs to see a supernatural company of
people who take walking lessons from Enoch be released to soar into the
wildest dreams of God, embracing the audacity of heaven, walking in two
realms at once. Michele's first book was Love Has a Face. <br />
<br />
She
is the founding National Field Coordinator for Iris Ministries, Inc., in
South Sudan and is ordained by Heidi and Rolland Baker under Iris
Ministries. Michele is also the founder/ director of Nema International,
Inc. She writes regularly at fromtheunpavedroad.com and is frequently
available for speaking engagements in the West.
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> Back Cover Review:</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The title honestly says it all...this book is an invitation to hear God's
voice, to intimately know Jesus like we were created to and to desire the Holy
Spirit (who the Bible clearly says God has sent to help us) to be active in our
daily lives.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>What
does the dictionary say “supernatural” means? of, pertaining to, or being above
or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena...of,
pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.</i><br />
<br />
I did discover that the word "supernatural" scares some people. One
person literally ran the other way shortly after I told them the title of this
book. I went home and asked Chet (my husband) why he thinks that is? He said he
thinks it's because many of the things labeled "supernatural" focus
on the demonic. I think people confuse the word "paranormal" with
"supernatural". Media encourages this confusion further.<br />
<br />
Let me assure you, it is clear that Michele is passionately in love with Jesus
and that her goal and her aim in this book and in her life is for others to
know Him too.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<b><i>"In this supernatural journey, if I want to walk in the fullness of every
promise He has given, I must never reduce my theology or my expectation to the
level of my current experience."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God
does not fit in any box that man creates. He is an out-of-the-box God and it’s
not His desire for us to live “in the box” either. Within what He shows us in
Scripture? Absolutely. Within our own limits of faith? No.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
is what is in my heart after reading Michele’s book: Yes LORD, Invitation
wholeheartedly, hungrily accepted! I want to hear God's voice. I want to do
what God wants me to do. I want to be who God says I am. I want to know Him.
Not just in Heaven but Here and Now. I do not believe that I can pick and
choose from His Word. I believe that every word of the Bible is true and
relevant for today. What the Disciples saw and did, we can do. The Holy Spirit
is not less powerful today than He was then. These things are not just for
yesterday, they are for today and they are for tomorrow. God can be trusted.
Jesus can be trusted. The Holy Spirit can be trusted. Every Person of the
Trinity is of God, all safe, all Love in its pure and perfect form. And I will
choose to trust anything the LORD wants to do. He is Good. And He is Great. And
it is my pursuit to be completely Heavenly-minded so that I can truly be of
some good here on earth!</span><br />
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This book was provided for review by Chosen Books but the views expressed in this review are entirely my own (and I already bought a copy for my family to read - mine is too marked up to share!). ;)</span></i><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-85587699358390377852012-01-27T10:36:00.000-05:002012-01-27T10:36:41.434-05:00Back Cover Review: Raven (The Sewing Circle Series) by Christl Boyd<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Years of "entertaining" men at the Urbane Saloon have left Raven Caitlyn Wirth feeling hollow inside. After sneaking away on a train headed west in hopes of finding a place to live where no one will bother her, she stumbles upon the town of Walnut Creek. There she meets Rancher Beau Mason whose steadfast character and unwavering faith in God make her wonder if perhaps she isn't meant to be alone after all. Can Raven heal from the wounds of her past or will her former way of life catch up with her and destroy everything she's ever dared to dream of?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Christl Boyd</b> grew up with a fascination for life in bygone eras and a first name spelled so uniquely that her teachers usually said it wrong. (It's pronounced, "Crystal" by the way.) As a teenager, she discovered a love for writing and an awareness of how powerful the written word can be in peoples' lives. The desire to 'breathe life' wherever she goes has translated into opportunities to have two short stories published (Faithwriters: Come Away with Me), author skits and dramatic productions for churches, as well as teaching at women's bible studies, retreats and conferences. She is a pastor's wife, mother and homemaker who enjoys great mexican food, the sound of the ocean and riding roller coasters in her homestate of California.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>BACK COVER REVIEW:</b></div><style>
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</style> <div class="MsoNormal">Raven is beautifully crafted Historical Fiction. It is a story about grace and restoration. It is also the best self-published novel I’ve read (as good as many coming from a regular publishing house) – VERY well done! I felt emotionally connected to Raven, the main character and I didn’t want to put it down either – it only took me two days to read which is quick at this stage in my life. =D</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The punctuation is a little rough around the edges but the story held its own…and you can’t beat 99 cents on Kindle for a great story…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ll definitely recommend and will be reading more from the Sewing Circle Series by Christl Boyd.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I purchased Raven (The Sewing Circle Series) with my own ten dimes and the opinions expressed in this review are definitely my own. </i></span></div></div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-32369320508286566122011-12-17T19:12:00.000-05:002011-12-17T19:12:00.920-05:00Back Cover Review: Freedom's Stand by J.M. Windle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Jamil renounced a life of jihad when he encountered the life-changing message of Jesus Christ, but villagers and authorities in the hills of Afghanistan respond with skepticism . . . and even violence. <br />
Relief worker Amy Mallory is shocked by the changes in her organization—changes with dire implications for the women and children under her care. And concern for her former assistant, Jamil, weighs heavily on her heart. <br />
Former Special Forces veteran Steve Wilson faces off against the riots and corruption of Kabul’s upcoming election. He's looking for something that will give his life purpose but is confident that he won’t find it in Afghanistan.<br />
All three are searching for love and freedom in a country where political and religious injustice runs rampant. But when religious freedom becomes a matter of life and death, they discover that the cost of following Jesus may require the ultimate sacrifice.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>About the Author:</b></span><br />
As the child of missionary parents, award-winning author and journalist Jeanette Windle grew up in the rural villages, jungles, and mountains of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. Her detailed research and writing is so realistic that it has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information. Curently based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jeanette has lived in six countries and traveled in more than thirty. She has more than fifteen books in print, including political/suspense best seller CrossFire and 2010 CBA Award finalist and Christy Award finalist Veiled Freedom.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Back Cover Review:</b></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">I took Freedom’s Stand with us on vacation and my husband could barely get my nose out of the book (my review is long delayed due to the difficulty of taking notes on the beach - sand and pens just don’t get along...or laptops for that matter). Freedom’s Stand is the sequel to Veiled Freedom – and my favorite book that I’ve read by J.M. Windle! In fact, it is one of my top two favorite novels that I’ve read this year.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jeanette has the knack of bringing to life the country and heart of Afghanistan, especially the plight of women and believers. Her characters wrap your heart around their lives and take you for a ride – and it’s well worth the journey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Title Trakk’s Review and Author Interview – http://www.titletrakk.com/author-interviews/jeanette-windle-interview-2.htm</div><br />
</div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-52061679026500830572011-12-17T15:28:00.000-05:002011-12-17T15:28:16.573-05:00Freedom's Stand by J.M. Windle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #eeeeee;"> </span><style>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">FREEDOM'S STAND</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt;">A NOVEL BY J. M. WINDLE</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author Interview </span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. What led you to write a story set in Afghanistan? </span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like so many reading this interview, I believed the 2001 overthrow of Afghanistan's Taliban regime presaged new hope for freedom and peace in that region. Anyone who follows the news is aware that neither freedom nor peace have ever materialized. Instead today's headlines reflect rising violence, corruption, lawlessness and despair. The signing of Afghanistan's new constitution, establishing an Islamic republic under sharia law tolled a death knell for any hope of real democracy. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">And yet so many players I've met in this drama--whether military, embassy, humanitarian--have involved themselves for the most part with the best of intentions. The more I came to know the region and love its people, I was left asking, i</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">f trillions of dollars in aid, all the weapons the West can bring to bear, and a lot of genuine goodwill aren't enough to bring about lasting peace and democracy, then what is the true source of freedom? Can outsiders ever truly purchase freedom for another culture or people? Searching for answers to that question birthed <b><i>Veiled Freedom</i></b> and its sequel <b><i>Freedom's Stand</i></b>.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2. You have a firm grasp on the plight of the Afghan people, their politics, and their country. Your realistic writing has prompted government agencies to question you to determine how you’ve received classified information. How do you go about researching your stories with such accurate details?</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thoroughness is key. I can honestly say that if I missed a single tome dealing with Afghanistan's present or past, as well as Western involvement there, it wasn't on purpose. Add in my own sojourn in Afghanistan (don't ask for details; I went deliberately under the radar), as well as extensive input from contacts on the ground who are real-life counterparts of my characters: Special Ops, private security, humanitarian aid, Afghans, etc. Additional research tools like Google alerts, local news and blogs, security and embassy info coming out of Afghanistan kept me daily updated during the writing process. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">3. Tell us about your own visits to Afghanistan. What did you experience there? </span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">What I found most shocking was how little has changed, despite a decade of American and NATO occupation and trillions of aid dollars. People are still starving, beggars everywhere. After an initial freedom, most women are back in burqas. Mud-brick hovels are still the norm, while less than six percent of the country has electricity. Afghans express more concern over the corruption and brutality of local police and government officials than the Taliban, while Islamic<i> sharia</i> law trumps any pretence at freedom and human rights. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not that all Afghans have failed to benefit. Partially finished aid projects from police stations and schools to power plants sit empty and crumbling from shoddy construction all over Afghanistan. But there are entire neighborhoods of brand-new turreted, gabled and towered mansions, built by the elite who've profited from both the aid windfall and opium boom, too many of them government ministers. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">4. What real-life situations or people in Afghanistan inspired this story? </span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ironically, the real-life story that most inspired Freedom's Stand had not yet happened when I began writing it. Even as I answer these interview questions, Afghan father of six and amputee Sayed Mossa has now spent six months in a filthy Kabul prison cell, without legal representation or formal charges, enduring horrific abuse, for the sole crime of choosing faith in Jesus Christ. His arrest came after cell-phone images of Sayed and other Afghans praying in Christ's name and being baptized were publicized. His situation reflects so closely the story of Freedom's Stand, I might have been reporting on it. In actuality, though Sayed's arrest came afterwards, conditions on the ground were such that I knew it was only a matter of time before my fiction became reality.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The plight of Afghan women also inspired this story. If fictionalized, all events and bios I included are based on true-life experiences. Including some of my own. Riding a bike, for instance, with another expatriate from their humanitarian compound to another a few blocks away, a faster, therefore safer, trip for expat women than walking. Though swaddled head to toe in headscarf and chapan despite intense summer heat, we drew the attention of some Afghan male passersby. Their automatic reaction was not curiosity or even disdain for our daring to be on a bike, but to begin stoning us. My companion was knocked from her bike, left with a serious knot on the head. The next day bike transport was placed out of bounds for the expat female personnel, one more small freedom lost. It was one of many lessons in what Afghan women experience every moment of every day--and they can't get on a plane and fly away!</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">My characters are themselves complete fiction. But they definitely reflect their many true-life counterparts I've come to know, whether humanitarian, private security, embassy, military, or Afghan.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">5. Some readers might think that your stories are anti-Afghanistan or anti-Muslim. How would you respond to that accusation?</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the contrary, it is because I have come to love so much the Afghan people that I find myself angry at the oppression and injustice I've witnessed there or under any other Islamic totalitarian regime. Whether Muslim, Christian, or any other religious belief, faith should be a matter of heart choice, not government imposition. Women should have the right to live free of abuse and to have equal representation under the law. The poor and underprivileged should have equal access to justice and fair governance as those who can afford bribes. It is a misnomer that Muslims do not want these things as much as any other human. Across the Islamic world, it is Muslims who are rising up to agitate for personal freedom. And it is Muslims who are being crushed by their own governments for those demands. I am as passionate about human rights and freedom for every Afghan and Muslim as for Christian believers thrown in prison for daring to exercise personal choice of faith.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">6. When it comes to cultural differences, how should we distinguish between moral (or human-rights) issues and traditional practices? </span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">An excellent question without any black-and-white answer. Every individual may draw the line differently. But tradition and culture have too long been used as justification for unjust practices, whether slavery, abuse of women and minorities, government imposition of religion. Two Scriptural principles that helped propel civil rights movements still offer the best guideline: "Love your neighbor as yourself"(Mark 12:31) and "Do to others as you would have them do to you"(Luke 6:31). </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">7. What do you want readers to come away with after reading this story?</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I would like readers to close this book with a better understanding of Afghanistan and the entire Muslim world and how vital and interconnected events there, especially such issues as freedom of worship, speech, human rights, are to our own country's future and security. Even more so, I want every reader to understand what is the only true source of freedom. Bottom line, when enough individual hearts change from hate to love, cruelty to kindness, greed to selflessness, their society will be transformed as well. Change a heart, change a nation. And how does one change hearts? Hopefully, by the last page of <i>Freedom's Stand</i>, the reader will have an answer to that as well!</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">8. How can your readers help meet the needs – material, political, and spiritual – of people in Afghanistan? Where can they find more material on this subject?</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: "Times New Roman";">They can help by raising their voice on issues of human rights and freedom of speech and worship, especially in countries receiving our tax dollars and military aid. Organizations like Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs offer great resources on how to get involved. To learn more about Afghanistan itself, my own website and blog (www.jeanettewindle.com) has a list of recommended reading and other material. To donate, there are wonderful humanitarian groups serving in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, there are also less reputable startups milking the aid bonanza. While security cautions do not permit offering specific recommendations here, longevity of service in Afghanistan and a trustworthy reputation as a non-profit are two good qualifiers a basic Google search will show up.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #444444; color: #eeeeee;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">From http://www.jeanettewindle.com/Freedoms%20Stand%20Author%20Interview.htm. Used with permission from the author.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #444444; color: #eeeeee;"></div></div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-55131880718870404782011-11-24T20:04:00.000-05:002011-11-24T20:04:04.171-05:00A Marriage Carol by Chris Fabry and Gary Chapman<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center> <center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080240264X">A Marriage Carol</a></span></center> <center>Moody Publishers (September 1, 2011)</center> <center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://chrisfabry.com/">Chris Fabry</a> and <a href="http://www.garychapman.org/">Gary Chapman</a></span></center> <br /><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHORS:</span></b><br /><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rG1ZQipwrQg/Tsx1BmICqgI/AAAAAAAAEIk/L037molQtHw/s1600/chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rG1ZQipwrQg/Tsx1BmICqgI/AAAAAAAAEIk/L037molQtHw/s200/chris.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>CHRIS FABRY is a graduate of W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and Moody bible Institute's Advanced Studies Program. Chris can be heard daily on Love Worth Finding, featuring the teaching of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers. He received the 2008 "Talk Personality of the Year" Award from the National Religious Broadcasters. He has published more than 60 books since 1995, many of them fiction for younger readers. Chris collaborated with Jerry B. Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye on the children's series Left Behind: The Kids. His two novels for adults, Dogwood and June Bug, are published by Tyndale House Publishers. Chris is married to his wife Andrea and they have five daughters and four sons.<br /><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jnDK-nmF0t8/Tsx1lHjr8_I/AAAAAAAAEI0/VYcg1vRzNrg/s1600/drchapman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jnDK-nmF0t8/Tsx1lHjr8_I/AAAAAAAAEI0/VYcg1vRzNrg/s1600/drchapman.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />
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GARY CHAPMAN is the author of the bestselling Five Love Languages series and the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio program airs on more than 400 stations.<br /><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lbC6pSxGl60/Tsx1w1kRYnI/AAAAAAAAEI8/zzpeQyq7b3k/s1600/A_Marriage_Carol_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lbC6pSxGl60/Tsx1w1kRYnI/AAAAAAAAEI8/zzpeQyq7b3k/s200/A_Marriage_Carol_.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>On Christmas Eve twenty years earlier, Marlee and Jacob were married in a snowstorm. This Christmas Eve, they are ready to quit, divorce is imminent. Their relationship is as icy as the road they’re traveling and as blocked with troubles as the piling snow. They take a shortcut to get to the lawyer’s office, on a slippery, no-fault path. She thinks they need to stay on the main road. He disagrees. They fight. Story of their lives and they slam into a bank of snow , spinning, drifting, falling, out of control. Just like their lives. Reluctantly, freezing cold, hungry, scared, she trudges up the hill. Paul is nowhere to be found. Her ears frozen, fingers and hands red, she comes to a house on the hillside, built like a Bed and Breakfast, a green wreath on the red door and the door-knocker is in the shape of a wedding ring.<br /><br />
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The red door opens and the first thing she notices is the fire in the room, blazing hot, a warm, inviting, friendly place and the voice of an old man welcomes her in. There are three golden pots on the hearth, shining, glimmering things. The old man claims that they are used to restore marriages. She laughs—and begins a journey through her past, present, and future that will test how she views her lifelong love. There are two futures available. Which will she choose?<br /><br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080240264X">A Marriage Carol</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2011/11/marriage-carol.html">HERE</a>.Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-66724450728037668352011-11-10T10:24:00.000-05:002011-11-10T10:24:52.432-05:00Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett with a Back Cover Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center> <center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062079980">Proof of Heaven</a></span></center> <center>William Morrow Paperbacks (November 1, 2011)</center> <center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mchackett.com/Home_Page.html">Mary Curran Hackett</a></span></center> <br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8zo8_GYX3U/Trn_HfWLONI/AAAAAAAAEHA/S8av0Gm08kE/s1600/Mary+Curran+Hackett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8zo8_GYX3U/Trn_HfWLONI/AAAAAAAAEHA/S8av0Gm08kE/s200/Mary+Curran+Hackett.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>Mary Curran Hackett is the mother of two children, Brigid Claire and Colm Francis, and is married to Greg Hackett. She received an MA in English Literature from the University of Nebraska and a BA from the University Honors Program at Catholic University in Washington, DC. Born and raised in Danbury, CT, she has traveled extensively and lived in various places throughout the U.S., but her favorite place in the world is home with her kids, husband, and her stacks of books. Like her character Colm Magee, Mary suffers various heart and brain ailments, but thanks in part to her brother, a physician, as well as her own doctors, she now has a pacemaker and a heart that beats on its own at least most of the time. This is her first novel. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ke_-SjjHJWQ/Trn_QkLUGtI/AAAAAAAAEHI/WlXy0MSThvk/s1600/Proof_of_Heaven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ke_-SjjHJWQ/Trn_QkLUGtI/AAAAAAAAEHI/WlXy0MSThvk/s200/Proof_of_Heaven.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>A mother’s faith, a child’s courage, a doctor’s dedication—a moving and thought-provoking tale of hope, love, and family.<br />
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He might be young, but Colm already recognizes the truth: that he’s sick and not getting better. His mother, Cathleen, fiercely believes her faith will protect her ailing son, but Colm is not so sure. With a wisdom far beyond his years, Colm has come to terms with his probable fate, but he does have one special wish. He wants to meet his father who abandoned his beloved mother before Colm was born. <br />
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But the quest to find the dying boy’s missing parent soon becomes a powerful journey of emotional discovery—a test of belief and an anxious search for proof of heaven.<br />
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A magnificent debut novel, Mary Curran Hackett’s Proof of Heaven is a beautiful and unforgettable exploration of the power of love and the monumental questions of life, death, and the afterlife.<br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062079980">Proof of Heaven</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2011/11/proof-of-heaven.html">HERE</a>.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Back Cover Review:</b><br />
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Overall, this book disappointed me which is unfortunate because (for the most part) the writing and plot were very good. One chronic problem that made reading it frustrating was that the Point of View changed paragraph by paragraph throughout the whole book, and sometimes more often than that.<br />
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Also, the book contained a lot of profanity. If in the end I felt that this would be a story that would draw an unbeliever to God as an outreach tool that might have helped to justify it...maybe. Also, it started out with just the brother, who didn't want anything to do with God, swearing, but later on some of the other characters joined in. Cathleen struggled to hold on to her own faith and perhaps this was to emphasize her crisis of belief? But it didn't seem necessary.<br />
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The ending too confused me - I think it was supposed to be the "proof of Heaven" for all of the characters - but I just didn't understand what exactly happened.<br />
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So all that to say, I thought the author was a good writer but I'm sorry to say that I did not enjoy this book.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>The views expressed in this review are obviously my own.</i></span></div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-49337085747327086842011-10-24T11:20:00.000-04:002011-10-24T11:20:41.864-04:00Church: What Was God Thinking? by Bruce Isom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ekklesia = Church </strong><strong>—</strong><strong> What is it supposed to look like?</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Fellowship = Participation </strong><strong>—</strong><strong> What is my Role?</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ministry = Service </strong><strong>—</strong><strong> What is my Gift?</strong></div><br />
<strong>Have you ever wondered…</strong><br />
<ul style="background-color: white; color: black;"><li><strong>If church today is how it was meant to be?</strong></li>
<li><strong>What the church would look like if we put aside the traditions history </strong><strong>has added and simply follow what is clearly written in the New</strong><strong> Testament? </strong></li>
<li><strong>What people in the early Church would say about modern ministry?</strong></li>
<li><strong>If you have a place in the Body of Christ, and if so, what is it? </strong></li>
</ul><strong>Do you hope that Heaven will be much better than your Sunday morning </strong><br />
<strong>service? Does it even have to be on Sunday? Does your church feel like a left shoe on a right foot — something that just does not seem to fit right? Maybe there is a reason. Have you ever longed to see something more, something different, something extraordinary come out of your church?</strong><br />
<strong><br />
</strong><strong></strong><br />
<strong><em>In Church: What Was God Thinking?</em> Bruce Isom:</strong> <strong> </strong><br />
<ul style="background-color: white; color: black;"><li><strong>Gives a refreshing perspective from Scripture on what Church is meant to be: Including what the Bible says that God likes and dislikes in a</strong><strong> Christian community</strong></li>
<li><strong>Focuses on principles that can be applied to any church structure, whether traditional church, cell church, house church or any other type of gathering.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Describes what spiritual maturity is and what it is not, and ways the</strong><strong> believer can mature</strong></li>
<li><strong>Describes how Christians from different maturity levels can bless each other.</strong><strong></strong></li>
<li><strong>And so much more!</strong></li>
</ul><strong> In this thought provoking book, Bruce Isom shares insights that will challenge your perspective of Church. It will help leaders rethink how they approach ministry and believers to view Church like they never have before. He gives a picture of Christian Community that is vastly different from many churches today.</strong><br />
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<em><strong>Since committing his life to the Lord in 1974, Bruce Isom has had a passion to see church become all it was meant to be. In 1988 he became a missionary in Hong Kong serving the Lord with his family in various types of ministry, including church planting. He longs to see all believers in the Body of Christ become mature, living out their full potential and fulfilling their God-given roles in the Church. </strong></em></div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-19080826157929310592011-08-06T20:26:00.000-04:002011-08-06T20:26:09.083-04:00Thomas Nelson Survey - Chance to Win $10,000<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thomasnelson.promo.eprize.com/fiction/"><img border="0" height="88" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIBfaE6WV-w/TjoGgP1_bKI/AAAAAAAAD_0/exDYctkSffs/s320/610x169-survey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
From Thomas Nelson:<br />
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One of the highlights of our days in the Fiction department at Thomas Nelson? Receiving reader letters—either directly addressed to us or passed along from our talented authors. It’s critical to be reminded that at the end of our long days acquiring, editing, designing, selling, marketing, and publicizing books, those stories are reaching readers, striking nerves, changing lives. We want readers’ feedback. How stories have given you hope. Which authors’ series you can’t help from sharing with everyone you meet. We want to know what makes you stay up late in the night to finish a story, and conversely what turns you away. <br />
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We’re conducting a series of <a href="http://thomasnelson.promo.eprize.com/fiction/">surveys</a>—seeking answers from readers who love Christian fiction. Up for grabs is a free ebook for every respondent who completes the survery, as well as a $10,000 prize for one entrant. The responses we gather will help shape the future of the books we publish for years to come. As well as the data we’re collecting here, we’ll also seek more in-depth feedback from a panel we’ll develop over the next year. More details to come. The note below from one of authors gives a specific picture of how reader feedback shapes her work. In short, your opinion matters! We thank you for your time and appreciate your responding. <br />
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--<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/nelsonfiction">Thomas Nelson Fiction</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gOokMkIpCs/TjoI22yrOyI/AAAAAAAAD_4/V9EupvOZ1gM/s1600/Beth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gOokMkIpCs/TjoI22yrOyI/AAAAAAAAD_4/V9EupvOZ1gM/s1600/Beth.jpg" /></a></div>Dear Friends—<br />
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Publishing books is a team effort, and there are a lot of players—authors, editors, cover designers, marketing staff, and a host of other behind-the-scene folks who help get the books on the shelves. And readers are also a large part of the process. Your input matters, probably more than you know.<br />
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<br />
<br />
When I hear from readers, I really listen to what they want. This is particularly true with my series books. For example, <i>Seek Me With All Your Heart </i>(book #1 in the Land of Canaan series) wraps up nicely at the end, but one of my minor characters (Katie Ann) was left pregnant after her husband left her. I received lots of emails about Katie Ann from readers, so book #2 in the series—<i>The Wonder of Your Love</i>—is Katie Ann’s story. <br />
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With the popularity of social media resources such as Facebook, it has allowed me to keep in close contact with readers and to seek opinions and advice. Several times, the publisher and I couldn’t decide on a cover, so we posted the cover options on Facebook and let readers decide. And if you’re posting anywhere on my Facebook Fans Page, your name could end up in a book. I often scan the names there, so you are unknowingly helping me just by being on the site. <br />
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Readers also made it clear that they wanted books in digital format, large print, and audio versions. Authors and publishers listened, and most (if not all) of my books are available in multiple formats. <br />
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As an author, I hope to write entertaining stories that will be enjoyed for many years. As a reader, I have favorite authors, and I’m not afraid to let them know what I want in future books. We listen to the likes and the dislikes in our effort to bring you the best stories we can, so don’t be shy. Tell us what you think! <br />
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Warmly,<br />
<br />
Beth WisemanGretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-22933602027939372242011-07-12T20:12:00.000-04:002011-07-12T20:12:01.152-04:00Back Cover Review: Vigilante by Robin Parrish<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center> <center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764206087">Vigilante</a></span></center> <center>Bethany House (July 1, 2011)</center> <center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.robinparrish.com/">Robin Parrish</a></span></center> <br /><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfo21RvD7i4/Thtkawka-6I/AAAAAAAAD9Q/FhxHRJgwnlc/s1600/Robin%2BParrish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="175" width="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfo21RvD7i4/Thtkawka-6I/AAAAAAAAD9Q/FhxHRJgwnlc/s200/Robin%2BParrish.jpg" /></a></div>Robin Parrish wants to take you on a ride.<br /><br />
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A <i>wild</i> 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.<br /><br />
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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." <i>Offworld</i> mixed science fiction and an end-of-the-world scenario with high-octane action. <i>Nightmare</i>, 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, <i>Vigilante</i>, 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 <i>Corridor</i>.<br /><br />
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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.<br /><br />
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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.<br /><br />
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Robin is a full time writer. He and his wife Karen and two children live in High Point, NC.<br /><br />
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<i>"Robin Parrish is a keen-eyed, passionate pop cultural savant,<br /><br />
whose writing is as incisive and insightful as it is entertaining."</i><br /><br />
- Allan Heinberg, Executive Producer, <i>Grey's Anatomy</i><br /><br />
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<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br />
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9z9MlyGkhME/Thm4FyFkmYI/AAAAAAAAD9I/vo3sDjuxmG4/s1600/Vigilante.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9z9MlyGkhME/Thm4FyFkmYI/AAAAAAAAD9I/vo3sDjuxmG4/s200/Vigilante.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>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.<br /><br />
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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.<br /><br />
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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? <br /><br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764206087">Vigilante</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2011/07/vigilante-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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<b>BACK COVER REVIEW:</b><br />
I would call Vigilante a "man's man" novel. It is fast-paced, movie-thriller-type stuff. Nolan Gray is a vigilante on a crusade with a heart of gold - most of the time... He is a wounded man with a past that motivates him.<br />
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It was well-crafted and very well-written...there did seem to be a portion three-quarters of the way through that received less editing (there was less showing and more telling)...all that said, it seemed like a strong mainstream-style story.Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-85325721766055545132011-05-25T15:57:00.000-04:002011-05-25T15:57:17.312-04:00Back Cover Review: Over The Edge by Brandilyn Collins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center> <center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/143367162X">Over the Edge</a></span></center> <center>B&H Books (May 1, 2011)</center> <center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://brandilyncollins.com/">Brandilyn Collins</a></span></center> <br />
<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W0PynwqM6_U/TdnOA_Mp9DI/AAAAAAAAD5w/yTxQI5SfyI0/s1600/Brandilyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W0PynwqM6_U/TdnOA_Mp9DI/AAAAAAAAD5w/yTxQI5SfyI0/s320/Brandilyn.jpg" width="208" /></a>Brandilyn Collins is an award-winning and best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®. These harrowing crime thrillers have earned her the tagline "Don't forget to b r e a t h e..."® Brandilyn's first book, <i>A Question of Innocence</i>, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including the <i>Phil Donahue</i> and <i>Leeza</i> talk shows. Brandilyn is also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, <i>Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors</i> (John Wiley & Sons). She is now working on her 20th book.<br />
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In addition, Brandilyn’s other latest release is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/031071933X">Final Touch</a>, third in The Rayne Tour series—young adult suspense co-written with her daughter, Amberly. The Rayne Tour series features Shaley O’Connor, daughter of a rock star, who just may have it all—until murder crashes her world.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ9OuUx_1Y4/TdnNz2hqdBI/AAAAAAAAD5s/DwF8qWUlXEM/s1600/OvertheEdge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ9OuUx_1Y4/TdnNz2hqdBI/AAAAAAAAD5s/DwF8qWUlXEM/s200/OvertheEdge.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>Torn from the front lines of medical debate and the author's own experience with Lyme Disease, Over the Edge is riveting fiction, full of twists and turns—and powerful truths about today's medical field.<br />
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Janessa McNeil’s husband, Dr. Brock McNeil, a researcher and professor at Stanford University's Department of Medicine, specializes in tick-borne diseases—especially Lyme. For years he has insisted that Chronic Lyme Disease doesn't exist. Even as patients across the country are getting sicker, the committee Brock chairs is about to announce its latest findings—which will further seal the door shut for Lyme treatment.<br />
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One embittered man sets out to prove Dr. McNeil wrong by giving him a close-up view of the very disease he denies. The man infects Janessa with Lyme, then states his demand: convince her husband to publicly reverse his stand on Lyme—or their young daughter will be next.<br />
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But Janessa's marriage is already rocky. She's so sick she can hardly move or think. And her husband denies she has Lyme at all.<br />
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Welcome to the Lyme wars, Janessa.<br />
<blockquote>“A taut, heartbreaking thriller. Collins is a fine writer who knows how to both horrify readers and keep them turning pages.” <br />
--Publishers Weekly </blockquote><blockquote>“Tense and dramatic. Holds its tension while following the protagonist in a withering battle.” –NY Journal of Books<br />
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“A frightening and all-too-real scenario. Very timely and meaningful book.” –RT Reviews<br />
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“If you know someone who suffers from Lyme, you need to read this compelling novel.” –Lydia Niederwerfer, founder of Lyme-Aware</blockquote>If you would like to read the Prologue of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/143367162X">Over the Edge</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2011/05/over-edge-prologue.html">HERE</a><br />
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Watch the book video:<br />
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</b><br />
<b>BACK COVER REVIEW:</b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span>I really enjoyed this novel! The book does everything that “seat-belt suspense” promises – keeps you gasping for air and holding on through the twists and turns. The characters were real-to-life and the plot could happen to anyone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> I have some minor complaints but overall thought this book was excellent. The information about chronic long-term Lyme's seemed lengthy – although moving and heart-rending – and to know that people are actually suffering through this?! And the author has suffered with this terrible illness TWICE! ...I felt certain that I knew who the villain was halfway through the book…the result of too much NCIS? I don’t know. But still wanted to read on to confirm my strong suspicions and it continued to be worth the read.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><b>MY LYME'S STORY</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">I requested this book because, well, I really like Brandilyn Collins’ writing but also because I had Lyme’s Disease when I was 16.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had the unwilling honor of being the first person to contract Lyme’s from the state park that my family camped at (or was it in the state of Kansas?). I forget which but either way it didn’t feel like a great honor. My case was typical. We knew that a tick had bitten me and three months later the symptoms of achy joints and a rash started – the doctors said it was either Lupus or Lyme’s. My Mom kept me from experiencing any worse or chronic symptoms by insisting that they test for Lyme’s and start me on medication right away. Even so, I spent the better part of a year in pain and sleeping because of the Benadryl. It was several years before my energy levels were normal again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-68210399199639462132011-04-20T15:57:00.001-04:002011-04-20T15:58:10.775-04:00Back Cover Review: He Said, She Said by Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center> <center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0982206550">He Said, She Said</a></span></center> <center>Lighthouse Publishing (February 14, 2011)<br />
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</center> <center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.hesaidshesaiddevotions.com/%0A">Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles</a></span></center> <br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHORS:</span></b> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UhnK3BpT-z4/Taum3kQnetI/AAAAAAAAD38/UqOv20ZxIjo/s1600/Eddie+and+Cindy+teaching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UhnK3BpT-z4/Taum3kQnetI/AAAAAAAAD38/UqOv20ZxIjo/s200/Eddie+and+Cindy+teaching.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are the cofounders of Christian Devotions Ministries. Their He Said, She Said devotions are syndicated in a number of newspapers across the eastern seaboard and they host the weekly He Said, She Said Radio, Friday nights at 6:00 p.m. est. on Blog Talk Radio. Eddie and Cindy are popular speakers and teachers at Writers Conferences across the country.<br />
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Eddie is the author of five non-fiction books and his newest fiction release, The Curse of Captain LaFoote, a middle grade book. While Cindy is the author of one non-fiction and two compilations.<br />
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Together they teach writing with WritersCoach.us. Eddie and Cindy have been writing the He Said, She Said devotions since 2008, taking one scripture weekly and looking at it from two perspectives--His and Hers, with the idea that learning more about scripture from two perspectives helps one to delve deeper in God's word and know Him better.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8qr8pL3FLh4/TaunDyRNmEI/AAAAAAAAD4A/7RHkDcsbxTc/s1600/He_Said%252C_She_Said.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8qr8pL3FLh4/TaunDyRNmEI/AAAAAAAAD4A/7RHkDcsbxTc/s1600/He_Said%252C_She_Said.jpg" /></a></div><b>He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion, or How Newlyweds, Couples and Singles Can Draw Closer to God and Their Mate Through Daily Devotions</b><br />
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Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children and God? Are you easily distracted by the busyness of life and left feeling drained, bored, and discouraged? Do you sense you were meant to enjoy the richness of life, but spend your days feasting on crumbs? This heart-warming collection of stories (54 in all) will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God.<br />
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These deeply personal (and sometimes humorous) devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the unique perspective of one man and one woman. Learn to cultivate a life of passion. Perfect for your quiet time, these moments of meditative reflection illustrate the importance of allowing God to work within you and speak through you. No matter if you are newlyweds or newly retired, this book of devotions will help you put the spark back into your love life and explore the precious relationships God desires for you. He Said, She Said touches the heart, tickles the funny bone and brings you to your knees in worship.<br />
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If you would like to read an excerpt from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0982206550">He Said, She Said</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2011/04/he-said-she-said-excerpt.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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Watch the book video:<object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kq8x8zNS3B4?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kq8x8zNS3B4?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object><br />
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<blockquote>Cindy and Eddie are not only good friends of mine, but a regular source of my spiritual renewal. It's a great idea, the he-said/she-said concept and I always enjoy their devotionals. Both are not only grounded spiritually, and super nice people but they both keep me laughing. It's that humor and heart that makes the spiritual more relatable in the most practical sense.<br />
~<b>Gina Holmes</b>, author of <i>Crossing Oceans</i>~</blockquote><blockquote>I've know Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles for a few years. Each has a way of tickling my funny bone, so I wondered what a devotional book by them would be. I can heartily recommend it. The humor is there, but it's coupled with deep truths that go straight to the heart of the problem. You'll find a path that winds closer to God through He Said, She Said.<br />
~<b>Ane Mulligan</b>, Editor of Novel Journey~</blockquote><div style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Back Cover Review:</span></span></b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">Its official! He Said, She Said is the first couples’ devotional book that I like! I really should let my husband read it to see what he thinks, haha, but I can tell you this – we have about 5 books of the same genre sitting on our bookshelf and they’re excellent dust collectors. There’s nothing specifically wrong with them, but we tried reading them together and they didn’t seem that helpful for us. Those devotionals are written by authors that you would probably recognize and they’re all very similar.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Perhaps its He Said, She Said’s uniqueness that sets it a part. The layout of this book is unusual (one devotional is written by him, the next is written by her – thus the title of the book). The authors are painfully honest about their marriages (and you know, most of us need painful honesty – it gives us the assurance that our struggles are not unique).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Their thoughts and insights into marriage, children and the church are moving, witty and funny. And ultimately, they based their conclusions were on the one powerful truth – to make it and succeed we need God. It’s really all about Him! If our relationship is right with Him, He gives us wisdom for all of the other areas of our life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The book isn’t without its minor flaws – there are a decent number of typos – which usually aggravates me, but the style of the book appealed to me so much that this seemed minor. Also, the introduction written by Eddie Jones contains some confusing dialogue but the rest of his writing is great.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Perhaps it is a matter of style, but I think I’ve found a couples’ devotional that could make a big difference in our marriage. Of course, I should probably ask my husband, lol… ;D</div></div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-15881574922219668962011-03-25T13:37:00.000-04:002011-03-25T13:37:39.042-04:00Back Cover Review: Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center> <center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310250676">Vicious Cycle</a></span></center> <center>Zondervan (February 22, 2011)</center> <center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.terriblackstock.com/">Terri Blackstock</a></span> </center><br />
<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/SsVpOclr15I/AAAAAAAADFI/i77EQF7eQis/s1600-h/terriblackstockphoto1-300x294.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387828226132006802" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/SsVpOclr15I/AAAAAAAADFI/i77EQF7eQis/s320/terriblackstockphoto1-300x294.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 196px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over six million copies sold worldwide. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.<br />
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Besides entertaining her readers, Terri tackles issues that she hopes will change lives. Her recent book, <i>Predator</i>, was inspired by her experiences on Facebook and Twitter, and her concern that people posted too much personal information about themselves. The book deals with an online predator who uses social networks as his playground. She hopes the book will change readers’ online habits. Her New York Times best-seller, <i>Intervention</i>, was inspired by her own personal struggles with a daughter on drugs. In the book, a mother hires an interventionist for her drug-addicted daughter. But on the way to treatment, the interventionist is murdered, and the daughter disappears. Barbara, the mother, sets out to search for her daughter. Terri modeled Barbara after herself, and poured many of her own emotions and experiences into that character. As a result, many families experiencing drug addiction have written to thank her for telling their story and giving them hope. <i>Vicious Cycle</i>, Book Two of the Intervention Series, releases February 22, 2011. She’s currently working on Book Three.<br />
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Other recent books include a stand-alone novel called <i>Double Minds</i>, as well as <i>Last Light, Night Light, True Light</i> and <i>Dawn’s Light</i> (from her acclaimed Restoration Series). She is also known for her popular Newpointe 911 Series and Cape Refuge Series. Terri makes her home in Mississippi, where she and her husband Ken are enjoying their empty nest after raising three children.<br />
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Terri has appeared on national television programs such as “The 700 Club” and “Home Life,” and has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country. The story of her personal journey appears in books such as <i>Touched By the Savior</i> by Mike Yorkey, <i>True Stories of Answered Prayer</i> by Mike Nappa, <i>Faces of Faith</i> by John Hanna, and <i>I Saw Him In Your Eyes</i> by Ace Collins.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G6pJXfrzW-Q/TYlnJ07n-TI/AAAAAAAAD3M/p_yoadMqZQM/s1600/Vicious+Cycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G6pJXfrzW-Q/TYlnJ07n-TI/AAAAAAAAD3M/p_yoadMqZQM/s200/Vicious+Cycle.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>When fifteen-year-old Lance Covington finds an abandoned baby in the backseat of a car, he knows she's the newborn daughter of a meth addict he's been trying to help. But when police arrest him for kidnapping, Lance is thrust into a criminal world of baby trafficking and drug abuse.<br />
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His mother, Barbara, looks for help from Kent Harlan---the man whom she secretly, reluctantly loves and who once helped rescue her daughter from a mess of her own. Kent flies to her aid and begins the impossible work of getting Lance out of trouble, protecting a baby who has no home, and finding help for a teenage mother hiding behind her lies.<br />
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In this latest novel of suspense and family loyalty, bestselling author Terri Blackstock offers a harrowing look at drug addiction, human trafficking, and the devastating choices that can change lives forever.<br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310250676">Vicious Cycle</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2011/03/vicious-cycle-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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Watch the Book Video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ESXMt4GCeYg?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Back Cover Review:</span></span></b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">“…And I’ve learned that Christ has funny ways of sweeping up the crumbs of our lives and making them into huge feasts.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Isn’t that the truth?! This quote from Terri Blackstock’s novel Vicious Cycle begs to be repeated!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This book can be read as a standalone novel or as a continuation to Intervention (many of the characters are the same and the story begins about a year later in their lives). I felt like it got to a slow start although there was plenty going on but about half way through, the pace took off like a jet plane. It’s been awhile since I read Intervention and I forgot that one of the characters really makes me crazy. Lance, a good teenage boy, consistently dives headfirst into trouble for all of the right reasons. Also, several sudden point of view changes occurred throughout the novel – much to my surprise. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Terri Blackstock is a proven writer with a good track record…and Vicious Cycle proved to be a fun read (especially the second half)…her characters are solid, her descriptions just right and she clearly has a relationship with the LORD that solidly shows in the story (without being preachy, I think). Her Restoration Series sounds incredible – I’m going to have to read those!</div></div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-9222840488856969422011-03-09T21:39:00.000-05:002011-03-09T21:39:00.352-05:00LCW Super Saturday 2011FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<br />
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LANCASTER CHRISTIAN WRITERS SUPER SATURDAY SLATED FOR MARCH 19, 2011<br />
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Whether you are an aspiring novelist, rookie journalist, experienced freelancer, or just have that personal experience or memoir you'd like to get into book form, then Lancaster Christian Writer's 2011 SUPER SATURDAY SEMINAR is for you. Join us March 19, 2011, from 8:30AM-4:00PM at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd., Lititz, PA 17543, for a full-day mini-conference taught by top professionals. The early registration price of $40 includes lunch ($50 after March 16 or walk-ins) PLUS an added bonus of LCW membership.<br />
Speakers include award-winning novelists TRACY HIGLEY, JOYCE MAGNIN and WANDA DYSON, children's author CAROL WEDEVEN, marketing expert and freelance editor HANA HAATAINEN CAYE, inspirational speaker and author TERRI GILLESPIE, fantasy writer CRAIG ALAN LOEWEN, and youth conference speaker and author EMILY CHASE.<br />
Workshop topics cover fiction, non-fiction, children and youth writing, marketing, , and more. MARLENE BAGNULL will also be hosting a full bookstore of writer resources. Attendees may sign up for personal consult on space-available basis. <br />
Lancaster Christian Writers welcomes writers of all churches and denominations and of all levels and genres. Monthly meetings offer opportunity for manuscript critique, networking with other writers, and occasional workshops and guest authors. More info including list of workshops and flyer with registration form can be found at: http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com/.<br />
Mail Super Saturday 2011 registration and check or money order to: Lancaster Christian Writers, 121 East Woods Dr., Lititz, PA 17543. For unanswered questions, email LCW Chapter President Jeanette Windle at jeanette@jeanettewindle.com (preferred) or call 717-209-0011 after 4 PM.Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-59477873944987485052010-10-07T12:30:00.000-04:002010-10-07T12:30:40.096-04:00Chet: Talking Tom AUCTIONEER<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uLJVwp-zmGc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uLJVwp-zmGc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-89969265374682225122010-10-01T15:39:00.000-04:002010-10-01T15:39:50.602-04:00The Mayan Apocalypse by Mark Hitchcock and Alton Gansky<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <br />
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<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736930558">The Mayan Apocalypse</a></span></center> <center>Harvest House Publishers(September 1, 2010)</center> <br />
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<center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://marklhitchcock.com/">Mark Hitchcock</a></span> & <a href="http://www.altongansky.com/">Alton Gansky</a></center> <br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHORS:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TKKqaxxAnuI/AAAAAAAADtk/rlKmj72Jhz4/s1600/Mark+Hitchcock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TKKqaxxAnuI/AAAAAAAADtk/rlKmj72Jhz4/s200/Mark+Hitchcock.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b> Mark Hitchcock</b> is the author of more than 17 books related to end-time Bible prophecy, including the bestselling 2012, the Bible, and the End of the World. He earned a ThM and PhD from Dallas Theological Seminary and is the senior pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He has worked as an adjunct professor at DTS and has served as a contributing editor for the Left Behind Prophecy Club for five years.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TKKquhSTgfI/AAAAAAAADto/jUKb3zwcJ2M/s1600/AltonGansky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TKKquhSTgfI/AAAAAAAADto/jUKb3zwcJ2M/s200/AltonGansky.jpg" width="132" /></a><b> </b><br />
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<b>Alton Gansky</b> is the author of 30 books—24 of them novels, including the Angel Award winner Terminal Justice and Christie Award finalist A Ship Possessed. A frequent speaker at writing conferences, he holds BA and MA degrees in biblical studies. Alton and his wife reside in Southern California. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TKKs6YZXQFI/AAAAAAAADts/hZrcDrH5WDQ/s1600/Mayan+Apocalypse,+The.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TKKs6YZXQFI/AAAAAAAADts/hZrcDrH5WDQ/s200/Mayan+Apocalypse,+The.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>On the heels of Mark Hitchcock’s prophecy bestseller 2012, the Bible, and the End of the World comes a suspenseful novel (coauthored with bestselling novelist Alton Gansky) about the supposed expiration date of planet earth—December 21, 2012.<br />
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Andrew Morgan is a wealthy oil executive in search of the meaning of life. In his quest for answers he encounters the ancient Mayan predictions that the world will end in 2012. That the claims seem supported by math and astronomy drives him to check on them. Then he meets Lisa Campbell, an attractive Christian journalist also researching the Mayan calendar. When he learns that she is a Christian, he quickly dismisses what she has to say.<br />
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As the time draws closer to December 21, 2012, a meteorite impact in Arizona, a volcanic eruption, and the threat of an asteroid on a collision-course with earth escalate fears. Are these indicators of a global apocalypse? Will anyone survive? Does Lisa’s Christian faith have the answers after all? Or has fate destined everyone to a holocaust from which there is no escape?<br />
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Watch the book trailer:<br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736930558">The Mayan Apocalypse</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/09/mayan-apocalypse-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-24839326252494827552010-09-29T16:13:00.000-04:002010-09-29T16:13:07.280-04:00Judgement Day by Wanda Dyson<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <br />
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<br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center> <br />
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<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400074754">Judgment Day</a></span></center> <center>WaterBrook Press (September 21, 2010)</center> <br />
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<center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://wandadyson.com/">Wanda Dyson</a></span></center> <br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TJ_69hSyy6I/AAAAAAAADtE/kWXwvllPJXI/s1600/Colorado+181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TJ_69hSyy6I/AAAAAAAADtE/kWXwvllPJXI/s200/Colorado+181.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>Wanda Dyson – "a shining example of what Christian fiction is becoming..." (Christian Fiction Review). She's been called a "natural" and a "master of pacing," but her fans know that whether it's police thrillers, suspense, or bringing a true story to life, Wanda knows how to take her readers on a journey they'll never forget.<br />
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Wanda is a multipublished suspense author, currently writing for Random House/Waterbrook. Her one attempt at a nonfiction book was picked for an exclusive release on Oprah. In addition to writing full time, she is also the appointment coordinator for the CCWC, Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers, and ACFW conferences.<br />
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Wanda lives in Western Maryland on a 125-acre farm with a menagerie of animals and when she's not writing critically acclaimed suspense, or away at conferences, you can find her zipping across the fields on a 4-wheeler with Maya, her German Shepherd, or plodding along at a more leisurely pace on her horse, Nanza.<br />
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With the release of her newest hit, Judgment Day, Wanda is heading back to the keyboard to start on her next high-octane thriller, The Vigilante.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TJ_7Shtm2bI/AAAAAAAADtI/ykdG_MAyRIs/s1600/LG-Judgment+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TJ_7Shtm2bI/AAAAAAAADtI/ykdG_MAyRIs/s200/LG-Judgment+Day.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Sensational journalism has never been so deadly.<br />
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The weekly cable news show Judgment Day with Suzanne Kidwell promises to expose businessmen, religious leaders, and politicians for the lies they tell. Suzanne positions herself as a champion of ethics and morality with a backbone of steel—until a revelation of her shoddy investigation tactics and creative fact embellishing put her in hot water with her employers, putting her credibility in question and threatening her professional ambitions.<br />
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Bitter and angry, Suzanne returns home one day to find her deceased boyfriend, Dr. Guy Mandeville’s nurse, Cecelia Forbes unconscious on her living room floor. Before the night is over, Cecelia is dead, Suzanne has her blood on her hands, and the police are arresting her for murder. She needs help to prove her innocence, but her only hope, private investigator Marcus Crisp, is also her ex-fiancé–the man she betrayed in college.<br />
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Marcus and his partner Alexandria Fisher-Hawthorne reluctantly agree to take the case, but they won’t cut Suzanne any slack. Exposing her lack of ethics and the lives she’s destroyed in her fight for ratings does little to make them think Suzanne is innocent. But as Marcus digs into the mire of secrets surrounding her enemies, he unveils an alliance well-worth killing for. Now all he has to do is keep Suzanne and Alex alive long enough to prove it.<br />
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Watch the book trailer:<br />
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If you would like to read the Prologue and first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400074754">Judgment Day</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/09/judgment-day-prologue-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BACK COVER REVIEWS:</b></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">Judgment Day was one of those books that I just sat back and enjoyed. Wanda L. Dyson is an excellent writer with a great style. Of course suspense is one of my favorite genres. Suzanne Kidwell is completely despicable and yet likeable enough to want to see her change. I liked the investigative team of Marcus and Alexandria. Their connection and chemistry was genuine!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It never ceases to amaze me: women authors who write fantastic guy-characters and male writers that write heart-touching women’s stories. How do they do that??? Wanda especially caught my attention when she taught a class at the March Madness Writer’s Day with the Lancaster Christian Writers. Her session was fantastic and this novel served to enforce my opinion of her expertise.</div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-27306670405070194702010-09-17T12:24:00.001-04:002010-09-17T12:26:12.663-04:00More Than Words by Judith Miller<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span> </center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764206435">More than Words</a></span></center><center>Bethany House; Original edition (September 1, 2010)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.judithmccoymiller.com/">Judith Miller</a></span></center><br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TJAy3VRRIHI/AAAAAAAADr8/vBo4PI5yXXo/s1600/Judith+Miller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TJAy3VRRIHI/AAAAAAAADr8/vBo4PI5yXXo/s200/Judith+Miller.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Most readers want to know how authors 'got started' writing. My first novel, <i>Threads of Love</i>, was conceived when I was commuting sixty miles to work each day. I wanted to tell the story of a pioneer girl coming to Kansas and the faith that sustained her as she adjusted to a new life. When the book was completed, I tucked it away. I had absolutely no idea how publication of a book occurred and had given no thought to the concept. However, through a co-worker, I was directed to Tracie Peterson who, at that time, worked down the hall from me. Having never met Tracie, I was totally unaware of her writing career, but God intervened. The rest is, as they say, history....<br />
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With a graciousness that continues to amaze me, Tracie agreed to read my story, directed me to a publisher, and gave me information on a Christian writers conference. Since that first encounter many years ago, I have been blessed with the publication of numerous books, novellas and a juvenile fiction book. Joyously, Tracie and I had the opportunity to develop a blessed friendship. In fact, we have co-authored several series together, including <i>The Bells of Lowell</i>, the <i>Lights of Lowell</i> and <i>The Broadmoor Legacy</i>. In addition, I have continued to write several solo series. Please check those out on the "My Books" page on my website.<br />
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God's design on the lives of His people never ceases to amaze me! Because I am eternally grateful for my own forgiveness and salvation, I strive to share God's desire to pull us from the mire of sin and set us free to live exciting lives for Him. Through His abundant grace and love, God gifts and equips each of us to share the story of salvation and eternal life. Won't you share His story using the special gifts He has given you?<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TJAzBvoKd6I/AAAAAAAADsE/B5lO7j7mh2w/s1600/More+Than+Words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TJAzBvoKd6I/AAAAAAAADsE/B5lO7j7mh2w/s200/More+Than+Words.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><b>Journey to the charming villages of the Amana Colonies, 1885</b><br />
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Gretchen Kohler is an Amana storekeeper's daughter with a secret passion for writing. But artistic pursuits are frowned upon in her conservative Amana village, so she confines her poems and stories to her journals, letting only close friends read them.<br />
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When a young reporter comes into her store, she believes she's found a kindred spirit. She shares a few of her stories with him--only to have her trust betrayed in the worst of ways, resulting in trouble for her entire community.<br />
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The scandal is made even worse by the fact that gypsies have camped nearby and seem to be preying upon the Amanans' compassionate, pacifist nature. Will Gretchen lose her job, her reputation, and the love of her childhood beau all because of one bad decision?<br />
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Judith Miller is an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her novels, two of which have placed in the CBA top ten lists. In addition to her writing, Judy is a certified legal assistant. Judy makes her home in Topeka, Kansas.<br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764206435">More than Words</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-than-words-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Back Cover Review<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I first chose this book because the heroine’s name is Gretchen – how could I not get it? Then when it arrived I saw that the author is from my hometown of Topeka, Kansas, how cool is that?!</span></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Judith Miller knows her craft and the story is well-told. There were times when I wanted to talk some sense into Gretchen Kohler and to help her make some smarter choices, but her naiveté at times and the struggles she had within her cultural constraints were understandable believable nonetheless. The suspicion and distrust as the Amana villagers and a band of Gypsies fascinated me. </span><span style="font-size: small;">All in all, an enjoyable read!</span></span></strong>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-84520476223227049112010-09-14T17:15:00.000-04:002010-09-14T17:15:47.538-04:00Back Cover Review: Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker & t-shirt giveaway<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">What is sacrificial love?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What do you think sacrificial love is? I think it is…a pregnant mom choosing to give birth and her life instead of receiving treatment for cancer… a parent caring for their child with leukemia as they go through chemo treatments – lost sleep, cleaning up vomit and everything else, rushing them to the hospital when their fever spikes and staying by their side through the long days and even longer nights to care for their every need.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What else is sacrificial love (in more general terms)…giving up what you really, really want for someone else – and I’m not just talking about a candy bar…being willing to die for someone and living for them every day…throwing yourself in harm’s way and pushing someone else out of facing that same danger</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Back Cover Review</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">I would describe this book as mainstream fantasy – of course with each unique story Dekker seems to create genres of his own. This book is filled with darkness, seduction and lust-filled characters – and a hero blinded from the truth. The redemption in the story eventually shines like a blazing torchlight into the pitch-blackness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dekker’s firm hold on the truth of God’s passionate outrageous love for us shines through the pages. If we could grasp the extent of God’s Love for each one of us, then we could truly change the world.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think that after thirty-five years, I may be starting to get it – how much He loves me and those around me. I want to learn to live centered in the love of God moment-by-moment and to let His love pour out of me into the lives of everyone around me. Bottom line, isn’t that what our faith is really supposed to be about? This seems to be something that the Lord is highlighting in my life right now and the timing of Immanuel’s Veins was perfect!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>T-shirt Giveaway</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">This is no cheesy t-shirt! Its definitely unique and unusual, but strangely cool. The picture on the front is of a heart and written in red it says, “spread the love” – don’t you want one?! All you have to do is comment to enter to win (I’m sorry, no overseas entrants please).</div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-89092177700982200632010-09-13T13:27:00.001-04:002010-09-13T13:27:17.268-04:00Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker with a T-Shirt Giveaway<div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>POSTING BACK COVER REVIEW TOMORROW!</b></i></div><br />
<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"></a></div><div><div align="center"><div style="text-align: auto;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div></div><br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</a></span></center><br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595540091">Immanuel's Veins</a></span></center> <center>Thomas Nelson (September 7, 2010)</center><br />
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<center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.teddekker.com/">Ted Dekker</a></span></center> <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 16px;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TI2OzH0qWZI/AAAAAAAADrs/ieD_TLcTOVY/s1600/dekker_headshot-1-199x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TI2OzH0qWZI/AAAAAAAADrs/ieD_TLcTOVY/s200/dekker_headshot-1-199x300.jpg" width="132" /></a>Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty novels. He is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans.<br />
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Early in his career he wrote a number of spiritual thrillers and his novels were lumped in with ‘Christian Fiction’ a surprisingly large category. His later novels are a mix of mainstream novels such as <i>Adam, Thr3e, Skin, Obsessed</i> and <i>BoneMan’s Daughters</i>, and fantasy thrillers that metaphorically explore faith. Best known among these is his Circle Series: <i>Green, Black, Red, White</i> and The Paradise Books: <i>Showdown, Saint,</i> and <i>Sinner</i>.<br />
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Dekker was born to missionaries who lived among the headhunter tribes of Indonesia. Because his parents’ work often included extended periods of time away from their children, Dekker describes his early life in a culture to which he was a stranger as both fascinating and lonely. It is this unique upbringing that forced him to rely on his own imagination to create a world in which he belonged.<br />
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After leaving Indonesia, Dekker graduated from a multi-cultural high school and took up permanent residence in the United States to study philosophy and religion. Upon earning his Bachelor’s Degree, he entered the corporate world and proceeded to climb the proverbial ladder. But his personal drive left him restless and, after many successful years, he traded corporate life for wide range of entrepreneurial pursuits that included buying and selling businesses, healthcare services, and marketing.<br />
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In the early nineties while visiting a friend who had just written a book, Dekker decided to pursue a long held desire to be a novelist. Over the course of two years he wrote two full length novels before starting from scratch and rewriting both. Now fully enamored by the the process and the stories, he realized that storytelling was in his blood and a new obsession to explore truth through story gripped him anew.<br />
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He sold his business, moved his family to the mountains of Western Colorado and began writing full-time on his third novel. Two years and three novels later his first novel, Heaven’s Wager, was published.<br />
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Now, Dekker’s novels had sold over 3.4 million copies worldwide. Two of his novels, Thr3e and House, have been made into movies with more in production. Dekker resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Lee Ann and two of their daughters.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TI2PGr4Z8PI/AAAAAAAADr0/1c0bkm1eUwo/s1600/Immanuel%27s+Veins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TI2PGr4Z8PI/AAAAAAAADr0/1c0bkm1eUwo/s200/Immanuel%27s+Veins.jpg" width="137" /></a></div><b>This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story.</b><br />
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<b></b>It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice.<br />
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Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover.<br />
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With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds.<br />
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Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow.<br />
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Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter.<br />
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But remember, not everyone is for this story.<br />
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If you'd like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595540091">Immanuel's Veins</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/09/immanuels-veins-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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Watch the book trailer:<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i-GOjAb6VBI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i-GOjAb6VBI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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</div>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-28874647619958878622010-09-09T19:48:00.000-04:002010-09-09T19:48:29.325-04:00The Thorn by Beverly Lewis<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</a></span></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764205749">The Thorn</a></span></center> <center>Bethany House (September 7, 2010)</center><br />
<center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.beverlylewis.com/">Beverly Lewis</a></span></center><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/SeVDHkJUb4I/AAAAAAAACuo/7rXpW9piNx0/s1600-h/bev-homepage.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324735931676389250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/SeVDHkJUb4I/AAAAAAAACuo/7rXpW9piNx0/s320/bev-homepage.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 133px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 98px;" /></a>Not until her own children were well into middle school did Bev seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as <i>Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log</i>, and <i>Guideposts for Kids</i>. Her first book followed in 1993—<i>Mountain Bikes</i> and <i>Garbanzo Beans</i>—presently retitled <i>Big Bad Beans</i> (book #22 in the popular CUL-DE-SAC KIDS series of chapter books—see list of Bev's children's books).<br />
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Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY, including <i>The Shunning</i>, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."<br />
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Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Bev's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."<br />
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A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and playing with their three grandchildren. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."<br />
<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TIcC_6unQtI/AAAAAAAADrM/roSMWqiqNMQ/s1600/Thorn,+The.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TIcC_6unQtI/AAAAAAAADrM/roSMWqiqNMQ/s200/Thorn,+The.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>Lancaster County, with its rolling meadows and secret byways, may seem idyllic, but it is not without its thorns. THE ROSE TRILOGY is the stirring saga of two Amish sisters on the fringes of the church, and the unforeseen discoveries that change their lives.<br />
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Rose Kauffman, a spirited young woman, has a close friendship with the bishop's foster son. Nick dresses Plain and works hard but stirs up plenty of trouble too. Rose's sister cautions her against becoming too involved, but Rose is being courted by a good, Amish fellow, so dismisses the warnings.<br />
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Meanwhile, Rose keeps house for an English widower but is startled when he forbids her to ever go upstairs. What is the man hiding? Rose's older sister, Hen, knows more than she should about falling for the wrong man. Unable to abandon her Amish ways, Hen is soon separated from her very modern husband.<br />
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Mattie, their young daughter, must visit her father regularly, but Hen demands she wear Amish attire--and speak Pennsylvania Dutch, despite her husband's wishes. Will Hen be able to reestablish her place among the People she abandoned? And will she be able to convince Rose to steer clear of rogue neighbor Nick?<br />
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Watch the book trailer:<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8Ay98FMlLnw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8Ay98FMlLnw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764205749">The Thorn</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/09/thorn-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-83590546171685747632010-09-03T11:20:00.000-04:002010-09-03T11:20:04.445-04:00Pearl In The Sand by Tess Afshar<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center> <br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center> <br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center> <br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802458815">Pearl In The Sand</a></span></center> <center>Moody Publishers (September 1, 2010)</center> <br />
<center>by</center> <center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.tessaafshar.com/">Tessa Afshar</a></span></center> <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 16px;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TH2ur7dtQBI/AAAAAAAADqs/IsO-7wWsitg/s1600/tessa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TH2ur7dtQBI/AAAAAAAADqs/IsO-7wWsitg/s200/tessa.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Tessa Afshar was born in a nominally Muslim family in Iran and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She survived English boarding school for girls before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her mid-twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDIV from Yale University where she served as co-Chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last twelve years in full and part-time Christian work and currently serves as the leader of Women’s and Prayer ministries at a church in Connecticut.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TH2vHa9p5pI/AAAAAAAADq0/5WZaPXaNG2U/s1600/Pearl+in+the+Sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TH2vHa9p5pI/AAAAAAAADq0/5WZaPXaNG2U/s200/Pearl+in+the+Sand.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>Can a Canaanite harlot who has made her livelihood by looking desirable to men make a fitting wife for one of the leaders of Israel? Shockingly, the Bible’s answer is yes. At the age of fifteen Rahab is forced into prostitution by her beloved father. In her years as a courtesan, she learns to mistrust men and hate herself. Into the emotional turmoil of her world walks Salmone, a respected leader of Judah. Through the tribulations of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmone learn the true source of one another’s worth in God and find healing from fear and rejection.<br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802458815">Pearl In The Sand</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/08/pearl-in-sand-chapter-1.html">HERE</a><br />
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Watch the book video:<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YL3acPFqpSw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YL3acPFqpSw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>BACK COVER REVIEW</b></i></span><br />
I am on page 168 of this fabulous novel...despite that, I can't seem to read it fast enough. Tessa's fictional account of Rahab's life is tasteful, compelling and filled with of a depth of insight into our faith that few books fathom. I found myself continually bookmarking powerful sentences, paragraphs and portions of the story that shouted with powerful truths. This is one of those rare gems that I'll want to read again!Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-13151495138523553182010-08-19T11:11:00.001-04:002010-08-19T11:13:49.136-04:00Back Cover Review: The Crimson Cipher by Susan Page Davis<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</a></span></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1609360125">The Crimson Cipher</a></span></center><center>Summerside Press (July 1, 2010)</center><br />
<center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.susanpagedavis.com/">Susan Page Davis</a></span></center> <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 16px;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/SyWoQH9YDYI/AAAAAAAADOQ/OlkHkEzmnek/s1600-h/SusanPDavis2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414919121950739842" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/SyWoQH9YDYI/AAAAAAAADOQ/OlkHkEzmnek/s320/SusanPDavis2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 175px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 136px;" /></a><br />
<b>From Susan:</b> I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books. My young adult novel, <i>Sarah's Long Ride</i>, also spotlights horses and the rugged sport of endurance riding, as does the contemporary romance Trail to Justice. I took a vocational course in horseshoeing after earning a bachelor's degree in history. I don't shoe horses anymore, but the experience has come in handy in writing my books.<br />
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Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.<br />
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For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer, covering local government, school board meetings, business news, fires, auto accidents, and other local events, including a murder trial. I've also written many profiles and features for the newspaper and its special sections. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in <i>Woman's World, Grit</i>, and Alfred Hitchcock's <i>Mystery Magazine</i>.<br />
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My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. We're so glad we did. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!<br />
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Our children are all home-schooled. The two youngest are still learning at home. Jim recently retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, and we’ve moved from Maine to Kentucky.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TGtESUz_OiI/AAAAAAAADoY/PW8WasKNrUk/s1600/The+Crimson+Cipher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TGtESUz_OiI/AAAAAAAADoY/PW8WasKNrUk/s1600/The+Crimson+Cipher.jpg" /></a></div><div style="color: #783f04;"><b>IT'S 1915, AND EMMA SHUSTER HAS FAR TOO MUCH ON HER MIND TO ENTERTAIN NOTIONS OF ROMANCE...</b><br />
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<b></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">A female Navy cryptographer seeks to save lives...and uncover her father’s killers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span>In 1915, German sympathizers escalated acts of sabotage in the United States to keep the nation from joining in the war. With enemies lurking at every turn, whom can Emma trust? Is romance the true motive behind her two suitors advances? Or could one - or both of them - have traitorous intentions in mind?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">Following the mysterious murder of Emma Shuster’s father, Lt. John Patterson invites Emma to become a Navy cryptographer because of the expertise she gained in helping her father develop a cipher system.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span>Emma races to discover the nefarious plans of her country's foes and unmask their leader before others are killed. She finds new strength in her faith as she strives to outwit her adversary, known only as Kobold - German for goblin.<br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">A</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">nd yet, her greatest challenge may be deciphering the cryptic messages her heart sends whenever she encounters a certain navy lieutenant... Can Emma and John find love in the midst of turmoil as America plunges toward war?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1609360125">The Crimson Cipher</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/08/crimson-cipher-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.</div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>BACK COVER REVIEW</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">I really enjoyed this book. It was a good historical romance with some mystery tied up in the plot. The whole role that ciphers played in the days before World War 1 and the need for those that decoded them fascinated me.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><br />
</span></div></b></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">I liked Emma Shuster. She was a girl with some backbone and yet a sensitive, tender heart. I’ve known girls like her and I enjoyed her journey to finding the love of her life. The hero was gallant, imperfect and yet a man of character – and a wonderful knight in shining armor.</span></span></span></span></b>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-84175711291148608752010-08-11T22:55:00.002-04:002010-08-19T11:18:57.620-04:00Back Cover Review: The Gathering Storm by Brock and Bodie Thoene<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1609360338">The Gathering Storm</a></span></center><center>Summerside Press (August 1, 2010)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.thoenebooks.com/">Bodie and Brock Thoene</a></span></center><br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHORS:</span> <br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TF9pn2BMElI/AAAAAAAADng/aWx9L8l6WFM/s1600/thoenesSmall.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TF9pn2BMElI/AAAAAAAADng/aWx9L8l6WFM/s200/thoenesSmall.gif" width="200" /></a><br />
Bodie and Brock Thoene (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 50 works of historical fiction. Over twenty million of these best-selling novels are in print. Eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards affirms what millions of readers have already discovered—the Thoenes are not only master stylists but experts at capturing readers’ minds and hearts.<br />
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Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.<br />
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Brock has often been described by Bodie as “an essential half of this writing team.” With degrees in both history and education, Brock has, in his role as researcher and story-line consultant, added the vital dimension of historical accuracy. Due to such careful research, The Zion Covenant and The Zion Chronicles series are recognized by the American Library Association, as well as Zionist libraries around the world, as classic historical novels and are used to teach history in college classrooms.<br />
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Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake, Luke, and Ellie—and seven grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.<br />
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Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TF9pziPnASI/AAAAAAAADno/wgBma5Rt9k8/s1600/Gathering+Storm,+The.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TF9pziPnASI/AAAAAAAADno/wgBma5Rt9k8/s200/Gathering+Storm,+The.jpg" width="135" /></a><br />
As Nazi forces tighten the noose, Loralei Kepler, daughter of a German resistance leader, must flee her beloved Germany. But is any place safe from Adolf Hitler's evil grasp? Loralei's harrowing flight leads her into the arms of needy child refugees, who have sacrificed everything in exchange for their lives, and toward a mysterious figure, who closely guards an age-old secret.<br />
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Explore the romance, the passion, and the danger of the most anticipated series of the last twenty years.<br />
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Born from the highly acclaimed and best-loved novels of three generations of readers -- The Zion Covenant series and The Zion Chronicles series -- Zion Diaries ventures into the lives of the inspiring and intriguing characters who loved intensely, stood up for what was right, and fought boldly during Hitler's rise to power and the dark days of World War II.<br />
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If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1609360338">The Gathering Storm</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/08/gathering-storm-chapter-1.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Back Cover Review</span></strong><br />
The Thoenes prove once again that they are master storytellers and experts at their craft. Not only that, their writing is current and excellent. The Gathering Storm tells in stark detail the history of life in Europe as Hitler swept across the continent with an evil vengeance. And yet, somehow this story is written as if it could have happened yesterday.<br />
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The Gathering Storm contains an almost prophetic voice of our times and what tomorrow could bring, but with the same pen, they reminded me of hope and that we hold fast to the same promises that anyone in shadowed times does - the Lord reigns and His promises never change - and in the end love conquers all: heartache, sickness and death. The pain of this world is not eternal. God is love and in Him alone we find the peace and security of eternity from the storms of life no matter what age we live in.Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-13395513905370380202010-08-11T07:44:00.001-04:002010-08-19T11:19:23.764-04:00BACK COVER REVIEW - Flight to Heaven: A Plane Crash... A Lone Survivor... A Journey to Heaven - and Back by Capt. Dale Black and Ken Gire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vcEIapzW1n8/TGKJcmJr-wI/AAAAAAAAAVc/ez4o-fLkEdk/s1600/Flight+To+Heaven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vcEIapzW1n8/TGKJcmJr-wI/AAAAAAAAAVc/ez4o-fLkEdk/s320/Flight+To+Heaven.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Imagine getting a glimpse of heaven, a preview of life in God's presence. </strong></div><strong></strong><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Could life here ever be the same?</strong></div><br />
Capt. Dale Black has flown as a commercial pilot all over the world, but one flight changed his life forever--an amazing journey to heaven and back.<br />
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The only survivor of a horrific plane crash, Dale was hovering between life and death when he had a wondrous experience of heaven. What he saw, what he heard, and what he learned there continues to ripple through his life and touch others.<br />
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Against all odds, Dale miraculously recovered from his injuries and learned to fly again. Now, with his life as a testament, he shares his inspiring story--offering hope and encouragement for those dealing with serious injuries or the loss of a loved one, and those looking for assurance about this life and the next.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Capt. Dale Black</span></strong> is a retired airline pilot who dedicated his career to improving aviation safety. He has flown for over 40 years with more than 17,000 hours in a variety of commercial jets. Dale is still an active aviator and is co-owner of a real estate company. He has also been a Bible teacher, a television and radio show host, evangelist, and volunteer missionary pilot in over 50 countries. Dale and his wife, Paula, are parents of two grown children and live in Southern California.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Back Cover Review</span></strong><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>“Some would say I have lived my dream. I see it a little differently. I did not so much live my own dream as I lived the dream God had when He dreamed of me.”</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>- Capt. Dale Black in Flight to Heaven</em></div><br />
<em>Flight To Heaven</em> is the story of how the course of Captain Dale Black’s life was changed forever as a young man when he saw Heaven. This book didn’t contain as much of what he saw in Heaven as I hoped, but it explained in profound detail what his life was like before his experience and how dramatically different it was afterwards. The difference was very clear.<br />
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I found myself in tears on several occasions reading <em>Flight to Heaven</em>. Capt. Dale Black’s testimony fit perfectly with what I feel the Lord is teaching me at this stage in my life – about His Love and how genuinely experiencing it daily, moment-by-moment, can transform my life and make a huge difference in the way that I live - and love - those around me.<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">This book was provided for review by Bethany House Publishers.</span></em>Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483692.post-56417392283268759152010-08-04T20:06:00.000-04:002010-08-04T20:06:18.667-04:00Fatal Loyalty by Sue Duffy<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
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<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
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<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
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<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825425948">Fatal Loyalty</a></span></center><center>Kregel Publications (April 23, 2010)</center><br />
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<center>by</center><br />
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<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.sueduffybooks.com">Sue Duffy</a></span></center><br />
<span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TFjVDdGyrvI/AAAAAAAADm0/XUlAW3twV7k/s1600/Duffy-Sue-lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TFjVDdGyrvI/AAAAAAAADm0/XUlAW3twV7k/s200/Duffy-Sue-lo.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. Her first novel Mortal Wounds was published in 2001 and she has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children. Find out more at <a href="http://www.sueduffybooks.com/">http://www.sueduffybooks.com/</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TFjVUU9qN1I/AAAAAAAADm8/LluKHO4W2jE/s1600/FatalLoyalty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m32TlugOPkM/TFjVUU9qN1I/AAAAAAAADm8/LluKHO4W2jE/s320/FatalLoyalty.jpg" width="208" /></a><br />
<b>Where do you run when you know you cannot hide?</b><br />
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Andie Ryborg has nowhere else to go. Her father's campaign for governor and his aggressive war on drugs has chased her from their family home. Drawn to Miami's exotic Coconut Grove, Andie hopes to find a quiet refuge where she can discover herself apart from the public eye. But even in that seclusion, even with an officer assigned to protect her, Andie's privacy has been violated. Someone is watching.<br />
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Evan Markham's entire life has been a tug-of-war between what is and what could be. He is drawn to a life that is beyond his reach and emotions have clouded his judgment. Evan knows that earning someone's trust isn't easy, especially when he plans to break it. But in the secret corridors of the criminal underworld, he knows what must be done, and he is determined to see it through. Whatever the cost.<br />
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When enemies close in, a sudden turn of events leaves them both questioning. Where is God in all of this? Who is this enigmatic stranger who offers to help? They both know their lives are in danger. But what about their hearts?<br />
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If you would like to read the Prologue of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825425948">Fatal Loyalty</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2010/08/fatal-loyalty-prologue.html">HERE</a>.Gretchen Geyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13926319875003426251noreply@blogger.com0