The Lord Is My Shepherd by Debbie Viguié

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


The Lord Is My Shepherd


Abingdon Press (March 2010)


by


Debbie Viguie


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of her life. She has experimented with poetry and nonfiction, but her true passion lies in writing novels. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from UC Davis. While at Davis she met her husband, Scott, at auditions for a play.

Debbie's love for writing brought her from working as a church secretary to a successful career writing supernatural fiction. She is the author of Midnight Pearls, Scarlet Moon, and Charmed: Pied Piper, and the young adult Sweet Seasons series. She also is coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Wicked book series.

Debbie and Scott now live on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. When Debbie is not writing and Scott has time off they love to indulge their passion for theme parks.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Cindy’s church is getting ready to celebrate Easter, and Jeremiah’s Temple is preparing for Passover when Cindy literally stumbles over the body of an unknown man lying dead in the sanctuary. The church was locked, and a bloody cross necklace on the floor seems to be the only clue. The killer is likely a member of the congregation, but there are hints that similar deaths have happened in the past. Are Cindy and Jeremiah dealing with a serial killer? They have to unravel the clues before Easter Sunday arrives and more people die.

Cindy and Jeremiah come from two different worlds, even though they work right next door to each other. Cindy is a strong Christian who lives a normal but somewhat dull life, working as a church secretary. Jeremiah is a Reformed rabbi with a mysterious past full of danger and excitement. But one eventful Easter/Passover week, the two find themselves working together to solve a murder and stop a serial killer from striking again. Solving the mystery should put an end to their alliance, but the church secretary and the rabbi quickly find themselves enmeshed in another mystery. Soon the two form a friendly alliance and friendship, exploring personal history and faith and growing closer with each passing adventure. Despite their differences Cindy and Jeremiah find a lot of common ground.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Lord Is My Shepherd, go HERE.

BACK COVER REVIEW & BOOK GIVEAWAY! Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy by Sally Clarkson

Please leave a comment on this post by midnight on Friday, March 5th 2010 to enter to win a copy of this book. No overseas entrants please. Deadline extended to March 12th 2010 because post wasn't linked to Facebook!!!

The reality of living in a broken, fallen world can leave women feeling overcome by fear, guilt, and weariness. Many develop “sawdust souls,” numb to any sense of joy.

In this warm and wise book, author Sally Clarkson invites readers to take God’s hand and let Him lead them into a life of anticipation, passion, and purpose. With the voice of a trusted mentor, she reveals how, by getting in tune with the rhythm of God’s presence, women can nurture an inner attitude of anticipation and celebration even in the stressful seasons of life.

Through rich biblical insights woven with real-life stories, women will be inspired to recapture a spirit of joy as they follow God’s lead on the dance floor of life.

Meet The Author:
Sally Clarkson is a popular speaker, known across the nation and internationally for her work with women. She is the author of several books, including The Mission of Motherhood, The Ministry of Motherhood, and Seasons of a Mother’s Heart. She has worked in various ministries, including Campus Crusade for Christ. With her husband, Clay, she is cofounder of Whole Heart Ministries, which encourages and equips Christian parents. The Clarksons, parents of four, live near Colorado Springs, Colorado .

Back Cover Review:

Psalm 16:11 - You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

There is no doubt that the author, Sally, has walked through extraordinary and ordinary disappointments and disillusionment and have found in those experiences the secrets to experiencing joy (not to be confused with temporary happiness) in every season of life. She shares her personal experiences in this book along with her insight into the lives of people in the Bible who discovered joy in adverse circumstance including David, Job and Paul. Each chapter ends with a section titled “Finding Your Rhythm In God’s Joy” which includes questions to probe into your life and discover areas where joy is missing and to lead you through your own discovery into finding joy through God in your life again. Each chapter also ends with prayer.

David had a different heart…when she shares with the reader what she also told her son about David when he faced Goliath, she says, “they lived in fear because of what they could see with their eyes. But David saw with his heart. He saw this challenge as an opportunity to show the greatness of God. And David pleased God greatly because he didn’t just say he loved God, but he showed it by his actions.”

She talks about her husband when he took her on their first date declaring his desire to love her with unconditional love and how it surprised her. Like her, most of us have only ever known (or mainly know) conditional love, but there is overwhelming joy when we experience God’s unconditional love. “He [God] wants us to respond to him out of an appreciative heart that treasures his gift of generous, thoughtful, and unconditional love-not because we have earned it or deserved it.”

“I believe that David saw in God great freedom – that his God created pleasure, color, beauty, food, love, sound, taste, and deep happiness. David was not tied up in knowts of religion or rules, pretense and performance. Instead, he enjoyed and delighted in the God whom he knew to be his close friend and Lord. His dancing was a genuine expression of what he felt in his heart for his most beloved and intimate companion.” Don’t you want to know the LORD this way?! “In God, and him only, can we find joy, understand joy, remain in joy, and celebrate life each day with our hearts filled.”

Some of the areas that Sally delves into in her book are …The “I will be happy when…” trap…this is a pitfall that I have fallen into before. When we live in joy, there’s no waiting for tomorrow to bring us happiness, we can experience a grateful exuberant life here and now! I believe that this is what Sally’s book is all about! Areas in our life that produce joy that seem “backwards” to us – and Bible verses that line up with them – the joy that is produced by the adversity, trials and difficulties in our life. It is a biblical principle that works! How sharing joy produces it in our own lives…seeing God’s hand at work in our everyday life – in the beauty of the sky, the laugh of our children, gratefulness for what we have instead of discontent for what we don’t have. Listening to God speak…God’s voice speaking peace is the sweetest music an ear can hear. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

This is a beautiful, practical book for experiencing more of God’s joy!

Links to purchase this book online: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307457066&ref=externallink_wbp_dancingwithmyfather_sec_0119_01
 
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

BACK COVER REVIEW & BOOK GIVEAWAY! The Mother-Daughter Duet: Getting to the Relationship You Want with Your Adult Daughter by Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum

Please leave a comment on this post by midnight on Friday, March 5th 2010 to enter to win a copy of this book. No overseas entrants please. Deadline extended to March 12th 2010 because post wasn't linked to Facebook!!!

When a daughter is born, her mother has a thousand hopes and dreams for her, especially that they will be best friends one day.

Unfortunately, even the best of intentions can go awry. There are so many challenges on the journey to adult friendship that the reality is fraught with friction and frustration. But a harmonious relationship is possible.

Award-winning author Cheri Fuller and her daughter, Ali Plum, have been there and have discovered the keys to a healthy relationship. In Mother-Daughter Duet they share their story—each from her own perspective—in which they have experienced distance and tension, growth and challenge, and, ultimately, acceptance and harmony. Filled with personal anecdotes and based on several basic principles (letting go; listening; respect; setting boundaries; and more), Mother-Daughter Duet helps moms repair the breach so that daughters want to draw close.

The mother-daughter dynamic is intense, personal, complex, and unique. But mothers and daughters can achieve mutual respect and learn to celebrate their differences when they learn the two-part harmony of the mother-daughter duet.


Meet The Authors:
Cheri Fuller is a best-selling, award-winning author whose books have sold more than one million copies. She speaks to a wide range of women at women’s conferences and is a frequent guest on national radio and television programs.

Ali Plum is Cheri’s daughter, a writer and songwriter, a wife, and a mother to Noah and Luke. She and her mom have weathered the ups and downs of their relationship to find one of the most treasured, honest relationships of their lives. Ali has recorded background vocals for popular musicians, and Mother-Daughter Duet marks her debut into book publishing.

Back Cover Review:
“We hope that through the pages ahead you’ll find ways to step into your daughters shoes, or to reflect on your relationship with your own mother…” – The Mother-Daughter Duet

I found this book to be insightful into the intricate balance of communication between moms and daughters (and even the mother-in-law relationship) as both a daughter and a mom. As a mom of young children, I found some of the advice on letting go helpful even now. I hope to use this book as a resource through the years too – I know the real challenges of letting go will increase as time goes by.

There is a mountain of knowledge packed inside this one book as the mother and daughter co-authors of this book delve into the whys and hows of the intricate balance of communication between moms and daughters. They take turns telling their point of view in each chapter this book in relation to different facets of their relationship. They are frank and honest about their personal flaws and the conflicts in their relationship – then they discuss the reasons certain approaches (of both moms and daughters) cause conflict and the ways they have worked to resolve these issues. Their conversational approach almost gives you the feel of attending a retreat for moms and their girls in a comfortable, casual setting. They also include practical advice in each chapter for building and strengthening your relationship.

Two topics that especially grabbed my attention were “letting go” and “validating your daughter.”

“The gift of letting go” and I do believe this is a gift to have and that we can give to our children as difficult as it might be. “Increasingly through the years, I’ve wanted my mom to trust me and believe that I am a grown woman now, capable of making my own decisions and living life well.” This line in the book summed it up beautifully. Whether I am twenty-two, thirty-four – or when I am fifty, I long for my mom to believe that she taught me well and that I am responsible enough to live right and well. I come from generations that have struggled to let go of their children. I know too that it is not easy to break the cycle that generations of moms before me formed, but I know that it by the LORD’s power it can be done.

In the chapter, “Validating your daughter” Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum say, “one of the top complaints that women have about their moms is that they criticize their looks.” The more we as mothers are dissatisfied with the internal and external women we are, the more we tend to criticize our daughters.” This book gave a variety of reasons that mothers give their daughters a hard time about their appearance. I don’t think that moms realize the power of their words, especially on their daughters – and from a daughter’s perspective in this, even when we pretend that we don’t care, we do. Isn’t that true in all of our relationships? Oh that we would speak more carefully than we do! That today our words would bring life to others instead of harm – and wholeness instead of brokenness!

This book contained so much more powerful advice! I haven’t read any other book like it with its genuine priceless look into our complex relationships as mothers and daughters; and its heart-felt advice from one mother-daughter due who has struggled through their own conflicts and issues and come out stronger on the other side.

Links to purchase this book online: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421623&ref=externallink_mlt_motherdaughterduet_sec_0119_01

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

The Pastor's Wife by Jennifer A1Lee

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


The Pastor's Wife Abingdon Press (February 2010)by


Jennifer AlLee

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer AlLee was born in Hollywood, California and for the first 10 years of her life lived over a mortuary one block from Hollywood and Vine. An avid reader and writer, she completed her first novel in high school. That manuscript is now safely tucked away, never again to see the light of day. Her first inspirational romance, The Love of His Brother, was released in November 2007 by Five Star Publisher.

Besides being a writer, she is a wife and mom. Living in Las Vegas, Nevada, her husband and teenage son have learned how to enjoy the fabulous buffets there without severely impacting their waistlines. God is good!



ABOUT THE BOOK

Maura Sullivan never intended to set foot in Granger, Ohio, again. But when circumstances force her to return, she must face all the disappointments she tried so hard to leave behind: a husband who ignored her, a congregation she couldn't please, and a God who took away everything she ever loved.

Nick Shepherd thought he had put the past behind him, until the day his estranged wife walked back into town. Intending only to help Maura through her crisis of faith, Nick finds his feelings for her never died. Now, he must admit the mistakes he made, how he hurt his wife, and find a way to give and receive forgiveness.

As God works in both of their lives, Nick and Maura start to believe they can repair their broken relationship and reunite as man and wife. But Maura has one more secret to tell Nick before they can move forward. It's what ultimately drove her to leave him three years earlier, and the one thing that can destroy the fragile trust they've built.

If you would like to read the first Chapter of The Pastor's Wife , go HERE

Back Cover Review: CLOSER: Devotions To Draw Couples Together by Jim & Cathy Burns

My husband and I are just not couples devotional people. I guess we just haven't found what works for us in this area yet. Trust me, it's not through any fault of the author. Since we were married we've had several devotionals sitting on our shelves (written by acknowledged experts): Night Light: A Devotional For Couples by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson and Meditations On Proverbs For Couples by Les & Leslie Parrott. I thought for sure a brave, fresh devotional without dust on the top would inspire us...along with a fresh tactic...

Jim & Cathy Burns are definitely gifted writers with a heart for couples. It is in fact, an excellent devotional and more. With topics such as, The Power of Forgiveness, A Nonnegotiable Date Night, The Purity Code, Thank Therapy, Keep On Treasuring, Your Body and Your Marriage; Closer to God, Closer to Each Other, A Life of Significant Conversations and Learning to Apologize...to highlight a few. Each devotional introduces the subject, includes "faith conversations" (with discussion ideas) and "A Step Closer" (an area with a specific action step for each of you to take).

Maybe what our devotional life needs is accountability outside of our relationship? Maybe a Sunday School class, Small Group format or Marriage Seminar with this book as the guide. It would definitely work great in one of those formats! I don't know, when I find the key I'll get back to you...or if you have discovered what works for you and your spouse - please share it, I'd like to know!

Either that, or we're weird and would be inspired by something else in a devotional..."scripts" that resonate with conversations we know we've had...or something more passionate and heart-spoken rather than the "teaching" approach that almost all devotionals follow.

If couples' devotionals work for you though, I definitely recommend this one! (We've also found Jim Burn's Pure Foundations series for kids Very Helpful!)

This book was provided for review by Bethany House Publishers.

Back Cover Review: Walking On Broken Glass

Walking On Broken Glass is a novel brim-full of not only redemption, but restoration. What is restoration? Well, when it comes to furniture, it's restoring it to its original condition. When it comes to the LORD and people, it's restoring us to "His original intention" for our lives (as one author I read recently so beautifully put it). Leah's story is about that kind of restoration.

Leah, like so many people who struggle with abuse and addiction, doesn't realize that the patterns in her life aren't the norm. Her friend Molly is a testament to friendship when she confronts her about her drinking issues. There are no rose-colored glasses in this novel, but there are numerous shades of hope and grace filling its pages.

christa allan deals with a myriad of serious issues with the tact and grace of a true Southern lady - alcoholism, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, generational problems and addictions. This book is thought-provoking, heart-provoking and powerful to the core. christa weaves it together with a strong, enjoyable writing style that makes reading it a delight - like sweet tea in Georgia!

Walking On Broken Glass by Christa Allan

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Walking on Broken Glass


Abingdon Press (February 2010)


by


Christa Allan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christa Allan, a true Southern woman who knows any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, weaves stories of unscripted grace with threads of hope, humor, and heart.

The mother of five and grandmother of three, Christa teaches high school English. She and her husband, Ken live in Abita Springs, Louisiana where they play golf, dodge hurricanes, and anticipate retirement.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Leah Thornton's life, like her Southern Living home, has great curb appeal. But already sloshed from one-too-many drinks at a faculty party, Leah cruises the supermarket aisles in search of something tasty to enhance her Starbucks—Kahlua and a paralyzing encounter with a can of frozen apple juice shatters the facade, forcing her to admit that all is not as it appears.

When her best friend Molly gets in Leah's face about her refusal to deal with her life, Leah is forced to make a decision. Can this brand-conscious socialite walk away from the country club into 28 days of rehab? Leah is sitting in the office of the local rehab center facing an admissions counselor who fails to understand the most basic things, like the fact that apple juice is not a suitable cocktail mixer.

Rehab is no picnic, and being forced to experience and deal with the reality of her life isn’t Leah’s idea of fun. Can she leave what she has now to gain back what she needs? Joy, sadness, pain and a new srength converge, testing her marriage, her friendships and her faith.

But through the battle she finds a reservoir of courage she never knew she had, and the loving arms of a God she never quite believed existed.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Walking on Broken Glass, go HERE