Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Voice by Bill Myers

Coming in April from Faithwords is Bill Myers' next intriguing novel.

Summary:

Charlie Madison is a burned out Special Forces Agent and his world is about to be turned upside down. When his 13-year-old niece barges into his reclusive life, Charlie must come out of retirement to rescue her parents and a computer Program that has recorded the actual Voice of God--the implications of which have shaken the world's religions to their core. Together, with the help of the attractive and mysterious Lisa Harmon, Charlie and his niece circle the globe, tracking down the religious radicals who have kidnapped his sister and brother-in-law. But, there is far more at stake than the safety of the parents or even religion. If the Voice of God created reality, It can destroy it. If controlled, It would become a weapon of mass destruction making all others obsolete. Soon the trio not only fights against various religious powers, but major governments as well . . . until the Program is discovered and played back with unimaginable results.

Dragonlight by Donita K. Paul

Coming in June from Waterbrook Press is the anticipated Book #5, and conclusion, of the Dragon Keeper Chronicles series.

Summary:

Amara is recovering from years of war inflicted on the citizens by outside forces and the apathy toward Wulder that abounded within the hearts of Amarans. With Kale and her father active as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. They are busy hatching, bonding, and releasing the younger generation of dragons to be helpmates to individuals. Kale has little time to explore and develop her skills as a light wizard.

Bardon, in spite of his physical limitations caused by stakes disease, is a leader to the people in their community and serves on the governing board under Paladin. It’s a peaceful, yet exciting time of rebuilding.

Kale and Bardon set aside their daily activities to join meech dragons Regidor and Gilda as they launch a quest to find the hidden meech colony. Along the way, they discover a deadly evil just under the surface of the idyllic countryside. Truth has never been more important, nor so hard to discern.

Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark book trailer

Monday, January 28, 2008

The Rook by Steven James

Coming in July 2008 from Revell:

Summary:

An arsonist has struck a top-secret research facility at a key US naval base. But it's not just a random terrorist attack. These people were after something specific. When Special Agent Patrick Bowers is called in to investigate, he is drawn into a deadly web of intrigue and deception. With his own criminology research being turned against him and one of the world's most deadly devices missing, Bowers is caught up in a race against time to stop an international assassin before it's too late.

Full of fast-paced action and mind-bending plot twists, The Rook is an adrenaline-laced page-turner that will keep readers up all night. Book 2 in the Bowers Files, this riveting look into the criminal mind is the perfect follow-up to James's well-reviewed The Pawn.

Read our review of The Pawn here.

Match Point by Erynn Mangum

Coming this Spring from Navpress...

Summary:

Now that she's successfully matched four couples, Lauren Holbrook is wondering if she'll always be the bridesmaid and never the . . . or will she finally admit that she and Ryan are more than "good friends?" But handsome Keller Stone may try to convince her otherwise. A riotous, romantic conclusion to Mangum's caffeine-laced series!

Read our review of Erynn's Rematch here.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Heartsong mysteries coming this month!

From our friends at CCM Sightings comes this bit of news:

This month sees the launch of Heartsong Mysteries! Book Club, a new series from Christian publisher Barbour. The line features lighthearted, cozy, "whodunit" mysteries with "daring amateur sleuths, charming characters, challenging twists and turns, suspenseful story lines, hearth-warming romances, and sustaining faith." Subscribers receive four FREE mysteries just for trying out the club.

The deal:

30-DAY PREVIEW—If you accept the trial membership, you will receive four FREE mysteries, plus your first four mystery club selections to read for 30 days.
COST
—If you enjoy the books, pay your $13.99 invoice. You'll then receive four new mysteries every six weeks for the same low price of $13.99.
COMMITMENT—There is no commitment! If you decide the club is not for you, simply return the first four mystery selections within 30 days and KEEP the four FREE books as a thank-you from us for trying the club.
SHIPPING—Shipping and handling is always FREE!
GUARANTEE—There are no obligations or commitments. You can cancel anytime. Just return the first four book club selections and you'll owe nothing. No questions asked!

More info and a preview at HeartsongMysteries.com

Blessed Are the Meddlers by Christa Banister

Coming this summer from Navpress is Christa Banister's sophomore novel, Blessed Are the Meddlers. The story continues the story of her character Sydney Alexander.

Summary:

Free-lance writer Sydney Alexander has given up her serial dating ways to marry Gavin. When she's offered an advice-to-the-lovelorn column at the local newspaper, she's convinced it's a way to help everybody---including her sister Samantha---find true love, too! How could something so right go so very wrong?

Read our interview with Christa here.
Read our review of Around the World in 80 Dates here.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The Molech Prophecy by Thomas Phillips

Coming in July 2008 from our very own reviewer Phillip Tomasso III (writing under the name Thomas Phillips) is his novel The Molech Prophecy (Whitaker House).

Summary:

Former gang member Tommy Cucinelle thought he had left his old life behind when he became a Christian. That's why he's surprised when his pastor asks him to use his old "skills"--finding people who don't want to be found--to locate the church secretary after she mysteriously disappears and the church is vandalized. The police don't have any leads. Tommy's investigation brings him face-to-face with the unpleasant memories from the past that threaten his new identity, but turmoil is soon the least of his worries. A local Wiccan church is at the heart of the mystery, and Tommy's search uncovers a startling prophecy about child sacrifice to the pagan god Molech. When the missing woman's sister--Tommy's newfound romantic interest--disappears as well, the quest becomes personal.

Thomas Phillips grew up with a reading disability. He did everything possible not to read. It wasn't until he was in seventh grade that he finally read a book cover to cover. Now a voracious reader and prolific writer, Phillips uses his accomplishments as a motivational backdrop for speaking at school assemblies.

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Phillips has worked as a freelance journalist and currently works full time as an employment law paralegal. When he isn't writing, Phillips plays guitar, is active at his church, coaches his children's Little League teams, co-leads Ink Spots and Coffee Grounds—a ccreative writing group, and plots his next story. The Molech Prophecy is his first published Christian novel.

http://www.myspace.com/authorthomasphillips
http://shoutlife.com/thomasphillips

Friday, January 18, 2008

Thomas Nelson offers money-back guarantee on Bible

(Nashville, Tenn.) For over a decade, Bible-readers have been discovering the wonders of the Bible using Thomas Nelson, Inc.’s NKJV Study Bible. Over 1 million people have experienced the value of this study Bible, and the publisher has received many outstanding consumer reviews over the years. This week, Thomas Nelson releases the NKJV Study Bible: Second Edition (ISBN: 978-0-7180-2081-1), an updated and enhanced version of the beloved original.


The NKJV Study Bible: Second Edition sets the standard for study. It allows the reader to find everything needed for study in one Bible, guaranteed by trustworthy scholarship. As in the previous version, this Bible offers 1,500 verse-by-verse study notes, 69 in-text maps, 80 in-text charts, full-color maps, book outlines, timelines, a harmony of the Gospels, a topical index, and a deluxe concordance. However, the second edition boasts several new features such as:


  • A complete cross reference, including translators’ notes
  • 150 Bible times and culture notes
  • 114 revised articles on the key doctrines of Scripture
  • 350 revised word studies with Strong’s numbers
  • Book introductions with a “Christ in the Scriptures” feature showing the messianic significance of every book in the Bible

The second edition also includes a special Libronix eBible CD-ROM that offers the Bible’s contents in a convenient electronic format. So whether studying on a computer or from the printed page, the user is sure to have this reliable study tool available quickly at hand.


In fact, Thomas Nelson believes this to be the most comprehensive study Bible available for accuracy, beauty, and readability featuring the popular New King James Version. The publisher is so sure that users of this edition will find their Bible study significantly enhanced, that they’re offering a money-back guarantee. If users aren’t 100% satisfied with the content of the Bible, they can return it to Thomas Nelson for a full refund of their purchase price.


The NKJV Study Bible: Second Edition combines a detailed exposition of the Bible with an accessible and spiritually sensitive style, making it the best available all-purpose Bible study resource.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading provider of Bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes. For more information on the company and its titles, please visit http://www.thomasnelson.com/ or http://www.nelsonbibles.com

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Eric Wilson featured in The Tennessean

Says Eric in the piece:

"I'm not as concerned with writing for the Christian mainstream as I am with writing for people who might not ordinarily read a novel written by a Christian author," said Wilson, who traveled to Israel and the Akeldama for research. "I want to reach out beyond the stereotype of what a so-called Christian author is supposed to be."

Read the full article here.

Read our review of The Best of Evil here.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Here Comes the Ride - Book #2 in the Andi McConnell series

Coming in May from Thomas Nelson is Book #2 in the Andi McConnell mystery series from Lorena McCourtney.

Summary:

Andi McConnell is thrilled when she is hired as the chauffeur for a high-end wedding. But she's beginning to wonder why she and her limo keep ending up in the middle of a murder!

A wedding malfunction has precipitated into a murder leaving several obvious suspects. The wedding is cancelled, the guests can't leave, and the heir of the estate is a complete surprise. When another murder occurs, all fingers are pointing to the most obvious suspect who had motive, means, and opportunity. But a final clue uncovers something that no one saw coming. Now Andi is kicking her sleuthing skills into high gear to catch the killer!

Read our interview with Lorena here.
Read our review of Book #2 Your Chariot Awaits here.

Howard signs Sharon Carter Rogers

According to Christian Retailing, Nappaland Literary Agency has announced that author Sharon Carter Rogers has inked a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster's faith division, Howard Books, for more novels in the thriller/suspense category.

Rogers' debut thriller, Sinner, released in 2007 by RiverOak and experienced unexpectedly brisk sales for a previously unknown author.

"We're excited to be working with a talented, up-and-coming novelist like Sharon Carter Rogers, and consider her to be a significant addition to our new fiction line," said Dave Lambert, senior fiction editor for Howard Books, who signed Rogers. "We're confident that readers everywhere will respond positively to her unique brand of suspense."

"I'm thrilled to be joining the Howard Books family, and am grateful to Mr. Lambert for inviting me to be a part of his impressive author roster," Rogers said in a statement.

The first novel is tentatively titled Unpretty and is scheduled for release in September 2008.

Read our interview with Sharon here.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

New covers for Angela Hunt's Fairlawn series

Says Angela over at her blog:

"My last release was Doesn't She Look Natural, a title that was hard to depict in a cover. (Woman-in-funeral home isn't exactly a common genre.) I liked the cover most of you have seen, which was green and youngish looking--trouble was, it seemed to identify the book as "chick-lit," which DSLN is decidedly NOT.






"So the creative brains at Tyndale House have come up with a new cover concept that I like a lot--and I think it's more true to the concept behind the Fairlawn books. Featured are the new cover concepts for Doesn't She Look Natural and She Always Wore Red, the next Fairlawn title."

Read out interview with Angela here.

Read our review of Doesn't She Look Natural? here.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Marcher Lord Press news

Jeff Gerke has recently announced the three novels he hopes to launch his fantasy/SF/speculative publishing house Marcher Lord Press. Negotiations are still underway with the authors, but here's a rundown on what we can look forward to soon in Jeff's words:

  • The first novel is an "intellectual fantasy" by seasoned novelist Theodore Beale. Theo has written a trilogy of spiritual warfare novels for Pocket Books--a secular publisher. His novel for Marcher Lord Press, Summa Elvetica, is an exploration of a wonderful speculative premise: what if something oddly similar to the medieval Catholic church existed in a fantasy world and they had to decide whether or not elves (and orcs and more) have souls? Like I said, intellectual fantasy.
  • The second novel I'll be launching with is by R. E. Bartlett, the New Zealander behind the awesome Christian SF The Personifid Project. For Marcher Lord Press she'll be writing the standalone sequel, The Personifid Invasion. In the first one, we entered a far-future world in which humans can trade out their old bodies for artificial ones--personifids--and thus live forever. In this one, science finally finds verifiable proof of spiritual entities--and the entities find that personifid bodies will house them quite well, too. It's intense SF action with quirky characters and a strong undercurrent of thoughtful spirituality.
  • The third novel that will launch the publishing company is one I found through the acquisitions portal at www.marcherlordpress.com. It's a fantasy, but that's about all it has in common with Summa Elvetica. This one is called Hero, Second Class, and it's by newcomer Mitchell Bonds. Mitch is a young man (he's stinkin' 19, for crying out loud) who has more voice and craftsmanship than he has any right to at his (or any) age. His story is a lampoon of fantasy stories. Think Spaceballs meets Lord of the Rings. Get ready to have your most beloved fantasy conventions skewered. Quest forth with Cyrus, our young hero, as he encounters the world of professional Heroes and Villains (complete with their own rule-setting governing bodies, of course), and strives to complete his first Quest and earn the title of Hero, Second Class. Along the way you'll meet kindhearted golems, droll zombies, and a fearsome mercenary band who dares utter trigger words such as "inerrant," "witch," and "retarded." Oh, and you'll meet Cyrus's true love, who also happens to be kind of a cat.
About Marcher Lord Press:

Marcher Lord Press is the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction.

Whether it's fantasy you love, or science fiction, time travel, chillers, supernatural thrillers, alternate history, spiritual warfare, superhero, vampire, or technothriller—if it's speculative and it comes from the Christian worldview, Marcher Lord Press is your publisher.

Marcher Lord Press is a small, independent press that bypasses the traditional Christian publishing industry to get Christian speculative fiction directly into the hands of the fans who devour it.

For more information, visit the Marcher Lord Press website here.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher

Coming in February from Thomas Nelson is Robin Lee Hatcher's next novel The Perfect Life.

Summary:

Katherine Clarkson has the perfect life. Married to Brad, a loving and handsome man, respected in their church and the community. Two grown daughters on the verge of starting families of their own. A thriving ministry. Good friends. A comfortable life.

She has it all—until the day a reporter appears with shocking allegations. Splashed across the local news are accusations of Brad’s financial impropriety at his foundation and worse, of an affair with a former employee. Without warning, Katherine’s marriage is shattered and her family torn apart. The reassuring words she’s spoken to many brokenhearted women over the years offer little comfort now.

Her world spinning, Katherine wonders if she can find the truth in the chaos that consumes her. How can she survive the loss of the perfect life?

Read our review of Return to Me by Robin Lee Hatcher here.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Frank Peretti update

Frank recently posted on his blog about his recent struggle with Meniere's disease, his future writing plans, and more. We're excerpting it in part here:

...The past two years have seen some major changes in my life and priorities, some with a bit of foot dragging, and some willingly enough, but in any case, ordained by the will of God.

One of the biggest change-makers in my life in the last two years has been my struggle with Meniere’s disease, a weird ailment of the inner ear, in my case, my right ear. It has to do with an imbalance in the fluid pressure in the cochlea and the semicircular canals which affects both hearing and balance. The classic four symptoms are: loss of hearing, particularly the lower frequencies; tinnitus, or NOISE (in my case, a loud shriek on top of a Kubota tractor parked right outside my ear and running at about 5000 rpm); a sensation of pressure (you constantly feel like your ear needs to pop), and loss of balance or, in severe cases, vertigo, a terrible, nauseating sensation of spinning.

Let me start off by praising the Lord for his healing touch upon my ear. My recovery has been extremely slow, stretched out in tiny, barely discernible increments over the past 18 months, but proceeding steadily onward, for which I am very grateful. For the first year or so, I had trouble walking; my ear was so sensitive to noise that I had to wear hearing protection to ride in a car; I could not go to church or any public gathering where people would be talking in noisy groups; I couldn't sit in noisy restaurants; I could not listen to music, I could not sing, speak publicly, or play an instrument; I had to watch movies at home with the sound turned down – not all the way, just way down - and the subtitles turned on. As many of you know, I really enjoy playing the banjo and I used to be part of a five piece progressive bluegrass band called Northern Cross. We had to disband because I couldn't bear the sound of my own instrument or my own voice - yeah, go ahead, make your wisecracks. I walked into that one. Ahem. You through now?


...I gave up flying - I didn't want to be denied my medical certificate so I didn't bother trying to renew it. I sold the airplane. I quit traveling and public speaking because I couldn’t speak up clearly without it hurting my ear and I couldn’t stand to be around groups of people.


I had to quit playing in the worship band at our church because the music hurt my ear and the noise in my ear – that ol’ Kubota tractor - and the weird, double-noting - every musical note I heard was doubled with a note totally out of key – made it impossible to hear what I and my fellow musicians were playing. I spent the better part of a year sitting in the very back of the church with an ear plug AND noise cancellation headphones just so I could be there at all.


NOW … all things in perspective. There are folks out there, some of them friends, who have had to deal with Ménière's disease and had a much tougher time of it. Some have had such terrible vertigo that they've had to have the balance nerves from that ear cut; one guy has no sense of balance left at all and has to get around in a wheelchair or with crutches. I have been blessed, I have been spared the worst of this disease. Most of the noise is gone, the sensitivity has gone down enough for me to enjoy church with just an earplug for that one ear; I'm even playing in the worship band again with my own little noise canceling monitor system. My balance is okay – at least, I can shrug and tell myself, Well, I never was that steady a walker anyway.


...The dream to become a film director is still alive. Sure, I’ve had to double check and test it on occasion, but it’s still there. I've continued to study and prepare, and I think I’m about ready to give it a shot. There is a local film company that has offered me a chance to write and direct a low-budget picture, and I think that would be a prudent thing to do. It'll be a chance to work with a film crew and a competent production company from start to finish in the role of writer and director with minimal risk and - even if I do say so myself – great potential benefit. I can put in my time, pay my dues, get some experience and build a track record, and if that little project does well, then perhaps the Lord will open the door to direct another project, possibly something based on one of my books -- Monster, for instance. So, I’m working on an original script right now and hope to have it well on its way to completion by the end of the year, so we’ll see where that goes. Lord willing, I may be able to direct some of my other works including The Oath and This Present Darkness. I understand Twentieth-Century Fox’s ownership of This Present Darkness reverts back to me and Crossway Books in just a few years, so YIPPEE! I figure by the time either of those stories is ready to be made into a film, I’ll be ready to direct it.


And while that is all processing in the mill, I would love to do another novel, most likely a third Darkness book. I know my good publisher friends are eager to see another novel, and that is, after all, what I mainly do, so I’ve narrowed my focus down to these two avenues: the novel, the movie. If these two are all I have to think about, I just might get one of them done … and then the other one, God willing....