Read the 1st chapter of James Scott Bell's upcoming Try Fear

James Scott Bell's next Ty Buchanan novel, Try Fear, is hitting shelves in July 2009. But Jim has the first chapter posted on his website available for your reading pleasure. Click here. Sounds like Ty's getting himself into more trouble!

Read our interview with James Scott Bell.
Read review of Try Dying.
Read review of Try Darkness.

Rayne Tour series by Brandilyn & Amberly Collins covers released!

Today at her blog, Brandilyn has revealed the covers of her upcoming YA series written with daughter Amberly. Titled Always Watching and Last Breath respectively, the novels feature Shaley O'Connor, daughter of rock star Rayne O'Connor.











Shaley seems to have it all--a life of limos, backstage passes, and fancy hotels--until murder shakes her world. Both release next spring.

Marcher Lord Press launches October 1st!

It's almost time for the launch of Jeff Gerke's Marcher Lord Press, fast becoming the premier Christian speculative fiction publisher.

Be sure to visit the site now so you can enter to win some cool prizes -- deadline is October 1st.

And you also might want to read our interview with Jeff to find out all that's gone into this press, their launch list novels, and much more!

Unseen Pages Project

T.L. Hines has announced a cool new project to help promote his upcoming novel The Unseen. And the great part is, it sounds like a lot of fun! Here's what T.L. says about the project on his website:

Right now, people all across the United States and Canada are helping me disassemble and hide one complete copy of my latest book, The Unseen, in dozens of locations. You can see who those people are and sign up to join them if you want; we'll start hiding pages the first of October or so. That's 192 individual pages (383 pages, actually--but each individual page has a front and a back), hiding in unseen spaces--much like Lucas, the main character in The Unseen.

Why? Well, a multitude of reasons, but foremost among them is: to have fun. Maybe sell a few books, maybe meet a few new people, maybe get a few unexpected surprises...but for me, that all comes under the category of having fun. Of course, I want to make it fun for you, too. So here's what I'm doing. If you've found one of the Unseen Pages, just click on the appropriate page and tell me a little bit about where you found it, how you found it, or whatever. I'm hoping you might come up with something creative inspired by the page you found (a haiku, a photo, an origami...use your imagination), because the most creative comments/entries will win free tee shirts. But just a simple comment is really all you need to do; it's all good, and I certainly appreciate you just dropping by and participating.

Then--and this is key for a couple of reasons--put the page where someone else can find it and do the same. I don't care where you put it, as long as it's publicly-accessible; heck, you can even mail it to other friends in different cities, if you want. Sorta like a chain letter, yes, but without those negative "You'll die in five days if you don't send this to someone!" overtones. And you don't really have to send the page to anyone else; just leave it in public for someone else to find. Just by participating, you could win some free stuff.

How? The individual page that gets passed around most--that is, the page that gets the most comments or entries right here on this very site--will win a prize for each and every person who found that page: free signed copies of my first two books, Waking Lazarus and The Dead Whisper On. So, if you find a page and pass it on, you could win free signed books, perfect for reading, gift-giving or fire-starting.

And hey, the free schwag doesn't end there. The first 50 people who find a page and leave an entry in the Unseen Pages project will get a free iTunes download. Plus, as I said before, the most creative entries will win snazzy The Unseen tee shirts. And, if you want to find out more about The Unseen, you can also win a cool Urban Explorer Kit, complete with a GPS unit, a digital camera, and more. And once again, it's all in fun. So I hope you'll join me. I'm hoping this whole project leads to fun new adventures that are still (ahem) unseen.

Check out more and sign up at T.L.'s website.

ECPA Book Cover Award Finalists Announced

Bibles

• The Literary Study Bible, Crossway Bibles, Leland Ryken and Philip Graham Ryken, 9781581348088


• Urban Devotional Bible, Crossway Bibles, Dr. Michael Reynolds, Sr. General Editor, 9781433502828


• The Voice of Hebrews, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Greg Garrett and David Capes, Creators, 9780529123534

Category 1: “Best Cover from a Small-Sized Publisher” (From publishers with 1-100 titles annually)

• Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life, Crossway Books, Colin Duriez, 9781581348576


• Preaching as Art, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, Darius L. Salter, 9780834123595


• Red Letters, David C. Cook, Tom Davis, 9780781445351


• Zora and Nicky, David C. Cook, Claudia Mair Burney, 9780781445504

Category 2: “Best Cover from a Mid-Sized Publisher” (From publishers with 101-250 titles annually)

• Faith to Faith, Harvest House Publishers, Dan Scott, 9780736923507


• O2, Harvest House Publishers, Richard Dahlstrom, 9780736922142


• On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, Andrew Peterson, 9781400073849

Category 3: “Best Covers from a Large Publisher” (From publishers with 251+ titles published annually)

• Adam, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Ted Dekker, 9781595540072


• The Domino Effect: Falling Forward into the Story of Good and Evil, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Wayfarer Ministries, 9781418533403


• unChristian, Baker Publishing Group, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, 9780801013003

Trailer for Hometown Favorite by Bill Barton & Henry O. Arnold

Trailer for the Trophy Chase trilogy by George Bryan Polivka

Review of The Legend of the Firefish here.
Review of The Hand that Bears the Sword here.
Review of The Battle for Vast Dominion here.

Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent (Operation First Novel 2007 winner)

Coming in January 2009 from Tyndale is Jennifer Erin Valent's debut novel, which won the 2007 Operation First Novel contest sponsored by the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.

Back Cover Copy:

“The summer I turned thirteen, I thought I killed a man.”

So begins the story of Jessilyn Lassiter, a young girl whose world is torn apart the summer of 1932. When Jessilyn’s best friend, Gemma, loses her parents in a tragic fire, Jessilyn’s father vows to care for her as his own, despite the fact that Gemma is black and prejudice is prevalent in their southern Virginia town.

It doesn’t take long for the Lassiters to attract the attention of a local band of Ku Klux Klan members, who make increasingly violent threats on Jessilyn and her family.

As she struggles to navigate a complex world of first crushes, loyalties, and betrayals, Jessilyn ultimately discovers what it takes to be a bright light in a dark world.

Trailer for The Unseen by T.L. Hines

The Love Dare Book

Weeks before the movie Fireproof opens in theaters, The Love Dare, a book that began as a plot device in the film, has sold 300,000 copies into bookstores and is in its third printing.

“It’s a plot device, it’s a book, it’s a marriage saver, it’s a movement,” says John Thompson, vice president of marketing for the book’s publisher, B&H Publishing Group. “This is the fastest-selling book we’ve ever handled.”

“In America, the average book sells about 5,000 copies,” Thompson said. “The Love Dare, at $14.99 a copy in paperback, could be the top-selling Christian book of 2008.” The paperback version hits stores in time for the movie’s theatrical premiere this month. The keepsake edition coincides with the DVD release in spring 2009.

The Fireproof plot turns on a handwritten book, a 40-day challenge to learn and practice unconditional love. In movie pre-screenings, audiences left asking, “How can I get that book?” “We shut out the world and wrote for several weeks,” said Stephen Kendrick who, with his brother Alex had also written the movie. “We weren’t expecting such demand so early. Meanwhile, it’s a scary thing to realize the love God calls us to, and the love He’s ready to give through us. Our wives are watching to see if writing the book has taught us anything!”

Both brothers are associate pastors at Sherwood Church in Albany GA, which produced the movie.

Sony Pictures opens Fireproof in some 750 theaters this Sept. 26. In the movie, firefighter Caleb Holt receives a handwritten book from his father, a 40-day challenge to love his wife after

they’ve agreed to divorce. Caleb resents loving in the face of indifference but goes through the motions to respect his father: Day One: Love is Patient; Day Two: Love is Kind; Day Three: Love is Thoughtful. While Caleb learns to bite his tongue, set out coffee, and realign his priorities, his wife, Catherine, completely ignores each gesture. By day 20 he breaks; he can’t do it. That’s when the real love story begins.

This powerful story of a spouse transformed as he read The Love Dare is making people want that 40-day challenge for themselves. Churches want it for their marriage classes, and marriage and family counselors want it for couples. In time for the movie’s release, churches, groups, and classes are ordering by the bulk to extend the conversation the movie starts.

The Love Dare and Fireproof come from the creators of Facing the Giants, the 2006 movie that surprised the film industry by showing in 1,010 theaters and earning $10.1 million at the box office using an all-volunteer cast from Sherwood Baptist Church where the Kendricks are associate pastors. To date, the Facing the Giants DVD has sold 1.5 million copies in 14 languages in 58 countries (on every continent!). Fireproof and Facing the Giants are marketed and distributed by Provident Films and Sony Pictures.

B&H Publishing Group, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources, produces some of today’s most sought-after books, Bibles, church supplies, and multimedia products. From its original core of Bibles, textbooks, and reference titles, B&H has developed into a major publisher of Christian living, fiction, youth, history, academic, reference, and electronic products. B&H is home to bestselling authors Beth Moore, Henry Blackaby, Gary Chapman, Oliver North, Chuck Norris, Vicki Courtney, Dan Miller and Thom S. Rainer.

Learn more at www.LoveDareBook.com

Read our interview with Stephen Kendrick here.

Tim Downs' Less Than Dead Ugly Dog Contest!

To celebrate the upcoming release of his next "Bugman" novel, Tim Downs is hosting an Ugly Dog contest at his website. Yes, you read that right. :)

Says Tim in his newsletter... "email us a photo of your favorite glamour-impaired pooch and qualify to win a copy of Less than Dead autographed by the author. We'll post the contributors' photos on the contest page each week as we receive them, so check back to keep track of the competition. Contest ends Nov 1, so hurry!"

Think your pooch is ugly? Maybe his/her will win you a free book! Click here to visit the contest page on Tim's site.

Read our interview with Tim here.
Read our review of First the Dead here.

Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher

Coming in 2009 from Travis Thrasher and FaithWords.

Keep up-to-date at Travis' blog here.

No summary available yet.

Blaggard's Moon by George Bryan Polivka

Coming in March 2009 from Harvest House is Legend of the Firefish author George Bryan Polivka's next novel. He continues his tradition of swashbuckling action in this next tale.

Summary:

From the author of highly praised Trophy Chase Trilogy comes this exciting swashbuckling tale of a pirate sentenced to die for the crime of mutiny.

As he awaits his fate, this pirate (none other than the delightful Smith Delaney from the Trophy Chase Trilogy) ponders his life and the events that have brought him to this fate.

In the process of remembering, and in grappling with mercy and justice as they have been played out in his life, a tale is spun, a tale of true hearts wronged, noble love gone awry, dark deeds done for the sake of gold, and sacrifices made for love. In the end, our pirate will come face–to–face with himself, with his own death, and with a God who promises grace where none is deserved.

Readers of Christian fantasy will once again be swept away by Bryan Polivka’s compelling storytelling abilities. As Publisher’s Weekly said of the author’s first book, “readers will be flipping pages eagerly.”

Read our review of The Legend of the Firefish here.
Read our review of The Hand that Bears the Sword here.
Read our review of The Battle for Vast Dominion here.

Lynn Spears video about Through the Storm

Watch Lynn Spears talk about her new book Through the Storm, coming on September 16th by Thomas Nelson. She talks about growing up, her greatest regret, what she thinks of the moniker "stage mom", fame, her motivations for the book, and more.

Fantasy Fiction Tour promo video

Sharon Hinck on the Harvest Show!

Nothing But Trouble by Susan May Warren

Coming early next year from Tyndale is Susan May Warren's next book. Here's how she describes it in an interview with Annette M. Irby.

I’m so excited about my new series – I’m calling it the misadventures of PJ Sugar, PI-wannabe. It’s the story of a bad-girl gone good who returns to her hometown ten years after being run out of town for a crime she didn’t commit. She returns home hoping to start fresh, and ends up right back where she started – getting caught up in a murder, and eventually landing back in the county jail, again for a crime she didn’t commit. Can PJ Sugar ever escape trouble, or is she destined to be known as Nothing But Trouble. (And that’s the name of the book). I’m working on a fun website now, and will have it up with previews, etc, in a few weeks. It’s the first in what I’m calling the “PJ Sugar- Trouble” series. And it’s got all my favorite elements – romance, suspense, a strong spiritual thread and lots of good humor. It hits the shelves in February.

Exposure by Brandilyn Collins

Coming in May 2009 from Zondervan is Brandilyn Collins' novel Exposure.

Here's the back cover copy:

When Your Worst Fear Comes True

Someone is watching Kaycee Raye. But who will believe her? Everybody knows she’s a little crazy. Kaycee’s nationally syndicated newspaper column pokes fun at her own paranoia and multiple fears. The police in her small town are well aware she makes money off her experiences. Worse yet, she has no proof. Everything she “sees” disappears.

Maybe she is going over the edge.

Then real danger strikes someone close to Kaycee. And her own disturbing incidences escalate. Are the two related? Is she responsible for it all? Kaycee’s world is about to explode.

High action and psychological suspense collide in this story of terror, twists, and desperate faith. The startling questions surrounding Kaycee pile high. But her descent to answers may prove more than she can survive.

Read our interview with Brandilyn here.