Brandilyn & Amberly Collins Live Like A Rock Star Contest!

Know any teens age 13-18? Tell them about the “Live Like a Rock Star” sweepstakes, sponsored by Zondervan to promote Always Watching, my young adult suspense novel co-written with my daughter, Amberly. Entry into the sweepstakes is easy. And each entrant can enter up to ten times, resulting in a greater chance to win.

Grand Prize: $850 night out on the town, including dinner for six at a restaurant of winner’s choice, and limo service for the evening. The first 200 entrants will receive a free copy of Always Watching.

*TO ENTER SWEEPSTAKES, go here.

Join The Rayne Tour Series Fan Club at Facebook.

Watch the book trailer.


Always Watching—Rayne Tour Series book #1
Seatbelt Suspense® for young adults.
This daughter of a rock star has it all—until murder crashes her world.

During a concert, sixteen-year-old Shaley O’Connor stumbles upon the body of a friend backstage. Is Tom Hutchens' death connected to her?

Frightening messages arrive. Paparazzi stalk Shaley. Her private nightmare is displayed for all to see. Where is God at times like this?

As the clock runs out, Shaley must find Tom's killer—before he strikes again.

“Mother and daughter team Brandilyn and Amberly Collins have stormed onto the YA scene in exhilarating style with this great new series. Always Watching is a fast paced whodunit set against the intriguing backdrop of rock star celebrity .... Shaley’s struggle to balance her public status with her true identity is one of the most interesting aspects of this story. [Brandilyn Collins’] adult fans will find much to rave about here, while new teen readers will love the youthful voice and perspective that Amberly Collins brings to the table. Underlying the tension and dread is a strong spiritual message about trusting in the God who is always watching over us.”

—Jake Chism, The Christian Manifesto

Howard Books Moving and Letting Go of Staff

According to Christian Retailing, Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, is moving from Louisiana to Nashville, TN.

Unfortunately, this means much of the current staff will be let go. Vice President and founder John Howard and his wife Chrys Howard are stepping down, effective May 1st.

Read the full piece here.

Book Trailer for Always Watching by Brandilyn & Amberly Collins

Book Trailer for The Moment Between by Nicole Baart

Read our interview with Nicole.
Read our review of Summer Snow.

New Hafer Brothers novel coming in 2010

To release in February 2010 by Thomas Nelson, Todd & Jedd Hafer have penned another humorous YA title. Here's a summary:

A poignant story of life on the road for a young stand-up comic with equal parts humor and heart.

Eighteen-year-old Drew Cody slides into his Chevy Cavalier and hits the road to pursue his dream of becoming a stand-up comic. He leaves behind stunned teachers, a worried church, and a heart-sick girlfriend named Virginia Jackson. Drew's decision hits his parents hard too-so much so that they are forced to actually speak to each other for the first time in years.

Encounters with unruly, alcohol-soaked audiences, dishonest club owners, quirky fellow comics, and amorous waitresses ensue. When Drew's agent pressures him to dirty-up his set to increase his popularity, he must decide if he will stay true to his core or succumb to the pressures of comedy's dark side.

Read our review of From Bad to Worse.
Read our review of Bad Idea.

Coming Soon from Kathryn Cushman

Coming in October 2009 from Bethany House is Leaving Tomorrow by Kathryn Cushman.

Publisher's summary:

A Powerful Drama of a Mother's Unfailing Love

Alisa Stewart feels like she's lost two sons: her eldest to a terrible tragedy and her youngest, Kurt, to a life ruined by addiction. But now Kurt has checked himself into rehab and found a healing faith that seems real. It's like he's been raised from the dead. But then a detective arrives at Alisa's door asking questions about a murder--the death of a drug dealer before Kurt entered rehab. Alisa fears losing her son again, and when she finds evidence linking him to the killing, she destroys it. Her boy is different now. He's changed and deserves a second chance. But when another man is charged with the crime, Alisa finds herself facing an impossible choice: be silent and keep her son or give up everything for the truth.

Read our interview with Kathryn.
Read our review of A Promise to Remember.

Robin Shope novel to be a movie!

Author Robin Shope and Salty Earth Pictures have recently announced Shope's novel The Christmas Edition is to be a feature film.

Wisconsin newspaper The Daily Union online has run a piece which says in part:

Salty Earth Pictures has announced that it will begin filming a new feature movie later this year, with Fort Atkinson serving as the on-screen setting.

The non-profit film company based in Fort Atkinson specializes in producing Biblically-based entertainment, including such shows as the family-friendly comedy series "Fifth Pew From the Front" and the puppet-populated "Movie Critters" and its follow-up 30-minute series.

Company founder Steve Zambo announced the feature film will be based on the novel, "The Christmas Edition," which was written by Robin Shope. Shope, an author now living in Dallas, Texas, has written a series of novels that are set in Wisconsin, known as The Turtle Creek Edition series.

...Without revealing too much of the story, "The Christmas Edition" movie will be based on a struggling family-owned business in a small Wisconsin town. It focuses on relationships, secrets, trust, faith and the hope that Christmas and its message provide.

"The Christmas Edition is one of her series of books, like The Valentine Edition and The Easter Edition," Zambo explained. "They all take place in Wisconsin."

Zambo recalled how one day, he received an invitation via Facebook to do the movie adaptation.

"I had known she was an author because a mutual friend had written some other books with her," Zambo said. "So I joined, and she said 'take a look at my books.' I did, and right about then we had made the decision to make some more features, like our project 'Scrooge's Next Christmas.' But that is a bigger budget movie, and we needed a bridge picture, like the movie 'Facing the Giants,' which was filmed by a small group in Georgia."

So Shope sent Zambo the books, read by his daughter.

"She knew we needed to do a picture that we could do within a reasonable budget, and my daughter said, 'Here Dad, read this.'

And Zambo decided to adapt The Christmas Edition for the screen.

Read the full article here.

Read our interview with Robin.
Read our review of The Christmas Edition.

Jerry B. Jenkins & Stephen King on cover of Writer's Digest

Says Jerry at his blog:

Several years ago my assistant buzzed me and said, “Stephen King on the line for you.”

I have any number of friends who would pull such a prank, but I fought the urge to say, “John Grisham here.”

It turned out that it was really him. We happened to have the same audio reader (a brilliant voice actor named Frank Muller) who performed our books on tape and disc. Frank was about my age but had married late and had kids the age of my grandkids. In the fall of 2001 he’d had a horrible motorcycle accident and was left severely brain damaged. I showed up on Stephen King’s radar because we were both trying to help out.

...During the conversation I said, “It may surprise you to know that I’m a reader of yours.” I told Stephen that while I wasn’t into horror fiction, I had read many of his short stories and that The Green Mile was one of my favorite novels.

He said, “It may surprise you to know that I’m a reader of yours.”

Surprised doesn’t begin to describe it. Frank had given him copies of some of the Left Behind series.

=====
The May/June issue of Writer's Digest magazine features Jerry and Stephen in a candid interview/conversation where they talk about their writing (including each of them commenting on the other's work), their processes, and much more. Be sure to pick up a copy!

Read our interview with Jerry B. Jenkins.
Read our review of Riven by Jerry B. Jenkins.

First look at Whirlwind by Robert Liparulo

Book #5 in the Dreamhouse Kings series won't release for a bit yet, but we thought you'd like a peek at the cover!

Read our 2nd interview with Robert.
Read our 1st interview with Robert.

Read our review of House of Dark Shadows, Book #1 in the Dreamhouse Kings series.

Read excerpt of House of Dark Shadows.

Navy Justice series released in audio!

The first three novels of the Navy Justice Series, Treason, Hostage and Defiance, have new been released on audio! The books are read by the British narrator James Evans.

If you'd like to listen to portions of the prologue for each novel, you can online, without having to make a purchase! Simply click the link associated with the novel, and then click "Sample" under the cover picture for the book.



Links:

Treason
Hostage
Defiance

Read our review of Defiance.