Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Betrayed by J.M. Windle

About The Book:

Fires smolder endlessly below the dangerous surface of Guatemala City’s municipal dump.

Deadlier fires seethe beneath the tenuous calm of a nation recovering from brutal civil war. Anthropologist Vicki Andrews is researching Guatemala’s “garbage people” when she stumbles across a human body. Curiosity turns to horror as she uncovers no stranger, but an American environmentalist—Vicki’s only sister, Holly.

With authorities dismissing the death as another street crime, Vicki begins tracing Holly’s last steps, a pilgrimage leading from slum squalor to the breathtaking and endangered cloud forests of the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere. But every unraveled thread raises more questions. What betrayal connects Holly’s murder, the recent massacre of a Mayan village, and the long-ago deaths of Vicki’s own parents?

Nor is Vicki the only one demanding answers. Before her search reaches its startling end, the conflagration has spilled across international borders to threaten an American administration and the current war on terror. With no one turning out to be who they’d seemed, who can Vicki trust and who should she fear?

A politically relevant tale of international intrigue and God’s redemptive beauty and hope.

Illuminating Fiction's Comments:

With rich characterizations and vivid imagery, J. M. Windle transported me to the mountains of Guatemala and kept me enthralled right up to the last page of Betrayed. Journey with Vicki into a world of discovery, breathing in a mix of beauty and squalor, as she uncovers her past amidst an international conspiracy. Revealing the truth could cost Vicky her life.

About The Author:

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. Currently based in Lancaster, PA, Jeanette has lived in six countries and traveled in more than twenty. She has more than a dozen books in print, including political/suspense best-seller CrossFire and the Parker Twins series.

Visit Jeanette’s Web site: http://www.jeanettewindle.com/

Buy The Book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414314744/

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Adam by Ted Dekker

About The Book:

He died once to stop the killer . . . now he's dying again to save his wife.

FBI behavioral psychologist Daniel Clark has become famous for his well-articulated arguments that religion is one of society’s greatest antagonists. What Daniel doesn’t know is that his obsessive pursuit of a serial killer known only as “Eve” is about to end abruptly with an unexpected death-his own.

Twenty minutes later Daniel is resuscitated, only to be haunted by the loss of memory of the events immediately preceding his death.

Daniel becomes convinced that the only way to stop Eve is to recover those missing minutes during which he alone saw the killer’s face. And the only way to access them is to trigger his brain’s memory dump that occurs at the time of death by simulating his death again . . . and again. So begins a carefully researched psychological thriller which delves deep into the haunting realities of near-death experiences, demon possession, and the human psyche.

"As always with a Ted Dekker thriller, the details of ADAM are stunning, pointing to meticulous research in a raft of areas: police and FBI methods, forensic medicine, psychological profiling-in short, all that accompanies a Federal hunt for a serial killer. But Dekker fully reveals his magic in the latter part of the book, when he subtly introduces his darker and more frightening theme. It's all too creepily convincing. We have to keep telling ourselves that this is fiction. At the same time, we can't help thinking that not only could it happen, but that it will happen if we're not careful."

New York Times best-selling author Ted Dekker unleashes his most riveting novel yet . . . an elusive serial killer whose victims die of unknown causes and the psychologist obsessed with catching him.

About The Author

Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.

After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.

Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), and Obsessed, with two more...Renegade, and Chaos to be released later this year.

To learn more about Ted Dekker or join the Circle, visit his Web site: www.teddekker.com

Buy The Book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595540075

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: My Name is Russell Fink by Michael Snyder

About The Book:

Russell Fink is twenty-six years old and determined to salvage a job he hates so he can finally move out of his parents house for good. He's convinced he gave his twin sister cancer when they were nine years old. And his crazy fiancée refuses to accept the fact that their engagement really is over.

Then Sonny, his allegedly clairvoyant basset hound, is found murdered.

The ensuing amateur investigation forces Russell to confront several things at once-the enormity of his family's dysfunction, the guy stalking his family, and his long-buried feelings for a most peculiar love interest.

At its heart, My Name is Russell Fink is a comedy, with sharp dialogue, characters steeped in authenticity, romance, suspense, and fresh humor. With a postmodern style similar to Nick Hornby and Douglas Coupland, the author explores reconciliation, forgiveness, and faith in the midst of tragedy. No amount of neurosis or dysfunction can derail God's redemptive purposes.

About The Author:

Michael Snyder has spent the bulk of his professional career in sales, has fallen in love, and continues to struggle with the balance between art and vocation. He's never investigated a murder, much less that of an allegedly clairvoyant dog.

Visit Michael's Web site: http://snyderman.blogspot.com/

Buy The Book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310277272

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Christian Writers' Market Guide 2008 by Sally Stuart

About The Book:

The essential reference tool for the Christian writer, Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide is now in its 23rd annual edition!

Writers’ Conference listings, Book Publishers, Magazine Publishers, and a Bookstore filled with the resources you need to be successful in this business. Get a Book Contract or Manuscript Evaluation, and check out the Writer’s Resource links. This book has all you need to connect to all these valuable helps for the beginning, intermediate, or professional writer.

To keep you up to date with the latest marketing news, visit Sally Stuart’s new marketing blog, Christian Writers’ Marketplace, at http://www.stuartmarket.blogspot.com/.

About The Author:

Sally Stuart has been writing for the last 40+ years, and has been putting out the annual "Christian Writers' Market Guide" for the last 23 years. Her other writing includes several Christian education resources books, a children's picture book, a basic writing text, writing resources, and a western novel--plus hundreds of articles and marketing columns. She writes marketing columns for the "Christian Communicator," "Advanced Christian Writer," and the Oregon Christian Writers' Newsletter. She speaks and teaches at Christian Writers' Conferences nationwide. Sally is the mother of 3 and grandmother of 8. She and her husband, Norm, spend their free time vacationing on the Oregon coast.

Check out her blog!

A new, updated version of the Christian Writers’ Market Guide is available about January 15 each year.

Buy The Book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400074614

Spotlighting: Chosen by Ted Dekker

Illuminating Fiction Review:

Can four teenagers really save humanity if they throw everything to the wind to follow their hearts?

Johnis believes so. And so does Thomas Hunter, supreme commander of the Forest Guard.

It’s been thirteen years since the Colored Forests gave way to desert. Elyon’s followers now live in seven scattered forests, each forest containing a lake of life-giving water which the forest dwellers depend on to fight off the dreaded skin disease of the Horde.

But the skin disease isn’t the only danger Elyon’s chosen people face.

The Horde army is now 400,000 strong. Word has reached Thomas Hunter that the Horde plans to attack from the east in four days time. With only 20,000 eligible Forest Guard fighters left, Thomas is forced to lower the recruiting age from eighteen to sixteen in order to boost the Guard’s ranks.

Of the new recruits, four are hand picked by Thomas to become squad leaders. Before Johnis, Darsal, Billos, and Silvie can receive their commission, they must undertake one final test. Thomas sends them on a mission that takes them to the edge of the desert on the west side of the forest, but it soon becomes clear to Johnis that the west is not as safe from the Horde as Thomas thought.

Johnis must make an agonizing choice when he unexpectedly meets with creatures long deemed as legend. Can he really turn his back on Thomas and the Forest Guard to follow his heart?

Can he convince Silvie, Darsal, and Billos to follow him deeper into the desert in search of the six missing Books of History while keeping their mission a secret from everyone, including Thomas?

The answer to these questions can be found in the pages of Chosen, book #1 of Ted Dekker’s new Circle Series.

Building on his successful Circle Trilogy, Dekker reintroduces readers to the world they came to love in Black, Red, and White. The battle between good and evil continues as Elyon’s chosen are pitted against the Horde and the Shakaiki once again. The lovable Roush, who remain committed to helping and guiding the forest dwellers, also reappear.

Although the Circle Series will be marketed as Young Adult novels, older readers need not worry. Dekker is in his element with this new tale. His talent for creating memorable characters and alternate realities merge to make Chosen a book that will appeal to all ages.

The main characters in this series may be teenagers, but their struggles are timeless and universal. Forest life has forced them to enter adulthood earlier than today’s society. Not only is sixteen marriageable age, but now they are required to protect their villages in combat. Their decisions will shape their future, and that of all humanity. Their story explores themes which include following your heart, the search for truth, and yes, the enduring battle between good and evil.

Already acquainted with Dekker’s alternate reality? Your mission is to journey forward from the Circle Trilogy and embrace the continuing battle unfolding against the Dark One.

Unfamiliar with Roush and Shakaiki? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to pick up copy of Chosen and enter a reality that, under the skin, is much like ours.

And remember… think with your heart.

Buy This Book:

Spotlighting: Coach's Midnight Diner

Coach’s Midnight Diner: The Jesus Vs. Cthulhu Edition
A Hardboiled Genre Anthology with a Christian Slant

A hardboiled anthology of horror, mystery, and paranormal fiction, Coach's Midnight Diner is the faith-based anthology readers have been waiting for. With full allowance for artistic freedom, Diner authors pull no punches.

Entrees of Jesus Vs. Cthulhu Fiction by Chris Mikesell, Kevin Lucia, Neil A. Riebe, and Jens Rushing highlight the first edition of Coach's Midnight Diner, but there's so much more on the menu.

We'll server up horror fiction by Editor's Choice Award winner Robert N. Jennings, J. Mark Bertrand, Melody Graves, Nathan Knapp, and Caroline Misner.

Side orders of Crime, Mystery, and Detective Fiction by Charles Browning, Suzan Robertson, R.M. Oliver, S.J. Kessel, Michael Medina, and Mike Dellosso will have you trying to guess who the culprit is until the very end. We'll quench your thirst for Paranormal Fiction with stories from Mike Duran, Robert Garbacz, Matt Mikalatos, and Paul Luikart.

And for dessert, Jennifer J. Edwards and Linda Gilmore bring stories from That One That Happens in A Diner.

Coach's Midnight Diner will satisfy your appetite for thrills and quench your thirst for something a little deeper than your average fare.



“Long before the rise of Christian publishing, marketing departments, and book committees domesticating content to appeal to the sensibilities of evangelical audiences, Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote novels filled with profound Christian truths. However, his characters were a dark and colorful bunch including murderers, the mentally challenged, gamblers, seditionists, and prostitutes. Fyodor's painted his characters with such a dark brush that one wonders if "The Possessed", "Crime and Punishment", or "The Brothers Karamazov" would be publishable in today's Christian market.

Coach Culbertson and the creative minds at ccPublishing are hoping to change all that with COACH'S MIDNIGHT DINER, an anthology of "horror, mystery, crime, and paranormal goodness." Like Dostoevsky's universe, the pages of the diner are filled with murders, strippers, demons, debauched pastors, trolls, alcoholics and a host of other unlikely purveyors of divine truth.”
-Larry Shallenberger, Author of Divine Intention

Book Details:

Title: Coach’s Midnight Diner: The Jesus Vs. Cthulhu Edition
Editors: Coach Culbertson, Vennessa Ng
Category: Horror, Mystery,
ISBN: 978-0979228445
Format: Trade paperback
Publication Date: Aug 2007
Pages: 276
Cover Price: $20.00
Trim: 9.4 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
Available from: Ingram’s, Baker and Taylor

Buy The Book:

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Try Dying by James Scott Bell

About The Book

On a wet Tuesday morning in December, Ernesto Bonilla, twenty-eight, shot his twenty-three-year-old wife, Alejandra, in the backyard of their West 45th Street home in South Los Angeles. As Alejandra lay bleeding to death, Ernesto drove their Ford Explorer to the westbound Century Freeway connector where it crossed over the Harbor Freeway and pulled to a stop on the shoulder.

Bonilla stepped around the back of the SUV, ignoring the rain and the afternoon drivers on their way to LAX and the west side, placed the barrel of his .38 caliber pistol into his mouth, and fired.

His body fell over the shoulder and plunged one hundred feet, hitting the roof of a Toyota Camry heading northbound on the harbor Freeway. The impact crushed the roof of the Camry. The driver, Jacqueline Dwyer, twenty-seven, an elementary schoolteacher from Reseda, died at the scene.

This would have been simply another dark and strange coincidence, the sort of thing that shows up for a two-minute report on the local news—with live remote from the scene—and maybe gets a follow-up the next day. Eventually the story would go away, fading from the city's collective memory.

But this story did not go away. Not for me. Because Jacqueline Dwyer was the woman I was going to marry.

In the fast-paced thriller Try Dying, lawyer Ty Buchanan must enter a world of evil to uncover the cause of his fiancée’s death—even if he has to kill for the truth.

About The Author

James Scott Bell is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He is also the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.

His book on writing, Plot and Structure, is one of the most popular writing books available today. The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense grew up and still lives in Los Angeles, where he is at work on his next Buchanan thriller.

Visit James Scott Bell’s Web site: http://www.jamesscottbell.com

Book Link

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1599956845

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Deadfall by Robert Liparulo

Illuminating Fiction Review

Walk into a computer store, check out the software department, and what do you find?

Shelf upon shelf of computer games.

And it’s not just computer stores. With PlayStation, Xbox, and a range of other devices, gaming has become a huge part of today’s culture. Browse the shelves long enough and you will find games aimed at pre-school age right through to adults.

If you think gaming is regulated to a form of entertainment, you’d be mistaken. The US Military view life-like games and simulators vital in the training of new recruits and also regard video games as a way to interest teenagers into enlisting.

With some video games also being attributed to the increase in teen violence, it stands to reason a novel would soon surface looking at the reach of today’s gaming.

Deadfall, Robert Liparulo’s latest release, is a fast paced, action thriller which combines gaming and military technology into a storyline that will have readers enthralled from start to finish.

Fiddler Falls, population 242, is about as remote as towns get. Situated in the Canadian far north, the town has no mobile phone service, landlines, cable or satellite television, or Internet. Satellite phones provide the only form of communication to the outside world. During Fall, rain makes roads impassable and isolates the town, making it the ideal spot for those who simply want to get away from it all—and those looking for a place to test a top secret weapon.

Lead by Declan Page, six visitors arrive in Fiddler Falls, bringing with them a terror unlike any the town has seen before. Intent on proving that the future of warfare lies in the technology of video games, Declan brings with him “Slacker” (SLCR), a control unit for a top secret weapon created by his father’s company. Declan and his group, largely made up of teens, use the town and surrounding area to test SLCR’s capabilities, as well as shot real life footage for a new video game set to take gaming to the next level. Declan only has one rule. Leave no witnesses.

When John Hutchison, known as Hutch, and his three closest friends needed a vacation, Hutch planned a hunting trip in the Canadian wilderness. Four men, nature, and ten days of seclusion to decompress. On the first morning, keen to hunt caribou and bring back meat for his friends, Hutch sets out. Soon the hunter becomes the hunted.

A deadly game of cat and mouse begins as Hutch races to save innocent lives and remain out of the sight of an eye in the sky.

An explosive read, Deadfall will blast holes in any action fanatics sleep pattern. Intent on only reading a chapter or two each night, I often found myself struggling to keep my eyes open many hours and many chapters later.

Although more tightly written, Deadfall lacks the storyline complexity Robert’s previous two releases contained. Reader enjoyment is carried throughout the story by hard and fast action and well developed characters. Robert also refrains from using gory descriptions as he did in Comes A Horseman and Germ, thus leaving more to the imagination, which may suit many readers.

As well as pleasing Liparulo’s existing fan base, Deadfall is bound to attract new action thriller seekers to his readership.

About The Author

Robert is an award-winning author of over a thousand published articles and short stories. He is currently a contributing editor for New Man magazine. His work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Travel & Leisure, Modern Bride, Consumers Digest, Chief Executive, and The Arizona Daily Star, among other publications. In addition, he previously worked as a celebrity journalist, interviewing Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Charlton Heston, and others for magazines such as Rocky Road, Preview, and L.A. Weekly.

Robert is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

Robert's first novel painted a scenario so frighteningly real that six Hollywood producers were bidding on movie rights before the novel was completed. His acclaimed debut novel, Comes A Horseman, is being made into a major motion picture by producer Mace Neufeld and his short story "Kill Zone" was featured in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson.

Bob has sold the film rights to his second book, GERM. He is also writing the screenplay for a yet-to-be-written political thriller, which sold to Phoenix Pictures, for Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) to direct!

He is currently working on his fourth novel.

Find out more about Robert by visiting his Web site: www.robertliparulo.com

Competitions!

A NOTE from Bob: I’d like to give away five signed copies of Deadfall to readers of CFBA blogs during my tour. All they have to do is sign up for my e-mailing list (they won’t be inundated!) by going to my website (www.robertliparulo.com) and going to the “Mailing List” page. Or email me with “CFBA giveaway” in the subject line.

And a second NOTE from Bob: I wanted to let you know that I’m holding a contest on my site:

**one winner a week till the end of the year for a signed Deadfall
**one winner a week till the end of the year for an unabridged audio MP3-CD of Deadfall
***and on Dec. 31, I’m giving away an iPod Nano, pre-loaded with an unabridged audio recording of Deadfall

Winners are selected from my e-mailing list—sign up at my site. If a winner has already purchased what he/she wins, I will reimburse them for the purchase price (or give them another—whichever they choose), so they don’t need to wait to see if they win before buying Deadfall.

Buy The Book

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785261796

The Kelli Standish Fund

Let me draw your attention to a great need, for a great person.

Kelli is one of my dearest friends; an amazing encourager, a huge supporter, with a generous, loving heart.

She is also a big supporter of Christian fiction. For a few years she ran the successful Focus on Fiction Web site. Now she works hard behind the scenes by creating amazing web sites. Kelli tirelessly works to promote authors and provide the support they need.

What many don't know is that Kelli is in need of support herself.

Kelli needs an urgent operation on her spine. Read her story at the links below, from top link to bottom link.

http://kellistandishwrites.blogspot.com/2007/10/view-from-here.html

http://kellistandishwrites.blogspot.com/2007/11/so-what-happened.html

http://kellistandishwrites.blogspot.com/2007/11/stumbling-onto-hope.html

http://kellistandishwrites.blogspot.com/2007/11/better-to-give-than-receive.html

For additional reading, check out:

http://faithatthefront.blogspot.com/2007/10/miracle-for-kelli.html

As stated in Kelli’s last blog entry, Better to Give Than Receive, literary agent Janet Kobobel Grant, has started a huge fundraising drive to help Kelli get the surgery she desperately needs. Here is what Janet writes:

Word has come of an anonymous matching grant of $10,000 for all monies raised on Kelli's behalf by November 15. If you would like to contribute, you are welcome to send checks made out to me, Janet Grant, at my address. I will collect the monies, apply the matching grant and give Kelli one check.

Books & Such Literary Agency

52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170

Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370

PayPal contributions now accepted. Please send PayPal payments to wlawton@mindspring.com. Please put "For Kelli" in the subject line.

So, there it is folks.

You may not know Kelli, but please help if you can. Even the smallest amount will add to the final balance.

Prayer is also greatly appreciated.

UPDATED:

Are you a writer? Are you looking for an editing service and hoping to pay a reasonable rate? Would you rather your money went to a good cause?

Well here is your chance!

Aotearoa Editorial Services have a limited amount of services available via auction, all proceeds going towards Kelli's operation.

Be in quick. Auctions close midnight 12 November 2007

http://kellistandishfundraiser.blogspot.com/

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter

About The Book

When Sam's estranged step-father dies, she inherits his ocean-front cottage in Nantucket--not because he kindly bequeathed it to her, but because he neglected to ever create a will. Sam returns to the island she left 11 years ago with her daughter Caden to fix up the house and sell it, but she isn't counting on is the fact that Landon Reed still lives two doors down from her childhood home. As their long-dormant romance begins to bud again, Sam must face the fact that Landon still doesn't know why she really left the island. Will the secrets she's hidden all these years tear them apart? Or is Landon's love really as unconditional as he claims?

"I've always thought Denise Hunter was an amazing writer but this wonderful story sets her firmly at the forefront of compelling love stories. How Landon breaks down Samantha's determination that she is unworthy of love kept me glued to the pages. An amazing story!" --Colleen Coble, author of Fire Dancer (Smoke Jumper Series)

About The Author

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped.

Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

In addition to Surrender Bay, the second Nantucket book releases in April 2008. The title is The Convenient Groom and features Kate Lawrence, a relationship advice columnist, whose groom dumps her on her wedding day. Denise is currently at work on the third Nantucket book (Oct 2008) which is untitled so far.

Book Link

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595542574

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Illuminated by Matt Bronleewe

About The Book

IT'S BEEN 500 YEARS IN THE MAKING . . . PREPARE TO BE ILLUMINATED . . .

August Adams has failed his family before. He's sacrificed relationships in pursuit of adventure, fame, and money. Now the very lives of those he loves depend on his ability to decipher a centuries-old puzzle encrypted in the colorful hand-painted illuminations that adorn three rare Gutenberg Bibles.

It's a secret that could yield unimaginable wealth, undermine two major religions, and change the course of Western civilization. Two ruthless, ancient organizations are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. And August has the span of one transatlantic flight to figure it out.

If he fails, those he holds most dear will die. If he succeeds, he'll destroy a national treasure.

The clock ticks, the suspense mounts, and the body count rises as August pits his knowledge and his love for his family against the clock, secret societies, and even Johannes Gutenberg himself.

"...this rare breed of suspense thriller combines mysterious hidden clues, secret societies, buried treasure, double agents, and the Knights Templar . . . if you turned National Treasure into international treasure, traded DaVinci codes for Gutenberg Bibles, married it to Indiana Jones, and added the pacing of 24 you'd be in the neighborhood of Illuminated . . . on a scale of one to 10, this one goes to 11."
-Aspiring Retail Magazine

About The Author

Matt Bronleewe is a recognized producer, songwriter, and author. The former member of the band Jars of Clay has earned numerous awards producing and co-writing albums that have sold a combined total of over 20 million copies. His songs have recently been recorded by Disney pop sensations Aly & AJ, American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, and more. Bronleewe has worked with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Michael W. Smith, international pop singer Natalie Imbruglia, and Heroes star Hayden Panettiere. Born in Dallas, Texas Bronleewe was raised on a farm in Kansas, where he lived until he left for college in 1992. At Greenville College in Illinois, Bronleewe formed the band Jars of Clay with his dorm roommate and two neighbors, and the group soon found success. Though Bronleewe opted to leave Jars of Clay early on to pursue an academic career, he soon found himself in Nashville, co-writing, producing, and playing music professionally. To add to his list of accomplishments, Bronleewe has expanded his love of story telling beyond music into authorship. He is currently penning a 5 book series for Thomas Nelson Fiction. Illuminated, in stores now, begins the adventurous series about rare manuscripts and the mysteries within. Bronleewe currently resides in Brentwood, Tenn., with his wife and three children. He continues to write and produce music, and he also volunteers through his church to help disadvantaged youth in the community. Bronleewe enjoys reading, taste-testing good food, and watching sports, as well as indulging his interests in art, architecture, design, and science.

To find out more about Matt, visit his Web site at http://www.mattbronleewe.com/

Buy The Book

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins

About The Book

Carla stared at the gun and David Thornby—or whatever his name was. Her mind split in two, one side pleading this was some sick joke, the other screaming it was all too real.

“Please. You must have the wrong person. There’s no reason for someone to want me dead. I don’t have any enemies.”

“Then you’d best rethink your friends.”

Realtor Carla Radling shows an “English gentleman” a lakeside estate—and finds herself facing a gun. Who has hired this assassin to kill her, and why?

Forced on the run, Carla must uncover the scathing secrets of her past. Secrets that could destroy some very powerful people . . .

Brandilyn Collins fans and reviewers are saying Crimson Eve is her best book yet:

“Collins tops herself by creating a suspenseful nonstop thrill ride . . . Truly the best Christian Fiction suspense title so far this year.”
– Library Journal, starred review

“Crimson Eve is Collins at her very best. It left me feeling as if I’d climbed Mount Everest without oxygen . . . I didn’t think Brandilyn could outdo herself after reading Coral Moon. She did.”
– TitleTrakk.com

“I’ve never edited a more tightly crafted, deftly woven, compellingly written book.” – a Crimson Eve editor, with 20 years experience

“This is your best book! I could not stop reading!” – one of many readers with similar responses

Read about Violet Dawn and Coral Moon, books one and two in the Kanner Lake series.

Do you know someone who’s never read a Brandilyn Collins novel? Surely no such person exists. However, should you scrounge up such a friend—someone who enjoys suspense—here’s a special offer from Brandilyn. Be among the first 50 people between now and October 21, 2007 to e-mail her assistant at gayle.brandilyncollins@gmail.com with the person’s name, e-mail address, and street address. (Due to exorbitant overseas mailing costs, United States residents only, please).

A signed copy of Crimson Eve will be sent to your friend—free—along with an e-mail from Brandilyn announcing the book is on its way, courtesy of you. (Don’t worry. Brandilyn won’t spam these email addresses. She just wants your friend to know who to thank.) No worries that this story is third in the Kanner Lake series. Each book stands alone. Brandilyn is convinced your friend will so love Crimson Eve, he/she will surely reciprocate with expensive chocolate.

About The Author

Brandilyn Collins is a 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…® ” She’s so well known in the industry, there’s actually a club for her non-readers. That’s right. The Big Honkin’ Chickens Club (BHCC) members are proud of the fact that they’re too wimpy to read Brandilyn’s intense fiction. Now and then one of them tries. Bribing works pretty well. (Just ask Deb Raney.) Somehow they live to tell the tale.

Brandilyn writes for Zondervan, the Christian division of HarperCollins Publishers, and is currently at work on her 17th book. Her first book, A Question of Innocence, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including the Phil Donahue and Leeza talk shows.

She’s also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons), and often teaches at writers conferences. Brandilyn blogs at Forensics and Faith.



To find out more about Brandilyn, and to read the first chapters of all her books, visit her Web site: http://www.brandilyncollins.com/

Buy The Book

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Nobody by Creston Mapes

About The Book

Not everything that happens in Vegas has to stay in Vegas!

They said, “He’s a nobody.”

They were dead wrong.

When reporter Hudson Ambrose hears an early morning call on his police scanner about an injured person at a bus stop on Las Vegas Boulevard, he rushes to the scene to get the scoop.

His world is blown off its axis when he discovers a murdered homeless man with a bankbook in his pocket showing a balance of almost one million dollars. Should he wait for the police, knowing the case will get lost in reams of red tape, or swipe the bankbook and take the investigation—and perhaps a chunk of the money—into his own hands?

With sirens bearing down on the scene, Hudson makes an impulse decision that whisks him on a frantic search for answers, not only about the mysterious dead man, but about the lost soul lurking within himself.

Uncovering bizarre links between a plane crash, a Las Vegas pit boss, a dirty cop, and a widowed Atlanta business mogul, Hudson is forced to find out: who was Chester Holte, what was he doing on the streets, and why are his homeless friends convinced he was an angel in disguise?

About The Author

Creston Mapes is a talented storyteller whose first two novels, Dark Star and Full Tilt, made him a finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year awards and the Inspirational Readers Choice awards. Creston has written for major corporations, colleges, and ministries, including Coca-Cola, TNT Sports, Oracle, Focus on the Family, and In Touch Ministries. Committed to his craft and his family, Creston makes his home in Georgia with his wife, Patty, and their four children.

He's been married for twenty-one years to the girl he first loved way back in fourth grade. They have three lovely girls and a boy in a very close-knit family, spending a lot of time together—watching old classic movies, going on outings, and taking in various school and community events and activities. Creston loves to go for morning walks with his dog, read, paint watercolors, meet friends for coffee and Bible study, watch hockey, take his wife on dates, and spend time in God's Word.

Visit Creston’s Web site at http://www.crestonmapes.com/

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Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: Sushi For One? by Camy Tang

About The Book

Lex Sakai’s family, big, nosy, and marriage-minded, is ruled by a crafty grandmother. When her cousin Mariko gets married, Lex will become the OLDEST SINGLE COUSIN in the clan, a loathed position by all single female family members.

Lex has not dated for years.

Grandma homes in on this fact and demands, bribes, and threatens Lex to bring a boyfriend (not just a date) to her cousin’s wedding.

Lex does not want to date ... not since that terrible incident a few years back ... but, Grandma doesn't give her that choice.

Lex's options are slim because she has used her Bible study class on Ephesians to compile a huge list of traits for the PERFECT man (and the more she dates, the more she adds to the list).

The one man she keeps running into (and is completely attracted to) doesn’t seem to have a single quality on her list. It’s only when the always-in-control Lex loses control and lets God take over that all the pieces of this hilarious romance finally fall into place.

About The Author

Camy Tang is a member of CFBA and is a loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick-lit. She grew up in Hawaii, but now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious poi-dog. In a previous life she was a biologist researcher, but these days she is surgically attached to her computer, writing full-time. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service.

Sushi for One? (Sushi Series, Book One is her first novel. Her second, Only Uni (Sushi Series, Book Two) comes out in February 2008!

To celebrate the launch of her debut novel, she's got a huge contest going on. Camy is giving away baskets of Christian novels and an iPod Nano! Only her newsletter YahooGroup subscribers are eligible to enter, so join today.

For more information about the contest, visit her Web site.

Contest ends October 31, 2007!

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Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Review: The Dead Whisper On by T.L. Hines

About The Book

Would You Run Into A Burning Building?

Candace "Canada Mac" MacHugh lives a ghost of her former life.

Once a proud Butte, Montana, miner who daily risked her life setting explosives, she's now a garbage collector in her dying hometown.

Her beloved father is dead and she doesn't speak to her mom. More than anything, Candace Mac misses her father. He promised to contact her from the "other side" if he could . . . but it's been eleven long years. And now even her beloved city of Butte, Montana, seems to be dying off.

Candace Mac is alone. Longing for the past. Dreaming of making a difference.

Until one night when her father's voice speaks to her from the shadows. Bud MacHugh's trademark growl. The dead, it seems, have messages they hunger to share with the world . . . warnings of impending disasters and grave danger. Of cities doomed to burn.

But they need Canada's help.

T.L. Hines' first novel, Waking Lazarus was named one of the Library Journal's Top 25 Genre novels of 2006. Now he's back with a gripping suspense that brings to light our fears and asks us if we still have the courage to fight for those around us. If we have the guts to be one of those who run into burning buildings.

About The Author

Tony is the author of the acclaimed Waking Lazarus. He has been an advertising agency owner/principal, a trade magazine editor, and now a novelist.

As a professional writer for more than 15 years, Tony has had articles appear in publications as varied as Log Homes, Conservative Theological Journal, and Travel & Leisure. He is also Creative Director at Montana's largest advertising agency.

His long list of past odd jobs includes trimming Christmas trees, sorting seed potatoes, working the graveyard shift at a convenience store, and cleaning cadaver storage rooms.

As a teen he was undefeated in air guitar competitions in which he performed songs by ZZ Top.

He lives in Montana with his wife and daughter.

Visit Tony’s Web site to learn more about him and his books: http://www.tlhines.com/

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