CFBA: Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy

Song Stuck on the Brain: Without You by Harry Nilsson

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


Rhythm of SecretsKregel Publications (December 22, 2010)


by


Patti Lacy


MY TAKE:

I'm enjoying this one very much, but I haven't completed the book yet, so be patient with me and I'll be back with a full review.



ABOUT THE BOOK:


Sheila Franklin has masqueraded as the precocious daughter of avant-garde parents in colorful 1940s New Orleans, a teen desperate for love and acceptance, and an unwed mother sent North with her shame.

After marrying Edward, Sheila artfully masks her secrets, allowing Edward to gain prominence as a conservative pastor. When one phone call from a disillusioned Vietnam veteran destroys her cover, Sheila faces an impossible choice: save her son and his beloved…or imperil Edward’s ambitions.

Inspired by a true story, The Rhythm of Secrets intermingles jazz, classical, and sacred music in a symphony trumpeting God’s grace.


Endorsements:

“A vibrant journey across time in search of the greatest truth of all: grace.”—Tosca Lee, author of Havah: The Story of Eve and Demon: A Memoir

“No longer a ‘well-kept secret,’ Patti Lacy is a master storyteller who speaks to the soul with a powerful and unique rhythm, weaving a tale so emotionally rich that story and reader become one.”—Julie Lessman, author of The Daughters of Boston series and A Hope Undaunted

“Patti Lacy pens another beautifully written story in The Rhythm of Secrets. I couldn’t put it down!”—Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of The Black Cloister

“The Rhythm of Secrets is a stirring story of faith and endurance that will keep readers turning the page until every last secret is revealed.”—Tina Ann Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us and Rose House


If you would like to read an excerpt of Rhythm of Secrets, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patti Lacy, Baylor graduate, taught community college humanities until God called her to span seas and secrets in her novels, An Irishwoman's Tale and What the Bayou Saw. She has two grown children and a dog named Laura. She and her husband can be seen jog-walking the streets of Normal, Illinois, an amazing place to live for a woman born in a car. For more information, visit Patti's website at http://www.pattilacy.com/, her blog at www.pattilacy.com/blog, and her Facebook daily Artbites.

CFBA: Digitalis by Ronie Kendig

Song Stuck on the Brain: Breakeven by The Script

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
DigitalisBarbour Publishing, Inc.(January 1, 2011)
by
Ronie Kendig

MY TAKE:

I've been anxiously waiting for the next book in the Discarded Hero series. I loved the first book Nightshade and I knew from the minute I read the last page, that Colton "Cowboy" McNeely was the one I wanted read more about. YAY! I'm so happy to have my wish come true. Ronie has done a fantastic job building great suspense around real heroes that are also real men. I feel like I got it all. Excitement, suspense, emotion, faith and heart. And a really good looking man too! I know he's cute, I've been picturing him since I read book one. Although I have to say the cover just isn't what I had in mind. :) This was a fantastic follow up, I can't wait to read more from Ronie.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Step into the boots of a former Marine in this heart-pounding adventure in life and love. Colton “Cowboy” Neeley is a Marine trying to find his footing as he battles flashbacks now that he’s back home. Piper Blum is a woman in hiding—from life and the assassins bent on destroying her family. When their hearts collide, more than their lives are at stake. Will Colton find a way to forgive Piper’s lies? Can Piper find a way to rescue her father, trapped in Israel? Is there any way their love, founded on her lies, can survive?


If you would like to read an excerpt of Digitalis, go HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!!

This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series began in July 2010 from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.

This is the second book in the series.

CSFF: Dragons of the Valley by Donita K. Paul

Song Stuck on the Brain: Dream On by Aerosmith

Today, the CSFF blog tour is featuring:

Dragons of the Valley

by

Donita K. Paul

MY TAKE:

Pardon me while I take a moment to do my Snoopy dance... There, all better. Can you tell how excited I am to finally have the next dragon book in hand? (Or, to be proper, the second book in the Chiril Chronicles.) My entire family and most of my friends are drooling over the fact I got to read it first.

Donita has an amazing way with story telling. She's like the classic bard that can share the words and make them come to life in front of you. Wizard Fenworth has nothing on her. Besides an incredibly rich world of races and creatures, there runs a very powerful story about God and His plan for our lives. The depth of her message is so moving, and yet you don't feel like you're being drawn into a religious debate. Instead, your hearing parables and seeing lessons learned by example and experience. The stories have no age boundaries, they really are for everyone and her fan base proves that over and over.

And now that I've finished Dragons of the Valley, I'm back to waiting on pins and needles all over again for the next dragon book.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

War threatens the peaceful land of Chiril… can one painter-turned-reluctant-swordsman really help?

With an invasion of her country imminent, Tipper Schope is drawn into a mission to keep three important statues from falling into the enemy’s clutches. Her friend, the artist Bealomondore, helps her execute the plan, and along the way he learns to brandish a sword rather than a paintbrush.

As odd disappearances and a rash of volatile behavior sweep Chiril, no one is safe. A terrible danger has made his vicious presence known: The Grawl, a hunter unlike any creature encountered before.

To restore their country, Tipper, Bealomondore, and their party must hide the statues in the Valley of the Dragons and find a way to defeat the invading army. When it falls to the artistic Bealomondore to wield his sword as powerfully and naturally as a paintbrush, will he answer Wulder’s call for a champion?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Donita K. Paul retired early from teaching school, but soon got bored! The result: a determination to start a new career. Now she is an award-winning novelist writing Christian Romance and Fantasy. She says, “I feel blessed to be doing what I like best.”

She mentors all ages, teaching teenagers and weekly adult writing workshops.

“God must have imprinted 'teacher' on me clear down to the bone. I taught in public school, then home schooled my children, and worked in private schools. Now my writing week isn’t very productive unless I include some time with kids.”

Her two grown children make her proud, and her two grandsons make her laugh.

Be sure to visit Donita K. Paul on her blog by clicking HERE.

Visit the other tour members blogs to read more:

Gillian Adams
Noah Arsenault
Amy Bissell
Red Bissell
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Keanan Brand
Morgan L. Busse
CSFF Blog Tour
Amy Cruson
D. G. D. Davidson
Amber French
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McDermott
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
James Somers
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Dave Wilson

CFBA: Angel Harp by Michael Phillips

Song Stuck on the Brain: Your Love by Brandon Heath

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


Angel HarpFaithWords (January 26, 2011)


by


Michael Phillips


MY TAKE:

Michael Phillips has long been one of my favorite authors. I think it's because when you read one of his novels you take a journey. It's not just a good tale, it's an exploration of culture and land and people. Angel Harp is a good example of this. Scotland itself becomes a main character, impressing itself on Marie. Molding and shaping her with it's spirit and rawness that speaks so clearly of God's presence.

Angel Harp isn't a book to zip through quickly, it's meant to be enjoyed and savored like a good cup of tea. (Although I prefer coffee...Ack, my Scottish ancestors just rolled over in their graves.) Marie Buchan's journey is admirable and eye opening, as is the stories of the many new friends she makes. I really enjoyed the journey.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Widowed at 34, amateur harpist Marie "Angel" Buchan realizes at 40 that her life and dreams are slowly slipping away. A summer in Scotland turns out to offer far more than she ever imagined! Not only does the music of her harp capture the fancy of the small coastal village she visits, she is unexpectedly drawn into a love triangle involving the local curate and the local duke.

The boyhood friends have been estranged as adults because of their mutual love of another woman (now dead) some years before. History seems destined to repeat itself, with Marie in the thick of it. Her involvement in the lives of the two men, as well as in the community, leads to a range of exciting relationships and lands Marie in the center of the mystery of a long-unsolved local murder. Eventually she must make her decision: with whom will she cast the lot of her future?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Angel Harp, go HERE



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.

Flight of Shadows by Sigmund Brouwer

Song Stuck on the Brain: Million Pieces by The Newsboys

Today I'm touring a book I received free for review from WaterBrook Multnomah through their Blogging for Books program.




Flight of Shadows: A Novel

by

Sigmund Brouwer

MY TAKE:

Flight of Shadows, Sigmund Brouwer's follow-up to Broken Angel, was a very pleasant surprise. I'd read Broken Angel and enjoyed it, but had no idea that a sequel had been written. Reading Flight of Shadows was like stumbling across a group of long lost friends. Finding Caitlyn, Billy, and Theo again, and joining them on this new journey was perfect.

Brouwer's depiction of our near future is indeed dismal, with the worst in humanity on display from politics to religion. But through it all runs a very firm strand of hope. This may be speculative fiction, a story that begs us to look a little deeper at our true nature and how close we all walk the line between good and evil, but it's also a fantastic, fast paced, nail-biting read that keeps you up to all hours of the night.

I dare you not to find a part of yourself that identifies with genetically manipulated Caitlyn, or gentle giant Billy, or even street savy Razor, in some way. It's the sign of a truly gifted writer, that character's become people who live and breathe in our minds. Paper images of our own hidden thoughts and fears that allow us to imagine 'what if'. Alter egos of a sort, that give us the opportunity to explore new worlds and learn the great lessons in life, all while encouraging us to look past the evil in the world and see the hope that is still there for all to receive.

This is definitely speculative fiction at it's best.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Her genetic secret could change humanity forever.
Her DNA grants her the ultimate power.
But all she wants is to disappear.

Looming buildings rise into the sky of a near-future America, shadowing the desperate poverty of the soovie parks, death doctors, and fear bombs. In this world of walled cities, where status matters most, Caitlyn Brown is desperate to remain invisible, wrongly believing what she needs to hide is the deformity on her back. The powerful want her for so much more.

She’s forced to take flight again, relying on the help of Razor, a street-smart illusionist she can’t trust. Her only hope is to reach friends already tracked by government.

With a twisted bounty hunter in full pursuit, she and Razor begin to learn the unthinkable about her past and the unique gifts of her DNA. It leads Caitlyn to a choice between the two men who love her, and whether to keep her freedom or sacrifice herself to change human destiny.

In this lightning-fast chase through an all-too-plausible future, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer is at his best. Flight of Shadows is a terrifying ride into the heart of compelling moral questions about science and society.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen novels with nearly three million copies in print. His recent novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC's Good Morning America. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.

CFBA: Someone to Blame by C.S. Lakin

Song Stuck on the Brain: You Are by Jason Castro

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
Someone To BlameZondervan (September 21, 2010)
by
C. S. Lakin


MY TAKE:

I didn't opt in to review this book due to scheduling constraints, but I present it for your own interest. Let me know if you've read the book and what you thought.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

In the wake of heartrending family tragedies, Matt and Irene Moore move with their fourteen-year-old daughter, Casey, to a small town. Their goal is to get far away from the daily reminders that leave each of them raw and guilt-ridden. Their hope is to find redemption, repair, and renewal. Instead, the threads that hold them together unravel even more.

Breakers, a small community perched on the rocky coast of the Pacific Northwest, is draped with cold isolation that seems to mirror the hearts. As they settle into their new life, old grief settles with them. Matt is always on edge and easily angered, Irene is sad and pensive, and Casey is confused and defiant. They've once more set the stage for calamity. Into this mix comes Billy Thurber, a young drifter with his own conflicts, whose life unexpectedly entangles with the Moores'.

His arrival in Breakers parallels a rash of hateful and senseless crimes, and soon the whole town -- eager for someone to blame -- goes after Thurber with murderous intent. Out of this dangerous chaos, however, the Moores find unexpected grace and healing in a most unlikely way.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Someone To Blame, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

C. S. Lakin is a novelist and professional copyeditor and writing coach. She is currently working on her eleventh novel, a contemporary family saga drawn from the biblical story of Jacob. Someone to Blame(Zondervan), an intense relational drama and winner of the 2009 First Novel contest, released in October 2010, and she is also the author of the allegorical adult fantasy series The Gates of Heaven, featuring The Wolf of Tebron and the upcoming release The Map Across Time (March 2011). She is currently completing her tenth novel and developing a dog memoir of epic proportion.

Spencer and his yo-yo.

Song Stuck on the Brain: I Am... I Said by Neil Diamond

I was visiting This Week In MOM, an entertaining blog about Moments in Motherhood, checking out all the cute videos of kids. Which, there are several that cracked me up. But I saw this amazing 8 year old and his yo-yo and had to share it. Visit their website and check out some of the other cute kids.

CFBA: Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake

Song Stuck on the Brain: Theme from How to Train Your Dragon

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


SerendipityBethany House (August 1, 2010)


by


Cathy Marie Hake

MY TAKE:

I chose not to review this book this month because of scheduling issues, but I think it looks like a very good read. So here is the info for you to decide for yourself. Please let me know if you've read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Todd Valmer should have known better. A farmer who's been through several disasters, he travels to Virginia to fetch his widowed mother to cook and help him around his Texas farm...or that was the plan until she keels over on the train and they get kicked off.

Maggie Rose barters for a living and also makes soaps, lotions, and perfumes with a special rose recipe passed down from mother to daughter for generations. She hasn't wanted to marry...until that handsome Texan shows up.

Her heart skips a beat, and when he proposes, a hasty marriage follows. What ensues, however, is a clash of culture and a battle of wills--and it's clear they both mistook instant attraction and infatuation for love. As their marriage loses its sparkle and fills with disillusionment, Todd and Maggie must determine what is worth fighting for. He dreams of a farm. Maggie wants to fulfill the family tradition with her rose perfumes.

Todd's mother, however, has entirely different plans for her son that do not include Maggie. In light of their hasty marriage and mistaken dreams, is there any hope of recapturing their love and building a future together?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Serendipity, go HERE.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Known for surfing across the kitchen on a dropped dill pickle slice, waterskiing on sea anemone spit, and using Right Guard® as hair spray; she considers herself living proof that God does, indeed, possess a healthy sense of humor.

Cathy loves classical music, romantic getaways with her husband, and Diet Pepsi Free®. "I need chocolate to survive, love my friends, and enjoy a deep personal relationship with the Lord. Although an extrovert, I'm very conservative on a personal level."

In her writing, Cathy attempts to capture a unique glimpse of life and how a man and woman can overcome obstacles when motivated by love. In her inspirational pieces she enjoys the freedom of showing how Christ can enrich a loving couple's relationship.

Cathy Marie Hake is a registered nurse who worked for many years in an oncology unit before shifting her focus to perinatal care. The author of over twenty novels, she lives with her husband and two children in Anaheim, California.

CFBA: Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Song Stuck on the Brain: All For Love by Bryan Adams, Sting and Rod Stewart

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
Courting Miss AmselBethany House (January 1, 2011)
by
Kim Vogel Sawyer


MY TAKE:

I didn't know at the time I requested to review this book, how poignant it would become. Miss Edythe Amsel is a wonderful and loved teacher, and in a lot of ways she reminded me of my first teacher. I attended a two room school from kindergarten through 6th grade. Two trailers attached in an L shape sat in the field next to our church in the VERY small farming community of Atherton, MO. Mrs. Corn was my first teacher and we all loved her to pieces. She was kind and full of creative ideas for learning. Among other things, I learned to cook in a wok, plant tomatoes, and make faux stained glass with crayon shavings ironed between sheets of wax paper. She encouraged my love of reading and believed every one of her students were full of potential.

So when I learned that Mrs. Corn succumbed to her illness and went home to be with Jesus last weekend, I thought two things. Say hello to Dad for me, and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to know Carolee Corn.

Kim Vogel Sawyer has created a character in Miss Amsel that will live in readers minds. It was a heartfelt story with real life and love portrayed with a generous touch of humor and grace. I loved the story and I especially appreciate it's tribute to the special bond between student and teacher.





ABOUT THE BOOK:

Edythe Amsel is delighted with her first teaching assignment: a one-room schoolhouse in Walnut Hill, Nebraska. Independent, headstrong, and a strong believer in a well-rounded education, Edythe is ready to open the world to the students in this tiny community. But is Walnut Hill ready for her?

Joel Townsend is thrilled to learn the town council hired a female teacher to replace the ruthless man who terrorized his nephews for the past two years. Having raised the boys on his own since their parents' untimely deaths, Joel believes they will benefit from a woman's influence. But he sure didn't bargain on a woman like Miss Amsel.

Within the first week, she has the entire town up in arms over her outlandish teaching methods, which include collecting leaves, catching bugs, making snow angels, and stringing ropes in strange patterns all over the schoolyard. Joel can't help but notice that she's also mighty pretty with her rosy lips, fashionable clothes, and fancy way of speaking.

When Edythe decides to take her pupils to hear Miss Susan Anthony speak on the women's suffrage amendment, the town's outcry reaches new heights. Even Joel isn't sure he can support her newfangled ideas any longer. And if he can't trust her to know how to teach the boys, how can he trust her with his heart?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Courting Miss Amsel, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren.

CFBA: The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

Song Stuck on the Brain: Only Hope by Mandy Moore

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


The Girl in the GatehouseBethany House (January 1, 2011)


by


Julie Klassen


MY TAKE:

Julie Klassen has done it again. Her latest novel blew me away. You don't have to be a Janite (Jane Austen Fan) to appreciate how fantastic The Girl in the Gatehouse is, but if you are a Janite than you are definitely going to appreciate the extra tidbits and finer points of this novel. I enjoyed the quotes from the era's well known writers, although the quote from Nathaniel Hawthorne made my nerves screech. Men! Other historical bits were fun to learn as well, like the recipe to make ink. All of it cleverly entwined without missing a beat in the plot.

What impresses me about Julie's stories, is the depth and humanity that we see in each character. Each one has their own past full of secrets and regrets, things that make society cringe, and yet in Julie's hands they become people we love and care about. Each finding a new path toward forgiveness and second chances. The intricacy of her research and plot just make the characters shine, like jewel s set in perfectly wrought precious metals. I become a bigger fan with each new book and can't say enough to encourage you to read all of her books. Trust me, you can't read just one.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made.

When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans. The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Girl in the Gatehouse, go HERE

Check out these other titles by Julie Klassen as well:

For those of you with a Kindle, you can download The Apothecary's Daughter for FREE on Amazon. Click HERE to check it out.







ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie says: My background is in advertising and marketing, but I am blessed with a dream job—working as an editor of Christian fiction. I have been writing since childhood, but Lady of Milkweed Manor was my first novel. It was a finalist for a Christy Award and won second place in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards. My second novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, was a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year awards. I am currently writing one novel a year.

I graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends.

My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.

CFBA: Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer

Song Stuck on the Brain: Give Me a Sign by Gavin Mikhail

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
Paradise ValleyBethany House (January 1, 2011)
by
Dale Cramer

MY TAKE:

Due to schedule constraints, I didn't choose to review this book. I think it's worth sharing with my readers though, so here is a brief look.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

An Amish settlement in Ohio has run afoul of a law requiring their children to attend public school. Caleb Bender and his neighbors are arrested for neglect, with the state ordering the children be placed in an institution. Among them are Caleb's teenage daughter, Rachel, and the boy she has her eye on, Jake Weaver. Romance blooms between the two when Rachel helps Jake escape the childrens home.

Searching for a place to relocate his family where no such laws apply, Caleb learns there's inexpensive land for sale in Mexico, a place called Paradise Valley. Despite rumors of instability in the wake of the Mexican revolution, the Amish community decides this is their answer. And since it was Caleb's idea, he and his family will be the pioneers. They will send for the others once he's established a foothold and assessed the situation.

Caleb's daughters are thrown into turmoil. Rachel doesn't want to leave Jake. Her sister, Emma, who has been courting Levi Mullet, fears her dreams of marriage will be dashed. Miriam has never had a beau and is acutely aware there will be no prospects in Mexico.

Once there, they meet Domingo, a young man and guide who takes a liking to Miriam, something her father would never approve. While Paradise Valley is everything they'd hoped it would be, it isn't long before the bandits start giving them trouble, threatening to upset the fledgling Amish settlement, even putting their lives in danger. Thankfully no one has been harmed so far, anyway.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Paradise Valley, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dale Cramer was the second of four children born to a runaway Amishman turned soldier and a south Georgia sharecropper's daughter. His formative years were divided between far-flung military bases, but he inherited his mother's sense of place—

He took on small construction projects at night to help make ends meet— "and to preserve the remainder of my sanity," he says. While building an office in the basement of a communications consultant, a debate over labor/management relations turned into an article on mutualism which found its way into an international business magazine. It was Dale's first published article, and he liked the feel of it. He bought books, studied technique, and began participating in an online writers' forum, writing during the boys' naps and after they went to bed at night. Before long he was publishing short stories in literary magazines and thinking about writing a book.

Three storylines vied for Dale's attention when he finally decided to write a novel. His first two choices were commercially viable secular stories, and a distant third appeared to be some kind of Christian saga about a broken-down biker. The process of determining which novel to write was settled by a remarkable encounter with his youngest son, a lost set of keys, and God. His sense of direction was suddenly clarified. In 1997, Dale began work on Sutter's Cross, which was eventually published in 2003.

His second novel, Bad Ground (July 2004), while it is not autobiographical, contains a great deal of material drawn from his own experience as a construction electrician.

He and his wife and two sons make their home in northern Georgia.

CSFF: The Wolf of Tebron by C.S. Lakin

Song Stuck on the Brain: In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins

This month the CSFF proudly tours:

The Wolf of Tebron

Book 1 in the Gates of Heaven Series

by

C.S. Lakin

MY TAKE:

Unfortunately for me, I didn't opt in soon enough to receive a copy of this book for review. However, I want to read it very much and plan to get a copy as soon as possible. Since there's no reason for you all to miss out on a great book just because I'm slow on the uptake, I'm sharing the info with you without a personal review. Let me know if you've read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Joran dreams of living a simple life as a blacksmith in his forested village of Tebron. But when his wife, Charris, disappears in a whisk of magic, his dream shatters as he is forced to go on a perilous journey to the ends of the world to rescue her.

The goose woman tells him he must solve the riddle of the three keys, and will wear out three pairs of shoes before he battles the Moon—who has trapped Charris in a sand castle perched above the sea. Dismayed and fearful, Joran sets out alone, but along the way finds unlikely companionship in a wolf named Ruyah, who becomes his guide and trusted friend. In true fairytale tradition, Joran must face daunting challenges—within and without— in order to bring Charris safely home.

*********

The Gates of Heaven series celebrates the reinvention of the fairy tale in the tradition of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. These hopeinspiring tales, replete with unforgettable characters and engaging plots, will delight readers of any age, reawakening the simple joy of a tale well told.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

C. S. Lakin writes novels in numerous genres, focusing mostly on contemporary psychological mysteries and allegorical fantasy. Her novel, Someone to Blame (contemporary fiction), won the 2009 Zondervan First Novel competition 2009, with a publication date of October 2010 and soon to be followed by a prestigious Christy Award nomination.

Lakin’s three fantasy novels in the Gates of Heaven series have been contracted with AMG-Living Ink Publishers. The first book in the series, The Wolf of Tebron, released July 2010. The Map across Time (March 2011) and The Land of Darkness (September 2011) are the next installments to follow in this stand-alone series of fairy tales for adults.

Her contemporary mystery, Innocent Little Crimes, made the top one hundred finalists in the 2009 Amazon Breakout Novel Award contest, earning her a Publisher’s Weekly review that noted her book was “a page-turning thrill-ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through.”

Lakin grew up collating television scripts for her screenwriter mother. As an adult, Susanne assisted in developing series for television, and while raising two daughters and running a bed and breakfast inn in northern California wrote her first three novels and a cookbook. She currently works as a freelance copyeditor and writing mentor, specializing in helping authors prepare their books for publication. She is a member of The Christian PEN (Proofreaders and Editors Network), CEN (Christian Editor Network), San Francisco Editors Guild, CAN (Christian Authors Network—regular blogger), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), and two regional writers’ groups. She edits for individuals, small publishing companies, and literary agents, guest blogs of the craft of writing, and is an occasional contest judge.

She recently completed her ninth book: Conundrum (her fourth psychological mystery) and her tenth: The Unraveling of Wentwater, book four in the fantasy series. She has also written the first book in a Young Adult sci-fi adventure series: Time Sniffers. She is currently writing Intended for Harm, a contemporary take-off on the biblical story of Jacob and Joseph.

To learn more about this great new Fantasy/Allegory series, visit the other tour members sites:

Noah Arsenault
Amy Bissell
Red Bissell
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Andrea Graham
Nikole Hahn
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Shannon McDermott
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
John W. Otte
Chawna Schroeder
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler