CFBA: Abigail's New Hope by Mary Ellis

Song Stuck on the Brain: Lamb of God by Twila Paris

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


Abigail's New Hope
Harvest House Publishers (April 1, 2011)



by



Mary Ellis

MY TAKE:

Mary Ellis presents a unique story with this first book in the Wayne County Series. Abby is placed in a position that any of us would dread - risk breaking the law and possibly save a life or stand by and do nothing. Abby's choice to use a drug she's not licensed to administer was brave, and in my mind the same choice I would have made. Was it right? What if she had never asked to be given the drug in the first place? Tough questions. And they're made harder when she must come to terms with them while in jail facing prison time.

Prison would scare most anyone, but the contrast of an Amish woman being placed in such a foreign situation, made the issue much stronger. I think the author did an admirable job of addressing some difficult issues; like grief, forgiveness, guilt, faith and obedience. And to balance it out, she wove in 3 beautiful love stories. Each in a different phase. Cat and Isaiah and their blossoming romance, Abby and Daniel a young family being tested, and Nathan and Ruth Fisher in the memory of what once was.

Humor, romance and Faith woven in fine fashion. Great read.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

As an Amish midwife, Abigail Graber loves bringing babies into the world. But when a difficult delivery takes a devastating turn, Abigail is faced with some hard choices. Despite her best efforts, the young mother dies—but the baby is saved.

When a heartless judge confines Abigail to the county jail for her mistakes, her sister Catherine comes to care for her children while Daniel works his fields. Catherine meets Daniel’s reclusive cousin, Isaiah, who’s deaf and thought to be simple minded by his community. She endeavors to teach him to communicate and discovers he possesses unexpected gifts and talents.

While Abigail searches for forgiveness, Catherine changes lives and, in return, finds love, something long elusive in her life. And Isaiah discovers God, who cares nothing about our handicaps or limitations in His sustaining love.

An inspirational tale of overcoming grief, maintaining faith, and finding hope in an ever-changing world.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Abigail's New Hope, go HERE.

Watch the book trailer:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from the author:I grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish community of Geauga County, where my parents often took me to farmers’ markets and woodworking fairs. My husband and I now live within the largest population of Amish in the country–a four-county area in central Ohio. We love to take weekend getaways to purchase farm produce and other goodies, stay with Amish families in bed and breakfasts, attend country auctions and enjoy the simpler way of life.

This is my first series of novels set in the Amish community.

I would love to hear from readers of Christian novels. Please leave me a post at my blogsite.

CFBA: Tea for Two by Trish Perry

Song Stuck on the Brain: Sing Sweet Nightengale from Cinderella

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
Tea For Two
Harvest House Publishers (April 1, 2011)
by
Trish Perry

MY TAKE:

Tina and Zack's courtship is so much fun. The awkward dance of two people testing the waters, the flirting and the heartfelt connection they find. Trish Perry did a great job with the characters. Incorporating the teenagers into the relationship journey from the beginning was a nice touch.

On a more personal note, it always feels odd to read a book like this and realize I'm the same age as the heroine and yet she and all of the supporting cast have been married and divorced already. Or at least most of them. I appreciated Edie's character being a single, never married woman, but her romance wasn't the focus of the story. I loved the blossoming relationship between Zack and Tina, but it would be nice if the Edie's of this world got more focus. Maybe we'll get her story next. Not every 30 something female has been married once already.

My personal relationship history (OR lack thereof) aside. I thoroughly enjoyed Tea for Two.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Zack Cooper tries his best to raise his children, but he's losing his grip on them in their teen years. They've both had scrapes with the local law.

Tea Shop owner Milly Jewel has the perfect woman in mind to help Zack. Counselor Tina Milano meets weekly at the tea shop with her women's group. Milly encourages Zack and Tina to work together to draw the teens back before they get in even hotter water. Milly never thought things might heat up between Zack and Tina. Or did she?

Tina's connections with the Middleburg police department prove a mixed blessing for Zack and his kids. Both her best friend and old boyfriend are officers on the force.

And when Tina's women's group gets wind of her personal pursuits and clashes, they want to help. The group's meetings at the tea shop take on a slightly different flavor. Tina wonders who, exactly, is counseling whom.

Although heroine Tina Milano and her women's group are mentioned in The Perfect Blend (the first book in this series), Tea for Two is where we meet her and hero Zack Cooper. I knew I would write this book while I wrote the first, so it was fun to plant a passing mention of Zack and Tina while I wrote Steph's story in The Perfect Blend. By the time I was able to write Tina and Zack's story, I was eager to unfold their lives, conflicts, and love. I hope readers will be eager to experience what happens to them!

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

Watch the Book Video:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from our Author: I started writing short stories—pretty bad ones. And I started taking creative writing courses to round out my degree. So I was in classes full of people just like me—lousy writers. But we were learning!

Then the Lord led me to a local writers' group, Capital Christian Writers, and the contacts and friends I made through CCW enriched my personal life and my writing life more than I can measure. Through CCW and through reading just about every book and magazine ever published by Writer's Digest, I started catching on. Now I'm writing full time and man oh man do I love it.

Before the writing began, I worked for attorneys in Washington, D. C. I worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission. And I was a stockbroker. A horrible stockbroker. How do people do that? Take responsibility for other people's financial futures? Yikes. I'm perfectly happy to take responsibility for the amount of time any one person wants to spend reading my books. If you enjoy the experience, then know that we both enjoyed it together. I love that about books.

In the midst of all that fretting over other people's money and writing about other people's lives, I racked up a few personal experiences myself. Some good, some bad, but all part of God's plan. Now I'm an empty nester living in Northern Virginia. My brilliantly funny son is in college. I have a savvy, gorgeous grown daughter, a charming son-in-law, and an amazing grandson.

Tales of the Dim Knight by Adam and Andrea Graham

Song Stuck on the Brain: Firework by Katy Perry


Today I'm doing a special review as part of the tour for:

Tales of the Dim Knight

by

Adam and Andrea Graham

MY TAKE:

Mild-mannered janitor and superhero fanboy Dave Johnson gets all his wishes at once when a symbiotic alien gives him supernatural powers. But what's he to do with them? Follow his zany adventures as he fights crime and corruption while trying to keep his family together and avoid being sued for copyright infringement.

Adam and Andrea Graham have created a unique and delightful adventure. Dave Johnson is every fanboy's wish come true and truly relatable in more ways than might be first imagined. The story is funny and insightful. It's satire and fantasy/SciFi the way it was meant to be written together.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Follow this link to read the first chapter of Tales of the Dim Knight yourself. If you're wondering if Tales of the Dim Knight would be a good read for your child, check out what the author's have to say about that HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Adam Graham is a multi-talented author known for his wit and poignancy. His political column appears on Pajamasmedia.com and Renew America. He also has short stories published in the anthology Light at the Edge of Darkness, and in the Laser & Sword e-zine. He hosts the Truth and Hope Report podcast, as well as the Old Time Dragnet Radio Show, Great Detectives of Old Time Radio and the Old Time Superman Radio Show. Mr. Graham holds a general studies Associate of Arts degree from Flathead Valley Community College with a concentration in Journalism. He tweets at @idahoguy, @dimknight and @radiodetectives. Andrea Graham co-authored Adam’s first novel, Tales of the Dim Knight. Her short story “Frozen Generation” also appeared in Light at the Edge of Darkness. She studied creative writing and religion at Ashland University. Visit her online at POVbootcamp.com and Ask Andrea, or follow her tweets @povbootcamp.

Adam and Andrea live with their cat, Joybell, in Boise , Idaho . They are members of several writers groups, including Lost Genre Guild and American Christian Fiction Writers. Adam is president of their local ACFW chapter, Idahope.

CFBA: Wolves Among Us by Ginger Garrett

Song Stuck on the Brain: I Told You So as sung on AI by Lauren and Scotty

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
Wolves Among Us
David C. Cook; New edition (April 1, 2011)
by
Ginger Garrett

MY TAKE:

Okay, I admit, I've not finished this one yet. Overtime at work derailed my reading schedule. However, can I say, WOW. I'm really enjoying this novel. I love the detail, the depth of characterization and the intensity of the story. Well done.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

This richly imagined tale takes readers to a tiny German town in the time of “the burnings,” when pious and heretic alike became victims of witch-hunting zealots. When a double murder stirs up festering fears, the village priest sends for help. But the charismatic Inquisitor who answers the call brings a deadly mix of spiritual fervor and self-deceptive evil. Under his influence, village fear, guilt, and suspicion of women take a deadly turn. In the midst of this nightmare, a doubting priest and an unloved wife—a secret friend of the recently martyred William Tyndale—somehow manage to hear another Voice…and discover the power of love over fear. Dinfoil, Germany, 1538. In a little town on the edge of the Black Forest, a double murder stirs up festering fears. A lonely woman despairs of pleasing her husband and wonders why other women shun her. An overworked sheriff struggles to hold the town—and himself—together. A priest begins to doubt the power of the words he shares daily with his flock. And the charismatic Inquisitor who arrives to help—with a filthy witch in a cage as an object lesson—brings his own mix of lofty ideals and treacherous evil. Under his influence, ordinary village fears and resentments take a deadly turn. Terror mounts. Dark deeds come to light. And men and women alike discover not only what they are capable of, but who they are…and what it means to grapple for grace. If you would like to read the first chapter of Wolves Among Us, go HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ginger Garrett is the author of the Chronicles of the Scribes series (In the Shadow of Lions, In the Arms of Immortals, In the Eyes of Eternity), Dark Hour, and Beauty Secrets of the Bible. Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther was recognized as one of the top five novels of 2006 by the ECPA. Focusing on ancient women's history, Ginger creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. A frequent media guest and television host, Ginger has been interviewed by Fox News, Billy Graham's The Hour of Decision, The Harvest Show, 104.7 The Fish Atlanta, and many other outlets.

A graduate of Southern Methodist University with a degree in Theater, she is passionate about creating art from history. Ginger resides in Georgia with her husband and three children.