CFBA: Rare Earth by Davis Bunn

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:  Rare EarthBethany House Publishers (July 1, 2012) by Davis Bunn



MY TAKE:

What a fantastic follow up to the Marc Royce story line! Action packed, intelligent, and so realistic I felt like I was with him in Africa. (That may have to do with our record breaking over 100 temps, but fantastic writing nonetheless.) I couldn't put it down. In fact my only, "WHAT?" moment was as I read the last sentence. There's not a strong romantic thread in the story, but it's there and it's integral to Marc's character. Just when you think you might have an answer to that romantic line.... Nope, have to wait till later. SO, Mr. Davis Bunn. When might we see Marc Royce again and will we every find the answer to his romantic situation? I hope so. Romance or not, this was a fantastic read, proving once again why he's one of my favorite authors.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Marc Royce stares out of the helicopter, a sense of foreboding rising with the volcanic cloud. Below, the Rift Valley slashes across Africa like a scar. Decades of conflicts, droughts, and natural disasters have left their mark.

Dispatched to audit a relief organization, Royce is thrust into the squalor and chaos of Kenyan refugee camps. But his true mission focuses on the area's reserves of once-obscure minerals now indispensable to high-tech industries. These strategic elements--called rare earth--have inflamed tensions on the world's stage and stoked tribal rivalries. As Royce prepares to report back to Washington, he seizes on a bold and risky venture for restoring justice to this troubled land.
But this time, Royce may have gone too far.


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


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in North Carolina, Davis left for Europe at age twenty. There he first completed graduate studies in economics and finance, then began a business career that took him to over forty countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Davis came to faith at age 28, while living in Germany and running an international business advisory group. He started writing two weeks later. Since that moment, writing has remained both a passion and a calling.
Davis wrote for nine years and completed seven books before his first was accepted for publication. During that time, he continued to work full-time in his business career, travelling to two and sometimes three countries every week. His first published book, The Presence, was released in 1990 and became a national bestseller.
Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Warning, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt.

A sought-after speaker in the art of writing, Davis serves as Writer In Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University.

CFBA: Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn

Song Stuck on the Brain: Baby by Justin Beiber. Thanks to my 14 yr old niece, this song has been stuck for 2 days straight. Very catchy.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


Lion of Babylon
Bethany House (July 1, 2011)


by


Davis Bunn


MY TAKE:

I'm never disappointed by a Davis Bunn novel. They're always well researched and the action is faster than a sandstorm rising in the desert. Lion of Babylon delivers just as fast. The politics are detailed but not overwhelming. You don't have to be an expert on the Middle East to 'get' the story. Culture, landscape, military procedure and lingo are fed in wonderful digestible little bites that just make you want to devour the book a little faster. A very compelling story and a powerful glimpse of a world that may be foreign to us, but not to the many American soldiers that live in the Sandbox.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Marc Royce works for the State Department on special assignments, most of them rather routine, until two CIA operatives go missing in Iraq--kidnapped by Taliban forces bent on generating chaos in the region. Two others also drop out of sight--a high-placed Iraqi civilian and an American woman providing humanitarian aid. Are the disappearances linked? Rumors circulate in a whirl of misinformation.

Marc must unravel the truth in a covert operation requiring utmost secrecy--from both the Americans and the insurgents. But even more secret than the undercover operation is the underground dialogue taking place between sworn enemies. Will the ultimate Reconciler between ancient enemies, current foes, and fanatical religious factions be heard?

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


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in North Carolina, Davis left for Europe at age twenty. There he first completed graduate studies in economics and finance, then began a business career that took him to over forty countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Davis came to faith at age 28, while living in Germany and running an international business advisory group. He started writing two weeks later. Since that moment, writing has remained both a passion and a calling.

Davis wrote for nine years and completed seven books before his first was accepted for publication. During that time, he continued to work full-time in his business career, travelling to two and sometimes three countries every week. His first published book, The Presence, was released in 1990 and became a national bestseller.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Warning, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt.

A sought-after speaker in the art of writing, Davis serves as Writer In Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University.

The Black Madonna by Davis Bunn

I have another great book to tour today. A complete opposite in genres, but just as exciting.

The Black Madonna (Storm Syrrell Adventure Series)

by

Davis Bunn

My Take:

I'm a big fan of Davis Bunn. He never fails to deliver all he promises and so much more. In this case it's a giant dose of intrigue, suspense and action. Toss in the bonus of religious antiquity and history and how can you not be hooked? Storm Syrrell is a fantastic character that I connected with right away. I hesitate to say more, just because I don't want to give away anything good. But there is a reason why Davis Bunn's novel's sell so well, and why he's known as the "Gentleman Adventurer". He's worth spending your precious time and money on. Enjoy the read.

About The Book:

"Gentleman Adventurer" Davis Bunn delivers an international thriller of elusive treasure, desperate measures, and a race against death's clock with The Black Madonna. Capitalizing on the successful introduction of Storm Syrrell in Gold of Kings, Bunn brings Syrrell back for this epic tale.

Antiquarian Storm Syrrell is in desperate need of cash. When a nameless, faceless client calls her with a request to track down a non-existent antique rumored to bear miraculous healing in its being, Storm should say no. But the man's pockets are deep.

What desperation leads a man to pay millions for a glimpse of hope?

Antiques expert Storm Syrrell heads to Europe to investigate the clandestine trade in religious artifacts. She dismisses superstitious tales of miraculous healings and divine omens. Yet when an obsessive Russian oligarch calls—just as her friend Harry Bennett vanishes—all assumptions must be cast aside. Storm seeks answers in a medieval monastery. There, the scarred visage of an icon provokes ever more startling questions. Is she prepared to confront both earthly and spiritual powers? Storm remains haunted by lessons in love and betrayal that lie just outside her grasp. But hesitation now holds mortal consequences.

About the Author:

Known by his fans as the, "Gentleman Adventurer" Davis Bunn is a multi-award winning best-selling author who consistently delivers engaging stories and thrilling adventures. He has served as the Novelist in Residence at Oxford University for the past ten years and was recently invited into BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

Davis Bunn is a lover of adventure in many forms, including his decades-long involvement in surfing (yes, he's been bitten by a shark). Fluent in three languages, Bunn's travels include Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He and his wife, Isabella, divide their time between homes in England and Florida's West Coast.

Learn more about the unique life and mind of Davis Bunn atwww.DavisBunn.com.

I received a copy of this book for free to review from Glass Roads PR. I wasn't paid for my praise. Are you kidding? Why would I pass up a chance to read a book from one of my favorite authors? and for free to boot. I'm more than happy to share my honest praise in return for a free book. :)

CFBA: The Centurion's Wife by Janette Oke & Davis Bunn

Song Stuck on the Brain: Broken Vow by Josh Groban

Today's book is written by a couple of my fav authors, so I'm thrilled to be sharing this with you. Enjoy!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
The Centurion's Wife
by
Davis Bunn and Janette OkeBethany House Publishers (January 1, 2009)





ABOUT THE BOOK:

Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist's perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity...and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma.

Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first-century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil--facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions.

Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death--and missing body--is causing such furor.

This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, the story unfolds the testing of loyalties--between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Centurion's Wife, go HERE



ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Davis Bunn is an internationally acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences span reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include My Soul To Keep, and Full Circle. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was named Novelist in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.


Her first novel, a prairie love story titled Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. This book was followed by more than 75 others.

After Love Comes Softly was published, Oke found her readers asking for more. That book led to a series of eight others in her Love Comes Softly series. She has written multiple fiction series, including The Canadian West, Seasons of the Heart and Women of the West. Her most recent releases include a beautiful children's picture book, I Wonder...Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb and The Song of Acadia series, co-written with T. Davis Bunn.

Janette Oke's warm writing style has won the hearts of millions of readers. She has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medallion Award, The Christy Award of Excellence, the 1992 President's Award for her significant contribution to the category of Christian fiction from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and in 1999 the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association International. Beloved worldwide, her books have been translated into fourteen languages.

She and her husband live nearby in Alberta, Canada.

CFBA: All Through the Night by Davis Bunn

Song Stuck on the Brain: Theme from Love Story. I heard it while watching Mummy 3 and it got stuck. Great movie by the way...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


All Through The Night


by


Davis Bunn(Bethany House - July 1, 2008)

MY TAKE:

I've been a Davis Bunn fan since he was marketed as T. Davis Bunn. He's such a talented writer. His works span the genres, from The Gift or The Song of Acadia series written with Janette Oke, to works like the Priceless Collection series and The Lazarus Trap. No matter what genre he's writing in, I find myself hooked.

Beyond the Night was no exception. In fact, it may have even gone a little beyond my initial expectations. The characters were so real I felt the pages flutter with their every breath. The plot was fresh and gripping. I love that it starts off with such a bang, not but six chapters in and Wayne has solved the first scam and is riding to the rescue to save the day.

The action had me hooked, but the relationships between Wayne and his new friends were inspiring and thought provoking. I love the bet he makes with elderly Victoria, a great opener for the many lives that cross his path later in the book.

I really can't say enough about this book. I was impressed and it will be a long time before Wayne Grusza fades into the shadows of my memory - Special Ops trained or not.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A loner, trying to forget. A community--and a woman--who need for him to remember...
Broken relationships and unfulfilled promises scatter themselves across Wayne's past like burned-out craters. His background in military special-ops is something he's trying to forget. But when he gets himself sweet-talked into helping a quirky group of seniors who've been scammed, he discovers it will take a lot more than muscle and nerve. Breach a conman's high-security estate to recover stolen money? No problem. Become part of community? Love again? Not on your life.

A lawyer with her own painful past is intrigued by Wayne and asks him to take on another unusual case--Tatanya's wealthy employer believes he's been visited by...an angel? Did a messenger from God in a pinstripe suit truly bring a divine warning, or is this merely another cruel hoax? Tatanya is willing to trust Wayne with her boss's life, but she's not sure she's ready to trust him with her own wounded heart.

With a financial analyst's skills and a warrior's tenacity, Wayne races to unmask dangerous forces hiding behind a corporate veil. But he will need all his resources--and then some--against an unseen enemy bent on destroying his fragile bid for a second chance at life...and love.

All he wanted was to put his past behind him. But now it's the only thing that will save them...

If you would like to read the first chapter of All Through The Night, go HERE


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Davis Bunn is an internationally-acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences spans reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include My Soul To Keep, and Full Circle . A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was named Novelist in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.