Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Pattern of Wounds Bethany House (July 1, 2011) by J. Mark Bertrand



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Mark Bertrand lived in Houston, where the series is set, for fifteen years, earning an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. But after one hurricane too many he relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota. Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of one hung jury and served on another that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead.







ABOUT THE BOOK

It's Christmas in Houston, and homicide detective Roland March is on the hunt for a killer. A young woman's brutal stabbing in an affluent neighborhood bears all the hallmarks of a serial murder. The only problem is that March sent the murderer to prison ten years ago. Is it a copycat -- or did March convict the wrong man?



Alienated from his colleagues and with a growing rift in his marriage, March receives messages from the killer. The bodies pile up, the pressure builds, and the violence reaches too close to home. Up against an unfathomable evil, March struggles against the clock to understand the hidden message in the pattern of wounds.

My Thoughts:

"Find the book and I'll find the killer." (p. 17)

I'm sure Detective Roland March wishes locating killers was as easy as locating a book by the end of this story!! This rather eclectic man is searching for a lot of answers in this story that don't come easily nor readily. The reader will amass clues, but they don't lead to the person that you think they should lead to! Or do they?

Mark Betrand has further developed Detective March's character in this second novel, and the reader can't help but like him and hope that he will eventually find the peace he is looking for. (although he doesn't realize that that's what he is searching for) The murders in this story are disturbing for many reasons, but for March they recall events that he would really rather move away from. But can he?

I had the honor of interviewing Mark Bertrand this week at the International Christian Retail show in Atlanta, and I will be sharing what I learned very soon. It was a real pleasure to meet Mark and learn more about his writing and the stories that are dear to his heart. I am happy to recommend Pattern of Wounds!

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

Vigilante by Robin Parrish

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Vigilante Bethany House (July 1, 2011) by Robin Parrish



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Parrish wants to take you on a ride.



A wild ride -- which is exactly what you're in for when you pick up one of his books. And he's adamant that it will never be the same kind of experience twice.



Robin's stories mix, mingle, and meld various genres together to create thoroughly original suspense/thrillers. His Dominion Trilogy, for example, mashed up superhero action, secret societies, ancient myths, and an apocalyptic setting to create an entirely new take on the classic "hero's journey." Offworld mixed science fiction and an end-of-the-world scenario with high-octane action. Nightmare, his 2010 novel, is a spine-tingling examination of the world of the paranormal, paired with can't-put-it-down mystery. His 2011 novel, Vigilante, is an action-packed story about a soldier who sets out to change the world. Later this year, he's releasing his first ever Young Adult novel, titled Corridor.



Always pushing the envelope, ever on the edge of where modern storytelling is going, Robin Parrish will gladly and unapologetically tell you that he's an entertainer, a weaver of stories that ignite the mind and delight the heart. Defying labels and refusing pigeonholes, his imagination is fueled by the possibilities of asking "What if…?", and as anyone who's read his work knows, he has a very big imagination.



His influences as a novelist range from television and film storytellers like Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams, to masters of the modern myth like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Akin to Philip K. Dick's search for the meaning of identity, most of what Robin writes about boils down to his own ponderings and examinations of just what this thing we call "existence" is.



Robin is a full time writer. He and his wife Karen and two children live in High Point, NC.



"Robin Parrish is a keen-eyed, passionate pop cultural savant,

whose writing is as incisive and insightful as it is entertaining."

- Allan Heinberg, Executive Producer, Grey's Anatomy


MY THOUGHTS:

Oh man! If you like Batman-like heroes who want to change the world for God...read this book!! If you have teens in your home that love adventure and a good read...get this book! My teens INHALED this book and RAVED about it!! I connected with the characters and was rooting for them all the way!!

Get the book!! Get the book!!




ABOUT THE BOOK

Nolan Gray is an elite soldier, skilled in all forms of combat. After years fighting on foreign battlefields, witnessing unspeakable evils and atrocities firsthand, a world-weary Nolan returns home to find it just as corrupt as the war zones. Everywhere he looks, there's pain and cruelty. Society is being destroyed by wicked men who don't care who they make suffer or destroy.



Nolan decides to do what no one else can, what no one has ever attempted. He will defend the helpless. He will tear down the wicked. He will wage a one-man war on the heart of man, and he won't stop until the world is the way it should be.



The wicked have had their day. Morality's time has come. In a culture starving for a hero, can one extraordinary man make things right?



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

I'm Attending the International Christian Retail Show This Next Week!!

Already, I've met Susan Meissner at dinner, spotted Jeneatte Windle in the hallway of the hotel, and I have three of the most incredible days of interviews lined up that there are not EVEN words to express my excitement!!

I'm here with the most generous, godly lady from Mocha With Linda - so I am doubly blessed!!

Stay tuned folks!! Life on this blog is about to be UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Veiled Rose Bethany House (July 1, 2011) by Anne Elisabeth Stengl



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she enjoys her profession as an art teacher, giving private lessons from her personal studio, and teaching group classes at the Apex Learning Center. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. Heartless is her debut novel.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Rose Red trusts no one with her secret. She hides in the forest, her face veiled in rags, shunning the company of all save her old father and her nanny goat. Her life is bleak and lonely.



Until she meets a privileged young man sent to spend his summer in the mountains. Leo, a lonely lad, befriends Rose Red, and together they begin hunting for the Mountain Monster which, rumor says, stalks these lands.



But the hunt which began as a game holds greater risk than Leo supposes. Rose Red can scarcely guess at the consequences should he insist on continuing his search. Dare she trust him with her secret? Or tell him what dwells at the top of the mountain in the cave only she can find?



Above all, when Leo asks Rose Red to leave the mountain and follow him to the low country, dare she agree and risk the wrath of a Monster that is all too real?


My Thoughts:
Okay, if you've followed my blog for any time, you know I struggle with the fantasy genre, but I keep trying just because I want to understand and enjoy it. That said, Veiled Rose really is an exceptional story! I enjoyed the fact that the author lets the reader enjoy the characters through a number of years, and she makes the transition of time easy for the reader to follow. The relationship between Rose (Rosie) and Leo is particularly poignant, and I loved the truth that was revealed through their friendship.


There are dragons and other "fantasy" type scenarios that readers will enjoy. There is an amount of danger and intrigue as well that adds tension and drama. Quite honestly, this is a very impressive and entertaining debut novel! I am happy to recommend it to you!



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

Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn - REVIEWED

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Lion of Babylon
Bethany House (July 1, 2011)
by
Davis Bunn



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.



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?


My Thoughts:

"The rifle slots fought the air-conditioning, letting in city smells of diesel and dust and sizzling lamb. And charcoal. And tobacco. And a thousand other things, all of which carried a chili-hot spice of menace.” (p. 68)


With word pictures as only Davis Bunn can paint, the reader is plunged into the heart of the most turbulent place on the planet! At first, the reader is given two different scenarios – missing missionaries and a missing child. Only a few chapters in, the stories are woven together to form an intricate web of danger and intrigue that will keep the pages turning at a very brisk pace!!



Marc Royce is a somewhat tragic character in this story. He has already suffered immense heartache, and lost a job that pumped life into his veins. It is only on the back end of personal loss, that he is contacted and asked to find a personal friend and intelligence agent that has gone missing. In tandem, Sameh, an Iraqi Christian and lawyer, is pursuing the tip of a very large iceburg – missing and kidnapped children. Sameh has also been contacted by a very powerful and ominous person, and like Royce, his loyalties become torn and conflicting almost immediately.


Both men are in a very dangerous game within a war-torn country, seeking ever elusive answers to very difficult questions. Whether they survive the story is anyone’s guess! Literally!! If you enjoy exploring dangerous situations in the heart of Baghdad itself, hurry and pick up a copy of Lion of Babylon today!! You won’t want to miss this latest thriller from Davis Bunn!!




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

Happy 4th of July!!

My all of my readers enjoy a safe and happy 4th of July!! Thank God today for the freedoms we enjoy in this country!!

Martha by Diana Wallis Taylor - REVIEWED

About the Book: (from the publisher)

She has spent her life caring for others--will she ever find someone who will cherish her?

Martha's entire life is marked by her responsibilities to her family. In the absence of her mother, she runs the household, makes the meals, cares for her father, and attempts to keep her absentminded younger sister on task. In the midst of her duties, will she ever find time to live her own life--or find her own love?

This touching, well-researched portrayal of Martha of Bethany, sister of Mary and Lazarus, unveils the woman within the Bible character. Through Diana Wallis Taylor's lush descriptions and inspired fusion of imagined and recorded dialogue, Martha's world--her trials, triumphs, and loves--vibrantly comes to life.

Follow Martha as she navigates the complicated worlds of family, faith, and love . . . and you'll never read her story the same way again.

My Thoughts:

Dana Wallis Taylor takes Biblical characters and makes them so real, so present in the reader’s heart, that the stories in which they played a part in scripture take on new and deeper meaning.

I first encountered Taylor’s writing in Journey to the Well, and my heart was deeply touched by the story. Martha is the second book from Taylor’s pen, and I am moved in a deep way yet again. Taylor has an unusual ability to place the reader in the moment in history right along with the character she chooses to develop. With Martha, the reader gains a background from her youth and follows her into adulthood in a way that is realistic and true to history and Biblical record. By the time you have Jesus introduced into the story and the miracles he performed in Martha’s life – WOW!!

The reader will know Christ’s love in a real and personal way as never before! I applaud Taylor for the careful investigation into history that make her stories so real and timeless! She is not seeking to add to or take away anything from Scriptural events, only to make the richer and more personal. Her books are amazing! I highly recommend them!!

My deepest thanks to Donna Housler with Revell publishing for my review copy of this fine book!

About the Author:

Diana Wallis Taylor is a speaker for Stonecroft Ministries and is currently working toward her MA in biblical studies at Bethel Seminary. She is the author of Journey to the Well, has published many articles, and has contributed stories to several books. Taylor lives in California. Find out more at www.dianawallistaylor.com.