Love Me Tender by Janice Hanna

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love Me TenderSummerside Press (September 1, 2010)

byJanice Hanna





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Award-winning author Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna, She got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over fifty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, childrens books and more. In addition, she enjoys editing, ghost-writing, public speaking, and mentoring young writers. Janice currently serves as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).



She was thrilled to be named the 2010 Barbour/Heartsong Author of the Year with three books on the top ten list for that house. Janice is active in her local writing group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing. Her online course, "Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer" has been helpful to many who want to earn a living with their writing. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. She lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends and two mischievous dachshunds. She does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all.







ABOUT THE BOOK

As "Love Me Tender" plays in the background, Debbie Carmichael determines to salvage her family's restaurant, Sweet Sal's Soda Shoppe, when her father's health fails. Teen heartthrob Bobby Conrad agrees to perform at a fundraiser concert. But just two weeks before the highly publicized event, Bobby backs out of the benefit. Enter Johnny Hartman, a young, unknown singer to take Conrad's place. Debbie soon realizes the twists and turns leading up to the concert are divinely orchestrated. And it isn't dreamy Bobby Conrad who has stolen her heart - but the tender love of Johnny Hartman.





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

DIVAS of the Divine by Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert

How to Live as a Designer Original in a Knock-Off World

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

DIVAS' Top 10 Necessities for a Fulfilled Life

1. A Great Bra! (Prayer Foundation) – Even though many women don’t enjoy wearing this undergarment, it is the most critical aspect of any DIVA’S outfit! Why? It is the foundation—just like a relationship with God that offers support and is always uplifting.
2. Mirror (Real Beauty) – A DIVA looks into the mirror to check hair and lipstick but more importantly to make sure what she sees is real—to make sure her beauty is reflected from within, transparent and authentic.
3. Shoes (God’s Purpose) – The perfect designer shoes guide her daily walk with Christ. Must fit her style as an individual and accentuate the relationship that is uniquely hers in order to make every step count. Little steps help her go the distance.
4. Sunglasses (Priorities) – Oh, how important to filter the harmful rays and the worldly view of the sunlight so she is only exposed to the pure Son and all of His benefits!
5. Chocolate (Time Out) – Every DIVA’S little piece of heaven! It may be small but it’s sweetness, it’s creamy comfort, and its AHHHH factor, is enough to sustain her until she gets to experience the wonder of heaven. It’s the little pick-me-up that will remind her to sustain her eternal perspective no matter the circumstance.
6. Wrinkle Cream (Forgiveness) – It is the hottest thing on the market for any DIVA who wants to remove lines and wrinkles. The Spirit-inspired ingredients are key to erasing the fine lines of stress, worry, and bitterness to help her let go of the past. This cream is full of the healing power of forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love.
7. Watch (Commitment) – Every DIVA has a favorite watch. This piece of bling pulls every outfit together. She feels lost when she forgets to wear it. Time! Time requires commitment and every DIVA chooses wisely how she spends it.
8. Girlfriend (Accountability) - The most important necessity for all true DIVAS. She’s caring and fun to be with. She is the “speak the truth in love” kind of friend that will hold the DIVA accountable to being the true Designer Original she was created to be.
9. Purse (Balance) - Whether it’s top-of-the-line or a bargain-deal, the DIVA’S purse must be perfect to keep all her most important things close—flexible to bend when in tight spots but sturdy enough to withstand day-to day-use. Her purse contains the necessary items to stay balanced and “keep it all together.”
10. Lipstick (Positive Words & Attitude) – Positive words and a polished tone flow from her lips in pretty colors and a high-gloss shine. Her words inspire others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From high top basketball shoes to high heels, each step of Donna’s life has equipped her for a Life Coaching career. She is a challenging facilitator whose “tell it like it is” approach always incorporates a call to action from her participants.

Donna draws from her background as a recreational therapist to create dynamic outcome-oriented keynotes, retreats, and curriculums. Her greatest passion and deepest joy is to “coach” women in realizing God’s plan for their lives and in discovering for themselves the source of genuine joy.

Donna is a wife, mother of two, and beloved friend. Donna’s hobbies include hiking, vacationing at the beach, and trying projects from popular HGTV home improvement shows... much to her husband’s dismay!

Sherri invested many years with companies such as Biltmore Estate, Chick-fil-A, and Chimney Rock Park in developing new and creative programs to excel these corporations to higher levels of success.

Sherri is founder and CEO of Power-Up!, a coaching company whose mission is to take individuals and corporations to the next level of success. She works as a coach, facilitator, and speaker for a variety of clients ranging from corporate executives to stay-at-home moms. Sherri’s passion is unlocking the untapped potential within others to help them gain fresh perspectives, develop clear vision, and establish action steps that will make their dreams reality.

Sherri is a wife, aunt, and friend to many. She has a self-proclaimed addiction to shoes, purses, and Starbuck’s coffee. One of her life goals is to be on Survivor (her favorite TV reality show!).

To purchase this book for your own inner diva (you know you want to), visit here.

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A DIVA GIFT BASKET FROM THE AUTHORS, INCLUDING PURSE, SHOES, JOURNAL, AND MORE!

Blessings!

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Pearl In The SandMoody Publishers (September 1, 2010)

byTessa Afshar





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tessa Afshar was born in a nominally Muslim family in Iran and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She survived English boarding school for girls before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her mid-twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDIV from Yale University where she served as co-Chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the

Divinity School. She has spent the last twelve years in full and part-time Christian work and currently serves as the leader of Women’s and Prayer ministries at a church in Connecticut.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Can a Canaanite harlot who has made her livelihood by looking desirable to men make a fitting wife for one of the leaders of Israel? Shockingly, the Bible’s answer is yes. At the age of fifteen Rahab is forced into prostitution by her beloved father. In her years as a courtesan, she learns to mistrust men and hate herself. Into the emotional turmoil of her world walks Salmone, a respected leader of Judah. Through the tribulations of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmone learn the true

source of one another’s worth in God and find healing from fear and rejection.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Pearl In The Sand, go HERE



Watch the book video:

Fatal Convictions by Randy Singer

MY THOUGHTS:
I devoured this book. It was a great read that really made me think. We have a mosque being built down the road from our church and many people are in an uproar about it, but this book really gave me insight into the Muslim faith and the people. I enjoy books that make me think about life differently and this one definitely did. Great job, Randy!

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Young attorney Alexander Madison spent his weekdays chasing personal-injury cases and his weekends chasing souls as pastor of South Norfolk Community Church in Virginia Beach. Granted, it was an odd pairing, but it had its benefits. For one thing, he could do hospital visitation and seek out new clients at the same time.

While visiting an elderly congregant, he meets Muslim imam Khalid Mobassar whose wife is battling a brain injury after a serious car accident. Sensing a multi-thousand dollar or more lawsuit, Alex and his partner, Shannon, take the case. But no sooner is the ink dry on the contract when a firestorm ensues. The wife of a prominent Muslim leader in Virginia Beach, who was rumored to have converted to Christianity, is beheaded. And Alex and Shannon’s client is accused of being the mastermind behind it.

Everything inside Alex tells him to flee—to turn the case over to experienced defense lawyers and remain focused on his personal injury clients. But deep down he and Shannon believe that Mobassar is innocent, and despite intense pressure from Alex’s church, national media attention, and overwhelming evidence in the hands of the prosecution against Mobassar, they decide to take on the biggest murder case Virginia Beach has ever seen.

As Alex and Shannon dig into the case, and the evidence begins to mount, they discover that things aren’t always what they seem. When the imam’s beautiful daughter arrives from Lebanon to help with the case, Alex finds himself torn between his developing interest in her and his obligation to his client.

When another former Muslim woman winds up dead in a baptistery in Los Angeles, it only confirms that a brutal assassin is still on the loose. And if Alex doesn’t watch his back, he might be next.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Randy Singer is a critically-acclaimed author and veteran trial lawyer. He has authored nine legal thrillers and one novella, including the 2003 Christy Award-winning Directed Verdict. In addition to serving as managing partner of the Singer Legal Group, and his writing, Randy serves as a teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, VA, and is a professor at Regent University School of Law. More info at http://www.randysinger.net/

To purchase this book, visit here.

Blessings!

Nudge by Leonard Sweet

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Have you ever experienced the nudge of the Holy Spirit in your life? Are you able to recognize that God is alive and active in every moment of your life and that He is actively working in every circumstance of your particular situation? Leonard Sweet’s latest book, Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There, encourages all believers to live every moment of their lives in holy awareness of Jesus’ activity all around them. Sweet contends that most people who claim to follow Christ are more adept at gaining attention than at paying attention, furiously beating bushes that advance their personal interests while not paying attention to the burning bushes all around them that showcase God’s activities. When believers begin to focus upon God’s activity all around them rather than on their own needs and desires, they will begin to not only notice what God is doing all around them, but will also be able to interpret and respond.

Nudge explores and explains a method of evangelism that causes believers to have all five senses fine-tuned to Christ’s active work in their lives. Sweet believes “nudgers” live their lives believing in the present-tense of Jesus, where Jesus is perceptible—able to be felt and sensed and experienced. Scripture study enables believers to actively recognize Jesus where He is appearing all the time–in situations, in people, in creation. Life then becomes filled with opportunities to “nudge” others to wake up to the alive and acting Jesus.

“Jesus spent His time creating a new sensory regime of the Spirit by telling stories (sound and sight), sharing meals (taste and smell), healing people (touch), and traveling the countryside building His team while connecting and praying with people (all five senses) that they might have life more sensational in all its dimensions, in all its senses,” explains Sweet.

Nudge reminds us that what we see is not all that IS, and that the nudge we feel reminds us to remain firmly present in the awareness of both. Living life in tune with Christ’s presence and activity all around us opens up hearts and minds to respond to others in ways that reflect Jesus. Sharing a hug, offering to pray for someone, or enjoying a meal with friends are all opportunities that become active encounters with the living Christ. If believers are paying attention instead of trying to gain attention, then they will be able to hear, see, taste, smell, and feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit and then, in turn, be able to nudge those who are seeking Christ toward an eternity filled with Christ’s presence. Nudge expresses Sweet’s hope that “someday we’ll trust [God] enough to know what He’s going to do so that we can be like Jesus and just show up where God wants to perform a miracle.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Leonard Sweet is the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Theological School at Drew University. He also serves as a consultant to many of America's denominational leaders and agencies. In 2006 and 2007, he was voted "One of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America." Dr. Sweet is the author of more than one hundred articles, over six hundred published sermons, and a wide array of books. To learn more, visit him at http://www.leonardsweet.com/.

To purchase this book, visit here.

Blessings!

The Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Vigilante's BrideBethany House (August 1, 2010)

byYvonne Harris





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Yvonne Harris earned a BS in Education from the University of Hartford and has taught throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic. Unofficially retired from teaching, she teaches writing at Burlington County College in southern New Jersey, where she resides. She is a winner and three-time finalist for the Golden Heart, once for The Vigilante's Bride, which is her debut novel.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Montana Territory, 1884...Is Her Kidnapper the Only Man Who Can Keep Her Safe?

Robbing a stagecoach on Christmas Eve and abducting a woman passenger is the last thing Luke Sullivan expected to do. He just wanted to reclaim the money stolen from his pa, but instead ended up rescuing a feisty copper-haired woman who was on her way to marry Sullivan's dangerous enemy. Emily McCarthy doesn't take kindly to her so-called rescue. Still, she's hoping Providence will turn her situation for good, especially when it seems Luke Sullivan may just be the man of her dreams. But Luke has crossed a vicious man, a powerful rancher not used to losing, and Emily is the prize he's unwilling to sacrifice.



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

Sweat, Blood, & Tears: What God Uses to Make a Man by Xan Hood

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Trapped somewhere between boyhood and manhood are some 20 million young men between the ages of 22 and 35 who are seeking direction. These young men lack the skills to successfully leave boyhood behind and enter fully into the role of manhood and the responsibilities that belong to that mantle. Xan Hood, author of Untamed and director of Training Ground in Colorado, has written Sweat, Blood, & Tears: What God Uses to Make a Man out of his own experience related to this difficult transition period in his own life. He wants to encourage other young men that they can and will make this transition into becoming the man God wants them to be, but that along the journey God uses three intentional elements to make a man—sweat, blood, and tears.

Xan Hood has lived through the uncertainty of moving beyond boyhood into manhood. He has recognized that young men who are raised in homes of both economic privilege and economic adversity often grow up in the absence of a father who is willing and able to teach them the skills they will need to enter into manhood successfully. Oftentimes, a father’s willingness to supply his son’s every need is done without teaching him the true cost of obtaining a particular goal. While the role of provider is vital in a man’s life, provision without teaching responsibility creates a void of understanding and skill that leaves the boy ill equipped to become a man in his own right. Hood feels compelled to address this void and reassure young men that they are not alone in this awkward place of transition. He wants them to know that God can equip them to enter into adulthood with confidence and the assurance that they can understand and become men of God who have much to offer those around them.

Written from the narrative perspective of a young man, Sweat, Blood, & Tears shares Hood’s own process of leaving boyhood behind and embracing his role as an adult. With searing honesty, Hood shares his experiences with God and men and paint and trout and fashion and hunting. He examines critical issues common to many young men, and then outlines the journey that must be traversed in order for them to become the men God created them to be. Through the pain of physical labor, emotional trials, and rewarding adventures, Hood carries the reader to a place of understanding that will equip young men to confidently enter adulthood and leave boyhood behind once and for all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Xan Hood is an author and the co-director of Training Ground, an experiential discipleship program for young men. He grew up in affluent Brentwood, Tennessee, but after college, like thousands of men before him, he decided to head west. Xan now lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife, Jayne.

To purchase this book, you can visit your local Christian bookstore, or click here.

Blessings!