March 2011

When Will Winter End?

It seems we can't catch a break this winter as every time the temperatures climb and the sun comes out, it's followed by harsh winds, freezing cold and even more snow. Enough already!

One of the few good things about this rough weather is that it's given me ample time to read, usually curled up in front of the fireplace, which sure has gotten a workout recently. A few weeks ago, a wicked wind raced through the area, and thus I found myself with a lot of twigs and small branches for kindling all over the front lawn. As I went out to gather them, a friend joked that I was a real pioneer woman!

This is the first February and March in a LONG time that I have stayed put all month with no personal or business travel. I see my suitcases in a corner of the closet and think I remember you. Travel starts again next month, thus I am looking forward to a few more weekends in front of the fire.

Lots going on here at FaithfulReader.com. We have four special contests up and running. 15 readers will receive a copy of GETTING TO HEAVEN: Departing Instructions for Your Life Now by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey. Piper is the author of the hugely popular 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN, and Murphey has written and collaborated on several Christian titles over the years. This is quite a pairing, and GETTING TO HEAVEN will surely be talked about. Enter here by Thursday, March 31st at noon ET for your chance to win.

We have 75 copies of THE AMISH MIDWIFE by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould to give away. In this first book of the Women of Lancaster County series, a young woman's search to learn more about her heritage leads her to an Amish community. Nice to get in at the beginning of a series, so jump onboard NOW. Enter here by Thursday, March 31st at noon ET for your chance to win.

We also have 50 copies of BLOOD COVENANT by Lisa Harris for readers to win. This is the second book in her Mission Hope series, which follows aid workers as they conduct missionary work in Africa. Here, the Mission Hope team sets up camp for displaced refugees while a virus threatens everybody's safety. Enter here by Thursday, March 31st at noon ET for your chance to win.

Our final contest book is THE PRODIGAL GOD: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller, who is a pastor in New York City. We have 25 copies to give away to readers who enter here by Thursday, March 31st at noon ET.

Three new study guides are now available: BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN: The Potluck Catering Club, Book 4 by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson, BATHSHEBA: The Wives of King David, Book 3 by Jill Eileen Smith, and LOVE AMID THE ASHES by Mesu Andrews. Along with spotlighting a number of newly released books, all of which you can see on our homepage, we've added 11 new reviews, including A BILLION REASONS WHY by Kristin Billerbeck, THE INHERITANCE OF BEAUTY by Nicole Seitz, and THE CHASM: A Journey to the Edge of Life by Randy Alcorn (which you can win a copy of in our monthly contest).

In closing, we pay tribute to Leisha Kelly --- author of EMMA'S GIFT, KATIE'S DREAM and THE HOUSE ON MALCOLM STREET, among other books --- who, along with her 16-year-old son, was tragically killed in a car accident on January 25th. Although it's sad to deliver such heartbreaking news, it gives us an opportunity to reflect on what a talented author she was and how her books both inspired and entertained. When I heard the news, I went back and read an interview feature she had done with us back in 2004. You can read it here and celebrate her life. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and her colleagues at her publisher.

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

 

FaithfulReader.com mourns the passing of Leisha Kelly, who, along with her 16-year-old son, Justice, was killed in a car accident on January 25th. Kelly was the author of 11 books, among them a bestselling inspirational historical fiction series centered on the Wortham and Hammond families. Her most recent book, THE HOUSE ON MALCOLM STREET, was published by Revell in September 2010. Kelly leaves behind her husband K. J. and daughter Hosanna. She home-schooled her two children and served as a children's ministry director and a youth minister at her family's church. The couple had recently become foster parents.
 

Special Contest and Feature: GETTING TO HEAVEN by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey

We are celebrating the release of GETTING TO HEAVEN by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey --- which offers spiritual instructions for living and preparing for eternal life --- with a special contest. Fifteen readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of Piper’s first new book in four years. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 31st at noon ET.

GETTING TO HEAVEN: Departing Instructions for Your Life Now by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey (Christian Living)
Since publishing his inspirational bestseller in 2004, Don Piper has traveled the world spreading his message of faith --- certain faith --- in the promise of Heaven. In HEAVEN IS REAL, Piper shared how life's trials can be turned into spiritual lessons, when we are open to the certainty of God's grace and love. Now, in his first new book in four years, Piper draws on his own firsthand experiences with the joys of Heaven --- as well as the lessons found in the Gospel --- to offer a set of "departing instructions," helping readers face the inevitable battles ahead, prepare for eternal life, and, starting today, live a happy, fulfilling, purposeful life on Earth while preparing for the glories of Heaven.
 

We are celebrating the release of THE AMISH MIDWIFE --- about one woman’s search for her birth family while becoming a midwife on an Amish settlement --- with a special contest. Seventy-five readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of the first book in Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould’s The Women of Lancaster County series. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 31st at noon ET.

THE AMISH MIDWIFE: The Women of Lancaster County, Book 1 by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould (Fiction)
A dusty carved box containing two locks of hair and a century-old letter regarding property in Switzerland, and a burning desire to learn about her biological family, lead nurse-midwife Lexie Jaeger from her home in Oregon to the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country. There she meets Marta Bayer, a mysterious lay-midwife who desperately needs help after an Amish client and her baby die. Lexie steps in to assume Marta's patient load even as she continues the search for her birth family, and from her patients she learns the true meaning of the Pennsylvania Dutch word “demut,” which means “to let be” as she changes from a woman who wants to control everything to a woman who depends on God.
 

We are celebrating the release of BLOOD COVENANT --- a harrowing novel of refugee camp workers dealing with a viral outbreak during a violent uprising --- with a special contest. Fifty readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of this second installment in Lisa Harris’s Mission Hope Series. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 31st at noon ET.

BLOOD COVENANT: Mission Hope Series, Book 2 by Lisa Harris (Romantic Suspense)
When fighting erupts between government forces and renegade Ghost Soldiers deep within the Republic of Dhambizao, thousands are forced to leave their homes. Dr. Paige Ryan is sent to lead a team to set up a refugee transit site. Nick Gilbert joins the team to help fly supplies in and out of the area. With the refugee camp already experiencing overcrowding, raids and uprisings, a group of American mountain climbers is attacked by the Ghost Soldiers. Paige's medical team rescues survivors and takes them into the camp. When it's discovered that one of the trekkers is carrying an infectious disease, the harrowing conditions of the camp are forgotten.
 

We are celebrating the release of THE PRODIGAL GOD by Timothy Keller --- a book that will challenge both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole new way --- with a special contest. Twenty-five readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of the renowned pastor’s 2008 work, which is now available in paperback. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 31st at noon ET.

THE PRODIGAL GOD: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller (Christian Living)
Newsweek called New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller a "C.S. Lewis for the twenty-first century" in a feature on his first book, THE REASON FOR GOD. In that book, he offered a rational explanation for why we should believe in God. Now, in THE PRODIGAL GOD, Keller takes his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity and uses the parable of the Prodigal Son to reveal an unexpected message of hope and salvation.

-Click here to read more about THE PRODIGAL GOD.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE PRODIGAL GOD.

-Click here to read Timothy Keller’s bio.
 

We are currently featuring three new study guides for Christian book groups:

BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN: The Potluck Catering Club, Book 4 by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson (Fiction)
The ladies of the Potluck Catering Club may have thought that competing on “The Great Party Showdown” reality show in New York City would be the biggest adventure of their lives. But they weren't counting on the strange goings-on they would confront when they returned to Summit View, Colorado. Will old friends stick together through their trials? Or will they be torn apart by tragedy?

-Click here to read the study guide for BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN.

BATHSHEBA: The Wives of King David, Book 3 by Jill Eileen Smith (Historical Romance)
Bathsheba is a woman who longs for a loving touch. With her husband away fighting the king’s wars, loneliness claws at her soul --- and makes it frighteningly easy to succumb to the advances of King David. Will one night of unbridled passion destroy everything she holds dear? Can she find forgiveness at the feet of the Almighty? Or has her sin separated her from God --- and David --- forever?

-Click here to read the study guide for BATHSHEBA.
 

LOVE AMID THE ASHES by Mesu Andrews (Historical Romance)
When scandal and murder rock the life of Dinah, the daughter of the great patriarch Jacob, she is sent away to Job’s household. After Job’s own world comes crashing down, Dinah finds herself drawn to this great man brought low. What will she risk to fight for his survival? LOVE AMID THE ASHES breathes life, romance and passion into the classic biblical story of suffering and steadfast faith.

-Click here to read the study guide for LOVE AMID THE ASHES.

 

THE BROTHERHOOD: A Precinct 11 Novel by Jerry B. Jenkins (Thriller)

Boone Drake has it made. He’s a young cop rising rapidly through the ranks of the Chicago Police Department. He has a beautiful wife and a young son, a nice starter house, a great partner, and a career plan that should land him in the Organized Crime Division within five years. Everything is going right. Until everything goes horribly, terribly wrong. His personal life destroyed and his career and future in jeopardy, Boone buries himself in guilt and bitterness as his life spirals out of control. But when he comes face-to-face with the most vicious gang leader Chicago has seen in decades, he begins to realize that God is a God of second chances and can change the hardest heart…and forgive the worst of crimes.
 

A BILLION REASONS WHY by Kristin Billerbeck (Romance)
Her head tells her to marry Dexter, the safe and practical choice. Her heart pulls her towards Luc, who rejected her eight years ago and is anything but practical. The question is: Will Katie McKenna follow her heart, or opt for the safer route? Reviewed by Lynda Schab.
 

THE INHERITANCE OF BEAUTY by Nicole Seitz (Fiction)

An elderly couple spends their final days in a cheerful nursing home, cherishing their waning hours and reliving moments from the past. The arrival of a gift, however, propels them into a final mystery that returns them both in spirit to childhood haunts in rural South Carolina. Reviewed by Melanie Smith.
 

A TRAIL OF INK: The Third Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Mel Starr (Historical Mystery)
Some valuable books have been stolen from Master John Wyclif, the well-known scholar and Bible translator. He calls upon his friend and former pupil, Hugh de Singleton, to investigate. Hugh's investigation leads him to Oxford where he again encounters Kate, the only woman who has tempted him to leave bachelor life behind. As Hugh's pursuit of Kate becomes more successful, mysterious accidents begin to occur. Are these accidents tied to the missing books, or to his pursuit of Kate?
 

DIGITALIS: Discarded Heroes, Book 2 by Ronie Kendig (Romantic Suspense)
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?

-Click here to read an excerpt from DIGITALIS.
-Click here to read Ronie Kendig’s bio.
 

THE CHASM: A Journey to the Edge of Life by Randy Alcorn (Fiction)

He found himself a traveler in a strange land. Where invisible secrets come to light, and fair companions lead towards unsuspected darkness. Where so much is grasped…and so much more seems unattainable. Driven by a yearning he doesn’t understand, the traveler navigates a hostile landscape with determination and hope --- despite the obstacles that block his path. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

DEADLY TIES by Vicki Hinze (Romantic Suspense)

Lisa Harper has repressed memories of a traumatic childhood event involving her father’s murder and her own abduction. The past is now quickly catching up as Lisa finds herself in the middle of a human trafficking ring, a vicious vendetta, and a plot more sinister than anything she could have imagined. Reviewed by Lynda Schab.

LARKSPUR COVE by Lisa Wingate (Fiction)

Social worker Andrea Henderson has lost faith in God after a difficult divorce. She moves back to her hometown to begin a new life for herself and her son. But circumstances involving a mysterious little girl, the town recluse, and a handsome game warden cause Andrea to realize that God has been ordering her steps all along. Reviewed by Lynda Schab.

SAVE THE DATE by Jenny B. Jones (Romance)

When funding for Lucy's non-profit is pulled, she wants to find out why. Enter Alex Sinclair Enterprises, her organization’s primary donor. Alex has it all…except the votes to win his bid for Congress. So Alex makes an offer: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she needs. Bound to a man who’s not what he seems, Lucy finds her heart --- and her future --- on the line. Reviewed by Susan Miura.

THE RHYTHM OF SECRETS by Patti Lacy (Historical Romance)

Sheila Franklin has lived three separate lives. Now a conservative pastor’s wife, she’s skilled at hiding things. But when the son she bore at 18 comes to her for help, her greatest secret is revealed. Now Sheila is faced with an impossible decision. And as she struggles to reclaim both her son and her identity, she realizes that God’s grace is all she really needs. Reviewed by Michele Howe.
 

AN ANCHOR FOR THE SOUL: Help for the Present, Hope for the Future by Ray Pritchard (Christian Life)
People have honest doubts about God that deserve solid answers. How do we explain the Gospel in a way we can all understand? AN ANCHOR FOR THE SOUL is written with doubters, seekers and skeptics in mind. By answering important questions through stories and illustrations, Pastor Ray Pritchard gently challenges readers with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

PUTTING YOUR PAST IN ITS PLACE: Moving Forward in Freedom and Forgiveness by Stephen Viars (Christian Living)

Lives grind to a halt when people can’t relate to their past. Some believe “the past is nothing,” while others make it more important than their future. Neither leads toward healing or hope. But in PUTTING YOUR PAST IN ITS PLACE, pastor and biblical counselor Stephen Viars introduces a third way to look at things: by exploring the role of the past as God intended. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

SOULS IN FULL SAIL: A Christian Spirituality for the Later Years by Emilie Griffin (Christian Living/Spirituality)

“We do not set out to become old…. This change has occurred, it seems, without preparation, without fair warning.” So Emilie Griffin writes, taking us on a spiritual exploration of life’s later years. In a book filled with rich story, spiritual exercises and wisdom, Griffin explores relocation, vocational changes, losing her mother, negotiating relationships with grown children, and more. Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.

SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent (Memoir)
A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer brokering the sale of masterpieces. And the unlikely woman who bound them together. A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it. Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.
 

In our latest monthly contest, one reader will receive a copy of THE CHASM: A Journey to the Edge of Life by Randy Alcorn, a supernatural interplay of wills and motives, lusts and longings, love and sacrifice. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 31st at noon ET.
 

THE CHASM: A Journey to the Edge of Life by Randy Alcorn (Fiction)
He found himself a traveler in the strangest of lands. Where invisible secrets come starkly into sight. Where the fairest of companions leads the way into unsuspected danger and darkness. Where hidden battles burst into the open. Where so much is grasped…and so much more seems unattainable.

Driven by a yearning he doesn’t understand, compelled toward a destination he can’t quite see, the traveler navigates the inhospitable landscape with determination and a flicker of something like hope --- despite the obstacles that seem to unerringly block his path.

Bestselling novelist Randy Alcorn weaves a supernatural interplay of wills and motives, lusts and longings, love and sacrifice. It’s a potent mix that leaves every reader wondering: Do I really understand this world I live in? Do I really understand myself? Is there more to all this than I’ve ever dared hope?