November 2011

Eight years ago this month, we first launched FaithfulReader.com. Since then, each month we have shared book reviews, author interviews, and many, many features. You may know that FaithfulReader.com is part of TheBookReportNetwork.com, which includes six editorial websites for booklovers. The flagship site in this Network is Bookreporter.com.

In early May, we completely redesigned Bookreporter.com, giving that site many new features, including a number of ways for readers to share content and a completely new backend that made it easier for us to cross-promote titles and share book and author news with readers.

This month, we are pleased to share that we have given FaithfulReader.com a new look and feel as well. And we have integrated it into the Bookreporter.com platform, giving our FaithfulReader.com audience the same tools to enjoy books and authors that other readers in our Network are seeing sprouting up. (We also have redesigned Teenreads.com.) There will be lots more news about this in the months to come as we share new ways you can find the books and authors you love.

We still are in the process of moving over an enormous amount of content from the old site to the new, thus if information about your favorite author or a review you are looking for are missing, give us a few weeks! We have a team hard at work moving all the content over, and this is no small feat. And thus, with no further adieu, we bring you this month's update!

We're introducing a number of special contests this month. Last month, we gave away 75 copies of book two in Janelle Mowery’s Colorado Runaway series, WHEN LOVE GETS IN THE WAY. This month, we are awarding the third installment, WHEN TWO HEARTS MEET, to 75 more readers. The book tells the story of Rachel Garrett, a nurse who is attacked by an unknown assailant. Enter here by Monday, December 12th at noon ET for your chance to win a copy.

40 readers will have the chance to win a copy of CHRISTMAS IN SUGARCREEK by Shelley Shepard Gray, the latest in her Seasons of Sugarcreek series, which tells the tale of an obedient daughter who finds herself attracted to the local bad boy. You can enter here by Monday, December 12th at noon ET. We're also featuring an interview with Shelley that you can read here.

Likewise, we are celebrating the release of Billy Coffey's PAPER ANGELS with a contest in which five readers will walk away with the book. In Coffey's second novel, a spiritual secret helps a wounded man discover the defining truth of his life. Enter here by Monday, December 12th at noon ET for your chance to win a copy.

And in our monthly contest, one reader will be chosen to receive a copy of KNIT WITH LOVE: Stories to Warm a Knitter's Heart, which encourages and motivates knitters to see their own potential to bring joy and comfort to themselves and those around them.

In addition to Shelley Shepard Gray, we're featuring interviews with Mary Curran Hackett, whose debut PROOF OF HEAVEN is the moving story of a terminally ill boy whose last wish is to see his father, and Matt Mikalatos, whose NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD CHRISTIAN is a zombie tale with a Christian twist.

As always, we bring you a number of new reviews, which are listed below.

Here's wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with with lots of time spent with family and friends, and yes, a bountiful menu as well. I know I am looking forward to making dinner and then spending some quality time with my family and some close neighbors --- and a few good books. We give thanks for all of you!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

We are celebrating the release of CHRISTMAS IN SUGARCREEK --- the story of an obedient daughter who finds herself attracted to the local bad boy --- with a special contest. 40 readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of Shelley Shepard Gray’s latest Seasons of Sugarcreek novel. The deadline for entries is Monday, December 12th at noon ET.

CHRISTMAS IN SUGARCREEK: A Christmas Seasons of Sugarcreek Novel by Shelley Shepard Gray (Romance)
Judith Graber has always been the obedient daughter. When her older brother Josh struggled with his love life, she offered wise counsel. When her younger brother Caleb flirted with the idea of leaving their order, she firmly told him he was wrong. Over the years, she’s watched her younger siblings, helped around the house, and worked in her family’s store during her spare time. Judith feels overworked, overlooked, and underappreciated this holiday season.

But everything changes when her father hires Ben Knox.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read the study guide.
-Click here to read an interview.
-Click here to read Shelley Shepard Gray’s bio.
 

We are celebrating the release of PAPER ANGELS --- in which a spiritual secret helps a wounded man discover the defining truth of his life --- with a special contest. Five readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of Billy Coffey's second novel. The deadline for entries is Monday, December 12th at noon ET.

PAPER ANGELS by Billy Coffey (Fiction)
Andy Sommerville seems no different from others in his rural Virginia community, but what sets him apart is that his best friend is an angel. The angel is God's answer to a childhood prayer Andy offered to a twinkling star that his deceased mother once called "the door to heaven." The first angelic proclamation instructs Andy to find the wooden keepsake box in his grandparents' attic. Over the years, he directs Andy to fill it with apparently meaningless objects from 12 people with whom Andy randomly crosses paths. Andy's world is turned upside down when a brutal attack leaves Andy burned and the boy he loved as a son dead.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read Billy Coffey’s bio.
 

Mary Curran Hackett’s debut novel, PROOF OF HEAVEN, tells the story of a boy who is terminally ill and has one last wish --- to meet his father. In this interview, Hackett talks about an incident with her own young son that inspired the book. She also describes her writing process and shares her unique ideas about faith and peace.

PROOF OF HEAVEN by Mary Curran Hackett (Fiction)
He might be young, but Colm already recognizes the truth: that he’s sick and not getting better. With a wisdom far beyond his years, Colm has come to terms with his probable fate, but he does have one special wish. He wants to meet his father who abandoned his beloved mother before Colm was born. But the quest to find the dying boy’s missing parent soon becomes a powerful journey of emotional discovery --- a test of belief and an anxious search for proof of heaven.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to see the study guide.
-Click here to read Mary Curran Hackett's bio.
 

Matt Mikalatos, author of IMAGINARY JESUS, has recently come out with a new novel called NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD CHRISTIAN. With similar themes of playful Christian satire combined with serious ideas about faith and Jesus, the book follows Luther, a werewolf whose inner beast has driven him dangerously close to disaster. He teams up with Matt to find someone who can help, and along the way, the duo encounters zombies, vampires, and many variations of Jesus. In this interview, conducted by FaithfulReader.com’s Marcia Ford, Mikalatos describes the creative process behind his outrageously unique and provocative ideas. He also sheds light on the allegorical components of the book, discusses his biggest writing influences, and offers a glimpse into his latest project --- a chapter book for young readers.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD CHRISTIAN: One Man's Ferociously Funny Quest to Discover What It Means to Be Truly Transformed by Matt Mikalatos (Fiction)
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD CHRISTIAN is the story of Luther, a werewolf on the run, whose inner beast has driven him dangerously close to losing everything that matters. Desperate to conquer his dark side, Luther joins forces with Matt to find someone who can help. Yet their time is running out. A powerful and mysterious man is on their trail, determined to kill the wolf at all costs...

-Click here to read a review.
 

NEARING HOME: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well by Billy Graham (Christian Living/Inspirational)
In this moving narrative, Billy Graham shares his personal experience of growing older and teaches important lessons on preparing for and coping with the challenges of one’s senior years. By example, he urges his readers to discover God’s “strength to sustain us every day.” Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.

REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS by Dan Walsh (Romance)
Rick Denton wants to be anywhere but back in his childhood town, running his mother and stepfather’s Christian bookstore during the holidays. But that’s exactly where he ends up. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll open up his heart enough to let God show him why he’s there. Reviewed by Lynda Lee Schab.
 

BEYOND BOUNDARIES: Learning to Trust Again in Relationships by Dr. John Townsend (Christian Living/Relationships)
Painful relationships violate our trust, causing us to close our hearts. But to experience the freedom and love God designed us for, we eventually have to take another risk. In this breakthrough book, bestselling author Dr. John Townsend takes you beyond the pain of the past to discover how to re-enter a life of intimate relationships. Reviewed by Margaret Oines.

IR-REV-REND: Christianity Without the Pretense. Faith Without the Façade. by Greg Surratt (Memoir)
Whatever you may think about the "typical" pastor, throw it out. Pastor Greg Surratt is not perfect, and he unashamedly tells the stories that have strengthened his faith. He writes that the choice to follow Christ is never clean, is often scary, is usually clothed in mystery, and is always an adventure. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

KNIT WITH LOVE: Stories to Warm a Knitter's Heart by Lisa Bogart (Christian Living)
With inspiring stories, KNIT WITH LOVE encourages and motivates knitters to see their own potential to bring joy and comfort to themselves and those around them. From beginners to lifelong knitters, all will discover new ways to share beautiful creations with others --- and the peace that the rhythm of knitting brings. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.

INDESCRIBABLE: Encountering the Glory of God in the Beauty of the Universe by Louie Giglio and Matt Redman (Christian Living)
Modern science allows viewers to see farther into space than ever before, and every step draws them closer to the God who breathed each star into existence. In INDESCRIBABLE, Louie Giglio and Matt Redman intertwine devotional insights with remarkable scientific facts that awaken both mind and spirit. As the authors write, God turns wonderers into worshipers. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

THE HARDEST THING TO DO: The Hawk and the Dove, Book 4 by Penelope Wilcock (Historical Fiction)
Prior William is known for being an evil man. So when his own priory is burned down and he seeks refuge with the brothers of St. Alcuin, everyone is quite uncomfortably surprised. Abbot John faces the first challenge of his leadership as the brothers debate about mercy and justice, revealing their innermost fears in facing a real enemy. Reviewed by Susan Miura.

FALLING TO PIECES: A Shipshewana Amish Mystery by Vanetta Chapman (Mystery)
Callie Harper is in Shipshewana to sell her late aunt’s quilt shop. Deborah Yoder presses Callie to keep the shop open. When the town’s newspaper editor winds up dead and Callie becomes a suspect, she and Deborah form an unlikely alliance and set out to find the killer. Reviewed by Lynda Lee Schab.

BE NOT AFRAID: Facing Fear with Faith by Samuel Wells (Christian Living)
In brief, to-the-point chapters, respected preacher and ethicist Samuel Wells lucidly and compassionately explores topics Christians are often reluctant to face --- death, weakness, power, difference, faith, and living life to the full --- and offers down-to-earth help in overcoming common fears in the life of faith. Reviewed by Michele Howe.