February 2014

Happy February! This may be the shortest month of the year, but as always, we have plenty of news and wonderful fiction and nonfiction titles to share with you. Between snowstorms, we worked double time; with a lot of bad weather, that's been a LOT of zipping along. How many more days until spring? Not that we are counting or anything!

First up are three contests you'll want to consider entering. WHERE COURAGE CALLS is Janette Oke’s first prairie romance in 14 years, which she co-wrote with her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan. To celebrate, we’re giving 15 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book, which is a special companion to Hallmark Channel's "When Calls the Heart" TV series. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, March 19th at noon ET.

Also up for grabs is IT HAD TO BE YOU, the second installment in Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series, a romance about hockey and the unlikely bond between two people. We have five copies to give away; all you have to do is fill out this form by Wednesday, March 19th at noon ET.

DEATH BY THE BOOK is the latest prize book in our monthly contest. In the second installment of Julianna Deering’s mystery series, Drew Farthering finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered. To be among the 15 winners who will be awarded the book, please fill out this form by Wednesday, March 19th at noon ET.

Leslie Gould returns with the third book in her Courtships of Lancaster County series, MINDING MOLLY. Here, Molly Zook is struggling with her mother's wish that she marry Mervin Mosier to save the family farm, especially after she meets tall, muscular and confident Leon Fisher. She tries her hand at matchmaking, but her efforts quickly go awry. Click here to read more about the book and here for an interview with Leslie to gain more insight into the series and her writing routine.

THE SENTINELS OF ANDERSONVILLE tells a gripping tale of the inhumane deaths of 13,000 Union soldiers at the end of the Civil War, and how three young Confederates and an entire town come face-to-face with the atrocities and learn the cost of compassion. Read more about Tracy Groot's latest work of historical fiction here, and click here for an excerpt.

We also have an excerpt available for CLAIMING MARIAH, in which an unlikely romance springs up between Mariah Malone and Slade Donovan, the young man who is trying to take her family’s farm. In the midst of her troubles, Mariah must turn to God for guidance. Click here to read more about Pam Hillman's second stand-alone novel.

In theaters February 28th is Son of God, in which the larger-than-life story of the New Testament gets a larger-than-life treatment on the big screen. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado portrays Jesus as the film spans from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. This marks the first motion picture about Jesus’ life since Passion of the Christ, released a decade ago. In the days leading up to its theatrical release, producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett have written a movie tie-in book, which you can read all about here.

This month, our reviewer Evelyn Bence takes a look at three books that were honored by Christianity Today for their annual book awards: EAT WITH JOY: Redeeming God's Gift of Food by Rachel Marie Stone was the winner in the Christian Living category; AN UNHURRIED LIFE: Following Jesus' Rhythms of Work and Rest by Alan Fadling received an Award of Merit in the Spirituality category, and an Award of Merit was given to GLIMPSES OF GRACE: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home by Gloria Furman in the Her.meneutics category. You can see all the winners of the 2014 Christianity Today Book Awards here.

We have 10 additional reviews to share with you this month. Among them are UNCOMMON MARRIAGE: Learning about Lasting Love and Overcoming Life's Obstacles Together by Tony Dungy and Lauren Dungy (which was January’s monthly contest book); CHILDLESS, the second installment in Dr. James Dobson and Kurt Bruner’s trilogy that transports readers to a not-too-distant future when the young and healthy strain under the burden of a rapidly aging population; RACHEL, the third book in Jill Eileen Smith’s Wives of the Patriarch series; and THE STORM INSIDE: Trade the Chaos of How You Feel for the Truth of Who You Are, in which Sheila Walsh helps women (among other things) redefine their failures as a new beginning instead of an end.

We hope you all stay warm and have a chance to relax with a book. We’ll see you next month when spring hopefully will be in the air…at last!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

Leslie Gould knows a thing or two about love and faith in Amish country. COURTING CATE, which marked the beginning of her Courtships of Lancaster County series, was an ECPA bestseller, and now she returns with MINDING MOLLY, the third book in the series (following ADORING ADDIE). It’s about Molly Zook, who is struggling with her mother's wish that she marry Mervin Mosier to save the family farm, especially after she meets tall, muscular and confident Leon Fisher. In this interview, Gould opens up about why she started writing Amish fiction to begin with, and the beauty that Lancaster County has always held for her. She also talks about her writing process, adapting her novels from Shakespeare plays, and working with soccer games buzzing in the background.

MINDING MOLLY: The Courtships of Lancaster County, Book 3 by Leslie Gould (Romance)
Molly Zook is struggling with her mother's wish that she marry Mervin Mosier to save the family farm, especially after she meets tall, muscular and confident Leon Fisher. Determined to let nothing get between them, Molly tries to coax Mervin into falling back in love with Molly's best friend, Hannah. A weekend camping trip in the Poconos could be just the place...but things quickly go awry, and it seems Leon and Hannah might be falling for each other instead!

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Leslie Gould's bio.
-Click here to visit Leslie Gould's official website.
-Connect with Leslie Gould on Facebook and Twitter.

CLAIMING MARIAH by Pam Hillman (Historical Romance)
When Slade Donovan shows up on Mariah Malone's front porch, she is not ready to hear his truths: her father’s farm, the only home she’s ever known, was bought with stolen gold. With Slade ready to collect his father’s rightful claim and force Mariah and her family out on the streets, Mariah must turn to God for guidance. Though Mr. Frederick Cooper, a local landowner, promises to answer her financial woes if she agrees to be his bride, Mariah finds herself drawn instead to the angry young man demanding her home.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Pam Hillman's bio.
-Visit Pam Hillman's official website and blog.
-Click here to connect with Pam Hillman on Facebook.

SON OF GOD by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett (Fiction/Classic & Allegory)
The book SON OF GOD is a tie-in with the major motion picture of the same title, slated for wide theatrical release (through 20th-Century Fox) on February 28th. Like the movie, the book possesses an epic scope, providing a panoramic picture of first-century Judea as it recounts the events and reveals the meaning of Jesus's life, death and resurrection.

Though based on New Testament accounts, including the four Gospels as well as the book of Acts, SON OF GOD reads like a contemporary novel, delving deeply into the character of Jesus and the personalities and motives all of those who surround him, both his followers and his enemies. Even minor Gospel characters (Mary Magdelene, the servant Malchus, the Jewish elder Nicodemus) come vividly to life in the book, and its portrayal of the political machinations behind Jesus's trial and death --- the contest for power between the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and the high priest Caiaphas --- is especially engaging.

-Click here to visit the film's official website.

THE STORM INSIDE: Trade the Chaos of How You Feel for the Truth of Who You Are by Sheila Walsh (Christian Life/Spiritual Growth)
Women feel the storm activity all around. We find ourselves teetering somewhere between everyday chaos and crisis. But storms show you what's really going on inside, reveal what you really believe, and actually make you stronger. In THE STORM INSIDE, Sheila Walsh will help you redefine your failures as a new beginning instead of an end, replace the words always and never in your life with positive declarations of hope, and know with confidence how to help a friend in chaos or crisis. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

-Click here to read more about the book.

HOME RUN: Learn God's Game Plan for Life and Leadership by Kevin Myers and John C. Maxwell (Religion & Spirituality/Leadership)
For five hard years, Christian leader Kevin Myers struggled personally and professionally. But then God pointed out where he was going wrong and showed him the biblical pattern for living. During that time, John Maxwell also became his mentor. Together, using a baseball diamond as an analogy for following God's plan for life, Myers and Maxwell provide a clear path forward while helping you keep your priorities in order and your eyes on the prize. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

-Click here to read more about the book.

UNQUENCHABLE: Grow a Wildfire Faith that Will Endure Anything by Carol J. Kent (Christian Life/Spiritual Growth)
In Carol Kent's latest book, UNQUENCHABLE, readers will discover the secrets of living for something greater than themselves, improving the quality of their day-to-day relationship with Jesus Christ, fueling the fire in the lives of others, and outlasting their lives. Readers will be awestruck by how their new daily choices result in a life on fire that ignites a flame in others. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

-Click here to read more about the book.