January 2013

Happy New Year, everyone! We hope that 2013 is off to a wonderful start for you after a relaxing and reflective holiday season. While we always look forward to the new year ahead, we’re especially excited about the start of this one, as 2013 will mark FaithfulReader.com’s 10th full year! (We officially launched the site in December 2003.) We’ve loved sharing news with you over the years about Christian and faith-based books and authors, and we’ll continue to do this as best we can through reviews, interviews, study guides, special features, contests and more.

And in that spirit, we have LOTS to tell you about for our first update of the year.

First up is an interview with Julie Klassen, whose latest stand-alone novel, THE TUTOR’S DAUGHTER, is now in stores. Emma Smallwood and her father have come to the Cornish coast to tutor the youngest sons of a baronet --- but all is not as it seems. When mysterious things begin to happen and danger mounts, can Emma figure out which brother to blame…and which to trust with her heart? In the interview, Julie talks about the inspiration for her new novel and the renewed interest in the Regency genre that her books undoubtedly have sparked among inspirational readers.

This month, we’re featuring FOUR new study guides of books that are sure to generate much discussion among readers, regardless of whether or not you belong to a book club.

Irene Hannon kicks off her new Private Justice series with VANISHED, which opens with a shadowy figure caught in the beam of reporter Moira Harrison’s headlights. When Moira regains consciousness after losing control and crashing into a tree, the victim is nowhere to be found. The police claim the disappearance never happened, but Moira knows better. Her only hope of discovering the truth is a former police detective turned private eye --- and her own investigate skills. Click here for the guide.

Amanda Cabot’s Westward Winds series got off to a great start with SUMMER OF PROMISE, so fans will be happy to know that the follow-up, WAITNG FOR SPRING, is now available. After the loss of her husband and the birth of her baby, Charlotte flees to Cheyenne to put the pieces of her life back together. There, she meets wealthy cattle baron and political hopeful Barrett Landry, who believes that Charlotte holds the key to his heart and his future. Will Charlotte and Barrett be able to overcome their fears and look love in the face? Click here for the guide.

CHOICES OF THE HEART is the third book in Laurie Alice Eakes’s The Midwives series, following LADY IN THE MIST and HEART’S SAFE PASSAGE. Esther Cherrett comes from a proud line of midwives and was trained by her mother to take over the family calling. But a terrible scandal forces Esther to flee and take a position as a teacher in the mountains of Virginia. Unfortunately, Esther does not find the refuge she was seeking. Instead, she finds herself in the middle of a deadly family feud while being courted by two men on opposite sides of the conflict. Click here for the guide.

Our final study guide of the month is for THE DILEMMA OF CHARLOTTE FARROW, book two in Olivia Newport’s Avenue of Dreams series, which began with THE PURSUIT OF LUCY BANNING. While the rest of Chicago focuses on the enormous spectacle of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Charlotte Farrow’s attentions are entirely on her son, whom she has kept a secret from her wealthy employers for nearly a year. When the woman who has been caring for the boy abruptly returns him to the Banning home, Charlotte must decide whether to reveal the truth and face dismissal or keep her secret while the Bannings decide the child’s fate. Click here for the guide.

The latest book in our Monthly Contest is BEYOND ORDINARY: When a Good Marriage Just Isn't Good Enough. According to Justin Davis and Trisha Davis, the biggest threat to any marriage isn’t infidelity or miscommunication; the greatest enemy is ordinary. And this couple knows just how dangerous ordinary can be. Here, Justin and Trisha take us inside the slow fade that occurred in their own marriage. They reveal the mistakes they made, the work they avoided, the thoughts and feelings that led to an affair and near divorce, and finally, the heart-change that had to occur in both of them before they could experience the hope, healing and restoration of a truly extraordinary marriage. We’re giving 10 readers the chance to win a copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Tuesday, February 12th at noon ET.

Finally, we have nine new reviews for you this month. In addition to the previously mentioned VANISHED, we’re taking a closer look at DAILY READINGS FROM EVERY DAY A FRIDAY: 90 Devotions to Be Happier 7 Days a Week, a devotional based on Joel Osteen’s bestseller EVERY DAY A FRIDAY; SPIRITUAL SIMPLICITY: Doing Less, Loving More, in which Chip Ingram explains how to change our love from a noun to a verb and choose to concentrate on what really matters: the people we love the most; and Ken Mansfield’s STUMBLING ON OPEN GROUND: Love, God, Cancer, and Rock 'n' Roll, a private dialogue between a charismatic man, his loving wife, and the extraordinary God who transformed them both in the middle of a heartbreaking disease.

Before signing off, I wanted to bring to your attention an article that ran in USA Today this week about the growing popularity of books that tell stories of near-death experiences and heavenly journeys. Three bestsellers are spotlighted here --- HEAVEN IS FOR REAL: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo; PROOF OF HEAVEN: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander; and TO HEAVEN AND BACK: A Doctor's Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again by Mary Neal. Click here to read the article, which also includes my own thoughts on the possible reasons behind this trend.

Here’s hoping you’re ringing in the new year with some fabulous books. As we’ve done the past nine years, we’ll continue working hard in year 10 to add titles to your ever-growing reading lists and spotlight authors whose works you won’t want to miss. See you next month!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])