September 2012

September marks the beginning of a new season, as the summer heat begins to fade and gives way to chilly breezes, football games, and orange and red hues spreading across the treetops. So although leisurely beach reading is dwindling like autumn sunlight in the late afternoons, we hope you still have some free time to enjoy a good book --- and we have some selections you’ll want to fit into your busy schedules.

For starters, we have FIVE contests currently running on the site, all with deadlines of Monday, October 15th at noon ET for your entries.

Elizabeth Musser concludes her Secrets of the Cross trilogy with the final installment, TWO DESTINIES, a story of forbidden love, passionate faith, danger and intrigue. A French-Algerian woman falls in love with a Christian, committing an unpardonable sin in the eyes of her Muslim family. Can her love save her from a forced marriage…or even death? 25 readers will win all three books in the series (which also includes TWO CROSSES and TWO TESTAMENTS), and one of these lucky winners will also receive a Huguenot cross that the author herself is providing.

We have 10 copies of THE BREAKTHROUGH by Jerry B. Jenkins up for grabs. In this conclusion to the Precinct 11 trilogy, Boone Drake becomes enmeshed in a dangerous human-trafficking ring in the dark alleys and streets of the Hutong District as he tries to rescue a young boy.

Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith have collaborated on A PLAIN AND SIMPLE HEART, the opening installment of their series, The Amish of Apple Grove. Rebecca Switzer, a young Amish woman, loses her heart to a rugged but dissolute cowboy named Jesse. When Sheriff Colin Maddox falls in love with Rebecca, can he convince her to forget Jesse and give him a chance? 75 readers will have the opportunity to find out when they win a copy of this intriguing historical romance.

In celebration of the release of Michael Morris’ latest work, MAN IN THE BLUE MOON, we’re giving 10 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. Hypocrisy and murder shake the small coastal town of Apalachicola as Ella Wallace struggles to keep her family’s land from the hands of an unscrupulous banker.

In addition to these four special contests, we have a monthly contest where 30 readers will be awarded a copy of TAMING THE WIND, the third installment in Tracie Peterson’s Land of the Lone Star series. In the years following the Civil War, Carissa Lowe, a young widow with a baby girl, becomes reacquainted with Tyler Atherton, a cowboy who once saved her life. Amidst the hardships of the Texas plains, can these two wounded hearts move beyond their fears and find hope for the future?

Along with our featured contest books, we have three novels with study guides that would make for interesting discussions, especially if you’re in a book group.

In LOVE’S RECKONING, the first book in Laura Frantz’s The Ballantyne Legacy series, Silas Ballantyne is determined to finish his blacksmith apprenticeship and move west. However, his master Liege Lee is determined to have him stay in Pennsylvania by appealing to an old tradition: the apprentice shall marry one of his master’s beautiful daughters. In this sweeping family saga, one man’s choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come. Click here for the study guide.

Sarah Sundin has completed the first book in her Wings of the Nightingale series, WITH EVERY LETTER. An anonymous wartime correspondence between a World War II flight nurse and an army engineer takes an unexpected twist when she arrives to evacuate the wounded in his battalion. Click here for the study guide.

Celia Anderson doesn’t have a husband on her Christmas wish list. But when a traveling carpenter finds lodging at her boardinghouse, she admits that she might remarry if she found the right man --- the kind of man who would bring her roses for Christmas. Will a Christmas miracle prevail despite the impossibility of finding roses during the harsh winter? Find out in Amanda Cabot’s CHRISTMAS ROSES, a sweet romance set in 1882 Wyoming. Click here for the study guide.

We’re happy to share two wonderful interviews with you. Beverly Lewis, author of THE BRIDESMAID, Book 2 of her Home to Hickory Hollow series, explains why she decided to revisit the setting of Hickory Hollow, comments on the reaction of readers to the stand-alone aspect of her series, and talks about some of the characters in her novel, including her heroine, Joanna Kurtz, whose secret writing life is very similar to her own. In the second interview, Mary C. Neal discusses her remarkable near-death experience after a kayaking accident, which she recounts in her compelling memoir, TO HEAVEN AND BACK. She also talks about the accident’s impact on her life and faith, and why she believes she returned to earth.

We recommend you read an excerpt of Harry Kraus’ newest release, A HEARTBEAT AWAY, about a surgeon who, after having her own heart transplant, starts having memories of a homicide that she never witnessed. You can also preview Anne Mateer’s AT EVERY TURN. Driven to fulfill an unbreakable promise, Alyce Benson finds help in an unlikely ally. But when her plan spirals out of control, will she have to choose between keeping her promise and the man who holds a piece of her heart?

And finally, among our nine reviews this month are two new releases from popular bestselling author Max Lucado. In GRACE: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine, Lucado wants us to fully understand the meaning of grace. He poses such questions as: Have you been changed by grace? Shaped by grace? Strengthened by grace? Emboldened by grace? Softened by grace? Snatched by the nape of your neck and shaken to your senses by grace? Lucado has also published a gift book called GRACE HAPPENS HERE: You Are Standing Where Grace is Happening. Here, he looks at grace from all directions and reveals that, no matter which way you look at it, God’s grace is always there, ready to do wonders in your life.

We hope you have a fabulous start to the fall season and consider adding some of our featured titles to your reading lists.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

We are celebrating the release of TWO DESTINIES, the conclusion to Elizabeth Musser's Secrets of the Cross Trilogy, with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win all three books in the series (which also includes TWO CROSSES and TWO TESTAMENTS). In addition, one of these winners will be awarded a Huguenot cross that Elizabeth herself is providing. The deadline for entries is Monday, October 15th at noon ET.

TWO DESTINIES: Secrets of the Cross Trilogy, Book 3 by Elizabeth Musser (Historical Fiction)
When Risléne Namani meets Eric Hoffmann in 1994 France, the spark between them ignites a firestorm of trouble. An Algerian Muslim, her attraction to him, a Christian, is forbidden. Yet he captures her heart. More than that, his faith captures her soul --- a faith she comes to embrace. And it all stirs up a wasps’ nest of danger, mystery and love that could cost her everything, even her life.

-Click here to read more about the book.

We are celebrating the release of THE BREAKTHROUGH with a special contest that will give 10 readers the opportunity to win a copy of this conclusion to Jerry B. Jenkins' Precinct 11 trilogy. The deadline for entries is Monday, October 15th at noon ET.

THE BREAKTHROUGH: A Precinct 11 Novel by Jerry B. Jenkins (Mystery)
When an all-too-personal case takes Boone Drake to Beijing at a time when his wife, Haeley, can least afford to let him go, Boone is forced to make a difficult choice. There he becomes enmeshed in a dangerous human-trafficking ring that takes him through the famed Hutong District's narrow streets, alleys and hovels. Teamed with a former Liberation Army officer, Boone has one chance to pull off an elaborate sting and rescue a young boy before he disappears forever.

-Click here to read more about the book.

We are celebrating the release of A PLAIN AND SIMPLE HEART with a special contest that will give 75 readers the opportunity to win a copy of this first installment in Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith's The Amish of Apple Grove series. The deadline for entries is Monday, October 15th at noon ET.

A PLAIN AND SIMPLE HEART: The Amish of Apple Grove, Book 1 by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith (Historical Romance)
Rebecca Switzer, a young Amish woman, fell in love years ago with Jesse Montgomery, a rugged but dissolute cowboy. Sheriff Colin Maddox can hardly believe he has lost his heart to a Plain and simple woman. Can Colin convince Rebecca to forget Jesse and give him a chance?

We are celebrating the release of MAN IN THE BLUE MOON by Michael Morris --- in which hypocrisy and murder shake the coastal town of Apalachicola --- with a special contest that will give 10 readers the opportunity to win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Monday, October 15th at noon ET.

MAN IN THE BLUE MOON by Michael Morris (Historical Fiction)
While the world is embroiled in World War I, Ella Wallace fights her own personal battle to keep the mystical Florida land that has been in her family for generations from the hands of an unscrupulous banker. When a mysterious man arrives at Ella’s door, he convinces her he can help her avoid foreclosure, and a tenuous trust begins. But as the fight for Ella’s land intensifies, it becomes evident that things are not as they appear.

-Click here to read more about the book.

LOVE’S RECKONING: The Ballantyne Legacy, Book 1 by Laura Frantz (Historical Romance)
In 1784, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of blacksmith Liege Lee in York County, Pennsylvania. Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship quickly and move west, but Liege endeavors to keep him in York by appealing to an old tradition: the apprentice shall marry one of his master’s beautiful daughters. Eden is as gentle and fresh as Elspeth is high-spirited and cunning. But are they truly who they appear to be?

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to read Laura Frantz’s bio.
-Click here to visit Laura Frantz’s official website.

WITH EVERY LETTER: Wings of the Nightingale, Book 1 by Sarah Sundin (Historical Romance)
As part of a morale-building program, Lt. Mellie Blake must write letters to a man she’s never met. Unlike Mellie, Lt. Tom MacGilliver welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence. As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

-Click here to read more about the book.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

-Click here to read critical praise.

CHRISTMAS ROSES by Amanda Cabot (Historical Romance)
Celia Anderson doesn’t have a husband on her Christmas wish list. But when a traveling carpenter finds lodging at her boardinghouse, she admits that she might remarry if she found the right man --- the kind of man who would bring her roses for Christmas. It would take a miracle, though, to find roses during a harsh Wyoming winter. But Christmas, after all, is the time for miracles...

-Click here to read more about the book.

-Click here to read an excerpt.

-Click here to read critical praise.

-Click here to read Amanda Cabot’s bio.
 

Beverly Lewis' new novel, THE BRIDESMAID, is the sequel to her April 2012 release, THE FIDDLER. In this interview, Lewis explains why she decided to revisit the setting of Hickory Hollow, comments on the reaction of readers to the stand-alone aspect of her latest series, and talks about some of the characters in her novel, including her heroine, Joanna Kurtz, whose secret writing life is very similar to her own.

THE BRIDESMAID: Home to Hickory Hollow, Book 2 by Beverly Lewis (Romance)
Twenty-four-year-old Joanna Kurtz is so far proving the adage “always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” Yet, despite appearances, she has a beau who is secretly courting her from afar. Will her hidden passion for writing and his responsibilities to his family keep them forever apart?

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to watch the book trailer.
-Click here to read Beverly Lewis’ bio.
-Click here to visit Beverly Lewis’ official website.

A kayak accident during a South American adventure took orthopedic surgeon, devoted wife and loving mother Mary C. Neal to heaven --- where she experienced God’s peace, joy and angels --- and back to life again. In this interview, Dr. Neal talks about her remarkable near-death experience, which she recounts in her compelling memoir, TO HEAVEN AND BACK; its impact on her life and faith; and why she believes she returned to Earth.

TO HEAVEN AND BACK: A Doctor's Extraordinary Account Now of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again: A True Story by Mary C. Neal, M.D. (Memoir)
In 1999, Dr. Mary Neal drowned in a kayak accident. While cascading down a waterfall, her kayak became pinned at the bottom and she was immediately and completely submerged. Despite the rescue efforts of her companions, Mary was underwater for too long and, as a result, died. TO HEAVEN AND BACK is Mary’s remarkable story of her life’s spiritual journey and what happened as she moved from life to death to eternal life, and back again.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to watch the book trailer.
-Click here to read Mary C. Neal’s bio.
-Click here to visit Mary C. Neal’s official website.

GRACE: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine by Max Lucado (Christian Life)
Grace. We talk as though we understand the term. The bank gives us a grace period. The seedy politician falls from grace. We use the word for hospitals, baby girls, kings, and premeal prayers. But do we really understand its meaning? Max Lucado asks a deeper question: Have you been changed by grace? Shaped by grace? Strengthened by grace? Emboldened by grace? Softened by grace? Snatched by the nape of your neck and shaken to your senses by grace? Reviewed by Michele Howe.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.

GRACE HAPPENS HERE: You Are Standing Where Grace is Happening by Max Lucado (Christian Life)
Max Lucado looks at grace from all directions and reveals that no matter which way you look at it, God’s grace is always there, ready to do wonders in your life. This beautiful gift book is filled with powerful quotes, Scripture, and stories that will transform your heart and mind with a deeper understanding of God’s healing grace. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.

A HEARTBEAT AWAY by Harry Kraus (Mystery/Suspense)
Tori Taylor is a cancer surgeon who finds herself dying on her own operating table. After undergoing a heart transplant, Tori has memories of a homicide that she didn't witness. With her new heart, her previously ordered life is cluttered with chaos. Threatening memories, a search for the truth, and new opportunities for love and faith await.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Harry Kraus’ bio.
-Click here to visit Harry Kraus' official website.
-Click here to connect with Harry Kraus on Facebook.
 

AT EVERY TURN by Anne Mateer (Historical Romance)
Driven to fulfill an unbreakable promise, Alyce finds help in an unlikely ally. But when her plan spirals out of control, will she have to choose between keeping her promise and the man who holds a piece of her heart?

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Anne Mateer’s bio.

-Click here to visit Anne Mateer’s official website.

THE REUNION by Dan Walsh (Fiction)
Aaron Miller knows a thing or two about loss. He's lost love. Dignity. Second, and even third, chances. Once honored for his heroism, he now lives in near obscurity, working as a handyman in a humble trailer park. But God is a master at finding and redeeming the lost things of life. Unbeknownst to Aaron, someone is searching for him. Reviewed by Lynda Lee Schab.

WINNING BALANCE: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams by Shawn Johnson with Nancy French (Memoir)
Twenty-year-old American gymnast Shawn Johnson is no stranger to hard work and adversity. But after numerous setbacks, she wasn’t sure who she was anymore. She wasn’t sure what her goals were. And she wasn’t sure she was satisfied with where she was with her faith and God. Could she find the right kind of success in life --- the kind that doesn’t involve medals or trophies, but peace, love and lasting joy? Reviewed by Lynda Lee Schab.

WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE: How to Ask God for the Impossible by Linda Evans Shepherd (Christian Living)
Linda Evans Shepherd knows what it's like to be in desperate need of a miracle. And she knows what it's like to receive God's answers to her prayers. In this powerful book, she shows you how to reach out to God and simply ask. She shows how God's answers may not come packaged in the ways we would expect, but they do come in ways that will transform our lives. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT: A Raleigh Harmon Novel by Sibella Giorello (Mystery)
After the FBI suspends her for bending its rules, Special Agent Raleigh Harmon is looking for a chance to redeem her career and re-start her life. Being sent undercover to a thoroughbred horse track to see who's fixing the races might just be it. With mere days before the season ends, she races to find out the truth, but this might be more trouble than she bargained for. Reviewed by Lynda Lee Schab.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT: God's Love of Outsiders Including the Outsider in All of Us by Ken Gire (Christian Living)
Everyone feels like an outsider sometimes. Acclaimed bestselling author Ken Gire brings readers into the action of Scripture, telling the stories of "outcasts" who found acceptance with God. Alongside the Bible stories, he blends contemporary examples and spiritual insights to paint a picture of a God who relentlessly pursues each of us. Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.

CRUEL HARVEST: A Memoir by Fran Elizabeth Grubb (Memoir)
CRUEL HARVEST tells the true story of Fran Grubb’s hard childhood toiling as a migrant worker in the 1960s, her escape from her tyrannical father, the heartache of a family torn apart, and her eventual expedition to forgiveness and healing, and being reunited with her torn-apart family. It is both a memoir and a final confession, a type of monument in the ground to what has come before, and the power of what can come. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.

COOKING THE BOOKS: A Sloane Templeton Mystery by Bonnie S. Calhoun (Mystery)
After her mother dies from a heart attack, Sloane Templeton goes from Cyber Crimes Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. At the same time, she begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone is out to kill her. Can her life get more crazy? Reviewed by Lynda Lee Schab.

In FaithfulReader.com's latest monthly contest, 30 readers each will be awarded a copy of TAMING THE WIND, the third installment of Tracie Peterson's Land of the Lone Star series. The deadline for entries is Monday, October 15th at noon ET.

TAMING THE WIND: Land of the Lone Star, Book 3 by Tracie Peterson (Historical Romance)
In the years following the Civil War, Cassie Lowe is reacquainted with cowboy Tyler Atherton, a man who once saved her life. Amidst the hardships of the Texas plains, can these two wounded hearts move beyond their fears and find hope for the future?

-Click here to read more about the book.