Broken by Travis Thrasher

I received this book free from the publisher to review...I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it looks interesting from what I've seen, so I'll post my review in a few weeks. But for now, here are the official blurbs.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Broken (FaithWords, May 25, 2010) by Travis Thrasher

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

It was during third grade after a teacher encouraged him in his writing and as he read through The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis that Travis decided he wanted to be a writer. The dream never left him, and allowed him to fulfill that dream of writing fulltime in 2007.

Travis Thrasher is the author of numerous works of fiction, including his most personal and perhaps his deepest work, Sky Blue, that was published in summer of 2007. This year he has to novels published, Out of the Devil’s Mouth, and a supernatural thriller, Isolation.

Travis is married to Sharon and they are the proud parents of Kylie, born in November, 2006, and Hailey, a Shih-Tzu that looks like an Ewok. They live in suburban Chicago.

Stop by and visit Travis at his Blog where you can sign up to follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Laila had it all - love, family, wealth, and faith. But when her faith crumbles, her world falls apart and Laila finds herself living an empty, dangerous life as a call girl in Chicago.

When she is threatened, Laila shoots and kills a client in self-defense, sending herself into a spiral of guilt and emptiness. Six months later, she is trying to move on, but she's haunted by the past. She hasn't told anyone about the man she killed, and she's still estranged from her family.

When she is approached by a stranger who says he knows what she did, Laila has no choice but to run. But the stranger stays close behind, and Laila begins having visions of the man she killed. Little does she know she's being hounded by something not of this world, something that knows her deepest, darkest secret.

Scared and wandering, will Laila regain her trust in God to protect her from these demons? Or will her plea for salvation come too late?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Broken, go HERE.

Predator by Terri Blackstock

Note: I received this book free from the publisher to review...I read it and have posted my review below. But first, here are the official blurbs.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Predator (Zondervan, May 25, 2010) by Terri Blackstock

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Terri Blackstock’s books have sold six million copies worldwide. Her suspense novels often debut at number one on the Christian fiction best-seller lists, and True Light, published last year, was number one of all Christian books—fiction and non-fiction. Blackstock has had twenty-five years of success as a novelist.

In 1994 Blackstock was writing for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening drew her into the Christian market. Since that time, she’s written over thirty Christian titles, in addition to the thirty-two she had in the secular market. Her most recent books are the four in her acclaimed Restoration Series, which includes Last Light, Night Light, True Light and Dawn’s Light. She is also known for her popular Newpointe 911 and Cape Refuge Series.

In addition to her suspense novels, she has written a number of novels in the women’s fiction genre, including Covenant Child, which was chosen as one of the first Women of Faith novels, and her Seasons Series written with Beverly LaHaye, wife of Tim LaHaye.

Blackstock has won the Retailer’s Choice Award and has appeared on national television programs such as The 700 Club, Home Life, and At Home Live with Chuck and Jenny. She has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country and the subject of countless articles. The story of her personal journey appears in books such as Touched By the Savior by Mike Yorkey, True Stories of Answered Prayer by Mike Nappa, Faces of Faith by John Hanna, and I Saw Him In Your Eyes by Ace Collins.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The murder of Krista Carmichael's fourteen-year-old sister by an online predator has shaken her faith and made her question God's justice and protection. Desperate to find the killer, she creates an online persona to bait the predator. But when the stalker turns his sights on her, will Krista be able to control the outcome?

Ryan Adkins started the social network GrapeVyne in his college dorm and has grown it into a billion-dollar corporation. But he never expected it to become a stalking ground for online Predators. One of them lives in his town and has killed two girls and attacked a third. When Ryan meets Krista, the murders become more than a news story to him, and everything is on the line.

Joining forces, he and Krista set out to stop the killer. But when hunters pursue a hunter, the tables can easily turn. Only God can protect them now.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Predator, go here.

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Some of my thoughts: First off Blackstock is a competent writer, not great, but solid. So you won't be embarrassed recommending her or being caught reading this type of CBA product. Predator has an interesting, if not a very compelling, premise. It covers contemporary yet familiar ground: a murder mystery occasioned by an online social networking stalker. The subject matter is adult oriented (if you don't like reading about serial rapists/murderers, you won't like this story). There are faith elements (questioning God's role in an evil world, etc.), but the Christian themes weren't woven into the story very tightly, imo; they seemed stitched on and could easily be edited out in order to turn this book into an ABA offering.

My biggest challenge was the implausible "insider" world of the Facebook-like company that Blackstock describes. Some of the explanations as to how data is gathered and the role that computer programmers play in this story just didn't ring true. It was as if the author wrote about things she didn't have first-hand experience or knowledge of, but instead of doing research she relied on general knowledge that true "insiders" would find laughable. But then, most of her reading audience probably isn't worried about being extremely accurate in the details. I guess I'm too used to reading John Grisham and Tom Clancy - authors that Blackstock is trying to emulate both in style and genre, but hasn't quite succeeded.

If you enjoy a bit of mystery with some Christian themes and a moderate dose (at times a bit tedious, even) of socially relevant commentary, then you might like this book. But read it quick, it'll become outdated in a year or two. I give the book 7 out of 10.

Book Review - A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher

So you know, I received a free copy of Robin Lee Hatcher's newest release, A Matter of Character, from Zondervan Publishing.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Matter of Character (Zondervan, May 25, 2010) by Robin Lee Hatcher

Here's my review:

Just finished reading this "faith-filled historical romance" set in 1918 Idaho. It's the third and final book of "The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs" series. You needn't be familiar with the first two novels, however, to enjoy this light and cozy, quick but competently written beach-or-bathtub read. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but to be honest, Christian chick lit isn't my favorite genre.

That being said, at about 250 pages, it's a little long and somewhat repetitive. I got tired of reading every few pages in the opening chapters why Joshua, the male protagonist, traveled to Bethlehem Springs on a mission to defend his grandfather's good name! I get it already. But because this was a fairly weak premise for an instigating crisis, I guess the author felt she needed to reiterate it half a dozen times or more. (Reminds me of the preacher joke/note to self: "Weak point, pound pulpit!") Still, the rising tension between Daphne (who has a secret about Joshua's grandfather) and the new man in town makes for a nice set up for the second half of the book, which covers their romantic troubles and resolution. If you enjoy clean reads with overtly Christian themes, this is a good representative of Christian historical fiction (the author's admitted "sweet spot").

Like the dime novels that Daphne writes, A Matter of Character reads a bit like the melodramatic fiction popular 100 years ago. It's fun, fast-paced, and transitions back and forth between Daphne and Joshua's POV fairly seamlessly. Although I'm not overly keen on meta-fiction (a writer writing a story about a writer writing a story - it's like a country singing star singing about becoming a country singing star), this wasn't too bad. My main challenge was that nothing extremely bad happened nor were there any nasty scoundrels to hate! I know, it's romance-lite with faith-triumphs themes, so again, if this is what you enjoy, Hatcher delivers. And there's a place for this type of lit. I just prefer something a bit more "adventurous."

My rating: 7 out of 10. But your mileage may vary. Here's the official blurb:

It's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret.

A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories...except Daphne.

When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.

You can also view the book trailer here.

Book Tour for Crossing Oceans

Received another book, Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (see info below) in the mail for free to review from Tyndale House Publishers. Again, I didn't have time to read it myself, so gave it to a woman at church to read and comment on. No full review here, but she said it was well written and very emotional. It deals with loss, grief, the breakup of a family and eventual reconciliation. My friend said that it might be a good book for pastors to read in order to be better able to minister to families suffering illness and loss. Sounds like it's a powerful story.


This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing
Crossing Oceans (Tyndale House Publishers, May 1, 2010)
by Gina Holmes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gina Holmes began her career in 1998, penning articles and short stories. In 2005 she founded the influential literary blog, Novel Journey. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit May 2010's issue of CFOM at Interview with Gina Holmes or Novel Journey.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Crossing Oceans, go HERE.

Note: This one will likely go on my TBR pile, but for now I donated it to the church library for others to read and enjoy.