June 2010
The following reviews, interviews and features are running on FaithfulReader.com for the month of June.
Faithful Fiction
THE MAILBOX by Marybeth Whalen (Romance)
Centered on a real landmark on the coast of North Carolina, THE MAILBOX blends intriguing folklore and true faith with raw contemporary issues that affect every woman. When Lindsey Adams first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach, she has no idea that 20 years later she will still be visiting the mailbox --- still pouring out her heart in letters that summarize the best and worst parts of her life.
- Click here to read more about THE MAILBOX.
- Click here to read Marybeth Whalen’s bio.
NOWHERE, CAROLINA by Tamara Leigh (Fiction)
Maggie Pickwick is a lifetime away from her days as head cheerleader and the mistakes she made in high school. Twelve years later, this single mom has traded pompoms for an auctioneer’s gavel, popularity for peace and quiet, and strives to be a good example for her daughter Devyn. She’s keeping it together just fine, too --- until an old flame moves back to her little North Carolina town. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
SHADES OF MORNING by Marlo Schalesky (Fiction)
Marnie Wittier has life just where she wants it. Her bookstore/coffee shop patrons, her employees, and her friends from church all think she’s the very model of compassion and kindness. But then her past creeps into her present when her estranged sister dies and makes Marnie guardian of her 15-year-old son --- a boy Marnie never knew existed. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
Christian Living
JESUS MANIFESTO: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ, by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola (Religion & Spirituality)
JESUS MANIFESTO presents a fresh unveiling of Jesus as not only Savior and Lord, but as so much more. It is a prophetic call to restore the supremacy and sovereignty of Christ in a world --- and a church --- that has lost sight of Him. Read this book and see your Lord like you've never seen Him before. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.
HAS CHRISTIANITY FAILED YOU? by Ravi Zacharias (Religion & Spirituality)
Acclaimed apologist Ravi Zacharias explores the hard questions about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Here, he addresses the struggle he hears from both skeptics and Christians: Has Christianity failed us? And can irrefutable charges be brought against it by skeptics and disappointed believers alike? Reviewed by Michele Howe.
THE IMAM’S DAUGHTER: My Desperate Flight to Freedom, by Hannah Shah (Memoir)
Offering a remarkable look at the lifestyle and beliefs of her family, and the rigid ideas of shame and honor they used to oppress her, THE IMAM’S DAUGHTER by Hannah Shah also shines a light on contemporary Muslim culture. It is the inspiring story of the courage and emancipation of Hannah Shah herself. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.
PLAN B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? by Pete Wilson (Christian Life/Spiritual Growth)
Pastor and author Pete Wilson uses real life stories of disappointments and hurts along with the biblical stories of men and women like David, Joseph and Ruth to help readers come to grips with the truth that they will face situations that in themselves they are completely unable to handle, but that in them God is simply trying to get them to surrender their plans so that they can receive His. Reviewed by Michele Howe.
KNOWING DARKNESS: Reflections on Skepticism, Melancholy, Friendship, and God, by Addison Hodges Hart (Christian Living)
Too often, Christians who find themselves feeling skeptical or melancholy are perplexed, troubled, or ashamed. But Addison Hodges Hart provocatively argues that both skepticism and melancholy are not necessarily detrimental but can actually strengthen and deepen Christian faith. Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.
Marriage and Family Life
WHAT YOUR SON ISN’T TELLING YOU: Unlocking the Secret World of Teen Boys, by Michael Ross and Susie Shellenberger (Parenting)
WHAT YOUR SON ISN’T TELLING YOU provides a rare look at the secret lives of teen boys --- a world characterized by loneliness and peer fear; one in which measuring up as a man means conforming to a code of always being a tough guy, never showing weakness, and never expressing true feelings. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.
Author Talk
Kathleen Y’Barbo
Kathleen Y’Barbo is the author of numerous contemporary and historical romances, including GOLDEN TWILIGHT, CAJUN HEARTS and BUILDING DREAMS. The second installment in her All That Glitters series, ANNA FINCH AND THE HIRED GUN, centers on an independent and headstrong young woman with an inconvenient attraction to the detective hired to protect her as she pursues her journalistic aspirations in 1885 Colorado. In this interview, Y’Barbo explains how she first became interested in tales of the Old West and discusses how a visit to author Margaret Mitchell’s house served as inspiration for this story. She also shares some fascinating but little-known facts about legendary figures Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, elaborates on the role faith plays in the lives of her characters, and hints at what readers can look forward to in the next book in the series.
Special Contest and Feature
HURRICANES IN PARADISE Book Giveaway
We are celebrating the release of HURRICANES IN PARADISE --- Denise Hildreth’s novel about a hotel employee who bonds with her troubled guests during a hurricane --- with a special contest. Five readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, July 27th at noon ET.
HURRICANES IN PARADISE by Denise Hildreth (Fiction)
When Riley Sinclair stepped into her new job as director of guest relations at a posh resort on Paradise Island, she felt the final pieces of her once-broken life coming together. But the waters become choppy when Riley discovers that some who come to the Atlantis Hotel are accompanied by paralyzing secrets and overwhelming fears. Riley and three guests are in desperate but unknowing need of each other, eventually forging unlikely yet powerful friendships. With a hurricane headed straight for the island, together they embark on a journey of laughter, heartache and healing.
- Click here to read an excerpt from HURRICANES IN PARADISE.
- Click here to see discussion questions for HURRICANES IN PARADISE.
- Click here to read Denise Hildreth’s bio.
Study Guides
THE HOMECOMING by Dan Walsh (Romance)
No sooner is Shawn Collins home from the fighting in Europe than he's called upon to serve his country another way --- as a war hero on a USO bond tour. He just wants to stay home with his son Patrick, his aging father, and to grieve the loss of his wife in private. When Shawn asks Katherine Townsend, Patrick's former social worker, to be Patrick's nanny while he's on the road, he has no idea the unexpected events this will unfold. Could she hold the key to his future happiness and the mending of his heart?
- Click here to read more about THE HOMECOMING.
- Click here to read Dan Walsh’s bio.
A LOVE OF HER OWN: Heart of the West, Book 3 by Maggie Brendan (Historical Romance)
April McBride has suffered a broken engagement once before and fully intends to guard her heart when she travels to Lewistown, Montana, to attend her brother’s wedding. One look around the small mining town convinces April that this won’t be difficult --- just a bunch of dusty shops, bad service and ill-bred cowboys. But a run-in with a horse trainer named Wes Owen opens up vast possibilities for frustration, embarrassment, friendship, and…love?
- Click here to read more about A LOVE OF HER OWN.
- Click here to read Maggie Brendan’s bio.
REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL by Melanie B. Dobson (Fiction)
This homecoming wasn’t what she expected. Jobless, homeless and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summers as a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge.
- Click here to read more about REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL.
- Click here to read an excerpt from REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL.
- Click here to read Melanie B. Dobson’s bio.
FINDING JEENA by Miralee Ferrell (Mystery)
New job. New townhouse. New car. The perfect new life…Right? Jeena Gregory thought she’d made it. She has everything a woman could ask for and a budding career promises more. But when rumors around town cast her boss in a shady light, Jeena starts to question her employer’s integrity. Was she wrong to trust this man and this job?
- Click here to read more about FINDING JEENA.
- Click here to read an excerpt from FINDING JEENA.
- Click here to read Miralee Ferrell’s bio.
FATAL LOYALTY by Sue Duffy (Suspense)
Where do you run when you know you cannot hide? Andie Ryborg has nowhere else to go. Her father’s campaign for governor and his aggressive war on drugs has chased her from their family home. Drawn to Miami’s exotic Coconut Grove, Andie hopes to find a quiet refuge where she can discover herself apart from the public eye. But even in that seclusion, Andie’s privacy has been violated. Someone is watching…
- Click here to read more about FATAL LOYALTY.
- Click here to read an excerpt from FATAL LOYALTY.
- Click here to read Sue Duffy’s bio.
Features
WITH HEARTS AND HYMNS AND VOICES by Pam Rhodes (Fiction)
When BBC producer Jan Harding arrives at the small idyllic Suffolk village to begin production of the Palm Sunday broadcast of “Songs of Praise” --- a television program featuring hymns sung by real congregations --- she finds out that the vicar, Clive Linton, is hopelessly absent-minded and not impressed that the top BBC religious program chose to come to his church. His practical wife, Helen, however, gets on well with the television team --- perhaps a little too well, where the charming, enigmatic rigger Michael is concerned.
- Click here to read an excerpt from WITH HEARTS AND HYMNS AND VOICES.
- Click here to read Pam Rhodes’s bio.
About the Books
CLAIM: A Novel of Colorado - The Homeward Trilogy, Book 3 by Lisa T. Bergren (Historical Romance)
Dominic St. Clair has fought his way back from desperate circumstances and now has an opportunity to reunite with his sisters in Colorado. In an effort to find the peace that has always eluded him, Dominic begins a new venture in an old mine deep inside the Rocky Mountains. Despite his struggles, Dominic discovers the affection of the local teacher among the hidden treasures of the area. Will he finally claim his true inheritance, or will he succumb to the restlessness that has dogged his life since leaving Colorado years before?
- Click here to read Lisa T. Bergren’s bio.
HEALER: The Brides of Alba, Book 1 by Linda Windsor (Historical Fiction)
Sixth-century Arthurian Britain provides the backdrop for Linda Windsor’s latest novel, HEALER. First in The Brides of Alba Series, HEALER gifts readers with the story of Brenna of Gowrys, a woman orphaned during a 20-year blood feud and destined to spend her life in hiding with only her wolf and her faith in God as companions. When a stranger is left to die surrounded by the carnage of a nearby ambush, Brenna rescues him from certain death. However, the stranger’s delirious rants leave her to wonder if his spirit will survive the darkness that enshrouds him.
- Click here to read Linda Windsor’s bio.
Click here to read the full newsletter.
Faithful Fiction
THE MAILBOX by Marybeth Whalen (Romance)
Centered on a real landmark on the coast of North Carolina, THE MAILBOX blends intriguing folklore and true faith with raw contemporary issues that affect every woman. When Lindsey Adams first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach, she has no idea that 20 years later she will still be visiting the mailbox --- still pouring out her heart in letters that summarize the best and worst parts of her life.
- Click here to read more about THE MAILBOX.
- Click here to read Marybeth Whalen’s bio.
NOWHERE, CAROLINA by Tamara Leigh (Fiction)
Maggie Pickwick is a lifetime away from her days as head cheerleader and the mistakes she made in high school. Twelve years later, this single mom has traded pompoms for an auctioneer’s gavel, popularity for peace and quiet, and strives to be a good example for her daughter Devyn. She’s keeping it together just fine, too --- until an old flame moves back to her little North Carolina town. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
SHADES OF MORNING by Marlo Schalesky (Fiction)
Marnie Wittier has life just where she wants it. Her bookstore/coffee shop patrons, her employees, and her friends from church all think she’s the very model of compassion and kindness. But then her past creeps into her present when her estranged sister dies and makes Marnie guardian of her 15-year-old son --- a boy Marnie never knew existed. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
Christian Living
JESUS MANIFESTO: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ, by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola (Religion & Spirituality)
JESUS MANIFESTO presents a fresh unveiling of Jesus as not only Savior and Lord, but as so much more. It is a prophetic call to restore the supremacy and sovereignty of Christ in a world --- and a church --- that has lost sight of Him. Read this book and see your Lord like you've never seen Him before. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.
HAS CHRISTIANITY FAILED YOU? by Ravi Zacharias (Religion & Spirituality)
Acclaimed apologist Ravi Zacharias explores the hard questions about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Here, he addresses the struggle he hears from both skeptics and Christians: Has Christianity failed us? And can irrefutable charges be brought against it by skeptics and disappointed believers alike? Reviewed by Michele Howe.
THE IMAM’S DAUGHTER: My Desperate Flight to Freedom, by Hannah Shah (Memoir)
Offering a remarkable look at the lifestyle and beliefs of her family, and the rigid ideas of shame and honor they used to oppress her, THE IMAM’S DAUGHTER by Hannah Shah also shines a light on contemporary Muslim culture. It is the inspiring story of the courage and emancipation of Hannah Shah herself. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.
PLAN B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? by Pete Wilson (Christian Life/Spiritual Growth)
Pastor and author Pete Wilson uses real life stories of disappointments and hurts along with the biblical stories of men and women like David, Joseph and Ruth to help readers come to grips with the truth that they will face situations that in themselves they are completely unable to handle, but that in them God is simply trying to get them to surrender their plans so that they can receive His. Reviewed by Michele Howe.
KNOWING DARKNESS: Reflections on Skepticism, Melancholy, Friendship, and God, by Addison Hodges Hart (Christian Living)
Too often, Christians who find themselves feeling skeptical or melancholy are perplexed, troubled, or ashamed. But Addison Hodges Hart provocatively argues that both skepticism and melancholy are not necessarily detrimental but can actually strengthen and deepen Christian faith. Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.
Marriage and Family Life
WHAT YOUR SON ISN’T TELLING YOU: Unlocking the Secret World of Teen Boys, by Michael Ross and Susie Shellenberger (Parenting)
WHAT YOUR SON ISN’T TELLING YOU provides a rare look at the secret lives of teen boys --- a world characterized by loneliness and peer fear; one in which measuring up as a man means conforming to a code of always being a tough guy, never showing weakness, and never expressing true feelings. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.
Author Talk
Kathleen Y’Barbo
Kathleen Y’Barbo is the author of numerous contemporary and historical romances, including GOLDEN TWILIGHT, CAJUN HEARTS and BUILDING DREAMS. The second installment in her All That Glitters series, ANNA FINCH AND THE HIRED GUN, centers on an independent and headstrong young woman with an inconvenient attraction to the detective hired to protect her as she pursues her journalistic aspirations in 1885 Colorado. In this interview, Y’Barbo explains how she first became interested in tales of the Old West and discusses how a visit to author Margaret Mitchell’s house served as inspiration for this story. She also shares some fascinating but little-known facts about legendary figures Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, elaborates on the role faith plays in the lives of her characters, and hints at what readers can look forward to in the next book in the series.
Special Contest and Feature
HURRICANES IN PARADISE Book Giveaway
We are celebrating the release of HURRICANES IN PARADISE --- Denise Hildreth’s novel about a hotel employee who bonds with her troubled guests during a hurricane --- with a special contest. Five readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, July 27th at noon ET.
HURRICANES IN PARADISE by Denise Hildreth (Fiction)
When Riley Sinclair stepped into her new job as director of guest relations at a posh resort on Paradise Island, she felt the final pieces of her once-broken life coming together. But the waters become choppy when Riley discovers that some who come to the Atlantis Hotel are accompanied by paralyzing secrets and overwhelming fears. Riley and three guests are in desperate but unknowing need of each other, eventually forging unlikely yet powerful friendships. With a hurricane headed straight for the island, together they embark on a journey of laughter, heartache and healing.
- Click here to read an excerpt from HURRICANES IN PARADISE.
- Click here to see discussion questions for HURRICANES IN PARADISE.
- Click here to read Denise Hildreth’s bio.
Study Guides
THE HOMECOMING by Dan Walsh (Romance)
No sooner is Shawn Collins home from the fighting in Europe than he's called upon to serve his country another way --- as a war hero on a USO bond tour. He just wants to stay home with his son Patrick, his aging father, and to grieve the loss of his wife in private. When Shawn asks Katherine Townsend, Patrick's former social worker, to be Patrick's nanny while he's on the road, he has no idea the unexpected events this will unfold. Could she hold the key to his future happiness and the mending of his heart?
- Click here to read more about THE HOMECOMING.
- Click here to read Dan Walsh’s bio.
A LOVE OF HER OWN: Heart of the West, Book 3 by Maggie Brendan (Historical Romance)
April McBride has suffered a broken engagement once before and fully intends to guard her heart when she travels to Lewistown, Montana, to attend her brother’s wedding. One look around the small mining town convinces April that this won’t be difficult --- just a bunch of dusty shops, bad service and ill-bred cowboys. But a run-in with a horse trainer named Wes Owen opens up vast possibilities for frustration, embarrassment, friendship, and…love?
- Click here to read more about A LOVE OF HER OWN.
- Click here to read Maggie Brendan’s bio.
REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL by Melanie B. Dobson (Fiction)
This homecoming wasn’t what she expected. Jobless, homeless and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summers as a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge.
- Click here to read more about REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL.
- Click here to read an excerpt from REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL.
- Click here to read Melanie B. Dobson’s bio.
FINDING JEENA by Miralee Ferrell (Mystery)
New job. New townhouse. New car. The perfect new life…Right? Jeena Gregory thought she’d made it. She has everything a woman could ask for and a budding career promises more. But when rumors around town cast her boss in a shady light, Jeena starts to question her employer’s integrity. Was she wrong to trust this man and this job?
- Click here to read more about FINDING JEENA.
- Click here to read an excerpt from FINDING JEENA.
- Click here to read Miralee Ferrell’s bio.
FATAL LOYALTY by Sue Duffy (Suspense)
Where do you run when you know you cannot hide? Andie Ryborg has nowhere else to go. Her father’s campaign for governor and his aggressive war on drugs has chased her from their family home. Drawn to Miami’s exotic Coconut Grove, Andie hopes to find a quiet refuge where she can discover herself apart from the public eye. But even in that seclusion, Andie’s privacy has been violated. Someone is watching…
- Click here to read more about FATAL LOYALTY.
- Click here to read an excerpt from FATAL LOYALTY.
- Click here to read Sue Duffy’s bio.
Features
WITH HEARTS AND HYMNS AND VOICES by Pam Rhodes (Fiction)
When BBC producer Jan Harding arrives at the small idyllic Suffolk village to begin production of the Palm Sunday broadcast of “Songs of Praise” --- a television program featuring hymns sung by real congregations --- she finds out that the vicar, Clive Linton, is hopelessly absent-minded and not impressed that the top BBC religious program chose to come to his church. His practical wife, Helen, however, gets on well with the television team --- perhaps a little too well, where the charming, enigmatic rigger Michael is concerned.
- Click here to read an excerpt from WITH HEARTS AND HYMNS AND VOICES.
- Click here to read Pam Rhodes’s bio.
About the Books
CLAIM: A Novel of Colorado - The Homeward Trilogy, Book 3 by Lisa T. Bergren (Historical Romance)
Dominic St. Clair has fought his way back from desperate circumstances and now has an opportunity to reunite with his sisters in Colorado. In an effort to find the peace that has always eluded him, Dominic begins a new venture in an old mine deep inside the Rocky Mountains. Despite his struggles, Dominic discovers the affection of the local teacher among the hidden treasures of the area. Will he finally claim his true inheritance, or will he succumb to the restlessness that has dogged his life since leaving Colorado years before?
- Click here to read Lisa T. Bergren’s bio.
HEALER: The Brides of Alba, Book 1 by Linda Windsor (Historical Fiction)
Sixth-century Arthurian Britain provides the backdrop for Linda Windsor’s latest novel, HEALER. First in The Brides of Alba Series, HEALER gifts readers with the story of Brenna of Gowrys, a woman orphaned during a 20-year blood feud and destined to spend her life in hiding with only her wolf and her faith in God as companions. When a stranger is left to die surrounded by the carnage of a nearby ambush, Brenna rescues him from certain death. However, the stranger’s delirious rants leave her to wonder if his spirit will survive the darkness that enshrouds him.
- Click here to read Linda Windsor’s bio.
Click here to read the full newsletter.
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