Tree Swing Reading

The winners from the Christy Award Nominees giveaway

Here are the names drawn to win books from the 2008 Christy Award Nominees!  Congrats and thanks to everyone for entering!  To the winners, I will be sending you an email soon to ask for your address info.  If you don't hear from me, please email me.

Chasing Fireflies: Mary

In High Places: Michelle

Quaker Summer: MJ

Home to Holly Springs: Jenny

A Time to Mend: Kerrie

What Lies Within: Deanne

Lady of Milkweed Manor: Lace

A Proper Pursuit: Grams

A Tendering in the Storm: Tina

Doesn't She Look Natural? Alessandra

Hallie's Heart: Jenn

Let Them Eat Cake: Kristy/SE Country Wife

Trophy Wives Club: Becky Gooch

Lightning and Lace: Cindi

Remember to Forget: Deborah

Remembered: Christy Janes

The Cure: Theresa N.

My Hands Came Away Red: Carole

The Pawn: Kim

Auralia's Colors: Marci

The Restorer:  Jewelz

Scarlet: Michelle Sutton

Demon: Heather

The Stones Cry Out: Michele P.

Hollywood Nobody: Stacey D

In Between: Melissa from IN

Maggie Come Lately: Amanda H

Last day to enter for Christy Award Nominees

Go to this post to enter to win any of the Christy Award Nominees.

Winners will NOT be announced until SUNDAY, July 13. 

More About "Love Starts with Elle"

It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his/her book's FIRST chapter!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Rachel Hauck

and her book:

Love Starts with Elle

Thomas Nelson (July 8, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachel Hauck is a graduate of Ohio State University, and is a former software trainer. She published her first novel in 2004. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband, Tony, a youth pastor.

Some of Rachel's other books are:
Sweet Caroline
Diva Nash Vegas
Lost In Nash Vegas

Visit her at her website.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 8, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595543384
ISBN-13: 978-1595543387

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter One

BEAUFORT, SC
December 21

From the loft of her Bay Street art gallery, Elle Garvey leaned against the waist-high wall, admiring GG Galley’s “Art in Christ-mas” show. Visitors and patrons—some Beaufort residence, others curious tourists—milled among the displays, speaking in low tones, sipping hot cider.

The mellow voice of Andy Williams serenaded them. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . .”

“Elle,areyouthequeen,surveyingherkingdom?” Arlene Coulter gazed up from the bottom of the loft stairs, her bright red Christmas suit its own fashion work of art.

“Yes, and are you my loyal servant?”

Arlene curtsied,her bottle-blonde hair falling forward like silky angel hair, the hem of her skirt sliding up her knee. “Yours and yours alone, O you of whom Art News wrote, ‘One of the lowcountry’s finest galleries.’”

“Best hundred-dollar bribe I ever spent.” Elle descended the stairs, catching sight of her baby sister, Julianne, selling a bronze sculpture to a young woman wearing pearls.

“Darling”—Arlene linked arms with Elle and led her to the back wall—“your artist eye is truly God gifted.Tell me now . . . is this the work of the great Alyssa Porter?”

“It is.” Elle surveyed the paintings. They spoke to her each time she viewed them. She envied Alyssa and artists like her—the ones who had the courage to chase the dream.

Elle had lost hers a long time ago.

“And what do you like about this artist?” Arlene squeezed Elle’s arm tighter.

“Her paintings move me.” Elle freed herself from Arlene and moved to Alyssa’s Rose Garden, convinced it’d be a masterpiece one day.

“Move you?” Arlene studied one of the abstracts through a one-eyed slit, her short, red-tipped fingers squeezing the point of her chin. “I suppose they move me too. I’m just not sure where.”

“You’re looking for a definite image, Arlene. Don’t be so con-crete. Let your imagination run ...” Elle hooked her arm around the woman’s shoulders. “Follow my hand. See how you just moved out of the sunlight into the shade?”

“No, but, girl, I really love your bracelets. Where’d you get those?” Arlene grabbed Elle’s wrist to study the tricolor bangles.

“You beat all, Arlene.” Elle twisted her hand free.

“Well,a good set of bracelets is hard to find.” Arlene gazed again at the painting. “So, what should I do about Miss Porter?”

“Buyher.The New York art scene has discovered Alyssa and if you don’t purchase something before her first auction, you’ll never be able to afford it. Here...” Elle walked to the other side of the display. “This one on the bottom right is only two thousand dollars.”

Arlene stood an inch way from the bottom painting,tipping her head to one side. The track lighting haloed the back of her head.

“I’m afraid if I buy one of these I’ll wake up one night with the dang thing hanging over my head whispering,‘I see dead people.’”

“If it does, call Pastor O’Neal, not me.”

Arlene bent in half as if she hung upside down, then snapped upright. “What about this artist over here. Coco Nelson. Now this I get. Look—a woman’s face, with eyes and hair.”

“Coco’s a wonderful artist,” Elle said. “Very realistic work. This series is called ‘Love and Romance.’”

“Very fitting for you, sugar.” Arlene arched a brow at Elle.

“This piece, Proposal, is stunning.” Her voice rose and fell into a
sing-song.

Elle ignore her subtle teasing. “Yes, there’s something about it.
An ordinary gentleman down on one knee proposing to an ordinary
woman.”

But the emotion Coco evoked in the scene was anything but ordinary. When she’d sent in the piece, Elle couldn’t hang it at first. Too embarrassed after last year’s Operation Wedding Day fiasco when she tried to date every available bachelor in Beaufort. She wanted no reminders of love and romance.

Until Jeremiah Franklin.

“Okay.” Arlene spun around. “I’ll take the Alyssa Porter and this Coco Nelson.”

“You won’t regret it.”

“Says who?” Arlene passed Alyssa’s abstract piece again, sidestepping the image as if it might spring to life and spar with her.

Elle laughed, leading the way to her desk across the old, former hardware store. She treasured the talented, sometimes whacky, interior designer who landed lowcountry clients like doctors, lawyers, and hotel developers. In the early days of GG Gallery, business from Coulter Designs had helped keep the gallery lights burning and
Elle’s hopes alive.

“What’s the damage?” Arlene flashed her checkbook.

“Hold on, now, let me add a few more zeroes.” Elle jammed her finger on the adding machine’s Zero button.

“Add all you want. I’m only writing three.” Arlene fanned her face with her opened checkbook. “So, how’s it going with the good pastor?”

The mere hint of Dr. Jeremiah Franklin made Elle feel bubbly. “Good.”

“If the glow on your cheeks is any indication, I’d say it’s more than good. How long y’all been together now? Few months?”

“Two.” Elle wrote up Arlene’s order with a ten-percent discount.

“And it’s love?” Arlene leaned to see Elle’s eyes. “Don’t tell me it ain’t ’cause I can see it written all over your face.”

“Here.” Elle laughed low, passing over the order ticket with the total circled. “I appreciate your business—and nosiness—Arlene.”

“Any time, sugar. Any time.” Arlene peeked at the total, then started to write.

“Hey, babe.”

Jeremiah.

He still took her breath away after two months. When he’d told her he loved her in the setting sunlight during a beach walk, Elle had handed him her heart on a silver—no, gold—platter. Key included.

“Jer, what are you doing here?” She met him on the other side of her desk and stepped into his arms. His fragrance awakened her yearnings.

“I’m on my way to rehearse tomorrow’s sermon. Couldn’t pass the gallery without stopping in for a minute.” His kiss was soft and sweet, a pastorly display of public affection. But enough to make Elle glad to be a woman. His woman. “We’re still on for dinner?”

“Absolutely. You still haven’t said where you wanted to go.”

Jeremiah’s hazel wink teased her. “Patience, girl. Do you have to know everything?”

“Do you not know me after these few months?”

“Exactly . . .” He stooped for another soft kiss and backed away. “Good to see you, Arlene.”

“You too, Dr. Franklin.” Arlene watched Jeremiah exit the building with a wave. “Hmm-um, Elle, it must be breaking your heart.” Rippp. She handed over her check.

“What? What are you talking about?” Elle brushed the check absently between her fingers.

Arlene gaped at Elle with an “Um, what now?” expression, then punched the air with a darn-it fist, chewing her bottom lip. “Me and my mouth. Shoot fire, my Dirk will kill me.” She clutched her buttercolored Dooney & Burke to her chest. “Just forget I said anything, Elle. I am so sorry.” She whirled around and hurried away with a
swirling, swing-swing of her hips. “See you in church.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Arlene’s diverse network of informants was infamous—a mixture of truth and town lore, and eerily accurate. Elle scurried after her, blocking her before she reached the door. “You can’t drop a bomb like that then wiggle out of here with a ‘see you in church.’ What were you talking about?”

“First of all, I have a very natural swing to my hips. It’s what caught Dirk’s eye in the first place, mind you. As for the other, well, Elle, Jeremiah can tell you himself. Don’t worry. It’s good, I think.” She squared her red-jacketed shoulders. “Like I said, see you in church.”

Elle watched her go, thoughts racing. Jeremiah had just been here. He’d acted perfect, like always. What was Arlene talking about? This time her information network must have supplied the wrong details. What did you hear, Arlene Coulter?

“Elle, Mrs. Beisner is curious about a discount for buying three pieces.” Julianne held out an order pad, tapping the total. During art show openings and art fairs, Elle’s baby sister worked part time for GG Gallery. “What do you think, fifteen percent?”

“Sure.” Elle raked her hair with her fingers. “Whatever she wants.”

Julianne observed her sister through narrowed eyes. “Whatever she wants? Elle, are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” Elle walked around Jules to her desk and opened the bottom drawer where her handbag lived. “Can you watch the gallery for me?”

“Where are you going?”

“To uncover a rumor.” She didn’t feel like waiting until dinner to hear his news—if there was any news.

“Now?” Julianne called after her.

“I won’t be long.” But the front door was blocked by Huckleberry Johns and his fish tank of eco art. Oh, please, not tonight. “Huck, what are you doing? You’re dripping muddy water all over my clean floor.”

With a lopsided grin, he scanned the gallery, vying for attention. “I call it Death at Coffin Creek.” He raised his composition of reeking pluff mud and marsh grass. “Developers are ruining our ecosystem.”

Elle dropped her shoulders in fake defeat. “Huckleberry, you are too good-looking and too young to be so weird.” She grabbed his shoulders and turned him around. “Out. You’re stinking up the place. Julianne, we need a mop up here.”

Huck was an art school dropout—or, rather, they’d dropped him—and he hit the sidewalk, protesting, “I deserve to be heard.”

“Not in my gallery.” Elle stepped out after him. “Right message, wrong venue, Huck.”

“Snob.”

Elle’s smile broke. “Slob. Talk about it later?”

“It may be too late.”

“For who? You or Coffin Creek?” Elle backed up the sidewalk in the direction of her car.

“You.” Huck hollered between his wide grin, spinning off in the opposite direction, disappearing around the corner.


Elle held the sanctuary door so it closed quietly without squeaking or thudding. She paused for her eyes to adjust to the dim light, then spotted Jeremiah up front, striding across the stage as he rehearsed his sermon, his lips moving in silent recitation.

His movement was graceful and controlled, an extension of his inner being.

“He can preach up a storm, that one.” A slight, round-shouldered, snowy-haired Miss Anna Carlisle emerged from one of the sanctuary’s dark pockets, jabbing her finger toward Jeremiah.

“Then we should bring our umbrellas tomorrow,” Elle said, giving Miss Anna’s shoulders a hug.

“Best to be prepared, I suppose.” Miss Anna’s pushed open the sanctuary door. “I’m praying for that boy,” she said with a wag of her finger. “And you.” Her words were intentional and steady.

“For me?” Elle asked.

“For you.”

Elle regarded her for a moment. “Are you walking? Can I give you a ride?” Elle went with the older woman through the foyer to the outer doors.

“I do believe it’s a fine, crisp evening for walking.” She buttoned the top button of her blue sweater and buried her hands in the frayed pockets. Elle thought the garment’s spacious weave would do little against the night’s chill. “Good night, Elle.”

“Are you sure you want to walk, Miss Anna?”

“I’m sure.”

Elle watched her until she disappeared between the trees and night lights. Then, back inside, she slipped into the back pew and watched Jeremiah practice his message. She’d never met a man like him—one who breathed in confidence and exhaled all doubt.

Her emotions tugged between the man she knew and Arlene’s slipup. What’s going on, Jeremiah? If anything?

Even for a Saturday-night sermon rehearsal, Jeremiah wore gray slacks and a starched cotton button-down. For the hundredth time, Elle wondered how he’d survived three years in the National Football League, three years of Bible college, and seven years of full-time ministry single.

But she wasn’t complaining. God had saved the best for her.

Under the low stage lights, Jeremiah paused as if waiting for a response. He acted out a laugh, making his way to center stage with an even gait. At the podium, he gripped the sides and leaned toward the empty sanctuary, bobbing his head to the beat of internal words. Can I get an “Amen,” somebody?

Why not oblige? “Amen.” Elle rose from the pew as Jeremiah squinted beyond the spotlights into the shadowy sanctuary.

“Elle, babe? Is that you?” He came off the stage with a touchdown power stride. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, fine, but”—she met him in the middle of the aisle—“I heard a rumor.”

He growled, teasing her. “Is that ever good?” He touched his lips to hers with the passion that came when they were alone. “What kind of rumor?”

“Something about you and my breaking heart, Jeremiah.”

“And who delivered such almost horrifying news?” He locked his arms around her waist, his hazel eyes searching hers.

“Arlene Coulter, though she stopped herself when she saw I didn’t know what she was talking about.”

“She heard from her husband, one of our trusty elders?”

“Who else?” Elle broke her gaze from Jeremiah’s, smoothing her hand over the crisp surface of his shirt.

“You’d think the man would know better after twenty-five years of marriage.”

“And what should I know after two months of dating?”

He brushed her hair away from her shoulder, letting his fingertips graze her skin. “Can it wait for dinner?”

His touch was fiery to her. “You tell me. Can it?”

“Are we answering questions with questions?”

“Are we?” Some time in the past week they’d started this new back-and-forth questions-with-questions dance.

“Did I start this, or you?”

“Does it matter?”

“Only if we want to get off this ride.” He pressed his lips to hers again, breathing deep.

His kisses defied all bad news.

“Tell you what.” He held up his wrist to see his watch in the stage light. “I’m almost done here. Another thirty minutes. What time does the gallery close?”

“Nine.”

“Can Julianne close up for you? We’ll slip off to dinner.”

“If I pay her.” Elle brushed her hand down the sleeve his oxford shirt. “That girl’s all about moh-ney.” She eyed him. “Monet. Mo-net . . . Get it?”

“Yes, I get it. Artist jokes. So, meet me here in thirty?” He walked backward to the stage. “Remember, I love you.”

“What’s up, Dr. Franklin? If I have to remember . . .” She caught the high and low contours of his face as he stood under the lights. “Not a good sign.”

His smile dried up the beginnings of her self-pity. “Just remember, Elle.”

Giveaway and Review of "Love Starts with Elle" by Rachel Hauck

First let me say that I am sorry that my review is late.  I totally missed this one last week.  My apologies! 

Second, let me mention that I have 2 copies of this book to give away!  Post a comment here by July 20th and I will draw 2 names to win copies of this book.  Now about the book:

Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love Starts With Elle

(Thomas Nelson - July 8, 2008)

by

Rachel Hauck

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachel Hauck is a forty-something, a child of the '60's, '70's, '80's, '90's and '00's, who roller skated through the '70's into the '80's with Farrah Fawcet hair and a three-speed orange Camero. She graduated from Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) with a degree in Journalism.

After graduation, she hired on at Harris Publishing as a software trainer, determined to see the world. But, she's traveled to Ireland, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Canada and the U.S. from California to Maine.

Rachel met Tony, her husband, in '87, at church, of all places. They married in '92.
They don't have any children of their own, just lots of kids-in-the-Lord and they love them all. However, they do have two very spoiled dogs, and a very demanding cat.

With a little help from my friends, my first book was published in ' 04, Lambert's Pride, a romance novel. My current release is Sweet Caroline from Thomas Nelson. Romantic Times Book Club gave both books their highest rank of 4.5 stars, with Love Starts With Elle being honored as Top Pick!



ABOUT THE BOOK

Elle's living the dream-but is it her dream or his?

Elle loves life in Beaufort, South Carolina-lazy summer days on the sand bar, coastal bonfires, and dinners with friends sharing a lifetime of memories. And she's found her niche as the owner of a successful art gallery too. Life is good.

Then the dynamic pastor of her small town church sweeps her off her feet. She's never known a man like Jeremiah-one who breathes in confidence and exhales all doubt. When he proposes in the setting sunlight, Elle hands him her heart on a silver platter.

But Jeremiah's just accepted a large pastorate in a different state. If she's serious about their relationship, Elle will take "the call," too, leaving behind the people and place she loves so dearly. Elle's friendship with her new tenant, widower Heath McCord, and his young daughter make things even more complicated.

Is love transferrable across the miles? And can you take it with you when you go?

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

My Review:

Another sweet and lovely romance by Rachel Hauck.  I have been looking forward to this book ever since I first read about Elle in Sweet Caroline.  I have to admit that Elle almost had me worried here though.  I was afraid she was going to let Jeremiah's guilt trips push her into losing herself in his world. 

Let me back up a little. In the start of the book Elle gets engaged to marry Jeremiah.  Jeremiah is a confident pastor who accepts a new position at a mega church in Texas.  Now he expects Elle to sell her art gallery, leave her home, and drop her interests in order to be his little wife.  I fully intend to use sarcasm here.  Not because being a pastor's wife is anything less than amazing, but because of Jeremiah's attitude toward Elle and his belittling of her in an effort to raise himself up.  I was completely irked at his ability to ignore Elle and never make time for her and then make it be because he was doing a higher service.  When people manipulate their service and ministry to use it against others I get really irritated--can you tell? 

Anyway, enter widower Heath and his daughter, renters of Elle's cottage.  As Heath and Elle begin to grow in friendship, Elle can finally see what real love means in support of her dreams.

All this made for a wonderful story, but my favorite part was the feathers!  As Elle struggles to find God's will for her life and her future, God begins to speak to her with feathers dropping in on her as reminders of his love.  I loved that!  In fact God and I have a love language too that involves butterflies.  What a great reminder of how God longs to show us his love and care for us.  Too cool!

So if you are looking for a good book to read with a gentle, feel-good reminder of God's care and things working out for good even when it doesn't seem like it at the time, pick up a copy of Love Starts with Elle!

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595543384

Review of "The Pawn" by Steven James

The Pawn by Steven James (book 1 in the Patrick Bowers series) is nominated for a Christy Award and you can win a copy from my blog if you enter at this link before July 11.

Description: From Steven James' website:

Steve's new thriller, The Pawn, is now available! FBI Criminologist Patrick Bowers has never met a man he couldn’t catch... until now. In the remote mountains of North Carolina a killer is on the loose. His desire is dark. His motive is elusive. His knowledge--deadly.

And as Special Agent Bowers tries to untangle the clues to the bizarre slayings, he’s drawn deeper into the killer’s deadly game. It’s a bloody battle of wits. But who will win? From critically acclaimed author Steven James comes a spine-tingling thriller full of mind-bending twists and heart-pounding suspense. The first book in his new series, featuring criminologist Patrick Bowers, The Pawn will grab you by the throat and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Explore the twisted mind of the Illusionist… and uncover the fate of his pawn. The game begins now. The video trailer for The Pawn has just been posted on YouTube. Check it out, I think you'll like it! Very creepy. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_HlC7Kvap8

"Riveting... A gripping plot and brisk pacing will win James some fans eager for his next offering."
-- Publisher's Weekly

"I consider The Pawn the best-written thriller I've read from a Christian publisher."
-- Cecil Murphey, co-author of the New York Times bestselling book 90 Minutes in Heaven and more than 100 other books.

"In his brilliant debut novel, Steven James gives us a captivating look at the fine line between good and evil in the human heart. The Pawn is not to be missed."
-- Ann Tatlock, Christy-award winning author

My Review:

Wow!  Talk about suspense!  I could not put this one down!  I have so say though, it's not for the faint of heart, but it will sure get your heart beating!  I loved it.  I can't wait to read more from this Patrick Bower series.  The twists and turns of the story will keep you guessing and reading as fast as you can and then sad when you are done.

Patrick Bowers is an FBI agent with special skills at finding crazy killers.  His personal life has been turned upside down recently with the death of his wife and the addition of his teenage step-daughter, Tessa, who is also struggling with the loss of her mother.  So while Patrick knows how to handle criminals and crime scenes, he is at a loss for how to help Tessa.  Now a new killer is out there and he's always one step ahead of them.  And while Pat goes after this killer, "The Illusionist," he must also continue to find healing for himself and his relationship with Tessa.

I also loved that this book was about more than the action and suspense.  There were powerful moments for Pat and his struggle to come to make sense of human suffering and the cancer that took his wife and what that means in light of God.  There were powerful moments for Tessa as well, as she looks for any possible way to ease the pain in her life.  James' ability to communicate those moments and their feelings makes the characters real and touched my heart.

The twists and turns in this story are more than I can even capture in my review.  It's really one of those, "you've got to read it for yourself" kind of books.  If you like suspense, you should check out this book! 

Plus, here's a sneak look at the next book in the series, The Rook, coming July 30.

While investigating a series of baffling fires in San Diego, Special Agent Patrick Bowers is drawn into a deadly web of intrigue where nothing is as it appears to be. With a killer on the loose and one of the world’s most deadly devices missing, Bowers is caught in a race against time to stop a criminal mastermind’s trap before it closes around the people he loves.

Full of fast-paced action and intricate plotting. The Rook is an adrenaline-laced page-turner with a twist at the end that will blow you away. 

CFBA Blog Tour and My Review of "The Edge of Recall" by Kristen Heitzmann

The Edge Of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Edge Of Recall

(Bethany House July 1, 2008)

by

Kristen Heitzmann

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Of her three main interests, art, music and writing, she chose to study English at the University of Colorado and thrived on Creative Writing and Literature classes. She married her husband Jim, and turned her energy to building a family. They have four children whom they have home schooled for all or most of their education. Kristen is a music minister with the ecumenical covenant community People of Praise.

Once she realized the stories in her head were truly a calling from the Lord, she made writing not just a passion, but a ministry. She has written seven historical fiction novels as part of the The Rocky Mountain Legacy series, the Diamond of the Rockies series, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. Most recently, she has written several contemporary fiction novels, including Echoes, Freefall and Unforgotten.

Kristen and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Tessa Young, an up-and-coming landscape architect who specializes in the design and creation of labyrinths, has immersed herself in the mythological, spiritual, and healing aspects of the elaborate structures. She also is searching for God and hoping to make sense of the nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.

When Smith Chandler, an estranged colleague--with whom she'd half fallen in love a dozen times before catching herself every time--calls to propose a project he claims is the opportunity of a lifetime, she reluctantly agrees to check it out. Smith is reconstructing a pre-Revolutionary War abbey for wealthy clients. Among its remarkable features is an overgrown labyrinth.

Unable to resist, Tessa accepts his offer to work with him. Soon she is immersed in the project of a lifetime. But one evening, after weeks of work in the labyrinth, Tessa and Smith are attacked. While protecting Tessa, Smith is stabbed, and the nightmare begins...again.


If You would like to read the first chapter, go HERE

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764228315

My Review:

I found this to be a wonderful book, with a great balance of suspense and romance.  The mystery of Tessa's past kept me turning the pages, along with interesting twists and turns in the plot.  The growing romance was sweet and challenged at the same time. 

Tessa reminds me of a butterfly-seemingly fragile and delicate, but strong enough to fly.  At times she seems like she will be swallowed up by the "demons of her past" and the nightmares they bring.  But as she begins to trust Smith and open herself up to her heavenly Father, she gets stronger and less afraid of solving the past traumas of her childhood.

Smith is brave and patient in the most "knight in shining armor" kind of way.  At first he sees Tessa's fragility as a problem and calls her "high maintenance," but eventually he comes to appreciate her strengths as well.  He is protective and understanding.  I also appreciated the steadiness of his faith in face of Tessa's painful past.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for engaging dialogue, tender romance, and suspenseful mystery!

This book also has a wonderful theme about labyrinths and one's personal journey to discovering God.  My friend Kim has written a great review of this book that highlights that aspect.  Check it out: http://berlysue.blogspot.com/2008/07/edge-of-recall-by-kristen-heitzmann.html 

Review of "A Time to Mend" by Sally John and Gary Smalley

A Time to Mend, Book 1 from the Safe Harbor Series (I'm so glad they'll be more books in this series!)

This is one of the books nominated for a Christy Award this year.  You can enter to win this book by clicking on this link until July 11.

Description:

An unopened gift. A broken vow. A tragic fire. Sometimes there are wounds that even time can't heal.

Max and Claire Beaumont seem to have the perfect marriage. They live in a beautiful home, have four wonderful children and everything else that success and money can buy. Yet beneath this picture-perfect exterior, Claire's life is falling apart. She can no longer hold her peace and keep up appearances.

After all the silent years, she must speak the truth.

As their lives unravel, deep needs and even deeper hurts are revealed. Not only the wounds between husband and wife, but family wounds as well. Will this time of soul-searching and conflict bring them closer together--or tear their marriage apart?

It's a strange irony to leave home in search of a safe harbor. Yet that is often where the journey begins . . . especially when it is time to mend.

My Review:

My heart is still tender from the emotion of this book!  I enjoyed it very much!  It was sweet and tender in bringing out the emotions of Claire and Max and their marriage; while at the same time shocking and forceful where it needed to be to clearly convey their points of view.  I especially appreciated that neither Max or Claire was set up to be the only "bad guy."  That each had issues to deal with and resolve. Though Claire's issues of allowing her identity to be swallowed up in her husband's work was the most compelling. 

This was an excellent reminder that marriage is not to be taken for granted and is to be tended to and nurtured.  Communicating dreams and desire is important for both husband and wife.  I was moved and drawn in by the desperate longings of Claire and her last-ditch efforts to get through to her husband. 

I look forward to reading more books in this series.

In fact, here's a preview of book 2:

      

Available October 2008

Siblings Lexi and Erik battle addictions rooted in their pasts. Spurning the safe harbor offered by their parents, they tread unlikely paths to recovery.

After thirty years, Max and Claire are renewing their vows--with changed hearts. But the Beaumont's grown children still grapple with the effects of their formerly broken home.

Daughter Lexi Beaumont garnered local noteriety when she saved her family from wildfire--a fame rivaled only by that of her celebrity newscaster brother, Eric. But the attention sheds light on darker places she'd rather keep hidden. As Lexi tries to settle quietly back into life After the Fire, romantic troubles plague her. Then Erik's always erratic behavior begins to spriral out of control. His drinking has reached a new height--and only a headstrong policewoman seems to make any headway with him. It'll take a miracle of grace to bring these two hurting souls to a place of recovery and healing.

Review of "The Stones Cry Out" by Sibella Giorello

The Stones Cry Out is one of the Christy Award Nominees for this year.  You can still enter to win a copy of this book by clicking on this link if you enter before July 11.

Description:

Two men plummet to their death from a factory rooftop---and hundreds of people on the ground below saw nothing! Or are they just not talking? It's up to FBI agent Raleigh Harmon to find out what happened---fast! Will she dig for the truth . . . even though it may mean her own downfall?

My Review:

A wonderful novel by Sibella Giorello.  I loved the sweet balance of writing about Raleigh's home life in combination with her work life as an FBI agent.  At home she is dealing with her mother's mental illess in the aftermath of Raleigh's step-dad's murder.  Raleigh is the one who has to pick up the pieces for her mother and be there for her on her "bad" days.  At work she is trying to solve a mystery that lots of people want her to just push under the rug and leave unsolved.  Raleigh isn't one to just let mysteries go and she is determined to figure out what happened on that roof that led to the death of a boxer and a police officer.

The more she digs into the mystery, the more complex it becomes as cover-ups and unsolved murders become connected to the case.

The gripping part of the story for me was more than just the mystery and the solution.  It was the life questions that Raleigh was asking.  She looks at her mother's illness, the degenerative MS that is draining at her co-worker, the painful childhood of a junkie snitch, and the senseless murder of her step-father and she is asking hard questions about God and life and why things happen.  This paragraph from page 99 grabbed me:

The truth is, all the competencies we hold so dear eventually turn into our obstacles. Acute intelligence. Brute physical strength. Our sense of total self-sufficiency. They're illusions. At some point, we all feel naked and alone, and the longer we've relied on our competencies, the harder it is to surrender. I know; I'm like this. And when I see it clearly, I realize the old hymns got things right. "Broken, I came to thee, there is no other way." 

A wonderful book with both a great mystery and a chance to look harder at our faith and what it means to trust God even through the hard times.  Plus the ending left me to think we might get to see more of Raleigh.  I hope so.

A Mile in my Flip-Flops by Melody Carlson

It is July FIRST, time for the FIRST Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and her latest book's FIRST chapter!

The feature author is:

Melody Carlson

and her book:

A Mile in My Flip-Flops

WaterBrook Press (June 17, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

In sixth grade, Melody Carlson helped start a school newspaper called The BuccaNews (her school’s mascot was a Buccaneer...arrr!). As editor of this paper, she wrote most of the material herself, creating goofy phony bylines to hide the fact that the school newspaper was mostly a "one man" show.

Visit Melody's website to see all of her wonderful and various book titles.

Don't miss her latest teen fiction, Stealing Bradford (Carter House Girls, Book 2).


Product Details:

List Price: $13.99

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 17, 2008)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1400073146

ISBN-13: 978-1400073146

My Thoughts:

Great book!  I found it fun and charming and all the things I look for in a summer read!  I highly recommend it!

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

I’m not the kind of girl who wants anyone to feel sorry for her.

So after my fiancé jilted me less than four weeks before our wedding date, and since the invitations had already been sent, my only recourse was to lie low and wait for everyone to simply forget.

Consequently, I became a recluse. If I wasn’t at work, teaching a delightful class of five-year-olds, who couldn’t care less about my shattered love life, I could be found holed up in my apartment, escaping all unnecessary interaction with “sympathetic” friends.

And that is how I became addicted to HGTV and ice cream. Okay, that probably calls for some explanation. HGTV stands for Home and Garden TV, a network that runs 24/7 and is what I consider the highest form of comfort TV. It is habit forming, albeit slightly mind numbing. And ice cream obviously needs no explanation.

Other than the fact that my dad, bless his heart, had seven quart-sized cartons of Ben & Jerry’s delivered to my apartment the day after Collin dumped me. Appropriately enough, dear old Dad (who knows me better than anyone on the planet) selected a flavor called Chocolate Therapy, a product worthy of its name and just as addictive as HGTV.

But now, eighteen months and twenty-two pounds later, I seem to be in a rut. And apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so.

“Come on, Gretchen,” urges my best friend, Holly, from her end of the phone line. “Just come with us–please!”

“Right…,” I mutter as I lick my spoon and dip it back into a freshly opened carton of Chunky Monkey–also appropriately named, but let’s not go there. Anyway, not only had I moved on to new ice cream flavors, but I also had given up using bowls. “Like I want to tag along with the newlyweds. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Like I keep telling you, we’re not newlyweds anymore,” she insists. “We’ve been married three months now.”

“Yeah…well…”

“And it’s Cinco de Mayo,” she persists, using that little girl voice that I first heard when we became best friends back in third grade. “We always go together.”

I consider this. I want to point out that Holly and I used to always go to the Cinco de Mayo celebration together–as in past tense. And despite her pity for me, or perhaps it’s just some sort of misplaced guilt because she’s married and I am not, I think the days of hanging with my best friend are pretty much over now. The image of Holly and Justin, both good looking enough to be models, strolling around holding hands with frumpy, dumpy me tagging along behind them like their poor, single, reject friend just doesn’t work for me.

“Thanks anyway,” I tell her. “But I’m kind of busy today.”

“So what are you doing then?” I hear the challenge in her voice, like she thinks I don’t have anything to do on a Saturday.

I slump back into the sofa and look over to the muted TV, which is tuned, of course, to HGTV, where my favorite show, House Flippers, is about to begin, and I don’t want to miss a minute of it. “I’m, uh…I’ve got lesson plans to do,” I say quickly. This is actually true, although I don’t usually do them until Sunday evening.

She snickers. “Yeah, that’s a good one, Gretch. I’ll bet you’re vegging out in front of HGTV with a carton of Chocolate Fudge Brownie.”

“Wrong.” Okay, Holly is only partially wrong. Fortunately, I haven’t told her about my latest flavor.

“Come on,” she tries again. “It’ll be fun. You can bring Riley along. He’d probably like to stretch his legs.”

I glance over to where my usually hyper, chocolate Lab mixed breed is snoozing on his LL Bean doggy bed with a chewed-up and slightly soggy Cole Haan loafer tucked under his muzzle. “Riley’s napping,” I say. “He doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

“Like he wouldn’t want to go out and get some fresh air and sunshine?”

“We already had our walk today."

Holly laughs. “You mean that little shuffle you do over to the itty bitty park across the street from your apartment complex? What’s that take? Like seven and a half minutes for the whole round trip? That’s not enough exercise for a growing dog like Riley.”

“I threw a ball for him to chase.”

“So there’s nothing I can do or say to change your mind?” House Flippers is just starting. “Nope,” I say, trying to end this conversation. “But thanks for thinking of me.”

“Want me to bring you back an empanada?”

“Sure,” I say quickly. “You guys have fun!” Then I hang up and, taking the TV off mute, I lean back into the soft chenille sofa and lose myself while watching a hapless couple from Florida renovate a seriously run-down split-level into something they hope to sell for a profit. Unfortunately, neither of them is terribly clever when it comes to remodeling basics. And their taste in interior design is sadly lacking too. The woman’s favorite color is rose, which she uses liberally throughout the house, and she actually thinks that buyers will appreciate the dated brown tiles and bathroom fixtures in the powder room. By the time the show ends, not only is the house still on the market despite the reduced price and open house, but the couple’s marriage seems to be in real trouble as well.

“Too bad,” I say out loud as I mute the TV for commercials. Riley’s head jerks up, and he looks at me with expectant eyes.

“You just keep being a good boy,” I tell him in a soothing tone. Hopefully, he’ll stretch out this midday nap a bit longer. Because once Riley starts moving, my tiny apartment seems to shrink, first by inches and then by feet.

My hope for an elongated nap crumbles when his tail begins to beat rhythmically on the floor, almost like a warning–thump, thump, thump–and the next thing I know, he’s up and prowling around the cluttered living room. Riley isn’t even full grown yet, and he’s already way too much dog for my apartment. Holly warned me that his breed needed room to romp and play. She tried to talk me into a little dog, like a Yorkie or Chihuahua, but I had fallen for those liquid amber eyes…and did I mention that he’s part chocolate Lab? Since when have I been able to resist chocolate? Besides, he reminded me of a cuddly brown teddy bear. But I hardly considered the fact that he would get bigger.

After he climbed into my lap that day, licking my face and smelling of puppy breath and other things that I knew could be shampooed away, there was no way I could leave him behind at the Humane Society. I already knew that he’d been rejected as a Christmas present. Some dimwitted father had gotten him for toddler twins without consulting Mommy first. Even so, Holly tried to convince me that a good-looking puppy like that would quickly find another home.

But it was too late. I knew Riley was meant for me, and that was that. And I had grandiose ideas of taking him for long walks on the beach. “He’ll help me get in shape,” I assured Holly. She’d long since given up on me going to the fitness club with her, so I think she bought into the whole exercise theory. She also bought Riley his LL Bean deluxe doggy bed, which I could barely wedge into my already crowded apartment and now takes up most of the dining area, even though it’s partially tucked beneath a gorgeous craftsman-style Ethan Allen dining room set. Although it’s hard to tell that it’s gorgeous since it’s pushed up against a wall and covered with boxes of Pottery Barn kitchen items that won’t fit into my limited cabinet space.

“This place is way too small for us,” I say to Riley as I shove the half-full ice cream carton back into the freezer. As if to confirm this, his wagging tail whacks an oversized dried arrangement in a large bronze vase, sending seedpods, leaves, and twigs flying across the carpet and adding to the general atmosphere of chaos and confusion.

My decorating style? Contemporary clutter with a little eclectic disorder thrown in for special effect. Although, to be fair, that’s not the real me. I’m sure the real me could make a real place look like a million bucks. That is, if I had a real place…or a million bucks.

I let out a long sigh as I stand amid my clutter and survey my crowded apartment. It’s been like this for almost two years now.

Overly filled with all the stuff I purchased shortly after Collin proposed to me more than two years ago. Using my meager teacher’s salary and skimpy savings, I started planning the interior décor for our new home. I couldn’t wait to put it all together after the wedding.

“Have you ever heard of wedding presents?” Holly asked me when she first realized what I was doing.

“Of course,” I assured her. “But I can’t expect the guests to provide everything for our home. I figured I might as well get started myself. Look at this great set of espresso cups that I got at Crate & Barrel last weekend for thirty percent off.”

“Well, at least you have good taste,” she admitted as she stooped to admire a hand-tied wool area rug I’d just gotten on sale. Of course, she gasped when she saw the price tag still on it. “Expensive taste too!”

“It’ll last a lifetime,” I assured her, just like the Karastan salesman had assured me. Of course, as it turned out, my entire relationship with Collin didn’t even last two years. Now I’m stuck with a rug that’s too big to fit in this crummy little one-bedroom apartment–the same apartment I’d given Mr. Yamamoto notice on two months before my wedding. It was so humiliating to have to beg to keep it after the wedding was cancelled, but I didn’t know what else to do.

And now, a year and a half later, I’m still here. Stuck. It’s like everyone else has moved on with their lives except me. It wouldn’t be so bad if I had enough room to make myself at home or enough room for Riley to wag his tail without causing mass destruction…or enough room to simply breathe. Maybe I should rent a storage unit for all this stuff. Or maybe I should move myself into a storage unit since it would probably be bigger than this apartment.

As I pick up Riley’s newest mess, I decide the bottom line is that I need to make a decision. Get rid of some things–whether by storage, a yard sale, or charity–or else get more space. I vote for more space. Not that I can afford more space. I’m already strapped as it is.

Kindergarten teachers don’t make a whole lot. I feel like I’ve created a prison for myself. What used to be a convenient hideout now feels like a trap, and these thin walls seem to be closing in on me daily. Feeling hopeless, I flop back onto the couch and ponder my limited options. Then I consider forgetting the whole thing and escaping back into HGTV, which might call for some more ice cream.

But that’s when I look down and notice my thighs spreading out like two very large slabs of ham. Very pale ham, I might add as I tug at my snug shorts to help cover what I don’t want to see, but it’s not working. I stare at my flabby legs in horror. When did this happen?

I stand up now, trying to erase that frightening image of enormous, white thunder thighs. I pace around my apartment a bit before I finally go and stand in front of an oversized mirror that’s leaning against the wall near the front door. This is a beautiful mirror I got half price at World Market, but it belongs in a large home, possibly over a fireplace or in a lovely foyer. And it will probably be broken by Riley’s antics if it remains against this wall much longer.

But instead of admiring the heavy bronze frame of the mirror like I usually do, I actually look into the mirror and am slightly stunned at what I see. Who is that frumpy girl? And who let her into my apartment? I actually used to think I was sort of good looking. Not a babe, mind you, but okay. Today I see a faded girl with disappointed eyes.

Some people, probably encouraged by Holly, a long-legged dazzling brunette, used to say I resembled Nicole Kidman. Although they probably were thinking of when Nicole was heavier and I was lighter. Now it’s a pretty big stretch to see any similarities. To add insult to injury, Nicole has already hit the big “four o,” whereas I am only thirty-two. Her forties might be yesterday’s twenties, but my thirties look more like someone else’s fifties. And I used to take better care of myself. Okay, I was never thin, but I did eat right and got exercise from jogging and rollerblading. Compared to now, I was in great shape. And my long strawberry blond hair, which I thought was my best asset, was usually wavy and fresh looking, although you wouldn’t know that now. It’s unwashed and pulled tightly into a shabby-looking ponytail, which accentuates my pudgy face and pale skin. Even my freckles have faded. It doesn’t help matters that my worn T-shirt (with a peeling logo that proclaims “My Teacher Gets an A+”) is saggy and baggy, and my Old Navy khaki shorts, as I’ve just observed, are too tight, and my rubber flip-flops look like they belong on a homeless person–although I could easily be mistaken for one if I was pushing a shopping cart down the street.

Then, in the midst of this pathetic personal inventory, my focus shifts to all the junk that’s piled behind me–the boxes, the myriad of stuff lining the short, narrow hallway and even spilling into the open door of my tiny bedroom, which can barely contain the queensize bed and bronze bedframe still in the packing box behind it. If it wasn’t so depressing, it would almost be funny. I just shake my head. And then I notice Riley standing strangely still behind me and looking almost as confused as I feel. With his head slightly cocked to one side, he watches me curiously, as if he, too, is afraid to move. This is nuts. Totally certifiable. A girl, or even a dog, could seriously lose it living like this. Or maybe I already have. They say you’re always the last to know that you’ve lost your marbles.

“It’s time for a change,” I announce to Riley. He wags his tail happily now, as if he wholeheartedly agrees. Or maybe he simply thinks I’m offering to take him on a nice, long walk. “We need a real house,” I continue, gathering steam now. “And we need a real yard for you to run and play in.” Of course, this only excites him more.

And that’s when he begins to run about the apartment like a possessed thing, bumping into boxes and furnishings until I finally open the sliding door and send him out to the tiny deck to calm himself.

After he settles down, I go and join him. It’s pretty hot out here, and I notice that the seedling sunflower plants, ones we’d started in the classroom and I’d brought home to nurture along, are now hanging limp and lifeless, tortured by the hot afternoon sun that bakes this little patio. Just one more thing I hate about this place.

So much for my attempt at terrace gardening. I’d seen a show on HGTV that inspired me to turn this little square of cement deck into a real oasis. But in reality it’s simply a barren desert that will only get worse as the summer gets hotter. I feel like I’m on the verge of tears now. It’s hopeless.

This is all wrong. On so many levels. This is not where I was supposed to be at this stage of the game. This is not the life I had planned. I feel like I’ve been robbed or tricked or like someone ripped the rug out from under me. And sometimes in moments like this, I even resent God and question my faith in him. I wonder why he allows things like this to happen. Why does he let innocent people get hurt by the selfishness of others? It just doesn’t make sense. And it’s not fair.

Oh, I’ve tried to convince myself I’m over the fact that my ex fiancé, Collin Fairfield, was a total jerk. And I try not to blame him for being swept away when his high school sweetheart decided, after fifteen years of being apart, that she was truly in love with him. I heard that the revelation came to Selena at the same time she received our engraved wedding invitation, which I did not send to her. She wasn’t even on my list.

And I actually believe that I’ve mostly forgiven Collin…and that sneaky Selena too. And I wish them well, although I didn’t attend their wedding last fall. A girl has to draw the line somewhere.

But all that aside, this is still so wrong. I do not belong in this stuffy little apartment that’s cluttered with my pretty household goods. I belong in a real house. A house with a white picket fence and a lawn and fruit trees in the backyard. And being single shouldn’t mean that I don’t get to have that. There must be some way I can afford a home.

Of course, I’m fully aware that real estate isn’t cheap in El Ocaso. It’s on the news regularly. Our town’s prices certainly aren’t as outrageous as some of the suburbs around San Diego, but they’re not exactly affordable on a teacher’s salary. I try not to remember how much I had in my savings account back before I got engaged and got carried away with spending on my wedding and my home. That pretty much depleted what might’ve gone toward a small down payment on what probably would’ve been a very small house. But, hey, even a small house would be better than this prison-cell apartment.

And that’s when it hits me. And it’s so totally obvious I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. I will become a house flipper! Just like the people on my favorite HGTV show, I will figure out a way to secure a short-term loan, purchase a fixer-upper house, and do the repairs and decorating myself–with my dad’s expert help, of course!

And then, maybe as early as midsummer, I will sell this beautifully renovated house for enough profit to make a good-sized down payment on another house just for me…and Riley. Even if the secondhouse is a fixer-upper too, I can take my time with it, making it just the way I want it. And it’ll be so much better than where I live now.

I’m surprised I didn’t come up with this idea months ago. It’s so totally simple. Totally perfect. And totally me!

“We are going house hunting,” I announce to Riley as I shove open the sliding door and march back inside the apartment. His whole body is wagging with doggy joy as I quickly exchange my too-tight shorts for jeans and then reach for his leather leash and my Dolce & Gabbana knockoff bag–the one I bought to carry on my honeymoon, the honeymoon that never was. I avoid looking at my image in the big mirror as we make a hasty exit.

“Come on, boy,” I say as I hook the leash to his collar at the top of the stairs. “This is going to be fun!” And since this outing is in the spirit of fun, I even put down the top on my VW Bug, something I haven’t done in ages. Riley looks like he’s died and gone to doggy heaven as he rides joyfully in the backseat, his ears flapping in the breeze. Who knows, maybe we’ll find a house for sale on the beach.

Okay, it’d have to be a run-down, ramshackle sort of place that no one but me can see the hidden value in, but it could happen. And while I renovate my soon-to-be wonder house, Riley can be king of the beach. The possibilities seem limitless. And when I stop at the grocery store to pick up real-estate papers, I am impressed with how many listings there are. But I can’t read and drive, so I decide to focus on driving. And since I know this town like the back of my hand, this should be easy.

But thanks to the Cinco de Mayo celebration, the downtown area is crowded, so I start my search on the south end of town, trying to avoid traffic jams. I’m aware that this area is a little pricey for me, but you never know. First, I pull over into a parking lot and read the fliers. I read about several houses for sale, but the prices are staggering.

Even more than I imagined. Also, based on the descriptions and photos, these houses already seem to be in great shape. No fixer-uppers here. Then I notice some condo units for sale, and I can imagine finding a run-down unit in need of a little TLC, but it’s the same situation. According to the fliers, they’re in tiptop, turnkey shape–recently remodeled with granite counters and cherry hardwood floors and new carpeting and prices so high I can’t imagine doing anything that could push them a penny higher. My profit margin and spirits are steadily sinking. Maybe my idea to flip a house has already flopped. Just like the rest of my life.


Excerpted from A Mile in My Flip-Flops by Melody Carlson Copyright © 2008 by Melody Carlson. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Giving Away 2008 Christy Award Nominees

THIS Drawing is now CLOSED. Thanks for entering!

Here's your chance to win some of the best books in Christian Fiction!  This is a long post, with pictures and descriptions from this year's Christy Award nominees. 

To enter: post a comment indicating which of these books you would like to be entered to win.  Also please share with us any titles of Christian Fiction favorites that you have read recently and why you liked them.

Contest closes on July 11.  The winners will be drawn on the day of the Christy Awards dinner, July 12.

What are the Christy Awards?

History

In the spring of 1999, nearly a dozen Christian publishers confirmed the need for establishing a Christian fiction award to recognize novelists and novels of excellence in several genres of Christian fiction. By late summer, ideas and planning had come together to launch The Christy Award, named in honor of Catherine Marshall’s novel and of her contribution to growth of the fiction Christians love to read.

The Christy Award is designed to:

• Nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview.
• Bring a new awareness of the breadth and depth of fiction choices available, helping to broaden the readership.
• Provide opportunity to recognize novelists whose work may not have reached bestseller status.

How the Awards Work

Every year publishers are invited to submit novels written from a Christian worldview and copyrighted in the year preceding the awards. Each novel is entered in one of several genre categories and/or the first novel category. Each category of novels is then read and evaluated against a ten-point criteria by a panel of seven judges composed of librarians, reviewers, academicians, literary critics, and other qualified readers, none of whom have a direct affiliation with a publishing company.

The Christy Awards 2008 Nominees (Book covers and descriptions below)

CONTEMPORARY (STAND ALONE)
¨ Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin (Thomas Nelson)
¨ In High Places by Tom Morrisey (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson)

CONTEMPORARY (SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS)
¨ Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon (Viking Penguin)
¨ A Time to Mend by Sally John and Gary Smalley (Thomas Nelson)
¨ What Lies Within by Karen Ball (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

HISTORICAL
¨ Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ Tendering in the Storm by Jane Kirkpatrick (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

LITS (four nominees due to a tie)
¨ Doesn’t She Look Natural by Angela Elwell Hunt (Tyndale House Publishers)
¨ Hallie’s Heart by Shelly Beach (Kregel Publications)
¨ Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck (Avon Inspire, a division of HarperCollins Publishers)

ROMANCE
¨ Lightning and Lace by DiAnn Mills (Barbour Publishing)
¨ Remember to Forget by Deborah Raney (Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster)
¨ Remembered by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

SUSPENSE
¨ The Cure by Athol Dickson (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
¨ My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay (Moody Publishers)
¨ The Pawn by Steven James (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

VISIONARY
¨ Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead (Thomas Nelson)

FIRST NOVEL
¨ Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)
¨ Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

YOUNG ADULT
¨ Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ In Between by Jenny B.Jones (NavPress Publishing Group)
¨ Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman (NavPress Publishing Group)

MORE INFO ABOUT THE BOOKS:

Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin, Contemporary Stand-Alone nominee

Description:

When paramedics find a malnourished 6-year-old boy near a burning car that holds a dead woman, they wonder who he is---and why he won't talk! Chase, a small-town journalist, is assigned to cover the story and investigate the boy's identity. But will his search unearth long-buried emotions about his own history?

In High Places by Tom Morrissey: Contemporary Stand-Alone Nominee

Description:

After the death of their mother and wife, 16-year-old Patrick Nolan and his dad relocate to West Virginia and open a rock-climbing shop. But when grief drives the elder Nolan to try increasingly dangerous feats, Patrick and the local pastor's daughter realize they must act. Will they be in time?

Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson: Contemporary Stand-Alone Nominee

Description:

Heather Curridge is envied by most: she has a successful surgeon husband who panders to her every need, a smart son, a beautiful home, and money to shop, re-do her home, and install the newest pool in her back yard. But while Heather is outwardly content, inner turmoil reigns with memories of peers being mistreated in her Christian school and a feeling that she could be doing much more with her life. As Heather slowly starts to come out of her shell, she discovers unlikely friends in two old Quaker sisters and a grumpy nun who help her to discover how she can fulfill her life with God's work.

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon: Contemporary Series Nominee

Description:

Wonderful news, Mitford fans! Father Tim, the beloved retired Episcopal priest, is back---and in response to a mysterious summons, he's taking a trip down "memory lane" to his hometown of Holly Springs, Mississippi. His journey is filled with colorful characters, heartfelt insights, and plenty of laughs---but will the destination yield surprising secrets, too?

A Time to Mend by Sally John and Gary Smalley: Contemporary Series Nominee

Description:

Liz Hart shatters her marriage with one simple sentence: "Max, either the business goes or I do." The ultimatum exposes long unaddressed wounds in her husband, herself, and their four adult children. Will a fatal fire reignite their passion for each other---or destroy everything they've worked for together?

What Lies Within by Karen Ball: Contemporary Series Nominee

Description:

Kyla Justice's name means "victorious." But that's the last thing she feels. Having fought long and hard to establish her construction business, her schedule is now full of plans for malls and subdivisions, but her heart is empty. Where are the projects that matter? Then she's given the opportunity to build a center for inner-city kids. The obstacles don't stop her: opposition from area gangs, minimal funding, hesitant and deceptive suppliers, even the man who claims to love her and would marry her---if she would sell her business. Soon things get messier and lives are endangered. Will Kyla learn to accept what lies within her and rely on others not just to succeed, but to survive?

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen: Historical Nominee

Description:

Charlotte Lamb, a fallen vicar's daughter, hopes to secret herself away in London's grim Milkweed Manor. But once there,she is mortified to find herself in the care of a former suitor, a physician whom her father long ago rejected as unsuitable, a man who now hides secrets of his own. Both are determined, with God's help, to protect those they love. But neither could guess the depth of sacrifice that will be required of them.

A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin: Historical Nominee

Description:

When Violet Hayes ventures to Chicago during the time of the World's Fair, her one goal is to find her mother, who has been missing from her life since she was nine. Naive, impressionable, and highly imaginative (having secretly ingested a diet of romance novels and true crime stories at school), Violet stays in Chicago under the care of her grandmother and her three great aunts. It is here that her perspectives on life are opened as she is exposed to the world about her, from high society to the poor immigrant families; from the suffragette movement to the security of a suitable marriage match. As Violet contemplates what course her life will take, she will discover the missing parts of her family's past, and ultimately, Violet will discover herself.

A Tendering in the Storm by Jane Kirkpatrick: Historical Nominee

Description:

This lyrical novel is based on a historical figure of the 1800s: the spirited and intelligent Emma Giesy. Emma achieves her goal of separating her family from the repressive religious community in which she grew up. But unexpected and dire consequences leave her family and her faith struggling to survive.

Doesn't She Look Natural by Angela Hunt: Lit Nominee

Description:

Former Washington adviser Jennifer Graham is willing to take on anything that would remove her unemployed-single-mom stigma---but when she inherits a Florida funeral home, her self-assurance is rattled. As she heads south with her mother and two sons, she wonders if dealing with death could bring new life into her career---and soul.

Hallie's Heart by Shelley Beach: Lit Nominee

Description:

Trying to prevent her Michigan antique business from becoming a thing of the past, Mona VanderMolen is even more worried about the 15-year-old runaway niece who suddenly shows up on her doorstep! As the two women work through their problems and learn to forgive, will an unfortunate accident tear them apart once again?

Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd: Lit Nominee

Description:

Lexi Stuart earned a master's degree in French Studies---but can't find employment. So she moves back in with her parents, takes a job at a Seattle cafe, and becomes attracted to the owner, Luc---until disaster strikes! Will Lexi let God replace her dreams with the plans he has for her?

Trophy Wives Club by Kristen Billerbeck: Lit Nominee

Description:

When she married seven years ago, Haley was convinced she'd snagged Prince Charming! Now Jay Cutler has abandoned her and she's suddenly aware of her lack of survival skills. At the suggestion of Jay's strikingly handsome attorney, Hamilton Lowe, she attends a divorce-care group at his church. Can her new friends guide Haley through this next phase?

Lightning and Lace by Diann Mills: Romance Nominee

Description:

Bonnie Kahler, immersed in grief since losing her husband, attempts to rise from the ashes of mourning. Will love and faith give her the power to conquer the demons within and evils without? In an attempt to outrun his past, Preacher Travis Whitworth arrives in Kahlerville, incognito. When he stumbles across a dead body, suspicion falls on his shoulders. Is Travis in too deep to win Bonnie's love? As Bonnie finds herself drawn to Travis, her life and heart are threatened. When secrets unravel, will she be strong enough to face the twisted truth?

Remember to Forget by Deborah Raney: Romance Nominee

Description:

Maggie Anderson comes to a realization as she is being carjacked: she is more afraid of the abusive boyfriend for whom she is picking up alcohol than the carjacker. In this moment, Maggie understands that she can let her life stagnate where it is, or she can stand up for herself and her freedom. In order to be free, she must leave behind and forget everything about her old life and begin anew.

Trevor Ashlock is another person trying to forget, in the small town of Clayburn, Kansas.

Will God's love, grace, and forgiveness be able to eradicate the past, or will Maggie and Trevor be able to come to terms with their devils and start over again?

Remembered by Tamera Alexander: Romance Nominee

Description:

Veronique Girard sets off to Colorado Territory from France after the death of her mother. She is searching for her father, who set off to make his fortune in American as a fur trader twenty-five years ago. Unfamiliar with the language, customs, and the land, Veronique sets out on a dangerous journey to find a man she doesn't remember and answers to her questions.

Jack Brennan has been working himself to death for the past fifteen years as a wagon guide to block out the pain of his wife and son's death. Now, he is ready to settle down in Willow Springs. When he is thrown together unexpectedly with Veronique, he becomes involved with her quest to find her father, but that is not the only way she has the potential to change his life.

The Cure by Athol Dickson: Suspense Nominee

Description:

When a small town in Maine becomes a mecca for miracles, Riley Keep journeys north to find out for himself---returning to a place and people he had left long ago. What he finds waiting is a hope beyond his wildest expectations! But will his past drag him away from this second chance at life?

My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay: Suspense Nominee

Description:

Cori signs up to take a mission trip to Indonesia during the summer after her senior year of high school. Inspired by happy visions of building churches and seeing beautiful beaches, she gladly escapes her complicated love life back home. Five weeks after their arrival, a sectarian and religious conflict that has been simmering for years flames to life with deadly results on the nearby island of Ambon. Within days, the church building the team had constructed is in ashes, its pastor and fifty villagers are dead, and the six terrified teenagers are stranded in the mountainous jungle with only the pastor's teenage son to guide them to safety. Ultimately, Cori's emotional quest to rediscover hope proves just as arduous as the physical journey home.

The Pawn by Steven James: Suspense Nominee

Description:

Special Agent Patrick Bowers has met only one person he's feared---until now. Working on a North Carolina serial murder case, he's caught in a macabre game of cat-and-mouse with a cunning killer called the Illusionist. The pieces of the puzzle don't add up. Can Bowers unravel the pattern in time to save the next victim?

Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet: Visionary Nominee

Description:

When thieves find an abandoned child lying in a monster's footprint, they have no idea that their wilderness discovery will change the course of history.

Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling-and forbidden-talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar's hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.

Auralia's gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.

The Restorer by Sharon Hinck: Visionary Nominee

Description:

Susan Mitchell is wondering what happened to God's plan for her. Her life can't just be about cleaning, organizing her family, and being involved in damage control for her four rambunctious children, can it? When Susan opens a box in labeled "Dress Up" in her attic, her question is answered.

Upon opening the box, Susan finds herself thrust into a parallel universe where she must help bring heathens and warring territories "back to the Verses." Susan is a Restorer, a prophet like the Biblical Deborah. Together with an unfamiliar sword, it is Susan's job to show the inhabitants of this new world how Jesus can save people. This universe will forever change how Susan looks at life, love, and family.if she can get out alive.

Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead: Visonary Nominee

Description:

After losing everything he owns, Forester Will Scarlet embarks on a search for none other than King Raven, whose exploits have already become legendary. After fulfilling his quest, and proving himself a skilled and loyal companion, Will joins the heroic archer and his men. However, Will ends up in prison for a crime he did not commit. His sentence is death by hanging,unless he delivers King Raven and his band of cohorts. That, of course, he will never do. Wales is slowly falling under the control of the invading Normans, and King William the Red has given his ruthless barons control of the land. In desperation, the people turn to King Raven and his men for justice and survival in the face of the ever-growing onslaught.

Demon: A Memoir by Tosca Lee: First-Time Novelist Nominee

Description:

Clayton's life is stuck in the mud. His wife has been cheating on him for years, his literary career is uninspired, and his job as an editor is mediocre at best. But when he walks into a restaurant and finds a mysterious dark-haired stranger waiting for him, his life dramatically changes. The stranger claims to be Lucian, one of Lucifer's fellow fallen angels, come to tell Clay his story of the angels' dramatic fall from Heaven, Adam and Eve's Eden, and Christ's triumph on the cross - from a demon's perspective. This seems just the thing to get Clay's career jumpstarted, but it could mean his ultimate success or failure as Lucian's story seems to become more and more like his own.

The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello: First Novel Nominee

Description:

Two men plummet to their death from a factory rooftop---and hundreds of people on the ground below saw nothing! Or are they just not talking? It's up to FBI agent Raleigh Harmon to find out what happened---fast! Will she dig for the truth . . . even though it may mean her own downfall?

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson: Young Adult Nominee

Description:

Fifteen-year-old Scotty Fitzgerald has spent her young life on the road, traveling to movie sets with her single mom, Charley. Yet even though she is wise beyond her years, Scotty still struggles to find her identity. Complicating matters is a mother who offers no guidance and a father she's never met.

Scotty is determined to discover what she wants from life, even documenting the journey on her "Hollywood Nobody" blog. But as Scotty begins to find dark answers to tough questions, will her story have a happy ending?

In Between by Jenny B. Jones: Young Adult Nominee

Description:

Sixteen-year-old Katie Parker's life just keeps going downhill. Her dad has been long since gone, her mother is in jail, and Katie has just been made a ward of the state of Texas. She thinks she's found a home in the Sunny Haven Home for Girls, but learns that she is to be shipped out to foster parents in In Between, Texas. Once she decides that she would rather stay at Sunny Haven rather than be shipped around from foster family to foster family, the action starts picking up. Katie does her best to terrorize her foster family, which is headed by the senior pastor of In Between Community Church, she falls into the wrong crowd in her high school, is blamed for vandalism, and has to deal with the antics of her foster mom's mother, Mad Maxine. But with the help and persistence of her new family, Katie might learn to open her heart and her life to God's will, as well as teach her family a few new life lessons.

Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman: Young Adult Nominee

Description:

Maggie McCarthy is more than ready to be just a regular teen. Ever since her mother's death, Maggie has found herself acting as a mother to her two younger brothers and serving as the resident housekeeper. All of that changes after she rescues a classmate and rival from sexual assault and becomes an accidental hero and celebrity at her high school. Now Maggie must reconcile popularity with true friendship, deal with the fallout of sexual abuse and redefine her place in the family. And with the help of an unlikely friend, Maggie begins to discover God's grace in her life. Author Michelle Buckman offers an ed