Monday, July 30, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Afraid to read Fearless
Maybe I'll work up the courage to read it before book 3 comes out. May 2008 sounds good.
For real opinions about the book, visit these sites:
Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
Lisa Cromwell
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Merrie Destefano
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Russell Griffith
Jill Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Robin Parrish
Lyn Perry
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Daniel I. Weaver
Friday, July 13, 2007
Fearless by Robin Parrish
is introducing
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist.
In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract.
Born Michael Robin Parrish on October 13, 1975, Robin's earliest writing efforts took place on a plastic, toy typewriter, and resulted in several "books" (most between 10 and 30 pages long) and even a few magazines.
By the age of thirteen, he had begun winning local writing awards and became a regular in his high school's literary magazine. In college, he garnered acclaim from his English professors and fellow students while maturing and honing his skills.
After college, he entered the writing profession through a "side door" -- the Internet. More than ten years he spent writing for various websites, including About.com, CMCentral.com, and his current project Infuze Magazine, which is a unique intersection between art and faith which he also conceived of and created.
One of his more "high concept" ideas for Infuze was to return to his love for storytelling and create a serialized tale that would play out every two weeks, telling a complete, compelling story over the course of nine months. That serialized story eventually came to the attention of several publishers, who saw it as a potential debut novel for Robin Parrish.
In 2005, Bethany House Publishers brought Robin full circle by contracting him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels. A trilogy, to unfold in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008. One massive tale -- of which that first, original story would form only the foundational first volume of the three -- spread across three books.
Robin is the Editor in Chief and creator of Infuze Magazine. He and his wife Karen reside in High Point, North Carolina. Karen works for High Point's First Wesleyan Church, where Robin and Karen are members and Small Group leaders.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Book Two of the Dominion Trilogy:
The world changed after that terrible day when the sky burned, and now every heart is gripped by fear...
Earthquakes, fire, disease, and floods pummel the earth, and its citizens watch in horror.
But in the darkness there is hope -- an anonymous but powerful hero whom the public dubs "Guardian." He is Grant Borrows, one of a chosen few who walk the earth with extraordinary powers. But while Grant enjoys this new life, signs of a dangerous ancient prophecy begin coming true, and those closest to Grant worry he may be hiding a terrible secret.
A search for answers brings Grant and his friends to London, where an extraordinary discovery awaits that will challenge everything they thought they knew. With a deadly new enemy dogging his steps, Grant realizes that the world's only hope may come from unraveling the truth about himself once and for all. But what he comes face-to-face with leaves even this most powerful of men shaken with fear.
Secrets will be revealed.
Friends will make the ultimate sacrifice.
And destiny will not be denied.
The story continues...
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The Midwife of St. Petersburg
Karena Peshkova and her sister Natalia aren't sure what to expect when they visit their cousin Tatiana Roskov's posh summer home in Kazan, but neither expect the intrigue that awaits them. All Karena wants is acceptance into the Imperial College of Medicine and Midwifery, but since her mother is a Jew, every year Karena is passed over. She hopes that contacts from her father's side of the family will help. If not, her brother knows a Bolshevik leader whose sister works at the college.
Colonel Aleksandt Kronstadt would much rather be with his regiment than joining Okhrana - the Russian secret police - but his new assignment comes at the hand of his intended's father, General Roskov. Yet as Tatiana continues to admire Rasputin, confidante of the czarina, Alex finds his gaze turning toward her cousin, Karena.
Highly recommended for historical fiction fans.
Wedding Bell Blues
by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Linda, a native of Maryland's Eastern Shore, is the author of eighteen historical novels and nine contemporary romances for both the secular and Christian market. A Christy Award finalist, Linda has received numerous awards in both the ABA and CBA, including the Romantic Writers of America's Beacon Award. She lives in Salisbury, Maryland. Learn more!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Wedding Bell Blues is the first in a new series, The Piper Cove Chronicles, that follows four women who grew up as best friends in a small community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. They have returned home from their successes and failures at college and life, determined to pursue their dreams in the town they'd once vowed to leave in the dust. True love has eluded the four friends until one by one they encounter their soul mate. Next in the series is FOR PETE'S SAKE, on sale from Avon Inspire in April 2008.Alex Butler is a successful home decorator who hopes she has finally gotten her life together. But when Josh Turner, the man who ran away and broke her heart sixteen years ago, returns to Piper Cove to be the best man in her sister's wedding, Alex can't escape the butterflies in her stomach. But Alex has no time for distractions. Her family has enlisted her to make this the wedding of the century. To pull the event off, she pools the talents of her three best friends - Jan, who creates desserts to-die-for will help with the cake and catering, tomboy Ellen, who works at a landscaping business will handle the flowers and decorations, and Sue Ann, who can…well, Suzie Q can give Alex a much-needed reality check in the course of the wedding planning chaos.
But fate won't be stopped in this small town as Alex and Josh keep running into each other at every turn. When sparks fly, Alex soon finds herself caught in a paralyzing battle of the heart between her old-fashioned Southern father, who fiercely resents Josh for breaking his little girl's heart, and her feelings for the one man she ever truly loved.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Island Inferno
is introducing
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chuck served four years in the Elite 75th Ranger Regiment–the same unit profiled in the movie “Black Hawk Down.” Chuck saw combat in Panama in 1989. After leaving active duty, Chuck flew helicopters in the Wisconsin National Guard while attending the University of Wisconsin.In 2004, after ten years as a stockbroker, Chuck left that profession to pursue full-time writing. At the same time, he began working as the "Adventure Correspondent" for CBN.
He is the author of five books, including A More Elite Soldier, Bulletproof, and
Allah's Fire, the first of three books in the Task Force Valor series.
Today, Chuck, Connie, and their five children live on a farm in Appalachia, where Chuck now pursues his varied interests of farming, writing, adventure travel and public speaking, among other things.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
As the global war on terror heats up, the U.S. deploys a team of highly trained special operators overseas to locate and neutralize threats, bringing EOD expertise to dangerous missions that have no room for error.
A DEADLY EXPLOSION
A new specialty explosive is on the black market: ITEB looks like water, but when it's exposed to air, the effects are lethal! The United States government is frantic to keep it from our shores. Staff Sergeant Euripides "Rip" Rubio knows how destructive ITEB can be. He has already risked his life to thwart a horrific terrorist plot involving the chemical. Now Task Force Valor heads to Panama, on the trail of an arms dealer who plans to use ITEB to make a killing...literally.
AN ADVENTURE ABROAD
Fernanda Lerida is a University of Florida grad student who jumps at the chance to join a biological expedition to a mysterious former prison island. But the snakes, bugs, and crocodiles are soon the least of her worries as the group stumbles upon something they were not meant to see. To Make matters worse, Fernanda soon finds herself alone and being pursued by an unseen foe.
A RISKY RESCUE
When Rip's path collides with Fernanda's, they find themselves caught in the midst of a brutal turf war. Can they use the chaos to their advantage, or will one false step set the entire island ablaze?
"Island Inferno is a boy-meets-girl story. But in Chuck Holton's world, boy meets girl in the middle of a jungle at 25mph. hanging under a parachute with an assault rifle strapped across his chest. You'd better plan on reading this in one sitting. And once you're done, you'd better give yourself time for your pulse to calm down."
----TOM MORRISEY, Author of Deep Blue, and Dark Fathom
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Fantasy Fiction Tour
Here are the tour stops:
7/11 - Wednesday
6pm – 8pm Borders 2501 West End Ave. Nashville, TN.
7/12 - Thursday
12:00-2:00pm Cedar Springs Christian Store, 504 North Peter’s Rd., Knoxville, TN.
6:00pm Barnes & Noble, 83 South Tunnel Rd.,Asheville, NC
7/13 - Friday
12:00 - 2:00pm, Barnes & Noble, 4720 Sharon Rd., Charlotte, NC.
6pm Borders, 404 – 101 East Six Forks Rd., Raleigh, NC.
7/14 - Saturday
12:00 - 2:00pm Barnes & Noble, 5501 West Broad St., Richmond, VA.
6:00 - 8:00pm His Way Christian Bookstore, 8450 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, Maryland
7/15 - Sunday
9:15 am National Presb. Church, 4104 Nebraska Avenue N.W.,Washington D.C.
3:00 - 5:00pm Barnes & Noble, 3651 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA.
6:30 - 8:30pm Barnes & Noble, 4300 Montgomery Road,Ellicott City, Maryland
7/16 - Monday
1-2pm Christopher Matthew's, 5 Bel Air South Parkway - Suite 1421 - Bel Air, MD
6pm – 8pm The Days Of Knights Store, 173 East Main Street,Newark, DE. 19711
7/17 - Tuesday
5pm-Timeless Treasures Christian Bookstore, 163 Livingston St.,Brooklyn, NY.
7/18 - Wednesday
Noon -Timeless Treasures Christian Bookstore, 673 8th Ave.,Manhattan, NY
Trying on Brands
Problem is, I’ve written a historical, a romance, and am starting a fantasy. Three totally different genres. The romance isn’t that much of an issue; with the length, it should be a mass market title, likely a book club one, which doesn’t have much of an influence on building readers outside of those who belong to the book clubs. I don’t know that I could or would want to write a full-length (80,000 words +) straight romance. It would have to be mixed with some other genre, like historical, suspense, fantasy, etc.
Anyhow, I’ve been pondering this for a couple weeks now, wondering if I could establish a brand that encompasses all I want to write, if cross-genre branding was even possible. One author friend, Camy Tang, came up with a tagline that fit both genres she was pursuing. When she got a contract in one genre, she moved her focus solely on that genre. I wouldn’t mind that. So as we were singing patriotic songs at church this Sunday,
So I’m brainstorming what to do with this idea. One phrase I like: Revealing your identity can save your heart – or kill you. It also ties in with my passion for being authentic – and my love of the “cool” spy stuff. It touches the periods of history I’m most interested in – the Revolution and WWII – and can also apply to contemporary international thrillers as well as cloak and dagger fantasy. Now it’s time to pull out my thesaurus and have fun – conceal, disguise, camouflage, mask, hidden, undercover, masquerade, secret, veiled, stealth, furtive, spy, identity.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
FIRST: Coral Moon
It is JULY 1st, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!
and her book:
(Zondervan, 2007)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brandilyn Collins is the bestselling author of Violet Dawn, Web Of Lies, Dead of Night, Stain of Guilt, Brink of Death, and Eyes of Elisha just to name a few.Brandilyn and her family divide their time between the California Bay Area and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
She maintains an informative blog called Forensics and Faith where she daily dispenses wisdom on writing, life, and the Christian book industry.
Brandilyn also hosts the blog Kanner Lake: Scenes and Beans where you can read entertaining and eclectic posts about life in Kanner Lake from Bailey, Wilbur, S-Man, Jake, and other of your favorite characters from the Java Joint. Coral Moon is the second book in the Kanner Lake Series.
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Chapter 1
Kill tonight—or die.
The words burned, hot acid eating through his eyes, his brain. Right down to his soul.
Only a crazy person would obey.
He slapped both hands to his ears, squeezed hard against his head. Screwed his eyes shut. He hung there, cut off from the world, snagged on the life sounds of his body. The whoosh of breath, the beat of his heart.
The words boiled.
His skull hurt. He pulled his hands away, let them fall. The kitchen spun. He dropped into a chair, bent forward, and breathed deeply until the dizziness passed.
He sat up, looked again to the table.
The note lay upon the unfolded Kanner Lake Times newspaper, each word horrific against the backdrop of a coral crescent moon.
How did they get in here?
What a stupid question. As if they lacked stealth, as if mere walls and locked entrances could keep them out. He’d been down the hall in the bedroom watching TV, door wide open, yet had heard nothing. Hadn’t even sensed their presence as he pushed off the bed and walked to the kitchen for some water.
A chill blew over his feet.
His eyes bugged, then scanned the room. Over white refrigerator and oak cabinets, wiped-down counters and empty sink. To the threshold of the kitchen and into the hallway. There his gaze lingered as the chill worked up to his ankles.
It had to be coming from the front of the house.
His skin oozed sweat, a web of sticky fear spinning down over him. Trembling, he pulled himself out of the chair. He clung to the smooth table edge, ensuring his balance. Then, heart beating in his throat, he forced himself across the floor, around the corner, and toward the front door.
It hung open a few inches.
They were taunting him.
He approached, hands up and fingers spread, as if pushing through phantoms. Sounds of the night wafted on the frigid air—the rustle of breeze through tree limbs, distant car tires singing against pavement. He reached the door, peered around it, knowing he was a fool to seek sign of them. The air smelled crisp, tanged with the purity of pine trees. The last vestiges of snow dusted his porch, bearing the tracks of his footprints alone.
He closed the door and locked it. As if that would do any good. He sagged against the wall, defeated and sick. How stupid to think they would leave him in peace. Hadn’t he seen this coming? All the events of the last few months . . .
Shoulders drawn, he made his way back to the kitchen and his inevitable fate. Each footstep drew him away from the life he’d built, reasoning and confidence seeping from him like blood from a fatal wound. His conscience pulsed at what he had to do.
The message sat on his table, an executioner beckoning victim to the noose. He fell into the chair, wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He read the words, fresh nausea rising in his stomach. No misunderstanding their commands. They had a chess score to settle. He was their pawn.
He pushed back against the chair, arms crossed and hugging himself, the way he used to do as a boy. Dully, he stared at the window, seeing only his own pitiable reflection. For a long time he watched himself, first transfixed in fright, then with the evolving expression of self-preservation.
If he just did this one thing, his debt would be paid. They’d leave him alone.
For another hour...two…he sat, forcing down the queasiness as he thought through dozens of details. How he should do it. What could go wrong.
By the time he rose near midnight, he’d laid his plans.
Gathering the necessary items, shrugging on a coat, he slipped out into the cold and soulless night.
