Relz Reviewz

Character Spotlight & Blog Tour ~ Athol Dickson's Fray Alejandro & Lupe de la Garza

2009-11-10T07:47:00.001+11:00

Today the spotlight shines on.........................Fray Alejandro & Lupe de la Garza

Athol Dickson is an award winning author and his latest novel, Lost Mission, is already garnering multiple accolades for it's intriguing storyline and exceptional prose. I hope you enjoy this insight into two characters living centuries apart in this story. Over to you, Athol:~

Brief physical description

Probably the best way to answer this is to quote from LOST MISSION. There are two main protagonists in the novel. One is Alejandro, a Franciscan friar living in the 1700’s. Here’s what LOST MISSION says about him:

“The Franciscan stood five feet four inches tall, an average Spaniard’s height in the eighteenth century. He was broad and unattractive. Heavy whiskers lurked beneath the surface of his jaw, darkly threatening to burst forth. Fray Alejandro’s brow was large and loomed above the recess of his eyes as if it was a cliff eroded by the pounding of the sea and ready to crash down at any moment. The black fullness of his hair had been shaved at the crown, leaving only a circular fringe around the edges of his head. His nose, once aquiline and proud, had become a perpetual reminder of the violence that had flattened it at some time in the past.

“For all its ugliness, Fray Alejandro’s visage could not mask the gentleness within. His crooked smile shed warmth upon his fellow man. His hands were ever ready with a touch to reassure or steady, or to simply grant the gift of human presence. When someone spoke, be they wise or not, he inclined his head and listened with his entire being, as if the speaker’s words had all the weight of holy writ. In his eyes was love.”

The other protagonist is Lupe, a Mexican shopkeeper from a small village, who enters the USA illegally in order to preach the gospel to us here. LOST MISSION describes her in terms of another man, a stranger, whom she has just met:

”From his appearance this man might have been her brother. Like Lupe, he was not tall. Like Lupe his features called to mind stone carvings of the ancient Mayans. Like Lupe, he had a smooth sloped forehead, pendulous ear lobes, and cheekbones high and proud. His golden skin was flawless, as was hers. Like hers, his lips were thick and sensuous, his teeth the flashing white of lightning, his eyes a pair of black pools without bottoms.”

Actor/famous person

Danny Trejo could play Alejandro, although Mr. Trejo is older than Alejandro is in the novel

The picture of Lupe is a photo I found of a woman who looks much as I imagine Lupe does (I don’t know who this woman is)

Strengths and weaknesses

Both Lupe and Alejandro have a simple faith, which is therefore a strong faith. I think that’s part of what Jesus meant when he said we must come to him as little children do. When a child believes, it is with total commitment, without doubts or complications. That’s how Alejandro and Lupe believe. Their doubts are always centered on themselves, never on God.

While Lupe and Alejandro share similar strengths, their weaknesses are different. Lupe is completely willing to suffer in God’s service, but in her willingness she has come to equate service with suffering, as if one cannot exist without the other. So when a great gift and a blessing comes for her, she misses it, because she cannot bring herself to believe it’s possible to serve God and also become richly blessed in earthly ways.

Alejandro, on the other hand, being a Franciscan friar, has already decided to shun all earthly blessings, so his flaw is different. He sees his fellow friars crossing ethical and moral lines, and recognizes what they’re doing for what it is, but he is so afraid of crossing the line into judgmentalism himself that he fails to hold his brothers accountable.

Quirk (if any)

I don’t know if you’d call this a “quirk,” exactly, but Lupe’s faith is so complete, when she experiences a miracle that would rock any normal person’s world, she accepts it as a normal part of life.

The strange thing about Alejandro is, although he fears judgmentalism in himself to the point of being paralysed in the face of other people’s sin, he is absolutely fearless when it comes to risking his own life for others.

Your inspiration for the character

I’ve heard other authors say they base characters on people they meet, or combinations of several personalities they’ve met, but I very seldom create a character based on anything in real life. Instead, I usually have a novel’s theme in mind at the very beginning, and I work out a plot that will explore that theme through action and symbolism. Then I pick or imagine a setting that supports the events of the plot, and only then do I get around to creating characters. So the characters in most of my stories were really inspired by the plot. In other words, I pick personality traits for each character based on what that character needs to do to take the plot where I want it to go. Then I think about the character’s back story, asking myself what events in their past might have led to their personality and life situation in a logical and believable way. Sometimes the physical features of a character are also based on what I need them to do to support the story. At other times, if the physical characteristics are irrelevant, I’ll remember someone I’ve met and describe them, but the physical features of a person are pretty much the only aspects I ever draw from real life, and I only do that occasionally. It’s far more common for me to give a character their physical features completely from my imagination.

Background to the story

LOST MISSION is set in two times, but one place. In the late 1700’s we have Fray Alejandro, a Franciscan, founding a mission to the pagan Indians of what was then called “Alta California.” In the same place, which is now called southern California, we have Lupe de la Garza, an undocumented immigrant who comes to the USA to preach the gospel to Americans, whom she believes are in desperate need of it. Here’s a quote from the press release sent out when the novel was launched:

“Lupe de la Garza, a simple shopkeeper in a mountain village in central Mexico, believes God wants her to go to America to preach the gospel. She is guided on her quest by her people’s greatest treasure: an altarpiece painted by the eighteenth century Franciscan friar who founded her village after fleeing the mysterious destruction of his California mission outpost. When Lupe is distracted by desire for a young minister, and when her preaching in a southern California beach town inspires only apathy and laughter, she begins to lose faith in her quest. Then the slumbering evil that destroyed the friar’s Franciscan mission rises up again after two hundred years, and Lupe once more looks to the altarpiece for guidance, only to find the true purpose of her quest in the midst of her single greatest fear.”

Thanks for sharing, Athol ~ it's been fascinating :) My review of Lost Mission will be coming soon to TitleTrakk.com.

On Thursday, join me as the spotlight shines on Kimberly Stuart's Mia Rathburn from Stretch Marks ~ thankfully she has finished feeding the baby ;-)

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Athol's website and blog

Buy Athol's books at Amazon or Koorong

What is everyone else saying about Lost Mission? Check out the whole blog tour!

Contest!

Tweet this and be entered to win signed copies of Athol’s award winning books:

Tweet 4 words that describe Athol Dickson’s #LostMission along with this link: http://tr.im/BPD1

Or

Athol Dickson’s redemptive tale #LostMission is a MUST read! Gripping story about mistakes and miracles! http://tr.im/BPD1

(To be clear – to be entered into the contest your tweet must have these 2 elements 1. Athol Dickson’s #LostMission 2. this link: http://tr.im/BPD1).

Fit to be Tied by Robin Lee Hatcher

2009-11-09T21:42:00.002+11:00

Synopsis:~

It's 1916, and Idaho rancher Cleo Arlington knows everything about horses but nothing about men. So when charged with transforming English aristocrat Sherwood Statham from playboy into cowboy, she's totally disconcerted. So is Statham, who's never encountered a woman succeeding in a "man's world." Their bumpy trot into romance is frustrating, exhilarating, and ultimately heartwarming.

My take:~

What can I say about Robin Lee Hatcher that hasn't already been said? Probably not much but that won't stop me letting you know she has another satisfying historical romance on her hands with Fit to be Tied.

I admit though, even with Robin's mastery of the historical romance genre, I wondered whether she could pull off a credible romance between a practical and accomplished cowgirl with an over-indulged English aristocrat. It did take a little time for me to warm to both characters but Robin managed to inveigle them into my affections in short order and create a fun and pleasurable reading experience. Readers of the series will enjoy the return of Morgan and Guinevere from A Vote of Confidence and highly anticipate Daphne's story in A Matter of Character, releasing in 2010.

With thanks to Zondervan for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Character spotlight on Cleo Arlington & Sherwood Statham
Interview with Robin
Visit Robin's website and blog
Buy Robin's books at Amazon or Koorong

Irene Hannon ~ What's Cooking?

2009-11-06T13:01:00.006+11:00

Irene Hannon

I love to cook—and cooking scenes often work themselves into my novels. For example, in the bestselling first book of my Heroes of Quantico series, Against All Odds, the heroine cooks to relax. And she needs to relax after the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team shows up to protect her from a terrorist threat. She ends up making a fabulous dinner for the two operators assigned to protect her, and finishes the meal with these warm-from-the-oven cookies.

Hope you enjoy them as much as the hero, Coop, did!

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients

1 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour mixed with salt, baking soda and baking powder. By hand, fold in oatmeal and chocolate chips. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet by teaspoonfuls.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes—no more! DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Yield: About 6 dozen

I can almost smell these, Irene :) Thanks for the recipe - I'll be testing it out on my girls.

Irene's Books

Against All Odds ~ An Eye for an Eye ~ In Harm's Way (April, 2010)

Tides of Hope ~ The Hero Next Door ~ Apprentice Father

& more.......

Relz Reviewz Extras
All things Hannon @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Irene's website
Buy Irene's books at Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Kay Marshall Strom's Grace Winslow

2009-11-05T22:11:00.000+11:00

Today the spotlight shines on.......................Grace Winslow

Kay Marshall Strom is a prolific non-fiction author who has channelled her passion to voice the injustice of slavery into writing the Grace in Africa trilogy, starting with The Call of Zulina. The trilogy focuses on the life of an innocent woman living in a corrupt and dangerous world. I hope you enjoy this insight into Grace Winslow.

Over to you, Kay:~

Brief physical description

Grace Winslow is the lovely daughter of an English seaman and his African princess wife, owners of the area's major slave holding fortress. With silky mocha skin and auburn tints in her black hair, she is a girl with one foot in the white world and one in Africa, but she belongs to neither. Raised behind the walls of her parents' compound, with almost no access to the world outside, Grace is educated and laden with lovely things, but she is conveniently ignorant of her parents' cruel trade.

Think Halle Berry!

Strengths and weaknesses

Weaknesses

Spoiled, impulsive, headstrong

Strengths

Able to grow and learn, empathetic and sensitive, strong will, decisive leader, has the gift of grace

Quirk (if any)

Strangely innocent

Your inspiration for the character

In writing the book, Once Blind: The Life of John Newton, a biography on the 18^th century slave ship captain turned preacher and abolitionist who penned “Amazing Grace,” I virtually met a couple from his life--an English seaman and his African wife who ran a slave camp in the 1700s. At the time I asked myself: “If they'd had a daughter, who would she be--English or African?” That story question was the beginning of Grace Winslow.

Background to the story

While I was in West Africa working on yet another book, I visited a slave fortress off the coast of Senegal. In one cell I saw a pair of baby manacles chained to the wall. My heart froze in horror. It was there that Grace Winslow began to weave herself into a story.

Thanks for sharing with us, Kay ~ I hope her stories bring more light to the darkness that slavery hides behind.

On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Maggie Brendan's Juliana & Josh from The Jewel of His Heart.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Kay's website

Buy Kay's books at Amazon or Koorong

Coming in January, 2010 from Chris Coppernoll

2009-11-05T21:37:00.004+11:00

It is great to see David C Cook is releasing another book by the talented Chris Coppernoll. Who would have thought a guy could write romance so well ;-) I'm really looking forward to this novel.

Be sure to check out Providence and A Beautiful Fall and the trailer below for Screen Play ~ it is fabulous!

Screen Play by Chris Coppernoll

At thirty, Harper fears her chances for a thriving acting career and finding true love are both fading fast. After a devastating year of unemployment and isolation in Chicago, Harper is offered an unexpected role in a Broadway play—as understudy to New York's biggest diva—and everything in Harper's world changes.

Harper also hopes to find love in NYC, but when it doesn't happen, she reluctantly signs up to an online matchmaking site. Frustration mounts when the only match Harper is even remotely interested in lives in a remote territory on the opposite coast, thousands of miles away. A faith conversation during her year in Chicago shapes how Harper sees everything. She wants to see God at work in her life, but His ways are mysterious, and she's faced with challenges in the secular world of Broadway. Harper feels like an actress who doesn't act, and a woman in love with someone she's never even seen, but God's about to change all that.

Linked through the contemporary, text message world of internet dating, Harper learns it's possible to care for someone outside her own universe, even when that someone can't be touched, and ultimately how to love. She reaches out through the impersonal world of cyberspace, and becomes more aware than ever of God reaching out to her. Sometimes the person farthest away from you, she discovers, is the one who's closest to your heart.

Blog Tour of The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom

2009-11-04T08:49:00.005+11:00

ISBN: 1426700695
ISBN-13: 9781426700699
Format: Paperback
Abingdon Press
Pub. Date: August 2009
Retail: $13.99

About the Book:

(Eugene, Oregon) – An arranged marriage, a runaway bride, and an ugly family heritage of brutal and inhumane slavery operations leave no room for a fairytale story. Grace Winslow, daughter of an English sea captain and African princess, finds herself in a horrific position of betrothal. Doomed to marry an obnoxious white man, whom she does not love, Grace runs away to escape the slavery she’s been surrounded by all her life. Instead, her journey from home brings her face-to-face with issues of extreme slavery, abuse and human trafficking. In the end she discovers slavery is more than just chains and finds grace that exceeds a name given to her by her parents.

Written by Kay Marshall Strom, The Call of Zulina links historical slavery issues with the modern-day crisis tainting many countries. On the heels of important legislature regarding human trafficking, Strom tackles the subject boldly as she sheds light on the practices and techniques used by angry slave traders. Seen as an advocate for those who have no voice, Strom finds words to communicate the message of history to today’s readers. While this book shines the light on an uncomfortable subject, the message of hope, freedom, and justice prevail and eternal truths discovered.

About the Author:

Author Kay Marshall Strom has two great loves: writing and helping others achieve their own writing potential. Kay has written thirty-six published books, numerous magazine articles, and two screenplays. While mostly a nonfiction writer, the first book of her historical novel trilogy Grace in Africa has met with acclaim. Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, writers’ conferences, and special events throughout the country and around the world. She is in wide demand as an instructor and keynote speaker at major writing conferences. She also enjoys speaking aboard cruise ships in exchange for exotic cruise destinations.

Blog Tour Interview:

1. How did you come up with the storyline of The Call of Zulina?

While in West Africa working on another project, I toured an old slave fortress and was struck dumb by a set of baby manacles bolted to the wall. The characters of Lingongo and Joseph Winslow, Grace's parents, are modeled after real people who ran a slave business in Africa in the 1700s. I "met" them when I was researching Once Blind: The Life of John Newton, a biography of the slaver turned preacher and abolitionists, author of Amazing Grace. The more I thought about them, the more I wondered, "If they'd had a daughter, who would she be? Where would her loyalties lie?"

2. What inspired you to write a book so entrenched with uncomfortable issues?

I used to think that non-fiction was the meat and potatoes of writing and fiction was the chocolate mousse dessert... fun, but not of much value. But I've come to understand that truths can be revealed through fiction just as powerfully as through non-fiction. Sometimes, more so! The fact is, for so long we have tried to look away and pretend that this horrible chapter in history never happened. But it did, and we still feel the effects today. Moreover, the roots of slavery--hunger for power and money, fear and diminishment of people unlike ourselves, and humanity's endless ability to rationalize evil actions--abound today. The time seemed right.

3. How haveyour travels around the world equipped you for writing such a historical novel?

People ask me where my passion for issues such as modern day slavery come from. To a large degree it is from the things I have seen and heard on my numerous trips to India, African countries, Cambodia, Nepal, Indonesia, and other places around the world.

4. Tell us a personal story regarding modern day slavery.

A most pervasive type of slavery is what is known as bonded servitude, where entire poor families are bound into virtual slavery--sometimes for generations--because of a small debt. This is especially common in India. I visited a village in central India where the women had been freed from bondage and set up with a micro loan that allowed them to raise a small herd of dairy cows. They worked so hard and saved every rupee. When they had enough saved, they persuaded a young teacher to come and start a school for their children. Then they used further profits to make low interest loans to others in the area so they could start their own businesses, too--a little bank. I sat in a circle with the five women who made up the "board of directors." Only one could read and write. I asked, "How will the next generation be different because of what you have done?" They said, "No more will be like us. When people look us, they see nothing. But when they look at our children, they see real human beings with value."

From invisible slaves to human beings... all in one generation!

5. Grace, the lead character in The Call of Zulina, forsakes all to escape the slavery of her parents and an arranged marriage.How common is this scenerio today in other countries?

Horrifyingly common. Slavery today takes many forms. According to UNICEF's more conservative count, there are about 12 million people living as slaves today--three times as many as in the days of the African slave trade. As for child arranged marriages, I have talked to girls "enslaved" to husbands in many countries. Examples include a girl in Nepal married at 9 to a middle-aged man, one in India married at 11, a 13-year-old in Egypt married to a man older than her father. I've seen it in Africa, Eastern Europe... so many places!

6. What about in America, are there slavery and trafficking issues here?

Unfortunately, there are. The U.S. State Department estimates between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the Untied States each year, although it concedes that the real number is actually far higher. And it's not just states like New York and California that are affected, either. According to the U.S. Justice Department's head of the new human trafficking unit, there is now at least one case of trafficking in every state.

7. You've had 36 books published, and more written and contracted for future release. How has this one impacted your own life?

Some books report, some tell stories. This book has torn my heart.

8. Briefly tell us about the next two books in this Grace in Africa trilogy.

In Book 2, Grace watches her reconstructed life smashed by slavers and revenge, and she is forcibly taken to London. There she faces a new kind of tyranny and another fight for freedom... and for her husband, who is enslaved in America.

Book 3 is set in the new United States of America, in the heart of the slavery. It is a story of slavery at it's worst and redemption at its best.

What Can Concerned Citizens Do to Raise Awareness?

Find out all you can about Modern Day Slavery: then watch for chances to pass on what you have learned.

Write to your elected officials: Petition them to place a high priority on enforcing anti-slavery laws and to put pressure on countries that tolerate forced labor or human trafficking.

Buy Fair Trade products: Fair trade provides a sustainable model of international trade based on economic justice. To find out more, see http://www.fairtrade.net/ .

Support organizations that are in a position to make a difference. When you find an one that is doing a good job on the front lines, contribute to their cause so they can continue on.

Be willing to step into the gap. If you suspect someone is being held against his or her will, call the Department of Justice hotline: 1-888-428-7581. Or you can call 911.

Grand Prize Giveaway!!!

Kay Marshall Strom is giving the following books to one fortunate commenter from The Call of Zulina blog tour. The prize package includes several of Kay's books:

Seeking Christ: A Christian Woman's Guide to Personal Wholeness & Spiritual Maturity
John Newton:The Angry Sailor
Making Friends with Your Mother
Making Friends with Your Father

Rel:~ Come back on Thursday to learn more about Kay's lead character, Grace Winslow, in our Character Spotlight post!

A Victorian Christmas by Catherine Palmer

2009-11-04T07:33:00.000+11:00

Synopsis:~

Return to a time when life was uncomplicated, faith was sincere . . . and love was a gift to be cherished forever.These four Christmas novellas will touch your heart and stir you to treasure your own keepsakes of life, love, and romance. Curl up next to the fire with this heartwarming, faith-filled collection of love stories by best-selling romance author Catherine Palmer. Favorite holiday recipes and a note from the author are included with each story.

My take:~

A Victorian Christmas combines four of Catherine Palmer's previously separately published novellas in one volume, making the perfect gift for Christmas or a special treat for yourself! I enjoyed returning to these delightful stories of the feisty Fara, the displaced Starr, the cheerful Gwyneth and the devoted Rosalind as they discovered love in the most unexpected places. Catherine certainly knows her readership and provides them with the sweet romance and happy endings they adore. From New Mexico to London, these tales of love and God's faithfulness will make any devotee of Christmas romances swoon.

Thanks to Tyndale House for kindly providing my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Catherine's website and blog

Buy Catherine's books at Amazon or Koorong

Maggie Rose by Sharlene MacLaren

2009-11-03T20:35:00.001+11:00

Synopsis:~

In the summer of 1904, Maggie Rose Kane, Jacob's spunky, independent middle daughter accepts God's call to leave her beloved hometown of Sandy Shores, Michigan to work as 'house mother' at New York City's Sheltering Arms Refuge, a home for displaced and orphaned waifs. There she meets the cynical, hard-nosed Luke Madison, a 27-year-old news reporter from the New York World who's been thrust upon the orphanage for a three-month period with an order to research the city's problem of "Street Arabs", the name pinned to these impoverished children. Sparks fly as Maggie and Luke come to terms with their growing attraction.

Will Maggie win the struggle to remain attuned to God's direction for her life, staving off her foolish, romantic notions-or does the Lord have a greater purpose than she ever imagined for leading her to New York?

My take:~

Sharlene MacLaren has the great ability to write a fresh story in a genre that can often feel like you have read it all before! Sharlene includes all the expected requisites for an historical romance ~ a devoted young woman, a man with a painful past and a sweet romance that slowly blossoms ~ and then adds her own stamp to the tale intertwining her plot with the real life 1904 tragedy of the SS General Slocum steamship fire and the plight of young girls sold to bordellos. Tender and intriguing, Maggie Rose is a fascinating read and a great addition to the Daughters of Jacob Kane series. I eagerly await the release of Abbie Ann in 2010.

Thanks to Whitaker House for kindly providing my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Hannah Grace

Interview with Sharlene

Visit Sharlene's website and blog

Buy Sharlene's books from Amazon and Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Robin Lee Hatcher's Cleo Arlington and Sherwood Statham

2009-11-02T23:14:00.006+11:00

Today the spotlight shines on.....................Cleo Arlington & Sherwood Statham

Robin Lee Hatcher's latest series, The Sisters Of Bethlehem Springs, brings to life women in the early 1900's who took on roles women of the day just weren't meant to have! Robin is a gifted writer and knows exactly what her readers enjoy so do check out her numerous books when you can.

For now, have fun reading about Cleo :)

Over to you, Robin:~

Brief physical description

Cleo Arlington is tall and thin with fair skin and a smattering of freckles. She has strawberry blond hair, worn short and curly. Her eyes are blue. She is very much an American cowgirl.

Sherwood Reginald Wakeley Statham is of average height with sandy brown hair and green eyes. He is very much an English lord.

Strengths and weaknesses

Cleo has a strong faith in God and a confident sense of self, but she has little patience for those who put on airs or think themselves better than others. And she doesn't suffer fools.

Sherwood's inner wounds, acquired at the hand of an uncaring father, are more troublesome than the visible ones obtained on the battlefields of France. He has been a ladies man and a gambler, but he isn't the sort who shirks his duties.

Quirk

Cleo has a penchant for western slang (i.e. Sherwood is as worthless as a milk bucket under a steer).

Inspiration for the character

Many years ago, I wrote a minor character who was somewhat similar to Cleo. So when I got the idea for the new series (it came from the question, "Who says a woman can't do a man's job?"), in walked Cleo. It took me until I'd finished writing A Vote of Confidence (the first book in the series) before I discovered Sherwood. I kept thinking that the hero of Cleo's story would be a cowboy. Who else would be perfect for her? I was dead wrong!

Background to the story

Cleo Arlington dresses like a cowboy, is fearless and fun-loving, and can ride, rope, and wrangle a horse as well as any man. In 1916, however, those talents aren’t what most young women aspire to. But Cleo isn’t most women. Twenty-nine years old and single, Cleo loves life on her father’s Idaho ranch. Still, she hopes someday to marry and have children.

Enter Sherwood Statham, an English aristocrat whose father has sentenced him to a year of work in America to “straighten him out.” Sherwood, who expected a desk job at a posh spa, isn’t happy to be stuck on an Idaho ranch. And he has no idea how to handle Cleo, who’s been challenged with transforming this uptight playboy into a down-home cowboy.

Just about everything either of them says or does leaves the other, well, fit to be tied. And though Cleo believes God’s plan for her includes a husband, it couldn’t possibly be Sherwood Statham. Could it?

Robin ~ entertaining as always! Thanks for sharing Cleo and Woody with us :)

On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Grace Winslow from Kay Marshall Strom's The Call of Zulina.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Character spotlight on Guinevere Arlington & Morgan McKinley

Interview with Robin

Visit Robin's website and blog

Buy Robin's books at Amazon or Koorong

Sharlene MacLaren ~ What's Cooking?

2009-10-30T20:43:00.004+11:00

Sharlene MacLaren

Here's my favorite "pork chop" recipe. It's easy-peasy, and DELICIOUS! Makes for fall-off-the-bone chops every time!

Shar

Tender, Tasty Pork Chops

Ingredients

Six Pork Chops (your favorite cut)
Large, yellow onion
Brown Sugar
Ketchup
Orange juice

Instructions

Lay chops side by side in large oven pan
Place a thin onion layer on each chop
On the onion, place one Tablespoon of brown sugar
and one Tablespoon of ketchup
Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of orange juice around pan, so that
each chop gets saturated.

Place uncovered in 350-degree F. oven for approx. 1 hour,
or until chops are tender.

My hubby is going to love these, Shar ~ thank you!

Sharlene's Books

Hannah Grace ~ Maggie Rose ~ Abbie Ann (2010)
Through Every Storm ~ Long Journey Home
Loving Liza Jane ~ Sarah, My Beloved ~ Courting Emma

Relz Reviewz Extras

All things MacLaren @ Relz Reviewz

Visit Sharlene's website and blog

Buy Sharlene's books from Amazon and Koorong

Even more fiction releasing in July/August, 2010 from Bethany House

2009-10-30T18:40:00.006+11:00

More excitement with Bethany House sneaking in some extras after my last post ;-) A little hello to Jim Hart from me!!

I am thrilled another fantasy in the vein of Karen Hancock's Lights of Eidon series is coming from Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Paul Robertson's is super intriguing and I adore the cover of Nancy's Masquerade!

Love to hear your thoughts on any of these covers, storylines, which ones appeal and more ~ comment away!

Dark in the City of Light by Paul Robertson

The climate is tense in 1870s Europe as mistrust and suspicion rule the day. When the wife of Baron Harsanyi--a well-connected military attaché--is found murdered, it is only the first in a series of evil acts committed by a shadowy enemy bent on destroying the baron. As nations ready for war, the baron must uncover the truth as he and his two adult children are launched straight into the maelstrom that will engulf the continent.

Releasing July, 2010

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon be married. She dreams of a handsome and charming prince, but when the first suitor arrives, she finds him stodgy and boring. Prince Aethelbald from the mysterious land of Farthestshore has traveled far to prove his love--and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be approaching Parumvir.

Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald's offer--and ignores his warnings. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir, and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in grave danger. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

Releasing July, 2010

Masquerade by Nancy Moser

Eighteen eighty-five, New York City. Charlotte Gleason, a rich heiress from London, travels to America to escape her tedious life by marrying the even wealthier Conrad Tremaine. Deciding, however, that an arranged marriage is not for her, she arranges for her maid, Maureen, to take her place. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl wanting adventure becomes a test of survival amid poverty beyond Charlotte's blackest nightmares. As for Maureen, she lives a fairy tale complete with a prince--yet tormented by a wicked mother-in-law-to-be. Will their masquerade be discovered? Or will one of them have second thoughts? There is no guarantee the switch will work. It's a risk. It's the chance of a lifetime.

Releasing August, 2010

Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake

Todd Valmer should have known better. A farmer who's been through several disasters, he travels to Virginia to fetch his widowed mother to cook and help him around his Texas farm... or that was the plan until she keels over on the train and they get kicked off. Maggie Rose barters for a living and also makes soaps, lotions, and perfumes with a special rose recipe passed down from mother to daughter for generations. She hasn't wanted to marry... until that handsome Texan shows up. Her heart skips a beat, and when he proposes, a hasty marriage follows.

What ensues, however, is a clash of culture and a battle of wills--and it's clear they both mistook instant attraction and infatuation for love. As their marriage loses its sparkle and fills with disillusionment, Todd and Maggie must determine what is worth fighting for. He dreams of a farm. Maggie wants to fulfill the family tradition with her rose perfumes. Todd's mother, however, has entirely different plans for her son that do not include Maggie. In light of their hasty marriage and mistaken dreams, is there any hope of recapturing their love and building a future together?

Releasing August, 2010

Twilight's Serenade by Tracie Peterson

Britta Lindquist left Sitka six years ago in an attempt to distance herself from the love of her life, Yuri Belikov. Upon her return, she finds Yuri absent and his wife about to deliver a child. When tragic circumstances ensue, Britta suddenly finds herself caring for Yuri's children--and her life intertwining with the man she's tried so hard to forget. But Britta's other great love is for the violin, and her talent is recognized by Brenton Maltese, a conductor from England. He proposes she accept the coveted first chair position in his orchestra and also his hand in marriage. At a crossroads, Britta must determine what her heart truly longs for--and if she's willing to fight for it.

Releasing August, 2010

The Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris

Robbing a stagecoach on Christmas Eve and kidnapping a woman passenger is the last thing Luke Sullivan expects to do. He just wanted to reclaim the money stolen from him, but ends up with a feisty copper-haired orphan thrown over his shoulder who was on her way to marry Sullivan's bitter enemy.

Emily McCarthy is an orphan out of options. Forced to marry because she was too old for her orphanage, she doesn't take kindly to her "rescue." Still she trusts God can turn any situation to good especially when it seems Sullivan may just be the man of her dreams. But Sullivan's crossed a dangerous man unused to losing and Emily may just be the prize he's unwilling to sacrifice.

Releasing August, 2010

Angel of Wrath by Bill Myers

2009-10-29T06:43:00.001+11:00

Synopsis:~ Thirteen-year-old Jazmin, her ex-Special Ops uncle Charlie, and former FBI agent Lisa are reunited in the second of the Voice of God series to stop an assassin driven to murder members of a megachurch led by Lisa's brother. This assassin has drawn in a coven of teens toying with satanic practices to support his efforts. The naive youth engage in ceremonies that appear to usher in the death of each of his victims. When their rituals open a portal into the spiritual realm, a terrifying and mysterious entity crosses over to our world....

My take:~

I loved getting back in the action with Charlie, Lisa and Jazmin in this supernatural thriller reminiscent of Perreti's The Oath and sequel to The Voice. Charlie and Lisa are trying to negotiate their relationship and Jaz is still causing Charlie grief with her teenage attitude. Drawn into an investigation at the request of Lisa's estranged brother, Charlie and Jaz find they are fighting an etheral but deadly creature. The revelation of Lisa's past in this story adds depth to this suspenseful, page turning novel which is riveting from start to finish. Angel of Wrath is a must read for those looking for a book with a spiritual edge.

Thanks to Faithwords for providing my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of The Voice

Visit Bill's website

Buy Bill's books at Amazon or Koorong

CFBA Blog Tour of eye of the god by Ariel Allison

2009-10-28T20:55:00.003+11:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
eye of the god
Abingdon Press (October 1, 2009)
by
Ariel Allison

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Allison is a published author who lives in a small Texas town with her husband and three young sons. She is the co-author of Daddy Do You Love Me: a Daughter’s Journey of Faith and Restoration (New Leaf Press, 2006). Justin Case, the first of three children’s books will be published by Harvest House in June 2009. Ariel is a weekly contributor to www.ChristianDevotions.us and has written for Today’s Christian Woman. She ponders on life as a mother of all boys at www.themoabclub.blogspot.com and on her thoughts as a redeemed dreamer at www.arielallison.blogspot.com.

From Ariel:

I am the daughter of an acclaimed and eccentric artist, and given my “unconventional” childhood, had ample time to explore the intricacies of story telling. I was raised at the top of the Rocky Mountains with no running water or electricity (think Laura Ingalls meets the Hippie Movement), and lived out the books I read while running barefoot through the sagebrush. My mother read to me by the light of a kerosene lantern for well over a decade, long after I could devour an entire novel in the course of a day. Authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, George MacDonald, and L.M. Montgomery were the first to capture my heart and I have grown to love many others since.

ABOUT THE BOOK

eye of the god takes the fascinating history surrounding the Hope Diamond and weaves it together with a present-day plot to steal the jewel from the Smithsonian Institute.

We follow Alex and Isaac Weld, the most lucrative jewel thieves in the world, in their quest to steal the gem, which according to legend was once the eye of a Hindu idol named Rama Sita. When it was stolen in the 17th century, it is said that the idol cursed all those who would possess it. That won’t stop the brilliant and ruthless Weld brothers.

However, they are not prepared for Dr. Abigail Mitchell, the beautiful Smithsonian Director, who has her own connection to the Hope Diamond and a deadly secret to keep. Abby committed long ago that she would not serve a god made with human hands, and the “eye of the god” is no exception. Her desire is not for wealth, but for wisdom. She seeks not power, but restoration.

When the dust settles over the last great adventure of the Hope Diamond, readers will understand the “curse” that has haunted its legacy is nothing more than the greed of evil men who bring destruction upon themselves. No god chiseled from stone can direct the fates of humankind, nor can it change the course of God’s story.

If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter of eye of the god, go HERE

To read my review, click here and to check out my Character Spotlight on Abby & Alex, click here ~ enjoy!

Coming in mid 2010 from Revell

2009-10-28T13:09:00.011+11:00

Okay, I admit it! I get giddy with excitement discovering new books, their covers and blurbs :) The only downside is their release dates ;-)

Here are the latest from Revell's website ~ don't make me choose, I love the look and sound of them all! Just can't help myself ~ how about you?

As always, click on the links for more.

This Fine Life by Eva Marie Everson

It is the summer of 1959 and Mariette Puttnam has just graduated from boarding school. When she returns to her privileged life at home, she isn't sure where life will take her. More schooling? A job? Marriage? Nothing feels right. How could she know that the answer is waiting for her within the narrow stairwell of her father's apparel factory, exactly between the third and fourth floors?

In this unique and tender story of an unlikely romance, popular author Eva Marie Everson takes readers on a journey through the heart of a young woman bound for the unknown. Readers will experience the joys of new love, the perseverance of true friendship, and the gift of forgiveness that comes from a truly fine life.

Releasing May, 2010

It Had To Be You by Janice Thompson

Bella couldn't be happier that her long-feuding Aunt Rosa and Uncle Lazarro have finally admitted their love for one another and are getting married. Their forties-style wedding is sure to be a night to remember. But when the Rossi house begins to fill up with family from Italy--and an old mobster from New Jersey--life starts to get complicated.

Will Lazarro's friend from the past drive the happy couple apart once more? And will Bella ever have time to think of her own rapidly-approaching wedding amidst the chaos?

Full of laugh-out-loud humor, plenty of Italian passion, and a bit of Texas gumption, It Had to Be You is the satisfying conclusion to an entertaining series.

Releasing May, 2010

Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston

When Flabbergasted stormed on the scene in 2003, the reviews came fast and furious:

"Good writing and an ample dose of humor make this as charming as Bridget Jones's Diary from the male point of view."--Library Journal

"Blackston's novel will tickle your literary taste buds with a relational gumbo of quirky characters."--Christian Book Previews

"Amazing. A novel that is simultaneously serious, hilarious, and impossible to put down."--The Dallas Morning News

"With a colorful cast of quirky characters and a plot full of surprises, this is one of the feel-good novels of the year."--CCM

Now this summertime favorite about a single stock broker looking for love in the murky waters of the southern church singles scene is repackaged with a hot new look.

Releasing May, 2010

A Love of Her Own by Maggie Brendan

April McBride has suffered a broken engagement once before and fully intends to guard her heart when she travels to Billings, Montana, to attend her brother's wedding. One look around the small mining town convinces April that this won't be difficult--just a bunch of dusty shops, bad service, and ill-bred cowboys. But a run-in with a horse trainer named Wes Owen opens up vast possibilities for frustration, embarrassment, friendship, and . . . love?

Can April and Wes see past their differences in order to envision a future together?

Readers will love going on this adventurous, spark-filled ride through turn-of-the-century Montana.

Releasing June, 2010

The Homecoming by Dan Walsh

No sooner is Shawn Collins home from the fighting in Europe than he is called upon to serve his country in another way--as a speaker on the war bond tour. While other men might jump at the chance to travel around the country with attractive Hollywood starlets, Shawn just wants to stay home with his son Patrick and the aging father with whom he has finally reconciled.

When Shawn taps Katherine Townsend to be Patrick's nanny while he's on the road, he has no idea that she will be the key to his future happiness and the mending of his heart.

This heartwarming story of tender love and fresh starts will capture readers.

Releasing June, 2010

Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon

Kate Evans is an adventurous and independent young woman with a pioneering spirit. She pilots a mail-delivery plane in the forbidding Alaskan wilderness, the lone woman in a male profession. But even that seems easy compared to finding true love. She likes a fellow pilot and would even consider marrying him--if it weren't for Paul, a mysterious man on her mail route with a gentle spirit and a past to hide.

Can Kate break through the walls Paul has put up around his heart? And will her quest for adventure be her demise?

Book 1 in the Alaskan Skies series, Touching the Clouds will draw readers in with raw emotion and suspense, all against the stunning backdrop of the Alaskan wilds.

Releasing July, 2010

The Seeker by Ann H. Gabhart

Charlotte Vance is a young woman who knows what she wants. But when the man she planned to marry joins the Shakers--a religious group that does not marry--she is left dumbfounded. And when her father brings home a new wife who is young enough to be Charlotte's sister, it is more than she can bear. With the country--and her own household--on the brink of civil war, this pampered gentlewoman hatches a plan to avoid her new stepmother and win back her man by joining the Shaker community at Harmony Hill. Little does she know that this decision will lead her down a road toward unforeseen peace--and a very unexpected love.

Ann H. Gabhart brings alive the strikingly different worlds of the Southern gentry, the simple Shakers, and the ravages of war to weave a touching story of love, freedom, and forgiveness that sticks with readers long after they have turned the last page.

Releasing July, 2010

Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz

Morrow Little is haunted by the memory of the day her family was torn apart by raiding Shawnee warriors. Now that she is nearly a grown woman and her father is ailing, she must make difficult choices about the future. Several men--ranging from the undesired to the unthinkable--vie for her attentions, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to a forbidden love that both terrifies and intrigues her.

Can she betray the memory of her lost loved ones--and garner suspicion from her friends--by pursuing a life with him? Or should she seal her own misery by marrying a man she doesn't love?

This sweeping tale of romance and forgiveness will envelop readers as it takes them from a Kentucky fort through the vast wilderness to the west in search of true love.

Releasing July, 2010

The Bishop by Steven James

FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers's cutting-edge 21st-century geospatial investigative techniques and impeccable logic have helped him track some of the country's most grisly killers. But those skills are pushed to the limit in this new installment of the highly-acclaimed, award-winning The Bowers Files series.

This time it's a congressman's daughter who is found dead even as her killers launch a spree of perfect murders in the Northeast. With nothing to link the crimes to each other, Agent Bowers faces his most difficult case yet--even as his personal life begins to crumble around him.

Known for his intricately woven, masterfully plotted novels of high-octane action and spine-tingling suspense, Steven James delivers once again. The Bishop is a gripping, adrenaline-laced story for readers who are tired of timid thrillers. Strap on your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride. The game is on.

Releasing August, 2010

Coming in June/July 2010 from Bethany House

2009-10-27T10:08:00.003+11:00

Historical v. Contemporary, Romance v. Suspense ~ what's your preference?

Check out these 2010 releases from Bethany and let me know whether you are an historical fan or contemporary or both!

For me, I enjoy both but contemporary suspense is probably more my thing! Love Robin's cover for Nightmare!

A Hopeful Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Dowryless and desperate, Tressa Neill applies to the inaugural class of Wyatt Herdsman School in Barnett, Kansas, in 1888. The school's one-of-a-kind program teaches young women from the East the skills needed to become a rancher--or the wife of one. Shy and small for her twenty-two years, Tressa is convinced she'll never have what it takes to survive Hattie Wyatt's hands-on instruction in skills such as milking a cow, branding a calf, riding a horse, and cooking up a mess of grub for hungry ranch hands. But what other options does she have?

Abel Samms wants nothing to do with the group of potential brides his neighbor brought to town. He was smitten with an eastern girl once--and he got his heart broken. But there's something about quiet Tressa and her bumbling ways that makes him take notice. When Tressa's life is endangered, will Abel risk his own life--and his heart--to help this eastern girl?

Releasing June, 2010

Maid to Match by Deanne Gist

From the day she arrives at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled--by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman.

When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in the ways of refined society, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid. But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangled in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs...and their hearts.

Releasing June, 2010

A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with Coventry, Texas's new dressmaker. He's all too familiar with her kind--shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothing, this seamstress is not at all what he expected.

Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man?

When Hannah decides to help Jericho's sister catch a beau--leading to uproarious consequences for the whole town--will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?

Releasing June, 2010

Tomorrow We Die by Shawn Grady

Jonathan Trestle is a paramedic who's spent the week a few steps behind the angel of death. When he responds to a call about a man sprawled on a downtown sidewalk, Trestle isn't about to lose another victim. CPR revives the man long enough for him to hand Trestle a crumpled piece of paper and say, "Give this to Martin," before being taken to the hospital.

The note is a series of dashes and haphazard scribbles. Trestle tries to follow up with the patient later, but at the ICU he learns the man awoke, pulled out his IVs, and vanished, leaving only a single key behind. Jonathan tracks the key to a nearby motel where he finds the man again--this time not just dead but murdered. Unwilling to just let it drop, Jonathan is plunged into a mystery that soon threatens not only his dreams for the future but maybe even his life.

Releasing July, 2010

Nightmare by Robin Parrish

Ghost Town is the hottest amusement park in the country, offering state-of-the-art chills and thrills involving the paranormal. The park's main ride is a haunted mansion that promises an encounter with a real ghost.

When Maia Peters visits during her senior year of college, she's not expecting to be impressed. Maia grew up as the only child of a pair of world-renowned "ghost hunters," so the paranormal is nothing new. In fact, the ride feels pretty boring until the very end. There, a face appears from the mist. The face of Jordin Cole, a girl who disappeared from campus a year ago.
Convinced what she saw wasn't a hoax and desperate to find answers to Jordin's disappearance, Maia launches into a quest for answers. Joined by Jordin's boyfriend--a pastor--s kid with very different ideas about the spirit realm--Maia finds herself in a struggle against forces she never expected to confront.

Releasing July, 2010

Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand

Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out. But when he's the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he's given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he's transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight--the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist's teen daughter.

With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he's still one of Houston's best detectives.

Releasing, July, 2010

The baby's crying.....

2009-10-27T09:59:00.002+11:00

Apologies but Mia has had to go and feed the baby!

She should be back soon with her spotlight after feeding, a nappy change or two and some well deserved sleep ;-)

The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey

2009-10-26T22:22:00.000+11:00

Synopsis:~

She's risking her life to save a man she doesn't know. But who can she trust along the way?

It is August 1944, and the Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich following the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler's life. Gabi Mueller is a young woman working for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) in Basel, Switzerland. When she is asked to put herself in harm's way to safely "courier" a German scientist working on the atomic bomb project into Allied hands, the fate of the the world hangs in the balance.

This fast-paced, suspenseful novel will whisk you along the treacherous twists and turns of a fascinating- and deadly- time in history.

My take:~

Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey have combined their talents to create an authentic, fast paced novel of a unique time and place in history. The action takes place in multiple locations from Basel, Switzerland to the University of Heidelberg, Germany, the characters pivoting from one dangerous subterfuge to another, never sure whom to trust. I particularly enjoyed the characterisation of the talented yet naive Gabi, the suave Dieter Baumann and the brilliant yet confused Jospeh Engel as each try to make sense of the volatile world they live in. The plot twists mirror the treacherous deceit necessary to survive in wartime Switzerland and Germany and the story is a remarkable tale of sacrifice and survival. If you don't mind raising your blood pressure a few notches while reading, The Swiss Courier is a must read!

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for my review copy.

Relz Reviewz Extras
Visit Tricia's website and blog
Visit Mike's website and blog
Listen to an interview with Tricia & Mike
Buy The Swiss Courier at Amazon or Koorong
Check out the rest of the blog tour

Coming in mid 2010 from B&H Fiction

2009-10-26T13:02:00.014+11:00

If you have hung around here for any length of time, you will know I love the fiction B&H Fiction produce. With some of my favourite authors to release in 2010, I am delighted to share their books with you. I'm looking forward to military action, women's fiction, humour with heart and romantic suspense!

Anything tickle your fancy?! Click on the links for more....

Blaze of Glory by Jeff Struecker with Alton Gansky

United States Sgt. Major Eric Moyer and his Special Operations unit have been called in to track down a wealthy Egyptian terrorist who is believed to have sordid ties to a sudden increase in female suicide bombers. Chasing El-Sayyed through Italy, they soon gain interconnected details about a Mexican drug lord who is plotting to kill the U.S. and Mexican presidents. Now Moyer and his team must stop not one, but two madmen on separate continents. And with a new member of the unit hiding his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, a third problem begins to boil.

Releasing May, 2010

Dancing on Glass by Pamela Binnings Ewen

In the steamy city of New Orleans in 1974, Amalise Catoir sees Phillip Sharp as a charming, magnetic artist, unlike any man she has known. A young lawyer herself, raised in a small-town Christian home and on the brink of a career with a large firm, she is strong and successful, yet sometimes too trusting and whimsical. Ama's rash decision to marry Phillip proves to be a mistake as he becomes overly possessive, drawing his wife away from family, friends, and her faith. His insidious, dangerous behavior becomes her dark, inescapable secret.

In this lawyer's unraveling world, can grace survive Ama's fatal choice? What would you do when prayers seem to go unanswered, faith has slipped away, evil stalks, and you feel yourself forever dancing on shattered glass?

Releasing June, 2010

A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini

Callie Duflay just isn't like the rest of her family. While they've built white collar lives, she prefers getting her hands dirty by working with children and local California causes. When Callie learns that a beloved piece of untouched property in her town of Otter Bay may soon be developed, she confronts the architect assigned to the project.

Gage Mitchell may be an easygoing, eco-friendly professional, but he's not about to back off this job no matter how cute Callie or her pet pooch, Moondoggy, may be. His reasons and hers are noble, both have a heart for protecting God's creation, and the truth is these two would be perfect for each other outside of this face-off. But will they ever figure that out?

Releasing July, 2010

Fear No Evil by Robin Caroll

In the wake of a knee injury and the marriage of his best friend, former Great Smoky Mountains park ranger Lincoln Vailes senses God calling him to the bayou town of Eternal Springs, Louisiana, to become a police officer. Recent college graduate and eager social worker Jade Santiago has also moved there from Philadelphia at the urging of her protective brother, Carlos, who arranged a job offer she could not refuse. But if Jade is a complete stranger to the area, why is someone running her car off the road and pointing guns in her direction? As Lincoln investigates her case, he uncovers ties to big-city gang warfare up north that appears to be making its evil way down south.

Releasing August, 2010

Leanna Ellis ~ What's Cooking?

2009-10-23T13:08:00.006+11:00

Leanna Ellis

I recently made these biscuits with my kids. They are yummy and fun to make. Just a quick story about them first -- My great Aunt Lois made these biscuits EVERY day. But she didn't use a recipe. I was visiting her once and asked for it. She looked at me oddly. To her it was just a little of this and that. So we carefully measured out what she poured into her hand or bowl and created this one together. Here's the recipe:

Great Aunt Lois' Everyday Cookies

Ingredients

2cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 to 1 tsp salt
4-6 tbsp shortening
2/3 to 1 cup buttermilk

Directions

Measure sifted flour; add baking powder, soda, and salt and sift again. Cut in shortening. Add milk and stir with fork until soft dough is formed (about 20 strokes). Turn out on a lightly floured board; knead 20 turns. Pat or roll lightly 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a floured 2 inch biscuit cutter. Bake on greased baking sheet in hot oven (450 degrees) for 12 to 15 minutes.

Makes approx. 14 biscuits.

My mother put together a family cook book many years ago. And throughout the cookbook are pictures of all the wonderful women who contributed their recipes. So it's always fun for me to share a recipe with my children and be able to show them a picture of the relative. Thanks Mom! Thanks Aunt Lois!

Blessings, Leanna

Sounds like a great recipe, Leanna and what a lovely story! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Leanna's Books

Elvis Takes A Back Seat ~ Lookin' Back, Texas ~ Ruby's Slippers ~

Once In A Blue Moon (March, 2010)

Relz Reviewz Extras
Please note the picture isn't of Leanna's cookies and I made up the name for them ;-)
All things Ellis @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Leanna's website and blog
Buy Leanna's books at Amazon and Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Debbie Fuller's Bebe & Rain

2009-10-22T21:45:00.000+11:00

Today the spotlight shines on............................Bebe & Rain

Debbie Fuller's latest novel tackles issues many of us face as women, the mother daughter relationship and how female friendships contribute to our lives. Be sure to seek out this story. For now, enjoy this insight into Debbie's characters. Over to you, Debbie:~

Brief physical description

I have two main characters. Bebe is mid-fifties, medium build, freckles, French-braids her unruly hair and her style is casual. Rain is mid-thirties, slender with dark features

and a solemn disposition.

Actor/famous person

If I were casting the movie, Bebe would be Karen Allen, and Rain would be Selma Blair. Also, Jude (Rain’s mother) would be Judy Davis, Toni would be Sigourney Weaver and Mare would be Mia Farrow. It’s like a powder keg when they get together – I love it!

Strengths and weaknesses

Bebe is a nurturer. As a veterinarian, she must resist the urge to bring home every stray that comes through the clinic. As a mother, she worries about her two sons who are just striking out on their own. She put up with a lot from Jude during Rain’s growing up years in order to stay close to Rain, and loves her like a daughter.

Rain is headstrong and focused. She is the kind of person who has one or two close friends rather than a posse. In a group, she is more of a fringe person, and she tends to give in to her mother rather than to challenge her.

Quirk (if any)

Bebe tends to talk more to the animals she treats than to their owners. She loves the color purple and wears it often. Rain deals with the blues by polishing off a carton of Dreyer’s Thin Mint ice cream with a big spoon while watching TV with her cat, Noah.

Your inspiration for the character

The idea for the book and characters came to me after reading a book by Danielle Crittenden titled What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us. It addresses some of the impact of 2nd wave feminism on a younger generation of women in areas like marriage and childbearing. I began to notice more and more young women who wanted to have children and a home, but were unmarried or unattached.

Background to the story

Bebe, Toni, Mare and Jude were college roommates in the early 70’s and they all helped to raise Rain amid war protests, feminist rallies and finals. Eventually they went their separate ways, but Bebe felt a particular attachment to Rain and stayed as close as Jude would allow over the years. Now Rain finds herself newly single with a career that doesn’t quite satisfy and a longing for a baby. But the news that Jude’s cancer has returned interrupts their lives and they gather together on a stormy weekend in Monterey to plan a Celebration of Life - one last opportunity to make a difference. Bebe fears that it may be too late to make a difference for Rain.

Thanks Debbie - this one sounds like a fascinating story and I appreciate you sharing with us.

On Monday, I will spotlight Kimberly Stuart's Mia Rathburn & Adam from her latest release, Stretch Marks.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Debbie's website and blog

Buy Debbie's books at Amazon or Koorong

A Slow Burn by Mary DeMuth ~ Tracy's Take

2009-10-22T10:39:00.007+11:00

Publisher’s Synopsis:

She touched Daisy’s shoulder. So cold. So hard. So unlike Daisy.

Yet so much like herself it made Emory shudder.

Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy’s murderer—a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. As questions surrounding Daisy’s death continue to mount, Emory’s safety is shattered by the pursuit of a stranger, and she can’t shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy’s disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for?

What I thought:

Mary DeMuth’s second book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy continues to prove her an author of grit and substance with a literary style that intuitively provides beauty right when it is most needed. ‘A Slow Burn’ is as profound, haunting and poignant as ‘Daisy Chain’ and yet amplifies those qualities with artistry and finesse.

‘A Slow Burn’ changes focus from Daisy’s friend, Jed Pepper, to Daisy’s mother, Emory Chance. Emory, who seems caught in the spiral of her own poor choices, pierced my heart with a deep ache for the grief she seems unable to bear. Emory’s loss, her drug addicted ways and a lifetime of poor choices makes her already wounded soul all the more tortured. While it would be easy to be frustrated with her repetition of the same mistakes, I felt more inclined to join Hixon and Ousie in loving her into a better place.

While Emory seems to sink into despair, Mary DeMuth weaves beauty into the darkness of this woman’s life through the unconditional love of the people around her. People who have every reason to walk away and yet persist with what can only be an example of the way God pursues, forgives and loves each one of us. All around her Emory sees glimpses of the tiniest rays of hope and yet cannot dare to believe she is worthy of anything good.

‘A Slow Burn’ is a heartbreaking story that made me cry anguished tears for Emory’s pain. It is not a story that is neatly tied up with the bow of happy endings, and yet there is the promise that healing and restoration might just be possible. I am eagerly awaiting the final installment of this trilogy to have all my burning questions about Daisy’s killer and Emory’s future answered!

Guest reviewer: My friend Tracy from Beyond My Picket Fence

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Daisy Chain
Visit Mary's website and blog
Buy Mary's books at Amazon or Koorong

CFBA Blog Tour of The Fence My Father Built by Linda S. Clare

2009-10-21T17:41:00.000+11:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Fence My Father Built
Abingdon Press (October 2009)
by
Linda S. Clare

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Linda S. Clare is an award-winning coauthor of three books, including Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them (with Melody Carlson and Heather Kopp), Revealed: Spiritual Reality in a Makeover World, and Making Peace with a Dangerous God (with Kristen Johnson Ingram). She has also published many essays, stories, and poems in publications including The Christian Reader, The Denver Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Linda grew up in a part of Arizona, where the dirt is as red as it is in Central Oregon. She graduated summa cum laude in Art Education from Arizona State University and taught in public and private schools. She has taught college-level creative writing classes for seven years, and edits and mentors writers. She also is a frequent writing conference presenter and church retreat leader. She and her husband of thirty-one years have four grown children, including a set of twins. They live in Eugene, Oregon, with their five wayward cats: Oliver, Xena the Warrior Kitty, Paladine, Melchior, and Mamma Mia!

ABOUT THE BOOK

When legally separated Muri Pond, a librarian, hauls her kids, teenager Nova and eleven year-old Truman, out to the tiny town of Murkee, Oregon, where her father, Joe Pond lived and died, she's confronted by a neighbor's harassment over water rights and Joe's legacy: a fence made from old oven doors.

The fence and accompanying house trailer horrify rebellious Nova, who runs away to the drug-infested streets of Seattle. Muri searches for her daughter and for something to believe in, all the while trying to save her inheritance from the conniving neighbor who calls her dad Chief Joseph.

Along with Joe's sister, Aunt Lutie, and the Red Rock Tabernacle Ladies, Muri must rediscover the faith her alcoholic dad never abandoned in order to reclaim her own spiritual path.

Watch the trailer:

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Fence My Father Built , go HERE

That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake

2009-10-21T06:45:00.001+11:00

Synopsis:~

Though hesitant to believe in Taylor's doctoring skills, Karl finds himself oddly protective of this surprising woman who dares to drive about town on her own, wearing the color red, for heaven's sake!

Taylor, on the other hand, wants only to prove that doctoring is her life's calling, despite the town's opposition.

The result? Pride meets attraction head-on, and sparks begin to fly.

My take:~

Cathy Marie Hake is known for her quirky characters and humourous historical stories of love. That Certain Spark is no exception. Dr Taylor Bestman has many hurdles to overcome pursuing a medical profession in a time when women were expected to marry and use needles for fabric not flesh. Great conflict is established when the traditional Karl is confronted with Taylor's profession and her female appeal. The prose is a bit choppy in the initial chapters but settles as the story unfolds for an enjoyable and entertaining read. Cathy Marie's readers will enjoy this latest tale.

Thanks to Bethany House for providing this book to review

Relz Reviewz Extras
Review of Forevermore
Visit Cathy Marie's website
Buy Cathy Marie's books at Amazon or Koorong

The Jewel of His Heart by Maggie Brendan

2009-10-20T20:44:00.001+11:00

Synopsis:~

Set in 1890s Montana, The Jewel of His Heart finds Juliana drawn to a handsome, gentle sheepherder--but sparks fly when he considers mining, the occupation that lured her father away from his family. Both Josh and Juliana must make a choice--the world's riches and promises, or the eternal value of love.

My take:~

Maggie Brendan's sequel to No Place for a Lady tells the story of Josh McBride who is making his own way far from the shadow of his father's success. Juliana is struggling to make ends meet after the loss of her mother and the two bond from their first meeting. I must admit it took me a a third of the way through to get into the story but I enjoyed the interplay between Juliana and Josh and the details of a sheepherder's life. Some incidents that impact Juliana are downplayed more than I expected yet Maggie tells a tender romance and it is easy to imagine Montana in the late 1800s from her descriptive prose.

Thanks to Revell for providing this book for review

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of No Place for A Lady

Character spotlight on Crystal & Luke

Interview with Maggie

Visit Maggie's blog

Buy Maggie's books at Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Denise Hunter's Sabrina Kincaid & Tucker McCabe

2009-10-19T23:48:00.001+11:00

Today the spotlight shines on.........................Sabrina Kincaid & Tucker McCabe

Denise Hunter's Nantucket Love Stories are brilliant - I have loved each one and will reread them over and over again! Do not miss these books :) I hope you enjoy this insight into Sweetpea and Harbormaster.

Over to you, Denise:~

Brief physical description

Sabrina Kincaid is a willowy brunette, frequently seen wearing a ponytail, especially when she's jogging the streets of Nantucket or waitressing at the Cobblestone Cafe. She earned her nickname "The Ice Princess" with her business-only approach to life, and only makes herself vulnerable to others when she's hiding safely behind a screen name.

Tucker McCabe is the handsome, blue-eyed owner, of Cap'n Tucker's Water Taxi and frequent customer at the Cobblestone Cafe. Often seen in a ball cap, he's a man who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go after it. And Sabrina is what he wants. His love for her knows no bounds, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to break through her high walls.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths and weaknesses

Sabrina is very independent, capable, and efficient. However, when she messes up, she had difficulty forgiving herself or imagining that others could forgive her. After having her trust betrayed once before, she's afraid to trust again, but Tucker makes it awfully tempting.

Tucker is patience personified. He's willing to wait for Sabrina, as long as it takes, though he's savvy enough to set plans into motion to help her along.

O(if any)

Quirk (if any)

Sabrina is scared to death of bees and subscribes to "Word of the day". She also wears a charm bracelet to remind her to guard her heart.

Tucker pretends to read the newspaper at the cafe every morning, just to be near Sabrina.

Your inspiration for the character

Christ was the inspiration for Tucker. In the entire Nantucket series, the heroes represent Christ and the way he loves us. It's been inspiring to contemplate how vast, complete, patient, and fervent God's love for us is!

Sabrina wasn't a jogger in my first (and third and fourth) draft. During the editing stage, my editor (Ami McConnell) suggested she take up the excercise, and I thought it was a great way to show the reader more of beautiful Nantucket, among other things. Strangely enough, Sabrina didn't even complain. :-)

The charm bracelet was also added during edits and came to be an integral part of who Sabrina is. For the cover art, they couldn't find a usable photo of a charm bracelet, so Thomas Nelson's cover artist Kristen Vasgaard) went to a hobby store, bought all the right charms, assembled it, took a photo, and worked it into the cover art. Amazing!

Thank so much for sharing with us, Denise! I love the way the bracelet came about :) Bring on book 4!

On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Debbie Fuller's Bebe and Rain, from Raising Rain. Do drop by :)

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Seaside Letters, Surrender Bay, The Convenient Groom and Sweetwater Gap

Interview with Denise

Visit Denise's website and blog

Buy Denise's books at Amazon or Koorong