Showing posts with label Julie L Cannon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Julie L Cannon. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 February 2012

Coming in late 2012 from Abingdon Press

Abingdon Press have some interesting books coming our way towards the end of the year and a special multi~author launch to come.

For now, I love the cover of Twang ~ just great to see something different, similarly with debut author Krista Phillip's novel.  Shelley Gray's historical romances are excellent and her hero is a little Heath Ledger like!

Which ones strike your interest?


Twenty-three-year-old Jennifer Clodfelter believes she is destined to be a country music star.  When her passion, determination and homemade demo tape were rejected by every music label in Nashville, she refused to give up.  In just three years, a combination of guts and raw talent have propelled her on a journey of fame beyond her best dream.   

Now Jennifer has all she ever wanted, only to discover that there is a dark side to the glitz and number one hits.  She will have to decide whether to sing her pain to a loving audience or find the courage to face the music in the private studio of her heart.

August, 2012







A serial killer is targeting illegal aliens in southern Texas. Texas Ranger Cody Jackson is paired with a local police officer, Liliana Rodriguez, to investigate the murders.

While the case brings Cody and Liliana ever closer, the tension between Americans and Mexican Americans heightens. As Cody and Liliana race to discover who is behind the murders and bring peace to the area, what they uncover isn’t what they expected. Will Cody and Liliana’s faith and love be strong enough to survive the storm of violence?

September, 2012 








She moved to Sandwich, Illinois, in search of a new life, but ended up in a giant pickle.

Sandwich represents hope for twenty-year-old Maddie Buckner and Kyle, the eleven-year-old brother Maddie wants to spring out of foster care. Then she loses her new job after less than an hour on the clock. It’s all Reuben-the-Jerk’s fault, and she’s determined to make him right the wrong.   


He does so, reluctantly, by giving her a job at his restaurant, The Sandwich Shop. Then crazy things start happening at the restaurant, and Kyle’s foster parents apply to adopt him. To stop it all, Maddie must learn the art of humbling herself and accepting the help God has arranged, risking her heart to Reuben in the process.  


And she’d rather eat a million corned-beef on rye sandwiches than do that. 

September, 2012







The Road to Mercy by Kathleen Harris

Josh Harris, a contemporary Christian singer, and his wife Bethany face a difficult decision that also tests their faith. A rupture in Beth's carotid artery leaves her on the brink of death even as she's pregnant with their first child. While Dr. Ben Abrams urges her to terminate the pregnancy to save her own life, she and Josh step out on faith and decide to carry the baby to full term.

During the next few months, Josh struggles with his faith, Beth hides a secret that may destroy their marriage. She also discovers a decades-old connection to Dr. Abrams that could change his life forever.

September, 2012











Barrie Graeber has two great kids, a loving husband, and a respected job as the high school counselor in her close-knit community. Without warning, everything unravels when her teenage daughter, Pearl, is betrayed by friends and lashes out.

Nothing prepares this mother for the helplessness that follows when her attempts to steer her daughter back on course fail and Pearl shuts her out . . . or when she discovers the unthinkable about her nemesis, the football coach. Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, MOTHER OF PEARL brings us into the heart of a mother bound by an incredible burden, who ultimately finds she must recognize her own vulnerability and learn to trust in something much bigger. 

September, 2012









India 1990. In the final book of the Blessings of India series, Shridula, old and stooped at fifty-nine, makes her painful way to pay homage to the elephant god Ganesh, lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. “Why are we Hindus instead of Christians?” her seventeen-year-old granddaughter Divena asked.

“Because we are Indian,” said Shridula.


So begins a spiritual journey for Divena as she struggles against an entire culture to proclaim a faith close to her heart while rocking the world of two families.

September, 2012








Texas, 1874. Long ago, Scout Proffitt gave up on ever being a man of honor like his Civil War hero brother Clayton. But when Scout steps foot on the rundown remnants of the Circle C ranch, he wonders if maybe—just maybe—the Lord has something different intended for him.

Rosemarie has lived most of her life doubting her worth and shouldering the blame for her brother’s death. But when a stranger rides onto her ranch, claiming he owns it, she suddenly is given a choice: either keep looking at the dark side of life . . . or dare to dream.

October, 2012







A tale of love won and love lost, and the faith to find it again.

From the banks of the Potomac to the misty moors of England, Darcy follows a path where the secrets of the past slowly rise to the surface in this dramatic saga that began in Before the Scarlet Dawn. She meets Ethan Brennan, an aspiring English horse breeder, who embraces her independent spirit and marvels at the simplicity of her faith. Ethan and Darcy fall in love, but are kept apart by a promise to another and a sworn oath to a dying woman whose long-hidden secret threatens Darcy’s and Ethan’s lives.

October, 2012







Robert Reed gave his life for his country in the early days of World War II. His sacrificed was honored when his widow and son were presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Each Christmas the final decoration Madge Reed hangs on the family’s tree is that medal. Rather than being a symbol of honor for young Jimmy Reed that shining star represents loss, pain, and suffering.

Yet a letter delivered by one of Robert’s fellow soldiers and a mystery posed in that letter put a father’s sacrifice and faith into perspective and bring new meaning to not just the star hanging on the Christmas tree but the events of the very first Christmas. Then, when least expected, a Christmas miracle turns a final bit of holiday sadness into a joy that the boy has never known.

October, 2012

Thursday, 16 September 2010

Character Spotlight ~ Julie Cannon's Maggie, Will and Tyronious with US giveaway

Maggie, Will & Mr Byrd

For those of you who love Christmas stories, Julie Cannon's is one of the first for the season. I love the premise of it with Maggie going to "war" and Will bound to stay home. Enjoy this insight in Julie's characters:~

Brief physical description

Margaret Culpepper (aka Maggie) is a pretty, 18-year-old skinny white girl, with long reddish-brown hair, pale skin and freckles. She’s tiny, but powerful. Think Cate Blanchett in the movie Elizabeth – The Golden Age.

William Dove (aka Will) is Maggie’s best friend and the boy-next-door. He’s a classically handsome teenage male with an All-American smile and honey-chestnut colored hair. A childhood battle with polio has left Will with a pronounced limp and one hand that doesn’t always obey him. Think of John Schneider, the actor who played Bo Duke in the Duke’s of Hazzard TV show, except with hair that’s not blond.

Mr. Tyronious Byrd is an old Southern black gentleman (the teenagers consider him ‘ancient’) who struggles with rheumatoid arthritis. He has twinkly, compassionate eyes and he just exudes wisdom. Think of Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Maggie’s strength is her determination. You can’t tell the girl she can’t do something because she’s not going to back down once her mind is made up. Her weakness is attached to this same stubborn attitude: she’s mad at God for her mother’s untimely death and she’s not going to let go of her bitterness toward Him.

Will’s strength is his faith, his strong sense of loyalty, and his undying devotion to Maggie. He’s a fighter, and though crippled by his childhood battle with polio, he’s waging war from the homefront. His weakness is that he often succumbs to self-pity because he feels like less of a man and he longs to “go fight those Nazis” but his disabilities have rendered him 4-F, or medically unfit for service in the U.S. military.

Quirks

Maggie’s quirk is that she just sticks her head in the sand and ignores stuff that makes her uncomfortable; letters from home, church services, God, etc...

Will’s quirk is that he wants to please everyone and he always says ‘yes’ to Mr. Byrd’s offer of coffee - even though he hates coffee!

Mr. Byrd has so many quirks he makes me smile to think about him. He won’t do a bit of work on Sundays and he carries his Bible in the bib pocket of his overalls and he doesn’t miss a chance to witness to anybody.

Inspiration for the Characters

My daughter, Iris, is part of my inspiration for Maggie. She’s a 98 lb, size 0, 21-year-old girl, and I don’t think Goliath would stand a chance against her! (My husband and I certainly don’t.) Maggie’s anger at God was inspired by my own questions with things I’ve struggled with (a head injury from a bike accident which means I can’t drive). While my struggle is very different from Maggie’s, I still question “WHY?” sometimes and realize that if a person never gets to that stage of surrendering to God, of seeing the silver-lining so to speak and knowing God uses all things for good for them that love Him, then they’re not ever going to have soul-peace. Maggie’s crippling fear of commitment, of letting her heart out there again, I see in LOTS of women I know - who’ve either lost someone to death or to divorce.

Background to the story

World War Two is raging and a strong sense of patriotism infiltrates everything in the small Georgia town of Watkinsville. Recycling for the war effort is encouraged, gasoline is rationed, along with meat and sugar, and relationships are torn apart as the men go off to serve. I didn’t want a predictable story, so I decided to let Maggie make an impulsive decision to join the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service). She leaves for Boot Camp in New York, and because of his childhood battle with polio, Will stays home in Georgia to manage the family Christmas tree farm, and to listen as Mr. Byrd leads him along a spiritual journey which unfolds as he tells the young man a harrowing story from his own life.

Maggie’s spiritual journey was probably the hardest thing to write because of her stubbornness and her anger at God. She refuses to open Will’s letters and she refuses to attend church on the base where she serves as a mechanic. The casualty rate for the war makes her even more furious. Finally, she led me to a scene where I witnessed a very emotional testimony, and which I’m not exaggerating when I say I bawled the whole way through it. Talk about an exhausting, but satisfying job! : )

Thanks for inviting me here, Rel! It was fun to go back and visit with my characters.

A pleasure to have you, Julie :) Thanks for sharing.


On Monday the spotlight shines on Leanna Ellis' Cousin It from her latest release, Facelift. This is one fun spotlight you don't want to miss ~ it's a first for Relz Reviewz and you'll see why!


Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Julie's website

Buy Julie's books at Amazon or Koorong




Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Coming soon from Summerside Press ~ Historical Romance

Summerside Press is back with some historical romances, releasing later this year. I really am enjoying the focus on different eras and not just the usual 1800s!

How about you?



Love Me Tender by Janice Hanna

As "Love Me Tender" play in the background, Debbie Carmichael determines to salvage her family’s restaurant, Sweet Sal’s Soda Shoppe, when her father’s health fails.

Teen heartthrob Bobby Conrad, agrees to perform at a fundraiser concert. But just two weeks before the highly publicized event, Bobby backs out of the benefit. Enter...Johnny Hartman...a young, unknown singer to take Conrad’s place. Debbie soon realizes the twists and turns leading up to the concert are divinely orchestrated. And it isn’t dreamy Bobby Conrad who has stolen her heart—but the tender love of Johnny Hartman.

September, 2010






I'll Be Home for Christmas by Julie L Cannon


With Bing Crosby’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” playing in the background, Maggie Culpepper and William Byrd proclaim their undying love to one another.


But with the U.S. at war and Maggie’s personal home front under attack, the Southern belle impetuously joins the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service). When Christmas draws near and Maggie finds herself miles and miles away from her Georgia hometown...and her beloved William...will she realize that, no matter where she spends Christmas, home is where her heart is?

September, 2010






The Silent Ord
er by Melanie Dobson

Cleveland, Ohio, 1928.


Secrets bind the notorious Cardano family together, but Detective Rollin Wells is close to exposing the family’s dark secrets. The Cardanos are working in the hills south of Cleveland, and when Rollin travels to Sugarcreek to investigate, he discovers that the Cardanos want him dead.

Rollin hides out in an Amish home, trying to uncover why the Cardanos are in Amish country and who is collaborating with them. As he gets closer to the truth, he also attempts to find out what a beautiful Amish woman named Katie Lehman—a woman who reminds him of the girl he once loved—is hiding.

Will Katie trust him with her secret…and her heart? Or will the Cardano code of honor silence them both?

November, 2010



Nightingale by Susan May Warren

Wolfgang Yager is an American serving in a German uniform.

He’s almost relieved to be captured, interned as a POW in Wisconsin. And he’s also done his good deed by delivering the final letter of a dying American soldier. He has no idea he is sending it to the soldier’s fiancĂ©—Nurse Esther Lange—or that he’ll strike up a correspondence with her that could cost them both their lives.

The sweet nightingale Esther didn’t love her fiancĂ©—she was trapped in an engagement after a mistaken night of passion. Still, she grieves him, even as Wolf ’s letters cause her to consider another future. But what happens when the old plans come back to life?

A bittersweet love song of the home front war between duty and the heart...a battle where only one will survive.

November, 2010



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