The Hope of Shridula

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Hope of Shridula Abingdon Press (March 2012) by Kay Strom



MY THOUGHTS
I really enjoyed the time frame of this book -- India in the 1940's. It is a tumultuous time and the book focuses on those in the 'untouchable' caste as the British rule ends. I enjoyed the characters and the story line, but I wish there had been a bit more detail. Sometimes it seemed like too much might have been cut in edits, making parts of it a bit confusing.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from Kay:

Kay Marshall Strom… who am I? Well, I’m a traveler… a railer against social injustice… a passionate citizen of the world. I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. I’m a 21st century abolitionist who speaks out against slavery of all kinds. I am a beach walker and a gardener and the off-key singer of songs. I’m a wife… a mother… a sister… a daughter… a friend.

Most people, though, know me as a writer and a speaker. So here is a bit more about that part of my life:

Of my 39 published books, seven have been book club selections, twelve have been translated into foreign languages, and one has been optioned for a movie. My writing credits include numerous magazine articles, books for children, short stories, television scripts and two prize-winning screenplays. Along with my husband Dan, I also have produced a series of booklets for writers. My writing has appeared in a number of volumes including three versions of the NIV Devotional Bible and the devotional book My Heart—Christ’s Home, Through the Year.

I love to write, and I love to share about topics close to my heart. I speak at seminars, retreats, writer’s conferences, and special events throughout the country. And because I do enjoy travel, I even speak on cruise ships!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Blessing in India series is a saga set in India’s heartbreaking history and breathtaking present that points toward a future of hope. Along the way, name-only Christianity collides with Hinduism, and then is confronted by an entirely new understanding of the call to follow Christ.

India: 1946. For forty-eight years, Ashish and his family toiled as slaves in the fields of the high-caste Lal family, and all because of one small debt. At fifty-four, Ashish was old and worn out. Every day was a struggle to survive for his family including his only daughter.

His wife had named the girl Shridula—Blessings. “Perhaps the name will bring you more fortune than it brought me,” Ashish told his daughter. His words proved to be prophetic in ways he could never have imagined. And when the flames of revolt brought independence to India, they seared change into the family of Ashish.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Hope of Shridula, go HERE.

The Chase

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Chase Zondervan (March 27, 2012) by DiAnn Mills



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DiAnn Mills believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” She is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Her books have won many awards through American Christian Fiction Writers, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005, 2007, and 2010. She was a Christy Award finalist in 2008 and a Christy winner in 2010.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and is the Craftsman Mentor for the Christian Writer’s Guild. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops.

DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas. Visit her website or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/diannmills

ABOUT THE BOOK

To the FBI it's a cold case. To Kariss Walker it's a hot idea that could either reshape or ruin her writing career. And it's a burning mission to revisit an event she can never forget. Five years ago, an unidentified little girl was found starved to death in the woods behind a Houston apartment complex. A TV news anchor at the time, Kariss reported on the terrifying case. Today, as a New York Times bestselling author, Kariss intends to turn the unsolved mystery into a suspense novel. Enlisting the help of FBI Special Agent Tigo Harris, Kariss succeeds in getting the case reopened. But the search for the dead girl's missing mother yields a discovery that plunges the partners into a witch's brew of danger. The old crime lives on in more ways than either of them could ever imagine. Will Kariss's pursuit of her dream as a writer carry a deadly price tag? Drawing from a real-life cold case, bestselling novelist DiAnn Mills presents a taut collage of suspense, faith, and romance in The Chase.

Watch the book video!



If you would like to read the first chapter of The Chase, go HERE.

Stuart Brannon's Final Shot

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Stuart Brannon's Final Shot Center Point Pub; Lrg edition (March 2012) by Stephen Bly



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephen Bly (August 17, 1944 – June 9, 2011) authored 106 books and hundreds of articles and short stories. His book, The Long Trail Home (Broadman & Holman), won the prestigious 2002 Christy Award for excellence in Christian fiction in the category western novel. Three other books, Picture Rock (Crossway Books), The Outlaw’s Twin Sister (Crossway Books), and Last of the Texas Camp (Broadman & Holman), were Christy Award finalists. He spoke at colleges, churches, camps and conferences across the U.S. and Canada. He was the pastor of Winchester Community Church, and served as mayor of Winchester, Idaho (2000-2007). He spoke on numerous television and radio programs, including Dr. James Dobson’s Focus on the Family. He was an Active Member of the Western Writers of America. Steve graduated summa cum laude in Philosophy from Fresno State University and received a M.Div from Fuller Theological Seminary. The Blys have three sons: Russell (married to Lois) and father of Zachary and Miranda (married to Chris Ross) and mother of Alayah; Michael (married to Michelle); and Aaron (married to Rina Joye) and father of Keaton and Deckard. A third generation westerner, Steve spent his early years working on California farms owned by his father and an uncle.

Janet Chester Bly received a B.S. degree in Literature & Languages and Fine & Performing Arts from Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho. She speaks at women’s luncheons and retreats and does writers’ workshops. She is a member of Winchester Community Church where she serves as music director. She has authored eleven nonfiction and fiction books and co-authored twenty others, as well as contributed to five books. Janet’s hobbies include decorating her home in “country clutter,” reading almost all genres of fiction and mall walking. She lives in Winchester, Idaho–elevation 4,000 feet, population 300– situated on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.







ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1905, at 58 years old, legendary lawman Stuart Brannon - now a rancher and widower - had no intention of leaving his beloved Arizona Territory to attend the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon, nor to participate in the celebrity golf tournament for the Willamette Orphan Farm. Even an emotional appeal for his longtime friend didn’t persuade him. His life no longer consisted of bloodthirsty men to track down . . . people trying to kill him . . . lawless gangs preying on the innocent.



Then the telegram came: Stuart, I need you in Portland. Tim Wiseman is missing. I think there’s a cover-up going on. Tell folks you’re going to the Exposition. Nose around. Find out how a U.S. Marshal can disappear and no one knows why. I’ll contact you there. T.R.



How could he refuse a request from the President of the United States?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Stuart Brannon's Final Shot, go HERE.

You're Already Amazing

You're Already Amazing
by Holley Gerth


MY THOUGHTS

This is the first time I have ever taken the time to go to an author's webpage and thank her for writing a book as soon as I've finished reading the first page. The woman she was talking about in Chapter One had to be me, although we had never met. And the words typed on the page, spoken by God, were directed right to me.

The subtitle of this book is "Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be". It is not a book about doing things to become a better Christian, a better Proverbs 31 Woman, a better anything. It's about learning who you are NOW -- how God created the unique being that you are today. Understanding your personality, preferences, strengths, and gifts, then using them as you were designed to serve in the Kingdom so you can be the best YOU you can possibly be.

It is also a book dedicated to understanding that God created you to be his pride and joy, to have those particular characteristics that may drive you a bit crazy every now and then, and to use them for good! He wants you to understand that it is HIS job to grow you , shape you, and make you perfect in HIS eyes. It is now our job to become the perfect wife, mother, social chairman, Sunday School teacher, or church lady -- that is not what he made us to be.

Holley uses her years of experience as a writer, licensed counselor and certified life coach to honestly share her struggles with perfectionism and insecurity as she helps women truly understand who God created them to be. This is a life=changing book that I would highly recommend for all women who struggle to fit into their own skin in this world of high expectations.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Every woman can relate to the feeling of instant inadequacy after walking into a room crowded with other women, comparing themselves to everyone else in the room. We’re transported back to the seventh grade lunch room, and our quest for acceptance and perfection seems never ending. But what if there was a way to quiet our insecurities and to embrace our differences to live the life God designed specifically for us?

Good news, there is. Award-winning author, (in)courage co-founder and life coach Holley Gerth
ask readers to pull up a chair and shares the best news we’ll ever hear: You’re Already Amazing. Her warm writing style, filled with sincere encouragement and confessions about her own shortcomings, makes it easy for readers to imagine they’re enjoying an intimate conversation over a cup of coffee.

In You’re Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You To Be (Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8007-2060-5, 224 pages, March 2012, $13.99) Gerth knowingly tells readers to give up the idea of perfection, to stop comparing themselves to other women and to stop trying to be everything to everyone. She gives permission to not feel guilty for what they
are not and to embrace how God created them.

By reading You’re Already Amazing, women will be told, perhaps for the first time, that they are perfect because God has made them perfect through his love. Not everyone is comfortable in front of crowds or can cook a five-course meal, but everyone has gifts and skills that are uniquely theirs. Gerth walks readers through exercises to identify their talents and skills as well as develop a life statement that captures what they are passionate about and who they want to affect with their life.

“I’m slowly learning it’s not about being perfect but about being perfectly loved,” says Gerth. “Women need to hear that they’re doing enough. That they’re already amazing because they are God’s creation, his child. For too long I thought that God wanted me to be perfect, but God doesn’t want us to be perfect, he wants our love to grow more perfect.”

Readers will emerge from You’re Already Amazing with a deeper sense of self and redefined life goals. They will find a true friend through Gerth’s relatable writing style and sense how life-changing her words can be. Ultimately, our goal shouldn’t be self-improvement, aspiring to impossible standards, trying to please people and wearing ourselves out in the process. Instead we should be content with how God created us and to find the gifts only we can offer the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Holley Gerth is an award-winning writer, licensed counselor, certified life coach and speaker. She is cofounder of (in)courage, an online destination for women, which received more than one million page views in its first six months. She also reaches out to readers through her popular blog, Heart to Heart with Holley and through her partnership with DaySpring, a subsidiary of Hallmark. Holley lives in Arkansas with her husband, Mark.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books for everyday life. For more
information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.

Available March 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Revell Books provided a copy of the book for this review, but did not influence the content of the review.