by Jason Joyner | Feb 6, 2009 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Word Gets Around Bethany House (February 1, 2009) by Lisa Wingate.
My friend Rhonda read this book. She noted some nice spiritual points that were encouraging, but she found the plot slow and overall it was hard to get into the book.
ABOUT THE BOOK
When Romance Is In the Air, Word Gets Around Lauren Eldridge thought she’d wiped the dust of Daily, Texas, off her boots forever. Screenwriter Nate Heath thought he was out of second chances. Life’s never that predictable, though. Cajoled by her father, Lauren is back in town helping train a skittish race horse set to star in a Hollywood film. But the handsome screenwriter gives her more trouble than the horse. And Nate is realizing there’s a spark of magic in the project–and in the eyes of the girl who is so good with horses. Daily, Texas, has a way of offering hope, healing, and a little romance just when folks need it most.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Word Gets Around, go HERE
What people are saying:
“Lisa Wingate writes engaging stories that strike the heart. God has gifted her with a marvelous talent and I, for one, am most grateful.”
—Debbie Macomber, New York Times #1 bestselling author
by Jason Joyner | Feb 3, 2009 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
Jason says: My wife is currently reading this book, but reading time for her depends on baby’s mood, which hasn’t allowed her to finish it. I’ll post a little update review when she finishes. In the meantime, here’s the plot synopsis.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A New Orleans lady and a half-breed frontiersman become unlikely allies as they travel the wilds of texas.
In 1821, when circumstances make it impossible for her to remain in New Orleans, Dorritt and her family head west to join Stephen Austin’s settlement and recoup their fortune in Texas.
Quinn is a man of the frontier who has made a name for himself as a peerless scout. But as he and Dorritt’s party begin a grueling trek across untamed Texas, the success of their journey is in grave doubt. Mexico has broken with the Spanish Crown, and armies from both countries—plus marauding Comanches—roam the pine forests and prairies. And one of the party is plotting destruction.
Now, with their lives joined in a virgin land fraught with peril, can Dorritt and Quinn put all their trust in God and receive the desires of their hearts?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Desires Of Her Heart, go HERE
by Jason Joyner | Feb 3, 2009 | Blog, CFBA, fiction
Jason says: My wife is currently reading this book, but reading time for her depends on baby’s mood, which hasn’t allowed her to finish it. I’ll post a little update review when she finishes. In the meantime, here’s the plot synopsis.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A New Orleans lady and a half-breed frontiersman become unlikely allies as they travel the wilds of texas.
In 1821, when circumstances make it impossible for her to remain in New Orleans, Dorritt and her family head west to join Stephen Austin’s settlement and recoup their fortune in Texas.
Quinn is a man of the frontier who has made a name for himself as a peerless scout. But as he and Dorritt’s party begin a grueling trek across untamed Texas, the success of their journey is in grave doubt. Mexico has broken with the Spanish Crown, and armies from both countries—plus marauding Comanches—roam the pine forests and prairies. And one of the party is plotting destruction.
Now, with their lives joined in a virgin land fraught with peril, can Dorritt and Quinn put all their trust in God and receive the desires of their hearts?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Desires Of Her Heart, go HERE
by Jason Joyner | Jan 5, 2009 | Blog, fiction, reading, reviews
Yes! It is that self-indulgent time when we all get to post our “Best of the Year” awards. You may ask if I’m so cynical about it, then why do I participate. Well, I don’t want to be left out! Actually, I am interested in promoting books I have read this year.
I kept a running list of what I read in ’08, as I got tired of forgetting which books I had finished. I’m sure there are more prolific readers out there, but it was an impressive list for me (44 in all).
This is my best of for fiction. There was a non-fiction book that was my definite favorite of the year, but I’ll hit that one on its own. It really can’t be compared with fiction.
1. Less Than Dead by Tim Downs:
This was my first foray into Tim’s “Bug Man” novels and I found a unique protagonist, a humorous yet suspenseful plot that kept me guessing until the end, and high quality writing. Tim Downs should be one of the top authors in the CBA, in my opinion. Why isn’t he? Probably because he hasn’t written a prairie/Amish romance yet, though if he wrote one, I’d read it!
2. Try Darkness by James Scott Bell:
Bell got me into the genre of legal fiction last year with his very good Try Dying, but the second book in the series was a shifty, funny, poignant, and thrilling ride through Los Angeles. Bell is another author that should have a higher standing in CBA. If you’re missing his work, you’re plain missing out.
3. Boo by Rene Gutteridge:
Boo is one of her earlier novels, and it kicks off a whole series based on the residents of Skary, Indiana, where the world’s most beloved horror writer lives. The trouble is, he finds Jesus, and the man who made Skary scary no longer wants to write horror. What will the town do to survive? I’ve seen the novelist who can’t write his usual stuff written a few different ways, but Gutteridge is such a talented humorist that her quirky characters drive along a great story and bring home some touching themes as well.
4. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson:
This is classified as a young adult (YA) novel, but it was a delight for myself as well as my boys. Peterson is a singer/songwriter who’s foray into story-telling is a natural. He crafts a slightly off-beat world with danger, humor, and toothy cows. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it twice, once by myself and again out loud to my boys (which was probably even more enjoyable). Any book that has a Nameless Evil (named Gnag the Nameless) is a winner in my eyes.
5. The Begotten by Lisa T. Bergren:
The Begotten is the opening book for her trilogy of The Gifted. It is a historical speculative fiction set in Italy of the 1300’s. A long prophesied group are drawn together to use their spiritual gifts to help the people and draw the Church into renewal. Both politics in the Church and evil forces without threaten the ragtag Gifted. It paints a remarkable picture of historic Italy with a suspenseful plot and sympathetic characters. I enjoyed the whole series, but the first book was probably my favorite.
Other notables:
Adam by Ted Dekker
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Merciless by Robin Parrish
Busts:
The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley
Whispers by Dean Koontz (an older Koontz-I asked for a recommended book from him, and mistook this book for Watchers– Whispers is grotesque and profane)
by Jason Joyner | Jan 5, 2009 | Blog, fiction, reading, reviews
Yes! It is that self-indulgent time when we all get to post our “Best of the Year” awards. You may ask if I’m so cynical about it, then why do I participate. Well, I don’t want to be left out! Actually, I am interested in promoting books I have read this year.
I kept a running list of what I read in ’08, as I got tired of forgetting which books I had finished. I’m sure there are more prolific readers out there, but it was an impressive list for me (44 in all).
This is my best of for fiction. There was a non-fiction book that was my definite favorite of the year, but I’ll hit that one on its own. It really can’t be compared with fiction.
1. Less Than Dead by Tim Downs:
This was my first foray into Tim’s “Bug Man” novels and I found a unique protagonist, a humorous yet suspenseful plot that kept me guessing until the end, and high quality writing. Tim Downs should be one of the top authors in the CBA, in my opinion. Why isn’t he? Probably because he hasn’t written a prairie/Amish romance yet, though if he wrote one, I’d read it!
2. Try Darkness by James Scott Bell:
Bell got me into the genre of legal fiction last year with his very good Try Dying, but the second book in the series was a shifty, funny, poignant, and thrilling ride through Los Angeles. Bell is another author that should have a higher standing in CBA. If you’re missing his work, you’re plain missing out.
3. Boo by Rene Gutteridge:
Boo is one of her earlier novels, and it kicks off a whole series based on the residents of Skary, Indiana, where the world’s most beloved horror writer lives. The trouble is, he finds Jesus, and the man who made Skary scary no longer wants to write horror. What will the town do to survive? I’ve seen the novelist who can’t write his usual stuff written a few different ways, but Gutteridge is such a talented humorist that her quirky characters drive along a great story and bring home some touching themes as well.
4. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson:
This is classified as a young adult (YA) novel, but it was a delight for myself as well as my boys. Peterson is a singer/songwriter who’s foray into story-telling is a natural. He crafts a slightly off-beat world with danger, humor, and toothy cows. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it twice, once by myself and again out loud to my boys (which was probably even more enjoyable). Any book that has a Nameless Evil (named Gnag the Nameless) is a winner in my eyes.
5. The Begotten by Lisa T. Bergren:
The Begotten is the opening book for her trilogy of The Gifted. It is a historical speculative fiction set in Italy of the 1300’s. A long prophesied group are drawn together to use their spiritual gifts to help the people and draw the Church into renewal. Both politics in the Church and evil forces without threaten the ragtag Gifted. It paints a remarkable picture of historic Italy with a suspenseful plot and sympathetic characters. I enjoyed the whole series, but the first book was probably my favorite.
Other notables:
Adam by Ted Dekker
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Merciless by Robin Parrish
Busts:
The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley
Whispers by Dean Koontz (an older Koontz-I asked for a recommended book from him, and mistook this book for Watchers– Whispers is grotesque and profane)
by Jason Joyner | Dec 3, 2008 | Blog, books, CFBA, fiction, reviews, suspense
I’ve taken a little time off from reviewing books in order to avoid commitments I can’t meet. However, I couldn’t pass up this week’s book from the CFBA: Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins. This is her first book (a stand alone) since her lauded Kanner Lake series.
Darell Brooke is the King of Suspense, having written 99 books. Since his car accident two years ago, he is a shell of his former imposing self. He needs a cane to get around and he can’t concentrate enough to hold a plot. He badly wants to reclaim his glory and write book #100, but he can’t push through the mental fog.
When his estranged granddaughter Kaitlan returns to his door, with a tale of a murderous boyfriend after her, he wants to help her. He’s a police officer and has hid the evidence, so she can’t go to the local police. Can the King of Suspense help save his only family and reclaim his fame with the plot inspiration drawn from the trap?
I admit it was a little different reading this book. I was invested in the lives of the people in her Kanner Lake books, so it was a shift to get into the characters of Dark Pursuit. Brandilyn continues her expert pacing and building of suspense. The book never fails to be a page turner.
The new characters grew on me after a while. Darell Brooke is a prickly old man, bitter about his new circumstances, and it is hard to empathize with him initially. Kaitlan is a sympathetic character, and she’s easier to root for, especially when she is in danger.
I also struggled with the apparant direction of the book for a while, because it seemed un-Brandilyn. The reader knew everything up front, and it seemed like I was just following along. I should’ve known better. I don’t want to give away anything more than there’s more than meets the eye, and I was very pleasantly surprised at the end. The twists and turns are very satisfying.
I had a little problem with the obsession of the killer, but this comes into focus better at the end. Still, it seemed a little too outrageous to me. There was also some repetition of phrases describing the suspense that caught my eye after a while, distracting me.
Up until the last part of the book, it wasn’t my favorite Brandilyn Collins book. It was a worthy enough suspense, but I wasn’t savoring it. After finishing it this morning, it really turned it into a very enjoyable, satisfying read. She sucks us in, then pulls a fast one. I shouldn’t be surprised. Her fans will find this new book continuing her tradition of Seatbelt Suspense, while new readers should find this a solidly entertaining suspense.
Also, for more behind the story, check out this interview with Brandilyn in the Christian Fiction Online Magazine. You can also read the first chapter of Dark Pursuit, HERE.
