by Jason Joyner | Jan 20, 2007 | Blog, Uncategorized
I don’t have time to read every book the CFBA reviews, but this one is on my list of to-reads right now. My wife is in the middle of it, but wasn’t able to finish it in time for the tour. So I’ll leave you with the CFBA promotional blurb, and follow up with Beccy’s review when she’s done!
This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is posting about Arms of Deliverance (Moody Publishers, 2006) by Tricia Goyer (fellow CFBA member, blogger, writer, and homeschooling mom!)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tricia Goyer is one the members of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance (Tricia’s Blog, “It’s Real Life” Tricia’s Parenting Blog, “Generation NeXt“) and we are pleased to be able to review her exciting historical fiction book, Arms of Deliverance.
She was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference “Writer of the Year” in 2003. Tricia was also a finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award and won ACFW’s “Book of the Year” for Long Historial Romance in 2005 AND in 2006. She has written hundreds of articles, Bible Study notes, and both fiction (three other WWII novels, From Dust to Ashes, Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights. Night Song, the second title in Tricia’s World War II series, won ACFW’s Book of the Year for Best Long Historical Romance.) and non-fiction books.
She’s married to John, and they have three great kids whom she homeschools: Cory (17), Leslie (14), and Nathan (12). They make their home in Northwest Montana with their dog, Lilly.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The fourth and final novel in this exhilarating series capturing the tales of men and women swept into World War II.
EUROPE, 1944
Katrine, a Czech Jew, is so successful in her attempt to pass as an Aryan that she finds herself dating a Nazi officer. Having convinced him of her genetic purity, the officer sends her to stay at a Lebensborn home–a Nazi breeding program in which children are raised and indoctrinated by the state.
Meanwhile, two friends, Mary and Lee, one a socialite, the other a working class girl, land similar reporting jobs at the New York Tribune on the eve of the war’s outbreak. Now rivals with assignments on the frontlines of war-torn Europe, Lee joins troops sailing for Normandy, while Mary’s destiny lies in the cramped quarters of a B-17 bearing down on Berlin. Before the presses roll, their lives will be indelibly marked by a caring American navigator, brave French resistors, and a maniacal Nazi officer. Arms of Deliverance is a story of unexpected redemption.
Read Chapter One on Tricia’s Blog.
by Jason Joyner | Jan 16, 2007 | Blog, Uncategorized
Well, I was supposed to start my new job today. I did start it, despite their best intentions!
It seems that HR got confused and had my start date as next Monday. It caused a fair amount of consternation to get me into orientation and get me going today. I had to wait all day for a computer password. I basically didn’t get anything done today.
I would’ve liked to have more info about what I’m going to be doing, what the schedule and situation is. I like to plan and know what I’m getting into. Of course I know some of what is going on, but normally one would have a better idea at this stage in the game.
I have to do some training later this week and I’ll need to do some studying at home for it. I may be AWOL for a few days. Understandable, I know. I’ve just been spoiled (snicker) at having my own schedule.
Meanwhile, check out some of the blogs and sites on the right. I’m sure they have some good stuff to keep you going!
by Jason Joyner | Jan 16, 2007 | Blog, Uncategorized
Well, I was supposed to start my new job today. I did start it, despite their best intentions!
It seems that HR got confused and had my start date as next Monday. It caused a fair amount of consternation to get me into orientation and get me going today. I had to wait all day for a computer password. I basically didn’t get anything done today.
I would’ve liked to have more info about what I’m going to be doing, what the schedule and situation is. I like to plan and know what I’m getting into. Of course I know some of what is going on, but normally one would have a better idea at this stage in the game.
I have to do some training later this week and I’ll need to do some studying at home for it. I may be AWOL for a few days. Understandable, I know. I’ve just been spoiled (snicker) at having my own schedule.
Meanwhile, check out some of the blogs and sites on the right. I’m sure they have some good stuff to keep you going!
by Jason Joyner | Jan 12, 2007 | Blog, Uncategorized
How would you respond if in 1 week:
Your van’s back door was hit and no one told you?
Your three kids got sick with the stomach flu?
While washing up from #2, the washing machine broke?
You had to call in sick due to the family being wiped out from the flu?
The next day your car breaks down on the way to work?
The day your washer is fixed, the dishwasher breaks?
I can’t say that I’ve been perfect in this, but my response has mostly been to praise the Lord! Why, you ask?
Because this didn’t happen two months ago.
In October I was just interviewing for my new job that starts Monday. I picked up some temp work in December, but didn’t get paid for it until last week. Right when I needed it!
It seemed like a lot of bad mojo for us over the last week, but if it happened while I was unemployed it would’ve put a serious dent in our finances. Now, we can live with it because I have the money from the temp job, and will be on a regular payroll again.
The easy answer is that there are plenty of people that have it a lot worse than me. I got frustrated and wanted to pout and say, “Why all this Lord?” Thankfully though, my reaction was tempered by the timing in all of it. I could be an ungrateful lout, or realize the blessing in it. God takes care of His children very well, and He knows what we can handle.
Not a big storm by far (especially considering last June), but the choice is still mine. How will I respond?
by Jason Joyner | Jan 12, 2007 | Blog, Uncategorized
How would you respond if in 1 week:
Your van’s back door was hit and no one told you?
Your three kids got sick with the stomach flu?
While washing up from #2, the washing machine broke?
You had to call in sick due to the family being wiped out from the flu?
The next day your car breaks down on the way to work?
The day your washer is fixed, the dishwasher breaks?
I can’t say that I’ve been perfect in this, but my response has mostly been to praise the Lord! Why, you ask?
Because this didn’t happen two months ago.
In October I was just interviewing for my new job that starts Monday. I picked up some temp work in December, but didn’t get paid for it until last week. Right when I needed it!
It seemed like a lot of bad mojo for us over the last week, but if it happened while I was unemployed it would’ve put a serious dent in our finances. Now, we can live with it because I have the money from the temp job, and will be on a regular payroll again.
The easy answer is that there are plenty of people that have it a lot worse than me. I got frustrated and wanted to pout and say, “Why all this Lord?” Thankfully though, my reaction was tempered by the timing in all of it. I could be an ungrateful lout, or realize the blessing in it. God takes care of His children very well, and He knows what we can handle.
Not a big storm by far (especially considering last June), but the choice is still mine. How will I respond?
by Jason Joyner | Jan 10, 2007 | Blog, Uncategorized
This week’s blog tour is on the book, A Pagan’s Nightmare by author Ray Blackston.
This will be the first time I’ve give a negative recommendation as part of the CFBA Tour. I have enjoyed each book that I’ve read so far (I haven’t read all the books on the tour). I want my blog to be a reliable place for people to come on reviews about Christian fiction. I know it is just my opinion, and everyone has different tastes in books. However, I do try to give an analysis of what makes a book good, weak points, and hope that the info I give helps people decide whether to spend their money on the featured project.
I was intrigued by the premise of APN. The cover is delightful and grabbed my eye right away. (Tried to upload a picture of the cover, but Blogger doesn’t like pictures lately. Anyone else have the problem?) It is written as a story within a story. An author conceives of a religious parody and pitches it to his agent, who loves it. The agent’s Southern Baptist wife doesn’t find it amusing. We follow the story of the author and agent interspersed with the novel in question: a world where almost the whole world has been “converted”, and a few unlucky pagans deal with the new world. Gas for believers is 12 cents a gallon, while the pagans pay $6.66. McDonalds serves McScriptures fries. The holiest around speak in King James English.
Unfortunately, the book doesn’t work. The parody story is just not very funny. I am all for tipping over the church’s sacred cows. Evangelicals in particular are ripe for the picking as far as poking fun at their antics. The jokes just fall flat. Popular songs have their lyrics rewritten, such as the Beatles “I Wanna Hold Your Tithe”, but they’re not very creative. The pagans in the story’s “novel” are looking for a girlfriend of one of them, but there is no tension in it. Similarly, the conflict between the agent, his wife, and the author also disappoints.
I normally don’t think I should review a work if I haven’t finished it. I made it over half way through, but I couldn’t ever get into the book. Since it was a struggle to get that far, I thought I ought to offer my opinion so people don’t end up with something they don’t like. Take what I post with a grain of salt. I do encourage you to go to the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance website and see the reviews and comments of other members to make an informed decision. I thought the idea was clever – just the execution of it doesn’t make it a worthwhile read.
