"Facing Sobriety With Southern Charm" (back cover)

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Walking on Broken Glass

Abingdon Press (February 2010)
by
Christa Allan
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christa Allan, a true Southern woman who knows any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, weaves stories of unscripted grace with threads of hope, humor, and heart.



The mother of five and grandmother of three, Christa teaches high school English. She and her husband, Ken live in Abita Springs, Louisiana where they play golf, dodge hurricanes, and anticipate retirement.

Kay's thoughts: This book is intense. (Read plot synopsis below.) As I began to read I thought the problems were too simplistic and obvious but as the author draws you into Leah's therapy, she peels back layer after layer of the past. The plot is anything but simple.

The early chapters seemed to be bogged down with a great amount of description, however, I came to see that this attention to detail may be part of what happens in early recovery....the fog begins to lift but the layers of reality are still undercover; therefore, attention is given to the person's enviroment disportionately. Some of the revelations that came to light floored me.

Not a pretty story but redeeming and needed. I will admit I found the book somewhat depressing. While this is not good for me personally, it will serve others as an accurate illustration of the recovery process in dealing with addictions.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Leah Thornton's life, like her Southern Living home, has great curb appeal. But already sloshed from one-too-many drinks at a faculty party, Leah cruises the supermarket aisles in search of something tasty to enhance her Starbucks—Kahlua and a paralyzing encounter with a can of frozen apple juice shatters the facade, forcing her to admit that all is not as it appears.



When her best friend Molly gets in Leah's face about her refusal to deal with her life, Leah is forced to make a decision. Can this brand-conscious socialite walk away from the country club into 28 days of rehab? Leah is sitting in the office of the local rehab center facing an admissions counselor who fails to understand the most basic things, like the fact that apple juice is not a suitable cocktail mixer.

Rehab is no picnic, and being forced to experience and deal with the reality of her life isn’t Leah’s idea of fun. Can she leave what she has now to gain back what she needs? Joy, sadness, pain and a new strength converge, testing her marriage, her friendships and her faith.

But through the battle she finds a reservoir of courage she never knew she had, and the loving arms of a God she never quite believed existed.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Walking on Broken Glass, go HERE

The Language of Love and Respect: Cracking the Communication Code with Your Mate

by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs


“Each one of you also must love his wife…and wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:33 (NIV)

Currently, one of the most studied questions in psychology is the role of gender in today’s world. The author of The Language of Love & Respect examines this question using the Bible, research and illustrations from life today.

The first chapter is a recap of Eggerichs’ previous book Love & Respect. Based on the verse above, he shows the need of women for love as well as the need of men for respect; however, this knowledge in itself may not right the wrongs produced by hard-wired differences between men and women.

The author says that the differences are not right or wrong, just different. To work together well, each must understand the others best way of expressing needs. For example, what he said and meant is not always what she hears.

The resulting chapters provide guidelines for using this knowledge to improve couples communication. The author and his wife, who give workshops addressing this subject, admit they still sometimes goof in their own communication especially when stressed. Of course, they have the skills to analyze what happened and turn the situation around. This book helps you obtain these skills too.

A practical guide, the book also gives bits of wisdom in the form of short quotes on many pages. This points out what is most important and provides reminders of what has been read. Good stuff!

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

The Silent Governess
Bethany House; Original edition (January 1, 2010)
by Julie Klassen"Jane Austen-Era Romance from an Acclaimed Author!"

Kay's Comments: The quote above says it! Each of Julie Klassen's books is rich with history and intrigue with a subtle romance. The reader can’t help but fall in love with the charm and vulnerability of the characters.

The Silent Governess is another of Klassen's captivating novels. Uncovering secrets keeps the reader engrossed. A short synopsis and the first chapter below gives you an idea of the plot. As always, I recommend Julie Klassen’s books.

ABOUT THE BOOK


Olivia Keene is fleeing her own secret. She never intended to overhear his.

But now that she has, what is Lord Bradley to do with her? He cannot let her go, for were the truth to get out, he would lose everything--his reputation, his inheritance, his very home.

He gives Miss Keene little choice but to accept a post at Brightwell Court, where he can make certain she does not spread what she heard. Keeping an eye on the young woman as she cares for the children, he finds himself drawn to her, even as he struggles against the growing attraction. The clever Miss Keene is definitely hiding something.

Moving, mysterious, and romantic, The Silent Governess takes readers inside the intriguing life of a nineteenth-century governess in an English manor house where all is not as it appears.

If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter of The Silent Governess, go HERE. You can also sign up as a Follower when you get to that page, and get announcements of the first chapters for all the great books we tour!

The Familiar Stranger
by Christina Berry

An amazing debut novel! I can't wait to see what Christina Berry writes in the future!

Meanwhile read the first chapter by clicking on the link below. Enjoy!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.

They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, they discover dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?

But what will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Familiar Stranger, go HERE

Saint's Roost

by Terry Burns



A sweet fiction story told by some good ol’ folks headed west on the Santa Fe Trail on the in 1879.

Janie and her overly zealous husband seek to convert savages. Naively, they leave their wagon train and her husband is killed by the first American Indians they see. Totally unprepared, Janie gathers her resolve and faith to continue the journey.

Two cowboys discover her trail and track her to offer assistance. As the two travel together, Janie collects a variety of living things from a baby skunk to a 14 year old boy to an outcast squaw. Once they find a settlement to join, Janie discovers love again.

Don’t expect a romance novel as this story is more about heavenly love than human. In fact, it mostly portrays human love as misguided, especially as it comes to sharing the good news. Janie must continually face her own stereotypes and expectations. As Janie learns about life and love, the reader gleans important lessons.

Full of colorful colloquialisms, the reader will find a bunch of “reckons” “gonnas” and “rights” as in “I’m right thirsty.” The land is described as so barren that, “…they don’t figure how many cows per acre, they figure acres per cows.” (P. 50) One man’s skin is said to be, “…blacker than the inside of a panther’s belly in the middle of a coal mine.” (p. 53)

If the reader can see past the thick colloquialisms, you will find a light hearted story with deep messages.

Fit To Be Tied

Robin Lee Hatcher is a versatile author of many Christian fiction novels. The review by the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance below tells a good bit about the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book but the story line is not surprising. Fit To Be Tied is a relaxing read written by an expert author. Enjoy!


Fit to Be Tied

By Robin Lee Hatcher


ABOUT THE BOOK

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, because he has never encountered a woman succeeding in a “man’s world.”

Just about everything either of them says or does leaves the other, well, fit to be tied. Cleo Arlington knows everything about horses but nothing about men. And though Cleo believes God’s plan for her includes a husband, it couldn’t possibly be Sherwood Statham. Could it?

Their bumpy trot into romance is frustrating, exhilarating, and ultimately heartwarming.

eye of the god

by Ariel Allison

Contemporary/Historical Fiction

The mysterious Hope Diamond has attracted interest and tempted thieves ever since it was excavated. Today is no exception.

While the prologue of eye of the god opens in 1653 India, retracing the folklore of the Hope Diamond, the first chapter transports the reader to contemporary Rio de Janeiro. Alex, a museum curator from the Smithsonian, witnesses the theft of priceless paintings by artists such as Picasso and Monet. During the terrifying robbery, one of the thieves sets his eyes on Alex for the first time, a meeting that comes to haunt them both.

Back at the Smithsonian, Alex is responsible to oversee the showing of the Hope Diamond. Fascination with its bloody history has made it “…the most viewed museum object in the world, boasting more visitors each year than the Mona Lisa.” (p. 29)

The villainous plans of the thieves carry suspense while the story ventures into past legends. Alternating chapters parallel the past with the present. I found the involvement of King Louis XIV particularly intersting in light of having just read A Prisoner of Versailles. (see review below)

This story creates suspense and an unlikely romance. A good read even if I found the font a detriment to easy reading.

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