17 June 2011

Sneak Previews from Revell!

You've seen a couple of 'on the horizon' titles from Bethany. Now it's Revell's turn! Biblical fiction has been gaining momentum, and we have two new stories coming from Revell early next year.

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the Wives of King David series, the latest of which is Bathsheba. Now she turns her attention to some more strong women - the wives of the patriarchs, beginning with Sarai, Abram's wife.

Sarai, the last child of her aged father, is beautiful, spoiled, and used to getting her own way. When she marries Abram she promises to give him a son and heir. But as the years go by without the promised and longed for child, Sarai becomes desperate...

Jill Eileen Smith once again brings to life a key biblical character, with great commitment to the accuracy of the historical data.

"I thought I might find you here."
Abram's voice and his touch on her shoulder made her turn into his comforting embrace. "What's wrong, dear one?"
Sarai released a troubled sigh and leaned back to better see his face. "Milcah."
He nodded, but at his quizzical look, she knew he did not understand.
"She is flaunting her swollen belly, and I have no patience for her criticisms."
"Ahh," he said, pulling her close again. "Milcah is jealous of your beauty, dear wife. She has nothing else to flaunt." He patted her back, but the action did not soothe.
"I would rather have a child than beauty." The words were a mere breath against his chest, but when his hands stilled, she knew he'd heard.
"And I would rather have you just as you are." He held her at arm's length, his gaze searching. "Do not trouble yourself or deny joy to others. You have nothing to fear."
She looked into his handsome face and cupped his bearded cheek with her hand. He still carried the vigor of one much younger, and she rested in his strength as he held her. "But I do fear, dear husband. I fear I have failed to give you what you most deserve."
"I deserve nothing. What I possess is only a gift. Adonai will give what he will." He tipped her chin to look into his face. "Trust me in this, Sarai."

Mesu Andrews is the author of Love Amid the Ashes, a novel about the life of Job. Now she turns her attention to one of the Old Testament's best-loved kings: Solomon. In Love's Sacred Song, Mesu expertly weaves the words of the Song of Solomon into a touching story of the power of love.

Standing in the massive shadow of his famous father, young King Solomon wavers between fear and bravado, wisdom and folly. In the uncertain world of alliances and treachery, Solomon longs for peace and a love that is true and pure.
A shepherdess in the northern city of Shunem, Arielah remembers the first time she laid eyes on Solomon in Jerusalem when she was just seven years old. Her destiny is to be a 'treaty bride' to help unite the kingdom.
But can a shepherdess live as part of Solomon's harem? Can Solomon set aside his distractions to give himself fully to one woman? Or will duty, deception and daily routine divide his heart?

14 June 2011

The Faith of Leap

"Whether we like it or not, we are all on a journey, a Quest if you will, every day of our lives, and the path we must take is full of perils, and our destiny can never be predicted in advance... the book of Acts must continue to be written by Christians in every age and context. We are the people of the ultimate Quest - we are on a wild, and sometime dangerous, adventure to save the world. This is our story and our song."

So say Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch in their forthcoming book The Faith of Leap, which challenges the reader to embrace a theology of risk, adventure, and courage. In the introduction they point out: "It is clear that simply opting for more of the same is not going to resolve our problems. We must be willing to dream again, to innovate, and to risk the rejection of peers who think that the status quo is sufficient to the task. The church should be one of the most adventurous places on earth... but let's be honest - this is not the case with the church-as-we-know-it. It's time to move, to cast off from safe shores, and take a journey again!"

Are we ready to take up this challenge? This book may well challenge the reader to change the way they live out their faith. Yet despite the 'big challenge' so dynamically described, there is also acknowledgement of smaller elements. The authors quote Ralph Wood, who says,

"To get out of bed, to answer the phone, to respond to a knock at the door, to open a letter - such everyday deeds are freighted, willy-nilly, with eternal consequence."

A very thought-provoking book, this is an engaging read, with lots of illustrations taken from popular culture such as films. It is a book which is likely to have far-reaching effects.

To whet your appetite, you can read the introduction, and see the contents pages here.

13 June 2011

Sneak Previews from Bethany House!

Moonblood and Dallas and the Spitfire are just two of the great new titles coming from Bethany House next spring.

For all you fantasy lovers, do you love the sound of a book whose characters include 'a lyrical yet lethal tiger, a fallen unicorn, and a goblin horde'? I know I do! Well, at least I like the sound of the tiger and the unicorn - not so sure about the goblin horde...

You can find them all in the third novel from Anne Elisabeth Stengl Moonblood which is the latest in her 'Tales of Goldstone Wood' series. This is one of those great 'epic quest' books, with danger, courage, and sacrifice. Oh, and a healthy dash of romance too. I'm really looking forward to reading it!

Moonblood
9780764207815
UK Release: May 2012
pb, £8.99 (tbc)

And for something totally different, the next of my sneak peeks is Dallas and the Spitfire. Ted is an educated thirty-something father of two who has gone to church his whole life. Dallas is only twenty-one, but has already been in prison twice, attempted suicide three times, and fought his way out of drug addiction. A very new Christian, he is trying to turn his life around.

Ted and Dallas agree to meet regularly, but neither of them fancy sitting around drinking coffee. Instead, they decide to restore an aging Triumph Spitfire...

Dallas and the Spitfire: An Old Car, an Ex-Con, and an Unlikely Friendship
9780764209611
UK Release: May 2012
pb, £9.99 (tbc)

I guess it says something about my extremely varied range of reading that I am really looking forward to reading both of these books. It is also a great example of the wide variety of titles which Bethany House produce. More will undoubtedly come on these two books, and please watch this space for snippets & sneaky peeks on other books too.

08 June 2011

O! That Dragon!

"I love a truly frightening dragon. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with tame dragons, or friendly dragons, or wise and helpful dragons. I’ve read books I’ve enjoyed featuring each of these. But tell me, dear reader, what dragon compares to Tolkien’s Smaug? Or to classic Disney’s Maleficent? And, especially, to Ms. Hyman’s terrifying portrayal of Spenser’s Dragon of Error?"

I came across this wonderful little paragraph while browsing Anne Elisabeth Stengl's blog. Anne is the author of Heartless which includes some pretty impressive dragons! (By the way, Veiled Rose is the next in the series, and it is out in the UK in August.)

I have to agree that truly terrifying dragons are wonderful! But I also like 'Green Smoke', a dragon from my childhood and I'm rather fond of Eustace-the-dragon from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (both the book dragon and the film dragon!).

But I think my very favourite dragon of all is Saphira from Christopher Paolini's wonderful Inheritance Cycle. (Hurrah, book four is now confirmed!) I love her multi-faceted character, and the way we the reader were able to grow with her. She is a simply superb dragon!

(You can read Anne's whole post on dragons here: D is For Dragon)