Four Christy Awards for Baker Publishing Group

Winner: Suspense. The Bishop by Steven James.

"In the fourth Patrick Bowers thriller—after The Pawn (2007), The Rook (2008), and The Knight (2009)—the FBI criminologist is called to the scene of a gruesome murder. At a primate research facility, a woman was attacked by two chimpanzees, but this was no accident: someone had tied the victim, a congressman’s daughter, to a tree and set the animals on her. Patrick, who’s faced his share of twisted killers, might be encountering his most clever foe. This is a fine thriller, featuring a strong, compassionate protagonist and a couple of pretty scary villains (imagine if Bonnie and Clyde were serial killers, and if they were completely mad). James, an accomplished writer who seems equally at home writing hard-edged thrillers and books about spirituality for adults and younger readers, clearly knows how to spin a yarn; and—despite its thematic similarities to the television series Criminal Minds—this novel is fresh and exciting."David Pitt, Booklist Reviewer.

For more information and a sample chapter click here.

Winner: Historical Romance. The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen.

Mariah Aubrey lives in hiding in the gatehouse of a distant relative's estate. Supporting herself and her servant by writing novels in secret, her life becomes even more complicated when Captain Matthew Bryant leases the estate...

"Christy and RITA nominee Klassen creates a wonderful cast of engaging characters while neatly stirring in a generous dash of mystery and danger into the plot of her latest, charmingly romantic inspirational romance." John Charles, Booklist

For more information and a sample chapter click here.

Winner: First Novel. Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.

"Heartless is a great Christian fantasy tale, which is suitable for children and adults. It is very easy to read but hard to put down, I read it myself and now my younger nephews are fighting over it so I have had to purchase another! A great gift that will have you waiting for the next instalment! I am very impressed by Anne Elisabeth Stengl." Alex Pickering Eden.co.uk

For more information and a sample chapter click here.

Winner: Historical. While We're Far Apart

"For anyone who can remember the Second World War, this stirs up memories of how it used to be. Although set in America, the heartache felt by the children in this story was repeated in many countries, not least in the UK. Esther and her young brother had lost their mother and now it seemed they were going to lose their father too. Eddie has announced one Sunday afternoon that he has enlisted in the army. No argument, he has already signed up. Will their grandmother look after the children? No! What then? Penny, a young woman who has long loved Eddie from afar – next door actually, but it could have been a million miles – offers to help. Penny moves into the children’s home – which they resent - and over time the three of them get to know their elderly Jewish widower neighbour who is blaming God for taking his wife and always seeking news of his son and family in Hungary amidst all the news of what the Nazis are doing to the Jews in Europe. There are many other threads to this novel, and some surprising twists and turns that make for an excellent read that I can highly recommend." Mary Bartholomew, The Good Book Stall.

For more information and a sample chapter click here.

Review: "The Dog Next Door"

This book is perfect for any dog lover. I would not put myself in that category (liking dogs but not being a 'dog person') but I still really enjoyed it. Suzanne Woods Fisher, author and guide dog puppy walker says "These powerful stories will resonate with anyone who has loved a dog." She's right.

Full of short stories of people and their pets, it makes for an easy read as you can read just a short section, or a whole series of stories one after another.

In the story 'A New Calling' Jim and Sherri have bought a German Shepherd puppy. Sherri travels a lot with her job "which sounds glamorous but actually ranked slightly above getting hit by a truck on the fun meter" and on one of her trips she bought a book about search and rescue dogs. That book turned out to be life changing as Sherri - and her whole family - became involved in canine search and rescue.

That's just one story. Others include the story of the dog who saved a little girl from being attacked by a sexual predator, the dog with a particular bond to children with special needs, the dog who saved her owner from a devastating fire and many dogs who simply taught their owners things about life. My favourite is 'The Dog of My Heart', but you'll have to buy the book to read it!

Price: £7.99
ISBN: 9780800734190
Published by: Revell (An imprint of Baker Publishing Group)
Available through any good bookshop or online

To further whet your appetite, you can read a sample chapter here.

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?

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.

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.

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)

One Size Doesn't Fit All: Parenting Adult Children

Contrary to what we may think, parenting doesn’t stop once our children grow up, says Nancy Williams, author of Secrets of Parenting Your Adult Child. She continues: "Our role changes but our love and sense of responsibility continue. We want our children to be independent, fulfilled adults and we want a loving, mature relationship with them. I wanted to share some secrets to help parents understand the changes and challenges taking place for themselves and their children." Read on for some questions and answers with Nancy on this very important topic.

QUESTION: Why do you think it is difficult for some parents to shift their roles and responsibilities as their children become adults?
NANCY: It’s a challenging and often confusing time for both parents and young adults, and we aren’t always clear about how to manage all the changes taking place. Some parents may not fully understand what is really going on in the minds and hearts of their children, so they operate from assumptions. Then there are parents who have preconceived ideas about their role and their children’s at this life stage—ideas that might not be reasonable for them or for their children. Some are tired and want to let go of the responsibility all at once, whether or not their children are ready. Others want to hold on out of fear that their children might struggle or even fail. Then there are some who are sad that a chapter in their lives has come to a close. Their activities and even their identity have been so wrapped around their children’s that they don’t know what to do once they are gone.

QUESTION: What do you think our adult children are looking for from us as parents?
NANCY: They want to define their own measure of success and they want us to respect and acknowledge that they are ultimately in charge of their lives—we’re not. They want our love and our support when they ask for it. Sometimes they want our opinions and at times they want our help. They also want us to step aside and not try to control their lives and dictate their choices. They want us to be on the sidelines to love and encourage them and then to step in if they ask.

QUESTION: In your book, you use the phrase “one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to parenting adult children.” Talk about that.
NANCY: As parents, we need to remember that our children are different—not only in terms of their appearance, personalities, and preferences, but also when it comes to maturing and taking on the responsibilities that come with adulthood. I’ve found in my own parenting journey and as I counsel clients that while some children step quickly, eagerly, and successfully into the role of adult, others need more time and assistance to transition.

QUESTION: It’s easy for parents to support their children when they are making choices the parents agree with, but what about when children make decisions that concern or disappoint their parents? What can parents do then?
NANCY: One of the things we must realize is that we’ve encouraged our children to think for themselves and take charge of their lives so it is inevitable they will make some choices that are different from what we’d like. For example: choices about career, a spouse, finances, or their lifestyle. There are times when we need to keep our opinions to ourselves and accept their right to live life as they choose. There are other times, however, when we may need to talk with them about our concerns. And we need to do so openly, honestly, and respectfully. In the book, I discuss how to carefully guide that discussion in a way that reflects our roles and responsibilities.

QUESTION: Your book is titled Secrets to Parenting Your Adult Child. If you could share one secret with parents, what would that be?
NANCY: Effective communication is key because it impacts so many aspects of our relationships with our children. Our conversations with them must be honest, respectful, intended to lift up and not tear down, heal and not harm, connect and not divide. And they must be grounded in love. The book shares tips on how to listen to what your children express and don’t express with a goal of understanding, how to acknowledge and consider what they share, and how to respond with a goal of being understood.

To read more of Nancy's advice on being a parent to an adult child, see a sample chapter.
Media contact: Anne Rogers (anner@lionhudson.com)