COMING SOON!!!

Letters To An Incarcerated Brother    by Hill Harper

Publisher: Gotham Books, Penguin Putnam Inc

Release date: Nov 5, 2013                                                                                                                                             

Harper's powerful message provides inspiration in the face of despair, reminding us that the spirit can always triumph.  As the founder of Manifest Your Destiny, a nonprofit outreach program for at-risk teens, Hill Harper has seen firsthand the transformative effect of mentorship. Harper has received many moving letters from inmates who yearn for connection with a successful role model. Disturbed by the incarceration rate for black men, the acclaimed actor has made it a priority to address the tragedy of African American crime and conviction rates. Harper’s powerful message from the heart provides advice and inspiration in the face of despair along with encouraging words for restoring a sense of self-worth. The spirit can always triumph, Harper assures us, and we can conquer the voices of doubt to become active architects of our lives.

                                                                                                                                                     

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

WHO ASKED YOU  By Terry McMillan

 A new Terry McMillan novel is always a cause for celebration-and her newest is one of her wisest, wittiest, and most heartwarming. Who Asked You? Opens as Trinetta leaves her two young sons with her mother, Betty Jean, then promptly disappears. BJ already has her hands full dealing with her other adult children, two opinionated sisters, an ill husband, and her own postponed dreams-all while holding down a job as a hotel maid. Her son Dexter is about to be paroled from prison; Quentin, the family success, can't be bothered to lend a hand; and taking care of two lively grandsons is the last thing BJ thinks she needs. The drama unfolds through the perspectives of a rotating cast of characters, pitch-perfect and full of surprises. 

An Excerpt From "A ROUGH DIAMOND'' The story of Sharon Mathews

I still find it difficult to believe what has happened to my body. What will people say?  Oh God, how will this change my life?  Will it alter my destiny? Will it affect all my plans to get to the peak of my career? How will others see me? Will they reject me? Will they condemn me?  I couldn’t even bring myself to tell anyone, not even Karen my sister. Why did you allow this to happen to me, Lord? Why me? Why not someone else? What did I do to deserve this kind of sentence on my life?  

Oh Edward, my love, how can I tell you I am no longer fit to be your wife and be the mother of your children? How can I break the news to you that our plans to be together in matrimony will no longer see the light of day?

I couldn’t stop asking the questions. I could tell no one that life has strucked me bad. Why did God allow it happen now, at the peak of my youth, when life is just about smiling on me? Oh, why not when I am stricken with age, after I must have spent the best of my years with Edward and brought forth offsprings of mine? Life has cheated me, stolen from me, robbed me off precious things.

Will I have the courage to move on in spite of this? Will the bounce be in my steps again? Will I be beautiful again? Will I receive the second admiring glance again? Will my skin still radiate and glow with youthfulness? Hmnn, such vanities of life. But being suddenly withdrawn is heartbreaking.

The worst part of it all is losing my Ed. How can I bear being torn away from him? I will not expect him to be tied to me even for love in the circumstances. I could feel the excruciating pain in my heart as I imagine him being with another. My heart is torn apart as I imagine another woman loving him and carrying his babies. Uncontrollable rivers of tears flowed without restraint. In a snap, all I hoped to be, planned to do has been ruthlessly snatched from me and there seemed to be nothing I can do about it.

Who do I hold responsible? Is it the hospital, the doctor? God? The devil? My parents? Probably if I had been taken to a different hospital, this accident might have been averted.  Or, was I the guilty one? Maybe if I have paid more attention to my diet, I would not have had appendicitis in the first place and there would have been no need to visit the hospital.

Or maybe it is my destiny.  Probably I had been chosen from the beginning of the world to go through this. But to what end? For what purpose? Why will the Lord choose me to suffer such an unfortunate experience? What testimony do you want out of this oh Lord? Have I not served you to the best of my ability? Why would you require this of me?

If you wanted me as the sacrificial lamb, why did you allow me taste the pleasures of life only to withdraw it from me so soon?  I will joyfully trade places with a village peasant girl in exchange for my life, for my health and vitality. He who controls all things, the sovereign God had decided and l am helpless against his judgment.                                                                              

Perhaps he will show mercy and reverse this curse on me. Maybe the story of my life will also end well and all will be restored back to me like the story of Uncle Job.  I will wait in anticipation for my change to come, for everything to be restored back to me. The end of Uncle Job’s life was better than the beginning. Maybe, just maybe, it will be the same for me.                                                     

The Carol Awards: 2013 Winners Announced

The Carol Awards are ACFW's recognition for the best Christian fiction published by traditional publishing houses in the previous calendar year.

The following are the winners for the 2013 Carol Awards that were announced during the the Gala held at the 2013  ACFW National Conference in Indianapolis on  September 15, 2013.

CATEGORY   : LOVE INSPIRED

   Lost Legacy By Dana Mentink                

Brooke Ramsey is running out of time. She needs to save her father's reputation before she loses him to illness. That means finding the painting that went missing while in his care. Fast. Which is why she teams up with Victor Gage, owner of Treasure Seekers agency.

The charming private detective has more at stake than uncovering a lost masterpiece. He's investigating his wife's death, and the artwork holds the answer. As Victor and Brooke draw closer to each other, so does a murderer. Someone wants the past to remain buried and will kill again to keep it hidden.

CATEGORY: Historical Romance

A Promise to Love 

by Serena B. Miller 

(Revell * Editor: Vicki Crumpton)

Ingrid Larsen, a young Swedish immigrant, arrives in Michigan in 1871 to search for her brother who has disappeared into the woods to work the dangerous lumber camps. Destitute and barely hanging on to hope, she encounters a newly-widowed farmer who is struggling to raise five children on his own. Marriage would solve both of their problems, and so Ingrid proposes to a man she barely knows. She will fight to protect her new family--but the hardest battle of all will be winning the heart of her new husband.

Readers who loved The Measure of Katie Calloway will be pleased to find more of Miller's emotive and descriptive writing here--and to discover that love is more than words

CATEGORY:  Romance

Picture

Saving Gideon 

by Amy Lillard 

(B&H Publishing * Editors: Julie Gwinn/Julie Carobini)

Gideon Fisher wants one thing out of life -- to be left alone. This is not the Amish way, but he’s devastated after the death of his wife and son to the point of losing his faith. He buys a farm on the outskirts of the district and pulls away from his community. But when a freak spring snowstorm brings a beautiful Englisher to his farm, what choice does Gideon have but to let her in?

Dallas socialite Avery Ann Hamilton is intrigued by the Amish farmer who pulls her out of the snow and into his austere lifestyle. Poor little rich girl, Avery has just gone through (yet another) bad breakup. Every man she meets only wants her for her father’s money. All she has ever wanted is to be loved for herself. Avery soon discovers the Oklahoma Amish country is the perfect place to hide out and heal her broken heart.

But she finds a peace in those back roads that she’s never felt before. Now her life has purpose and meaning as she connects with God and those around her. And there’s something more as she begins to care for this man who needs both love and forgiveness.

Gideon never wanted to live again much less fall in love, but Avery finds her way into his heart, showing him the beauty of life and God’s greatness. Yet as the feelings between Avery and Gideon grow, can they overcome their dissimilar lifestyles, or will their sheer differences pull them apart?

CATEGORY: Novella

 Recipe for Hope 

by Beth Wiseman 

(An Amish Kitchen - Thomas Nelson * Editor: Natalie Hanemann)

The Amish kitchen is the heart of the home – and the ideal setting for stories of love and hope.

When a storm blows a tree onto Eve Bender’s farmhouse, she has little choice but to temporarily move her family into her parents’ home. Outside of cooking together in the kitchen, Eve and her mother can’t agree on anything. But this may be just the recipe for hope in healing old wounds.

Part of  An Amish Kitchen  Novella Collection

Speculative

Daystar 

by Kathy Tyers 

(Marcher Lord Press * Editor: Jeff Gerke)

Times have changed for the telepathic Sentinels in the realm of the Federate Whorl. Persecution sends these genetically altered people fleeing to their sanctuary world, but a shipboard disaster exposes High Commander Brennen Caldwell to fatal radiation. Medical student Meris Cariole ends up stranded, an unwelcome outsider, at a sanctuary she never meant to invade.

On another world, wrongfully imprisoned Sentinel Jorah Caldwell receives a supernatural visitor. For generations, the Sentinel kindred has anticipated Boh-Dabar, the prophesied Word to Come. The visitor hails Jorah as Boh-Dabar. Can he believe the news?

Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger arrives at the sanctuary world, also claiming to be Boh-Dabar. Brennen and Firebird Caldwell, Meris, and Jorah are caught in a tangle of interstellar incidents that threaten the Sentinel kindred's very existence. And no one-anywhere-has anticipated the events that will shake the interstellar Federacy.

In the "Firebird" alternate universe, humankind has gone to the stars. The messianic bloodline has been genetically altered, and instantaneous communication links the settled worlds. Still, God's character has not changed, nor have his promises failed. Daystar brings the saga to a conclusion that rocks the galaxies. 

Young Adult

Like Moonlight at Low Tide 

by Nicole Quigley 

(Zondervan * Editor: Jacque Alberta)

When high school junior Melissa Keiser returns to her hometown of Anna Maria Island, Florida, she has one goal: hide from the bullies who had convinced her she was the ugliest girl in school. But when she is caught sneaking into a neighbor's pool at night, everything changes. Something is different now that Melissa is sixteen, and the guys and popular girls who once made her life miserable have taken notice.

When Melissa gets the chance to escape life in a house ruled by her mom's latest boyfriend, she must choose where her loyalties lie -- between a long-time crush, a new friend, and her surfer brother who makes it impossible to forget her roots.

Just as Melissa seems to achieve everything she ever wanted, she loses a loved one to suicide. Melissa must not only grieve for her loss, she must find the truth about the three boys who loved her and discover that joy sometimes comes from the most unexpected place of all.

Romantic Suspense

When a Heart Stops 

by Lynette Eason 

(Revell * Editor: Andrea Doering)

Spunky and outgoing, nothing much bothers medical examiner Serena Hopkins--except for the thought of falling in love again. But when a serial killer is picking off her former classmates, Serena's life becomes intertwined with her old high school crush, FBI agent Dominic Allen. Is the secret she's keeping putting her next on the killer's hit list? Can she trust Dominic with the truth before it's too late?

Intense, emotional, and fast-paced, When a Heart Stops will have readers up late as they race to the finish to find out what happens.

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Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

The Soul Saver 

by Dineen Miller 

(Barbour Publishing * Editors: Rebecca Germany/Jamie Chavez)

Lexie Baltimore is in the supernatural battle of her life. In obedience to God's calling, Lexie uses her art and dreams to help others. But will she have enough courage to help herself when she becomes torn between her atheist husband and a godly man?

A widower and a father, Pastor Nate Winslow is drowning in darkness. Will he resist his treacherous assignment to win Lexie's heart or give in to the attraction between them?

As events unfold, Lexie becomes entangled in a twisted plot. Will she overcome the evil assailing her or yield to the dark side?

Contemporary Heart Echoes  by Sally John  (Tyndale House * Editors: Karen Watson/Stephanie Broene,/Kathy Olson) In the aftermath of a massive Los Angeles earthquake, the perfect existence Teal Morgan-Adams has built begins to crumble. Teal’s daughter, Maiya, is determined to learn the identity of her biological father, despite the loving devotion of her stepdad, River Adams. But that’s a secret Teal hoped would remain buried forever. She has never shared the truth with anyone . . . not her family, not River, not even Maiya’s father. As Maiya’s rebellion escalates, Teal receives tragic news from her sister and decides to take Maiya home to Cedar Pointe, Oregon, a place she’s avoided most of her adult life. But will her already-strained marriage survive the distance and the secrets she’ll be forced to face there? And can Teal erase the lies that echo in her heart? Début Novel Wildflowers from Winter  by Katie Ganshert  (Waterbrook/Multnomah * Editor: Shannon Marchese) A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built a life far removed from her trailer park teen years. Until an interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa. Determined to pay her respects while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan. Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. So when Bethany is left the land, he must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany's vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away. For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn't seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace she's not even sure exists? Historical Where Lilacs Still Bloom  by Jane Kirkpatrick  (Waterbrook/Multnomah * Editor: Shannon Marchese) One woman, an impossible dream, and the faith it took to see it through.  German immigrant and farm wife Hulda Klager possesses only an eighth-grade education—and a burning desire to create something beautiful. What begins as a hobby to create an easy-peeling apple for her pies becomes Hulda’s driving purpose: a time-consuming interest in plant hybridization that puts her at odds with family and community, as she challenges the early twentieth-century expectations for a simple housewife. Through the years, seasonal floods continually threaten to erase her Woodland, Washington garden and a series of family tragedies cause even Hulda to question her focus. In a time of practicality, can one person’s simple gifts of beauty make a difference? Based on the life of Hulda Klager, Where Lilacs Still Bloom is a story of triumph over an impossible dream and the power of a generous heart. “Beauty matters… it does. God gave us flowers for a reason. Flowers remind us to put away fear, to stop our rushing and running and worrying about this and that, and for a moment, have a piece of paradise right here on earth.”

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When Mountains Move By: Julie Cantrell

It is the spring of 1943. With a wedding and a cross-country move, Millie's world is about to change forever. If only her past could change with it.

Soon after the break of day, Bump will become Millie's husband. And then, if all goes as planned, they will leave the rain-soaked fields of Mississippi and head for the wilds of the Colorado Rockies. As Millie tries to forget a dark secret, she hasn't yet realized how drastically those past experiences will impact the coming days.

Author Bio

Julie Cantrell is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Into the Free, which won Christy Awards for Best Debut Novel and for Book of the Year 2013 as well as the Fiction Award from the Mississippi Library Association. Cantrell has served as editor-in-chief of the Southern Literary Review and is a recipient of the Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Fellowship. She and her family live in Mississippi, where they operate Valley House Farm. Her new novel, When Mountains Move, is the sequel to Into the Free.  

BOOK TRAILER: WHAT WAS ONCE LOST By Kim Vogel Sawyer

What was once lost by Kim Vogel Sawyer

BESTSELLING AUTHOR BEVERLY LEWIS SHARES THE JOY OF SEEING HER WORDS ON THE SCREEN

Beverly Lewis: True Confessions                                                                                                        

Following up on the blockbuster success of Beverly Lewis’ The Shunning, the producers have now adapted The Confession for the screen. Bestselling Amish fiction author Beverly Lewis shares the joys—and challenges—that come with seeing her words enacted on the screen.                                                                                        

Even after publishing more than 80 books, winning numerous awards, and watching several of her novels turned into hugely popular television films, Beverly Lewis is one of the most humble ladies you’ll ever meet. As Christian fiction’s leading writer of Amish tales, she calls herself driven, motivated, passionate, and earnest about creating stellar stories that touch hearts and make a difference in readers’ lives. “I can’t really not write, or I get sick,” she admits. “I’ve been creating stories and characters that seem to live and breathe since I was a little girl. I guess it’s just who I am. It’s similar to the way I feel when I don’t play the piano for a few days, as well. So, while it’s hard to explain, this is my strange reality. This urge to express myself with captivating characters and dilemmas is something very strong in me, and I have to pay attention. As long as my muse shows up, I write for God’s glory.”
In 2011, one of Beverly’s most beloved novels, The Shunning (Bethany House) was adapted into a Hallmark Channel original movie by Michael Landon, Jr. and Brian Bird. The moment it aired, viewers clamored for the novel’s sequel to follow.

Thankfully, our wait is almost over: The Hallmark Channel will broadcast The Confession in May, with a arrival on DVD and streaming in June.

“There is nothing quite like this continuing story,” Beverly says.

The author, along with her husband, oldest daughter and granddaughter, were able to spend two full days on set during the filming process. Look for them in the background as “extras” during the scene where Laura Mayfield-Bennett introduces her long-lost daughter (the imposter Katie Lapp).

“Hollywood is known for mixing things up in a movie, you know,” Beverly says, perhaps recalling how her own novel The Redemption of Sarah Cain (Bethany House) saw major plot changes when it was adapted to the screen. “But after reading the screenplay, I knew Michael and Brian had made every effort to be true to the core of my story. I really appreciate that. We’re truly a team in that way. Their mission matches mine. Providing wholesome and faith-based films for family viewing is their calling. They are respectful to the heart of my stories and receptive to my input. What author typically gets invited to edit the screenplay? That’s a rarity in Hollywood, 

let me tell you.”he actress who played Katie in The Shunning wasn’t able to reprise her role in the sequel, but actress Katie Leclerc (Switched at Birth) has picked up the reins and taken off with the role. “Katie Leclerc has an amazing vulnerability she brings to the character of Katie Lapp,” Beverly says. “When you see the movie you’ll notice it immediately. All of us have fallen in love with her work and her brilliant acting ability. She is every bit, if not more so, my Katie Lapp. She is the perfect choice for this movie— and the next.

“Viewers will be helpless to feel anything but connectivity and intimacy with the leading actors in the movie,” Beverly says. “I can assure readers who love this series that they will adore The Confession movie as well. It is compelling, heartbreaking, heartwarming, inspiring, and so thoughtfully, if not tenderly, portrayed in every way. And, yes, The Reckoning movie is in the works!”