Christian Retailing free enewsletter

Do you like to keep up with the latest news in Christian retailing? About what's happening in the music industry (winners in the recent Dove Awards), the latest in inspirational fiction, or industry events being hosted in your area of the country? 

Then you might be interested in subscribing to Christian Retailing Update's free enewsletter that's published every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. You can sign up by clicking here.

And does this dessert look appetizing (it was delicious)...

Click here to get the recipe and to read my post today on Writes of Passage, a historical group blog I share with Robin Lee Hatcher, Judith Miller, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and Tracie Peterson. I share a story about my grandparent's first car. Let's just say that my granny wasn't exactly keen on traveling uphill and down.

Latest in Christian Fiction

Here's the latest book by Amy Wallace--Enduring Justice. Enjoy!

A PAINFUL PAST

Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her memories.

A RACIALLY-MOTIVATED KILLER

As a Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. Difficult cases and broken relationships have plagued his entire year. But when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A LIFE-ALTERING CHOICE

A racist's well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. The dividing line between the two is the choice to heal. But when the attack turns personal, is justice enough?

 

Chatting with Amy... 

Q.  Where did the idea for the stories in the DEFENDERS OF HOPE series come from?

A. The Defenders of Hope series started with a literal dream about an FBI agent with a wounded heart and a mom on a dangerous quest for answers. That dream became the book Ransomed Dreams. During the research for Ransomed Dreams, I met with a federal agent and asked the question—what would happen if an FBI agent found out he had cancer? Hi

s answer became the second book, Healing Promises. And the third book in the series, Enduring Justice, grew out of a secret one of the characters, Hanna Kessler, struggles to keep hidden.

Q. Your current release is Enduring Justice, book 3 in the Defenders of Hope series. Is it necessary to read all the books in order?

A. I’ve been told by many readers and read reviews that have said the Defenders of Hope books can be read in any order as stand-alones. The cases and suspense story-lines are self-contained, no cliffhanger endings until the next book. But the characters’ friendships and relationships grow and are challenged in each book, so I’d say it’s best but not necessary for the stories to be read in order.

Q. You’ve said that Enduring Justice contains the shards of your once-broken heart. What do you mean by that?

A. Fifteen years ago, God placed me in a safe place and used my future husband’s hands to hold me together while my heart shattered. David was the first person to hear about my being date raped when I was a teen. For five years I’d denied what happened or blamed myself. So when my walls of secrecy started to crumble, I felt alone and terrified.

But God met me there. He covered my shame with His grace and we started down the painful path of healing. Even though this isn’t the same circumstances as what Hanna Kessler faces in Enduring Justice, a lot of my personal story went into the writing. And while this subject may qualify this story as “gritty,” the focus is not on the past experiences, but on the healing an adult woman finds as she opens up to her family and the man she loves.

 

Q. One of the key themes running through Enduring Justice is racism, as Hanna’s love interest, FBI Agent Michael Parker, is investigating a white supremacist. Why is this topic near to your heart?

A. I grew up in the military and had friends of all skin colors and nationalities. One of my best friends was African American. We never talked about our skin color, but I remember one time she made a comment about how people treated her differently because of her skin. She wouldn’t explain. It wasn’t until years later after hearing some ugly words from extended family members about people of other skin colors that I started to understand racism still exists. And it breaks my heart.

Through Hanna and Eve and Michael and Lee, I wanted to highlight some of the challenges I’ve learned about from friends of other nationalities and also to show that it’s not skin color that matters, it’s who we are on the inside. We truly can be color-blind.

Q.  Where can readers learn more about you, Enduring Justice, and your other books?

A. I enjoy and value email from readers! So please visit me on the web at the Dark Chocolate Suspense site and leave a note in the guestbook, drop me an email, or join the Dark Chocolate Suspense newsletter community.

You can also check out a very cool book format and read the first two chapters of Enduring Justice online here.

My outdoor office

It's a beautiful spring day here in Franklin and I'm headed outside to write. Thought I'd share some pictures of my "outdoor" office. ;)

Make the most of your day! I will too!

Live Like a Rock Star

Know any teens age 13-18? Tell them about the “Live Like a Rock Star” sweepstakes, sponsored by Zondervan to promote  Always Watching, Brandilyn Collins's young adult suspense novel co-written with her daughter, Amberly. Entry into the sweepstakes is easy. And each entrant

 can enter up to ten times, resulting in a greater chance to win.

Grand Prize: $850 night out on the town, including dinner for six at a restaurant of winner’s choice, and limo service for the evening. The first 200 entrants will receive a free copy of Always Watching.

*TO ENTER SWEEPSTAKES, go here. Join The Rayne Tour Series Fan Club. Watch the book trailer.

Always Watching—Rayne Tour Series book #1
Seatbelt Suspense® for young adults.
This daughter of a rock star has it all—until murder crashes her world.
During a concert, sixteen-year-old Shaley O’Connor stumbles upon the body of a friend backstage. Is Tom Hutchens' death connected to her? 
Frightening messages arrive. Paparazzi stalk Shaley. Her private nightmare is displayed for all to see. Where is God at times like this? 

As the clock runs out, Shaley must find Tom's killer—before he strikes again.

“Mother and daughter team Brandilyn and Amberly Collins have stormed onto the YA 

scene in exhilarating style with this great new series. Always Watching is a fast paced whodunit set against the intriguing backdrop of rock star celebrity .... Shaley’s struggle to balance her public status with her true identity is one of the most interesting aspects of this story. [Brandilyn Collins’] adult fans will find much to rave about here, while new teen readers will love the youthful voice and perspective that Amberly Collins brings to the table. Underlying the tension and dread is a strong spiritual message about trusting in the God who is always watching over us.”

—Jake Chism, The Christian Manifesto

Latest in Christian Fiction

Here's Leanna Ellis's newest--Ruby's Slippers. 

It's a "Wizard of Oz meets Cinderella" tale!

 
When Dottie Meyers loses her ‘no place like home’ during a Kansas tornado, she wakes up to find a pair of ruby slippers left by her father who abandoned his family thirty years ago. With her sister hot on her trail to find the treasured ruby slippers, Dottie travels a yellow brick road with three friends to find her father. No wizard can solve her problems. Only the love of a heavenly father can heal her wounds and give her the desires of her heart.
 
There’s no place like … the heart for God’s healing touch.

Check out Leanna's website. Also, read an excerpt from Ruby's Slippers.

And another....

Cheryl Wyatt's Ready-made Family, a Love Inspired novel, available now---

Amelia North needs refuge, and finds it--in Refuge, Illinois. Stranded there after a car wreck, the single mother expects to be cold-shouldered. After all, she's already been rejected by her parents, her church and her daughter's father. Instead, she finds a town full of people with open hands and hearts…including pararescue jumper Ben Dillinger.

Ben wants to help Amelia and her daughter find safety and stability. Instead, he finds himself freefalling—right into love with the ready-made family.

Check out Cheryl's website here.

Nano iPods and God's great mercy

I'm back from a recent trip to Atlanta where I had really good time with mom and dad. A couple of cute things happened while there...

When the nurse came in to take mom's vitals at the oncologist she told mom to "take deep breaths, please," and all of sudden we heard dad breathing real deep. Mom and I looked at him like what on earth are you doing, and he didn't even realize he was doing it. We got so tickled. I told him I thought that was carrying the "oneness" thing in marriage a tad far. Him trying to breathe for her too...

Something else sweet...I showed them my iPod and they loved it! I decided to get mom one and load it with her favorite music so she can listen to it during her infusion sessions (chemo, more on that in a minute). So dad and I went to Wal-Mart to pick one out Friday afternoon, and he insisted that he wanted to buy it for her as a gift from him. He chose the color (purple) and she LOVES it! They were so cute. I've got tons of music already loaded and taught them how to use it. I talked to her a while ago and she'd already been listening to praise music this morning. She says, "It's so clear. Like the singers are right inside your head." ;)

Here they are at the surgeon's office just after being "introduced" to the world 

of the iPod. I turned around and saw them sharing it and snapped a pic.

We met with the oncologist and surgeon last week and both appointments gave us hope. Mom's chemo starts in June. They're allowing her time to regain her strength. She's eating much better now and she's getting stronger so that's a great thing following two major surgeries in two months.

While I was with them, we talked a lot about life, death, life in the hereafter, cried many tears, but laughed even more at funny things that've happened and at a ton of past memories, including things about loved ones who are already waiting for us in Heaven. It was great to be there, and I wouldn't have missed these days with them for anything. 

These past two months have been hard ones and we have no clue what lies ahead (who among us does). But we know, without a doubt, that God is guiding each step along this road. On behalf of my family...thank you. We appreciate you walking this road with us in prayerful support. It's making all the difference.

Me and mom

Dad and me

Latest in Christian Fiction

Check out Elizabeth White's newest release, Tour de Force.

A Passion for Dance

Gilly Kincade is a rising star on the New York ballet scene. Dancing is her life's passion, second only to her love for Jesus, and she believes her faith sets her apart--but hasn't held her back. Chosen for a plum role in a new ballet choreographed for her, it seems the sky's the limit. Then she meets Jacob Ferrar....

A Passion for God

Jacob Ferrar has left behind the glittering temptations of stardom in New York ballet. He has established a reputation as a brilliant, innovative artistic director of a regional dance company in Alabama, with a vision for choreography that glorifies God and encourages the audience. In fact, he's certain nothing could make him go back....

Becomes Love's Tour de Force

When Jacob offers Gilly the lead in his original Easter ballet, she begins to reevaluate what she's willing to sacrifice for dance. And he sees exciting potential of shining light on the world's dark stage. But their brilliant first performance is destroyed by a terrible accident, and Gilly and Jacob find themselves facing an uncertain future. Together, they dance the fine line between personal vision and God's will, listening for the beat of the Father's heart.

Romantic Times BookClub says:

“White takes readers behind the scenes into the competitive dance world. It's refreshing that Gillian befriends and respects people living different lifestyles while still boldly living out her faith.” (4 stars)

An interview with Beth about Tour de Force:

Q:            What inspired you to write a novel about ballet dancers?

A:            Too much cold medicine? JUST KIDDING! Actually, Gillian Kincade was a character in last year’s Off the Record.. As the off-beat teenage sister of Judge Laurel Kincade, Gilly took on such a distinct personality (as characters often do) that she demanded a story of her own. Readers have written to ask if she follows through with her crush on musical heartthrob Tucker McGaughan…To be blunt, no. Too easy. But rest assured, Tucker makes his appearance inTour de Force.

Q:            So were you ever a dancer yourself?

A:            If you could see the bruises on my knees just from trying to make it across the Wendy’s parking lot, you wouldn’t ask that question. But since you did…I once took tap, jazz and rudimentary ballet as a child. I learned just enough to pick up elements of the dance language. Everything I know about professional ballet has come from interviewing and observing real dancers, notably the exquisite Kathryn Morgan of New York City Ballet and Kathy Thibodeaux of Ballet Magnificat! in Jackson, Mississippi.

Q:            What spiritual take-away is involved in a story about dancers?

A:            I was interested in exploring challenges to Christian artists in general. The Scripture I kept coming back to is Luke 12:48: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Debates have gone one for decades (probably centuries, for all I know) regarding Christian art. For example, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, the story goes, discussed whether the world needs more “Christian writers” or “writers who are Christian.” The only way I knew how to tackle the subject was to create characters who must face those questions, take a stand, and either live for God—or not.

It’s my belief that flawed people are more interesting than perfect ones. They’re also more real. Though Gilly and Jacob aren’t “real” in the obvious sense, they do struggle to cope with universal issues. How much overt “witnessing” should a Christian performer or teacher do? What’s the line of grace between acceptance (“tolerance”) of the lifestyle choices of non-believing friends and sticking up for morality and truth? How should we respond when God seems to pull the rug out from under our dreams and desires? Are Christians allowed to feel disappointed?

My job as a novelist is not to preach the answers to those questions, but to draw pictures of possibilities and to point readers back to God’s Word—the only place to find answers. If I succeed in making readers think and pray, then I’m happy.

Q:            This book has a subtitle, “A Love Story.” Is there significance to that?

A:            Well, I’ve always considered myself a romance writer, but this one is truly focused on the development of relationships—not just between the hero and heroine. Tour de Force explores friendship, family love, and God’s love. It was a very satisfying book to write. I hope readers will like it.

Read an excerpt of the Tour de Force here, and be sure and check out Elizabeth's website.

Want a feel good moment?

Click here and watch Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent 2009. I love moments like this. Plus, this is a favorite song too--I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. 

Go Susan! You've got my vote, lady!

Winner of Giveaway for The Making of a Gentleman

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for The Making of a Gentleman by Ruth Axtell Morren. 

The winner is:

** tracy **

Check back soon for another giveaway. Books by Randy Alcorn, Karen Kingsbury and Terri Blackstock are on deck to be given away in coming weeks!

There's nothing like "Face to Face"

I'm Atlanta bound this morning and am SO excited to see mom and dad again. I talk with them every day, especially recently, but there's nothing like that "face to face" time. 

The same is true for time with God.

Like you, I pray everywhere. Whenever I'm prompted. Whether I'm standing in the grocery line waiting to check out, or taking Jack for a walk, or pulling weeds in the backyard, or blazing down the highway with the praise music cranked up. And while all of those times of prayer are a privilege for which I'm eternally grateful, the "face to face" time with God is so precious.

And "face to face" time with God is what I've been getting in this Beth Moore study I'm currently doing, "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place."

In learning about the tabernacle and the Israelite's journey through the wilderness, I'm learning more and more about God. About how He works and how He views situations. SO differently from me. About how patient and loving and eternal-minded He is. SO different from me. 

And about His omnipresence--how He stands on both edges of eternity and spans the gap, able to see, with perfect clarity, every single "day" from before the beginning of time to well past the ten millionth year of our being home in the New Heaven and New Earth. 

Again, so different from me.

There have been times in this study when, after reading, I've simply closed my Bible and have bowed and wept over some new facet of God's beauty, or His goodness, or His mercy that's been revealed.

And in those quiet moments, in those "face to face" encounters when I can hear the tick of the grandfather clock throughout the house, I've come face to face with who I am, and with Who God is, and I'm amazed all over again that He could love me. That He would choose to pursue me. Like He loves you and chooses to pursue you.

If you've not done a Beth Moore study before, I'd encourage you to. And if the Spirit brings us to mind this week, I'd appreciate your prayers for my parents and me as we visit the chemo doctor on Thursday and then have a follow-up meeting with the surgeon on Friday. It's reassuring to know that God waits for us (face to face) in those future moments, as surely as He resides with us in this one.

And THANK YOU for all the song recommendations you offered me last week. I'm listening to them and thinking of you all as I drive today!

One of those "just happened" moments

I was reminded this weekend at my niece's wedding of how quickly time passes, and of how God must love "surprise meetings."

Following the wedding, my family and I nabbed a table for the reception and two lovely gals asked if they could join us. We said "sure" and struck up a conversation and, turns out, I knew these girls--years ago! Their parents were friends of ours when the girls were just toddlers!

Me with Jessica and Jillian Payne

(Aren't they lovely?)

In our early days of marriage, my husband and I lived in Memphis and some of our dear friends were Sydney and Paula Payne. Joe and I eventually moved from Memphis to Texas, then to Colorado, and as the years passed, we lost touch. Well, Sydney and Paula are still in Memphis but their daughters live here in Nashville and we "just happened" to sit at the same table at the wedding.

I say "just happened" in quotes because I believe it was one of those God designed moments. Twenty-something years ago when I last saw these girls and we all played in the park together, God looked ahead, spanning the years, and could already see the moment when we'd be sitting at that same table and our paths would cross again. I believe He was watching, and chuckling, and loving the moment too. 

I firmly believe in God's sovereignty and in His orchestration of our lives. Even in the most minute details. Is everything that happens in our lives by His direct design? Not hardly. But everything that does happen does happen because God allows it. Both the good and the bad. Sometimes that's really hard to come to grips with, I know. But if God is all powerful--and He is--then there's no other explanation.

A song I've been listening to recently is You Never Let Go. My version is sung by Matt Redman. You've heard the song before, I'm sure. It's not new. But it's really ministered to me lately, reminding me that God works in every situation for our eternal good. And that the only way to get through some situations--especially the ones that don't make sense to your heart--is to praise Him throughout. 

Because it's impossible to praise Him and not trust Him too.

What song have you been listening to recently that's really encouraged you in your faith? Do share, please! I want to download some new songs from iTunes and I'd love your recommendations. Last time I asked this I got several great new songs that I've loved.

And by the way, don't tell my family but I've got another pan of those zany brownies in the oven. I'm beginning to think I should have never bought this pan. But I'm going to give these brownies away. Really. Well, at least the ones that don't have edges. :)

Winner of the recent Giveaway...and another chance to win!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for The Convenient Groom, and my apologies for being late in posting a winner! 

The winner of Denise Hunter's The Convenient Groom is...

 ** Katey **

Katey, once you send us your snail mail address, we'll get your book in the mail, friend.

And, how about another chance to win a book? I'm giving away a copy of The Making of a Gentleman by Ruth Axtell Morren. Here's a peek:

"Ruth Axtell Morren writes with skill and sensitivity about things that matter most."

---NYT Bestselling author Susan Wiggs

SAVED FROM THE GALLOWS...

Just moments from the hangman's noose, Jonah Quinn escapes from infamous Newgate Prison in London. Taking prison volunteer Florence Hathaway hostage is a masterstroke, but Jonah intends to end their acquaintance once he's free. God, however, has other plans.

The caring spinster's mission is to turn Jonah's life around. The burly fugitive scoffs at the notion he can be groomed into respectability, much less win a royal pardon. He knows that donning a waistcoat and cravat does not change a man. But a woman's stubborn faith? That can accomplish miracles. Florence sees right into the depths of his roguish heart, and Jonah finds himself wanting to become that man she sees...

To enter the giveaway:

Please leave a comment on this blog post, giving your name and saying you’d like to enter. Due to mailing costs, we usually only ship to U.S. addresses but this time we're including our Canadian friends. (Sorry, other international friends. We'll catch you again soon!). Please leave a working email address where we can contact you (use this format with the brackets—you [at] yourmail.com—or something similar to prevent spamming). It’s the winner’s responsibility to check back and confirm whether they’ve won (we WILL email you too). Name of winners will be posted on this blog. Leave your comment by Monday, April 13, 2009 to be included. We'll draw names on the following day and post promptly. Also, you can always leave a comment and not enter (just note that in your comment).