2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 1!

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

There are several reasons 'A Lasting Impression' is my number one pick.
1) The setting. I'm enjoying Tamera's latest fiction titles that are placed in existing buildings in the U.S. Choosing Belmont Mansion, a place already steeped in history, is akin to adding another character to the story.
2) The characters. Putting a fictional spin on a real person while maintaining believability can be tricky. Tamera Alexander does her homework, and her characters shine as a result. Claire is a beautiful, talented artist who only wants to make her mark on the world. Instead of using her gift to create art that is all hear own, Claire is forced to forge famous paintings. Will she ever be able to create something entirely her own? Sutton is a handsome young attorney who wants nothing more than to reclaim his land, and his family honor, from the Federal Army. Will his single-minded pursuit blind him to the opportunities right in front of him?
3) The Spiritual depth. When you find the truths that the characters are learning speaking to your own heart, it's impossible to not connect with what you are reading.

Tamera's books always leave a lasting impression on me- I'm so thankful to have her voice out there in the writing world.


Back Cover:

To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach. 

 

All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined. 

 

Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more.

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 2!

Tomorrow's Sun by Becky Melby

I love books that tie the past with the present, especially when that past happens to be the Underground Railroad.

 Emily Foster is on a mission, and she will 'flip' as many houses as it takes to accomplish it. She hires contractor Jake Braden to help her with the remodel. There's only one problem. Jake can't bring himself to destroy a piece of history. When they find a stash of love letters hidden away in the house, Emily and Jake are drawn into the hurts of the past, and ultimately find healing for the present.

 This book is amazing- read it as a stand alone or pick up the other books in the series.

For more information, visit Becky's website:

http://www.beckymelby.com/Books.html

Back Cover:
Emily Foster's scars have faded, but she can't forgive herself for the accident that stole a young girl's dreams. Before she can allow herself to live again, she needs to make restitution. The first step toward her goal is gaining money by flipping a house built in 1847, but Jake Braden, her contractor, doesn't share her vision. Jake has bigger battles to fight as he tries to gain guardianship of his late sister's twins. When they discover the house was part of the historic Underground Railroad, they uncover clues about an old love story...and God's plan for their future.

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 3!

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

I discovered Karen Witemeyer this year, and she is becoming one of my favorite authors. 
One of the reasons I appreciate her so much is because she works hard to keep a strong faith thread running through her stories. Her characters are flawed- but beautifully so, and their redemption is always poignant. 

What happens when you cross a blacksmith who is trying to hide his past with a librarian who has her own ideas about love? The answer is a fun & heartwarming tale about looking beyond first impressions and trusting the heart of another person.

Back Cover:

Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets. . . Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart. Levi's renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she's finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections?

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 4!

Angel Sister by Ann H. Gabhart

Ann Gabhart's book was an unexpected treasure. 

Every once and a while I casually begin reading a book and suddenly find myself wholly absorbed in the story. 'Angel Sister' is set in 1936 and follows the struggles of the Merritt family. As each member seeks to find their footing through the fallout from the Great Depression, you will see yourself reflected in the mirror of their struggles. 
Ann paints a beautiful picture of what perseverance looks like, and what it means to believe in the goodness of God. In Kate we find the illustration of child-like faith, and how tightly we must hold on to hope in the One who made us.

Back Cover:
It is 1936 and Kate Merritt, the middle child of Victor and Nadine, works hard to keep her family together. Her father slowly slips into alcoholism and his business suffers during the Great Depression. As her mother tries to come to grips with their situation and her sisters seem to remain blissfully oblivious to it, it is Kate who must shoulder the emotional load. Who could imagine that a dirty, abandoned little girl named Lorena Birdsong would be just what the Merritts need?

In this richly textured novel, award-winning author Ann H. Gabhart reveals the power of true love, the freedom of forgiveness, and the strength to persevere through troubled times. Multidimensional characters face real and trenchant problems while maintaining their family bonds, all against the backdrop of a sultry Kentucky summer. Readers will be drawn into the story and find themselves lingering there long after they've finished the book.

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 5!

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

 This one is for all my fellow Jane Austen fans. If you haven't discovered Julie Klassen yet- consider yourself enlightened. Julie's books are well researched and they show it. 
Add to this compelling characters and a setting (Regency England) that just begs for conflict and romance, and you have an engrossing and addictive story difficult to ignore. 
A word to the wise: do not pick up 'The Silent Governess' to read unless you have the time it takes to finish the whole book.

I also highly recommend 'Lady of Milkweed Manor' and 'The Maid of Fairbourne Hall'.

Back Cover:
Believing herself guilty of a crime, Olivia Keene flees her home, eventually stumbling upon a grand estate where an elaborate celebration is in progress. But all is not as joyous as it seems. Lord Bradley has just learned a terrible secret, which, if exposed, will change his life forever. When he glimpses a figure on the grounds, he fears a spy or thief has overheard his devastating news. He is stunned to discover the intruder is a scrap of a woman with her throat badly injured. Fearing she will spread his secret, he gives the girl a post and confines her to his estate. As Olivia and Lord Bradley's secrets catch up with them, will their hidden pasts ruin their hope of finding love?

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 6!

Blood of Adam by Rachel Neal

Here's another Biblical fiction title for you! 
This time we take a look at the life of Noah through the eyes of his daughter-in-law, Denah. 
This unique perspective allows the reader to get a feel for what it must have been like to be part of Noah's family- a man the world mocked and belittled. Denah's struggles for acceptance and love are ones we all face.

 If you enjoy Tessa Afshar you will enjoy Rachel Neal. I happen to know she is working hard on Book 2 in the series.... I can't wait to read it. 

Back Cover:
Before the earth splinters into continents, before the first raindrops fall from the sky, only one family is destined for salvation. Denah is not among them by choice. Her husband is a disgrace, her sisters-in-law are cursed, and the family adheres to the rigid demands of an outdated God. Denah simply wants the life she deserves. She will follow her own forbidden path to fulfillment, encountering blackmail, jealousy, and betrayal along the way. What she deserves turns out to be far different than what she imagines, and she must face the tumultuous consequences of her decisions before the past and future of all mankind collide in the shadow of Noah's ark.

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 7!

An Eye For Glory by Karl Bacon

Let me begin by saying: I am not a Civil War buff. I couldn't tell you which battles took place where. It's not my thing.

And it doesn't matter.

You will pick this book up, and not put it down until it's finished. 
The story is beautiful and redemptive, written in 'journal entry style'. 
The only downside? There's only one book. Since it took Karl Bacon 10 years to write this one, I don't see another on the horizon- but I truly wish there were.

Back Cover:
Michael palmer is a good man, a family man. But honor and duty push him to leave his comfortable life and answer the call from Abraham Lincoln to fight for his country. This 'citizen soldier' learns quickly that war is more than the battle on the field. Long marches under extreme conditions, illness, and disillusionment challenge at every turn. Faith seems lost in a blur of smoke and blood ... and death. Michael's only desire is to kill as many Confederate soldiers as he can so he can go home. He coldly counts off the rebels that fall to his bullets. Until he is brought up short by a dying man holding up his Bible. It's in the heat of battle at Gettysburg and the solemn aftermath that Michael begins to understand the grave cost of the war upon his soul. Here the journey really begins as he searches for the man he was and the faith he once held so dearly. With the help of his beloved wife, Jesse Ann, he takes the final steps towards redemption and reconciliation. Using first-hand accounts of the 14th Connecticut Infantry, Karl Bacon has crafted a detailed, genuine and compelling novel on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Intensely personal and accurate to the times, culture, and tragedy of the Civil War, An Eye for Glory may change you in ways you could have never imagined as well.

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 8!

Third Starlighter by Bryan Davis

I so appreciate Bryan Davis' heart to keep his books deep. He is intentional not only about telling a good story, but also to include spiritual truths that remain long after the book is finished. Tales of Starlight is the adult sister series to the Y/A Dragons of Starlight series- I am reading both.

Back Cover:

 Adrian Masters journeys into the wilderness of Starlight, the dragon planet, in search of his brother Frederick who has built a refuge for runaway slaves. Carrying the comatose body of Marcelle and accompanied by two liberated slave girls, Adrian has to find medical help for Marcelle, but the slave master dragons will kill him on sight if he comes out of hiding.

 Adrian hopes to join his brother and devise a plan to rescue other humans enslaved on Starlight. Since he cannot leave Marcelle alone, her nearly lifeless body becomes a physical and emotional anchor, and he is torn between helping her or attempting to rescue the slaves.

 Meanwhile, Marcelle’s spirit travels to their home planet in search of military help. She is able to materialize there in a temporary body that looks corpselike and feels icy cold. Because of her appearance, Governor Orion persecutes her as a sorceress and sentences her to burn at the stake. Yet, she has hope of rescue in three allies—her father; an eccentric former teacher; and the mysterious Starlighter, Cassabrie.

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 9!

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

When Lauren is offered the chance to transcribe a diary written by a young girl named Mercy during the Salem Witch trials, she jumps at the chance. As she writes the words on a new page, they become etched deeply on Lauren's heart as well. Ultimately she is forced to face her perception she has of those around her. 
This is a beautiful book about the power we have to judge and condemn, or offer mercy to those around us.

Back Cover:
“We understand what we want to understand.”
Leaving a life of privilege to strike out on her own, Lauren Durough breaks with convention and her family’s expectations by choosing a state college over Stanford and earning her own income over accepting her ample monthly allowance. She takes a part-time job from 83-year-old librarian Abigail Boyles, who asks Lauren to transcribe the journal entries of her ancestor Mercy Hayworth, a victim of the Salem witch trials.

Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. As the fervor around the witch accusations increases, Mercy becomes trapped in the worldview of the day, unable to fight the overwhelming influence of snap judgments and superstition, and Lauren realizes that the secrets of Mercy’s story extend beyond the pages of her diary, living on in the mysterious, embittered Abigail.

The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul. But on the way to the truth, will Lauren find herself playing the helpless defendant or the misguided judge? Can she break free from her own perceptions and see who she really is?

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 10!

Lion of War Series by Cliff Graham

Cliff Graham takes us back to the days of King David & his Mighty Men. The books are gritty, intense and full of blood, sweat, and tears. The realities of war are sharply contrasted with the beauty of the Covering- the peace and rest found in the Presence of the Lord. 
Mr. Graham urges us stand in the Day of War, and be men (and women) of God. 
Did I mention the first novel, Day of War, is being made into a movie? P/A

Back Cover, Day of War (Book 1):

In ancient Israel, at the crossroads of the great trading routes, a man named Benaiah is searching for a fresh start in life. He has joined a band of soldiers led by a warlord named David, seeking to bury the past that refuses to leave him. Their ragged army is disgruntled and full of reckless men. Some are loyal to David, but others are only with him for the promise of captured wealth. While the ruthless and increasingly mad King Saul marches hopelessly against the powerful Philistines, loyal son Jonathan in tow, the land of the Hebrew tribes has never been more despondent---and more in need of rescue. Over the course of ten days, from snowy mountain passes to sword-wracked battlefields, Benaiah and his fellow mercenaries must call upon every skill they have to survive and establish the throne for David---if they don't kill each other first.

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 11!

River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren

This is a Youth Fiction Series, but I really enjoyed it. Who doesn't want to time travel back to Italy? You will feel like you are breathing in the Italian air....the atmosphere is rich & the characters are believable & engaging. Since I am big on age appropriate fiction, I would encourage parents to use discretion when purchasing this book for younger teen girls. Lisa wrote this series as an alternative to the Twilight series- for which I applaud her, loudly!- but as a result there is quite a bit of what I will call 'adult themed' situations in this series. Lisa is never explicit. 
I admit to being largely out of touch to secular teen fiction, or what reared reading is in schools these days. If I had to give this book a rating, I would say 16+. But again, this depends on the maturity of the girl. :) 

*this series is so popular that Lisa has now written 2 Ebook additions to the series to tie off character arcs.*

Back Cover of Waterfall (Book 1):

Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.
Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved … and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know—and love itself.

 

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. In Book One of the River of Time series, Gabi and Lia are stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, boring, and dusty archeological site … until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

           

And thus she comes to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

2012- 12 Days of Fiction: DAY 12!

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

I enjoyed Tessa Afshar's rendering of the story of Rahab immensely. Threads of forgiveness, redemption, and God's love are woven seamlessly through struggles we all face- pride, fear, and our own unworthiness when faced with the amazing love of God. In the season when we focus on the birth of Christ, I recommend a journey through this captivating story of one of the women in His lineage.


Back Cover:
Can a Canaanite harlot who has made her livelihood by looking desirable to men make a fitting wife for one of the leaders of Israel? Shockingly, the Bible's answer is yes.  
Pearl in the Sand tells Rahab's untold story. Rahab lives in a wall; her house is built into the defensive walls of the City of Jericho. Other walls surround her as well--walls of fear, rejection, and unworthiness.

A woman with a wrecked past; a man of success, of faith...of pride. A marriage only God would conceive! Through the heartaches of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmone learn the true source of one another's worth and find healing in God.

A Good Land

I've been on a journey for several years now. The road has been long. I've walked through the desert, the valley, and the wilderness. Sometimes, I got to stand on the mountain top and see what the Lord led me through, and how he helped me overcome. Recently, the Lord called me to walk with him through the book of Deuteronomy. I knew I was in for another adventure when the Lord lit up Chapter 1:6-8.
"...You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country....See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession..."

The Lord just called me out.

At first, I was discouraged. Not back to the wilderness. I was just there. I shared my frustration with a dear friend. Her correction was gentle:

 "This call is not a call to return to the wilderness. This call is the Lord leading you into the promised land. He wants to take you into the fullness of His promise." 

Now you may think I'm talking about my spiritual journey, and in some ways, I am. But for the most part, I'm talking about my journey as a writer. It's time to move on. It's time to fully enter into what He has for me.   
I'm still struggling with fear. I want to trust that the Lord will continue to bring this story to life. There are days when I feel completely incapable of writing anything good. But the Lord has continued to use Deuteronomy to encourage and remind me of His faithfulness.  

The Lord wants to lead me into a 'good land'. It's time to break camp and follow in faith. 

When God Gives Us Growing Pains

My heart is heavy today. I know so many people going through hard things. When they come to me, my heart goes out to them. At the same time, my flesh recoils.
 I am the least-qualified person in the whole world to walk through this with you.
The more they share, the more weight I feel inside.
I just want to DO something. But I can't make this right.
Could it be that helpless is right where I'm supposed to be? The panic that pushes me to my knees is completely right? The brokenness that overwhelms my heart is a beautiful, intentional wound?

This is one of God's growing pains. 

"But he said to me 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT) 
Why do we despise weakness? Why do we panic when there's nothing we can do? This verse is is the first to come to my heart when I think of weakness. It is often quoted- yet in my heart, it is rarely applied. There is NOTHING I can do. PRAISE GOD for another opportunity to show His power by my weakness!

 "Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9b & 10, NLT)          

 Am I clinging to the Lord after the death of my child? No.
Am fighting to love my spouse in a marriage that is a source of daily agony to me? No.
Am I on the brink of giving up and walking away because it hurts too much? No.
But I'm walking next to someone who is. And instead of cowering in fear because 'I can't help', it's time to embrace my weakness, and watch what the power of God will do. 
Are you helpless? Desolate? Empty? Be encouraged by the power of your weakness. It will change your world.