August – September 2008
A newsletter featuring the latest on fiction by
Brandilyn Collins and many other Christian novelists.
Buy these titles at your local Christian bookstore
– and thereby support its ministry.
~ Brandilyn's Bits: News on her books and appearances
~ A Novel Gift: This month’s chance to win a free autographed book (3 chances to win)
~ Behind the Scenes: Answers to your questions about other Christian novelists
~ Facts on Fiction: Latest available releases from some of your favorite authors
~ Brandilyn's Bits ~
1. My next novel, Dark Pursuit, (a stand-alone suspense) releases in November. Interested in receiving a free copy as an “influencer?” Please email my assistant by August 30 with your name, street address and how you could help get the word out about this book. All influencers are also asked to submit an honest review of the book to amazon.com. I have a set number of influencer copies, so I really need to get them into the hands of people who are willing and able to spread the word. Dark Pursuit will also be going on a CFBA blog tour. If you’re a part of CFBA, you can receive your free copy through that organization.
2. My Hidden Faces series is now being re-released with new covers. Look for these novels on the shelves.
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~ A Novel Gift ~
Visit your local Christian bookstore and check the fiction shelves. Can you find all four books of the Kanner Lake series? What other books of mine can you find? Any that you haven’t read? (And just why not?) Please e-mail my assistant. To qualify you must include “A Novel Gift” in the subject line and include your name and address as well as the name and address of the Christian bookstore you visit. (This contest is open to those who reside in the United States and Canada and who have not won in the past 3 months.) [Contest now closed]
~ June-July winners and the stores they visited ~ |
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| Lisa Ortiz (Grand Rapids, MI) | ~ |
Family Christian Book Store [Grand Rapids, MI) |
| Rachel Masters (Palm Bay, FL) | ~ |
Family Christian Store (Melbourne, FL) |
~ Behind the Scenes ~
Answers to your questions about other Christian novelists.
Do you have a question about a Christian novelist? E-mail it to my assistant, and I'll try to find out the answer for the next issue of Sneak Pique. This issue's question:
"I was wondering if you knew if Robert Whitlow is in the process of writing any new books? I really enjoyed Life Support and the sequel, Life Everlasting, and then found everything else he had written and read through those."
Here's the answer from Robert:
"A new novel, Deeper Water, was released on June 1, 2008. It is the first of a three part series about a young female law student from the mountains of north Georgia who goes to work for a prestigious law firm in Savannah. The second book, Higher Hope, is complete and will be released in April, 2009. I’m also excited about the DVD release by 20th Century Fox of the movie adaptation of my first novel, The List. Turning a book into a movie is a challenging and interesting process. I’m excited about the project and the film. Thanks so much for your interest!"
~ Facts on Fiction ~
Read more information about the books below at the authors' Web sites. Buy them at your local Christian bookstore.
Contemporary
Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky (Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishing. Group, Division of Random House)
www.marloschalesky.com
They say love is blind. This time, they’re right. A poignant love story...A shocking twist ... Come, experience a love that will not die. With groovy 70’s trivia and a whopper of an ending twist, this Nicolas Sparks (The Notebook) type love story meets a M. Night Shymalan (The Sixth Sense) twist in this moving story of two people trying to find love in the dark. A woman going blind, a man who loves her but can’t tell her so, a car crash, a hospital room, and an ending that has to be experienced to be believed.
Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow (Thomas Nelson)
www.robertwhitlow.com
Tides of Truth Series #1. Leaving the farm and her Bible-believing family behind, Tami Taylor accepts a job with a prestigious Savannah, Georgia, law firm. She's challenged by her first case and flattered by the attention of two attorneys. But when the charges against Moses Jones escalate from trespassing to murder, Tami's concerned not just about her client's crime—but a company cover-up!
Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas (Moody)
www.debbiefullerthomas.com
Single mom, Marty Winslow, journeys past her grief when she discovers the child she lost to terminal illness was switched at birth. Now she has Andie, her wounded biological daughter who refuses to unpack and who insists that her grandparents will get her back. Andie’s soul is as tattered as the family’s Blue Moon Drive-in. Will Tuesday night ever be family night again at the Blue Moon?
Cozy Mystery
In the Dead of Winter by Nancy Mehl (Barbour Publishing)
www.nancymehl.com
The Ivy Towers Mystery Series #1. College student Ivy Towers reluctantly returns to Winter Break, Kansas to settle the estate of her late, great-aunt Bitty Flanagan, owner of Miss Bitty’s Bygone Bookstore. Bitty’s fall from a library ladder seems suspicious to Ivy, and items are missing from the store. An anonymous note confirms Ivy’s worst fears. Someone in Winter Break murdered Aunt Bitty. But why? Ivy and her former boyfriend, Deputy Sheriff Amos Parker, search for the truth about Bitty’s death and discover dark secrets that are worth killing for. As harsh winter weather rages all around Winter Break, another storm brews deep in Ivy’s heart. Everything she believes will be tested, and in the end, she will discover that love lurks in the most unexpected places.
False Picture by Veronica Heley (Severn House)
www.veronicaheley.com
Abbot Agency Series #2. Velma is charm itself, especially when she's being inexact with the truth. Now she wants Bea from the Abbot Agency, to check on her stepson, Philip, as he's somehow acquired a valuable painting—or is it a copy?—last seen in the flat of an elderly lady who's been murdered. A professional thief is also after the picture. Bea moves her noisy but good-hearted assistant, Maggie, into Philip's flat to check on him, until Maggie is persuaded to carry unknown goods across the channel for a friend. Can Bea locate Philip and the missing picture, the stolen goods and her new outfit from Bruges, without falling foul of someone who already has several murders to his credit?
Fantasy
DragonLight by Donita K. Paul (WaterBrook Press)
www.donitakpaul.com
The Dragon Keeper Chronicles Series #5 and final. Truth has never been more important, nor so difficult to discern. As Kale and her father are busy hatching, bonding, and releasing the younger generation of dragons as helpers throughout the kingdom, the light wizard has little time to develop her skills. Her husband, Sir Bardon—despite physical limitations resulting from his bout with the stakes disease-has become a leader, serving on the governing board under Paladin. When Kale and Bardon set aside their daily responsibilities to join meech dragons Regidor and Gilda on a quest to find a hidden meech colony, they encounter sinister forces. Their world is under attack by a secret enemy. can they overcome the ominous peril they can't even see?
Romance—Contemporary
Beach Dreams by Trish Perry (Harvest House Publishers)
www.trishperry.com
The Beach House Series #3. Tiffany LeBoeuf has a problem. She lost her job, her mother recently passed away, and she has zero social life. And then she meets Jeremy. But Tiff is a new Christian and knows she shouldn’t be attracted to this unbelieving (but charming!) Brit. And then there’s Eve...Jeremy’s girlfriend. When Tiff reserves a cozy beach house in San Diego for a much-needed retreat, a mix-up causes a double-booking, and Tiff ends up sharing the beach house with Eve. When Jeremy arrives to surprise Eve, he surprises Tiff as well. As Jeremy settles in at the house next door, events and secrets unravel that surprise everyone.
Finally a Family by Carolyne Aarsen (Love Inspired)
www.carolyneaarsen.com
Riverbend Series #2. Ethan Westerveld could fuss and fret all he wanted, but his Uncle Sam had willed half the farm he had thought he would inherit, to a girl to make up for past betrayal. According to the will Hannah had to spend six months at the farm or forfeit the inheritance. Hannah was game. What did she have to lose after all? Maybe...her heart?
Romance—Historical
Wagered Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher (Zondervan)
www.robinleehatcher.com
When Bethany Silverton left the genteel life of Miss Henderson’s School for Young Ladies back in Philadelphia for the raw frontier town of Sweetwater, Montana, she had no idea how much she would enjoy the freedom and danger of this wild country. A conservative preacher’s daughter, Bethany can’t resist the challenge of charming the most attractive cowboy in town into attending her father’s new church. She never dreamed that the cowboy would charm the lady.
Romance—Historical Comedy
Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy (Barbour Publishing)
www.maryconnealy.com
Lassoed in Texas Series #2. School Marm Grace Calhoun gets Daniel Reeves’s unruly sons kicked out of school. He gets her fired. A completely innocent compromising situation sees them married the next day. No two people could be more unhappily married. No five boys are more determined to get rid of their unwanted new mother. When Daniel’s interest in his prissy new wife begins to grow, then things get really bad. Snowed into their canyon for the winter, will the spring thaw melt Daniel’s icy heart? And once they’re free to go, Grace’s dangerous past is free to invade and threaten all of them.
Romantic Suspense
Bayou Paradox by Robin Caroll (Steeple Hill, Love Inspired Suspense)
www.robincaroll.com
Bayou Series #4. It can cure you. Or it can kill you. The untamed Louisiana bayou is not for the faint of heart. But until now, Tara LeBlanc has always considered it a sanctuary, it's lush foliage a source of medicinal healing. What evil has infiltrated her haven? Two elderly women she loves lie near death, and Tara knows their illnesses are no accident. Only one man can save Tara from the same fate: Sheriff Rene "Bubba" Theriot. The strong-willed lawman throws his all into protecting her, laying his heart on the line as well as his life. Now they both stand to lose it all as a killer gets ready to pounce.
Suspense
Blood Brothers by Rick Acker (Kregel)
www.rickacker.com
Dead Man's Rule Series #2. In this intense sequel to Dead Man’s Rule, lawyer Ben Corbin finds himself caught between feuding brothers Karl and Gunnar Bjornsen. The Bjornsens built a pharmaceutical empire from the ground up. Now they are developing a revolutionary new drug, a neural stimulant that increases strength and intelligence, but its potential for success is rapidly destroying them. Warring for control of the company and the drug, Karl sues Gunnar, and Gunnar hires lawyer Ben Corbin to defend him. But the case involves more than bitter sibling rivalry. Signs of embezzlement, black market deals, and the grisly consequences of the Bjornsens’ new drug begin to emerge. Soon, Ben and his wife, Noelle, find themselves in Norway where the case takes a personal and violent turn.
Here is an opportunity for you to read excerpts from recent releases of Christian novels:
Chapter-A-Week: A weekly e-mail that includes a 1500-word excerpt from a recent release (all genres), published by major houses in the Christian market. Many of these authors are best-selling and/or award-winning. To join, send an e-mail to: chapteraweek-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE
To send all comments/suggestions, free-book contest entries, questions about Christian novelists please write my assistant.
You are welcome to forward this newsletter to your friends. Join my mailing list.
~ BRANDILYN
Seatbelt Suspense™
www.brandilyncollins.com
www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com
