The Words of David

War of Attrition, by Frank Creed

2010-12-11T01:00:00.004-05:00

If you've been following along on CFRB's main page you'll notice that I've really enjoyed this book. War of Attrition, by Frank Creed is most probably unlike anything you've ever read before, unless you read Flashpoint, the book that precedes this work. There are several reasons I like this book.

First, the crisp action-style writing is something that I like. His ability to let you see and even feel a part of the story is powerful. This is something that all writers strive for, but Frank has a trick of his own. I guess it's the nicknames and the high tech stuff. Basically he gets the story right down there at street level. He's not trying to please someone with his vocabulary, which is also impressive. He's trying to create a story that you will believe.

Second, I like all the gadgets. From BrainWave technology, to "slagging Nasty Neros", to the most advanced security systems you'll find on the planet. It's there, described and believable. If not believable in a real world sense it's believable in a "Final Fantasy" kind of sense. So get used to it.

Third, Frank is blunt, most of the time. His characters have all the diplomacy of an African American leader of the KKK, but it works well for him, and luckily for us as well. Sometimes characters get so prissy you just want to throw up. Other times they just get predictable. (Like I was watching this movie last night and picked out the murderer before the show was halfway over...and I was right. I wanted to be proven wrong). Frank is blunt, real, earthy. A.P. Fuchs wrote of my work, "David Brollier is hardcore". Well, A.P., thanks for that, but I didn't come anywhere near as hardcore as Frank does. (By hardcore I mean hard hitting, believable, action driven writing, not the other kind of hardcore).

Fourth and most importantly, Frank isn't afraid to be real about his Christian testimony or that this is a work of Christian fiction. Unlike many other Christian writers he is willing to take on the hard issues. He takes theology and tosses it out of the window and asks, "What if they're wrong?" He may add some other views, but it's always in a sort of guarded sense. I mean they missed Jesus the first time He came. We don't want to make the same mistake the 2nd time around. In this sense he is completely unbiased. He is not saying his views are right or yours are wrong, at least not in the areas of prophecy. There are some basic truths that he stands firm on, more so than some "men of the cloth". He isn't bound to religion, but teaches unity in the Body of Christ through his work, and for that alone I will be forever thankful.

Now if I haven't convinced you to go out and buy his book, then I feel sorry for you. You'll be missing out on one of the greater writings I've ever come across, with very few exceptions. Then again Frank Creed is difficult to compare to other writers. He's different. He's fresh. He's bold, and he's about as good as anyone in his genre of cyberpunk will ever be.

Be sure to visit Frank Creed at his blog. He's a really interesting and complex guy. You can find him HERE.

Or visit THE UNDERGROUND (but I don't think it's been kept up as good as his blog)

On sale - online at these locations:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books a Million

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.

Legal stuff
This is where I'm supposed to tell you that I'm doing this review in exchange for a free copy of his book. Well, if that were the case it wouldn't make his book any less compelling. The fact is I'm trying to do these reviews from an e-copy of his book because I haven't received his in the mail yet. I don't review garbage. If I have to I'll send the book back. In this case I'm doing the review with nothing but a e-file of the book. So you be the judge. Am I really doing this to get a free book? Or perhaps am I doing this because I want others to learn about the grace and love of Jesus Christ?

Interview with P.A. Baines

2010-11-11T16:31:00.007-05:00

It's been a while since I've written an interview, but I thought it would be good to do so with P.A. Baines. Author of Alpha Redemption, which is being toured by CFRB this week, we are proud to have him with us to answer a few questions and get to know him better.

David: We don't know much about you. Is this your first book?

Paul: Firstly, thank you David for inviting me for this interview. This is my first published book but I have been writing on and off for about thirteen years now. My first novel was accepted by the Pema Browne agency in New York. They liked the story and it "came close" to being taken by a major publisher, but never quite made it. I recently started a degree in Creative Writing and both the tutor and course assessor said my work was of publishable standard, so I wrote two novels (including Alpha Redemption). I like to think that I have served my apprenticeship in the trade of writing and can now hopefully serve God effectively.

David: Do you only write SF, or do you like other genres as well?

Paul: I like sci-fi because it offers so much creative freedom while demanding a degree of scientific accountability. I enjoy science and marvel at the discoveries being made. Sci-fi allows us to take these discoveries to the next level and ask, what if? Apart from sci-fi I also enjoy writing humor, although the two often overlap

David: So, Paul, where do you hail from? I notice that this takes place, or rather begins, in England. Is this your homeland?

Paul: Actually, I'm from a few places. I was conceived in the US, born in England and raised in Africa. For the past ten years I have been doing contract work in Europe. I am a bit of a globetrotter but consider England my home.

David: You deal with a great tragedy in an interesting way. Have you had any personal tragedies that helped you create the feelings for this or see what Brett was going through, or did you just make it up?

Paul: We had quite a few dramas in my family when I was growing up, and there are one or two scenes in the book based on my own experiences. Happily though, I have never lost anyone in a plane crash. I had to dig deep to imagine how that must feel.

David: I don't think I've ever seen someone tackle conquering the speed of light light the way you did? Where did you get the ideas from?

Paul: The idea of travelling to Alpha Centauri came about as a matter of convenience. I needed a man (Brett) to spend a long period alone with a sentient computer, and it seemed logical to have that take place on an epic journey across space. And I wondered what reason a man could have for travelling so far by himself, other than if he is taking part in an experiment of some sort. I had Brett take part in a mission to Alpha Centaur because it fit his situation perfectly. The attempt to travel at light speed gave the experiment a purpose as well as providing the means needed to generate Brett's genetic-reversal crisis. To discover more about the potential effects of light speed travel I spent a lot of time doing research. It is currently theoretically impossible to reach light speed, but then they have always said that about speed barriers and we always cross them sooner or later. I am certain that we will one day find a way to travel faster that the speed of light.

David: I liked how you developed Brett throughout the story. It was as if he was heading towards something and it wasn't Alpha Centuri. You even handled "Jay" in much the same way. How did you get the idea of showing the reader Brett's past the way you did, and what clicked in you to have a computer that could evolve to the point where it experience feeling?

Paul: The original idea for the story came from watching, and taking part in, forums where Christians and atheists came together to discuss their beliefs. The atheists generally held the view that Christians (and their faith) are completely illogical and that no rational person could ever believe in God. This made me wonder what would happen if a purely logical being were presented with God. Would such a being reject Him or believe? And would such a creature be able to convince an atheist that God is real? It was then a matter of finding a purely logical being, which is where Jay came in. And the man whose faith is in tatters is played by Brett. I chose Brett because he is a man who, like so many non-believers, has been hurt by life and can see no place in so much pain for a loving God. And he, like so many non-believers, did once have a child-like faith which faded as he grew older. Later, he tries to believe for the sake of his wife, but it isn't a genuine faith. Then when his family dies, he rejects God completely. He claims to not believe, but he actually blames God. The story begins not long after the accident, when Brett is at the lowest point in his life. The journey to Alpha Centauri is a physical representation of his journey back to God. The whole book is about a journey of some sort, and all of these journeys are towards Alpha. Brett and Jay are travelling towards Alpha Centauri, but also towards Jesus, the Alpha and Omega. And thanks to the genetic reversal effect, Brett is also travelling towards the beginning (or Alpha) of his physical life. The idea of switching back and forth between the present and Brett's past came from the genetic reversal idea. It occurred to me that I should show the events in Brett's life at each reduction in age so that, in effect, the story is travelling in two directions at the same time.

David: Just how much do you identify with Brett and why?

Paul: I identify quite strongly with Brett. My family joke that he is me when I'm grumpy. Then again, I also identify with Jay. I suppose the act of drawing on my own experiences for inspiration results in all of my characters having at least some of me in them. For Brett, however, there is more of me in him than any other character I have written. I have faith in God but I also have times when I doubt. I tend to be a contented person, but I can also get depressed. For Brett, I took these traits and amplified them to the point where they were big enough to be able to destroy him. It is for this reason that his journey back to God is so urgent, and why God goes to the lengths He does to find someone who is so utterly and completely lost. I consider my writing to be a ministry, and my hope is that Alpha will show people a little bit of God's love and mercy. I wrote Alpha for all the Bretts out there, that they too may find their way home to the Father.

David: Thank you Paul for taking some time out for this interview. It has been a delight and an honor.

Paul: Thank you for touring Alpha on the CFRB site. You really dig deep into the stories. Your comments are always very insightful and, best of all, you seek to glorify God. I'm honoured to be a part of that.

David: Well, rather than fight over who's more thankful, let's just give the glory to the Lord and praise Him for bringing us together. Once again, P.A. Baines (Paul), author of Alpha Redemption.

Be sure to visit:
Splashdown Book's Alpha Redemption page

In addition to being able to purchase the book there you can find it on the following sites:

Splashdown Books
Amazon
Barnes and Noble.

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.

Legal Stuff

By law I have to tell you that I received this book for free in order to write a review of this book. The review, is therefore, in their opinion, payment for the book. I have received this book for the express purpose of writing a review. This is true. However I would not have requested it were it not a quality work. My payment is to Mr. Baines as a tribute to the quality and message of this work. It is only right that I should do so.

Alpha Redemption, by P. A. Baines

2010-11-08T01:00:00.001-05:00

This month the Christian Fiction Review Blog tours Alpha Redemption, by P. A. Baines. Sorry about the back to back SF books, but you really need to take a look at this one. You may think this is just a story about space travel, or experimental space travel, and while it is that, it is so much more. It's about a man named Brett Denton wondering what happened to his life, the God he and Rochelle always talked about, his family. It's about a broken man and how far God is willing to go to heal that broken heart and life. Yes, it does have experimental space travel, but that isn't all it has. After the tradition of the true great writers of SF, P. A. Baines uses the SF genre to tell us something about ourselves. You are going to have to hunt to find this book, and to that end I've included some links at the end. All I can say is that this is one great story, the kind that most other writers may be afraid o write. There is depth, reason, wonder and even a sense of magic here. So I hope you will do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this wonderful book.

Be sure to visit:
Splashdown Book's Alpha Redemption page

In addition to being able to purchase the book there you can find it on the following sites:

Splashdown Books
Amazon
Barnes and Noble.

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.

Legal Stuff

By law I have to tell you that I received this book for free in order to write a review of this book. The review, is therefore, in their opinion, payment for the book. I have received this book for the express purpose of writing a review. This is true. However I would not have requested it were it not a quality work. My payment is to Mr. Baines as a tribute to the quality and message of this work. It is only right that I should do so.

Legendary Space Pilgrims, by Grace Bridges

2010-10-09T09:27:00.002-04:00

I had hoped to have an interview here with Grace, but it seems time worked against me. In any event I would like to close out the tour with this post on Legendary Space Pilgrims, by Grace Bridges.

I am basically a mystery/suspense writer, although I find myself getting carried away by some of the great authors we tour at the Christian Fiction Review Blog. Grace Bridges is one of those exceptional writers. I do like the sci-fi genre, although my own work in that area began a long time ago, consisted of 3 stories, and had to be re-typed several times, just to save the rough draft due to computer crashes. As a result what I have is a work in great need of editorial work just to make in consistent throughout, not to mention all the problems I'd have to work on through the needed re-writes. So it sits, stored on a disk, untouched for over a year now, only getting through half of it with any kind of editing. I haven't really given up, but I haven't seriously considered going back to it either.

Unlike my work, Grace Bridges pressed on, edited, polished and did a great job. Not only did she persevere, but she came out with a work that is, in my opinion, one of the best I've read. Also unlike my work, she doesn't stick to a single planet, but travels through the solar system, giving the readers a view of the vastly different planets our pilgrims come upon. The 2 that receive the most intricate attention are the planets Monday and Viva. We know there is a 7th planet, Sancta, but we know little about it as of yet. I suppose we will find out much about this planet in her sequel. The reason that the planets between Monday and Viva do not receive as much attention is not that she doesn't describe them but because they are mostly devoid of people, and people are what makes our surroundings something to connect with. On Monday we have everyone being pushed into a single mold, while on Viva there are many different types of peoples, and it is Viva where the book really begins to rachet up the pace. Do yourself a favor, buy this wonderful book and after reading it share with others or better yet, donate to your local library so others can read it.

Grace is the owner and editor of Splashdown Books. She's a Kiwi of Irish descent living in beautiful New Zealand, and a chocaholic cat-lovin' Trekkie, Jesus freak, web designer, and all-round DIY gal who also takes care of the Lost Genre Guild Blog. Visit Grace's Blog for links to all her interests.

Purchase Legendary Space Pilgrims from
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Splashdown Books.

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.

Legendary Space Pilgrims, by Grace Bridges

2010-10-04T01:00:00.002-04:00

Fasten your seatbelts for an interplanetary pilgrimage with Mario and Caitlyn as they escape Planet Monday. No, really. That's the name of the planet, or at least the name the Baxters, those who colonized the planet, gave it. The vivid imagery, the plot and numerous and complex subplots, this was one beautiful story. In fact, the only negative thing I could find was that Grace Bridges ended it in the middle of the story (I certainly hope a sequel is on the horizon).

So, what's it about? Picture yourself living in a world of grays, everyone doing the same thing day in and day out. And if emotions increase too much there is always the Mindwipe, a facility used to erase a person's memory. She handles all of this and so much more with the reality that set her apart in Faith Awakened. When I read Legendary Space Pilgrims I was amazed at how she seemed to have a intuition when it comes to having just the right amount of technical information to make the story work without coming off like an instruction manual or something geekish. Instead everything comes off sounding, as I've said, realistic, even though we fly about on a space pod, visit some of the oddest planets, and find out that we are somehow involved in some ancient prophecy.

I can go on and on, but I don't want to give too much away. You will find that this is one of those fantastic works that sets a person apart. It will take you places you'd never dreamed of going, and all along you'll find suspense, humor, confusion, and a budding relationship, just among a few things you'll enjoy along the way. So grab your copy and jump into the story of your life.

Someone to Blame, by C.S. Lakin

2010-09-07T01:00:00.002-04:00

This week the Christian Fiction Review Blog invites you to take a trip with Matt, Irene and Casey Moore, from southern California, to a northern town called Breakers. It's a trip from the sunny, hopeful lives of their past into a drizzly gray pit of despair. A place they hope to put some of the pieces back together and build a new life for themselves.

Not being very clear? Sorry. The book runs like that for a while. You get hints of things that have gone wrong. Bits and pieces of a family that has been tragically torn apart come in at a maddeningly slow pace, and yet, this pace may have much to do with the dramatic conclusion to the story.

Matt and Irene Moore have lost their two sons, Daniel and Jesse. Whisking away to Breakers with their daughter in the attempts to hold the remaining family together, and perhaps even start a new life. Yet their own personal tragedies and pains come with them as if they had packed them carefully to join them in Breakers. This family unit has now divided into 3 parts, the father who questions his own actions, yet blames the son. The mother who blames the father and still reaches out to find that compassion again. The daughter, who as she is growing into a young lady, rebels at her parent's decision to push her brother's out of all memory.

Yet, Someone to Blame is a book about redemption, about how God can take even the most horrible circumstances, and makes something good out of it. It's about a God who loves more deeply than those who have lost these loved ones, but is non-the-less a God who is always in control. What we learn about ourselves, our neighbors, the need for God's love to fill the gaping whole in the lives of those around us, becomes central to the story. Lakin doesn't pretty things up. She tells it like it is. She drags you through their despair, showing that you have to go through it in order to be victorious over it. The message is simply, if you want someone to blame, look at yourself, then realize God paid for all the faults you've made by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. He took the blame off of us and put it on Him.

This is a fine book, although it may appeal to some people more than others because of its style, yet I would encourage all to read it, and if you must, push your way through it. You'll be the better for it.
You can read more by visiting:
Someone To Blame

And don't forget to visit her personal site:
C. S. Lakin

You can find Someone to Blame sold at the following online stores:

Christian Book
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Target

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.

Legal Notice:
It has become the legal obligation for us to notify you, the viewers, that we who have reviewed this book have received, in most cases, a copy of this work for free. While our reviews are in some fashion a payment for this book it does not diminish the quality of the work whatever they may try to make us say. This is a quality book. You would do good to read it.

August CFRB Tour

2010-08-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

I will admit that I have my own ideas about a really great Christian vampire novel, and neither Never Ceese, by Sue Dent, nor today's Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, by Ellen C. Maze really grasp the full import of that idea. Nonetheless both are great works. Today we will be looking at a different approach in Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider.

In this story a writer of vampire novels, Beth Rider, is visited by an unusual creature. She calls them the Rakum, half-human, half-demon. It seems the Rakum have a grudge against Beth Rider because she's been writing all these Christian books about vampires, which comes very close to exposing them. So this creature marks her, making her his "rabbit". The other Rakum can smell the sent and seek her out.

Again we are talking about spiritual warfare, about the curse of sin verses the mercy of God. In this extraordinary novel you will be drawn into this conflict and come out with a greater understanding of the battle you are in. Better than that you're going to learn, without realizing it, how to win those battles you find yourself in. For that reason you may find your own life crowded in by the Rakum. But as Jesus said, "Do not be afraid, I have overcome the world." He not only overcame the world, but death, the grave and every possible temptation. He is our hope, our victory.

Follow Beth into a world of anxiety, terror, and ultimate victory.

You can learn more about her and her book HERE

Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider can be purchase on the follow sites:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books a Million

August CFRB Tour

2010-08-13T01:00:00.000-04:00

You know, I never used to think vampire novels had a place in Christian literature, but the more I began to think about some of the different things that a vampire novel can teach about Christianity the more I realized how great of an impact it can have. So the next two posts are both about Christian vampire novels. They are both as different as night and day, to coin a phrase, but they touch on some of the fantastic truths found in the stories of vampires.

The first of these is Never Ceese, by Sue Dent. We are first introduced to the wife of a pastor, centuries ago. Her decision to stay home is a burden her children must bear for many years. Technically, we should be talking werewolves here, since Ceese is a werewolf. However, she has hunted down her half brother for centuries. Richard is the vampire of the novel. Neither one is really happy about the arrangement. I mean in most vampire novels you read today the vampires and such are like these super beings that people would just love to be. Not so in Never Ceese. When Ceese and Richard come together for the first time in centuries they clash, I mean we are talking anger on epic proportions. The only thing they seem to hate more than each other is the fact that they have been forced to live out life, one as a werewolf, the other as a vampire.

The point of Never Ceese (and Sue's other book, Forever Richard) is that they are under a curse. After the initial class they forge an unlikely bond and Richard helps Ceese break the bond of the curse over her. This is the Christian story. We are all born under the curse of sin. In fact Scripture says that at one time we were enemies of God. It is by Jesus, and through His death and resurrection, the the curse has been done away with for all who call upon Him. As the Bible says, Jesus became a curse for us, and in so doing broke the bondage of that curse over us.

Learn more about Sue Dent and her writings HERE

Never Ceese can be purchased from the following sites:

Thirsting for Blood
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books a Million

August CFRB Tour

2010-08-12T01:00:00.001-04:00

Now this is one fun story. Written for young adults, and appreciated by almost all ages, League of Superheroes, by Steven L. Rice follows the antics of 4 teenage boys, one of their younger sisters, and a friend they met online. Before you start going "Ho, hum" let me tell you a little about this unlikely, but likable group.

The 4 boys are all geeks. They've formed a club called "The Mad Scientist Club" which, in some contrast to the name of the group is really about their love of comic books, especially superheroes who are regular people made heroic and super by means of science and technology. One of these boys has a little girl who is always tagging around and bugging them. The story actually begins with something of the sort, although what she wants at the time is help "chat" with a 7 year old girl she met online. Soon she is talking to all of them on a different site, learns of the boys' interest in techno-superheroes, and then springs a whopper on them. She explains that she can build suits for them that would give them the powers of their favorite superhero. They pretty much think she's off her rocker until the first of the suits arrives 2 weeks later. After several weeks all 4 boys have a different supersuit that enables them to have, more or less, the super powers of their favorite techno-hero.

Now I want you to think for a moment. Teenage boys can be a handful, and given their natural tendencies to get into all kinds of trouble, even when trying to do good, what would it be like if 4 of these teens were given supersuits? The laugh-out-loud story, with a serious plot and a lot of serious teachings that get mixed in so subtly that you don't realize it, makes for one really super book.

One of the things that is really great is that while all 4 boys are Christians, they are all from different denominational backgrounds. This doesn't seem strange to them, although at certain moments they do find themselves at odds over one thing or another. Still, they are able to reduce (or increase as the case may be) the core of their beliefs to Jesus is the author of their salvation. His birth, life, persecution, death, resurrection and promise to return is something all of them share. In short they all have made Jesus the foundation of their lives.

If you want to read one really fun book, look no further. You've found it. League of Superheroes, by Steven Rice is an excellent read, fully charged with laughter, drama, and some seriously interesting twists you won't find anywhere else.

You can learn more about League of Superheroes HERE
Or visit Steve's blog HERE

You can purchase your own copy at the following locations:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books a Million

August CFRB Tour

2010-08-11T01:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, this may seem a little self-serving, but I'm not about to skip over the book I wrote just because I wrote it. I'll freely admit there are some problems with the editing, but the story content is fascinating. If you like a mystery you'll love The 3rd Covenant.

Nat Adams is a character I'd been toying around with since the early 1970s. Initially he was supposed to be a comic book hero. Later, in the 80s I was working with Marc Burns on a book called The Red Sash, which, unfortunately, we were unable to complete. However, this bulk of this work provided a history for Nat as well as brought with him his own cast of characters; David Ng, Peter Chen, and most importantly David's sister who later becomes Nat's wife, Susan. Nat is both a NYPD detective working homicide out of the 5th Precinct as well as a Christian. He has problems with his Christianity. He's not perfect, but he keeps working at it.

May K. Wish was a new addition because I wanted to play around with the name. I also needed someone to keep Nat quiet enough so I could tell the story. Consequently May is an agnostic and works as a crime scene investigator. They are first partnered together in this adventure that begins with the bayonet slaying of a Catholic priest.

Our principle characters following the different leads they have end up chasing the same man, an ex-convict who calls himself "The Bishop". He has, in fact, started his own religion called The Church of the 3rd Covenant. The people in this new religion he uses to reach his own deadly goals.

You'll find forensics, police procedure, serious talk, comic relief, and a number of interesting spiritual truths, explained, but not pushed. We follow the ups and downs of this adventure through some amazing twists. In fact I wasn't sure how the book was going to end until 2 weeks before I finished the rough draft.

The 3rd Covenant was nominated by Deadly Ink for the David G. Sasher, Sr. Award for Best Mystery Novel of 2006. During the Summer quarter I was the featured author for the WhoDoneIt online magazine out of California, by Starr Reina. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on the 2nd Adams/Wish novel.

To learn more about me and my writing you can go HERE.

You'll find it on sale at the following locations:

From the Heart of David (needs to be updated)
PublishAmerica
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Enjoy a mystery today. Start with The 3rd Covenant.

August CFRB Tour

2010-08-10T01:00:00.000-04:00

Today I'd like to talk about one of the most fantastic books I've ever read. Time Masters; Book One: The Call, by Geralyn Beauchamp was intimidating when I received it in the mail. At nearly 600 pages it was as thick as my Bible. I was so afraid of reading it because of its length that I put it off for 3 days. When I finally got up the courage to read it I was drawn in so completely that it amazed me. I'm a slow reader by nature, and yet had the time to read this work through twice before posting my first review.

It's 1692 and we start in Glencoe Scotland. Here Dallan MacDonald watches as his entire clan is wiped out in the Glencoe Massacre. The reason Dallan isn't able to help his family is that he's captured by this huge "dark" man. Wounded and having his breath fairly squeezed out of him, Dallan passes out only to awaken in a village much like those he's used to, but the year is 3688. For 10 years he does battle in the courtyard against Kwaku, the very man who captured him. He is finally told that he's being trained to be a Time Master. Dallan thinks everyone has lost their mind. When he learns that he must go back to 1995 to convince a young woman to marry him, only she's really not human, things take a decided twist.

This fantasy where one finds themselves flying back and forth through time as easily as one crosses the street, is filled with all kinds of wonderful gems. Geralyn has a marvelous way of driving home the suspense while sprinkling in the most amazing humor. One of my favorite scenes is the one that takes place in the antique shop filled with ancient weapons. Her ability to create realistic characters with all kinds of unique traits, and get their individual speech patterns down is quite an accomplishment. It's a romance, a suspense, and a time traveling adventure you won't want to miss.

Check out her site HERE to learn more about this fabulous author.

You can purchase Time Masters at the following sites:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

This talented author had the unfortunate adventure of watching her publisher close shop and had to wait until another venue allowed her to get her work back on sale. Nevertheless I can tell you this is one work you will totally enjoy.

August CFRB Tour

2010-08-09T01:35:00.000-04:00

CFRB, that's the Christian Fiction Review Blog to those who are not familiar with the site (found at http://cfrblog.blogspot.com) just ran a review of Caprice Hokstad's first book, The Duke's Handmaid last month. This month we are allowed to pick past books that we liked instead of all doing the same book. One of the books I've chosen is Nor Iron Bars a Cage, the sequel to The Duke's Handmaid. I have a great appreciation for Caprice's literary skills. She will be one of those writers people will look back on and say, "Did you ever read anything by Caprice Hokstad? She's fabulous. In my opinion she forged a whole new sub-genre in writing fantasy." They'll be right, of course, only I know her, at least by association with CFRB and through reading her books. And I know her before she's famous, which has a great appeal to me. I feel the same way about several of the authors.

Getting back to the book, we continue following the lives of Duke Vahn Rebono and kee. In this book we get really deep into some wonderful, and not so wonderful things. For anyone who wants to know that God is in control even when things seem to be falling apart at the seams, this is a book they can read to encourage them, although that wasn't the reason she wrote it. She simply wanted to take the reader further into the tales of the Duke and Kedrina (kee). The main thrust of the book is the Duke's attempts to locate and retrieve his son, who was stolen by his now estranged wife, and taken into Ganluk. He can't go looking for his son himself, because of the political powder keg crossing into that country would create. His faithful servant kee comes up with a bold plan, one in which she must subject herself to all kinds of cruelty just to learn about her master's son, and where the child might be found. Meanwhile, back at home, the Duke trips over his ego and finds himself in an extremely awkward situation. I don't want to say too much other than if you like The Duke's Handmaid you're going to love Nor Iron Bars a Cage. Sometimes when people come out with sequels they are less exciting, but it's as if she used the first book to build up to this story. You'll love it.

Pay special attention to the various Christ-like attributes you will find here, from mercy to righteous judgment. She sneaks these in without the least compromise to her storyline.

You can visit with Caprice and even read the first few chapters of either The Duke's Handmaid or Nor Iron Bars a Cage by clicking HERE.

You can purchase Nor Iron Bars a Cage at:

Amazon
Books a Million
Barnes & Noble

Legal stuff:
Hey, I already had the book, so I'm just telling it like it is. No one paid me to do anything I didn't want to do. This was my choice.

2010-07-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

Predator, by Terri Blackstock

The final of the 3 books by Terri Blackstock I've chosen to review is Predator. This is both a timely and informative work of suspense on a different level. This was truly and up all night suspense.

The story begins before we open to the first page. We are attending the funeral services of Emily Carmichael, dead at 14, and view the story through the eyes of her sister, Krista. How was a Christian, good girl dead at the tender age of 14? Krista traces some things out and finds that her activities on GrapeVyne, an online social network, provided her attacker with all the information he needed to find Emily when she was most vulnerable. Krista, feeling she has failed at protecting her sister, sets out on a crusade to protect others from online predators. Her first stop is GrapeVyne, and its creator Ryan Adkins. Her explosive confrontation with him masks her own feelings of devastation. Meanwhile her father keeps sinking deeper and deeper in depression. This God-appointed meeter between Krista and Ryan, coupled with the continued actions of the predator and the depths of depression we find the father in make for some dynamics that is, well, artful, while at the same time impressing on us the importance of knowing what we are doing when we are online.

I'm not going to go into the story too much, because it is so well crafted I don't want to ruin it for you. I will say this, after reading this I was so moved that I began talking to friends and family members about their online activities. I've caught myself starting to say something in a "comment" which would have been plastered all over my "friends" sites (much like the "Thought Bubbles" mentioned in Predator). It is so easy to let something slip. It's so easy to tell people that you are going to a certain store or event at that moment, and through a series of other slips a predator can find out what your real name is, where you live (even sometimes the actual street address), know your current age, gender, interests, when you are alone, when you feel vulnerable, when you feel safe, who you trust and who you would be wary of. Taking all of this information predators go after their prey. The most common predator is the sexual predator. Girls, you post photos of yourself that show locations as well as, in many cases, too much skin. You tease, imply, flirt. And all the while a sexual predator is taking all of this down. Too many people find themselves victims of sexual predators and others simply because they supplied them all the information. I can't impress on you strong enough how Predator, by Terri Blackstock has restructured the way I view things online. Read it and let it change the way you do things and look at things. It's not enough to trust in the Lord. Sometimes God asks that you use the common sense He gave you. When you don't you step out from under His protection, and the results can be devastation.

Click Here to visit Terri Blackstock's site
or Here to read her Testimony (I highly recommend reading this)

You can purchase her this book at:

Christian Book

Barnes & Noble as well as

Amazon

2010-07-14T16:39:00.003-04:00

Intervention, by Terri Blacstock

Sorry about the lull in getting this next post out. Truth is I got sidetracked and forgot I promised to get these 3 reviews out in several days. My apologies to everyone.

Intervention - We've read about what it is, seen it in movies and even parodies in sitcoms, but what is it? Simply put it is when a situation gets so bad, so out of hand, that an outside force is asked to "intervene" and make the bad situation go away. If you fall out of an airplane, hopefully you are wearing a parachute. Pulling the ripcord to that chute is asking that it would intervene on your behalf and keep you from dying from your fall. You put your faith in the power the parachute has to do this.

In Terri Blackstock's book, Intervention, Barbara Covington has been dealing with her daughter, who has become addicted to drugs. She's tried everything with no positive results, so when she sees a Christian Intervention Program out of Atlanta, GA advertising she decides that she has nothing to lose. Some warning flags go up when she meets the woman who will be her interventionist. She's told that her daughter, Emily, will have to fly with her to Atlanta, and then take a short drive out to their facilities, and "Mom" can't come. Yet her pain over her daughter's addiction is so great she decides to entrust her daughter to this stranger. When the plane lands in Atlanta the interventionist calls Barbara and lets her know that everything is going well, and that they are both fine. She then lets Emily talk to her mother. After the call Barbara Covington's mind has been put at ease, but it is short lived. Shortly after that call she learns that this interventionist has been murdered in the parking lot of the Atlanta airport, and that her daughter is not only missing, but police are looking for her in connection with that murder. Mrs. Covington quickly arranges to go to Atlanta herself. She must find her daughter before the police. What follows is a gripping suspense that, at its core, is the breaking heart of a mother whose only goal was to help her daughter. Along the way both mother and daughter learn some things about themselves, about each other, and about the God who, although seemingly absent, is still in control.

This really caught me up short. Being an author myself who has emailed Terri numerous times and feels a special connection with her, I began to realize that she had gone through this herself. She was writing from personal experience. I couldn't begin to imagine the pain she must have gone through, but I felt the pain for a friend who had gone through that and it wove its way into how I viewed the story. A powerful story, Intervention should be one of the next novels you run out to purchase, especially if you have children and are going through the same situation, that is having a child who has become addicted to drugs. Even if you don't reading this can help you understand those who do, but the greatest thing you'll learn is how God is far above these problems, while at the same time going through them with His children. We can learn to lean on Him, knowing He will bring all things together for good.

Click HERE to visit Terri Blackstock's website.
For a special insight you can read her Testimony Here (I highly recommend reading this testimony)

You can purchase Intervention at:

Christian Book

Barnes & Noble and

Amazon

Double Minds, by Terri Blackstock

2010-07-13T01:00:00.000-04:00

Double Minds, by Terri Blackstock

Parker James, singer/songwriter, has been basically forced into the song writing aspect because her best friend, Serene, has captured the hearts of the Christian music industry. This book deals with compromise and the accompanying rationalization that comes with compromises. Terri Blackstock takes us on an incredible journey into the Christian music industry where we find that not everything is as it seems. Many supposed Christian musicians and heads of the various companies that make up this industry are anything but Christian. You'll find that all too often the "bottom line" is their God. Things get all out of whack when a receptionist at the company Parker works for is murdered. All during this incredibly fascinating tale she worries about Serene. She seems way too thin, but Serene tells her that she has to watch her figure if she's to climb her way to the top as a Christian performer. Slowly the veil is lifted and they both begin to see things as they truly are, but the trip in getting there is one you won't want to miss.

How many of us have been asked to compromise on our belief in Christ? How many of us have told ourselves, "It's not really that bad. Besides I can do more for the Lord if I listen to them"? I work as a library clerk, and every so often someone will come in and talk about the Bible, about Jesus and His love with me. I have been told several times that such behavior is inappropriate. You know what goes through my mind? I ask myself, "How can it be inappropriate to speak words that might just possibly reach into a person's life so that they accept Jesus as Savior and avoid eternal destruction? Now I know I can over do it. I can do this when I'm supposed to be waiting on a patron, and at those times perhaps it is inappropriate, but when no one is around and things are slow, I believe I am to at the very least show that I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do I still compromise? Yeah, unfortunately there are some areas where I still need to learn to give over to Jesus. I'm learning. I'm moving in the right direction, even if it is slowly. The point is that I am moving and I trust God to be there for me always. My prayer is that I will accept life as He gives it to me and move ever closer to Him, refusing to compromise.

Be sure to visit her site HERE

And be touched by her TESTIMONY

You can purchase Double Minds, by Terri Blackstock at the following online venues, and probably at your local Christian bookstore:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Christion Books

Featuring Terri Blackstock

2010-07-12T01:00:00.000-04:00

Over the next few days I'd like to feature author and friend Terri Blackstock. I'll be posting reviews on the following books. They are her most recent and her best.

Before we get into those reviews I'd like to share with you my own opinions about Terri Blackstock, as a writer and as a person. The first novel of hers I read was Cape Refuge, the initial book of the series of the same name. I was intrigued. Prior to this I'd read Brandilyn Collins, another great Christian suspense author (and another red head). They were both great and answered emails I wrote. While Brandilyn did try to encourage me online, it was Terri who wrote me about some things that I should investigate before committing myself. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying one is better than the other as a human being, but Terri seemed to connect with me. Her books are all dedicated to "the Nazarene". Initially I found her books to be like a lot of other Christian romantic suspense. You introduce some people, one of them, usually a guy who isn't a Christian, then play matchmaker so that by the end of the book this guy has come to the Lord and the girl is now part of his life. It's kind of a "happily ever after" routine, which quite frankly I found both boring and predictable. However, I liked the way Terri created the suspense in her books and was able to make her characters realistic. I learned that she leaned heavily upon things she had gone through or thought about personally in creating both her plots and her characters. Then I read one of her letters to the reader (which I recommend ever reader read after completing her books). This particular one said something like, "If my writing is not leading you to study the Word of God, then you have no business reading it, and I have no business writing it." I was stunned to find an author who is of the highest possible scale telling people NOT to read her work if it doesn't create a greater hunger for God. I had mentioned something of the sort in a Christian post and another fairly well-read author tried to take me to task. Their point of view was that you should write to sell as many copies as possible. Now I can't think of a single writer who doesn't have that in mind, but my point was that I write for the Lord and as such for that one person who really needs to hear what He is saying in my works. Reading this statement in Terri Blackstock's book showed me that I had found a friend, someone whose heart of ministry came before her writing. That is truly awesome.

As things progressed her writing just seemed to get better. Then, while the world watched in shock at the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the event sparked something in Terri. Living in an area that was affected by this natural disaster (she was weeks without electricity) she began a "what if?" novel called Last Light, the first of her Restoration Series. This also, in my mind, marked a decided change in her writing. It probed deeper, asked harder questions, and refused to give the easy answers. She began, at that time, to take on issues that we face every day, and the doubts, fears and anger that we all share, then work us through the story so we could see how God was always in control, even when we thought at some points, He wasn't there or didn't hear us when we prayed. Instead of the simplistic, easy and often glib "churchy" answers to difficult problems she began giving us the hard facts from God's Word, the answers that can be tough to accept, but if we do we truly find out that God loves us more than we possibly could imagine. The 3 books I'm going to review are examples of that, each one better than the previous work. While I would love to have her works toured on the Christian Fiction Review Blog, (you can find that blog at http://cfrblog.blogspost.com) we have already toured one of her books this year, and since CFRB basically is dedicated to get unknowns out there I couldn't really do that to the other writers and eclipse them with her works. I could, however, post my own reviews on my own blog. So that is what I have done. Oh, and as for the "legal notice" that usually is needed for these reviews, I have NOT received any of these books from her or her publisher. So you can be sure that these reviews are done from my heart, not in payment for "services rendered". I checked out all three of these books from the library and own one of them. (I own some of her other books as well) So there is no need for a legal notice. These are books I have read because I wanted to read them and reviews written because they have moved me so much. Lastly let me say this, because I think Terri would want me to say this, give God the glory. As good a writer as Terri Blackstock is, that is just the gift that God has given her, and the one she has been faithful in using for Him. However, it is God who empowers these works, often speaking through them, making them more than just another novel. Yes, I thank God for Terri, but for these works I give God the glory. Jesus is, after all, the Author and Finisher of our faith. - David Brollier; author of The 3rd Covenant

To find out more about Terri Blackstock visit her site HERE

To get a clearer picture of this extraordinary individual you should read her TESTIMONY

The Duke's Handmaid, by Caprice Hokstad

2010-07-05T01:00:00.001-04:00

CFRB tours THE DUKE'S HANDMAID, by Caprice Hokstad...again. In August of 2007 we toured THE DUKE'S HANDMAID, by Caprice Hokstad. At the time she was self-published, and there were some things she and Xulon didn't see eye to eye on. Now, Grace Bridges and her Splashdown Books, has acquired this book, repacked it and made some minor changes. So I thought, why not tour it again? As I re-read THE DUKE'S HANDMAID I remember some of the great things from the first time I read it, but I began to see even more. To me that is just another indicator that Caprice Hokstad has been about to basically create her own sub-genre, which she calls a "sword opera", and prove to the writing world that she is head and shoulders above many "known" authors already out there.

The story is actually a love story, but she approaches this in a manner that respects what love truly is, and it is NOT lust. Most contemporary romances are nothing but tales of lust. Not only does she make a clear distinction between the two, but she shows you that real love is something worth having, even if you have to give up everything else, including the object of your love. Now I know that sounds contradictory, but it really isn't. If a man loves a girl and she wants to pursue a career rather than get involved with him he will let her go, not because it is easy or because he wants to see her go, but because his love for her is so great that he would rather see her happy than make her miserable by forcing her to stay with him. We find this same selfless love in THE DUKE'S HANDMAID.

We find much more though too. We find ourselves on another world in a society that is complex, yet believable. We find things going on that we may have faced, at least to some degree, in our own lives, and then we are challenged to love beyond a way we have ever possibly loved before. And who are we to love this way? First and foremost we are to love our Lord this way. When we do we will find He can give us the same love for our spouse, and then for others, even our enemies. So grab a copy, open in up, and fall in love with a new kind of writing that one day other writers will be comparing their own work to, and largely failing, but that's the way it is when you're the best there is. The rest of us have to come after "best". I'm content to come after Caprice, knowing she is a truly great writer.

Visit Caprice's website.

Purchase The Duke's Handmaid from Splashdown Books.

(Coming soon to Amazon and Barnes & Noble) For a limited time, the .pdf eBook is FREE from Lulu or get the Kindle version from Amazon for just 99 cents!

Check out the following blogs for more about her book

IMPORTANT:
According to Federal law I have to tell that I received this book for free so I can do a review. Such a statement is meant to question the actual value of the book, so I want to set your minds at ease. Although in 2007 I did receive a free, pre-release copy of her book to do a review I have deemed it, even in its original form, of a quality high enough to give Caprice Hokstad a 2nd tour with CFRB. In other words, for this tour I have used the older version, knowing that the work deserved another tour. As far as a fantasy is concered The Duke's Handmain a book that, by it's quality, stands alone among many naturally gifted and well known writers. If you own a copy of this book, I believe that somewhere down through time you are going to say, "Caprice Hokstad? Of course I've heard of her. Her work is amazing." And you will feel a special glow because you will have purchased this book before she became famous, which I totally believe she will become. No one paid me to say that.

STARLIGHTER, by Bryan Davis

2010-06-08T01:00:00.000-04:00

This month the Chrisitan Fiction Review Blog tours STARLIGHTER, byt Bryan Davis. I have to tell that after 4 years of tours with CFRB I've read books of all kinds. STARLIGHTER is one of those extraordinary works.

Consider two worlds, sister planets, traveling around their sun on the same orbit, but maintaining an exact opposite distance from one another. In other words, what would it be like if on the same elliptical path as earth, yet on a point the furthest from earth? What if that world shared the ability to sustain life, but the intelligent life on that planet was different than that of the life on this planet? What stories could be told, myths to be weaved, doctrines to be created? Our story begins on the planet of Major Four. Directly opposite this planet on the same elliptical path, but at the furthest point was the planet they called Dacon. On Dacon we find its inhabitants call their planet Starlight, and Major Four to them as Darksphere. Dacon/Starlight and Major Four/Darksphere may have lived in blissful ignorance of one another if it hadn't been for two inhabitants, one from Major Four and one from Starlight. Together they discovered a Gateway that connected the worlds. After that discovery one planet stole the inhabitants of the other planet. This wasn't a continuing practice, but they raised these inhabitants like one would raise a herd of cows or something. They became beasts of burden. Not only that but they continued to procreate, negating the necessity to get more. The people would create the "more" for them.

STARLIGHTER is a story of many heroes, heroes of different kinds, who find one another and work together to accomplish some fantastic things. I could say much more, but why spoil the story for you. I'm sure this is one of those stories that you will truly appreciate for a long time to come.

Be sure to visit Bryan's site and see some of the special things he has prepared for you HERE

Due to problems with obtaining STARLIGHTER we only have 3 people, that I know of doing reviews, and one of them may not be able to post until later in the week. Here are the CFRB members giving reviews
Bibliophile's Retreat
Reviews by Buuklvr81
The Words of David

You can purchase STARLIGHTER at the following locations:

IMPORTANT - Yeah, legally I have to tell you that I received a copy of this book and posted this review as payment for such. Interesting legal footwork, don't you think. Yes, I received a free book so that I could read and post a review for Bryan Davis. The thing is I've not only posted here, but posted 6 more reviews on the same book at http://cfrblog.blogspot.com Maybe I can get the U.S. Government to pay for 6 more books, seeing as I have to make mention of the free book for review thing. I'm not holding my breath. If I post a review here, it has nothing to do with having to post a review, but because I've dedicated myself to posting a review because the work is of a great enough quality.

RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER, by Ellen C. Rider

2010-05-04T01:01:00.001-04:00

The Christian Fiction Review Blog has done it again, found a most interesting and wonderful story. Now to those who are somewhat skeptical of a vampire novel being Christian I can only tell you this, that Beth Rider, the main character of this work, is a Christian author on a book tour. She is met by a half-man, half-demon who turns her into a "rabbit", a toy to be played with until she is killed. Much of the standard elements of vampire novels are included, fear of sunlight, living to be centuries old, drinking blood. Yet she adds a few twists of her own, which I'll allow you to find for yourself. It's more fun that way. Do not get caught up in this "but it's a vampire novel" way of thinking. There is actually a very good way to preach the gospel using the vampire genre. I'm still waiting to see someone do it the way I have envisioned, but Ellen C. Maze has done a wonderful job telling a story that talks about compassion, resisting temptation, facing our own frailties, and spiritual warfare. Mostly it's about spiritual warfare. If for no other reason you should read this book for that reason alone. RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER is well-told, delightfully unusual, has the twists and turns in it a mystery writer can appreciate, and is very insightful. I was able to read this book in a little over 4 days, which is pretty good since my eyes tire quickly. Although I may have to speak to Ellen about some loss sleep during those days. This is one of those books that makes you want to stay up and read when you know you should be sleeping. Several stories are going on at the same time, and Ellen Maze does a wonderful time of not confusing the reader about which story line she's talking about in any part of the book. Something some better known publishers could learn a lesson from. She's not morbid in this book, nor does she romanticize vampirism. She talks bluntly, and yet with compassion. There can be no mistake that Ellen C. Maze is Beth Rider. I give her a 4.25 star rating on this book One of the things that you might find interesting s that you will probably find yourself in this book, whether it's Beth, one of the vampires or one of their "Cows". Read it and enjoy.

You can visit here site Here

And you can purchase it at the following online stores:

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.

IMPORTANT: I have received a copy of this book free from either the author or publisher in order to write a review. That, however, has very little to do with the quality of the work promoted here. I review works that I have a basic understanding of its quality after first being previewed.

Special: This Weekend ONLY

2010-04-24T22:46:00.002-04:00

THIS IS A FLASH SALE! THIS WEEKEND ONLY. OFFER EXPIRES SUNDAY NIGHT 4/25/10 If you ever wanted to get a copy of The 3rd Covenant (or any Publish America book) now is the time to do so.

This is their email to me:

This weekend only.

All books at PublishAmerica sell for only $4.99 .

No coupons, no minimum purchase volumes. Just $4.99 for any book, in any quantity. Need copies of your own book on hand? There is no better deal than this!

Check it out at All books at PublishAmerica sell for only $4.99 .

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No coupons, no minimum purchase volumes. Just $4.99 for any book, in any quantity. There is no better deal than this!

Check it out at www.publishamerica.net. Hardcovers are excluded.

Be super quick. Offer expires Sunday night.

Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support Teamt. Hardcovers are excluded.

Be super quick. Offer expires Sunday night.

Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support Team

LADY CARLISS: And the Waters of Moorue, by Chuck Black

2010-04-19T17:20:00.009-04:00

I'm late with this review, sorry. This book deserves a lot of credit. In fact everything I've read of Chuck Black has been just amazing. A teenage girl finds herself in the service as a Knight of the King and the Prince in Arrethtrae. She really wishes to dedicate her whole life to the Prince, without the problems a relationship with men would cause. Yet as she matures her feelings for Sir Dalton begin to cause her some inner conflict. After a stint in training other young knights she sets out for a place she calls home, a place where she is sure to run into Sir Dalton, and her inner turmoil. Lady Salina joins her as they ride off, but on the way they find a nearly dead Sir Dalton. Seeking help they find that there is only one cure, and unfortunately that cure is surrounded by some rather bloodthirsty creatures. That's all I can really tell you about it other then she must make a choice about saving the people of the nearby towns or saving Sir Dalton. This is not an easy choice to make, and she goes to the Prince for guidance.

Chuck Black has this amazing way of teaching Biblical things in such an entertaining way you don't realize you are being taught. Lady Carliss, although a knight, is better with bow and arrow than with a sword, she's also quite young for a knight. She's basically the least person you'd expect to be a hero of any book, especially when placed in the situation Mr. Black places her. And yet, that is the point of the story, or one of them. "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;" (1st Cor. 1:27) comes to life in a full-blown, action-packed adventure. Just how does God use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, or the weak things to confound the mighty? Ah, there's a story in that.

Another thing I truly enjoy about this is that you can imagine the knights of old sitting around some campfire, or perhaps Robin Hood and his men, or Iranhoe, telling this tale of heroism in the face of obstacles that seem unbeatable. You can feel them, as they tell the tale, taking comfort in the tale, and finding strength to go out and perform their own heroic deeds. There are more tales of Robin Hood and his men than people remember. Basically they were a collection of tales about different men holding onto honor and loyalty regardless of their "outlaw" status. They would have identified greatly with Lady Carliss. Only her story is even richer, more honorable, more challenging at the heart than even those stories, real or imagined. So I give you, Lady Carliss, and the Waters of Moorue. A tale worthy of the courts of kings and around the campfires of heroes. Enjoy.

You can find a short writeup on Chuck Black HERE

To purchase Lady Carliss or other Chuck Black books you can visit the following links. Just click on the logo. You'll find that these books are priced surprisingly low, while the quality is surprisingly high.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
I received this book free from the publisher so I might write a review. My review is payment for this book. However, I wish to emphasize that this in no way diminishes the quality of this great work.

RAVEN'S LADDER, by Jeffrey Overstreet

2010-04-14T16:44:00.007-04:00

I'm way overdue with this review, but I had other commitments that took precedence. I hope Jeff doesn't take offense at that.
The Story: With the fall of the House of Abascar and King Cal-Marcus, his son, Cal-Raven leads the survivors into the "Expanse" in search of a home for a New Abascar. He is led by a vision and the wise words of one of the sages. Yet this advice flies in the face of the established religions and most social practices. Cal-Raven finds shelter to be something of an illusion. The people are growing weary and in need of rest, but Cal-Raven seeks out the 14th tower of the Tammos Raak's former kingdom. Enticed to seek refuge in Bel Amica Cal-Raven presses on, but things don't always go as planned. He finds himself, and his people in Bel Amica, and in dire need of escape from that place. This is a story about the prince and some stalwart allies found in the most unlikely of places, both high and low.

The Review: It's difficult for me to give a proper review since I'm coming in on the 3rd book of a series, but I'll do my best. I found that his descriptions, even names, so rich that you could feel, sense, smell and almost touch what he portrayed. While I though a "vawn" was another kind of a hores-like animal (it's actually a reptile), I still had an image in my mind that allowed me to continue the story without interruption. The story is told fairly well, although it gets so complicated at times, especially in the beginning for someone who has just started reading him, that it was very difficult to put the story together. While eventually the story does come together and is, in fact, quite a rich story, I felt that there were still some pieces of the puzzle missing or misplaced. If I had to guess I would say that Mr. Overstreet was directed to trim down this novel to meet the word count for Waterbrook's guidelines. That's sad, because you can almost sense he had so much more to say. The parts he chose to remove seemed to be important transitional accounts that would have tied the story together much better.
Okay, now that I have all the bad stuff out of the way, let's get to the really great stuff. We have a wandering prince leading the rag-tag remnants of a once great nation through the most dangerous of places. Their love for him is great, but none greater than Tabor Jan, the chief warrior who stands by his side. You have, in this work, not just good verses evil, but perceived good being unveiled for the evil it is, as well as perceived evil being unveiled for the good it is. You have a troop, a nation of stragglers, finding refuge in a neighboring land, only to find its enticements are stronger than bars of iron on a prison cell. You have internal conflicts, heroism on many levels, weaknesses and outright evil. It is the Keeper against the Seers, and if I were to put it in modern language, to assign this to today's political climate I would mark this as the Lord and His followers against the false prophets and false teachers of our age. For no one holds a greater bondage over another as the one who convinces the other that his prison is a palace hall. This seems to be the bulk of the story, the heart, and the internal conflicts that many of the main characters face make for excellent reading. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this out, but it took me a long time to read it, and, as I said, I had other commitments.
Bottom line, if you like fantasy, good verses evil with lots of action and intrigue this is a book you should look into. However, you may wish to get the first 2 installments of this trilogy so you don't start out lost as I did. God bless and enjoy.

David Brollier
Follow the following Logos to where you can purchase Raven's Ladder

Important: This book was received free of charge for the purpose of reviewing it. However, I wish to state that this does not alter my feelings about the book. I've listed the pros and the cons I saw in this book. This statement is necessary, unfortunately, by new federal laws (and I thought we had Freedom of Speech)

The 3rd Covenant price is back up

2010-04-14T16:26:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry to report that the price for The 3rd Covenant is back up to $24.95. For those who missed out on the $5.99 or $7.99 purchase price, you can still buy it from me directly for $20 (I pay S&H) and it will be an autographed copy unless you specify otherwise. I hope a number of you were able to take advantage of the opportunity when the price was lower. The message I received seemed to indicate that the price was going to stay low. I was wrong. I can hardly wait until I get my 2nd book into the hands of a small press publisher so I can at least half the retail price. Pray for me, will you? Thanks.

David Brollier
http://sonburst.webs.com

THE MUSE, by Fred Warren

2010-04-06T01:00:00.001-04:00

The Christian Fiction Review Blog has is touring a truly fantastic book this month. THE MUSE, by Fred Warren is more than just fantasy, more than just good fantasy. It's something fresh and moving and interesting, comical and humorous at the same time. Seems there's trouble in writer's paradise. Three writers make up a writer's group they call "The Seventh Circle of Hell". For those unfamiliar with the term it's a literary reference to part of Dante's Inferno. Our three writers are Stan Marino, Davos Alexandros, and Jilly Jackson, and they've all run into problems with their writing. Stan wrote himself into an impossible situation. Davos realized that the current propulsion engines on his spaceship won't have enough fuel for the journey, and Jilly is realizing that the market isn't very friendly to her Gothic approach of her vampire stories. Seem silly to you. I can assure you that what may seem as a mild bump in the road for you can seem like an impregnable wall to the writer. I know, I've been there.

To all of this add in the Muse and you have some interesting situations. Be careful what you wish for, sometimes you just might get it, is one of the underlying messages of this book. Oh sure, things may look good on the outset, but gold plated shackles are still shackles. It's a wise person who chooses carefully along the way.

If you think about it there's a lot about spiritual warfare in this novel. It's sweetened up a bit, I admit, but the author wasn't trying to write a piece about spiritual warfare as much as he was trying to tell a fun piece of fantasy. Just remember, sometimes hidden beneath some of the most ordinary things can mask the most extraordinary things. In fact, I really wasn't looking forward that much to reading this book. I mean, seriously, THE MUSE? What kind of title is that? And the cover just shouted to me that this was going to be a bomb. (Sorry Grace). Then I started reading. I'm a slow reader and a novel this size usually takes me at least a week, maybe more. I finished THE MUSE in two days, and wishing I had more to read.

I'm telling you, if you really want a treat you'll get this book. It is one fantastic piece of literature.

Don't forget to visit Fred's site found HERE

You can purchase his book at any of the following sites (although I would urge you to go to Splashdown books and help a wonderful young lady get her new company off the ground)

Splashdown Books

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Don't forget to check out the following CFRB member's sites for other reviews and insights for THE MUSE.

[Important legal notice: This book was given to me freely by Splashdown books for the purpose of doing a review. My compensation is writing a review of the book. However, having said that I must also state that I don't even bother looking at things I feel may be of inferior quality. The works displayed on CFRB are, and have been, for the most part, exemplary in their quality and content]

The 3rd Covenant, by David Brollier, now only $5.99

2010-04-02T21:46:00.002-04:00

Isn't life funny? When my book was published in 2006 the suggested retail price was set at $24.95. At their site, however, the price was $19,95. Then a couple of weeks ago they lowered all books to $7.99. Now I don't know if this is signalling the end for Publish America, but if you want to purchase THE 3RD COVENANT, now is the best time, because they've dropped it down even lower to $5.99. Read below and use the link to go to the site and purchase the book.

Dear Author:

Email your readers, tell your fans, call your friends! This weekend only.

All books at PublishAmerica are priced down to

$5.99.

No coupons, no minimum purchase volumes. Just $5.99 for any book, in any quantity.

Want some copies of your own book on hand? This is your day!

Check it out at www.publishamerica.net. Hardcovers and fullcolor books excluded.

Happy Easter!

PublishAmerica Author Support Team

Beware the Hutaree

2010-03-29T22:32:00.002-04:00

Tragically there is a Christian militia group in the northern Midwest called the Hutaree. The FBI have arrested I believe 9 people in connection with a conspiracy to commit murder and have placed them under intense scrutiny. So what is the Hutaree you ask? They are an endtimes self appointed group of people who are fulfilling prophecy, not by providing a violent opposition to any who oppose Christians, but by being false teachers. "And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:" (Galatians 2:4)

How can I say that with such boldness and surety? That's easy. Jesus told us to love one another, not to set up battle plans. Yes, we are to arm ourselves with the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), but if you read this you will see that "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12) The sword the Hutaree speak about is the Sword of the Spirit, not a sword that can be levied against any person. We are to love them. In fact in 1st John 4:7,8 we read, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love."

I could go on and on focusing on this point alone. The way we crush our enemies is through love, not through force, not through violence. Look at your calendars. It changes from BC to AD because Jesus was willing to love so deeply He died for us. He tells us to follow His example. So if He, who is Lord of Hosts, had the angels of Heaven at His command and did not call upon them, what makes these Hutaree think they have the right? These are false prophets, false teachers, leading away, if possible, even the elect of God.

But there is still more sorrow that comes with this. The world has been growing more and more hostile towards Christians. We have been told that would happen too, but we aren't suppose to aggravate the situation. We aren't supposed to go out and make them hate us. We are to show them the path of love. You watch. Obama, other political figures and talking heads, are going to start really blasting away at, not the Hutaree, but all Christians in general. They haven't learn to separate truth from fiction. You'd think they'd be able to do this, but you have to remember, most of them are blindly following the Prince of Darkness. They are loyal to him, whether they realize it or not. So Satan will take this violent, heretical sect and turn society against Christians.

While I'm on that subject, what do you think the point is in these "Tea Parties"? As much as I really like Sarah Palin, I have to disagree with these tea parties. We are allowing ourselves to be drawn out of the spiritual battle into a physical battle. And here is the interesting thing. If we stay in the spiritual battle and follow the Lord we are assured victory, even if it is through death. If we enter into physical battles we are almost certain to lose. Oh we may not lose our salvation, but we will certainly lose our voice in the community, our own peace and joy, and will watch our families driven apart by schisms. This war we are in is not a political conflict. It looks like one. Smells like one. Has all the trappings of one, but I refer you back to Ephesians 6:12. We are in a great spiritual war, and unless we begin to realize this and unite in Jesus we are going to see a lot more harm than we have already seen. I say this not as a prophet, but as an observer of people and student of God's Word. Judge for yourselves whether or not we should take up war against people, or whether we should "Love our neighbor as ourselves." I'm not the judge, but Jesus, My Lord is. You answer to Him. We all must answer to Him. It would be better to be found in Him, joining together as One Body, than to be cast away because His Word is not in us.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED HEALTH CARE BILL

2010-03-20T22:23:00.002-04:00

The Truth About the Health Care Bills - Michael Connelly, Ret. Constitutional Attorney

Well, I have done it! I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law. I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional.. What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected.

To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession.

The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business, and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats, and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled by the government.

However, as scary as all of that is, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated. If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed.

The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people, and the businesses they own.

The irony is that the Congress doesn't have any authority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with! I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care.

This legislation also provides for access, by the appointees of the Obama administration, of all of your personal healthcare information -- a direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitutio-- your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital. All of this is a protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide.

If you decide not to have healthcare insurance, or if you have private insurance that is not deemed acceptable to the Health Choices Administrator appointed by Obama, there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a tax instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment . However, that doesn't work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the due process of law..

So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much, out the original ten in the Bill of Rights, that are effectively nullified by this law It doesn't stop there though.

The 9th Amendment that provides : The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people;

The 10th Amendment states : The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control.

I could write many more pages about this legislation, but I think you get the idea. This is not about health care; it is about seizing power and limiting rights. Article 6 of the Constitution requires the members of both houses of Congress to "be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution." If I were a member of Congress, I would not be able to vote for this legislation or anything like it, without feeling I was violating that sacred oath or affirmation. If I voted for it anyway, I would hope the American people would hold me accountable.

For those who might doubt the nature of this threat, I suggest they consult the source, the US Constitution, and Bill of Rights . There you can see exactly what we are about to have taken from us.

Michael Connelly
Retired attorney,
Constitutional Law Instructor
Carrollton , Texas

You may think it strange that I include this post here, but where else am I to post it so the American People can see the truth? Pray, and pray hard. Speak up and may God grant us such mercy as to keep this Bill from passing. - David Brollier

Raven's Ladder and Lady Carliss (and the Waters of Moorue)

2010-03-10T20:50:00.008-05:00

This week the news from Random House (WaterBrook/Multnomah) is the tour of two fantasy adventures, Raven's Ladder, by Jeffery Overstreet and Lady Carliss: and the Waters of Moorue. I got behind and was not able to finish reading either book, but they come with the same quality you can expect from Random House.

Here’s a summary of Raven’s Ladder, by Jeffrey Overstreet

Following the beacon of Auralia’s colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of refugees. It’s a city only imagined in legendary tales. And it gives him hope to establish New Abascar. But when Cal-raven is waylaid by fortune hunters, his people become vulnerable to a danger more powerful than the prowling beastmen––House Bel Amica. In this oceanside kingdom of wealth, enchantment, and beauty, deceitful Seers are all too eager to ensnare House Abascar’s wandering throng. Even worse, the Bel Amicans have discovered Auralia’s colors, and are twisting a language of faith into a lie of corruption and control. If there is any hope for the people of Abascar, it lies in the courage of Cyndere, daughter of Bel Amica’s queen; the strength of Jordam the beastman; and the fiery gifts of the ale boy, who is devising a rescue for prisoners of the savage Cent Regus beastmen.
As his faith suffers one devastating blow after another, Cal-raven’s journey is a perilous climb from despair to a faint gleam of hope––the vision he sees in Auralia’s colors.

Purchase your copy at Random House today.

Just click on the words "Random House".

Here’s a summary of Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue, by Chuck Black

Determined, smart and a master of both the sword and the bow, Lady Carliss has proven herself as a veteran Knight of the Prince. Returning from a mission of aid, Carliss is plunged into adventure once again as she searches for the marauders responsible for kidnapping a friends’ family. Along the way she is reunited with Sir Dalton and discovers that the struggle in her heart is far from over. When Dalton falls to the vicious attack of a mysterious, poisonous creature, Carliss finds herself in a race against time. As Dalton clings perilously to life, she must find the antidote in the distant and strange city of Moorue . While there, Carliss uncovers the master plot of a powerful Shadow Warrior that will soon overtake the entire Kingdom. Her faith in the Prince and her courage as a knight are tested as she faces evil Shadow Warriors and a swamp full of dreadful creatures. The lives of many, including Dalton ’s, depend on Carliss. But she cannot save them all, for time is running out. She faces an impossible choice: save Dalton, or let him die so that others may live.

Although I haven't read Lady Carliss yet I have read Sir Bently and was quite impressed with his storytelling techniques, his ability to bring charm, color, action into a book that teaches as it tells. If you have some youngsters around you'll want to get this series.

You can purchase Lady Carliss at Random House right here.

Just click on the words "Random House".

Or you can click on the banner at the top of this post and go straight to Random House.

Due to new Federal Trade Commission rules, it’s important that you include the following disclaimer on each blog tour review from now on: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

(To me this may be construed as a violation of the freedom of speech, nevertheless I did receive my copies from Random House in order to do a review. I have been unable to do so, but when I finish those books look for reviews of these books, not because the law says so or because I am compelled to do so because I received these books freely, but because I believe in doing what is right. As an author myself I have been turned away at tours for one reason or another. I then started the Christian Fiction Review Blog to give authors who have been overlooked a chance at touring their works. I look for quality, not just at CFRB, but in my personal reading)

ONE SMOOTH STONE, by Marcia Lee Laycock

2010-03-08T01:00:00.000-05:00

Time again for another CFRB book review. The Christian Fiction Review Blog is reviewing ONE SMOOTH STONE, by Marcia Lee Laycock this week and I have the honor of not only doing the CFRB reviews, but also writing the first review of the tour on my own site.

Synopsis of ONE SMOOTH STONE:

Alex Donnelly knows all about running. He's running from his past pain, from the police, and from God. Raised in an abusive foster home, Alex is angry at the world and tries to bury his pain by hiding out in the far north, near Dawson City Yukon.

But then one day a lawyer shows up on his doorstep and tells him he has inherited a sum of money. Sceptical, yet intrigued, Alex returns to his birth city to find answers to questions about his parents and his past.

What he finds is a young woman who seems to understand him too well, and a secret that causes him to run again.

But God goes before him and sets up a few more divine appointments, including an attack by Grizzly bear.

This book proves that no matter how far you run, God will find you; and no matter what you have done, God will forgive you.

My Review:

Most people are used to a particular kind of review from me, well, we'll see if that continues to hold true. I found ONE SMOOTH STONE, by Marcia Lee Laycock to be an excellent book. The story flows nicely and the characters are generally realistic. There were a few times when they seemed to be doing things out of character, but by and large they are very realistic. Some may have problems with relating to some of the characters because you may, like me, have had a really good upbringing and some of the characters here have not. Marcia is very successful in capturing the pain and heartbreak that some of these characters went through. Alex Donnelly is one hard case, but as we read on we find he's constantly fighting a battle within himself. The pain and abuse he felt growing up has created more walls of pain and heartache to keep others from getting in. The thing is he didn't count on God. While it is impossible to break down the walls that we build up, especially people like Alex, it is never impossible for God.

There are several things that come across loud and clear in this book. First, you can't run from God and His love. He will chase you to the very edge of Hell itself to draw you to Himself and a life of love in Him. Second, is that while we may feel all alone in our struggles we aren't alone at all. Others have and are going through the same things we are. Realizing this can be a useful key to unlocking the doors to our hearts and letting the "Wall-breaker" come in and heal our hurt. Third, the story talks about a love unlike any other love, for the love of God is pure and beyond measure.

This is quite an excellent book on many levels and I encourage you to get a copy for yourself (and others you know and love). Some people just tell stories, others, like Marcia Lee Laycock, tell parables. You may ask, "What's the difference?" The difference is that the former is just for entertainment, while the latter, although quite entertaining as well, teaches us things about ourselves, about those around us, and most of all about God. You must not miss this book.

Be sure to visit her website HERE

To purchase a copy you can go to any of the following online sites:

Castle Quay Books (Canada)

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Be sure to visit the following sites to read more about ONE SMOOTH STONE:

IMPORTANT

The Christian Fiction Review Blog (known as CFRB) is a ministry that promotes quality Christian fiction in order that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be shared with others who might hear it in a context that they would appreciate and understand. Each book is "previewed" in order to maintain the quality and content of the book. Books that are accepted for blog tours are given to the members by the author to review, according to the number of members requesting a copy. It is the belief and practice of CFRB to post positive reviews as a type of payment for these books. However, I want to emphasize again that these books first go through a preview stage where they are deemed of a high enough quality to tour.

Them's Fightin' Words

2010-02-25T08:11:00.003-05:00

Okay, these are supposed to be my thoughts, my words, my observations, my book reviews, but I just couldn't pass up the following that I received from fellow author Bill Myers. (Google him and check out his site. Not only does he have lots of great works of fiction for adults, but he has great series for young adults and children as well) In any event I received the following in his newsletter. I'm calling it "Them's Fighting' Words" and you'll understand why in a moment.

"Isn't it interesting that in the wilderness, when Jesus and Satan were fighting, they didn't use guns, guided missiles or even nukes? Instead, the Creator of the Universe and the most evil force in the Universe fought with what they both knew to be the most powerful force in the Universe . . . God's written Word. Satan would attack, Jesus would defend and counter attack. Back and forth they went, using only the Word of God, and with nothing less than Christ's entire mission (and our survival) at stake. If those two thought God's Word was so awesome and powerful, who are we to think any differently?" - Bill Myers

My slant on this; not only are the most powerful forces on this planet WORDS, but the most powerful words are those of God. Something to keep in mind at all times. When we say things without thinking we're doing Satan's job for him. How many people have been hurt by a word that was spoken without thinking, or worse, with some religious straight jacket around them? I have met many people who are no longer in church or are just coming back to church or want to come back and are afraid. What all these people have in common is that someone has told them things that were not in love. For instance, the woman who was told to marry an unbeliever. When that marriage didn't work out she divorced the man and the church tossed her out. Or what about the woman who was witnessed to and brought into the kingdom of God by members of another denomination out of a disturbed past. When she accepted Jesus as her savior they turned around and, without training her, told her to go out and witness to others. There are those who don't come because of tattoos, the way they dress, piercings, because they smoke or drink. None of this has to do with what God's Word says, and because of that the mighty power God gave us with words is abused. When someone speaks to one of these the Words of God found in the Bible, they are spoken in love, and bring about healing. This, church, is what we must be doing. There is not a single person you should consider your enemy. They are all people God wishes to come to Him and find salvation in Jesus Christ. Yet many of them are motivated by a spirit that is opposed to God, and these spirits are the enemy we must fight, and we must fight them with the Word of God.

FORGIVING SEAN, by Jessica Adriel

2010-02-07T11:28:00.004-05:00

From the back cover:
"Marissa Gladstone has already lost a baby, buried her father and had one man walk out on her. So when her boyfriend Hawke, suddenly proposes, Marissa's not so sure things will last. But when her ex-fiance Sean shows up after a two year absence, things get messy. Both boys compete for her attention, but when one of them makes a stark confession, her entire world unravels. Will she push through the heartbreak Sean caused her when he slipped town and finally accept Hawke's proposal or will fear make Marissa lock her heart away forever?"

The book is something like the above description, with a few added twists and corrections that, had they been added, may have given away too much of the story. Let's see if some corrections are in order. Hawke didn't "finally" propose. He'd proposed several times and she was just waiting for him to do it again to accept. The one thing that I think should be clear by the title, is that this is a book about learning how to forgive someone who we feel doesn't deserve our forgiveness, and that takes some doing, especially with Marissa.

There are a lot of people who, like her, have been terribly hurt by people who claimed to love them, people they had loved. The feelings of betrayal can be some of the greatest hurt anyone can go through. Like Judas kissing Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Like Jesus, however, we are to love them just the same. When Jesus looked down from the cross He was looking down at you and at me. He knew all the many ways we were going to be rebellious against His will, and said, "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing."

In Forgiving Sean, Marissa has to come to that point where she can forgive her boyfriend just as clearly as surely as He had forgiven her. If she cannot, then she not only is in a bind as far as her love life is concerned, but she is going to be in bondage in her Christian walk. It's something she needs to learn. Something you and I need to learn. The journey to Marissa coming to that point is filled with confusion, frustration, pain, and finally it is true love that gets through. I'm not a romance reader by and large, but this was handled well. If you like romances then this book is for you. If you don't like romances, you might give it a chance just to get the message it can speak to your heart.

Visit Jessica at the author's website

Purchase Forgiving Sean at
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
ScibblyGumBooks

There is more information about Forgiving Sean, by Jessica Adriel, but you know what? I'm going to let you search for it. I will, however, give you the following links to where other reviews can be found. What I am not going to give you are the accompanying dates when they will post their reviews. In fact some may actually post on the same day, while other days nothing new will be posted. So it's like a scavenger hunt. I hope you enjoy this. Please leave your "mark" on the different blogs you visit. God speed.

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.

IMPORTANT
As a member of Christian Fiction Review Blog (known as CFRB) I review quality Christian fiction in order that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be shared with others who might hear it in a context that they would appreciate and understand. Each book is "previewed" in order to maintain the quality and content of the book. Books that are accepted for blog tours are given to the members by the author to review, according to the number of members requesting a copy. It is the belief and practice of CFRB to post positive reviews as a type of payment for these books. However, I want to emphasize again that these books first go through a preview stage where they are deemed of a high enough quality to tour.