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Posts Tagged ‘Christian fiction’
Saturday, August 7th, 2010
 Today it’s my pleasure to review THE VIGILANTE’S BRIDE by Yvonne Harris, a Christian western romance published by Bethany House.
Emily McCarthy is an orphan forced out into to the world and sent to be the mail-order bride of a powerful man in Montana. But she is kidnapped just before arriving at her destination by Luke Sullivan, a former vigilante who has gone back to serve at the New Hope orphanage where he grew up. He feels he cannot allow her to be wed to the evil, corrupt Bart Axel without knowing what a monster he is. She certainly doesn’t see his taking her as the rescue it is at first, but when she reaches New Hope and learns the truth about the man she was to marry, she slowly begins to realize how fortunate she has been that Luke came along when he did. Her realization does not immediately turn her feelings for Luke from enmity to tenderness, however. At first they get along like cats and dogs, but gradually, hostility turns to tenderness and love.
Luke’s snatching of his intended bride do nothing to endear him to Axel, of course, either, and the powerful man sets about trying to achieve revenge. When his claim to a portion of his own ranch is disputed by New Hope, he sets in motion a ruthless plan to achieve revenge and conquer New Hope, Luke Sullivan and Emily McCarthy, and the story builds to an inevitable showdown. Unlikely allies help to turn the tide, and Luke and Emily are finally free to achieve happiness.
A wonderful Christian message of redemption and second chances make this book a treasure. Interesting secondary characters–especially the Crow Indians–and the real flavor of the Old West, complete with gun battles but without glorifying violence, make this a keeper for the lover of western romance and certainly for this reader! Kudos, Yvonne Harris!
This book was provided for review by Bethany House
Blessings, Laurie Kingery
Tags: Bethany House, Christian fiction, THE VIGILANTE'S BRIDE, western romance, Yvonne Harris
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Thursday, May 27th, 2010
 Today I’m reviewing A TAILOR-MADE BRIDE, by Karen Witemeyer, published by Bethany House.
Hannah Richards has come to Coventry, Texas to achieve her dream–to open up a dressmaker’s shop, having inherited the title of a building from a wealthy customer. But achieving her dream causes her to run afoul of liveryman J.T. Tucker, who’d planned to buy that building himself to benefit a widow. And there is another reason for J.T. to dislike Hannah–her taste for stylish clothes reminds him too much of his vain, self-centered mother.
But Hannah is nothing like her mother, and soon shows that by her acts of kindness and unlikely friendship. Much against his iron will, J.T. begins to fall in love with pretty Hannah, and she with him. The story of their courtship is engaging and charming, and the spiritual takeaway was that everyone has value and worth. I loved the heroine’s friendship with a grieving widower and his resultant transformation, as well as the heroine’s ahead-of-her-time interest in fitness.
I’ve become a fan, and I will be watching for future books by this great author. I highly recommend that you not miss this one!
This book was provided free for review by Bethany House.
Blessings, Laurie Kingery.
Tags: A TAILOR-MADE BRIDE, Christian fiction, Karen Witemeyer, western historical fiction
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Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
 Today I’m reviewing THE LAST CHRISTIAN by David Gregory, a futuristic inspirational novel that was quite different from anything I’ve ever read before.
In 2088 the world has changed completely from the world we know today. Abigail Caldwell, the daughter of missionaries, emerges from the jungle of Papua New Guinea to find that the United States her dead parents had told her about has vastly changed. Almost everything is done via the Grid, which is what the internet has morphed into. No longer tied to computers, it can be instantly called up by the mind. People meet each other and spend most of their time in Virtual Reality. There are no rules, for Christianity has died. Now science has developed an artificial brain that far surpasses any human brain or computer. The only trouble as Abby sees it is that once the new “perfect” brain has been surgically installed, one loses God. It’s not seen as a problem to modern mankind, for they’ve decided a long time ago that there is no God, but Abby vows to bring Christianity back to America, and hopefully, the modern world.
The moment she begins to attempt restoring the spiritual dimension to humanity, those that are trying to make brain transplants universal are out to get her. Allied with historian Creighton Daniels, they become unwitting targets of powerful men. It will take courage and sacrifice, but Abby and Creighton are willing to take on the challenge.
This was a riveting novel from Waterbrook Press, and it has the potential to be a powerful movie. I hope it’s made into one someday. The option of a brain transplant is a powerfully seductive one offering all knowledge–much as the devil in the guise of a serpent once offered it to Eve in the garden of Eden. The moral choice then was as important as that offered to the world of THE LAST CHRISTIAN. I highly recommend this fascinating book. It can be ordered from Waterbrook at www.waterbrook.com/catalogue and was provided free for review to me.
Blessings, Laurie Kingery
Tags: Christian fiction, David Gregory, futuristic fiction, THE LAST CHRISTIAN, Waterbrook
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Monday, March 15th, 2010
 Today I’m reviewing PLAIN PURSUIT, the second novel in the “Daughters of the Promise” series by Beth Wiseman. This is a wonderful story set in Pennsylvania Amish country in which the heroine, Carley Mayek, badly in need of a vacation to heal her aching soul, goes to visit her friend Lillian, who has married an Amish man and become Amish herself. She only plans to rest and recuperate and write a story on the Amish for her newspaper. But her visit becomes more than a visit to a simpler way of life in a peaceful setting.
Lillian’s husband Samuel’s family has experienced a rift after his brother Noah left his Amish life to become a doctor. He has been shunned by the Amish for that and for a book he had written which spoke too frankly of matters private to his family. When Lillians’s stepson David becomes critically ill, Carley meets the Dr. Noah and they are mutually attracted, but if Carley lets the attraction progress, she risks upsetting Samuel and his family. It becomes necessary for Noah to make a great personal sacrifice to save his nephew, but at first it seems the family will not allow it due to the shunning.
But even after the boy’s life is saved and a sort of peace and acceptance exists between Noah and the Amish, the hero and the heroine are not completely free to love, for Carley has a heartbreaking secret that may prevent Noah’s happiness if he marries her. It’s not until Carley tries to leave and the secret is confronted that this hero and heroine can enjoy their happily-ever-after.
This book deals honestly with the reality of Amish life and does not try to idealize it. The practice of shunning those who go against the Ordnung, the code of Amish rules, is one of the less pleasant of the realities, and one which the non-Amish including myself find hardest to accept. The Amish are steadfast Christians, yet this practice seems to go against grace. Yet I suppose if the Amish did not have this practice, their belief system and way of life would have become hopelessly compromised and watered-down.
I appreciated that in the end the family finds a way to come around and accept Noah, even if only unofficially. I would have liked to see the bishop come around too, but perhaps that would have been too idealistic. I also appreciated that God showed a way to solve Carley’s heartbreaking secret in such a marvelous way.
I’ve become a fan of Beth Wiseman in reading this book, and I hope to read many more. This book was provided for review by Booksneeze.com.
Blessings, Laurie Kingery
Tags: Amish, Beth Wiseman, Christian fiction, Thomas Nelson Publishers
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Thursday, February 25th, 2010
 Today I am reviewing DEEP HARBOR by Lisa Tawn Bergen, the second in the Northern Lights series.This is a wonderful Christian historical novel which deals with the themes of redemption, second chances, and waiting on God’s perfect timing. Initially, I found it hard to get into, since I had not read the first book in the series, THE CAPTAIN’S BRIDE. And I found the first female protagonist presented, Tora Anders, very difficult to relate to, for she is selfish, manipulative and very much into the pleasure of riches and power. But it was Tora who won my heart as she became broken, lost her wealth and the man she craved. She became very much a nineteenth century female version of the Prodigal Son. One of the other female protagonists, Kaatje, is a hardworking farm woman whose husband had an affair with Tora, then left for Alaska, causing Tora to leave their baby with Kaatje. Kaatje took baby Jessica in, then feared someday Tora would someday return to claim her. The last of the three heroines, Elsa, is the wife of a ship’s captain who sails with him. The three women are all connected as Bergensers (Norwegians who immigrated to America), and their stories intersect continually in a way that really drew me in.
I found Elsa, the widow of a ship’s captain who bears his posthumous child after he falls overboard and drowns, hardest to sympathize with. I did like that she aided Tora in her quest to become a new person in Christ. But knowing there is a pirate looking for her in a desire for revenge since the first book, and knowing he is still looking for her in the second book, she nonetheless goes back to sea with her children along, including the baby, and writes articles to the New York Times detailing her whereabouts, which the villain takes full advantage of. This seems not only foolish but not what God would have a responsible mother do to ensure her children’s safety. It seems she is a little carried away by pride, especially since she is known as “The Heroine of the Horn” from the first book. But this weakness never seems to change or is even portrayed as a weakness. And I realize this may only be my own opinion. The redemption of Tora and hints that she will eventually marry her true love do a lot to compensate for Elsa.
I had a couple of minor quibbles with the author’s style–one, that she repeatedly refers to Tora before her redemption as a “maven” of roadhouse development. The word “maven” was not used in the late 1800’s; it is a Yiddish word which first comes into American use in the 1950’s or ’60’s, depending which dictionary one consults. This jarred me out of the nineteenth-century atmosphere the author had conveyed. And she uses “quip” as a dialogue tag far too often. As an author myself, I realize that there is often a word or words that I’ve overused in the manuscript, but these should get edited out by the author or during the publisher’s editing.
As I said, these are minor things which may only bother me. This was a very spiritually uplifting book about hardworking, determined Christian women and the equally determined men who love them. I found the eventual reconciliation of Tora and Kaatje inspiring. The story will be continued in the next book in the series, MIDNIGHT SUN, in which the characters all journey to Alaska to forge new lives. I would recommend this book.
This book was provided for review by Waterbrook.
Blessings, Laurie Kingery
Tags: Christian fiction, DEEP HARBOR, Lisa Tawn Bergen, Northern Lights series, Waterbrook
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Saturday, February 6th, 2010
 I’m actually a little late announcing this, but it’s been a busy week. I can finally say I’ve sold two more books in the Simpson Creek Brides series! The book I am presently writing, working title THE WEDDING TREE, will be the first book in the contract. It’s Prissy’s story. Prissy Gilmore was the best friend of Sarah Matthews in THE DOCTOR TAKES A WIFE, and I felt it was time she had her own story–and her own hero, Sam Bishop, a down-on-his-luck gambler who decides he needs a different location after he runs afoul of gambling hall kingpin Kendall Raney in Houston. He also wants a different direction in his life, and thinks nothing could be better than marrying a pretty girl who is also conveniently rich. Prissy is a girl who’s in love with love. She’s watched several others of the Simpson Creek Spinsters’ Club find their matches, including best friend Sarah, and she’s more than ready to find her own true love. Neither is what the other expected, and the course of love never does run smooth, to quote Shakespeare–but if it did, that would make for a mighty short book. My deadline for this book will be June 1, and I’m already revising the first part a bit per my editor’s suggestions.
Book 2 in the contract, as yet untitled, is Caroline Wallace’s story. She’d thought she’d found her forever true love, but the flu epidemic in THE DOCTOR TAKES A WIFE cost the life of the man she’d met through the Spinsters’ Club. Caroline is sure she’s lost her chance at love and is meant to live as a single woman the rest of her life. Since she will never have children, she throws her energy into teaching Simpson Creek’s children, but when the brother of her late fiance comes to town, unaware that his brother has died and expecting his brother and his new wife to watch his two children while he traipses off to Montana, the fireworks begin…
I don’t have publishing dates for these two books yet, but it’s nice to know I’ll be able to bring two new Simpson Creek Brides stories to you!
Blessings, Laurie
Tags: Christian fiction, Steeple Hill Love Inspired historicals, THE DOCTOR TAKES A WIFE, THE WEDDING TREE, writing life
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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
 My next Love Inspired Historical (out in November 2010) has a new name–MAIL-ORDER COWBOY! And the series it starts is now called THE BRIDES OF SIMPSON CREEK. My editor asked me to change the titles from MARRYING MILLY for the book’s name and “The Simpson Creek Spinsters’ Club” as the series name. I’m not sure why about the book title, but I like the new one, and perhaps “Spinsters” was felt to be a negative term? There’s certainly nothing negative about the spunky misses of Simpson Creek, Texas! I’m just grateful that when the Love Inspired Editors ask for a change, they give the author a chance to propose alternatives. And I’m VERY grateful for the brainstorming help of my writer friends, who made the above winning suggestions.
I’ve learned to not get too attached to my titles. When I went back over past books, I saw that 6 of my 18 published books had had title changes. In several cases, I don’t remember what the original title was. Editors DO usually have a better handle on what will appeal to readers. So unless a really good title suggests itself to me from the get-go, I don’t agonize over a working title too much. In fact, would anyone like to get a jump on the next title for me–I’m guessing it won’t end up SOMEONE FOR SARAH. :) Blessings, Laurie
Tags: BRIDES OF SIMPSON CREEK, Christian fiction, MAIL-ORDER COWBOY, writing life
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
  Today I’m blogging about two books, THIRSTY, by Tracy Bateman, and TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE, by Beth Felker Jones. I’m sorry the images I copied from Waterbrook/Multnomah’s Blogging for books site do not show the entire book covers.
I’ve always liked vampire books, so when I got the opportunity to review these books for Waterbrook/Multnomah, I jumped at the chance to see how Christian authors would handle this subject.
In THIRSTY, Nina Parker is a woman at a crossroads. As a teenager, she underwent a terrifying event that haunted her ever since, though she doesn’t clearly remember it. Now an alcoholic, she has lost the custody and the love of her daughter, Meagan, and her ex-husband wants no part of her. But when she is forced to move back to her hometown and move in with her sister, Nina seizes a chance to take her daughter along during her spring break. Meagan is interested in getting to know the parents Nina has given up on there, though she makes every moment difficult for her mother. A series of murders and animal killings leaving bloodless bodies and carcases alarm her, her sheriff sister, and the town. A mysterious neighbor seems way too interested in her. Is he a good man or does he represent danger? Can she stay away from the bottle which is calling her back to alcohol addiction, or can she trust those who love her? Should she be worried about the alluring woman who has her daughter and several other teenage girls enthralled with her yoga classes and unusual influence? Is there truly no recapturing the love her husband once had for her? Author Tracey Bateman brings this ale of obsession and redemption to a dramatic, unforgettable conclusion.
The book can be ordered at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307457158
TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE, by Beth Felker Jones, is for every parent who’s wondered if their teenaged daughter’s obsession with the TWILIGHT series is a good thing, and every reader who wants to examine the phenomen more deeply in light of Christian truth. I was particularly interested because of a granddaughter who’s been reading these books and watching the movie. The author examines whether the good themes in this book, such as the fact that true love waits for marriage, outshines the more troubling aspects of the series, such as the heroine’s utter obsession with the hero before she has ever become her own person. The book contains an overview for anyone who has not read the TWILIGHT series but still wants to understand them.
I was glad that the book examined the series without insisting on a premise that no true Christian should read these books or allow her children to do so. It’s thoughtful and thorough without being arbitrary. It’s also not an anti-Mormon treatise (the author of the TWILIGHT series is a Mormon), though it examines the series in light of Mormon themes; for example, the emphasis on family as represented by the Cullen clan.
Ultimately, I’ve come away from reading TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE thinking that while a temporary obsession with the TWILIGHT series won’t hurt the teen who has parents who have taught her not only that true love waits, but true love does not drown individualism either, and that the love of a mythic creature such as a vampire with superpowers cannot compare with the love of God. I’m proud to say my granddaughter has such parents, so I’m not worried about her being warped by reading TWILIGHT. But perhaps the teen who has not developed her own sense of identity, and more importantly, does not understand that the One who loves her most is God, may come out of reading the TWILIGHT series looking for a magical Edward Cullen equivalent who does not exist, and come away disappointed.
The book can be ordered by linking to: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601422781
These books were provided for review by the Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
Blessings, Laurie
Tags: Beth Felker Jones, Christian fiction, Multnomah, Stephenie Meyers, THIRSTY, TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE, Tracey Batemen, TWILIGHT, vampires, Waterbrook
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