Below are the February releases from members of the American Christian Fiction Writers. I have already read, and highly recommend, Jennifer AIlee’s The Pastor’s Wife and Christa Allan’s Walking on Broken Glass. And those of you who’ve heard me gone on and on about my favorite female in the Bible know I’ll be recommending Jill Eileen Smith’s Abigail.

But almost any of these will give you a warm, relaxing afternoon or two in the recliner, especially during these cold days.

1. Abigail: A Novel, The Wives of King David, Book 2, by Jill Eileen Smith from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Turmoil marks her life – what price will she pay for love?

2. A Valentine Wish, by Betsy St. Amant from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Lori, chocolate-lover extraordinare, is unemployed, single, and out of brownie mix. But when a secret admirer pops up at her new job running a chocolate boutique, she might have the ingredients for a special Valentine’s after all!

3. Deliver Us From Evil, by Robin Caroll from B&H Publishing. When a female helicopter pilot rescues a US Marshal escorting a heart, they must race against time to uncover the largest child trafficking ring in history.

4. Hometown Promise; First in the Kellerville Series, by Merrillee Whren from Steeple Hill Love Insired. Kellerville: Finding family, community and love in one small town

5. Love’s Winding Path, by Lauralee Bliss from Heartsong Presents, Barbour Publishing. A prodigal’s life is never out of God’s reach and His love as two lonely adventurers are about to discover.

6. The Marriage Masquerade, by Erica Vetsch from Heartsong Presents, Barbour Publishing. Sometimes running away brings you right back where you started.

7. Meander Scar, by Lisa Lickel from Black Lion. When Ann is ready to jump back into life with a new love, she discovers the devastating truth behind her husband’s disappearance.

8. My Deadly Valentine, by Lynette Eason and Valerie Hansen from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Two suspense-filled stories about stalkers and the men determined to protect the women they love.

9. On Wings of Love, by Kim Watters from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A dedicated nurse devotes her life helping others, only to discover the man who steals her heart doesn’t want her help..

10. The Pastor’s Wife, by Jennifer AlLee from Abingdon Press. A woman must face the husband – and the congregation – she ran from six years earlier.

11. Walking on Broken Glass, by Christa Allen from Abingdon Press. Leah Thornton stops numbing her pain with alcohol, but discovers the road to redemption might still be under construction.

Sometimes I may just “wax poetic” because a book moves my heart, whether or not it’s a “great” book. We all have our guilty pleasures, and the overall quality may not matter as much as how much I fall in love with the hero or think the heroine could be a good friend. After all, I’m always going to cheer when Lynryd Skynryd breaks into “Sweet Home Alabama” (my home state) and melt whenever Han Solo comes flying out of the sun.

I’m just a softie.

If you’d like to suggest a book, I’m open, but I’m not going to be soliciting new releases. I only have 24 slots a year, and I want to feature books I love. Mostly new books, yes, and mostly inspirational fiction, but occasionally, I’ll indulge in a book of the heart. As a result, I want to start this with a book recommended by someone I respect a great deal, agent Sandra Bishop.

In a recent post on Chip MacGregor’s blog, Sandra made this comment: “And as much as I love Steinbeck, Leif Enger’s Peace Like a River replaced Tortilla Flats as my all-time favorite novel.”

Until that moment, I’d never heard of Mr. Enger’s book.

I had no idea what I was missing. I finished it a few weeks ago, and I barely waited for this post to gush about it. Not only is this a book of the heart; it’s a work of enduring quality that’s sure to entrance readers for generations to come.

The storyline is deceptively simple. Set in Minnesota during the early 1960s, the story follows its 11-year-old asthmatic narrator, Reuben Land, through a coming of age story that grows from the choices his family makes: mostly his eccentric, highly spiritual father’s decision to give up medicine for the life of a small-town school janitor and his older brother’s choice to take revenge on the town bullies then flee town.

Yeah, not my kind of tale. I never would have picked it up on my own. Good thing I value Sandra’s opinion.

Reading Peace Like a River is akin to diving into a wondrous world of unforgettable imagery, characters that imbed themselves skin and nail into your soul, and a tale that will make you believe in miracles all over again. I didn’t want it to stop, but Mr. Enger draws it to such a real, inevitable, and satisfying conclusion that I released it with a sigh. It’s a glorious reminder that “Christian worldview” isn’t a category. It’s a way of life; a way of telling your story that has as much to do with the author as the characters that emerge from the tale.

And it’s a first novel.

I share Sandra’s high opinion of the book (obviously), although I can honestly say it didn’t usurp the #1 book in my head. That place was grabbed when I was only 14 and never relinquished. Someday, I may talk about that one. For now, I can only offer up a book that will live long in the memory of anyone who slips between its covers.

Peace Like a River
Leif Enger
Paperback: Atlantic Monthly Press
ISBN-13: 978-0802139252
$13.95

But Sandie Bricker is an author who knows how to make the reader laugh out loud, and by the end of the first chapter, Olivia Wallace finds herself headed for Florida to housesit for a friend. It’s a bit of a culture shock for the lady used to her calm Ohio neighborhood when she’s confronted with a flirty younger man, a wandering alligator, a stubborn octogenarian who insists on using her pool, and the partying neighbors next door. Then there’s Missy Boofer, an aptly named and temperamental furball in a lampshade collar and pink doggie t-shirt that won’t let Olivia in the house.

Oh . . . and Jared, a man who would make any woman take a second glance. Or third.

The Big 5-OH! is a jewel, a fun ride from start to finish. It reminds us that God is most definitely the Lord of second chances at life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. Give this book to your friends and laugh with them as you soak in a fun tale that’s as warm and uplifting as the Florida sunshine.

The Big 5-OH!
Sandra D. Bricker
ISBN-13: 978-1-4267-0235-8
Available February 2010
First Chapter at Abingdon Press
To Buy, click on the link in the first line or go to the product page at Christian Book.

As to my recent absence…deadlines, water heaters, and migraines, oh, my! A flooded garage, an overabundance of work, and an unexpected three-day migraine threw my world out of whack for a bit. This weekend, however, I got to see my brother (who comes around about twice a year) and celebrate my mother’s 83rd birthday. A little taste of what’s really important.

Now on to a family that has more secrets than a dog has fleas…

——————-

THINGS LEFT UNSPOKEN
Eva Marie Everson
Baker Books, June 2009
$13.99
978-0-8007-3273-8
5 stars (out of 5)

Every family–and every house–has its secrets.

Jo-Lynn Hunter is at a crossroads in life when her great-aunt Stella insists that she return home to restore the old family manse in sleepy Cottonwood, Georgia. Jo-Lynn longs to get her teeth into a noteworthy and satisfying project. And it’s the perfect excuse for some therapeutic time away from her self-absorbed husband and his snobby Atlanta friends.

Beneath the dust and the peeling wallpaper, things are not what they seem, and what Jo-Lynn doesn’t know about her family holds just as many surprises. Was her great-grandfather the pillar of the community she thought he was? What is Aunt Stella hiding? And will her own marriage survive the renovation?

Jo-Lynn isn’t sure she wants to know the truth–but sometimes the truth has a way of making itself known.

Eva writes from the heart of the South. In Things Left Unspoken, she wonderfully portrays the intricacies of small town families with their darkest secrets and deepest bonds. From the first line, she engages the reader in Jo-Lynn’s quest for a place to belong by gently unraveling a tale of tragic history, enduring love, and unexpected intrigue. This is a splendid book by one of the South’s best contemporary authors.

I certainly believe it. In less than three months, The Taking of Carly Bradford releases and conference season starts. I spent much of this weekend getting the conference stuff organized and the marketing efforts started. I feel somewhat “scrubbed” since a lot of the tasks were items hanging over my head for months – emails needing answered, reservations made, books sent, etc. I have a bunch of stuff to take to the PO tomorrow.

And, if Steeple Hill is true to form, I’ll receive my author’s copies in early March. So I’ve started to line up influencers – folks who will read the book and post reviews on their own blog (if they have one), as well as on the major book sites, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you’re interested, please email me at ramona01@ramonarichards.com with your name and mailing address, using the subject head CARLY INFLUENCER.

The first 10 people to sign up will receive a book from my first shipment. The next fifteen will receive them from the second, which will come in May.

Just as a reminder, here’s what Carly is about:

A blue sundress and white sandals. That’s what eight-year-old Carly Bradford was wearing…right before she disappeared. Three months later, Dee Kelley spots the sandals in the woods and knows she’s uncovered evidence. Dee lost her husband and child—she won’t let another mother suffer as she did. She will help police chief Tyler Madison find Carly, whether he wants her assistance or not. But Tyler isn’t the only one determined to keep Dee off the case. And evidence isn’t all that she’ll find waiting for her in the woods.

And don’t forget I have a new contest running, even though the new books aren’t on the site yet. If you want to be entered, include that with the email.

And those conferences? Upcoming events include:

Written in the Stars Conference, Shreveport, LA, March 6-7
Heart of Dixie Readers Luncheon, Huntsville, AL, May 2
Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, May 17-21

If you’re going to be at any of these, stop me for a chat. I’d love to hear from you.

More later.

The back cover copy outlines the premise:

Novelist Darell Brooke lived for his title as King of Suspense—until an auto accident left him unable to concentrate. Two years later, reclusive and bitter, he wants one thing: to plot a new novel and regain his reputation.

But can Darell’s muddled mind do it? And—if he tries—with what motivation? For Kaitlan’s plight may be the stunning answer to the elusive plot he seeks . . .

Brandilyn Collins’ trademarked brand, Seatbelt Suspense, builds into every release the high expectations of a driving plot, snappy dialogue, and characters who hang around in your head long after you’ve consumed the last page.

Fortunately for all of us, Dark Pursuit delivers, and “consume” is the right word for my reading of Ms. Collins’ latest. It totally rescheduled my weekend plans. I read it over two days, reading instead of napping on a plane, reading instead of working on my own upcoming book (just don’t tell my editor!)

I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next to bestselling but creatively stalled suspense author Darell Brooke, his estranged and endangered granddaughter Kaitlan, and a serial killer villain who is rapidly escalating from impulse kills to intentional stalking. Short, concise chapters help keep the action moving, and a delicious twist at the end made me almost cheer outloud on the plane.

My only disappontments with the book (the weakness of one character and an unnecessary development toward the end) are minor and did nothing to spoil my intense enjoyment of the newest release from a master storyteller. Brava! for Dark Pursuit.