Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Hidden Avon Inspire (May 27, 2008) by Shelley Shepard Gray ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hidden is Shelley’s first foray into inspirational fiction. Previously, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time. Shelley is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and is part of the Telecare ministry, which calls homebound members on a regular basis. Shelley looks forward to the opportunity to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals. ABOUT THE BOOK Hidden is a remarkable story about the unlikely love between a modern girl on the run and an Amish boy from the family who shelters her. When Anna decides it's time to leave her abusive boyfriend, she doesn't know where to turn. Rob is a successful and respected person in her community. He has com

I loved Sex and the City when it was on TV. I actually didn't have cable but I watched the episodes when they came out on DVD. So much of what happened in the show could relate to my life. It was total guilty pleasure. And the clothes!! And I wanted to go live in New York City too. So as a huge fan of the show, I was thrilled to hear that the movie was going to come out. I was afraid however that the movie would not be able to live up to the series. And we all know how those movies based on TV shows end up turning out to be. Luckily, I was in for a huge treat. Fashion in this movie is simply superb. I love the scenes where Carrie is modeling the wedding dresses for the Vogue photo shoot. My favorite was the Oscar De La Renta Dress. I love the clothes that all the women wear. Charlotte's is my personal favorite because it's so classy and elegant. Carrie's is the one I wish I could wear but I know I could never pull off. The story is completely believable. I love

I'm giving away a brand new copy of today's book! Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Thursday, July 3. International readers may enter. Good luck! Beth Pattillo (Heavens to Betsy and Earth to Betsy) knows how to follow a dream—even with a pile of publishing industry rejection slips to her name. She spent seven years on the path to her first publishing contract, and the characters in her new novel, The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society, embrace Pattillo’s persistence. Eugenie, Ruth, Esther, Merry, and Camille are not perfect women. They each struggle with love in their own way—unrequited love, forbidden love, overwhelming love, even lost love. Yet they battle on, meeting every month in the Pairs and Spares Sunday school room to knit, discuss that month’s book selection, and puzzle out their lives. When Eugenie throws neglected and abused teenager Hannah Simmons into their midst, however, walls decades

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Calico Canyon Barbour Publishing, Inc (July 1, 2008) by Mary Connealy ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MARY CONNEALY is an award-winning author and playwright, married to Ivan a farmer, and the mother of four beautiful daughters, Joslyn, Wendy, Shelly and Katy. They live in Decatur, Nebraska. Mary is a GED Instructor by day and an author by night. And there is always a cape involved in her transformation. Mary has also written Petticoat Ranch , Golden Days , and her latest, Alaska Brides that will debut in August. ABOUT THE BOOK Let yourself be swept away by this fast-paced romance, featuring Grace Calhoun, an instructor of reading, writing, and arithmetic, who, in an attempt to escape the clutchs of a relentless pursuer, runs smack dab into even more trouble with the 6R's - widower Daniel Reeves, along with his five rowdy sons. When a marriage is forced upon this hapless pair - two people who couldn't dislike each other more - an

I'm giving away a brand new copy of today's book! Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Tuesday, July 1. International readers may enter. Good luck! From the outside looking in, local Chiropractor Dr. Rachel Donovan seems to have it together. She’s returned to her hometown of Shady Grove and runs a thriving Chiropractic practice. She’s be nominated as Shady Grove’s Citizen Of The Year, and appointed to the committee planning the town’s major centennial celebration and rodeo. Unfortunately, on the inside everything is not as it appears. The committee duties come with baggage—cute, cowboy baggage to be precise. Jack Westwood is the epitome of the stereotypical cowboy; rugged, handsome and bull-headed. While he makes everyone else swoon, Rachel is determined to not get involved any more than necessary. She knows his type—T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Unfortunately, the fallout from a mistake that Rachel made fif

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione (Multnomah Books - June 17, 2008) by Chuck Black ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Chuck Black first wrote Kingdom’s Edge to inspire his children to read the Bible with renewed zeal. This captivating expanded parable led him to write the Old Testament allegories, Kingdom’s Dawn and Kingdom’s Hope. Chuck added three more titles to the series, Kingdom’s Call , Kingdom’s Quest , and Kingdom’s Reign which were released in May of 2007. Chuck is a former F-16 fighter pilot and currently works as an engineer for a firm designing plastic consumer products. He has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and served eight years in the United States Air Force. Chuck and his wife Andrea have six children and live in North Dakota. It is Chuck’s desire to serve the Lord through his work and to inspire people of all ages to study the scriptures in order to discover the hope and love of a truly majestic Ki

It's June 21st, time for the Teen FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 21st, we will feature an author and his/her latest Teen fiction book's FIRST chapter! Melody Carlson and her book: Mixed Bags (Carter House Girls, Book 1) Zondervan (May 1, 2008) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: In sixth grade, Melody Carlson helped start a school newspaper called The BuccaNews (her school’s mascot was a Buccaneer...arrr!). As editor of this paper, she wrote most of the material herself, creating goofy phony bylines to hide the fact that the school newspaper was mostly a "one man" show. Visit the Melody's website to see all of her wonderful and various book titles. Don't miss the second book in this series: Stealing Bradford (Carter House Girls, Book 2) And one of her latest, A Mile in My Flip-Flops will be featured on FIRST Blog Alliance on July 1st! Product Details: List Price: $9.99 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Zondervan (May 1, 2008) Language: English IS

Did you know there used to be a time in my life when Harrison Ford was only Indiana Jones to me? Growing up I had no clue he was such a big star. I didn't even know he was in Star Wars until 1999. The Indiana Jones trilogy is one of the best set of films ever made. I love all three of them and rewatch them every year. My personal favorite is Last Crusade especially because of the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery (Dad? What? Dad? What? DAD!! WHAT???!!) So when news that Indy 4 was FINALLY coming out, my whole family rejoiced and made plans to see it as a family. Since I really enjoyed this movie let me break down what I especially loved : Mutt dipping his comb in the coke and Indy's reaction After the motorcycle chase Mutt grins and Indy gives a stern look (just like his dad!) Indy pulls up the brush during the radiation cleaning scene Being totally freaked out during the first grave scene The Ark being shown in the warehouse Harrison Ford is still buff for 65

Well all good things must come to an end. And the Spring Reading Thing is now over. How'd I do? Well I read all the books (25) on my list PLUS 37 more for a grand total of 62 books in 3 months !!!!! Here's the list of the books I read for the challenge. Here's a breakdown of the OTHER books that I read Christian Fiction: The Hand That Bears the Sword by George Bryan Polivka The Other Daughter by Miralee Ferrell Daring Chloe by Laura Jensen Walker On the Loose by Jenny B. Jones The Forbidden by Beverly Lewis Midsummer Melody by Rebecca Kelly Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck Something Old Something New by Jane Orcutt The Moon in the Mango Tree by Pamela Ewen We Have This Moment by Diann Hunt A Whisper of Freedom by Tricia Goyer All in the Timing by Melody Carlson Forsaken by James David Jordan Zora and Nicky by Claudia Mair Burney When Zeffie Got a Clue by Peggy Darty The Song Weaver by B.J. Hoff Death, Deceit and Some S

FINISHED!!!!! Well it's that time of the year again! Katrina at Callapidder Days is issuing out the command to get our reading lists out and done! Spring Reading Thing 2008 is simply an opportunity for you to set some reading goals, share them with the blogosphere, and work toward them this spring. Perhaps you want to add some variety to your fiction reading. Or maybe you've had very good intentions as far as reading that book on budgeting or marriage or starting a home business, but...you haven't even cracked the cover yet. Some might want to read more with their children; others might feel guilty for never having read Wuthering Heights . Or maybe you just love to read and want to share your reading list and check out everyone else's. If any of those situations resonate with you, then the Spring Reading Thing is for you! So without further adieu is here is my list for the challenge! (I will be having reviews for most of the books up on my blog once I am finished wi

Historical fiction at its Best Barbara has given up her dreams as an opera singer to follow her husband and his career as a doctor. Unfortunately his dreams mean leaving the country for the other side of the world in Siam. There Barbara must adapt to a completely different way of life, where she finds herself being ostracized by the missionary women and lonely without Harvey being there all the time. She finds herself wondering if her love for Harvey is really worth the sacrifices she must make. Based on the true story of the author's grandmother, this novel is a wonderful insight to a Westerner's view of an exotic land. One of my most favorite movie musicals of all time is The King and I. The remake, Anna and the King starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat, is equally stunning and beautiful. These movies gave an insight to Siamese culture. Thailand was the only Southeast Asian country to never fall to European colonization. Yet missionaries flocked to the country to help

Today I have Pamela Ewen guest blogging about her new book, The Moon in the Mango Tree! As you know, The Moon in the Mango Tree is based on the true story of my grandmother’s life in the 1920’s, first in the jungles of north Siam —bordering Burma , where your father is from—and then i n Bangko k , where he became a royal physician. My grandmother, Barbara Perkins, was one of those dazzling people that could not only tell stories, but lived them. She was irrepressible, a suffragette before women won the vote, smart, and talented, trained to sing grand opera. But in 1919, on the cusp of success in a musical career, she married my grandfather, a doctor, and followed her husband to Siam where he wanted to practice tropical medicine with a mission. This is the story of a woman struggling with faith and doubt, her longing to find meaning and purpose in life, and to sing. The lodestar of a musical career at last lures her from Siam to Paris , Lausanne , and finally Rome , where she’s faced

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Hunted (Realms - June 3, 2008) by Mike Dellosso ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mike now lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Jen, and their three daughters. He writes a monthly column for Writer . . .Interrupted. He was a newspaper correspondent/columnist for over three years and has published several articles for The Candle of Prayer inspirational booklets. Mike also has edited and contributed to numerous Christian-themed Web sites and e-newsletters. Mike is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, the Relief Writer's Network, and International Thriller Writers. He received his BA degree in sports exercise and medicine from Messiah College and his MBS degree in theology from Master's Graduate School of Divinity. You can read a great interview with Mike, over here on TitleTrakk ABOUT THE BOOK A town's deadly secret will drive one man to