This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow Abingdon Press (September 2009) by Joyce Magnin ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joyce Magnin is the author of short fiction and personal experience articles. She co-authored the book, Linked to Someone in Pain. She has been published in such magazines as Relief Journal, Parents Express, Sunday Digest, and Highlights for Children. Joyce attended Bryn Mawr College and is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Fellowship. She is a frequent workshop leader at various writer’s conferences and women’s church groups. She has three children, Rebekah, Emily, and Adam; one grandson, Lemuel Earnest; one son-in-law, Joshua, and a neurotic parakeet who can’t seem to keep a name. Joyce leads a small fiction group called StoryCrafters. She enjoys baseball, football, cream soda, and needle arts but not elevators. She currently lives in Havertown, Pennsylvania. The Prayers of Agnes Sparr...

Captain's Log, Stardate 09.30.2009 I couldn't resist posting these cute dog pictures that my Mom emailed to me! "Pardon me, I just farted." "You have a huge chunk of spinach in your teeth. Let me get it out for you..." Canine of the Corn A true photo hog This amazes me. My dog would not have this kind of self control. Nor this kind of self control, either! Naturally, I couldn't resist posting some recent photos of our dog, Snickers! Know why she's so focused? I am holding a piece of chicken and she is staring intently. We have a kotatsu coffee table , and for some reason (even in the heat of summer) she likes to lie under the cover. She will poke her head out and pant every so often, but she still won't come out. Dumb dog!

Captain's Log, Stardate 09.28.2009 Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah by Melody Carlson Beloved author Melody Carlson offers readers her final installment in the 86 Bloomberg Place series, Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah (David C Cook, September 2009). Written in her well-known conversational, colloquial style, Carlson's latest novel continues to follow four diverse young women, with varying levels of faith, differing interests, and unique personal issues, through the high dramas of their romantic lives. The four-book 86 Bloomberg Place series offers an emotionally engaging look at the individual dilemmas of four unlikely female friends—Kendall, Lelani, Anna, and Megan—who share a small bungalow while launching their careers and maturing through difficult family situations and romantic relationships. Carlson's unique ability to capture young women's attitudes, voices, and heartfelt desires with meaningful storytelling keeps pace with the lives of her readers as s...

I am a total fan of Roxanne's books (she probably thinks I'm a cyber stalker) ever since I read her first Love Inspired Suspense novel, Hard Evidence (although the second book in that trilogy, Vendetta , is my favorite so far). She writes characters that are strong, real, and likable, and her suspense is heart-poundingly fantastic! (Like how i made up that word?) Final Exposure by Roxanne Rustand FOUR STARS RT Book Reviews Magazine. Safety. Serenity. That’s what Jack Matthews wants, and what he seeks in Lost Falls, Montana. A quiet retreat is just what Jack and his orphaned nephew, Max, need—especially with gentle, beautiful Erin Cole as their host. But when sirens in the night leave Max screaming, Jack’s faced with the harsh truth. They’re not safe—not him, not Max and especially not Erin. What is she hiding? What does the shadowy figure stalking her want? And how much will Jack have to risk to keep her safe? Excerpt of chapter one: Erin Cole shivered away an uneasy feeling ...

Myra is a friend of mine who blogs with me at Seekerville . We were all so thrilled when she got the call that Abingdon had bought this book! This manuscript has finaled and won in many RWA contests before it was contracted and Myra worked a very long time to achieve her dream. She really is a testament to perseverance and determination! This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing One Imperfect Christmas Abingdon Press (September 2009) by Myra Johnson ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Making up stories has been second nature to me for as long as I can remember. A select group of trusted friends back at dear old Mission High waited eagerly for the next installment of my "Great American Spy Novel" (think Man from Uncle) and my "All-American Teen Novel" (remember Gidget and Tammy?). I even had a private notebook of angst-ridden poetry a la Rod McKuen. The dream of writing persisted into adulthood, although it often remained on the back burner wh...

Kim is a wonderful person with a humble, gentle heart. I just saw her at the ACFW conference last week, where her novel, My Heart Remembers , won the Book of the Year Contest! This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Fields Of Grace Bethany House (October 2009) by Kim Vogel Sawyer ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Best-selling, award-winning author Kim Vogel Sawyer is a wife, mother, grandmother, author, speaker, singer of songs and lover of chocolate... but most importantly, she's a born-again child of the King! A former elementary school teacher, Kim closed her classroom door in 2005 to follow God's call on her heart to write and speak. Now blessed with multiple writing contracts with Bethany House, Barbour, and Zondervan Publishing, Kim enjoys sharing her journey to publication as well as the miraculous story of her healing from a life-long burden of pain and shame. Kim's gentle yet forthright testimony lends credence to the promise of Ps. 1...