Today's Wild Card author is: Stephen Lawhead and the book: Tuck Thomas Nelson (February 17, 2009) "Pray God our aim is true and each arrow finds its mark." King Raven has brought hope to the oppressed people of Wales--and fear to their Norman overlords. Along the way Friar Tuck has been the stalwart supporter of King Raven--bringing him much-needed guidance, wit, and faithful companionship. Deceived by the self-serving King William and hunted by the treacherous Abbot Hugo and Sheriff de Glanville, Rhi Bran is forced to take matters into his own hands as King Raven. Aided by Tuck and his small but determined band of forest-dwelling outlaws, he ignites a rebellion that spreads through the Welsh valleys, forcing the wily monarch to marshal his army and march against little Elfael. Filled with unforgettable characters, breathtaking suspense, and rousing battle scenes, Stephen R. Lawhead's masterful retelling of the Robin Hood legend reaches its stunning conclusion in Tuc...

DOUBLE MINDS A Stand-Alone Novel by Terri Blackstock Were the bullets intended for her? As talented singer/songwriter Parker James struggles to make her mark on the Nashville music scene, she finds the competition can be fierce – even deadly. When a young woman is murdered at the recording studio where Parker works, Parker is drawn into a mystery where nothing is as it seems. Unraveling the truth puts her own life at risk when she uncovers high-level industry corruption and is terrorized by a menacing stalker. As the danger escalates, Parker begins to question her dreams, her future, and even her faith. Does stardom even matter anymore? Read an excerpt of the book at www.christianbook.com . “Blackstock’s superior writing will keep readers turning pages late into the night to discover the identity of the culprit in this amazing mystery. The unique setting and peek into the Nashville music scene are fascinating. Suspense lovers are in for a delightful treat.” Romantic Times , February ...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.20.2009 You guys may already know, but I did a lot of knitting for Christmas presents. And now that they’ve all been given (some rather late), I can post pictures! This is a cable afghan I made for my Uncle Gordon. I picked the Flirtation cable pattern from VogueKnitting.com and made the cables in between seed stitch panels. I used Caron One Pound yarn since it’s acrylic (no chances of wool allergies, it’s light, and it’s washable).

Today's Wild Card author is: Debbie Viguié and the book: Spring of Candy Apples (A Sweet Seasons Novel) Zondervan (February 1, 2009) They’re fun! They’re quirky! They’re Sweet Seasons—unlike any other girls’ books you’ve ever read. You could call them alternative, God-honoring chick lit. Join Candy Thompson on a sweet, lighthearted, and honest romp through the friendships, romances, family, school, faith, and values that make a girl’s lie as full as it can be. It’s the end of Candace’s senior year, and life’s getting sticky. A promotion to The Zone’s Candy Counter means Candace gets to create gooey treats all day long. She is a finalist for The Zone’s college scholarship (Florida anyone?), things with Kurt are getting really weird, and she’s bothered by all the questions about her future. Not unlike the challenge of making candy apples, Candace struggles to resist getting stuck and believe in what is truly at her core. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of ...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.18.2009 We just “celebrated” Chinese New Year’s—I say “celebrated” because we don’t really do anything special, but we notice, “Oh, hey, Happy Chinese New Year.” “You, too.” Captain Caffeine had gotten these Dragon’s beard candies from his coworker, who had brought them back from China or Japan (I can’t remember, they’re Chinese candy but the coworker might have bought them in Japan). Now, in all my years married to a Chinese man and with many Chinese friends, I have to say I’ve never eaten Dragon’s beard candy before. But I’m always game for new foods, so I gave it a go in honor of Chinese New Years. It’s not really sweet, it’s only mildly sweet. And it’s flavored with green tea, which gives it a bitter tang. The bitter and sweet together is actually very interesting and not unpleasant, but very different from anything else I’ve ever tasted. It also has finely ground nuts, and the threads are fine and crispy, so there’s the mildly sweet, the bitter, the...

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.16.2009 In case you missed it, I blogged on the Faithchicks blog on Wednesday about Small Victories during the day to keep me going with my weight loss goals. Camy here. Well, I’m still going strong on my weight loss/getting fit/getting healthy journey! ... It’s been a TOUGH 6 weeks. Every day is a BATTLE to not stuff my face with potato chips or overindulge on chocolate. Every day is a BATTLE to get myself to exercise, especially when I’m tired or just feeling lazy, which is pretty much ALL THE TIME. Sigh. Click here to read the rest of the post! How about you? What small victories keep you going throughout the day?

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.16.2009 Gingham Mountain by Mary Connealy A Young Woman’s Need to Protect A Cowboy’s Need to Provide A Head-On Course for a Love-Hate Relationship When Hanna Cartwright meets Grant, a disreputable-looking cowboy, she’s determined to keep him from exploiting her orphan charges. When she gets the job as schoolmarm, she resolves to keep Grant’s adopted children in school to minimize the time spent in hard labor on his ranch. Will she succeed in her plans or lose her heart—and the children—to a man she despises? Grant already has a Texan ranch full of orphans he’s rescued, but still he’s determined to take on the two brought in by the orphan train. Can he wrangle his growing brood while resisting his attraction to the meddlesome Hannah and keeping clear of Prudence, a designing dressmaker? When a couple of con artists discover oil on Grant’s land, they’ll go to any lengths to steal his ranch, including forcing him into marriage with a scheming s...