I'm pleased to introduce Londay Hayden. She will be giving away a copy of her book, Date Pray Wait to one lucky blog follower.
Besides entertainment, what do you hope readers will take away from your book?
It is my hope that the reader will develop a very real relationship
with God and not just view a moral dating practice as a religious
duty.
What sparked your decision to journey down the adventurous path of writing ?
I was inspired as a songwriter first and then a few years ago, I
decided to write books. I started out with a children's book to help
raise funds for African orphanages. Then I stumbled upon a site that
encourages writers to write a novel in a month. I accepted the challenge
and cranked out my first book. After that, I submitted this very
unrefined manuscript into a contest which made it to the third round,
miraculously enough. Thank God it didn't win. In hind sight, that
manuscript was really poorly written and I would have been terribly
embarrassed had it been published. I then submitted a true short story
to a blog contest and won $500.00. This let me know that my stories had
value. I'm still experimenting with genre in trying to find my voice and
niche in writing, and the many rejection letters I've received can
prove that statement. However, I have managed to complete a 80,000 world
fiction novel "Where Two Rivers Meet," which recently
was recognized for outstanding achievement in writing.
How does FAITH play into your writing?
My faith in God is my greatest inspiration in life and it seems to
bleed into everything I write no matter how generic I try to remain.
What are your hobbies other than writing?
I like to travel to new places and meet interesting people.
However, I find it difficult to resist the temptation to turn every
encounter into an unexpected interview. But I will not deny my writer's
instincts the opportunity to indulge upon a fabulous new story with a
colorful character. I enjoy the theater and attending concerts of some
of my favorite artist whenever possible. Of course, shopping is also
fun, seeing the newest movies on the big screen, and going to museums to
see great art or the planetarium and other sciences. I meet with
friends for breakfast or lunch as often as possible. The beach is also a
place I like to retreat to for peaceful restoration and inspiration. We
used to live closer, and I could go more often. Now I enjoy retreating
to my backyard and watching the hummingbirds buzz through the garden. We
also go to visit my mother and other family several times a year since
they live in another state and are elderly
now.
What are couple of your favorite books? What are you reading right now?
Two of my favorite books when I was growing up were "Charlotte's Web" and "Little Women."
Right now, I am reading "The Hunger Games" Trilogy. I also read
things pertaining to the writing craft and marketing. "How to Write for
Kids Magazines While Working on a Debut Novel" by Vicki H. Moss is a
current book I'm reading at the moment. I usually end up reading several
books at the same time, which makes it difficult to finish anything.
Do you have a blog or website where readers can connect with you?
I just started a brand new blog on wordpress called
"Date...Pray...Wait." I am hoping this will attract young Christian
singles who are making their way through the dating experience. The
purpose of this blog is to help create an open dialog with my readers
and offer encouragement and social networking opportunities to Christian
singles. You can access it at http://www.datepraywait.wordpress.com/
I also have a writers blog on my own site at http://www.londahayden.com/, where I talk about everything pertaining to writing, marketing, grammar, and my ongoing life as a writer.
Julie Charlton is at the breaking point. She's overwhelmed and burned out, and in today's unrelenting society, her kids are, too. When her sister-in-law Susan, a Martha Stewart-in-training, lands the chance to participate in a reality TV series promoting simple living, and needs another family to join her, it seems like the perfect opportunity.
The location is an idyllic farm outside an Amish community in Tennessee. Julie, with her two children, joins Susan and her teenage daughter for a summer adventure. Susan needs to succeed in order to become self-sufficient after an ugly divorce, Julie needs to slow down long enough to remember what her priorities are and regain a sense of purpose and meaning. It becomes clear from the start that "living simple" is no simple matter. With the camera watching every move, Susan's drive for perfection feels a lot like what they left behind, while Julie suddenly finds herself needing to stand up for slowing down. With each new challenge, their season of "going Amish" gets more and more complicated, as each woman learns unexpected lessons about herself and her family.
About the Author
Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. She is the author of four previous novels, including Leaving Yesterday and A Promise to Remember, which were both finalists for the Carol Award in Women's Fiction. Kathryn and her family currently live in Santa Barbara, California. Visit her Web site at www.kathryncushman.com.
My Review
Proving the simple life isn't so simple after all. I read Katie's first book A Promise to Remember back in 2007 and fell in love with her writing. Almost Amish is very different from Katie's first book.
If you want to escape for a little while into a simpler lifestyle, one you that wish that you could live in then this book is a must read for you.
The family in this book was leading a fast-paced life until they decided to go off to live in the country to slow down and live somewhat like the Amish do was really neat to read about. I will let you experience all the joys and challenges vicariously through the characters.
I really think that you will find this book to be a fun read. I LOVE the simple life the Amish lead so this book was a great read for me.
How can God expect Megan McKinney to forget the past? Every day she watches women drop by the law firm to visit her boss, Justin Frasure. Even though he became a Christian three months ago, nothing’s changed. Justin’s just as disgusted as Megan—he’s tried everything to keep his past from intruding. But, in spite of herself, when Justin joins her church and she sees his growing faith, she finds her heart softening. Can Justin wait for God to show her how much he loves her, or will his patience lead her to choose someone else?
Megan McKinney is being forced to re-evaluate Justin Frasure, her womanizing boss, since he became a Christian three months earlier. She finds her heart softening as his faith grows. Can he wait patiently for God to change her heart, or will his patience push her toward someone else?
Review
What if the right choice is the "wrong" guy? All the way from beginning until the very end you have no idea which of the two guys Megan McKinney is going to end up with. This is a fun and easy read which I really enjoyed. Great read for that day at the beach (or lake, or backyard or favorite nook! It was a very sweet romance.
A Sensational CBA Debut in Contemporary Romance! This summer author Becky Wade makes her CBA debut with a fun -- and funny -- contemporary romance. Amidst the light-hearted banter and laugh-out-loud moments is a compelling spiritual journey of one woman's choice to listen to God and wait on him. Filled with humor and authentic romance, My Stubborn Heart is shaping up to be the hit of the summer. Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When Kate's grandmother asks Kate to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance. Yet, she discovers a different kind of project upon meeting the man hired to renovate the house. Matt Jarreau is attractive and clearly wounded -- hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Kate can't help but set her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light... whether he likes it or not.
Biography
During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She's been a fan of all things romantic ever since. Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas. It was during her years abroad that Becky's passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances with Avon Books, then put her career on hold for several years to care for her kids, then recently returned to writing sheerly for the love of it. She felt led to move to the genre of contemporary Christian romance and couldn't be more thrilled with it. These days Becky can be found failing but trying to keep up with her housework, sweating at the gym, carting her kids around town, playing tennis, hunched over her computer, eating chocolate, or collapsed on the sofa watching TV with her husband.
My Review
READ THIS BOOK! Kate Donovan and Matt Jarreau will having you cheering until very the very last page! Don't get mad at the author Becky, if you do not get your house work (or anything else) done.You will be addicted from the first sentence and you won't mind that you are. I found it very difficult to believe that this was Becky's debut book. It is so well written that I often found myself grinning as I read it. It is a very fun and easy read. I hated when this book ended so much that I decided I had to go back and read it again (which I did). I could not stop thinking about it after I read the last page.
This book gets 5 stars two times from me!! Becky's debut novel made me a big fan and I can not wait to read what comes next from this marvelous new author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers.
I’m
not so sure I picked this genre or it picked me. When I first started
writing fiction, the notions of genres and style never occurred to me.
Come to think of it, I was so green I didn’t even know such beasts
existed. Sure I had my preference when it came to finding books at the
library, but did I ever think of those preferences as choices of genre
or style? Nah. So when it came to writing, a story captured my heart and
I wrote it. Just so happened that story told itself through the eyes of
a teenage girl. As I grow and learn in my writer’s life, I’ve
discovered YA fits me. There’s a flexibility that YA readers allow in
their literature that adult readers may not. Flexibility that allows for
mythical creatures, dark settings, nail-biting drama and so much more.
Maybe someday I’ll write something else, but for now…YA
rocks.
2. What do you hope your readers will take away from your books?
I
like to think there’s always good inside, whether that’s my books, my
characters, my life…it’s just a matter of searching deep enough to find
it. I hope and pray that’s what my readers discover as they read my
stories. Despite the darkness, the struggles, the wickedness life may
hold, somewhere there’s hope, there’s light. But to find it, you have to
persevere, forgive, be flexible, be patient.
3. Tell us about coauthoring, it seems to me it would be very hard. Tell us about your coauthor.
I’ve
heard scary stories and wonderful friendships that develop from
coauthoring and I’m so glad mine resulted in the later. Lisa Lickel is a
delight to work with. She’s an amazing mentor, author, editor,
confidant and friend. She loves bacon and crepes, but that’s beside the
point. Most importantly, she’s gracious and forgiving. A Summer in Oakville,
coauthored with Lisa, was the third book I wrote and the first romance
to-boot. Lisa’s patience with me became a motivational element, driving
me to finish what I figured couldn’t be done. I mean really, I wrote
YA/MG fantasy/paranormal not YA romance. Still, she worked with what I
gave her and advised where needed while allowing me to keep the
youthfulness of my characters and the struggles they went through. While
she kept the mythical creatures out of our story, Lisa
enhanced my writing instead of making it blend with her style. In
hindsight, our styles seemed to blend seamlessly into a sweet tale of
forgiveness and family love.
4. Are you working on another book? please tell us about it.
I
have a couple manuscripts in the works. One is a YA dystopian and it’s
currently in the hands of an editor. I have high hopes for that one;
it’s my favorite story, to date. The second is a Christmas novella which
is expected to release this November/December. That story is a cross
between David Copperfield and The Cake Boss. A fun story to write, for sure. Each summer I add another book to The Adventures of Ally and Cory series (book 1, The Wishing Ring, released last winter and book 2, The King’s Seal,
releases this December). I ask my kids to help fill in the plot gaps as
I go along. Helps to energize the stories and keeps them involved when
they’re at home, so I’m sure we’ll get started on that one soon.
5. How does your faith play into your writing?
Faith
weaves the fibers of who I am into something cohesive and tangible, so
it’s not a surprise when it surfaces in the stories I write. However, as
my writing matures, faith elements are becoming more organic, more
subtle, more real, if you would. My characters struggle with their own
faith (like I do), they doubt (like I do), they stumble (like I do), and
they grow (like I hope I do J).
Writing YA allows me to paint dark backdrops with huge hurtles so when
good arises, the contrast impacts the reader. Sometimes that good comes
in a Christian world-view and sometimes it comes in an actual
transformation of character, depends on the story and the audience.
Either way, the good is always inside J.
6.What are your hobbies other than writing?
Hobbies,
hmmm. I love to read between trips to little league and cheerleading
practice. Once in a while I’ll play Angry Birds or Farm Frenzy, but only
after the laundry, cleaning and cooking is done. Can I call my family
work a hobby? It’s not always fun, but I love the results :D.
When Eugene Mast leaves his Amish community in Worthington, Indiana, to teach in faraway Kalona, Iowa, he also must leave the love of his life, Naomi Miller.
For the next nine months of the school term, Eugene and Naomi keep their romance alive through love letters from his heart to hers, and from hers back to his.
Eugene writes of his concern that in his absence Naomi may find the attractions of another suitor to her liking. Naomi worries that Eugene may fall prey to the "liberal" Mennonite beliefs in the community where he now lives. Both can hardly wait until the school year is up and they're finally reunited.
A poignant and tender love story that will warm the hearts of readers everywhere.
My Review
This book is unlike any other that I have read. Most all of the book is in letter form between Eugene and Naomi. It is like reading a personal diary. This book is so unique that it completely captivated my attention. I loved each and every letter. It was great to have Jerry's wife share in this book with him. The letters that Eugene wrote told of his teaching career and Naomi's letters wrote of everything going on back home. It gives you an inside, intimate look at not only two people very much in love but also the lifestyle of Amish people. They have such a wonderful love for each other. Readers will not be disappointed, this is unlike anything that you have read before by Jerry and it will be a book that you can't put down until the very last page. I loved it.
About the Author
Jerry Eicher's bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah's Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he's been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina, and their four children in Virginia. Tina Eicher was born and married in the Amish faith, surrounded by a mother and sisters who were great Amish cooks. At fellowship meals and family gatherings, Tina's dishes receive high praise and usually return empty. She and her husband, Jerry Eicher, author of several bestselling Amish fiction titles, are the parents of four children and live in Virginia.
Jerry Eicher's many devoted fans will be enthralled by this endearing novel in letters based on Jerry's letters to and from his future wife, Tina, and their discovery that, indeed, absence does make the heart grow fonder.
Harvest House Publishers sent me a copy for my honest review!
Mary Katherine is caught between the traditions of her faith and the pull of a different life. When Daniel, an Amish man living in Florida, arrives and shares her restlessness, Mary Katherine feels drawn to him and curious about the life he leads away from Lancaster County.
I read Barbara's first series Quilts of Lancaster County and I loved all three books. So when the new Stitches in Time Series came out I ran to the book store to pick up a copy of book number one "Her Restless Heart" and boy am I glad I did! Barbara's writing is right up there with the BEST Amish authors such as Beverly and Wanda.
Mary Katherine (who was my favorite character) had an English friend who she was close to and it was neat to see the relationship between them. I love how Barbara had her characters from the last series make cameo appearances in this series.
I can't wait to read book number two "The Heart's Journey".
I will give away one copy of this book, because I bought an extra copy for one lucky reader!
But her longtime friend Jacob has been in love with her for years. He’s discouraged that she’s never viewed him as anything but a friend and despairs that he is about to lose Mary Katherine to this outsider.
Will the conflicted Mary Katherine be lost to the Englisch world, or to Daniel, who might take her away to Florida? Or will she embrace her Amish faith and recognize Jacob as the man she should marry and build a life with?
Fresh out of a Pennsylvania penitentiary armed with a marketing degree, Kate Neilson heads to Wyoming anticipating an anonymous new beginning as a guest-ranch employee. A typical twenty-five-year-old woman might be looking to lasso a cowboy, but her only desire is to get on with life on the outside—despite her growing interest in the ranch owner. When she discovers a violent ex-lover followed her west, she fears the past she hoped to hide will imprison her once again.
Though debut novelist Rebecca Carey Lyles grew up in Wyoming, she and her husband, Steve, currently live in the neighboring state of Idaho. She enjoys the creativity and beauty that abound throughout her adopted state as well as opportunities to hike, camp, snowshoe and cross-country ski in the midst of God’s grandeur. While hiking in the Wyoming mountains one summer, she came nose-to-nose with—well, several feet from—a beautiful white wolf. Currently, she’s working on a Winds of Wyoming sequel titledWinds of Freedom. http://www.beckylyles.com/; http://www.widgetwords.wordpress.com/
1.What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
My desire and prayer is that readers gain a deeper sense of God’s endless love and complete forgiveness. The Winds of Wyoming heroine, Kate Neilson, is an ex-felon who has recently been released from a Pennsylvania prison and traveled to Wyoming to start a new life. Growing in her newfound Christian faith involves daily experiencing God’s grace and power as she battles a past that follows as close as a shadow. As a result, she develops a deeper understanding of his love and forgiveness.
2. How does your faith play into your writing?
Because God has carried me through the ups and downs of life and I’ve seen how he walks alongside my friends and family, I find that faith is a natural theme to incorporate in fiction. Also, my nonfiction books are about people whose lives were dramatically changed by God. Interviewing those individuals and writing their stories was a privilege and a thrill. Both books are available on Amazon: It’s a God Thing! Inspiring Stories of Life-Changing Friendships -and- On a Wing and a Prayer – Stories from Freedom Fellowship, a Prison Ministry.
3. Why did you choose this particular genre?
Like most authors, I write what I like to read. My tagline for the Kate Nielson series incorporates some of my favorite genre aspects: Contemporary Christian Romance Set in the West and Salted with Suspense.
4. What is your favorite Bible verse and why?
Over the years, I’ve turned to Romans 15:13 again and again: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” No matter how discouraging and dark the situation, when we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have hope, not only for daily living, but for eternity. With hope comes joy and peace. God is so good to us!
I also like the idea of overflowing with hope and that receiving it involves a powerful work of the Holy Spirit. A typical American understanding of hope, I think, is that it’s sort of a namby-pamby, wishing-upon-a-star dreaming rather than doing. Yet, trusting God to fill us with hope, joy and peace to overflowing requires amazing Spirit power.
5. Are you writing anything right now, if so can you tell us about it?
So glad you asked! I’m in the final hours of completing the sequel to Winds of Wyoming. Winds of Freedom is a bit more intense than the first book, has an even more sinister villain (or two), is set in the cooler months rather than summer, and involves the heroine’s struggle to not only deal with her own difficult issues, but to take care of her elderly aunt, who has MS and Alzheimer’s, and help her best friend, who’s in a desperate situation, plus encourage her husband with his ongoing ranching challenges.
6. Do you have a blog or website where readers can get up close and personal with you?
I love to chat with readers! Here are ways to connect:
After learning the truth about who she really is, can this prodigal daughter be accepted back into the safety and security of home?
Annie Beiler seems to have it all—a loving family in a tight-knit Amish community and the affections of an attractive and respected young man. But when she learns that she was adopted after being found as an abandoned newborn, she sets out on a journey to find out who she is.
Her father is strongly against her decision to leave, as it could mean Meidung, or excommunication from the community and even her family. But Annie knows she must find “the path that has her heart.”
As Annie’s search brings her into the fast-paced world of modern life, she is confronted with all of the temptations she was warned of. Can she make her way back to the order and security of her family? Or will she remain an outsider—torn between her two worlds?
I'm a huge fan of Amish fiction but I have to be honest and say that I have been disappointed with a lot of the new Amish author's books because all the story-lines seemed the same. However, this new Amish Author more than exceeded my expectations. It really held my attention because the story was so different. I really, really enjoyed it.
This is a book that talks about forgiveness. Could you forgive after a rape or the murder of a school house full of children? This book is not only a good story with great characters, Annie's Truth will also have you thinking
about all of the people in your life you need to forgive. It's a different take on your everyday Amish love story. It shows what it feels like to find a sense of belonging when you
don't know where you come from or who your real parents are. With this book Beth has become one of my new favorite authors and I can't wait to read her next book!
I was given a copy of the book by the author.
There will be a giveaway of Annie's Truth. Please read the rules posted on the right hand bar of this blog to see how to be entered to win.
About Beth Shriver
In 2003, Beth began her first book, a Young Adult novel. A couple
of years later it was published, and she has been writing ever since.
Beth received a degree in Social Work from the University of Nebraska
and was a CPS worker for the Department of Social Services before
starting a family. Beth followed her passion to write and has written in
a variety of genres in both fiction and non-fiction.
Tell us how much of yourself you write into
your characters.
It
depends on the character. In my first novel, the heroine was TOTALLY me circa
college days—journalism student, mediocre print model, frizzy hair, God-lovin’
& raised in the country—a good first novel character to cut my teeth on.
All my characters, though, have something of me in them just because I need to
understand their motivation to write them well. Did I mention that Lucifer is
one of the main characters in THE FALL??
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
When my
husband and I first started dating, we were so bratty and had so much pent-up
emotion (we had been great friends for a year and a half) we ended up spending
one entire night in a continuous pillow-fight. My roommate the next day said
every now and then during the night she would wake up and hear this mysterious
“poof-poof” and laughter.
When did you first discover that you were a
writer?
I have
always enjoyed expressing myself through the written word and even majored in
broadcast journalism in college. However, the
passion/addiction/first-love-giddiness of getting lost in writing a novel
happened six years ago as I worked on my first, Rock Star. I was getting maybe
three to four hours of sleep a night and feeling fantastic. It really was a bit
like falling into first love.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you
enjoy reading.
I have a
large range—classic Jane Austen to modern sci-fi—but I don’t enjoy anything
gratuitous as far as sex, language, or violence. If the characters are
interesting, there’s a worthwhile, page-turning story, a bit of a love
interest, and so on I can get hooked. Shoot, if a cookbook is well-written and
the author is passionate about their craft it’s a nice escape.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run,
run world?
Is that
a requirement? Seriously, writing helps me maintain sanity. It makes my jumbled
thoughts come out in single-file and the creative process is very
cathartic—take a trip and never leave the farm!
How do you choose your characters’ names?
Interesting
question. Every character’s name—at least so far—has just seemed to drop into
my head. Actually, I found it much easier than naming our children, perhaps
because so much of the time I almost feel that I’m taking dictation. I pray
hard then go write.
What is the accomplishment that you are most
proud of?
I find
the publishing of my first novel to be the most unbelievable, but the
accomplishment I’m most proud of would be my marriage of twenty-two years. He’s
still my best friend, the person I enjoy the most, and we’re still crazy about
each other. I longed for and dreamed of a great marriage but really had a hard
time believing it was possible.
If you were an animal, which one would you be,
and why?
My kids
and I like to discuss this one rather often. I usually settle on a Bald Eagle
since I think they’re such regal creatures and the idea of soaring high above
The Grand Canyon or something sounds amazing—not to mention eagles are rather
high in the food chain.
What is your favorite food?
If I
talk about it, I’m going to want to go bake: Hot, homemade chocolate chip
cookies with cold milk for dipping. There’s gotta be chocolate in heaven, I
just know it! And for a chaser—tons of TexMex straight from the Riverwalk of
San Antonio, TX!
What is the problem with writing that was your
greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
The
hardest thing about writing has been unplugging from a crazy, creative session
in order to do everyday tasks like fix breakfast and homeschool my kids. It’s
not that I don’t love those activities, it’s just so hard to stop when I’m on a
roll! The only way to overcome that problem was to embrace sleep-deprivation,
get up early, pray, then head to my favorite Starbucks that opens most days at
5 a.m.
Tell us about the featured book.
THE FALL (Rapha Chronicles, Book 1) is a biblical retelling of ancient
times through the eyes of an angel who was once best friends with Lucifer. The
story follows Rapha, a faithful angel, as he witnesses Lucifer’s rebellion and
the resulting cataclysm in heaven that continues through the Garden of Eden and
beyond. THE FALL is beyond epic and,
when the ideas first started coming, the task scared me to death. But, spoonful
by daily spoonful, we moved that mountain... well, the first mountain in the publishing
mountain range anyway. I’m projecting at
least three more installments for the Rapha series. He has a huge story to tell
considering he knew Lucifer “back when” and gets to see the entire span of the
age of men from beginning to end. One of
the most beautiful things about this novel is when an avowed atheist, agnostic
or someone who is just angry at religion tells me they felt close to God and
encouraged on a deep level even though the subject matter is harsh. My favorite description from one reviewer
stated, “It’s Harry Potter meets the Common Book of Prayer.”
Here’s a
snippet from Chapter One "End of an Age":
There
was a time they were best friends… a distant memory almost forgotten. Almost.
It would be so much easier if he could forget.
Peace,
peace, but there is no peace… Rapha clutches his head in his hands
oblivious to the rare trace of fresh air and woodland noises around him, too
lost in fractured, tortured memories.
A child’s eyes, wide with fear; a woman’s ripe belly, torn;
screams and cries of anguish splitting the darkness of night; innocence lost;
purity destroyed; life swallowed in death.
And weaving through every image, the sound of cruel laughter—feasting on
mankind’s pain.
That face. Rapha squeezes his head but the image burns
clearer—a face bathed in shadows as fumes of death cast waves of beauty and
horror—eyes of leeching evil. Those eyes
suck him into darkness, willing him to join the nightmare.
With all the force of his formidable will
Rapha wrenches his thoughts from that realm, forcing his eyes open to light and
life. A flower—tiny, bright, thriving no
more than a few brave hours—faces the sun’s feeble light. With a need for comfort, Rapha stretches face
down, breathing in soil and weakly pulsing life. Although fires burn, smokes of destruction
rise and death reigns, but here is a patch of green. His fingers grip deep into soft earth as
fresh pain rips through him.
Flashing, intelligent eyes; a carefree smile; beautiful
hands gesturing with enthusiasm; boyish laughter filtering through a forest
glade—ancient memories that bring unbearable torture.
Sobs rumble from the depths of the earth
itself, erupting through Rapha’s muscular frame.
“I cannot,” he gasps, wrestling in his
mind with an unseen companion. “It’s impossible. He’s gone too far for too long. There’s nothing, nothing pure—he’s made it
so….” Rapha’s body writhes like a tortured serpent, with agony greater than
he’s ever experienced, threatening to rip his immortal soul from his impervious
body.
But wait.
There was a time he tasted deeper anguish.
No.
Please. That is locked
away—eternal sanity demanded it. But the
horrific images descend once again.
The loved one weeps in agony, precious flesh is torn over
and over as Rapha’s heart feels every rip of the whip, every trickle of
spittle, every curse thrown like a poisoned spear. And there, in the crazed mob, everywhere he
looks, the twisted, beautiful, triumphant, mocking face of one who was once a
brother
Rapha’s earth-crusted hands clutch at his
ears but the laughter grows, filling every recess of his soul, stealing every
hope and joyful memory.
A joyful memory?
In a flash Rapha is there; catapulted
through eons of space and time, before the purity of the garden, back through
countless ages to a fresh hilltop lit by a younger, more optimistic sun. He and Luc preferred the plunging cliffs
dropping to unseen depths below.
Somehow, a spiral dive carried more of a thrill when performed in a
temporal world.
“There’s something about this place,”
Luc’s eyes flitted from tree to mountain and stream as he stretched golden arms
wide as if to embrace the early morning’s glow filtering through droplets of
mist. “It’s not as grand as our flawless, hallowed domain but the appeal is undeniable.”
Rapha had ignored the note of
restlessness in that melodic voice, choosing to enjoy fresh air laced with
flowered perfume and the spiced musk of fertile soil. In the countless years of their friendship,
he had learned Luc’s passions could flash with the slightest provocation, but
usually, if Rapha allowed Luc to give vent to his emotions, the darker frame of
mind would pass. And, a visit to this,
their favorite retreat, was usually the perfect remedy, a change of pace and a
different rhythm that put celestial matters into perspective. With a sigh Rapha settled back into thick
green with one arm behind his head to contemplate the crisp blue above. Yes.
This was just what Luc needed, a deep breath of contentment.
Nashville, TN – Hachette
Book Group announced today that it will publish a new novel by Wm. Paul Young,
author of the international bestseller The
Shack.
Young’s highly anticipated new book is titled Cross Roads and will be published in
hardcover by the FaithWords imprint on November 13, 2012. Audio, eBook, and
foreign editions are also planned. FaithWords will launch an extensive
marketing campaign for the book including national print, television, radio and
online advertising, outreach to churches, and a 20-city book signing tour.
“In the tradition of The
Shack, Paul Young has written a wonderfully creative and provocative story
that will certainly stir imaginations and hearts,” said Rolf Zettersten,
publisher. “It entrenches Paul’s reputation as a major novelist of our time.”
In Cross Roads,
Young tells the story of a driven man who falls into a coma and experiences relational
entanglements that allow him to revisit choices he made during his life.
“Because each human being is a story, we resonate with story,” said Paul Young. “I am
thrilled that Cross Roads has
coalesced as another unique and deeply moving human story, complete with humor
and suffering, beauty and brokenness, and grace filling up the spaces
in-between.”
The Shack was
published in 2008 and became an international phenomenon with more than eighteen
million copies in print (ten million in the United States and more than 8
million in foreign translations). It spent 50 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has
been translated into 41 languages.
This fall, FaithWords will publish a devotional, The Shack: Reflections for Every Day of the
Year, based on the bestselling book.
William P. Young was born a Canadian and raised among a stone-age tribe by his missionary parents in the highlands of what was New Guinea. He suffered great loss as a child and young adult, and now enjoys the 'wastefulness of grace' with his family in the Pacific Northwest.
From one of America’s most beloved storytellers comes the inspiring
third installment of the bestselling series, The Walk, the ongoing story
of one man’s unrelenting search for hope.
Reeling from the sudden loss of his wife, his home, and his business, Alan
Christoffersen, a once successful advertising executive, has left everything he
knew behind and set off on an extraordinary cross-country journey. Carrying only
a backpack, he is walking from Seattle to Key West, the farthest destination on
his map.
Now nearly halfway through his trek, Alan sets out to cover nearly 1,000
miles between South Dakota and St. Louis on foot, but it's the people he meets
along the way who give the journey its true meaning—a mysterious woman who
follows Alan's walk for nearly a hundred miles, the ghost hunter searching
graveyards for his wife, and the elderly Polish man who gives Alan a ride and
shares a story that he will never forget.
Full of wisdom and hard-won truth, this is a moving standalone story as
well as the continuation of the unforgettable series. The Road to Grace
is a compelling and inspiring novel about hope, healing, grace, and the meaning
of life.
This is the best book on forgiveness I have read in a very long time. Richard Paul Evans works his usual magic and morality tale with a heartfelt story that takes you on a journey of discovery with the main character as he walks from one end of the country to the other.
I felt as though I were in Alan's shoes, experiencing the sorrow, wonder and transformation as each new character came into the story and impacted his life. I enjoyed reading about the history of different towns and found myself wishing I were there walking with Alan on his journey, experiencing the different places he stayed, the food he ate and the amazing people he met.
I am a huge fan of Richard Paul Evan's inspirational books and this one does not disappoint! Being the ardent book reader that I am, even I could not predict the wonderful surprise ending.
I give the book four out of five stars because it was TOO SHORT!! Now I'm going to have to wait an entire year for the next installment. Richard Paul Evans truly has a gift. His books do everything a good story should. They take you on an intensely emotional journey and impart timeless truths in an unforgettable way.
If you want to join Alan on his amazing journey through the America and her people this is the book for you.
This is for all of my blog followers, if you have never read
anything by Richard Paul Evans you are missing a treat! This is book three in The Walk series; make sure you
read all three in the series.
I was given a copy of this book by Simon & Schuster.
Biography
When Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1
best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally
known author.
Officially, he was an advertising executive, an
award-winning clay animator for the American and Japanese markets, candidate for
state legislature and most importantly, husband and father. The Christmas Box
was written as an expression of love for his (then) two daughters. Though he
often told them how much he loved them, he wanted to express his love in a way
that would be timeless. In 1993, Evans reproduced 20 copies of the final story
and gave them to his closest relatives and friends as Christmas presents. In the
month following, those 20 copies were passed around more than 160 times, and
soon word spread so widely that bookstores began calling his home with orders
for it.
He has since written 10 consecutive New York Times
bestsellers and is one of the few authors in history to have hit both the
fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. He has won three awards for his
children's books including the 1998 American Mothers book award and two first
place Storytelling World awards. Evans's latest book, The 5 Lessons a
Millionaire Taught Me About Life and Wealth, is now available. Richard Paul Evans lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife Keri, and their five children.
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