Steven James is back with Placebo

I love Steven James' Patrick Bowers series. I love the fresh take on an FBI investigator and all the sub-plots which recur and deepen through the series. When I learned he had started a new series, I was curious to read it...even as I wondered if he could live up to my high expectations.

Placebo is the start of a new series, this time with Jevin Banks as the main character. I'll admit that I was convinced I knew by page 66 exactly where the story was going -- though it didn't -- but I wouldn't be surprised if another book in the series goes where I anticipated.

Jevin Banks is an illusionist who made it big and then disappeared from the show scene when his wife and twin boys died. Now he spends his energy exposing frauds on a national television show. He thinks his trip to a retreat/research center will be one more opportunity to expose frauds. Instead, he's dropped in the center of a quest to see how our lives are interconnected through quantum

Courting Cate Review

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Courting Cate Bethany House Publishers (November 1, 2012) by Leslie Gould
I really enjoy the Women of Lancaster County series that Leslie Gould co-wrote with Mindy Starns Clark. Those stories are rich and multi-layered. Courting Cate has a different feel because it doesn't focus on a mystery, but many other elements are the same. Readers who love a good romance mixed with conflict will really enjoy this book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Even though I knew I wanted to write fiction by the time I was in the sixth grade, as I grew older I pursued other things instead, such as majoring in history and communications, and then working as a museum curator, then a public relations specialist, and finally as a magazine editor. Once I finally started writing fiction, it was another ten years until I sold my first novel. By that time I’d been married for nearly 20 years and had four children of my own to read to.

In the decade since my first contract I’ve written fifteen books, from Beyond the Blue, a story about international adoption set in Vietnam, to Courting Cate, a retelling of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. No matter what I write, I aim to reveal truths about God’s love, beauty, and redemptive work in our lives. My goal is to connect more deeply to God, family, and friends through my writing. My hope is that my stories encourage readers to deepen their own connections too.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Amish farmer Pete Treger moves to Paradise Township, Pennsylvania, seeking a better life, he meets sisters Cate and Betsy Miller. Both are beautiful, but older sister Cate is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Betsy, on the other hand, is sweet and flirty--and seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

However, the sisters' wealthy father has made one hard and fast rule: elder sister must marry first, before the younger can even start courting. Unfortunately for poor Betsy, and for the men who want to court her, her older sister, Cate, doesn't have any suitors--until Pete comes to town, that is.

Though he finds both sisters attractive, something about Cate's feisty demeanor appeals to him. Soon the other bachelors in the district convince Pete to court Cate. She hardly seems receptive to his overtures, though. Instead, she's immediately suspicious of his interest.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Courting Cate, go HERE.

Ready to have Your Mind Expanded? Soul's Gate Giveaway

Every once in awhile I read a book that impacts me on a deep level. One where I find myself praying through the pages asking for God to expand my vision and expectations. Last week I read a book like that. Soul's Gate, by Jim Rubart, could open your spiritual eyes if you let it.

Jim is an author who comes up with mind-twisting plots and what-ifs. Soul's Gate was no exception. The characters were interesting, but what grabbed me and is staying with me after closing the book is the idea that I want God to use me in a way like He did the characters. Imagine four people who fulfill an old prophecy. They are to come together to bring freedom to those who are in bondage. They have to start with themselves...and that means jumping in to other people's souls -- with permission -- to do warfare for them. Jim admits in an author note, that may not be possible. But so many other things in the book come straight from the Bible.

Bottom line, I closed the book with a cry in my heart and hunger to be used by God in fresh, new, mighty ways to bring His freedom to this world. Definitely a book that can impact readers as much as Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness.

God is Still in Control

Last night was disappointing for many of us. But as I watched the results pour in, here's what I kept coming back to: God is in control.

Either I believe that or I don't. But it doesn't change the reality that the Lord of the Universe and the King of Kings has not suddenly disappeared. He is still sitting on His throne and He is at work. 

Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

So here are a few things I commit to do more intentionally. Anyone want to join me?

4 Things to Remember on the Hard Momma Days

A few weeks ago, I asked people for feedback on what topics they’d like to see covered. One of the first suggestions struck home What about those days we feel like a failure as a mom?

Raise you hand if you’ve ever had a day like that. Can you see my hand waving? I have so been there.

The day where I struggle to get out of bed. Then I struggle to keep my temper as the house seems to disintegrate around me. Or the kids pick at each other until I’m ready to cry uncle. Don’t get me wrong…I have great kids. Some of the best I could ask for, but they’re still…well…kids. Or the days I look with longing out the window and wonder what it would be like to see at least a couple of my children off on the school bus. Then there are the days someone asks me how to homeschool – with this look of expectation that just makes me want to laugh or cry.

Behind the Scenes: A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island

I often start my books by thinking about a setting that I think readers will enjoy escaping to through the pages of a book. A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island was no exception.

I didn't grow up aware of Mackinac Island. I wasn't even sure what I was getting into the first time we drove the ten hours from Lafayette, Indiana, to the tip of Michigan's mitten. I knew is it took a long time to reach this tiny dot on the map. It didn't take me long to learn the island had worked hard to preserve a feel of days long ago. It took even less time to fall in love with this retreat. We've stayed at the Grand, in B & Bs and in Mackinaw City. Each time, I couldn't wait to reach the island and explore its roads, shops, and Fort. It was only natural that it became the perfect place to set a contemporary romance. 

Review: You Don't Know Me by Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is an author that I enjoy immensely. She writes prolifically. I honestly don't know how she writes as many books as she does -- and they're all creative and the type that pull me deeply into the story. With You Don't Know Me, she explores the theme of secrets and how it impacts those we love. 

Annalise Decker has it all. Everybody acknowledges it, but the reality is her life is a lie. And now her past is ready to catch her. Hidden by Witness Protection, her worst fears are realized when the man she testified against comes after her. No one knows she has a new identity and the truth could destroy everything she has and the people she loves. 

As the story spins out, the secrets others have harbored and the pain they create spins an intricate web. While there is a small sense of suspense, this is really a story of healing from the past, couples with a nice romance with strong secondary characters. An engaging, enjoyable read. 

Monday Meditations: A Spacious Place

Monday meditations. It's been awhile since I've had one of these. The last few days I've been thinking about Psalm 18:19:

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. 

Often I think we feel trapped by life. By our circumstances. By the space between our dreams and our reality. By the sin we can't let go of. By the way we long to act and the way we really do. By the way we want to love like Christ, and the reality of loving in the depth of our humaness.

Be Swept Away: Two historical romances from favorite authors

Tamera Alexander is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical authors. There is something about her novels set in Antebellum Nashville that draw me in and keep me reading. Yesterday her latest, To Whisper Her Name released...I couldn't read it fast enough. Besides the GORGEOUS cover, the characters were wonderful.

 Olivia Aberdeen is a widow in a desperate situation who is welcomed at Belle Meade Plantation. She knows she is a charity case, but fights to come into her own. Ridley Cooper is a huge part of that happening. He sees a depth and strength to her that she doesn't acknowledge and teased, cajoles, and drums it out of her. At the same time he has deep secrets that he can't reveal...and so he dances a line of telling almost the full truth as he works with the thoroughbreds at Belle Meade. Neither can marry the other for big and oh-to-real reasons despite the growing reality they may be in love.

Add in the rich history that is woven through the pages, an incredible cast of secondary characters, and this is a story that is going on my keeper shelf. Wonderful, truly wonderful book that is perfect for those who love a compelling romance set in another time.

Julie Lessman is another one of my favorite historical authors. Her books are set in Boston during the 1920s and follow the O'Connor family. Julie writes stories with a vividness and depth of passion that makes them so compelling. I get drawn into the world, and I love it when characters reappear from book to book. In her newest, A Love Surrendered, readers get to follow Stephen's story. Here's more:

Orphaned in Iowa, Annie Kennedy moves to Boston to stay with her spinster aunt. She longs for romance to fill the void left by her parents' death. But when she falls hard for Steven O'Connor, the man who broke an engagement to her sister, Annie is worried. Will he break her heart too when he discovers who she really is?

Review: The Memory Jar

Tricia Goyer brings a fresh voice and perspective to Amish fiction with the Memory Jar.  I really enjoy Tricia’s books and the way she brings a fresh perspective to her characters and stories. The Memory Jar is Amish with a twist, because it begins in Montana. It is a journey to wholeness and a journey to dreams. There’s plenty of love and romance to keep the pages turning. A very satisfying story for those who love gentler stories.

Book One in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series

Every year, 30–40 young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive ‘resident’ status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides! Sarah Shelter has lived in West Kootenai for the last ten years and wonders if she will ever fall in love.

Since the tragic death of her best friend, she carries her memories in a jar along with the small items connected to them. For just as long, she’s also been carrying around her emotions instead of allowing them to penetrate deep into her heart. Now she’s met a kind and gentle man who may be able to break down the wall. But can Sarah risk her heart to finally achieve her dreams?

Purchase a copy here.

Watch the Video Trailer here.

Make your own Memory Jar and other crafts.

Great Tools for Parents: Hot Buttons Series & Giveaways

Parents, aren't there some conversations you dread...maybe because you're just not sure how to start them. Or how to plant the right seeds and information for your kids to make the right decisions. Or maybe you're overwhelmed by all the land mines we have to navigate with our kids. 

In the Hot Buttons series, Nicole O'Dell has written a series of books that address the big issues with scriptural wisdom and the information to equip us with the information to have those conversations. Avoidance isn't the recipe for success. So let's open these books and get started with parenting our tweens and teens. 

Review: The Sons of Jude

I thoroughly enjoyed Brandt Dodson's Colton Parker series and was very excited to see he had a new book out. This novel launches a new series: this one into the corrupt world of Chicago government and police. Frank Campello's partner is barely in the grave when he's assigned his new partner: Andy Polanski -- a turncoat on other police and the last person Campello wants to trust. When they're assigned a murder that leads to the gateways of Chicago power, they find they have to trust each other cause there's no one else to trust.

The action moves, but never flies in this story. There's a methodical approach to the crime and the assault on power. One dictated by the enemies they're taking on. There's a hint of romance, clash of values, and murders that pile up. And the ending is cliff-hanger as the police hunt for the corrupt among their own. An enjoyable read for those who like gritty crime dramas with plenty of realism.

No Safe Harbor Fun & Giveaway

Today we're going to have fun with my writing friend Elizabeth Ludwig. A couple years ago we attended a writers retreat in Texas. One thing that made that retreat so fun was getting to know other writers -- like Lisa. This month she has a new book out: a historical romantic suspense. Read to the end, leave a comment, and I'll give away one book. With a heroine named Cara how could I not share the book! It's set in New York city during 1897, and has threads of romance and suspense. So let's learn more about the hero and heroine.

 Brief physical description

I have two protagonists—Rourke (Walsh) Turner and Cara Hamilton.

Cara is Irish, with long red hair and beautiful green eyes. She’s sweet, but don’t let that fool you. She has a fiery side!

Ready for some historicals?

There are so many great books releasing in October -- it's an absolute abundance of riches for Christian fiction lovers. Today I'm highlighting two books by writing buddies of mine: Melanie Dobson and Janice Thompson. Each has picked a moment in America's rich tapestry of history to highlight. Melanie's book is set in 1842 on the bitterly hard Oregon Trail and then Fort Vancouver. Janice's book is set on the Titanic -- you may have participated in her fun Facebook Titanic experience in April. Both books will transport you back in time and plant you in settings with characters that capture your heart and attention.

Melanie Dobson has written ten contemporary and historical novels. In 2011, two of her releases won Carol Awards: Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (for historical romance) and The Silent Order (for romantic suspense). Prior to her writing career, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and a publicist for The Family Channel. She later launched her own public relations company. Melanie and her family enjoy their home in the Pacific Northwest. The entire Dobson family loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the Pacific. 

A young woman traveling the Oregon Trail in 1842 must rely on a stranger to bring her to safety. But whom can she trust with her heart?

3 Reasons I Love Writing Christian Fiction

Ignore the fact that the expression on my face in this photo with my buddy Tricia Goyer is just plain odd...I had to share it because Tricia is one of those reasons I love writing Christian fiction. Why you ask?

1) Christian fiction authors are a community. ACFW is a party with 700 in the writing family. Next month I'll be at a retreat for published authors that is also all about community. We share the journey with a minimum of competition. It is AMAZING to be part of this world.

2) I get to interact with the best folks. I'm working on my next World War II novel. I like to call it

A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island Video

While I was at ACFW, Novel Crossings invited authors to talk about their books. You know me...I am not shy in front of a camera. So it was fun to get to share about my book and Mackinac Island. Here's the snippet:


Cara Putman Talks About A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island on Novel Crossing from novelcrossing on GodTube.

Do you like watching authors talk about their books? I've considered trying vlogs. Are there any things you'd like me to share? Inquiring minds (mine) would love to know!

Dee Henderson is back!

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Full Disclosure

Bethany House Publishers (October 2, 2012)

by

Dee Henderson

Dee Henderson is back! For those who have loved her other books, particularly the O'Malley series, you will enjoy Full Disclosure. It has the elements I love in her romantic suspense: a suspenseful puzzle that seems impossible to untangle, a heroine that I would love to meet in real life, and a hero who will fight for his lady. Add in some fun tie-ins to the O'Malley and other books and it's an enjoyable read. I had inklings of where the book was going, but the author kept me guessing until the end. There were so many threads I wasn't sure how they would all tie together, but they do. It's a book to be savored, because Dee is back!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ann Silver is a cop's cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region's most trusted investigative positions.

October New Releases

October is the month where fall makes me want to curl up with a blanket, cup of hot chocolate, and a great book. Publishers seem to understand that because there is a long list of great fiction releases coming this month. Read below more a hint of what's releasing. More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Garters for Lace by Brandi Boddie -- Civil War veteran and preacher Rowe Winford arrives in town intent on leaving the tragic memories of his deceased family behind. Although Rowe has no plans to fall in love anytime soon, the plans of God rarely match those of man. Faced with adversity and rejection from the town and Rowe's family, can Marissa overcome her past, renew her faith, and experience the life of love that God has planned for her? Can this small-town saloon girl trade her fancy garters for a respectable life? (Historical Romance from Realms (Charisma Media).

Guardian by Heather Burch -- The mission to safeguard Nikki Youngblood depends on the fragile alliance of two half-angel, half-human guardians, both struggling with intense feelings for the girl who has been assigned to their care. (Young Adult from Zondervan).

Review: When a Heart Stops

Lynette Eason is a romantic suspense writer who gets better with each book. When A Heart Stops is the second book in the Deadly Reunions series and focuses on a medical examiner who gets in teh way of a serial killer. The pace pounds through most of the book, and the pauses are perfectly placed interludes of romance. A book I thoroughly enjoyed!

More About the Book

A killer's deadly game needs new players . . . but someone's about to change the rules
As a medical examiner, Serena Hopkins is used to dealing with death. But that doesn't make it any easier when she's called to the eerie scene of a murder—especially when Serena realizes that she knows the victim. Nearly as unnerving is the presence of FBI agent Dominic Allen, her childhood crush.