March 2009

March is bringing winds of change into our lives. Take a break with a good book.

Announcements

I’ve decided to have two book winners for February. They are Cheryl Shyrack of Yakima, Washington and Edna Tollison of Laurens, South Carolina. Click on the View Complete Profile link in the right hand column to find a link to my email. Send me your mailing address.

Readers, if you want a chance to win one of my free books, please sign my Guest Book on my website - http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/ . The winners are chosen from those who do. But remember to check back in the next month’s newsletter to see if you won. You can sign up at the top of the right hand column of this blog for Feedblitz. Then the newsletter will feed into your Inbox. I will only post a newsletter once a month.

Want more free books. We also give away a minimum of 12 free books a month on my blog: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/. Most months we give away more than that. This month I’ll be interviewing these authors:

Angela Hunt – She’s in a Better Place
Elena Bowman – The House on the Bluff
Stephanie Perry Moore – Believing in Hope
R. H Martin – Children of Abraham
Kim Vogel Sawyer – A Promise of Spring
Michelle Stimpson – Trouble in My Way
Anita Higman – Another Hour to Kill
Linda Evans Shepherd & Eva Marie Everson – The Secret’s in the Sauce
Loree Lough – Love Finds You in Paradise, Pennsylvania
Johathan DeCoteau – Naked Earth
Elizabeth Wiseman – Plain Pursuit
Eileen Key - Doggone
DiAnn Mills - Breach of Trust
Patricia David - A Cloud of Suspicion

Youu can find all kinds of information about my books on my Fan page on Facebook:
http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Lena-Nelson-Dooley/42960748768?ref=ts
I’d love for you to come over and become a fan.


Calendar of Events

March 20-22, 2009 – Christian Book Expo, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas – This massive trade show features over 225 authors, and it is open to the public. I’ll be signing books Sunday, March 22, 2-3:00 pm in booth 428.

April 18, 2009 – Speaker for Madison County Writers Guild, Madisonville, Texas – in the Library annex – Make Setting an Essential Part of Your Story

May 9, 2009 – Speaker for "Gifted for His Glory Seminar" at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church, Dallas, Texas

May 2009 – Release of The Prairie Romance Collection
May 2009 – Release of Wild Prairie Roses

June 13, 2009 – Speaker for DFW Ready Writers – La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant, Colleyville, Texas – Writing the Salvation Scene in Your Novel

July 2009 – Release of Cranberry Hearts

July 18, 2009 – Speaker for CenTex Chapter of ACFW, Austin, Texas

September 2009 – Release of Wild West Christmas
September 2009 – Release of Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe

September 11-12, 2009 – Speaker at North Texas Christian Writers Conference, Roanoke, Texas – Painting Historicals with Authenticity, and I will take one-on-one appointments.

September 17-20 - American Christian Fiction Writers National Conference - Denver, Colorado

Summer 2010 – Release of Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico


Book Reviews



In the Shadow of the Sun King
By Golden Keyes Parsons
ISBN 978-1-59554-626-5
Thomas Nelson
Historical Christian Fiction

Back Cover Copy:

Madeleine's Shared History With the King Holds the Key to Her Family's Life. . .Or Death.

Seventeenth century France is an unsafe time to be a Huguenot. By order of King Louis XIV, all French Protestants must immediately convert or face imprisonment--or death. The king'd dragoons ferret out the nonconformists, pillaging villages and destroying homesteads.

When the king's soldiers descend on the Clavell estate, the family's fate hangs in the balance Quickly, quietly, they send their two sons into hiding, trusting that the young age of their daughter will guarantee her protection. But the dragoons will not be dissuaded; they hold the manor hostage looking for clues of their guilt or innocence. However, Madeleine Clavel, the lady of the manor, holds a secret--one possible chance to save the family. She and the king share a past.

Once a beautiful young lady in the French court whom Louis loved, Madeleine travels to Versailles to plead for mercy from the fickle king, hoping to regain his favor and save her family. It's a gamble, but she is left with no other choice. Madeleine soon faces an agonizing decision--one that changes her family life forever.

My Review:

I love strong historical fiction, and this debut novel fits the category completely. Well written, the story sweeps the reader right into the action and emotions of this time in both religious and societal history.

The characters are well-developed with emotions and depth. The European countryside fits with what I know about the time period. Rich with well chosen bits of description, the story plays out like a very good historical movie.

Strong conflict and impossible situations kept me turning pages, and when I reached the end, I wanted more.

I highly recommend this very good read.



Love Finds You in Humble, Texas
By Anita Higman
ISBN 978-1-934770-61-2
Summerside Press
Contemporary Romance

Back Cover Copy:

Trudie Abernathy is a little inelegant, and she's never had much luck in life. To make matters worse, her thirtieth birthday is fast approaching and her sister, Lane, had decided to "treat" her to a makeover and a blind date. Trudie is about to protest, but then she meets the kind and devastatingly handsome Mason Wimberley. In spite of Trudie's humble manner, Mason finds her attractive, funny, and smart. But there's one obstacle in the way of the budding romance: Lane suddenly decides that she's in love with Mason! Trudie hasd never been one to compete with her glamorous sister, even when it means giving up the things she wants Will she be able to stay true to her humble self and find her heart's desire in the process?

My Review:

I really loved the setting of Humble, Texas, which Anita painted with broad strokes. While I was reading, I could feel the humidity and experience the sights. I like that in a book.

The story has a fairy tale quality to it.



Shelter in Seattle
By Rhonda Gibson & Jean Kincaid
ISBN 1-60154-384-0
The Wild Rose Press
Historical Romance

Back cover Copy:

Weariness and fear cause Julianne Maxwell to flee her Uncle's home in New York and travel to the far shores of Seattle, Washington, as a mail-order bride, only to discover the man she planned to marry has married another and is demanding Julianne repay her travel fees.

Caleb Hansen has problems of his own. He needs a mother for his infant nephew, and good women are few and far between in the logging community. Unaware that Julianne's present predicament resulted from her unwillingness to remain a nanny to her uncle's twins, Caleb offers her his home and name in exchange for the care of his child.

On the run with no viable options, Julianne accepts Caleb's offer--but only until she can earn enough money washing clothes to repay her debt. But God has other plans for these newlyweds. Will they both be able to put aside their fears and find shelter and guidance from the Lord?

My Review:

Even though this is a small book, it packed a powerful message. Woven through the interesting story is a spiritual thread that could apply to any person. The power of a lie and the redeeming value of truth plays out in the lives of Caleb and Julianne.

I loved the characters and the setting, and the cover is beautiful. I recommend this book.



Daniel’s Den
By Brandt Dodson
ISBN 978-0-7369-2477-1
Harvest House
Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Back Cover Copy:

Daniel Borden and Laura Traynor live two different lives. . .

Daniel is a successful stock analyst in New Orleans.
Laura operates a bed and breakfast in the Shenandoah Valley.

He is wealthy, enjoys raquetball, and lives with Elvis, a black lab.
She is a struggling single mother, works two jobs, and lives with her young son, Andy.

But when unseen forces send hit men after each of them, a twist of fate drives them together as they are forced to flee their common enemy.

In a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse, they learn just how big the cat can be.

And that it's no game.

My Review:

I've interviewed Brandt on my regular blog, and he's been a favorite guest.

Do you love page-turning, edge-of-your-seat suspense? Then this is the book for you. I've only read two of Brandt Dodson's books, but I've loved both of them. Hopefully, some day I can take the time to read the ones that came before these.

The characters are well-defined with very real internal conflicts. Their meeting is highly unlikely, but completely believable. And soon after they meet, they're on the run until the end of the book.

The plot is intricate and well-crafted. And I couldn't see how they could get out of each of their serious predicaments. That shows you what a master crafter of suspense Brandt really is.

I highly recommend this wonderful read.



Stand-In Groom
By Kaye Dacus
ISBN 978-1-60260-288-5
Barbour
Contemporary Romance

Back cover copy:

Falling in love with a client could cost this wedding planner her business; learning the true identity of the groom could cost her heart.

When professional wedding planner Anne Hawthorne first meets the handsome Englishman George Laurence, she wonders if God has finally answered her prayers for a husband. But when the "best man" for her turns out to be a client?and someone else's to-have-and-to-hold?Anne quickly realizes that planning his wedding will be no honeymoon.

A personal assistant for a wealthy man who wishes to keep his identity?and his engagement?a secret, George Laurence has come to Louisiana to plan his employer's wedding and post as the groom. Not only is this a challenge to the tenets of his Christian faith, but he can't stand the fact that he's deceiving Anne, the first woman who ever made his heart really sing. Will George ultimately risk his career to keep the woman he loves?

And what will happen when Anne finds out the groom's true identity? Can Anne and George find a way to a happy ending, or will this "I do" ruse destroy their chance at love?

My Review:

This is a wonderful debut novel. A well-crafted plot, wrapped around moral dilemmas and peopled with strong, three-dimensional characters. The book delves into deep-seated fears and hurts and comes to a satisfying conclusion. However, as a reader, I hope for a sequel.

I highly recommend this wonderful read.

These are all the books I read in February. With the book deadlines I have, my reading has really slowed down, but I’ll have a few reviews each month.


March Book Releases

To get a head start on spring, we've got 16 new releases to choose from! And they all sound great! Check them out.

1. A Hundred Years of Happiness, 2nd in the Summer Meadows Mysteries by Nicole Seitz from Thomas Nelson. A generous story of family, war, loss and longing . . . of the ways we hide from those we love, and the ways that love finds us anyway.

2. A Silent Terror by Lynette Eason from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Someone wants Marianna Santino dead. Ethan O'Hara is willing to risk everything, including his heart, to keep her alive.

3. A Test of Faith, Mystery and the Minister's Wife #3 by Carol Cox from Guideposts. When everything falls apart, can faith hold them together?

4. Breach of Trust Call of Duty #1 by DiAnn Mills from Tyndale. Paige Rogers, former CIA agent, must choose between protecting the lives of loved ones or bringing a ruthless killer to justice.

5. Candy-Coated Secrets, 2nd in the Summer Meadows Mysteries by Cynthia Hickey from Barbour. Who would have thought escorting an elephant down Highway 64 could lead to murder?

6. Daisy Chain, Defiance, TX series, book one by Mary DeMuth from Zondervan. The abrupt disappearance of young Daisy Chance haunts the small town of Defiance, Texas. Fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper searches for answers in this gritty and compelling story of love and sorrow, revealing God’s hand of redemption in impossible situations.

7. Daniel's Den by Brandt Dodson from Harvest House Publishers. Daniel and Laura become the objects in a game of cat and mouse where they learn just how big the cat can be - and that it's no game.

8. Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer from Kregel Publications. An obsessive woman, a serial killer, and a sudden winter storm turn a sabbatical in the North Woods into a nightmare that the Thayer family may not escape alive.

9. If Tomorrow Never Comes by Marlo Schalesky from Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishers/Random House. Kinna and Jimmy Henley never planned on infertility stealing their dreams, crushing their love. But it did. Now, their last hope lies with a mysterious woman rescued from the sea.

10. Love Finds You in Humble Texas, by Anita Higman from Summerside Press. Two sisters fall in love with the same man.

11. Michal: A Novel, The Wives of King David series Book 1 by Jill Eileen Smith from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A princess falls in love with her father's worst enemy - will it cost her everything?

12. Poisoned Secrets by Margaret Daley from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Maggie spent years searching for her birth mother, but when the past is revealed, the shocking disclosures could tear her life apart.

13.The Hand-Me-Down Family by Winnie Griggs from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historicals. For the sake of three orphaned children, two scarred individuals - one physically, one emotionally - try to work together to forge a new family.

14. The List by Sherri Lewis from Urban Christian. Four women on a quest to find Godly men based on a list.

15. Wind of the Spirit, The American Patriot Series, Book 3 by J. M. Hochstetler from Sheaf House Publishers. As the patriot cause falters, can her love bridge the miles that separate them--and the savage bonds that threaten to tear him forever from her arms?

16. Yesterday's Embers, The Clayburn Novels by Deborah Raney from Howard Books/Simon & Schuster. Newlyweds Doug and Mickey must find a way to untangle their knot of hasty choices without breaking the hearts of five precious children or their own in the process.

Happy reading ~


Musings

I’m really excited about the Christian Book Expo that will be at the Dallas Convention Center the third weekend in March. Check it out at:

www.christianbookexpo.com

You can look at all the authors and see when they’ll be signing books. Many of the publishers have prizes and over giveaways at their booths.

Come by the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) booth. It’s number 428. I’ll be signing books from 2-3:00 pm on Sunday, March 22. I’d love for you to come by and meet me.