CFBA Presents DEAD RECKONING by Ronie Kendig

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Dead Reckoning
(Abingdon Press - March 1, 2010)
by
Ronie Kendig


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!

This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series begins in July from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Underwater archeologist Shiloh Blake is consumed with passion for the water and inflamed at the injustices of life. When her first large-scale dig traps her in the middle of an international nuclear arms clash, she flees for her life.
When she spots a man trailing her, the questions are, Who is he? And how is he always one step ahead? Is the man trailing her an enemy or a protector sent by her CIA father?
Reece Jaxon is a former Navy SEAL and now serves his country as a spy. His life is entangled by the beguiling Shiloh Blake as he hunts down the sources to a nuclear dead drop in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai, India. The only way to end this nightmare and prevent a nuclear meltdown is to join forces with Reece. Will Shiloh violate her vow to never become involved in her father's web of intrigue and mystery? Will she reconcile with her past and with him? Will she allow God to help her throught this ordeal of danger, mistrust and uncertainty?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Dead Reckoning, go HERE.


JEN'S THOUGHTS

In her debut novel, Ronie Kendig delivers a thrilling ride. In the first chapter, Shiloh Blake is swimming for her life. Throughout the book, Shiloh is constantly on the run, improvising as she goes. Her character reminded me of Sydney Bristow from TV's Alias: a young woman who's reluctantly drawn into a web of intrigue which she seems to handle almost by instinct. Reece Jaxon is full of his own brand of intrigue. When these two headstrong individuals get together, sparks fly and the body count rises, as does the level of danger. If you like your fiction fast-paced and high risk with a strong spiritual core, you'll love Dead Reckoning.

Support and Prayers for Author Sara Mills

Many in the Christian fiction community are grieving with author Sara Mills after the loss of her husband. I have never met Sara, but I've only heard wonderful things about her and her books. The following post was written by Ronie Kendig, who gave me permission to repost it here. Please uphold Sara and her children in your prayers and, if you're so led, support her through the purchase of her books.

Show Your Support and Love for Sara!
from Ronie Kendig

It's with a very heavy heart that I blog today. My best bud, Laube Sister (we have the same agent, Steve Laube), and business partner, Sara Mills, has been dealt a blow--her wonderful husband, Keith, died April 7, 2009 from a massive heart attack. I'd do anything for my beautiful friend and her precious children not to have to go through this, for Keith to be back full of life, laughter, and love.

Keith, I am so sorry we never met but thank you for what you did for your family, for my best friend. Thank you for loving Sara so completely. For all the nights I kept her up laughing and giggling...thank you for laughing right along. What a gift you were! Thank you.

Sara so didn't deserve this (I know that sounds lame, but that's what keeps rolling through my head!). Words fail me at a time like this. I keep wanting someone to wake me up and say it's not real, that Sara is just pulling a fast one on me. But it is real. Isaiah, Laura, and Julia are without their father. Sara is without the man she loves.

So grieved by our friend's loss, many of us are doing a blog tour to show our support and love for Sara. This isn't an attempt to trivialize Keith's death--I'd actually think he'd be thrilled to see so many throwing their support behind his beloved wife and the mother of his children.

So, if you haven't heard, Sara writes fabulous mysteries. Her books, Miss Fortune and Miss Match (released through Moody Press) are on shelves NOW! Miss Match, as a matter of fact, just released.

Please, take this opportunity to support a friend, a writer, a grieving family and order a copy of Sara's books! Visit her website or drop by Facebook and befriend her!


Miss Fortune - Allie Fortune Mystery Series #1
By Sara Mills / Moody Publishers

In 1947 Allie Fortune is the only female private investigator in New York City, but she's kept awake at night by a mystery of her own: her fiance disappeared in the war and no one knows if he's still alive. Until Allie finds out, she will have no peace. When there's a knock on her office door at four in the morning, Allie suspects trouble as usual, and Mary Gordon is no exception. Mary claims someone is following her, that her apartment has been ransacked, and that she's been shot at, but she has no idea why any of this is happening. Allie takes the case, and in the process discovers an international mystery that puts her own life in danger.Meanwhile, the FBI is working the case as well, and she is partnered up with an attractive, single agent who would be perfect for her under other circumstances-if only she knew whether her fiancee was still alive.


Miss Match - Allie Fortune Mystery Series #2
By Sara Mills / Moody Publishers

FBI agent Jack O'Connor receives a letter from Maggie, a woman he used to love, saying she's in trouble in Berlin. The FBI refuses to get involved, so Jack asks Allie Fortune to help him investigate. Allie and Jack pose as a missionary couple who want to bring orphans back to the United States. A child finds important documents that everyone in the city - Soviets and allies alike - want for themselves. Maggie refuses to tell Jack what the documents are, saying if things go wrong, they are better off not knowing. Through the course of the search, Allie's past is brought back to her, half a world away from home.


Sara...I'm so sorry, girlie. I know things aren't shiny right now...but I am praying for a bright future for you and your family. I love you.