What's New In Christian Fiction - January 2008

A new year and a whole new crop of books. Isn't it exciting!

This month's lineup of Christian fiction comes to you with quite a variety of releases. Also this month, Jill Eileen Smith has a Spotlight interview with debut author Elizabeth Goddard, author of the recently released Seasons of Love from Heartsong Presents. Be sure to stop by and read Beth's interview and visit the websites of the following authors. Enjoy!

1. A Passion Most Pure (Daughters of Boston, Book 1) by Julie Lessman from Fleming H. Revell, Baker Publishing Group. As World War I rages across the Atlantic in 1916, Faith O’Connor finds herself drawn to an Irish rogue who is anything but right for her. And then there’s the small matter that he is secretly courting her younger sister.
Check out my blog interview with Julie on January 25th and enter to win a free book!

2. A Soldier's Promise (Wings of Refuge, Book 1) (Love Inspired #430) by Cheryl Wyatt from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A USAF Pararescue jumper and a special needs teacher teaming to make life matter to a dying child freefall into love and an unexpected family.
Check out my blog interview with Cheryl on January 21st and enter to win a free book!

3. Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear (A Bargain Hunters Mystery) by Sharon Dunn from Multnomah Books. Ginger and the ladies of the Bargain Hunters Network head down to Calamity, Nevada to outlet shop and help Earl get his invention off the ground at the Inventors’ Expo. When a man in a teddy bear costume (it was a publicity stunt) is found dead, suspicion falls on ex-wives, an angry son and Ginger and Earl.
Check out my blog interview with Sharon on January 28th and enter to win a free Ruby Taylor book!


4. Elvis Takes a Back Seat by Leanna Ellis from B&H Publishing Group. A young widow heads on a road trip with her eccentric aunt, a temperamental teenager, and a plaster bust of the King of Rock and Roll, changing the course of their lives forever.
Check out my blog interview with Leanna on January 7th and enter to win a free book!

5. Every Good And Perfect Gift by Sharon K. Souza, from NavPress. A story about the kind of friendship we all wish for, the quest for motherhood in the 21st century, and a catastrophic illness that changes everything.

6. Family In His Heart final book in the Michigan Island Series by Gail Gaymer Martin from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. On a Les Cheneaux Island, a young woman escapes her past in Michigan's upper peninsula and meets a man hiding his own secrets and struggling to raise a rebellious teenage son.

7. Just Cause (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #86) by Susan Page Davis from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Laurel Hatcher must face trial for her husband’s murder, not once but twice.
Check out my blog interview with Susan on January 16th and enter to win a free book!

8. Learning to Fly by Roxanne Henke from Harvest House. Learning to Fly is about parenting. Learning to love, live, and let go.

9. Next Door Daddy (Mule Hollow Matchmakers #7) (Love Inspired #428) by Debra Clopton from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A widow and a widower find themselves living too close for comfort, and discover God’s plan for them seems to include a little romance.
Check out my blog interview with Debra on January 14th and enter to win a free book!

10. Reluctant Smuggler (To Catch a Thief Series #3) byJill Elizabeth Nelson from Multnomah Publishers. When artifact recovery turns into archaeological espionage, the woman who finds all the answers must now ask questions. Who's looting priceless antiquities underneath the nose of the baffled Mexican government? And what does a violent gang of drug and human traffickers have to do with missing artifacts?
Check out my blog interview with Jill on January 23rd and enter to win a free book!

11. Seven Archangels: Annihilation by Jane Lebak. Satan has figured out how to destroy an angel...and he begins with the archangel Gabriel.

12. Shadow of Danger by Jeanne Marie Leach from Mountain View Publishing. Rachel faces jealousy, false accusations, an unknown danger, and a jail cell before being liberated by the man she loves but who could never love her.

13. The Restorers Journey (Sword of Lyric Series Book 3) by Sharon Hinck from NavPress. A new, young Restorer confronts his destiny while Lyric, and the life of his mother, hang in the balance.
Check out my blog interview with Sharon on February 20th and enter to win a free book!

Happy reading~

Meet Leanna Ellis! Interview & Book Giveaway

Meet Leanna Ellis!

I’m thrilled to present Leanna Ellis, author of the great new book, Elvis Takes a Back Seat. Leanna’s as sweet as she is talented. Let’s get to know her better…

The Bio

Leanna Ellis writes quirky women's fiction for B&H Publishing. She has won the Golden Heart award as well as the National Readers’ Choice Award. Her next book, Lookin’ Back, Texas will be out in September 2008. With her husband, two children and wide assortment of pets, she makes her home in Texas where she homeschools her children.
Visit Leanna at www.leannaellis.com.

The Interview

JA: Your new book is Elvis Takes a Back Seat. Tell us a little bit about it.
LE: A young widow, determined to fulfill her husband’s last request, hauls a three foot bust of Elvis strapped in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Texas to Memphis to return it to its rightful owner. The road trip with her eccentric aunt, who knew the King of Rock n’ Roll, and a temperamental teen, hits roadblocks and detours as the three women uncover pieces of their own past along with the bust’s mysterious history. The discoveries change the course of their lives forever.

JA: I’m curious about your creative process. Did you wake up one morning and say “Hey, I think I’ll write a story about a woman driving around with a bust of Elvis in the backseat?” How did you come up with this wonderfully creative idea?
LE: I wish I was that brilliant! It’s actually a long process for me and very much God activated. God really pulled this whole story together. I’m learning to wait on him but he often doesn’t give all I think I need before I write chapter one … or even ‘the end.’ A lot of God’s work comes in the editing and revising stages. With Elvis Takes a Back Seat, I had written chapter one which starts with a garage sale. I had conceived the story of the three women, but I didn’t know where these three women were going on their journey. After I’d written the first chapter with the garage sale, where I placed a quirky Elvis bust just for humor, I called a dear friend, D. Anne Love, who writes YA fiction. We brainstormed the story. I really wanted them to go to Europe. I thought I needed a research trip. She suggested Memphis and Graceland. She didn’t know about the Elvis bust because it was such a minor thing. So when she mentioned Graceland, it all clicked.

JA: I have to ask… have you ever been to Graceland?
LE: I promised myself when I sold Elvis Takes a Back Seat that I would go to verify things in the book. So right after the contract went through, my family drove to Memphis and we took the tour of Graceland. I wanted to take a picture of the music note gates, so we went really early that morning. The gates were already open and the guard said we could walk up the drive to the gravesite. Only another couple was there. So it was very quiet and peaceful, not like later in the day after the tour when it was crowded. I’m really glad I went to Graceland. Everyone should go there once. Apparently, the folks that own Graceland are about to make a lot of changes to the area surrounding it. The Heartbreak Hotel is being rebuilt. The souvenier shops and museums across the street from Graceland are moving onto property. They’ve even hired part of the Disney team that created Disney World to help with building a theme park. It’s still amazing to me that 600,000 people visit Graceland every year.

JA: What do you hope people take away when they finish reading this book?
LE: We’ve all had losses of one kind or another. We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve tried to control our own lives, we’ve had different types of idols at times. It’s never too late to put God in the driver’s seat and let Him have control. Sometimes we have to give up an idol that we haven’t realized we’ve placed on a pedestal. But doing so can give us the grace to finally move forward.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
LE: I have another book, Lookin’ Back, Texas, coming out in September ’08. It’s about a devoted wife and mother who returns to her hometown of Luckenbach, TX to help her mother with her father’s funeral. Trouble is: he isn’t dead. And neither are the secrets my heroine buried long ago.

JA: And now, for some fun trivial questions… You and I share a love of musical theatre. What’s your all-time favorite musical?
LE: So many musicals, so little time! Going to London or New York to see shows is one of my favorite things to do! But I often settle for shows that come to my town, and occasionally a high school production, as I recently saw Phantom done in a high school for the first time any where in the world. I have several favorites that bounce around in the top slot : Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon. But I would say Les Miserables is my all time favorite.

JA: Scenario: You’re alone on a beautiful tropical island. You have all the necessary creature comforts, including a Gideon’s Bible (because the Gideons are everywhere!) But you can only take two books with you. Which ones do you take and why?
LE: I could definitely live on a beautiful tropical island like Hawaii. But I don’t know about only taking two books. I’m usually reading four or five at one time, which is a terrible habit, but which goes right along with my random thinking process. Anyway, I guess I would probably take whatever book I’m reading at the time and whatever book I’m writing.

JA: What’s something that people would be surprised to know about you?
LE: I’m shy. Really! When I speak to groups, most people don’t have any idea that I’m so shy. But tis true!

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with the latest Leanna Ellis publishing news?
LE: You can visit my website at www.leannaellis.com where I post regularly on my blog. You can also sign up there for my newsletter. You also might want to check out my publisher’s site as they are running a contest right now for Elvis Takes a Back Seat. Go to: http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/elvis

Thank you, Leanna, and continued blessings on your writing journey!

Win the Book
Elvis Takes a Back Seat is in stores now, but you can win a copy here. Just leave a reply to this blog. The winner will be picked at random on January 14th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail.com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Love Books & Authors? Keep Your Eyes on This Blog!

2007 was quite a year and the Lord blessed me more than I had dared dream. One of the biggest, most amazing things is the many published and pre-published authors I've had the privilege of meeting, and how gracious and giving they are. So now, it's my turn to give back.

As a way of blessing the community that's been so kind to me, I'm featuring author interviews on my blog. Right now, I've got more than 30 published authors lined up over the course of the year, with more joining the list all the time. Quite often, there will be a book giveaway in conjunction with the interview. So, if you love books and the authors who write them, check out my blog at http://jenniferallee.blogspot.com.

First up is Leanna Ellis, author of the awesome new novel, Elvis Takes a Back Seat. Come check out her interview tomorrow,January 7th, and leave a comment on the blog to be entered to win a free copy of the book!

Other author interviews this month are Sharon Souza, Debra Clopton, Susan Page Davis, Cheryl Wyatt, Jill Elizabeth Nelson, and Sharon Dunn. Come join the fun!

Debut Author Cheryl Wyatt - Book Review & Blog Tour

I just finished reading A Soldier's Promise (Wings of Refuge, Book 1) (Love Inspired #430) by Cheryl Wyatt. This is Cheryl’s debut novel, and it’s a great one!

Here’s the back cover blurb:

"My name's Bradley. I'm eight and have cancer. I want to meet a Special Forces soldier more than anything. Well, almost anything. Having a family would be nice."

U.S. Air Force pararescue jumper Joel Montgomery promised to make a sick child's wish come true. Well, not the family part—not with Joel's past. And so despite vowing never to set foot back in Refuge, Illinois, Joel parachuted onto the boy's school lawn to a huge smile. But another smile unexpectedly stole Joel's heart: that of Bradley's beautiful teacher, Amber Stanton, who was trying to adopt the boy. And trying to show Joel it was time for new vows.

Cheryl’s got a real gift for dialogue. The characters are believable and will grip you from the first word. Her writing is a deft weaving of humor and emotion. Fans of contemporary romance won’t be disappointed.

Check out Cheryl at these stops on her blog tour:

December 31 - Interview, Lena Dooley’s blog
January 2 - Interview, Lacy Williams’ blog
January 3 - Guestblog, Danica Favorite-MacDonald’s blog
January 4 - Interview, Nike Chillemi’s blog
January 5 - Guestblog, Angie Breidenbach’s blog
January 6 and 7 - Interview and review, Brittanie’s blog
January 6, 7 and 8 - Interview, Lynette Eason’s blog
January 8 - Short quote, Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s blog
January 9 - Guestblog, Patricia Woodside’s blog
January 10 - Interview, Jennifer Hudson Taylor’s blog
January 11 - Guestblog, Janet Dean’s blog
January 12 - Interview, Leanna Ellis’ blog
January 13 - Interview, Ronie Kendig’s blog
January 14 - Interview, Camy Tang’s blog
January 15 - Interview, Crystal Miller’s blog
January 16 - Guestblog, Pammer James’ blog
January 16 - Christa Allan’s blog
January 17 - Review, Heather Diane Tipton’s blog
January 17 - Review, Interview, & Guestblog, Hope Chastain’s blog,
January 18 - Review, Cara Putman’s blog
January 18 - Mindy Obenhaus’ blog
January 19 - Guestblog, Linda Rondeau’s blog
January 20 - Review, Mary Connealy’s blog
January 21 - Interview, Jennifer AlLee’s blog
January 21 - Review and Interview, Cynthia Hawkins’ blog
January 21 - Interview, Missy Tippens’ blog
January 22 - Review and guestblog, Deborah’s blog
January 22 - Peg Phifer’s blog
January 23 - Interview, Amber Miller’s blog
January 23 - Review, Sally Bradley’s blog
January -24 - Review, Pattie Reitz’s blog
January 25 - Interview and Review, Deena Peterson’s blog
January 26 - Review and Interview, Shauna Sturge’s blog
January 27 - Review, Dineen Miller’s blog
January 28 - Interview and Review, Marjorie Vawter’s blog
January 29 - Review, Donna Fleisher’s blog
January 30 - Interview and Review, Michelle Rodgers’ blog
February 29 - Interview, Margaret Daley’s blog

I'm Missing the Christmas Craft Gene

I've been absent from the blogosphere for a bit, but I've got a really good reason. You know those elves you hear about this time of year... the ones that are hard at work, laboring to make Christmas merry for all? Well, I'm one of them!

I'm about ready to share part of my secret life with you: Every year, from October to December, I put on my candy hat and go to work at See's Candies. Usually, I'm one of the phone elves, taking orders and checking them twice. But last week, I took part in one of the more labor-intensive parts of the job... making gift bags.

Check out these happy Santas. I bagged and bowed about 75 of these fellows, including the ones you see here. I'll be the first to admit, I'm not naturally gifted in the art of bow tying. You should have seen me struggle just to get them to look decent. No, I take that back, no one should have to witness such a thing!





Some people have a knack for it, though. Perhaps there's a crafty, basket assembling, bow tying gene that is absent in part of the population. Take my friend Beth. See how happy she is, standing in our stock room, making beautiful baskets! Beth truly has the crafty gene.

I'm curious... how many people out there consider themselves truly crafty? If you're one of them, I'd love to know what you're making to deck the halls.

Ode to an Artificial Christmas Tree

Well, the halls are all decked at my house… actually, the only thing that’s decked is the living room, but that’s okay. My family has a fake tree that we bought in 1998. I’d like to say we’re doing our part to save the environment, but really, it’s due to my husband’s strong, fiscally responsible streak, and his dislike of cleaning up dead pine needles. If it were up to me, we’d have a live tree every year.

Here’s the tree before the branches are fully spread. Pitiful, isn’t it? And that strapping young man next to it is Billy, my excited 14-year-old. Doesn’t he look excited in the photo?


And here it is all decorated. Say it with me now… OOOOOH… AWWWWW. And check out the leaning Angel at the top... looks like she's had a wee bit too much egg nog!


And now I’d like to share a little ditty that I wrote the first year we owned the tree. If you feel like singing, it’s to the tune of “Oh Christmas Tree.”

Ode to an Artificial Tree

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
You’re fake and I can tell.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Because you have no smell.
But you were purchased by my spouse,
Because you don’t mess up the house.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
You are the best they sell.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
Your boughs are always green.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
They have a plastic sheen.
No needles dropping on the floor,
No struggling with you through the door.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
You’re even flame retardant.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
They don’t come any finer.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
‘Cause you were made in China.
And when the season is all through,
Back in the box goes you-know-who.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
You can be unassembled.

Wishing you and yours a beautiful Christmas, whether your tree is real, plastic, or aluminum!

What's New In Christian Fiction - December 2007

Here is the December 2007 line-up of new Christian fiction releases in time to add to your Christmas gift list. Also this month, Jill Eileen Smith has a new Spotlight interview with best-selling author Stephanie Grace Whitson author of the recently released Jacob's List from Baker Publishing Group. Be sure to stop by and read Stephanie's interview and visit the websites of the following authors. Enjoy!

1. Bluegrass Peril by Virginia Smith from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. When Becky Dennison's boss at a retirement farm for thoroughbred stallions is murdered, she becomes entrenched in a high-stakes game of danger, money, and that famous southern pride.

2. Buried Sins by Marta Perry, from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Caroline Hampton flees to her family's inn in peaceful Pennsylvania Amish country after her husband's death, but even there, someone with deadly intent wants her to believe he's still alive.

3. Gavin Goodfellow: The Lure of Burnt Swamp Book One of the Burnt Swamp Trilogy by Candy Abbott from Fruitbearer Publishing. Dyslexic tween encounters Christ while battling witchcraft in Burnt Swamp where fires have been burning for ten years.

4. Heart of the Family 2nd in the Fostered by Love series by Margaret Daley from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A past secret threatens Jacob and Hannah's newfound love.

5. Kansas Weddings a Heartsong 3-book compilation by Kim Vogel Sawyer from Barbour Publishing. Three Kansas women have difficult decisions to make and burdens to bear.

6. Missouri Memories by Deborah Raney, DiAnn Mills, Joyce Livingston, and Kelly Eileen Hake from Barbour Books. The beautiful House on Cranberry Hill in Hannibal, Missouri, holds love for four generations of couples.

7. Seasons of Love Book 3 Massachusetts Weddings by Elizabeth Goddard from Heartsong Presents. Riley O’Hare must revive her grandfather’s cranberry farm, but her brother’s untimely death thrusts her into his partner’s path and into the midst of a perilous cyber crime.

8. The Love Song by Anita Higman and Janice A. Thompson from Barbour Publishing (Heartsong Presents). With God's help, Clair O'Neal lets go of her painful past and accepts all the laughter and music and love her heart can hold.

Happy reading~