Litfuse Blog Tour The A-Z of C.S. Lewis by Colin Duriez

Colin Duriez’s The A–Z of C.S. Lewis is the definitive guide of all things Lewis for anyone who is interested in the author and his writings — from the most devoted of enthusiasts to those who are just beginning to explore his work and the worlds he created. This highly engaging volume brings together all aspects of Lewis’s life and thought from his fascinating interests and friendships to his own readings, concerns and writings.

{More about The A-Z of C S Lewis}

A Complete Guide to His Life, Thoughts and Writings
Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis’s death, this complete guide covers all of Lewis’ works, from his literary criticism to Narnia
C. S. Lewis’s work is widely known and regarded, but enthusiasts are often only aware of one part of his work—his children’s stories and his popular theology; and yet he wrote so much more, including science fiction and literary criticism. This volume brings together all aspects of C S Lewis’s life and thought. Arranged in alphabetical order, it begins with The Abolition of Man—written in 1943 and described as “almost my favorite”—to Wormwood, a character in The Screwtape Letters. This book will delight anyone who is interested in C. S. Lewis and wants to learn more about him, his thought, his works, and his life.
Learn more and purchase a copy here.

My Thoughts:

while this isn't much of a novel type book it is more like a dictionary. some of it made no sense to me because really all i've ever read was the narnia books. so since i have a lot of c.s. lewis books in my to be read pile i think this will be a good tool for the future. 

 

{More About Colin Duriez}

Colin Duriez was for many years a commissioning editor at Inter-Varsity Press UK. He has subsequently appeared as a commentator on DVDs of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings, and BBC television’s The Worlds of Fantasy. He is also the author of “The Inklings Handbook” (with the late David Porter), “J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Story of Their Friendship,” and “Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings,” and has contributed to definitive reference works relating to Tolkien such as “The Tolkien Encyclopedia” (Routledge).
Find out more about Colin at http://colinduriez.macmate.me/inwriting/Home.html.

William Sirls’ THE SINNERS’ GARDEN iPad Mini Giveaway!

In the small Lake Erie township of Benning, someone is at work cultivating a supernatural garden …
Andy Kemp’s young life has been as ravaged as his scarred face. Disfigured by an abusive father, the teenager hides behind his books and an impenetrable wall of cynicism and anger.
As Andy’s mother struggles to reconnect with him, his Uncle Rip returns transformed from a stint in prison and wants to be a mentor to the reclusive boy, doing everything he can to help end Andy’s pain. When Andy begins hearing strange music through his iPod and making near-prophetic announcements, Rip is convinced that what Andy is hearing is the voice of God.
Elsewhere, police officer Heather Gerisch responds to a late-night breaking and entering in one of the poorest homes in town. She soon realizes that the masked prowler has left thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local grocery store.
As the bizarre break-ins continue and Heather pursues the elusive “Summer Santa,” Andy and Rip discover an enormous and well-kept garden of wildflowers that seems to have grown overnight at an abandoned steel mill.
Soon, they realize who the gardener is, and a spree of miracles transfigures this small town from a place of hopelessness into a place of healing and beauty.
Purchase a copy here.
Learn more at William’s website.

My Thoughts:

i'm honestly not sure what i think about this one. i couldn't finish it because it just didn't connect with me at all. the writing wasn't bad. the store was sorta confusing and one i couldn't really grasp. so i didn't finish it. i wouldn't say it was a bad book just i couldn't put my finger on it really.

i was provided this book in exchange for my review. i wasn't compensated in any way.


Meet William Sirls: Once a senior vice president in a large investment firm, he was incarcerated in 2007 for wire fraud and money laundering. Life lessons involving faith, grace, and forgiveness are evident in his writing. The Sinners’ Garden is his second novel. William is celebrating the book's release with an iPad giveaway.

  One winner will receive:

• A brand new iPad Mini
• The Sinners' Garden by William Sirls

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 1st. Winner will be announced March 3rd on William Sirls' blog.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by William’s blog on the 3rd to see if you won.

cfba blog tour dating, dining, and desperation by melody carlson

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Dating, Dining, and Desperation

B&H Books (March 1, 2014)

by

Melody Carlson


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the past eight years, she has published over ninety books for children, teens, and adults--with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards.

She has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Daphne Ballinger has learned to accept her deceased, eccentric aunt’s strange request that she marry in order to inherit her estate, along with taking over her aunt’s hometown paper’s advice column.

But knowing and accepting that God’s will be done becomes harder when a new neighbor, a divorced socialite, learns of Daphne’s predicament and takes on the task of finding her the perfect man, even if it includes speed dating. When God does open Daphne’s heart, it is instead to take in a young girl left parentless and in the care of her dying grandmother. It may be a temporary arrangement until the girl’s uncle returns from the Marines, but God uses Daphne to speak His heavenly love and protection into the life of the child -- whom Daphne soon discovers has a very handsome and single uncle.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Dating, Dining, and Desperation, go HERE.

CFBA Blog Tour A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Sky Without Stars

Abingdon Press (February 18, 2014)

by

Linda S. Clare

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Linda S. Clare is an
award-winning author and coauthor of several books and has also
published many essays, stories, and poems in publications, including The
Christian Reader, The Denver Post, and The
Philadelphia Inquirer. Her most recent book is A
Sky without Stars, the newest release in Abingdon’s Quilts of
Love line. Born in Arizona, Linda and her husband now make their home
in Eugene, Oregon, where Linda has taught college-level creative
writing classes, and writes, edits, and mentors other writers. She also
is a frequent writing conference presenter, a church retreat leader,
and mom to four grown children and five wayward cats.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Frankie Chasing Bear is caught between cultures. She wants to raise her son Harold to revere his Lakota heritage, but she also thinks he will need to learn the white man’s ways to succeed. After the untimely death of her husband, Frankie joins the U.S. Government’s Relocation Program and moves to Arizona. There she begins sewing a Lakota Star pattern quilt for Harold with tribal wisdom sung, sewn, and prayed into it.
A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars, but neither the quilt—nor her new life—comes easily to Frankie. Nick Vandergriff, for instance, is the last man Frankie wants to trust. He’s half-Lakota but Christian, and Frankie can see no good coming from that faith after her own parents were forced to convert at an Indian school. Can Nick convince Frankie that white men and Christians aren’t all bad? And will Frankie learn that love is the most important ingredient—for her son’s quilt and life itself?






If you would like to read the first chapter of A Sky Without Stars, go HERE.

CFBA Blog tour Once Upon a Winter's Heart by Melody Carlson

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Once Upon a Winter's Heart

Center Street (January 7, 2014)

by

Melody Carlson




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the past eight years, she has published over ninety books for children, teens, and adults--with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards.



She has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Emma Burcelli has suffered over a decade of dating disasters. But she concludes that love is officially dead when her grandfather Poppi suddenly passes, leaving her grandmother Nona devastated. To help out, Emma works in the family bookstore, which Nona insists must be decked out in sweetheart décor as Poppi would have done for Valentine's Day. Although she feels like a V-Day Scrooge, Emma quickly learns to enjoy the task with the help of a handsome family friend, Lane Forester, who shows her that hanging hearts is much more fun when done to the tune of Dean Martin. As Emma and Lane share time and memories of Poppi, she reconsiders the notion that romance is alive.



My thoughts:

i thought this was a cute little novel. but little was an understatement it was too short to even get any ounce of anything out of it. yeah you had a story but by the time you had a story it was gone. it was good but needed to be longer for sure.

i was provided this book in exchange for my review. i wasn't compensated in anyway

If you would like to read the first chapter of Once Upon a Winter's Heart, go HERE.

You're Going to Be Okay by Holley Gerth

If your life isn't perfect . . .
If you've ever been disappointed . . .
If you feel stressed or tired . . .
This is for you.
You really are going to be okay. And it truly is possible to live with joy, resilience, and strength no matter what life brings. Yes, there will be hurt and hard times. But God wants to help you find ways to survive, grow stronger, and even thrive--no matter what happens.

With her trademark positive encouragement and probing questions for self-reflection, bestselling author Holley Gerth encourages you to spend less of your life stressing or regretting and more of your life truly living. - Book Description

I received this book in exchange for my review. i wasn't compensated in anyway.

This is the newest book out by Holley Gerth i really loved "You're Already Amazing" so i thought i'd give this a try. but unfortunately it just didn't connect with me from the start. maybe its the stage of life i'm in or not in for that matter. but it just didn't apply to me so i had a hard time continuing to read it.

CFBA Blog Tour Gabriel's Bride by Amy Lillard

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Gabriel's Bride

B&H Books (February 1, 2014)

by

Amy Lillard




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I’m a wife, mother, and bona fide Southern belle. Published author, expert corn bread maker, and Squirrel Princess.




I live in Tulsa, though I was born in Mississippi. I moved to the Sooner State when I was seventeen and met my soul mate and best friend not long after. I’ve retained a little of my Mississippi accent though most people think I’m from Texas. (?)  Rob and I have been married for over twenty years and have a son–a mom proclaimed prodigy, of course!




I love homemade tacos, shoes, and romance novels–not necessarily in that order. I’m a big fan of country music, a staunch proponent of saving the Oxford comma, and I’m shamefully obsessed with all things Harry Potter.




I  believe that God is love. I guess that’s why I adore romances. 




I have always been intrigued with the Amish culture, their gentle ways and slower-paced lifestyle. (And I love, love, love the fact that they stay married for their lifetime.) But until recently I never thought to blend this interest with my penchant for romance. Okay, okay, I’m a bit old-fashioned and even enjoy the gender roles that are present in this culture.  I love to cook and take care of my family. Yes, that’s me June Cleaver with a laptop.




I dislike people trying to convince me to read the Twilight series (I’ll get to it or I won’t, either way I’m good with it), gratuitous violence, and strawberry ice cream. (I know I’m alone on this last one, and again, I’m good with it.)




Favorite movies–(besides HP) French Kiss, Maid of Honor, A Lot Like Love, Just Married, and Sweet Home Alabama. Oh, and Miss Congeniality, Sabrina (both versions) and a 1940′s movie called Dear Ruth. If you haven’t seen it, you should! A-dorable. Anything with Doris Day and most all of Marilyn’s and Audrey’s.




ABOUT THE BOOK

Rachel Yoder has two choices: marry Gabriel Fisher or move to Ohio. As an orphan, Rachel doesn’t have much to offer; any match she can make will be a good one. She just didn’t plan on Gabriel with his big hands and permanent frown.
As a widower Gabriel needs help caring for the farm and his six children. But he never thought he’d marry a slip of a girl who barely reaches his chin.
Yet as time passes, Gabriel finds himself thinking about a real marriage. They have spoken vows to God and each other, but can he risk his heart with Rachel?






If you would like to read the first chapter of Gabriel's Bride, go HERE.