Check them out now!
Once upon a time, there was a poison apple. This poison apple never wanted to hurt the princess with skin as white as snow, but evil dwarves made her do it. 
by Kristy TateI thought I knew how the Twilight series would end. While I, and half the reading world, waited for the release of Stephenie Meyer’s Breaking Dawn, I concocted what I thought was the perfect happily ever after for Bella and Edward. After a year of impatiently waiting for the final conclusion, I was hugely disappointed in Meyer’s ending.
But then—wait! Why not use my own happily ever after? Why not create my own series? And so I did. No vampires, no werewolves, but lots of obscure legends and an ending I can’t wait to write. Two of the three planned Beyond books are now published, and I’m not sure if I want the series to end…yet. I love Petra and Emory. I’m not sure I’m ready to let them go. So, at the moment, I can’t say whether the Beyond series will be a trilogy or something much larger. But I do know the ending, and I love it. I hope it will be worth waiting for…
Who doesn’t love fairytales? Princes and princesses, magic, villains, obstacles to overcome to achieve true love—fairytales have it all. They’re an easy escape into an enchanted world. I think that has a lot to do with the current trend in retelling these fantastical stories.
I’d already decided to write some retellings when I was approached by my publisher to write a full length retelling of the fairytale of my choice. I chose Rapunzel for the full-length, leaving me the option of all the other fairytales for my short stories…
…With all of my fairytales, I studied and read all of the old versions, and a few of the new, using names and settings from the traditional tales. Some of the names might seem a little strange, but with all of my main characters, there’s a meaning behind their name.
I enjoy reading fairytale retellings almost as much as I like writing them. I hope you like the way I’ve retold these classic stories, and have fun immersing yourself into every fairytale you read, both traditional and the retellings. As always, happy reading!
by Alethea Kontis
The Real Peter Woodcutter
My maternal grandmother passed away last February. It was the first time in seven years that my siblings and I were together in the same place.
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Read more at A Backwards Story.
The Inspiration for Writing The Fairytale Keeper
Did you know that nearly all cultures have their own version of the Cinderella story? Neither did I until attending a children’s literature lecture in 2007. I don’t know about you, but my mind tends to wander when I have to sit through two hour lectures. So I started wondering. If most cultures have a Cinderella story, was it based on one girl, a real Cinderella? Was Cinderella a girl who lived hundreds, or even thousands, of years ago? Or is there is just something so compelling about the Cinderella story that most cultures make up their own?
Read more at Bookworm Lisa.
January 26 – February 10
There are FIVE chances to WIN!!
Winners will be drawn randomly, entries will be validated and the IP Addresses checked for shipping qualifications to award winnings in order of preference, if indicated. See Rafflecopter entry. Additional restrictions on Rafflecopter apply.
1 – Signed print copy of Shadowskin by Bethany Cassel plus a signed sketch of the Main Character by the author! (US Only)
2 – eCopies of both books in the Beyond series by Kristy Tate: Beyond the Fortune Teller’s Tent & Beyond the Hollow! (International)
3 – eCopy of Enchanted Fairytales by Cindy C Bennett! (International)
4 – FIVE Signed paperbacks of Enchanted by Alethea Kontis plus swag! (US Only) (That’s five winners. Woop!)
5 – eCopy of The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen by Andrea Cefalo! (International)
Kickstarter Campaign for Adam’s Animals
Kickstarter is a way to bring a creative project to life with the direct support of friends, colleagues and family. My book project, “Adam’s Animals”, is one of the endeavours found on Kickstarter. Adam’s Animals is a children’s activity book that features more than 40 animals mentioned in the Bible and little-known facts about each. It’s ideal for 6 to 9 year olds, for home or school use and classroom sharing in grades 1-3 to supplement the Life Sciences Curriculum on Animal Life. It is the second book in the Science and Faith Matters series. The first book, “Trees of the Book – Learning from God’s Creation”, is a colourful introduction to trees, leaves and their corresponding Bible stories.
As the book creator, I have set a funding goal of $3500, with a deadline of February 28th, 2014. If you like my book idea, you can pledge any amount of money to make it happen. As the book backer, you choose from a number of rewards based on the amount of financial support you pledge. For example, backers who pledge a minimum of $5, will receive a choice of one of two of my e-books: 1) Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual and physical health, OR 2) Women of Strength – a devotional to improve spiritual and physical health. Backers who pledge a minimum of $15 will receive an autographed copy of “Adam’s Animals”. Backers who pledge a minimum of $175 will be listed on the “Dedication” page at the back of the book PLUS will receive an autographed copy of “Adam’s Animals”.
Backing “Adam’s Animals” is more than just giving money. Writers need encouragement and you would be supporting my dream of creating a valuable resource for children and parents. To support the creation of “Adam’s Animals” please visit Kickstarter.
Today is Chinese New Year’s Eve, and here in Taiwan that’s a big deal. Most schools close for three weeks (ours closes for one), extended families get together, adults give children hong baos (red envelopes with money), and good luck getting any sleep at night with all the fireworks.
I received this chart recently from a colleague and thought I’d pass it on. I think it’s really interesting how many similarities there are between Passover, in the Old Testament, and Chinese New Year as it’s been practiced for centuries. You could see it as one of those examples of how God has inserted hints about Himself and His Word into cultures around the world. Discussing these similarities can be a great way to bring up the gospel and get people here interested in the Bible.
I shared this chart with my 5th graders (most of whom are from Chinese families) the other day. Though I’m far from an expert on Chinese culture, the kids agreed that these points are pretty accurate. They did assure me there are some exceptions (one boy told me his family always goes out to buy cookies late in the evening on New Year’s Eve because they always seem to forget they need them until then), but apparently most items on the chart do fit well with how their families celebrate Chinese New Year.
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Chinese New Year
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(Ex. 12:2) first month of the year
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first month of the year
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follow Lunar Calendar
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follow Lunar Calendar
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(Ex.12:4, 5) sacrifice whole lamb or kid – unblemished
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sacrifice whole pig, chicken, fish – unblemished (now, with smaller families, pieces are acceptable)
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killed twilight before Passover
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killed New Year’s Eve
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(Ex. 12:46) no bones broken
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no bones broken
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(Ex. 12:22) blood smeared on door posts and lintel
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red paper pasted on door posts and lintel (now, lucky sayings are usually written on these banners; originally they were blank)
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(Ex. 12:8) feast that night
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feast that night
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(Ex. 12:8) only eat unleavened bread week of Passover
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only eat unleavened bread week of New Year (flat sweet cakes)
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(Ex. 12:8) eat bitter herbs
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eat bitter vegetables
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(Ex. 12:12) first born struck dead if no blood was on the door
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According to legend, children would be eaten by a beast named Nian who came to each home at night looking for someone to devour, but was afraid of the color red and would flee from it. Children wear red at this time, and many red items are displayed in homes.
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(Ex. 12:15) cleanse house of all leaven (yeast) for week of Passover
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clean house from top to bottom for the New Year
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(Ex. 12:16) work ceased on first and seventh days for a holy assembly
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work ceases for almost everyone
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biggest festival of the year
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biggest festival of the year
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(Ex. 12:22, 46) none shall leave the house until morning
(Ex. 12:35) silver, gold and clothing taken/asked for from the Egyptians
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traditionally, everyone stays home New Year’s Eve
new clothing and red envelopes of money are given at New Year’s
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Ark of the Covenant carried on poles (though not at the first Passover!)
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idols carried in parades on poles
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About the Book
Just out of college and completely alone in the world, Maggie Montgomery has one shot left to save her life from an abyss of poverty and hopelessness. Clinging to the last shred of fuel and hope, she arrives at the mansion of Texas billionaire Conrad Ayer. Although Maggie is clearly not what Mr. Ayer and his wife have in mind for a nanny, they agree to hire her temporarily until they can find someone more appropriate to fill the position. However, Maggie’s whole world is about to be up-ended by two way-over-scheduled children and one incredibly handsome hired hand. As she struggles to fit into a world she was never made to fit in, Maggie wonders if she can ever learn to become a perfect version of herself so she can keep the job, or is she doomed to always be searching for a life she can never quite grasp?
Keith Ayer despises his life. As the son of Texas billionaire Conrad Ayer and the fiance to a Senator from Texas’ daughter, it looks great on the outside, but inside, he is dying. He would vastly prefer to manage and train his father’s racehorses. However, everyone else thinks that is beneath him. He needs to get into industry and build on his father’s success. Suffocating under the constrictions of his life, he meets Maggie, and she begins to teach him that wealth and power is not everything in this life. But can Keith defy the two most powerful men in Texas to follow his heart?
“Staci Stallings… Christian fiction at its best!”
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Staci Stallings
A stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, Staci Stallings has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure! That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading. Staci touches the lives of people across the globe every week with her various Internet endeavors including being the co-founder of CrossReads.com and the founder of Grace & Faith Connection.
Follow Staci StallingsWebsite | Facebook | Twitter
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a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
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This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
Most of my students came up with the kinds of things you might expect (don’t murder, don’t steal, etc.) but there were a lot of unusual ones as well. Here are some that I found the most interesting. Enjoy!
No act of violence and/or aggression is allowed. The violator will need to do public apology, attend 100 hours of Anger Management Course, and do 1,000 hours of public service.
No drinking wine after 10:00 p.m. (Consequence: pay $400.)
All adult ghosts receive $500 every month without working. (Consequence for adult ghosts not getting $500 every month: $500.)
No war. (Consequence for having war: 30 years in jail.)
Every doctor needs to have a PhD and will have professional learning every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. (Consequence if they don’t: $1,000.)
There can only be 5 movies out in the theater each day. (Consequence for having more than 5: $7,000)
No cutting down trees. If you cut down 1 tree, you’ll have to plant 10 trees.
No pouring oil in the ocean. (Consequence: 5-10 years in prison.)
All people shall have guns or will be executed.
No betraying your own species unless you are a qualified spy. The bigger the betrayal, the longer you have to stay in prison.
Everyone must learn how to use a gun when they are 5 years old. (Consequence for those who don’t: go to the army and serve for 5 years.)
Show kindness and respect to people that sell stuff to you or anyone else. The consequence is working with that person that you were mean to for three weeks and they don’t have to pay you any money for your work.
No one can have slaves unless there is a proper explanation for one. The consequence is cleaning up three houses each day for one week for someone.
Obey your commanding officers, or else you will go to prison or have to do a chore for the officer you opposed.
You can’t kill or even catch a glimpse of the king.
Citizens shall not steal. If caught, the citizen can face scraping gum off the floor for an hour.
Citizens shall not poach endangered animals. If caught, the citizen could face fines of up to $100,000 or having to go to high school again.
Citizens shall not smoke. If caught, the citizen can face fines of up to $550,000 or having to dance in front of a crowd of one thousand people.
Citizens shall not commit adultery. If caught, they can face drinking five glasses of mud and eating one serving of fire ants.
Citizens shall not abuse a child. If caught, the parents can be taped to the wall and laughed at for one day.
No smoking anywhere except the smoking rooms, or else you will have to smoke ten smokes at a time in a small room.
No barging into other people’s conversations. Punishment: you will have to live with no talking for a week.
No eating candy. Punishment: 50 years of jail and a $50,000 fine. (In this world, the citizens are teeth!)
No playing pranks. (Consequence: 8 years in jail.)
All names of people and places have to start with the letter “P” or you’ll be imprisoned until you die.
Everyone has to get educated for at least 21 years until you become 30 years old, or you’ll be banished.
Don’t kill the king. You will be in the jail forever.
Everyone has to prank six times a day or they will be banished.
Do not play with fire near the only Doughnut Tree. You will be warned and fined $100.
Treat others kindly. Punishment is being put in the stalks.
No littering. Punishment is having your house turned into a dump.
No wasting water. Punishment is having no water for a month.
Don’t tell lies. Punishment is being the court note taker for one month.
Restaurants who use bad chemicals in their food shall be put in jail for fifteen years.
No cheating others. You will spend your time with a poisonous snake in a small room. The snake might decide to bite you. Then you will die.
No destroying nature unless told to, or you’ll go to jail for one month.
No wearing clothes that aren’t decorated with a star, or you’ll be sent to jail for two years.
The population shall not be higher than one million people. If it exceeds the limit, the youngest child dies first.
One household shall not have more than four people. If it exceeds the limit, the youngest dies first.
Let the elderly eat first, then you. The punishment for not doing so is 20 years in prison with two meals per day.
Everyone must pick a job after they are 12 years old, unless they get stuck with their parents or going to school. The punishment is working until they’re 66 years old when everyone else gets to stop at 65.
Thou shalt not eat meat except on holidays. If caught thou shalt be eaten by the pack of hungry wolves near the Dark Forest.
No one should lend money to someone else. The punishment is paying $100 to the government.
Student laws from 2016
student laws from 2015
student laws from 2013
student laws from 2011
student laws from 2009
student laws from 2008
student laws from 2007
Precarious Yates is a shepherdess living in the middle of the USA, 500 miles from the nearest beach. She hopes to live closer to the ocean soon. While in Ireland, she lived one mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Those landscapes and seascapes inspired The Heart of the Caveat Whale trilogy. The whole trilogy is free for download for the next three days! Here’s an excerpt from the first book, The Captives:
Mookori looked up at the high windows with the lanterns hanging down from the roof. Hopefully he would be able to chance more interior light soon. He stepped through the door with the prisoner’s provisions and set them on the floor as the door locked behind him. The prisoner stood from his lightless hiding in the corner and lurched forward toward Mookori. In the dim illumination from the windows he saw the barnacle armored aquavian; the dull grey armor made him look both lifeless and menacing. It covered most of his body, going up his neck and falling short of his jaw line to frame his face. A fey smirk marred his lurid visage. He poised for attack, then his legs faltered. He collapsed, keeping his gaze on Mookori, his eyes flashing intentions of violence.
Mookori sat on the hard sand and pushed the plate of food gently toward the prisoner. “If you want to attack, the food will give you the strength you need.” He poured the water into the bowl and placed it beside the plate. “You won’t win a fight half-starved.” The prisoner looked down at the plate and flung it away with all his strength. He continued to glare at the prince. “If you want to defeat us, what good will it do to let yourself die in my captivity? Unless this is not your war, and you remember, somehow, that you were once free.” He remained silent, holding the prisoner’s gaze.
The prisoner threw his whole face into the bowl to drink. For a long time he didn’t lift his head again. “You are free from their control,” Mookori continued. “Why do you still cling to it? We’re not shifting you from one master to another. You were once a sovereign people; we want to see your sea returned to you again.” The prisoner pushed himself into the air and landed atop Mookori, pressing him to the ground. He used what strength he had left to pin the prince, holding the collar of his cloak. Mookori didn’t struggle with this weakened foe, but waited to see if he would speak in his temporary victory. The prisoner panted and spat, glowering over him.
For the first time, the each book of the trilogy is available for FREE download! This offer will end on Midnight of Wednesday, 1/22, so act fast! Click on the titles below to download:
The Captives
Pyromarne
The Tiller and the Song
Deadly Secret By Sharon A Lavy
The covering on Evalena Davidson’s head invites all kinds of confidences and sharing, a blessing on Denton Community Hospital’s oncology ward. But people expect her to be perfect, which makes living up to the promise of her Old German Baptist uniform a challenge. Pete Neper, head of the sanitation department senses unrest among the employees but finds it a challenge to track down the cause. Danni Wagoner, another oncology nurse is implicated in a drug scam. Old German Baptist Brethren, with their adherence to traditional ways, do not get involved with the law. But how can Evalena turn her back on a friend? This unlikely trio put their lives and reputation at risk to uncover a deadly secret in an attempt to identify a killer before someone else dies.
Sharon A Lavy
Writer of Inspirational Women’s fiction with a touch of Suspense. Sharon A Lavy lives with her husband in SW Ohio. When not reading, writing, or sewing for her family, she enjoys traveling with her husband in the German crafted Flight Design airplane they call PaPa. Sharon is best known in the novel writing community, as that German Baptist lady. In the Old German Baptist community she’s a dressmaker, a pattern maker, and the sister who writes. And in her own mind she’s a wife, a mother, and a grandmother, but above all a child of God. ~~ Her greatest desire is to be a woman after God’s own heart~~ Sharon has a heart for hurting women, and writes women’s fiction. Because when~~it’s all said and done~~It’s all about relationships.
Follow Sharon A Lavy
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About the Book
Karin Reid has never had much use for God. There’s been too much pain in her life for her to accept that God is anything other than, at best, disinterested or, at worst, sadistic. Until she meets Jason Garcia. After his own mistakes of the past, Jason is committed to dating only Christians. He decides to bend his rule for Karin, as long as she comes to church with him. As their friendship grows, both will have to decide if they’ll accept the path God has for them, even if it means losing each other.
Elizabeth Maddrey
Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace. Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey
Enter to Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
Welcome To Our Christian Christmas Book Sale
Where we invite you to pick up good books for less this Christmas!
Fiction:
To Protect & Serve by Staci Stallings
Houston firefighter, Jeff Taylor is a fireman’s fireman. He’s not afraid of anything, and no situation is too dangerous to keep him on the sideline if lives are at stake. Lisa Matheson runs a semi-successful ad agency that’s on the brink of falling apart. Her employees are incompetent and her schedule has become exhausting. When she takes on a client with a brilliant idea for a big conference, she thinks that maybe, finally this is her lucky break. However, the fire station wasn’t what she had in mind for finding conference speakers. When she falls for a handsome but shy firefighter, it’s possible that life might just be going her way for a change. The only problem is she can’t control Jeff and the death wish he seems to have…
Eternity by Staci Stallings
Aaron Foster thought he had the perfect life until his fiancee walked out of their apartment and then back in again with his new roommate. In desperation Aaron and his best friend, Harmony Jordan, devise The Plan to save Drew’s heart from getting shattered, but when The Plan succeeds beyond their wildest expectation, it could spell heartache for them all.
Reunited at Christmas by Debra Ullrick
Contemporary Christian Romance
Search and rescue dog handler Shelby Davis is living the dream. Not only does she train search and rescue dogs, but she’s a bestselling suspense author who has waterfront property in the beautiful mountain town of Grand Lake, Colorado. All is well until she receives a call to bring her dog Max and her snowmobile to help rescue a man who is lost in a blizzard up on Gravel Mountain. That man is the one person she never wants to see again—Ryker Anderson—the man who broke her heart the day he called three months before their wedding to say goodbye with no explanation as to why. After being gone for eighteen months, Ryker Anderson is back in Grand Lake where he hopes to win back the woman he loves. He only hopes Shelby understands why he left. Will he be able to convince Shelby that she can trust him with her heart again even though he broke it before?
Déjà Vu Bride by Debra Ullrick
Contemporary Christian Romance
Furious with God, Olivia Roseman vows to never trust Him again. Why should she? Once again her prayers have gone unanswered, and once again another loved one has been ripped from her. With no job and only a few dollars, Olivia makes a choice to start over again. Without God and without love. However, her handsome new boss isn’t going to make forgetting God or keeping her vow to never love again very easy. Erik Cole questions the sanity of his moving from Swamper City, Alabama to Charity, West Virginia. That is, until he hires airbrush designer Olivia Roseman to paint his monster truck. When he senses that she’s a gal who is down on her luck, he vows to do whatever he can to help her. Only problem is, the little beauty creates more challenges than one. As his feelings toward her deepen, all Erik can do is hope and pray that one day Olivia will open up her heart to Christ—and to him.
Prince of Alasia by Annie Douglass Lima
Adventure/Fantasy
Twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin, heir to the throne of Alasia, barely escapes with his life when invaders from neighboring Malorn attack. Accompanied by Erik, his young bodyguard and friend, Jaymin flees to a nearby town to live in hiding. There, coming face to face with the hardships suffered by the poor, he determines to improve his people’s lives someday when he takes the throne, assuming he can reclaim his kingdom.
In the Enemy’s Service by Annie Douglass Lima
Adventure/Fantasy
When the Malornian army invaded Alasia and Prince Jaymin was forced to flee for his life, what happened to those left behind? In the Enemy’s Service tells the story of ten-year-old Anya, imprisoned among other survivors and forced to work for the occupying troops. While pretending to follow orders and serve diligently in the palace, Anya discovers ingenious ways to spy on enemy officers and slip valuable information to the Alasian resistance. But as she helps to craft plans that may eventually free Alasia, Anya accidentally uncovers a disturbing reference to her own family. Her fears are strengthened when she is confronted by a mysterious Malornian who seems somehow to know the truth behind the role she has been playing. Holding her life in his hands with that knowledge, he claims to bear information implicating her father in the betrayal that led to the Invasion itself.
The Fall by Chana Keefer
Rapha, once Lucifer’s best friend, had a front-row seat for every crucial moment that shaped the world we live in today. This faithful angel wants to tell you his story. But beware, this is not a journey for the faint-of-heart. Ahead there be giants–plus demons, centaurs, mermaids, demi-gods and war that extends from the beginning of time. In the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Frank Peretti, THE FALL (The Rapha Chronicles, Book 1) melds science fiction, fantasy, epic adventure and mythology.
Why We Give Gifts At Christmas by Corine Hyman
Children’s Picture Book
Christmas gifts … a Christmas tradition as old as Christmas. However why do we give gifts to each other at Christmas time if it is Jesus’ birthday? This is a question that everyone has wondered at least once in their life. However, few have been able to come up with an answer. Join Evelyn and her friends as they discover the reason why we give gifts to each other at Christmas time if it is Jesus’ birthday.
Pibbin the Small by Gloria Repp
Children’s Book
His friend is hurt and the doctor lives far away.
The Captives by Precarious Yates
YA Fantasy
“When the caveat whale is gone, the time of the end has come, but the rise of Shunda will stem the tide.” Three lives weave together inextricably. They fight against the MerKing to rescue the captives. Can they trust themselves in their fight against this mutual enemy? Can they trust one another?
Times of Turmoil by Cliff Ball
Thriller
In this prequel to Times of Trouble and Times of Trial, we follow how the Evans family gained their riches and eventually their power to influence events in the United States. We see important events that the Evans family gets themselves involved in: such as the return of the Israelites to Israel, the assassination of President Kennedy, the terrorism of 9/11, and eventually events that lead to government tyranny in the United States with the sole purpose of destroying Christianity and its influence in the United States.
Times of Trouble by Cliff Ball
Thriller
FBI Agent Brian Atwood is used to danger, and when he hunts down leads to a terrorist plot and saves a U.S. Airbase, he’s eventually offered a position to be the personal bodyguard of the President of the United States. The job not only tests his skills as an agent, but also his faith as a Christian when he discovers that the President has the morals of an alley cat. As Brian tries to come to terms with doing his job and having to look the other way, his world begins to crumble. His wife is dying of cancer and his son was taken away by the government because he has Down Syndrome. What else can go wrong? As the U.S. disintegrates, Brian must try to keep his family safe before the end times.
Times of Trial by Cliff Ball
Thriller
This is the story about three Christian families who experience the persecution of Christians first hand when the U.S. becomes a Police State. Two of the families get rounded up by government forces as the President declares a dictatorship, initiates Michael Evans’ Order 21, and lays the U.S. on a course that will mean its ultimate destruction. The third family make their way from Arizona to Wyoming, where they hope a town built by Doomsday Preppers twenty years earlier will keep them safe. Micheal Evans also tries to manipulate events in the Middle East to try to to bring war between Israel and Iran shortly before the end times.
Amish Knitting Circle Christmas by Karen Anna Vogel
Amish Fiction
Granny Weaver started a knitting circle believing women are stronger spun together, just like her wool. But she was young once with her own struggles. In 1963 Deborah Byler is twenty-one and has turned down seven marriage proposals from hopeful suitors in Millersburg, Ohio. At her parent’s request, she goes to live with relatives in the new Amish settlement in Smicksburg, Pennsylvania, praying she’ll find a match. Jeb Weaver lives in a strict Swartzentruber Amish settlement, and he can no longer abide under the rules of the Ordnung. His older brother left the family farm and settled in Smicksburg, and convinces Jeb to do the same. When Jeb meets Deborah, he finds her too liberal and outspoken. Deborah thinks Jeb’s judgmental and a complete stick in the mud. Their constant clashing makes sparks fly. Will an African American man, who hitchhikes around the country to attend Martin Luther King Jr. marches, help Jeb and Deborah see their own prejudices?
Winter’s Past by Mary E Hanks
Contemporary Christian Romance
When Winter is scheduled to speak in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a city she’s avoided for ten years, she must face two things. Her past. And the fact she hasn’t forgiven Ty Williams, her ex-husband. But when Ty shows up at the meetings, Winter is shocked by the change in him. Radically different from the self-absorbed guy she remembers, he stands before her crying—crying!—and humbly asks her forgiveness. This man who broke her heart, betrayed her, is now gut-wrenchingly sincere in his apology, prays for her like a long-lost friend, and he has a request. One unbelievable request that could change everything.
A Quest For Skye by J.L.Rothdiener
Christian Fiction
Doctors Morgan and Tammy Hamilton take a vacation from their pediatric clinic in Saint Paul, Minnesota to board a cruise ship for the Mediterranean. Devastated by Tammy’s third miscarriage and the news that she will never be able to bear children, the couple hopes to use the fourteen day cruise to regain their emotional footing. But life has other plans for them. Among the passengers is Skye, a nine-year old girl with an irrepressible spirit, and a passion for living that touches everyone around her. Infused with hope, and a belief in a loving God, Skye becomes the daughter that the Hamiltons could never have. But despite her open and honest nature, Skye is surrounded by ominous questions. Was the accident that killed her parents truly an accident? Or was it sabotage? Why are news reporters hounding this innocent child? What secrets are concealed in the laboratory on the island of Kardia? The truth – if they ever find it – can bring a government to its knees, and thrust national power into the hands of men who will mot hesitate to shed the blood of innocents..
The Quest For Forgiveness by J.L.Rothdiener
Christian Fiction
Singer-songwriter Briana Bays rose from obscurity to the center spotlight. She had everything… fame, talent, beauty, and one of the most successful music careers in history. The world was her stage, but the screaming adulation of her fans could not fill the hole in her heart. Her past was shrouded in shadows, some of her own making, and some of which she was trying desperately to pierce. No amount of success could bring her the one thing she needed most… forgiveness…
The Twelfth Juror by Alexandra Swann and Joyce Swann
Young, beautiful, ambitious Megan Cleary seems to have the perfect life: a dream job in a prestigious law firm in New York City, an upscale boyfriend, and a fabulous apartment. But her perfect world is shattered when one night, while she is working late, she is brutally beaten and raped by a stranger. Afraid and ashamed, she refuses to admit what has happened to her, but she cannot forget her terrifying ordeal, and shortly afterward she illegally buys a handgun to protect herself. A few months later Megan is attacked again, but this time she is armed and ready. She shoots her assailant and flees the scene before the police arrive and discover the body. She never tells anyone that she owns a gun, or that she has killed a man, but her professional and private life begins to unravel as she struggles to gain control of the fear and guilt from which she cannot free herself. When events beyond her control leave her financially destitute and emotionally drained, she returns to parents’ home in Buffalo to start over. This page turning story of loss and redemption will leave the reader guessing to the very end.
A Thing Devoted by Lotis Key
Family
A Thing Devoted chronicles two years in the life of a Christian family devastated by adultery and divorce. Three, adopted, multi-racial children, struggle with the question of God’s seeming indifference to their pain. Ten year old Abster, a tiny spy in the house of loss and confusion, keeps a daily record of her observations. This intimate story of one family’s journey through fire, considers the purpose of suffering, its defining nature, and ultimately its life giving power.
Before The Beginning by Tina Webb
Fantasy
In eternity, the eons are endless and creativity continuous. The species of Homo sapiens created in Eden was unique….but not totally original. Heavenly beings resembling modern man had been created long before Adam, and some of them once lived on Earth. Existence on earth is utopia until Helel Ben Shachar, beautiful and loved, becomes a rebel and a liability to Earth’s mission. A contagion strikes those who agree to worship Helel. Fear and violence destroy angelic beings who had only ever known peace and love. Helel names High Governess Atara the Queen of Heaven. Abba, the Creator, grieves. His eternal heart aches, then becomes angry. Anything that opposes His essence is named His enemy. Justice is created and a Holy censuring begins. High Governors Michael and Adi grieve the demise of their banished friends and their cherished Earth. Can the sadness of rejected affection ever leave the memory of the One rejected? Abba is Love. Abba, the Creator, means ‘father’ in the ancient Chaldean language. It is the name Jesus used when crying out on the Cross. Abba created all things. All things were good. But once Abba saw something He did not create and lamented.
The Song Of The Tree by Lotis Key
Women’s Fiction
Despite promises of eternal joy given by the Tree of Life, a privileged young woman loses everything in a brutal war. Her husband disappears; her family is murdered; her home is burned to the ground. Desperate, starving, and burdened with an unwanted child, she now despises and rejects the Tree she once worshiped. Ripped from her land and people, forced into survival immigration, she becomes a lowly refugee, a servant in the homes of the rich. Her unusually gifted child thrives, but is an ever present reminder of ultimate loss and betrayal. Two women: one broken, the other rooted in bitterness, continue to be drawn towards the song of a Tree that will not let them go. Along roads of degrading poverty and equally destructive wealth, each much wrestle with the siren call of perfect love, and its altar sacrifice of perfect trust. The Song of the Tree is an intense, contemporary allegory that moves the God-seeker from fist shaking stance, down to knees before the throne.
Zinvoy’s Journey by Ginny Jaques
Adult Speculative
Zinovy Efimovich KoZlov is a self-made man who’s spent the last twenty-three years climbing the ladder of Russian military success, one rung at a time. An FSB veteran, Air Force fighter pilot, member of the elite Special Security Service, and now a cosmonaut on the global regime’s new International Space Station, he should be at the peak of his career. But Zinovy has enemies whose political power extends into space, and those enemies are determined to kill him. Then the earth is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust and everything changes. When the world ends, Zinovy’s Journey begins.
The Vineyard Fray by Ben Kniskern
Action and Adventure Allegory
During ancient times, in a middle eastern land known as the Vineyard, life seems to go on unaffected by the people’s rebellion against the One who made them. That is, until the Owner of the Vineyard decides He’s had enough. In the midst of chaos and war, several individuals who are loyal to the Owner must band together to save their kingdom. Follow this unlikely group of heroes as they encounter mysterious messengers, battle against ruthless enemies and endeavor to turn the hearts of the people back to the One who created them.
Shoot the Wounded by Lynn Dove
Young Adult
SHOOT THE WOUNDED is a contemporary Christian novel that deals with relevant social issues such as teen pregnancy and family violence. Set in the small fictional town of Maplewood, in southern Alberta, best friends Leigh and Ronnie find their friendship and faith challenged when Jake, a good looking Christian boy, moves into their neighborhood. Leigh is especially delighted that Jake is paying more attention to her than any other girl at school or church, but what she does not know is that despite his bold declaration of being a follower of Christ, he’s carrying a dark secret from his past that has the potential to destroy his integrity and have his friends question the legitimacy of his faith.
One Night with a Rock Star by Chana Keefer
When Esther was a young teen with frizzy hair and too-skinny legs, Sky’s music soothed her through awkwardness and pain. During the Glam-Rock 80s, Esther is a college journalism student and fledgling print model. One chance meeting with her superstar crush rocks both their worlds.
Will Esther’s deep roots in family and faith keep her feet on the ground when a tornado named Sky blows her world apart?
Non-Fiction:
21 Teen Devotionals… for Guys! by Paul Hart and CJ Hitz
Teen Devotional
Designed to be read, pondered on it and applied to daily life, these 21 devotions are written for teen guys who want to find their true strength in Christ. We want you to know that the Bible isn’t just a book that’s over 2000 years old. It’s completely applicable to our lives today – even as teenagers. We know that girls and guys don’t face the same issues in high school – not even close. So these devotions were written with today’s teen guys in mind.
21 Teen Devotionals… for Girls! by Shelley Hitz and Heather Hart
Teen Devotional
It’s said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit or break an old one, so why not spend the next 21 days forming a habit of spending time with God? If you’ve got 21 days, we’ve got 21 devotions specifically written for today’s teen girls.
Purposeful Planning by Phyllis Sather
Family
Do you need a plan to keep your family moving in the direction the Lord is leading you? Perhaps you don’t know where the Lord is leading you. Phyllis takes you step-by-step through the process of planning a time together for your family to help determine the path the Lord is choosing for each area of your life. Her family has followed this format for over 12 years and has found that it provides the compass they’ve needed to plan and stay on course.
Where Family Meets Faith by Kimberley Payne
Devotional
Written and compiled especially for families, Where Family Meets Faith is a collection of devotionals that show the similarities between the challenges of raising a family and building a relationship with God.
Selah by Tina Webb
Daily Quotes for Daily Meditation
The word “selah” means: to pause and think about. Many quotes are short enough to share in social media. Longer passages facilitate times of prayer and personal reflection. This is a refreshing read for the person who likes to contemplate life through the lens of the Bible. It is a great topic starter for personal or group bible study.
10 Keys to Happy & Loving Relationships by Krystal Kuehn
Relationships
The 10 Keys to Happy and Loving Relationships provides essential relationship building tools to help you develop healthy relationships. You will discover relationship building tools to help make all your relationships more fulfilling, harmonious and successful. Whether it is a spouse, friend, co-worker, son/daughter, girlfriend/boyfriend, or casual acquaintance, you will discover that you can have happy, loving, healthy relationships. Healthy relationships bring joy and peace to our lives. Healthy relationships help us to love and be loved. In 10 Keys to Happy and Loving Relationships, you will be taken on a personal journey to discover how you can better communicate the 10 key attributes of love as you relate to others. You will be empowered with relationship building tools that will help you replace unhealthy patterns with new, healthy and effective ways to communicate, connect with and love others. And you will discover how to communicate and experience genuine love and true happiness in ways that will change you, your relationships and your life forever!
