Annual Shoe Contest on Writing By Faith Blog

For the last 3 years, the group blog I post on each Sunday with Angela Breidenbach, Jennifer Hudson Taylor, Lindi Peterson, Missy Tippens, and Mindy Obenhaus has sponsored a contest following the ACFW Conference. To win a free gift, all the reader of our blog needs to do is guess which shoe belongs to which FAITH girl. But this year, we've shaken the contest up a bit....

You see, FAITH girl Lindi wasn't able to attend conference this year, so there are only 5 FAITH girls in the shot, but there are 8, yes EIGHT, shoes in the photo. The other 3 shoes belong to literary agents. It's your job to guess which one. So jump on over to the Writing by Faith blog to throw in your guess and for a chance to win the free gifts from each FAITH girl. We'll post clues every day this upcoming week, so you'll need to check back with us to figure it out and win the prize.

Good luck!!! F. A. I. T. H. Following.Always.Intently.Trusting.Him.: Annual Shoe Contest!

Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Immanuel's VeinsThomas Nelson (September 7, 2010)


byTed Dekker





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty novels. He is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans.



Early in his career he wrote a number of spiritual thrillers and his novels were lumped in with ‘Christian Fiction’ a surprisingly large category. His later novels are a mix of mainstream novels such as Adam, Thr3e, Skin, Obsessed and BoneMan’s Daughters, and fantasy thrillers that metaphorically explore faith. Best known among these is his Circle Series: Green, Black, Red, White and The Paradise Books: Showdown, Saint, and Sinner.



Dekker was born to missionaries who lived among the headhunter tribes of Indonesia. Because his parents’ work often included extended periods of time away from their children, Dekker describes his early life in a culture to which he was a stranger as both fascinating and lonely. It is this unique upbringing that forced him to rely on his own imagination to create a world in which he belonged.



After leaving Indonesia, Dekker graduated from a multi-cultural high school and took up permanent residence in the United States to study philosophy and religion. Upon earning his Bachelor’s Degree, he entered the corporate world and proceeded to climb the proverbial ladder. But his personal drive left him restless and, after many successful years, he traded corporate life for wide range of entrepreneurial pursuits that included buying and selling businesses, healthcare services, and marketing.



In the early nineties while visiting a friend who had just written a book, Dekker decided to pursue a long held desire to be a novelist. Over the course of two years he wrote two full length novels before starting from scratch and rewriting both. Now fully enamored by the the process and the stories, he realized that storytelling was in his blood and a new obsession to explore truth through story gripped him anew.



He sold his business, moved his family to the mountains of Western Colorado and began writing full-time on his third novel. Two years and three novels later his first novel, Heaven’s Wager, was published.



Now, Dekker’s novels had sold over 3.4 million copies worldwide. Two of his novels, Thr3e and House, have been made into movies with more in production. Dekker resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Lee Ann and two of their daughters.



ABOUT THE BOOK

This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story.



It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice.



Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover.



With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds.



Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow.



Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter.



But remember, not everyone is for this story.



If you'd like to read the first chapter of Immanuel's Veins, go HERE.



Watch the book trailer:

The Bridge of Peace by Cindy Woodsmall

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


The Bridge of PeaceWaterBrook Press; Original edition (August 31, 2010)byCindy Woodsmall





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.



She was also a homeschool mom. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter.



Her first novel released in 2006 to much acclaim and became a best seller. Cindy was a 2007 ECPA award finalist, along with Karen Kingsbury, Angela Hunt, and Charles Martin.



Her second book, When the Morning Comes, hit numerous best-sellers lists across the US, including edging into the extended list of the New York Times, coming in at number thirty-four.



Her third book, When the Soul Mends, hit the New York Times best-sellers list, coming in at number thirteen, as well as making the USA Today’s best-sellers list.



Cindy continues to write and release best-selling works of fiction, and she’s also written a nonfiction work with an Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud. The book is titled Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. It will release March 11, 2011.



Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity.



As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children.



Cindy, her husband, their three sons and two daughters-in-law reside in Georgia.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Love alone isn’t enough to overcome some obstacles.

Lena Kauffman is a young Old Order Amish schoolteacher who has dealt all her life with attention raised by a noticeable birthmark on her cheek. Having learned to move past the stares and whispers, Lena channels her zest for living into her love of teaching. But tensions mount as she is challenged to work with a rebellious young man and deal with several crises at the schoolhouse that threaten her other students. Her lack of submission and use of ideas that don’t line up with the Old Ways strengthen the school board’s case as they begin to believe that Lena is behind all the trouble.



One member of the school board, Grey Graber, feels trapped by his own stifling circumstances. His wife, Elsie, has shut him out of her life, and he doesn’t know how long he can continue to live as if nothing is wrong. As the two finally come to a place of working toward a better marriage, tragedy befalls their family.



Lena and Grey have been life-long friends, but their relationship begins to crumble amidst unsettling deceptions, propelling each of them to finally face their own secrets. Can they both find a way past their losses and discover the strength to build a new bridge?



Win a "Trip To Amish Country"...contest opens August 31st -December 31st...go HERE to enter!



If you would like to read the first chapter of The Bridge of Peace, go HERE.

Love Me Tender by Janice Hanna

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Love Me TenderSummerside Press (September 1, 2010)


byJanice Hanna





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Award-winning author Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna, She got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over fifty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, childrens books and more. In addition, she enjoys editing, ghost-writing, public speaking, and mentoring young writers. Janice currently serves as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).



She was thrilled to be named the 2010 Barbour/Heartsong Author of the Year with three books on the top ten list for that house. Janice is active in her local writing group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing. Her online course, "Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer" has been helpful to many who want to earn a living with their writing. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. She lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends and two mischievous dachshunds. She does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all.







ABOUT THE BOOK

As "Love Me Tender" plays in the background, Debbie Carmichael determines to salvage her family's restaurant, Sweet Sal's Soda Shoppe, when her father's health fails. Teen heartthrob Bobby Conrad agrees to perform at a fundraiser concert. But just two weeks before the highly publicized event, Bobby backs out of the benefit. Enter Johnny Hartman, a young, unknown singer to take Conrad's place. Debbie soon realizes the twists and turns leading up to the concert are divinely orchestrated. And it isn't dreamy Bobby Conrad who has stolen her heart - but the tender love of Johnny Hartman.





If you would like to read the first chapter of Love Me Tender, go HERE.

Man carries cross for Jesus

To my friends across the country, if you see a man carrying the cross through your town, this article is a candid account of one man's life journey....

Man carries cross for Jesus

Pray for his journey, that others will be blessed.