Tuesday, July 11, 2017

10 Books Every Christian Should Read guest post by Jim Baton

Top 10 Books Every Christian Should Read
By Jim Baton, Christian thriller writer

Every novelist is inevitably a reader first. I confess that I’d rather spend a holiday reading a good book than doing hardly anything.

Over the years, so many books have greatly impacted my life. But there are certain books that were absolutely transformational—they either brought the most important things into crystal clear focus, or took me to a new place with God where I desperately needed to go.

These books may not get the notoriety of Christianity Today’s or Amazon’s Top 100 Lists, but I guarantee they will all rock your world!

1)      How Jesus Saves the World from Us by Morgan Guyton
The Pharisees had the Scriptures but had created a religious culture that kept the common folks from God—have we done the same today? This book is ripping me up right now!
2)      Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle
Los Angeles gang members’ hearts get melted by the raw love of God—I cried through the whole book.
3)      The Seven Mountain Renaissance by Johnny Enlow
A prophetic, insightful and hopeful view of the glorious Bride God is forming us into and how this maturing Church will be powerfully impacting all aspects of culture by 2050.
4)      Speaking of Jesus by Carl Medearis
Whether talking to a Hezbollah terrorist or a gay activist, Carl convinces us that Jesus would rather hang out with them than visit Carl’s church!
5)      The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind by Bill Johnson
“Jesus is perfect theology,” Bill states, then gives us a “mind-makeover” to step into a supernatural life with Him.
6)      Praying for Strangers by River Jordan
What if every day we took time to stop and pray for a stranger? River Jordan did, and it changed her life.
7)      Come be My Light by Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa’s personal letters and thoughts reveal long struggles in the darkness, along with a determination to see Jesus in the face of the dying and “offer Jesus my smile.”
8)      Culture of Honor by Danny Silk
A revolutionary book on moving from punishment-based discipline to honor-based relationships without fear.
9)      Falling Upward by Richard Rohr
For those over 30, the second-half of life requires a new way of thinking, and Rohr is a brilliant guide.
10)   Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning
Walking through darkness, taking risks, releasing our need for clarity—all these require deeper levels of trust—not in Biblical principles, but in a faithful Father who is completely trustworthy.


Jim Baton’s 20 years of cross-cultural learning in a Muslim nation have birthed a series of novels that are transforming people’s perceptions on Muslims and how God would have us relate to them in love. Find out more at www.jimbaton.com.

Read Lisa's reviews of Jim's books:

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Polly's Pink Piggy Parlor childrens lit


Polly’s Pink Piggy Parlor
Written and illustrated by Lisa Hainline
Children’s literature

Hardcover $18.99
Paper $14.99
Coloring book $8.99

Buy on Amazon 

About the Book:
Once upon a time, there was a piggy...with a comb.
Polly is a lovable pig who just wants to do what she loves to do, and would rather play with her dolls than play in the Mud. With the encouragement of friends, Polly ends up starting her very own beauty salon, to help her friends feel unique and beautiful in their own special way. Polly's Pink Piggy Parlor encourages young girls to not only look their best but to discover what their talents and giftings are and develop them…no matter what anybody thinks.

My review:
Polly is a most unusual pig. Instead of the usual mud play, Polly prefers to brush her dolly’s hair, and fix the coiffeurs of other farmyard and zoo animals. She helps her barnyard friend Sally who wants to be “hip” for her trip to town and encourages Polly to practice her talent. No creature was too difficult to beautify – from a fly to an elephant, Polly used her gifts, pampering the animals with their special requests, dyeing, plucking, curling, and even nail/claw treatments. She became so well known that she started her own beauty treatment parlor, the culmination of her hard work and dreams. The story encourages readers and listeners to follow their hearts and work to achieve their goals.

Charmingly illustrated in shaded pastels, Hainlines a/a, b/b, c/c, d/d rhyme scheme will be sure to have kids begging for another read. Accompanied by an outline coloring book, youngsters can color along while listening to their favorite reader. A unique addition to the story is “finders keepers,” a counting list of specialty items found in the illustrations to help Polly put her shop in order. Printable activity papers are available free to download from the author’s website, http://www.lisahainline.com/.



About the author

Lisa Hainline is an award-winning and gifted graphic designer, art director and illustrator, producing/directing for ad agencies, major corporations, radio stations, hospitals, banks, manufacturers, magazines and other small boutique businesses. 


With over 40 years in the advertising industry, for the past seven years, Lisa has turned her focus to helping other authors self-publish their works, designing some of the covers seen on Amazon. You can see her book cover design work at her studio www.lionsgatebookdesign.com, where she merges her design and marketing experience with her spiritual gifts to help Christian authors promote the message God laid on their hearts. 

Founder and author of http://www.thehealingsource.org, Lisa also ministers to the hurting through her blog, articles and praying with others in street ministry.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Lisa now enjoys the continual sunshine in California near her daughter and son-in-law and plans to bring more of her own books to the surface. You can reach Lisa at Lisa@lisahainline.com and through her websites above and at http://www.lisahainline.com and http://www.lionsgatebookdesign.com

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Book Review the Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale


About The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale (Outlaws of Avalon 1)
Danielle E. Shipley

Welcome to Avalon, a Renaissance Faire where heroes of legend never die. Where the Robin Hood walking the streets is truly the noble outlaw himself. Where the knightly and wizardly players of King Arthur’s court are in fact who they profess to be. Where the sense of enchantment in the air is not mere feeling, but the Fey magic of a paradise hidden in plain sight.

Enter Allyn-a-Dale. The grief of his father’s death still fresh and the doom of his own world looming, swirling realities leave the young minstrel marooned in an immortal Sherwood Forest, where he is recruited as a member of Robin Hood’s infamous outlaw band. But Allyn’s new life may reach its end before it’s scarcely begun. Their existence under threat, the Merry Men are called upon to embark on a journey to the dangerous world Outside – ours – on a quest which must be achieved without delay, or eternity in Avalon will not amount to very long at all.

My Review:
I wanted to read this book ever since the words "Renaissance Faire" hit me. Add Robin Hood to it, and you hooked me. Shipley's Ren Faire happens to be the one I've visited several times, so the added bonus of physically being with the characters when they weren't out figuring out how to maneuver in the modern world, was extra fun.

Shipley's fantastical tale is a combination fan fiction meets Neil Gaiman fantasy as her characters are borne of other worlds, times, and places. They live, love, and die (or sometimes not) in worlds they visit through mysterious portals and contend with those who dwell there.

What would it be like to meet Merlin the magician, and play online games with Guinevere, who fancies herself quite a racer? Or know Maid Marian and the secrets of her heart? If these characters transcended time and came to live at a Renaissance Faire, and were tasked with saving the faire and all the Fey folk who make it their magical home, what would you give to meet and interact with them? Young Loren and Janey, visitors to the realm, can only guess as medieval times fantasy meets twenty-first century reality and the Merry Men do indeed make merry while they chase after the stolen Excalibur's sheath, which holds their fate. Who better to find a stolen object than a thief?

Told from multiple viewpoints, though mostly from Allyn's perspective, readers who don't mind mixing their folk tales with fantasy and a romp through the current era, will enjoy this fun tale. Shipley uses "Stanzas" for chapters, creating a wonderful frame for a minstrel's story. Action, adventure, and a twist of fun.

So it was arranged long ago for the Isle of
Avalon to continue to exist in safety by hiding in
the one place it would not be remarked upon: Years
into the distant future, in the middle of a
Renaissance Faire. And if the only way the Fey folk
can occupy this place is to share it on summer three-
day weekends and Labor Day with a great lot of
Outsiders…” Robin shrugged. “It is a price they are

willing to pay.”


Buy the Books:
Behold, the author’s Outlaws of Avalon page for access to all available books in the series
For the full Danielle E. Shipley catalog, look here
Danielle's Amazon Author page
Danielle's Barnes and Noble page

Read the Interview with the Author here.
           
Coming!!
 
Outlaws of Avalon 2 (The Marriage of Allyn-a-Dale) released this past March; Outlaws 2.5 – a flash fiction collection right up a word nerd’s alley – is scheduled to launch in July; and the trilogy proper concludes this fall. I’ve saved the most emotional ride for last, so hold onto your hankies, readers!

And if anybody wants to talk books with me in the meantime, feel free to hit me up on my website, deshipley.com.

About the Author:
 
Danielle E. Shipley is the author of the Wilderhark Tales novellas ("Tales of magic. Tales of adventure. Most of all, tales of true love. Once upon a time, you knew them as fairytales. Know them now as Wilderhark's"), the novel Inspired, and several other expressions of wishful thinking. She has spent most of her life in the Chicago area and increasing amounts of time in Germany. She hopes to ultimately retire to a private immortal forest. But first, there are stories to make.




Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Dan Burns and A Fine Line

A Fine Line (A Sebastian Drake Novel) by Dan Burns

“I don’t need the second shot . . . but you’re worth it.” Sebastian Drake



About the Book:

When a struggling author with a secret government past is hired by a wealthy philanthropist to investigate a cold murder case, he has no choice but to expose the dark and buried secrets of a powerful political family in Chicago.

Sebastian Drake is a novelist working out of a dilapidated apartment in the city who’s trying to come up with his next story idea. But he’s stuck.

Drake receives an unexpected visit from a man interested in hiring him for a project and who thinks he has just the solution to Drake’s writing challenges. He also thinks that Drake’s past and secret life with a shadow government organization is a valuable asset. His proposition to Drake is simple: become a hired agent to investigate a cold murder case involving one of Chicago’s most powerful political families. The job comes with a decent paycheck, all the support he might need, and the types of real life experiences that can form the basis for great fiction stories.

This is a story about a man with a new lease on life, who leads a dual existence. Behind his desk, he is an aspiring author. On the streets, he is a rogue undercover and unknown vigilante. His biggest challenge is keeping intact the fine line between reality and fiction.

Publisher: Chicago Arts Press
ISBN: 978-0-9911694-2-9 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-9911694-4-3 (E-Book)
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Genre: Mystery
Signed Copies AVAILABLE HERE 
Also available at Barnes&NobleAmazon, and Independent Bookstores Nationwide

My Review

The premise of Burns’s thrilling detective story grabbed my attention. Sure, Sebastian Drake is almost a Sam Spade pulp-alike, a forties-era anti-hero for today, but honestly, how can you not love the wounded but capable man-of-few-words detective with a soft spot for his family? Who’s also an author!

Drake’s initial success has not led to the subsequent best-seller notice he needed to survive in the authorial world. His agent dug deep and found a contract for a book he has yet to complete. Time’s running out and he’s desperate. Unlikely help comes through his former secret life. His shadowy employer knows things Drake would rather not remember, but Drake is fascinated by the request to dig back into a long-cold mystery.

Drake’s hefty financial reward for a little detective work isn’t necessarily the main attraction to get his hands dirty once again. He’ll hopefully reap the material he needs to finish his novel—if he survives. Combing his acquaintances for help and returning to the scene of the crime as well as revisiting the original police files is not quite like old home week. Enemies and friends are suspiciously hard to differentiate. Drake slowly peels off layers of dust as well as fresh scabs from wounds both professional and personal, until the answers are bared.

Told through Drake’s perspective, readers are pulled into a side of Chicago off the tourist trail. A Fine Line is a tale of winners and losers, and the chance to move forward and find both retribution and redemption. Those who enjoy detective adventures, particularly set in a familiar town, will find much to like about this novel.

A Brief interview with the Author  

Dan, what do you love about this book?

What I love most about this book is the path I had to take to see the novel come to fruition. My protagonist, Sebastian Drake, appeared first in a short story, Letting Go, which I wrote back in 2012. My process for the story was simple: put him at a table in a coffee shop, have him meet a person from his past, and see what happens. When I finished the story, I learned a little about Drake—who he is and where he came from—and I thought that was the end of his story. But Drake would not leave me alone. He had more to say and forced me to develop his story further. So, I went back to work and wrote a screenplay for a feature film that put him in the middle of a cold murder case in Chicago. The process was exhilarating and fun, and again, I thought that was the end of the story. The screenplay received national recognition and won the Best Screenplay Award at the Naperville Independent Film Festival, and fans at the festival asked, “What’s next for Drake?” I thought about the question often, and it seemed to me that the story I told in the screenplay was not quite complete. I could not get the story or Drake out of my mind, so I forged on and developed the story as a novel. I love the book and the story, and through the process, I came to the realization that Sebastian Drake is a part of me. He’s taking the lead now, and his story is just beginning. Where he will take us is anybody’s guess.

Congratulations! What a great way to find a story.

Introduce us to the character you had the most fun creating.

I had the most fun creating Sebastian Drake because he needed to be a complex, conflicted, and sympathetic character. He also had to be different, with character traits, experiences, and skills that we haven’t seen in other mystery series characters. I feel I accomplished that objective. However, I also feel I’m just getting to know who he is and what he can become. He’s not a typical protagonist or hero—he’s really an antihero, since he lacks the conventional attributes of a heroic character. Drake continually walks the fine line between the past and the present, right and wrong, and reality and the fiction he writes. His life is an endless high-wire act, and there is no safety net.

In a mystery novel, there has to be a nasty character, an antagonist, and in A Fine Line, there are many of them. But I especially enjoyed developing the character of Jerry Fitzsimmons: “an older man, thin and gaunt, almost sickly looking.” “He’s always grinning, like a cat who just ate a mouse.” From his “thin lips pressed together like a cadaver” to his “yellow teeth,” I found I disliked him more with each sentence I wrote about him. He gives me the creeps, and he adds a necessary dimension and complexity to the story. Fortunately, Drake doesn’t care much for him either and effectively addresses all of Jerry’s issues.

Those are fun characteristics put together in a believable way!


Share two things you learned either researching or writing-related during the production of this book?

A Fine Line is a murder mystery set in Chicago. To make the story interesting and believable, I felt it was necessary to make the city a character and include details about the city that would pull the reader in, whether local or not. I grew up on the North Side, but the story had to take place in and around areas I didn’t know about, where I haven’t been—unknown places, darker places. The Chicago Police Department also plays a large role in the story, and I had to make sure I understood the hierarchical structure of the organization and the basics of police procedure, especially because there’s at least one character who doesn’t follow procedure.

In researching both topics, what I learned is that even though I have lived in the Chicago area for fifty-four years, there is so much I still don’t know. I find that realization fascinating. There’s always more to learn and experience, and I think Sebastian Drake will make sure my education continues.

Readers--take this and run with it! Explore your own community.

What are you reading now?

I just finished reading Speed the Plow, by one of my favorite writers and playwrights, David Mamet. I’m in the middle of a memoir by Oscar Levant titled, A Smattering of Ignorance. He was a talented musician, composer, actor, and writer, and I find his writing insightful and humorous. I used one of his quotes as the epigraph for my book: “There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.”

Dan, what's next for you?

I’m always juggling several projects. I recently completed a stage play script, Grace, and I’d love to produce it at a Chicago theatre. I am also continuing to write short stories and hope to have another story collection ready for publication next year. And Sebastian Drake continues to pester me. He has another story to tell, and together, we’re in the process of figuring out what that story is.

Theater is fun!
And I'm looking forward to seeing what trouble Drake gets into next.
Thanks for sharing about you and your work.

About the Author

Dan Burns is the author of the novels A Fine Line and Recalled to Life, and No Turning Back: Stories, the short story collection, He is also an award-winning writer of stories for the screen and stage. He resides with his family in Illinois and enjoys spending time in Wisconsin and Montana.


Friday, May 26, 2017

YA action fiction with Dave and Diane Munson


13611936


Paperback, 224 pages
Published 2012 by Micah House Media
ISBN 9780983559023

$4.99 eBook

$9.99 Print

I met Dave and Diane at a conference and bought one of their books--this one. Hard to believe it's been five years. The Munsons have a fun, exciting background which makes them uniquely qualified to write these linked series of stories about federal agents and their families. Night Flight is the first of a young adult series linked to the "family friendly" adult series.

Agent Bo Rider's teenaged children accidentally become involved in a federal case of counterfeit money and go to hide out with their mother's parents in Florida. Naturally they find more adventure with smuggling and a homeless child.

It's been a while since I've had teens around, so I asked my high school teaching husband about the typical teen behavior and learned the Munsons were right on target. Junior high and teen readers up to fifteen or sixteen will like these stories flavored with enough danger and adventure, and the typical teen actions like getting a driver's permit. A retired working dog named Blaze plays a prominent role, so pet people will love reading about him. Faith talk also interweaves the narrative.

The story is told from both kids, Glenna and Gregg's, viewpoints, so the reader travels right along with them as they visit the beach and scary neighbors, airport, and ride in boats. One scene is from the crook's perspective. The book is a nice length, not too short to feel as though you're missing something, but not epic fantasy length for readers who may not have the patience to sit through a longer read.

I also recommend visiting the Munson's website for more background information and a look at the  interlinking series of books. https://www.dianeanddavidmunson.com/

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Coming soon: Dan Burns and A Fine Line

A Fine Line (A Sebastian Drake Novel) by Dan Burns

“I don’t need the second shot . . . but you’re worth it.” Sebastian Drake



About the Book:

When a struggling author with a secret government past is hired by a wealthy philanthropist to investigate a cold murder case, he has no choice but to expose the dark and buried secrets of a powerful political family in Chicago.

Sebastian Drake is a novelist working out of a dilapidated apartment in the city who’s trying to come up with his next story idea. But he’s stuck.

Drake receives an unexpected visit from a man interested in hiring him for a project and who thinks he has just the solution to Drake’s writing challenges. He also thinks that Drake’s past and secret life with a shadow government organization is a valuable asset. His proposition to Drake is simple: become a hired agent to investigate a cold murder case involving one of Chicago’s most powerful political families. The job comes with a decent paycheck, all the support he might need, and the types of real life experiences that can form the basis for great fiction stories.

This is a story about a man with a new lease on life, who leads a dual existence. Behind his desk, he is an aspiring author. On the streets, he is a rogue undercover and unknown vigilante. His biggest challenge is keeping intact the fine line between reality and fiction.

Publisher: Chicago Arts Press
Coming June 6!
Read my review and an intriguing interview with the author then!

About the Author

Dan Burns is the author of the novels A Fine Line and Recalled to Life, and No Turning Back: Stories, the short story collection, He is also an award-winning writer of stories for the screen and stage. He resides with his family in Illinois and enjoys spending time in Wisconsin and Montana.




Friday, May 12, 2017

Susan Day and Powerful Literary Role Models for Girls

How female characters can have a powerful influence on girls
Research certainly points to the fact that girls need strong role models from which they can form their own identity. If a girl is surrounded by women who can offer her positive attitudes, all the better. However, it is important not to underestimate how powerful female fictional characters can be and what kind of influence they can have. Importantly, we should be employing them to help shape our daughters’, and granddaughters’, views of themselves, and their visions of who they want to become.

Alice in Wonderland: A role model
Alice in Wonderland is probably one of the first female characters many girls meet. When the book was written it was unusual for a woman to take the lead role, never mind about a little girl.

But, Lewis Carroll gave us a strong role model who is marked by her incessant curiosity and never failing courage. Alice’s adventures are legendary and they are her reward for her strength of character, not to mention, her inability to take ‘no’ for an answer.

Alice is a sensible girl for the most part, but a bit reckless too. Fancy, accepting the advice on those bottles labelled ‘drink me’! She knows a villain when she sees one in the Queen of Hearts, and is naturally suspicious of the pipe smoking caterpillar, and the grinning cat. Whackos!

Alice’s most redeeming feature is her ability to reflect and curb her more audacious inclinations. As well, when she makes a mistake, she moves on with her head held high, and picks up where she left off. I couldn’t think of a more significant role model to begin my granddaughter’s education.

Women role models from literature
As girls grow they should be introduced to women of literature whose courage and determination make them noteworthy, and stand outs as powerful role models.

There are, of course, many strong female roles but perhaps my favorites are Maggie Tulliver, Mill on the Floss, Jane, Jane Eyre, and Lizzie Bennet, Pride and Prejudice. Although confined by the restrictions set by their respective societies and eras, these amazing women hinted to us that not all women should be powerless and subservient. They bent the roles, pushed the boundaries, and refused to be stereotyped regardless of who was watching or what was at stake, sometimes paying the highest price.

Modern female role models and writers
Of course, modern times calls for modern women to take the lead. Today’s teens have some very impressive women to lead and guide them too.

With Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, and Lisbeth Salander, from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I feel today’s generation are in good hands.

Having been a student of, Women who run with Wolves, I know why girls need strong, confident and resilient role models. For example, while Little Red Riding Hood shared Alice’s curiosity, she lacked Alice’s courage. Perhaps if she had she would have bopped that wicked wolf on the nose and spent a lovely afternoon with her grandmother instead.

I also must mention Caroline Paul’s, Gutsy Girl. I purchased a copy for a friend, a true gutsy girl, who walked the Kokoda Trail on her own. Once I read it, I realized that Paul’s accounts of her adventures; her amazing courage and her recklessness tempered with a whimsical bravado, where enthralling and needed to be celebrated. She soon became a role model I was excited about sharing so I purchased a copy for my granddaughter. At the time of writing this she is just one year old, but when she is older I will present it to her.

Her name is after all, Emma Jane; named after my daughter’s favorite fictional characters – Emma Woodhouse and Jane Eyre. Proof, I believe that I did something right in her education; filling her heart and her mind with powerful female characters from literature so much so she named her daughter after two of them.



About the author - Susan Day
Susan Day is an author of 15 books and a content marketer. Her blog, Astro’s Adventures Book Club, is full of ideas and tips for grandparents who want to build a strong relationship with their grandchildren. In particular, Susan specializes in helping grandparents share their love of books with their grandchildren. Susan is currently writing a book titled, The Top 10 Things Happy Grandparents Never Regret Doing!

The Top 10 Things Happy Grandparents Never Regret Doing

Susan lives in Australia with four dogs, three boss cats, three rescue guinea pigs, and an errant kangaroo. And, apart from blogging, writing and reading; she loves drinking coffee, painting and learning to box.