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Communities
Healing Stones Review and Giveaway
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As promised, here is my review and giveaway of Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn. The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance featured this book earlier this week, so if you’d like to read about the authors and a plot synopsis, please visit my earlier post.
My Opinion:
I have to admit I was skeptical about this book at first. I don’t generally get into books that begin with a woman having an affair. However, I am a fan of Nancy Rue’s Lily Series for tween girls, and I’ve heard great things about Stephen Arterburn, so I thought I’d give this book a shot. Boy, am I glad I did!
Healing Stones is by far the best Christian fiction book I’ve read in a long time, and I read a lot of good stuff. By the second chapter I had been sucked into the plot, and I couldn’t put the book down. I finished in a few days, and considering how busy I’ve been lately, that’s a small miracle!
I loved this book, because it hit on so many important topics. Forgiveness, lack of forgiveness, legalism, grace, being able to forgive yourself, why Christians do bad things, truth, lies….it’s all there wrapped up in a compelling plot.
I walked away from this book really thinking about my attitude toward certain sins, toward some of the things I’ve done in life. I found myself wrestling with dilemma between the need to obey God and the need to extend grace to those who disobey. Where is the fine line of grace between legalism and looking the other way and ignoring sin? Healing Stones is definitely a book that will make you think! I highly, highly recommend this one!
Now on to the giveaway. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. I will close comments next Friday, February 22, 2008 at noon PST. I will draw a winner using a random number generator, and the winner will recieve my once read copy of Healing Stones.
For those of you who don’t win, I recommend that you buy yourself a copy or check it out from the library! Seriously.
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Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn
This week
About the Authors:
Stephen Arterburn is the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries—the nation’s largest faith-based broadcast, counseling and treatment ministry—and is the host of the nationally syndicated “New Life Live!” daily radio…
By 1996 Nancy was a full-time writer. The Christian Heritage Series made that possible. She was writing those books from the early 1990’s until 2000.
And then a new opportunity came along–the Lily series. If she ever doubted that she was going to make it as a writer, man, that little red-head put those fears to rest! And, of course, Sophie followed Lily, with some teen and grown-up books in between — plus the non-fiction books designed just for you.
Nancy and her husband live in Tennessee now, overlooking a beautiful lake, lots of sycamore trees, and the rocky Tennessee hills. They have a bright yellow power boat named BANANA SPLIT which you can find us on no matter what the weather. Marijean and her husband live nearby with my three grand-dogs and three grand-cats (and two grand-snakes . . .)
About the Book:
With one flash of a camera, Demi’s private life becomes public news. She doesn’t know it yet, but her healing has just begun.
Christian college professor Demitria Costanas had vowed to end her affair with a colleague. But she gives into temptation one last time…and a lurking photographer captures her weakness for all to see. Quite literally, she’s the woman caught in adultery. And almost everyone–herself included–has a stone to throw.
Enter Sullivan Crisp, a decidedly unorthodox psychologist with his own baggage. He’s well-known for his quirky sense of humor and incorporation of “game show” theology into his counseling sessions. And yet there’s something more he offers…hope for a fresh start.
Reluctantly the two of them begin an uplifting, uneven journey filled with healing and grace. By turns funny and touching, this story explores the ways humans hurt each other and deceive themselves. And it shows the endlessly creative means God uses to turn stones of accusation and shame into works of beauty that lead us onto the path of healing.
An auspicious debut for a candid yet tender series about pain, healing, and God’s invitation for second chances.
My Opinion:
I really, really liked this book! In fact, I liked it so much, that I will be writing my own review and giving away a copy on Friday, so be sure to check back then!
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Fallen by Matthew Raley
This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance presents Fallen by Matthew Raley (Kregel Publications February 29, 2008).
About the Author: Matthew Raley is senior pastor of the Orland Evangelical Free Church in northern California, where he lives with his wife and two young children. For fun, he enjoys playing chamber music with friends, giving occasional solo recitals, and playing first violin in the North State Symphony. This is his first book.
About the Book: Jim was at work when his eyes drifted to the coffee shop visible from his office window. An attractive woman driving a Mercedes pulled up to the curb . . . and Jim’s married pastor emerged from the car. When Jim delves deeper into his pastor’s world, will he be able to handle what he discovers? Is he right to suspect that Dave is having an affair? In the behind-the-scenes church battle that ensues, Jim is torn between duty to his church and a desire to show grace. A ripped-from-the-headlines drama of suspense that keeps you engaged to the last page.
Fallen is the story about Jim’s relationship with Dave—how Jim tries to do the right thing to keep Dave accountable, but finds the situation getting worse and worse. It’s also about Jim’s other relationships. Just as he discovers hypocrisy in Dave, Jim discovers his own sins against his wife and daughter.
My Opinion: This was a very heady and thought provoking novel. Though it’s not a long book, it’s not a book you can read in one sitting. Fallen does a great job of highlighting that outside appearances can be deceiving, and that it’s the state of the heart that matters.
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Review & Giveaway: Abandoned Identity
Abandoned Identity is the second book by Tamara Tilley. I haven’t read her other book, Full Disclosure, so this was my first experience reading this author.
The Plot
Jennifer Patterson and Harrison Lynch get off to a rocky start, when Harrison is hired for the job Jennifer had trained for. Jennifer resents Harrison for getting the position she thought should be hers, and she doesn’t hide her feelings. Then one snowy night, they are stuck at the office together, and each sees a different, more tender side to the other.
The next day, however, Jennifer disappears. Harrison tries to find her, but it seems she has fallen off the face of the earth. Three years later, he thinks he sees her on a beach in California. Is it really her?
My Opinion
I started to read this book on a Thursday afternoon and was finished 24 hours later. Having never read anything by Tamara Tilley before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wasn’t disappointed.
Abandoned Identity is full of romance and suspense. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would take another turn.
I was also pleased with the gospel message in this book. For the first few chapters I was wondering if it was really a Christian fiction book, but about halfway through the book, the redemptive love of Christ starts to come out.
I thought the two main characters were well developed. I wish that some of the other characters had been developed a little more, but I didn’t feel that the lack of character development took away from the story.
To Read or Not to Read?
I would definitely recommend reading this book, if you are into a quick, suspenseful, and easy read. You can check your local library for a copy, or you can buy it here.
The Giveaway
I’m giving away my once read copy of Abandoned Identity. To win, just leave a comment before 12 p.m. PST on Tuesday, January 8. I will use a random number generator to draw a winner. The book will be shipped out via media mail as soon as I get the winner’s address.
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