August 2014 New Releases More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Action/Adventure: The Promise by Beth Wiseman — Mallory Hammond is determined not to let her boyfriend, parents, or anyone else get in the way of her #1 goal-to save a life. A new friend she met online offers her the chance, …
Writing Effective Book Club Discussion Questions
By Sarah Sundin Book clubs. As readers, we delight in socializing with book-lovers. As writers, we delight in connecting with avid readers. Since I belonged to a book club long before I was published, I knew the importance of a good set of discussion questions. While some groups fall naturally into discussion, some don’t, and good questions stimulate conversation. I …
ACFW New Releases: August 2014
August 2014 New Releases More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Contemporary Romance: Small-Town Billionaire by Renee Andrews — When trapped in a tiny North Alabama “Mayberry” town, billionaire Ryan Brooks wants nothing more than to get back to Chicago ASAP, but a business opportunity–and the eclectic yet gorgeous woman with the …
Finding Your Book’s Perfect Fit
by Robin Johns Grant Whether you’re a published author or still on the road to publication, you’ve probably been asked to identify books that are similar to yours. Publishers want to know that you can identify your target audience. But this can be tricky. Have you ever noticed that there’s something a bit mysterious in the way you feel about …
Mystery or Suspense – Which is it?
By Gail Gaymer Martin People often ask the difference between a mystery and a suspense, and writers will provide varying answers. Have you ever tried to identify the difference between suspense and mystery? It’s not easy. A mystery is suspenseful, and a suspense is often mysterious with obscure criminals and difficult to understand why. These two genre have things in …
Book Review: A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California
Title: A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California Author: Keli Gwyn Publisher: Barbour Books Date: July 2012 ISBN: 978-1616265830 Genre: Historical Romance Reviewed by: Holly Weiss Delightful Old West Romance Widow Elenora Watkins relocates with her daughter, Tildy, to California’s Sierra foothills to be an associate in a mercantile. When he finds out she is a woman, prospective partner …
Book Review: Cooking the Books
Title: Cooking the Books (Sloane Templeton Mystery. Book 1) Author: Bonnie Calhoun Publisher: Abingdon Press Date: April 2012 ISBN: 978-1426733888 Genre: Contemporary Fiction Reviewed by: Cara Putman Sloane Templeton’s life is chaos in Cooking the Books. Her mom’s died, she’s running a business she doesn’t want, and she longs to get back to computer forensics. Instead, she’s trying to avoid …
ACFW New Releases: July 2012
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble — Welcome to Hope Beach Where the sea breeze is fresh, sun sparkles on sand . . . and trouble appears with the force of a hurricane. Inheriting a beautiful old hotel on the seaward shore of Hope Island could …
Book Review: The Homesteader’s Sweetheart
Title: The Homesteader’s Sweetheart Author: Lacy Williams Publisher: Love Inspired Historicals Date: May 2012 ASIN: B007BBVDJS Genre: Historical Romance Reviewed by: Cara Putman The Homesteader’s Sweetheart, the latest Love Inspired Historical novel from Lacy Williams, is a sweet story connecting an outsider homesteader with the beautiful banker’s daughter. Unbeknownst to her, their lives had intersected years earlier in Philadelphia, but …
Book Review: “Replication”
Title: Replication: The Jason Experiment Author: Jill Williamson Publisher: Zonderkids Date: December 2011 ISBN: 978-0310727583 Genre: YA Reviewed by: Lisa J. Lickel In Fishhook, Alaska, Jason Farms doesn’t grow your typical crops. Seventeen-year-old Abby Goyer is half-orphaned; though with a dad whose work consumes him after the death of Abby’s mom, and she feels truly alone. A sudden move from …