Billy Coffey

Dear Readers,

Have you heard what is happening in Crow Hollow?  It seems that a few teens decided to go up to the old haunted mines to celebrate one of the girls birthday and instead they awaken the witch that lives there and now they are all sick.  In fact not only are those girls sick, but all the girls in town are sick. 

Yup just the girls, none of the boys even though there was one of the teen boys that went along.  There was something about a bracelet that the witch stole and all the girls were trying to do was get it back so they could put it back where they got it from.

I know amazing isn’t.  The sad part is now the folks in town are turning on each other.  Did you hear about what they did to the grocery store?  My goodness. 

Have you heard the latest rumor?  The one about Stu, the witches late husband?  Oh let me tell you.  It will make your hair stand on end…

The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey is his 4^th book set in the hills of Virginia.  I have enjoyed all 4 of them now, but this one kept me on my edge of my seat just a bit longer.  It is that type of tale that you might tell around a campfire just to see if you can scare the other there with you.

It is easy to imagine what is happen in the story is real because Billy has a way of writing that makes you feel at home.  Whether you want to live there or not.  I know personally I really don't think I would be comfortable in that little town like Crow Hollow if there really was a curse hanging over them.  But Billy welcomes you in anyways and boy you better be ready for a scary little ride. 

Happy Reading, 

New Release - Be My Valentino - Sandra Bricker

Dear Readers,

I think Sandra Bricker is about the only author I know of that can take on such a heavy subject and yet do it with a sense of humor.  Be My Valentino by Sandra is the second in her Jessie Stanton Novels.  Jessie has just found out about her husband's double life and is now moving on.

On a Ring and a Prayer is book 1 in the series and with book 2 we pick up the story where the other left off.  Jessie is now trying to get her feet under.  She is struggling to get her rental store on its feet which in Hollywood should be easy that it seems.

The problem arises when the local paparazzi take a liking to Jessie's newest model.  When he shows up on the front cover of one of the local newspapers, his PI business begins to suffer.  Can their relationship survive?  Will her store get more business because of it?  How does Jessie know if this relationship is the one or will it end in disaster also?

So light hearted and yet with very serious undertones.  Sandra addresses life issues while encouraging those embroiled in them, to carry on with life.  There is none of the woe is me type character, but ones that after a good cry, pull up themselves and move on in their lives.

An really good book to bring along on that end of summer vacation.

Happy Reading,

New Release - The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade -

Dear Readers,

If you are looking for one of those quirky little books that is just fun to read, The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade by Virginia Smith will fit the bill.  It is light hearted and yet touching on the subject of "quitting" life when you retire.

Al is 3 years and 63 days away from retirement and can wait.  He plans on doing nothing.  Rising late, relaxing on the porch while drinking his morning coffee and putting his feet up.  The problem is his wife has other plans.  Plans that may take just a little bit of finesse to make sure he is willing to go along.

Millie wants to buy the local run down manson and redo it into a B&B.  She has dreamed of owning this house since as a little girl she and attended a birthday party there.  But she knows that Al will not be on board until he thinks it is his idea.

Of course anyone that is married recognizes the things we do to get our spouses to see our side of an idea.  Which of course then makes us laugh out loud when we find those little schemes on the pages of a book.

With a whole community of people that will tickle your funny bone, Goose Creek is a wonderful little read for those summer evenings when the crickets are singing and it is time to go in, but you are just not ready yet.

Happy Reading,

New Releases - August 10 - 15

Dear Readers,

I can not believe it is the last half of the month.  This week is our annual Youth Pastor breakfast and so I will be working with that most of the week and then am going to take a couple days off to relax before hitting the busy September season.  I will be ready to enjoy a couple really good books.

Happy Reading,

Guardians of the Heart - Loree Lough - #2 Secrets of Sterling Street - Though their journeys are different both Nell and Asa have one goal in mind, return the Stone Hill Inn to former glory.  But disaster strikes and they both must face their past before they can be together.

Bathsheba - Angela Hunt - #2 A Dangerous Beauty Novel - The woman who caused King David to falter.  Bathsheba is one of the most notorious women in history and her only fault was her beauty.  What was she really like?

Grandpa Pitched for the Cubs - Dr. Elmer Towns - The story of Remle as he becomes something he never thought he would - a major league pitcher.  As life crashes around him, a police inspector comes alongside him to help him work through everything thrown in his path.

The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade - Virginia Smith - #1 Tales from the Goose Creek B&B - Al Richardson just wants to retire - 3 years and 63 days, but who's counting.  But his wife has other plans, she wants to start a B&B and the town, well the town is in a tizzy over who should paint the water tower.

Be My Valentino - Sandra D. Bricker - #2 A Jessie Stanton Novel - As Jessie starts to stand on her own after her husband's secrets were revealed, she hopes to put her store on the map.  In Hollywood that is easier said than done.  Suddenly her reluctant model is getting more attention than the store and that is not helping his career as an undercover agent.

The State of Christian fiction

Dear Readers,

Chip MacGregor wrote an interesting blog post a few weeks ago that got him in hot water with just about anyone that has something to do with Christian fiction.  I read the article wondering what he had to say that had everyone is such an uproar.  Well to be honest I am still wondering as I have read and reread the post a few times now.  I guess mainly because I think he is correct in his thinking.

It is true that many of the publishing houses that use to be strong in fiction have dropped their fiction lines and it is getting harder and harder to find Christian fiction in any bookstore.  I am not sure why that is happening as more and more people are reading fiction, especially Christian Fiction.

It is also true that more and more authors are writing Christian fiction, but why are we having such a hard time finding it.  Well I do have a strange thought on that.  It is not easy to find a book of an author you don't know to look for.  Okay that sound even strange to me, but if the only place we end up looking for books is online, I can almost guarantee that readers do not and will not "browse" those shelves like they would a bookstore.

Readers love new books.  But we do get stuck reading our favorite authors over and over again.  Or at least waiting to read their next release.  When we discover a new author it is because someone recommends them or it is on sale and we decide to take a chance on them.

So bookstores are still a needed component in the equation of readers and books.  For some reason a few years ago when e-readers were becoming the big thing and it hit the fiction market hard, bookstores started carrying fewer titles.  Well when the excitement wore off and readers returned to the traditional books, bookstores seemed to not get back on board.

So now we have a problem.  Readers looking for and waiting books, but have no one to buy them from.  Bookstores, we need to get back in the game and start bringing those (fiction) readers back into the stores.  If you wonder if they are reading, go to a Barnes and Noble and decide for yourself if fiction makes money or not.  Over 3/4ths of a B&N is fiction and they are busy.

But fiction selling takes more work than just sitting the books you like on the shelf and figuring the readers will be fine with that selection.  You must carry a variety.  Ex.- I was at a conference and attended a workshop about selling fiction.  When asked what kind of fiction books the other attendees (all bookstore owners/workers) carried, about 1/2 of them mentioned only Amish or Historical.  I can tell you right now I would have not shopped at their stores.  Why? I am Christian I should support that store right?  But they don't carry what I read and not because I read trashy novels.

Now I am not saying those genres are bad, but they are not the genres I read.  I am here today to say, bookstores the other genres are alive and well in the Christian fiction market, yes it takes a bit of effort to find them and carry them.  But I will also tell you that fiction readers are loyal to a fault and once you win them over they will shop you store all the time.

You will have to let them know what you are doing, start a bookclub, advertise to local libraries and church libraries.  Throw a special fiction reader event.  Have authors in.  More than one variety.  Yes some of those visit will be poorly attended, but don't stop.  Work at it and they will come.  (sorry couldn't resist).

Okay off the soapbox I am on, but it is an issue that I find near and dear to my heart.  Fiction is easy to sell, but you do need to get started and that is where the work starts.

Happy Reading,

P.S. Here is the link to Chip's blog post if you are interested.

http://www.chipmacgregor.com/current-affairs/whats-going-on-with-cba-fiction

Hillary Manton Lodge

Dear Readers,

I am really Johnnie come lately on the review of this book.  I really really wanted to read it sooner, but deadlines and a lost book delayed it a bit for me.   Once I found my copy back, it was between the headboard and the wall.  Who knows how it got there other than I must have fallen asleep while reading one night… 

Reservations for Two by Hillary Manton Lodge was the much awaited sequel to The Table by the Window.  For anyone who read the first one you know and understand how the book ended.  It just ended, with Juliette and Neil arriving in France to follow her grandmother’s history and the mysterious photo Juliette discovered.  Yikes, who does that to readers?  J

Reservations picks right up where the other left off and you don’t miss a beat.  Juliette and Neil not only are in France, they move on to Italy to follow her grandmother’s story.  What they find in Italy is a stash of letters that may or may not explain everything and Juliette is eager to get started reading.  She meets her grandmother on the pages, a young lady determined to got to pastry school despite her parent’s wishes.   As Juliette reads on she finds a part of her heritage that she knew nothing about. 

This is such an enjoyable way to tell a story.  Hillary has really hit it out of the park with the mixture of contemporary and historical.  Throw in the wonderful recipes and she has you captured right from the beginning of the book.  Of course she leaves us totally up in the air at the end of this book also.  So once again we will wait patiently (maybe) for the next book to find out what happens not only with Juliette, but also her grandmother.

On a little side note, I did find reading this book at night is maybe not the best idea.  With all the wonderful food described and recipes given it will basically make you want to get up and create a dessert and devour it all on the spot.  Okay maybe go buy a wonderful dessert and then eat it all.  Whichever works for you.  Just be forewarned.

Happy Reading,

P.S.  The picture shows the original cover, there is a different one now that matches the first book better. 

New Release - Somewhere Safe with Someone Good - Jan Karon

Dear Readers,

Summer is rapidly nearing it's end.  I hate that thought, but it brings to mind all those last minute vacation we all love to take before the business of fall hits.  I personally am always on the look out for books that I can easily bring on a short trip to a cottage or camping.  I love a "cozy" read for those days of relaxing in a lawn chair on the beach.

Somewhere Safe with Someone Good by Jan Karon fits the bill to a 't.'  Many readers commented that they were waiting for it to release in paperback and I am happy to announce that it is now available.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Mitford books, know that you will be welcomed into the neighborhood and embraced.  Each person you meet will have an unique personality and you will fall in love with each and everyone... well almost all of them.  There are a few, just like any neighborhood, that will just rub you the wrong way.  But the others more than make up for it.

That is why I find Jan's books as those wonderful end of summer read, you can take a short trip to Virginia without ever leaving your chair.

Happy Reading.