My Son, John

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
My Son, John
(Sheaf House Publishers April 2009)
by
Kathi Macias


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathi Macias is an award-winning author of more than twenty fiction and nonfiction books. She has also ghostwritten and collaborated on books for a number of well-known individuals. She is a staff member for The Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service and a member of The Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, Christian Authors Network, American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Writers Fellowship International, Advanced Writers/Speakers Association, for who she serves as membership chair, and orange County Christian Writers Fellowship. She is the 2008 winner of AWSA’s Golden Scroll Award.

A Former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Macias is a credentialed minister and served as an associate pastor at a large church in Southern California, where she did biblical counseling, trained small group leaders, and oversaw support/recovery ministries. She is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and has appeared on several radio and TV programs.


ABOUT THE BOOK
Murder.

Could there be a more chilling word?

Could it be any more horrible than to have a loved one killed, brutally and heartlessly, without obvious reason or motive?

When Liz Peterson's elderly mother is found viciously beaten to death in her home, Liz and her husband, Charles, along with their grown son, John, and teenage daughter, Sarah, are horrified beyond words. Their previously predictable, respectable lives seem to have vanished without a trace, as they struggle to make sense of a senseless act.

And then a second blow-more devastating, if possible, than the first-rocks them to their core. John is arrested for his grandmother's murder. As what's left of the Peterson family begins to crumble under the weight of loss and accusation, the Petersons' longstanding Christian faith is put to the test in a way they could never have imagined, and unconditional love is stretched to its limits. Will family ties and relationships withstand such a crushing blow, or will evil succeed in dividing and conquering this once close and inseparable family?

Watch the chilling trailer!!



If you would like to read the first chapter of My Son, John, go HERE

MY THOUGHTS:
Wow. This was an incredible book. As I began reading it, I kept looking to the back cover and even to the copyright page that lists the ISBN# and the Library of Congress info to figure out whether it was a fiction book. And while it is indeed fiction, the story presented in this book is so real for far too many people. Families today are being fractured by drugs and crime, and I'm not just talking about the stereotypical "wrong side of the tracks" neighborhoods. This book paints a realistic picture of what happens when a college student's innocent use of drugs to stay awake to meet the demands of coursework becomes a habit and then an addiction. . .with consequences he never imagined. I ached with Liz as she dealt with the grief of losing her mother in such a horrific way. But as a mother, I agonized with her over the loss of her son and her struggle to find her way through the darkness and rediscover Love. And what a poignant reminder that we love because He first loved us.

My fellow book reviewer and bloggy friend Kim has a wonderful interview with the author here. Kathi Macias shares why she wrote the book and her heart for prison ministry and what it has taught her about redemption, love, and our tendency toward judgment.

If you want a mindless book to escape the cares of the world, this isn't for you. But if you want to read a book that shows God's light in the darkest of circumstances or want one to share with someone experiencing such a heartbreaking loss, I highly recommend this book!


Happy Hope-filled Reading!