Showing posts with label Terri Blackstock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terri Blackstock. Show all posts

Monday, June 27, 2016

2016 Christy Award Winners!


The Christy Awards Advisory Board announced the 2016 Christy Award Winners today. This award honors excellence in Christian fiction. What a great group of winners! Click on the linked titles for my reviews.

BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Five Times I Met Myself
by James L. Rubart
(Thomas Nelson, a division of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


CONTEMPORARY
The Sea Keeper’s Daughters
by Lisa Wingate
(Tyndale House Publishers)



CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/SUSPENSE

The Wedding Chapel
by Rachel Hauck
(Zondervan, a division of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


CONTEMPORARY SERIES

Crazy Little Thing Called Love
by Beth K. Vogt
(Howard Books)


FIRST NOVEL
Irish Meadows
by Susan Anne Mason
(Bethany House Publishers, a division of
Baker Publishing Group)


HISTORICAL

Secrets She Kept
by Cathy Gohlke
(Tyndale House Publishers)


HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Luther and Katharina
by Jody Hedlund
(WaterBrook Press)


SUSPENSE

Twisted Innocence
by Terri Blackstock
(Zondervan, a division of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


VISIONARY

The Five Times I Met Myself
by James L. Rubart
(Thomas Nelson, a division of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


YOUNG ADULT


The Choosing
by Rachelle Dekker
(Tyndale House Publishers)



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Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Christy Award Finalists Announced!


The Christy Awards Advisory Board announced the finalists for the 2016 Christy Awards yesterday. This award honors excellence in Christian fiction.

What a great group of finalists! I would be hard-pressed to choose the winner in several of these categories, or if I did, it would be a narrow win! I'm thrilled with the list of finalists as they are some of my personal favorite books from 2015. Click on the linked titles to read my reviews. I think this is a record-setting year for the number of finalist books I have read and reviewed. This is a great resource to use to build your personal summer reading list!

The 2016 Christy Awards finalists are:

CONTEMPORARY

The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert (WaterBrook Press)
As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press)
The Sea Keeper’s Daughters by Lisa Wingate (Tyndale House Publishers)


CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/SUSPENSE

Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


CONTEMPORARY SERIES

Anna’s Healing by Vannetta Chapman (Harvest House Publishers)
Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt (Howard Books)

FIRST NOVEL

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker (Tyndale House Publishers)
Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group) (I can't believe I missed reviewing this one. It intrigued me so I bought a copy and LOVED. IT.)


HISTORICAL

The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke (Tyndale House Publishers)
The Wood’s Edge by Lori Benton (WaterBrook Press)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
(Four finalists due to a tie)


Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group) (Another book that I stumbled across, bought a copy, and loved so much that I begged the author to let me be on her influencer team for her next release!)
Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund (WaterBrook Press)
To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)


SUSPENSE

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks (Thomas Nelson, a division of Harper Collins Christian Publishing)
Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Vendetta by Lisa Harris (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)


VISIONARY

The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
A Time to Speak by Nadine Brandes (Enclave Publishing)
Waking Beauty by Sarah E. Morin (Enclave Publishing)


YOUNG ADULT

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker (Tyndale House Publishers)
Rebel by R.J. Anderson (Enclave Publishing)
To Get to You by Joanne Bischof (Independently Published)


Award winners will be announced via an online event at www.christyawards.com at 4 p.m. (EDT), Mon., June 27, 2016.

“For sixteen years we have hosted the awards at a dinner held in conjunction with the International Christian Retail Show,” said Donna Kehoe, executive director of the Christy Awards. “We value memories of the synergy among authors, agents, media, and all those in the publishing industry; the challenges given by outstanding keynoters; and the legacy of honoring those who write powerful, faith-infused stories. Due to the changing nature of the industry, however, we are transitioning to new ways of acknowledging the winners while remaining committed to awarding and promoting excellence in Christian fiction.”



It's a shame that they aren't having the big ceremony this year. I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend several years and it was an incredible event. I do wish they were having the online event in the evening so that it would be more accessible to working folks. But I will be eagerly watching for news of the winners!



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Monday, January 25, 2016

If I Run


If I Run
Terri Blackstock
(Harper Collins/Zondervan)
ISBN: 978-0310332435
February 2016/320 pages/$15.99

Casey knows the truth.

But it won’t set her free.


Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking to police; they have failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she’s arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.

But what is the truth? That’s the question haunting Dylan Roberts, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up. Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan’s skewed perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn’t guilty, why did she run?

Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than he has, but as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terri Blackstock has sold over seven million books worldwide and is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of Intervention, Vicious Cycle, and Downfall, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the Restoration Series. Find out more about Terri at http://www.terriblackstock.com.


MY THOUGHTS

Terri Blackstock is one of the premiere Christian suspense authors, and If I Run is yet another reason why. Blackstock wastes no time in plunging the reader into the story with a chilling and pulse-pounding opening, and the tension remains high throughout the book. I normally don't advocate that a person run from the authorities, but Casey Cox has every reason to, and it's impossible not to empathize with her and cheer for her safety. Complex characters populate this action-packed suspense that is impossible to put down. If I Run is highly recommended!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Harper Collins/Zondervan Publishing and Litfuse Publicity Group for a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”



Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer . . . but her DNA is all over the crime scene, and she's now a fugitive. Don't miss Terri Blackstock's next page-turner, If I Run. Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than Dylan has, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. But as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.

Join Terri in celebrating her new book with a Fitbit giveaway and a special $4.99 digital pre-order deal!

if i run-400 

One grand prize winner will receive:
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on February 16th. The winner will be announced February 17th on the Litfuse blog.

Plus don't miss out on the special $4.99 digital pre-order pricing, now through February 15. Pre-order the book through your favorite e-book retailer; details here.

if i run - enterbanner


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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Chance of Loving You


Chance of Loving You
Terri Blackstock, Candace Calvert,
Susan May Warren
(Tyndale House Publishers)
ISBN: 978-1496405371
May 2015/384 pages/$14.99


An anthology by three bestselling romance authors

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock Trying to launch her own design firm while waitressing on the side, Julie Sheffield was drawn to the kind man she waited on at the restaurant last night . . . until he stiffed her on the tip by leaving her half of a sweepstakes ticket.

The Recipe by Candace Calvert Hospital dietary assistant Aimee Curran is determined to win the Vegan Valentine Bake-Off to prove she’s finally found her calling. But while caring for one of her patients—the elderly grandmother of a handsome CSI photographer—Aimee begins to question where she belongs.

Hook, Line & Sinker by Susan May Warren Grad student Abigail Cushman has agreed to enter the annual Deep Haven fishing contest. She’s a quick learner, even if she doesn’t know the difference between a bass and a trout. But nothing could prepare her for competing against the handsome charmer she’s tried to forget since grief tore them apart.

One chance for each woman to change her life . . . but will love be the real prize?


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over six million copies sold worldwide. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in an Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.

Her latest series is the acclaimed, award-winning Intervention Series (Intervention, Vicious Cycle, Downfall). Other reader favorites include her books Predator and Double Minds, as well as the Restoration Series, the Newpointe 911 Series, the Cape Refuge Series, and the SunCoast Chronicles series.

In 1994 Terri was writing romance novels under two pseudonyms for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. At the time, she was reading more suspense than romance, and felt drawn to write thrillers about ordinary people in grave danger. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots, while challenging her readers to think and grow. She hopes to remind them that they’re not alone, and that their trials have a purpose. Visit her website at www.terriblackstock.com


Often called the author of "medical hope opera," Candace Calvert is an ER nurse who landed on the other side of the stethoscope after the equestrian accident that broke her neck and convinced her love, laughter--and faith--are the very best medicines of all.

Her popular medical drama series (Mercy Hospital, Grace Medical, and Crisis Team) offer readers a chance to "scrub in" on the exciting world of emergency medicine, along with charismatic characters, pulse-pounding action, tender romance, humor, suspense--and an encouraging prescription for hope. Think "Grey's Anatomy finds its soul"!

A native northern Californian, mother of two and proud grandmother to seven, Candace is a passionate "foodie," equally at home with a whisk in her hand as she is penning stories. Folks who follow her on Twitter and Facebook will find photo-embellished recipes,funny insights into the writing life, snippets of upcoming work, and a chance at book giveaways. Please visit her website at: www.candacecalvert.com.


Susan May Warren is the bestselling, Christy and RITA Award–winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church.

Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives.

For exciting updates on her new releases, previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com.


MY THOUGHTS

While novellas are generally too short for me to enjoy reading, bundle them together--especially when they are written by a group of authors I adore--and I'm hooked! Chance of Loving You is a delightful anthology by three very talented authors. I love the culinary twist of these novellas. And while they are a bit different from each author's usual offerings, their settings match perfectly, with Blackstock's taking place in the city, Calvert's occurring in and around a hospital, and Warren's set in Deep Haven. Charming characters, enjoyable stories, and a recipe at the end of each story make this a perfect spring read. Don't miss Chance of Loving You!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Candace Calvert. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”



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