Whistlestop Book Tour: "Havah, the story of Eve" by Tosca Lee

Tosca Lee paints an unforgettable picture of the fall of man in Havah, the story of Eve, her latest novel from B&H Publishers. Lee’s lyrical style lends beauty to the Garden of Eden, and touches of poetry and humor throughout the book enliven an otherwise dark story of love and loss.

The frank portrayal of some of the age-old struggles of femininity will endear Eve to the reader. Women in particular can relate to the curiosity and pique which leads her into peril. We understand on a visceral level her longing for Adam’s return to her arms after a fight. Her weariness when overworked resonates with us. Her desire to see her children happy echoes our own.

Harder to accept are the book’s suggestions of... (Read full post at my novelbooks.org website.)

** Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when books are purchased on Amazon.com through links from Book Readers Central.

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: "Disciple" by E. G. Lewis

What was it like to  live in the days of the early Christian church -- a time of great persecution and great faith? In Disciple, book two in the Seeds of Christianity series, Author E. G. Lewis's fine writing gives a glimpse into the lives of real people facing hardships and challenges in the name of Yeshua. The story follows the travails of Shemuel and Rivkah as the very fabric of their faith is tested. Their daughter, Channah, suffers crushing loss. Another daughter, Hadassah, rejects the Way. Can they survive amid unrest and persecution?

 Lewis's fine writing and attention to detail breathes life into Biblical figures like Simon Peter, Saul of Tarsus, Mary the Mother of Jesus, John the Beloved and Stephen. Vivid characterizations will cause the reader to weep with the likes of young Eleana as she makes a shattering decision, Pavlos the Giant -- cast away as a child -- and the fading prostitute Zeeta faced with hunger and scorn. All the stories woven together to make this boo give a message of hope.

I highly recommend Disciple for readers who enjoy Biblical fiction. This book is teen-approved for its honest portrayal of the difficulties faced by youth living in a hard age.

This book is available from Amazon**: Disciple (The Seeds of Christianity)

*Thanks go to the publisher for providing Book Readers Central with a complimentary copy of this book.

**I am an Amazon Associate and benefit when books are purchased through my site.

      

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: The Hidden Flame

I have never read books by Davis Bunn or Janette Oke, so I was not prepared for the brilliant writing in The Hidden Flame. We join Abigale at a wedding celebration after the massacre of her family. She is injured but joyful her brother is alive. Harrod's guards descend upon the wedding and send everyone fleeing. We are then introduced to prominent characters from the New Testament --  Peter, Pilate, Martha, Mary and James, among others. Their rolls play out true to the Bible's account of the days just after Jesus's ascension. Each of these historical characters was shown as any character in a book would be portrayed: with feelings, description and dialog.  At this point, I paused and considered how these people had existed in time, lived full lives and accomplished great works. It seemed they now, through this book, somehow entered my living room, becoming as real as my children sitting on the couch across from me. 

Biblical situations and settings were brought to life. Imagine being in the upper room, walking over to the window to look out, and watching what the people below were doing. While exploring the history and dangers of Rome, we follow Abigale's journey as two men offer to marry her, neither of whom she likes. 

I found the story a little character-heavy, especially if the reader was not familiar with the New Testament, and I would have liked to see more of the settings. The paramount settings were described well, but I wanted to see a little more of the ordinary everyday ones. The genius of this story far out weighs these minor points, however. With its lessons on healing, love and faith, this book is full of good messages. I recommend The Hidden Flame to readers of any age group, especially those who seek to understand the Bible in a more personal way. I will read this book a second time, only this time it will be aloud to my children. And now that I feel I have met many of the people within its pages, I will never be able to read the Bible in the same way again.

Meet and Greet Monday: Jill Eileen Smith

Book Giveaway! See the details at the end of this post. 

Jill Eileen Smith is the best-selling author of Michal, book one in The Wives of King David series. She has more than 20 years of writing experience, and her writing has gathered acclaim in several contests. Her research into the lives of David's wives has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family; in person, over the webcam, or hopping a plane to fly across the country. She can often be found reading Christian fiction, testing new recipes, grabbing lunch with friends, or snuggling one or both of her two adorable cats. She lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Jill Eileen Smith:

I'm a wife, mom, and author of a biblical fiction series - The Wives of King David. The books in the series are: Michal: A Novel and Abigail: A Novel published with Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. The final book, Bathsheba: A Novel, is coming in 2011. I'm currently working on the first book in the next series, The Wives of the Patriarchs. I love to travel, spend time with my family and friends, am a cat owner, aspiring Bible scholar, amateur historian, musician, and above all a follower of Jesus Christ.

Abigail is the third wife of King David and her journey is one of heartache and shattered dreams, but in the end she grows stronger for what she has endured and her relationship to David takes an interesting turn. Here’s the back cover blurb:


What price must she pay for true love?

Her days marked by turmoil and faded dreams, Abigail has resigned herself to a life with a man she does not love. When her husband Nabal’s foolish pride angers David and his men, she boldly steps forward to save her family—and David, the would-be king, takes notice.

Circumstances offer Abigail a second chance at happiness with the handsome David, and she takes a leap of faith to join his wandering tribe. But her struggles are far from over. How can she share his love with the other women he insists on marrying?

Abigail follows the bestselling Michal and continues Jill Eileen Smith’s rich story of David’s wives.

As I said above, the next and last story in the series is Bathsheba, which is in house right now and ready to undergo everything necessary to make it a printed book. While I await the galleys from my editor, which will come several months from now, I’m writing the first book in the next series, tentatively titled Sarai, Book One of The Wives of the Patriarchs. This will also be a three-book series focusing on Sarai, Rebekah, and Rachel. I’m also working out another biblical fiction book series proposal, which I hope to hand in to my agent soon.

My greatest desire for my books is to have them inspire readers to read the real story found within the pages of the Bible. Biblical fiction caused me to love the Bible, to realize with stark clarity that these people were real. I hope my books impart that same love of Scripture to my readers that I gained as a result of reading this genre.

I also hope to impart a sense of peace and hope for women who might not be living in the best of circumstances. None of King David’s wives had an easy life despite the wealth and opulence they might have had as wife of a king. They all were forced to share their husband; something I can only imagine as horribly difficult!

Whatever their struggles, they are no different than the struggles of every woman everywhere. Time may separate us, but the human heart does not change apart from God’s grace. I want my readers to see women who did change and grew to be better people.


Purchase Information
Abigail at Amazon
Michal at Amazon

Abigail at Christianbook.com
Michal at Christianbook.com



Find Me Online:
http://www.jilleileensmith.com

http://www.thewivesofkingdavid.com

Book Giveaway: Jill has graciously agreed to give away a free copy of either Michal or Abigail. To enter for a chance to win, please leave a comment below or email me privately (click here). You must have a mailing address within the United States to enter. Entries taken until this Thursday at midnight (Pacific time). Winner announced Friday.