Christian Goodreaders discussion

VRIN: ten mortal gods by J. Michael Hileman
Available till Aug 1st for free a smashword.com

"This story gripped me from page one, and would not let go till I had devoured all 344. It kind of reminded me of Nine Princes in Amber mixed with some Ted Dekker Circle Trilogy." Jake Benson

"John is such a talented man and you can see that through this book! He weaves fantasy and reality with drama and suspense. I highly recommend Vrin: ten mortal gods to anyone who enjoys a high action and thought provoking masterpiece." Merrianne

"I don't even like science fiction/fantasy, but once I started reading VRIN, I wanted to keep reading it 'till I was done. It was deep enough to really make me think ... but not so deep that I couldn't understand it." Hope

WORLDS UNSEEN by Rachel Starr Thomson.
http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com
Download it free!

“I fell in love with Worlds Unseen. I finished it with tears in my eyes. It was really touching…and brilliant, and beautiful. The whole thing reminded me of a mix between C.S. Lewis, Ted Dekker, and Diana Wynne Jones, while being wholly different.”

“Worlds Unseen is wonderful! Rachel is such an artist and paints such beautiful metaphors. I am in awe.”

“Rachel has a gorgeous, poetic way of putting things that’s incredible and enviable. I love the huge grand scale of things that her world runs on, yet her characters make it personal in such an amazing way.”

Riveting storytelling!
"Rachel is a wonderful storyteller! She weaves her world and characters into life and it is a joy to spend hours with them. I have not been this engrossed in a book in a long, long time. I had grown weary of reading poorly written books...as I am a librarian for a school I review a lot of them...and so it is especially pleasing to find a gifted author who tells compelling stories. Stories I WANT kids to read and I know the kids will devour them! The language is beautiful and poetic, not watered down mash. The themes lift the heart and give joy to the soul! I recommend this books to anyone as a read aloud, for kids 10 to 99!" - Shandra Wiebe

"A new chapter in Christian fantasy novels
Once I started reading this book I quite literally could not stop until I had finished. Worlds Unseen delivers a familiar theme in a completely fresh, surprising and captivating narrative. Worlds Unseen embodies what I appreciate most about a fantasy with a Christian theme; its ability to open the eyes of the reader, through fantastical narrative, to possibilities in the Christian faith previously unexplored or not fully understood." - Curly WI

A Captivating Fantasy Novel
"Beyond the everyday existence of men and women lies a realm of ancient beauty and goodness and light. An exiled King calls his people to awake and remember him. But an unspeakable evil is seeking to break into the world of men and rule by misery and cruelty. The Veil that keeps that evil back is wearing thin.

"Here is what I wrote to Rachel, the author, upon finishing the book the first time:

"Thank you for this story! I am in rather a state of shock (the end-of-an-amazing-read sort of shock), and it might be a while before I can write a coherent review for my blog. But for the moment, I mainly wanted to thank you for your well-told story of life and death and tears and growing up, of ashes and newness and the bright, starry thread, of monsters and scoundrels and everyday heroes stepping bravely into battle against evil. Thank you for a picture of worlds unseen, of faith that hopes and believes when the night is dark. Of a King who is coming. Oh, I loved it! I love your descriptions of all the mysterious, otherworldly characters, like the wind and animal and tree spirits, and Virginia's visions. Ah, beautiful! That is stuff that really encourages me. It reminds me of how little I really see of reality. What all is going on beyond my senses? It's far more than I think, both worse and far better than I can dream."

"Now, after reading it for the second time four months later, I found the book just as compelling. The writing is excellent. From the sweeping scale of lands and peoples to the vivid details of small moments, this book shines. The characters are real, each with their own struggles and strengths, and I already love them dearly. Nicholas, the kindhearted Gypsy boy, was probably my favorite character, and I was thrilled to learn that the second book is mainly his story, as the first was Maggie's.

"As far as Christian fantasy goes, I thought it was beautifully done. Magic glinted from these pages, but when it was used selfishly it was always shown to be bad. The source of the good power was always the King (God), and nothing brought greater joy and comfort and hope than when characters realized He was with them. Nor was there so much direct allegory that it took away from the story, which seems to me to be the other ditch Christian fantasy writers can fall into. Overall, a sense of bittersweet longing pervades the whole book.

"I'm sure I shall be reading this again, as well as recommending it to friends. In the meanwhile, please excuse me while I dive into Book Two - Burning Light." - Rael


fantasy tale on the quest for the Truth
"The themes are universal--good conquering evil, the quest for the Truth, a good king who will return to rule. In this Christian-based fantasy novel, Rachel Starr Thomson introduces us to these themes as we become immersed in the Seventh World where the Blackness rules and a small band of people will fight for the freedom they once knew.

"From the onset, the author easily transported me to a medieval-like world, where I could feel the dampness of the fog at night, smell the earthiness of the underground tunnels, and hear the flapping wings and the eerie cawing of the black ravens enough to conjure images of Hitchcock's The Birds. The imagery is captivating, and I was plunged into the scenes, walking with them through the dense, thick forest or running through musty, dark tunnels. The action is well paced and vivid as Maggie and Nicolas live through heart-stopping and heart-warming experiences together.

"Thomson has weaved a fantastical tale with enough unanswered questions to have us anticipating the second book in this trilogy. The author has cleverly staged the prelude to personal conflicts, and I look forward to joining Maggie and Nicolas again as the journey will undoubtedly continue." - Laura Fabiani


A Must Read!
"I first opened the novel "Worlds Unseen" when our family was visiting friends in southern Ontario for a few days. I read the preface and then shut the book, realizing that if I continued reading, I would be curled up in a corner for the next few days reading, rather than visiting with our friends. I waited until we returned home and then waited until Saturday, when I would have more time to read. I found that my assessment had been accurate; I did not want to put the book down. It is a very good story, well written, and allegorical in some aspects regarding the Truth. It was a good reminder of the reality of the unseen worlds and the battle in which we are engaged.

"I highly recommend this book." - Robin Gilman


"Thomson weaves several characters’ journeys together on this fantasy adventure, though Maggie is the heroine. I enjoyed Thomson’s allegorical style. She creates a wonderfully realistic fantasy world. Recommended." - Jill Williamson, Christy-Award-Winning Author of "By Darkness Hid"
http://novelteen.wordpress.com/2009/0...

Thanks for reading :).
Rachel

A Beacon of Hope by Walter E. Mark

"Intriguing and delightful. Walter E. Mark takes you to another time and place. His characters have such personality and emotion that you feel you?re traveling with them along their journey."
---K. Landrum, Teacher, Ypsilanti, MI

"Very original work! Walter E. Mark has employed a distinct and unique narrative voice into his work. The descriptions are quite detailed and well composed, thus allowing the reader to visualize the events, characters and settings of the story.
The story itself is extremely believable. This is by far the most believable fantasy that I've ever read!"
---Gina, editor, FirstEditing.com

"A Beacon of Hope is an extemely visual and intriguing book that sets the table perfectly for The Sixth World of Men series."
---M. D'Aoust, IT Professional, Fltt Rock, MI

Mission Possible by Deborah McCarragher
http://www.AlabasterBoxPublishing.com

"Mission Possible" has been awarded the
2010 Gold Seal Award Winner for Best Christian Non-Fiction Book.

The contest features book entries in over 40 genres - both Fiction and Non-fiction categories.

Readers Favorite was founded by Debra Gaynor to provide readers with quality books, and to help authors with honest reviews of their work and to assist them in obtaining more recognition and exposure through a professional Award Contest. Debra has been joined by many volunteer reviewers who share her passion for reading and desire to help authors. Unlike many book review websites, book reviews on Readers Favorite are free.

Review by Readers Favorite -

"Mission Possible" by Deborah L. McCarragher is a book about encouragement. She offers strategies and Bible verses to assist a wife in her endeavor to introduce her husband to the Lord. Each chapter ends with questions that make the reader think.

Too often, we speak without thinking of the consequences of our words. I remember specifically when I began to seriously pray for my husband, I prayed first that the Lord would allow me to utter only words of gratification. I found a change in my behavior toward my husband. Then I began to pray that the Lord would strengthen his faith. After that, I added a situation in his career. I saw a change in him. I had not told him I was praying specifically in these areas.

Recently, my husband and I were discussing the influence women have over their husbands. Most men want to please their wives and, when treated with respect and love, will do almost anything for them. We accomplish much more through kindness and example than we do through begging, pleading and demanding.

When I was growing up, my father did not attend church. He was very proud that his family were church-goers. He would drop us off at church and then go fishing. He’d return in time to pick us up. I remember asking him to go to church, and he’d get angry. My mother wisely told me to pray about it, but not to ask him again. I did as she suggested. One Saturday, he asked us why we didn’t want him to go to church with us. I knew to keep my mouth shut. Mom calmly told him that we did want him to go with us. Then he wanted to know why we didn’t ask him to go. Again mother calmly stated that he would go when he was ready. Sheepishly, dad wanted to know if he could go with us the next day. That scene has long stayed with me. We should pray unceasingly but leave it in the Lord’s hands. Through prayer and example, my dad became a Christian.

I highly recommend "Mission Possible" to all married couples. While this book is written for women, the same principles are true for men.

Link to Readers Favorite http://bit.ly/RFaszySf )

I've been blessed to have received all five star reviews both here and on Amazon. Here's are a few excerpts from reviews I received here on Goodreads.

---Fastpaced, action packed debut novel from Nike chillemi delivers! (Amanda Stephan)

---"Burning Hearts" drew me slowly in. At first I wasn't sure what to think about the characters. It had been so long since I'd read an historical novel. In my head I was still in contemporary times, but after the first few pages I was hooked.
I love how Ms. Chillemi is so precise with details of the 1940's--the type of food, clothing, cars, even attitudes, or the way people spoke. (Barbara Brink)

The Return of Inspiration! Check it out in the March edition of Ruby for Women - Page 48!
http://issuu.com/ruby4women/docs/marc...

Amy's wonderful writing brought to life a very imaginative Heaven!
http://waitingforwentworth.blogspot.c...

AND

From the very first page, I was hooked. The plot keeps you begging for more
5 out 5 Stars!
http://noveldtales.blogspot.com/2012/...