Monday, June 24, 2013

COTT: Women of Valley View by Sharon Srock


This week's featured New Release is Sharon Srock's latest,
Terri: Women of Valley View 2



Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God's plan. Steve Evans's gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.

Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve's book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child. She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive a family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve, or does God have another plan in store?
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Read the first pages of the book on  Amazon HERE
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REVIEWS

Terri is a delightful story, the second book in Women of Valley View. The humor is great and the author had me bursting into laughter several times. The romance is delectable and I found myself sighing and rereading the sweet romance scenes between Terri and Steve. The storyline is so interesting, dealing with being a foster parent, and seeing the other side of the problem. The author doesn't portray the parents whose child is taken away as bad people, but someone who needs help. This is just a minor part of the story but it shows how social services can help people get back on their feet and be better parents. I have several favorite quotes from this book and here is one I'll share with you: "The workings of a woman's brain have been a mystery since Eve." By Linda Weaver Clarke
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Terri is a single woman looking for "Mr. Right," and has been looking for him so long that she begins to go ahead with her plans in spite of not having found him, yet. There's someone on her mind, of course, but he has older children and a granddaughter, already, while Terri wants very much to have babies. So, she becomes a foster parent. In hopes that this will fulfill some of the desires of her heart whether she finds a husband, or not.

That's the premise. A lot of things happen to both thwart and encourage her, and one finds themselves reading to the last page just to see how everything turns out for everybody. It's a good read based on that alone. Very well-written, too. Ms. Srock brings people and place alive so vividly that you will actually recognize people you know there. Or at least wish you knew. But that isn't what makes it special.

What sets this book apart from most is the perspective. I might even go so far as to call it "the view." Like a movie running across the window of your mind, it gives you a front row seat to not only observe how Terri works out her problems, but how we can possibly apply those same methods to work on ours. Because that part of the story is real. Something you can take home with you.

Would I recommend the WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: TERRI? You bet. Because in my opinion, anytime you can walk away with something that valuable from an enjoyable piece of entertainment makes it priceless. Which is why I think everyone should meet the "Women of Valley View." By
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I am not much of a reader and I have never done a book review before so here goes nothing. A book really has to grab my attention first off to keep me engaged. Terri accomplished this without question! I love Terri and how "real" she is. You can really feel her inner struggle and her desire to follow God's will. However, she is human, and as we all do at times, her idea of the way things should go and idea of what she thought she needed, conflicted with what God had in mind. After some pretty harsh reality checks, a few ugly pity parties and a couple of scheming teenagers, Terri see's that what God had for her was way better than what she ever could have imagined. I felt the story flowed well and did a great job of making each character personal. I really felt that I knew these people. I was on edge and feared for Sean and Ella's marriage, when Steve got tough with Sean. I loved that this book showed that although God is a loving God, there are sometimes he uses tough love to get his point across. The love Steve shows Sean by being straight with him was hard and almost cost him his relationship with Terri. Regardless he followed God's leading and his obedience was rewarded. Not only does he get the girl, he gets to be part of the miracle that helps to bring a broken, young, on the run from God's call on his life, Sean, back to Christ. As a result we witness the healing of a broken family. I appreciated how this book shows us that even when we can't see, God does. By 1emmons

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Sharon Srock lives with her husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. She is a mother, grandmother, and Sunday School teacher. Sharon has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in her spare time. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her grandchildren. She is a member of the ACFW and currently serves as treasurer for her local chapter. Sharon's previous writing credits include numerous poems and short stories published in science fiction fanzines.

For the latest news from Sharon, and details about the other Valley View women, check out her website!




Pelican Books -- http://tinyurl.com/8ncbjnl

Barnes and Noble—http://tinyurl.com/9ahy3tg


Be sure to visit www.clashofthetitles.com for more recommendations for your Summer reading! 

Friday, June 21, 2013

Christian Book Lovers Hop


For those who love Christian books

We have a special treat for our readers. From June 25 through 30, a number of Christian bloggers have joined together to let you know what is available and to entice you with the chance to win some wonderful free gifts.

Every one of the blogs shown at the end of this message is giving away a significant prize. Here at the Christian Bookmobile, for example, you could win either a $25 Amazon gift card or a $25 PayPal payment. But that's not all. You also have the chance to win one of my four books.

It's easy to enter.

See the Rafflecopter below to enter. Everyone gets one free entry just for being here. That means you don't have to do anything to be included in the drawings. However, you can increase your odds of winning by following and tweeting, etc.

Enter here and then go on to another participating blog in the list below.

Good luck.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

COTT: Laurel Award

Attention Authors!

Submissions are now open for Clash of the Titles' annual Laurel Award contest!

What makes us different? In our contest, entries are read and scored not by industry gatekeepers but by READERS.


Open to any genre of Christian fiction published in 2012, the Laurel has limited slots available and a submission window ending July 19th.

Great prizes and a low entry fee of $10 make entering the Laurel a snap. Don't miss out on this opportunity!

 

Submissions:
June 03, 2013-July 19, 2013 


For more details, please visit our site: http://www.clashofthetitles.com/p/the-laurel.html

Stay tuned for updates by 



Tuesday, June 11, 2013

COTT: The April New Releases Clash Winner!



 

Congratulations to the Clash of the Titles New Winner, Stress Test by Richard Mabry!
 

THEY MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT HIM, BUT THEY HAVE ENOUGH TO RUIN HIS LIFE.

Dr. Matt Newman thought he was leaving his life as a surgeon in private practice for a better one in academic medicine. But the kidnappers who attacked him as he left the hospital at 2 a.m. have no such plans—they just want him dead. Bound and in the trunk of his car, Matt’s only thought is fleeing with his life. He does escape, but at a price: a head injury that lands him in the ICU . . . where he awakens to discover he’s being charged with murder.

Sandra Murray is a fiery, redheaded lawyer who swore she was done with doctors after her last relationship. But when Matt calls, she knows she can’t walk away from defending someone who is truly innocent.

Matt’s career is going down the drain. His freedom and perhaps his life may be next. But with the police convinced he’s a killer and the kidnappers still trying to finish what they started, finding the truth—and the faith to keep going—will be the toughest stress test Matt has ever endured.

From the Clash of the Titles Commenters 
  • Fascinating storyline, Dr. Mabry!
  • Stress Test looks great! Very exciting premise, and I love the cover.
  • Read it! GREAT!
  • Love Mabry books. Love Abingdon fiction.

What The Reviewers Are Saying 

“The plot moves along with plenty of action and empathy, and there’s suspense and suspicion enough to keep readers zipping to the last pages. For Christian suspense fans anxious to see characters who ought to have it all—doctors and lawyers—react to the pressure of false accusations and the struggle to be loyal to the truth and to one another, Mabry’s novel arrives with a positive prognosis.”  Publisher’s Weekly

"Mabry's latest provides fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action and suspense. His medical knowledge is evident in the realistic and detailed characters and scenes."  Romantic Times Book Reviews (4 ½ stars


About Dr. Mabry   

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the author of six published novels of medical suspense. His books have been finalists in competitions including ACFW’s Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year. His novel, Lethal Remedy, won a 2012 Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. Stress Test is Richard’s latest novel.

Where To Buy Stress Test: (if you go to http://rmabry.com, there are buttons at the bottom directing the reader to the sites on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook.com, and independent publishers)

Monday, June 3, 2013

COTT: Clash of April Releases!



Beach trips, mountain jaunts and lazy days in the swing on the front porch. Tis the season to enjoy a great read outdoors. Clash of the Titles’s got five brand new April releases to recommend. It’ll be difficult to choose from these three romances, a mystery with suspense, and women’s fiction. The stories tell of a woman who falls in love with an Army veteran with PTSD; a kidnapped doctor accused of murder; a woman yearning for a family; a lady with a heart attack and spiritually broken heart; and three unwed mothers from three different eras. All will tug at your heart. But please select the one you most want to get lost in. Then vote for it below.



Cindy Waymire, a college senior in search for a topic for an upcoming sociology paper, finds more than a topic when she meets Army veteran and college freshman Danny Flynn outside the student union. An undeniable attraction to this troubled veteran leads her on a difficult and winding path that brings her to a crossroads—get into a relationship with a man who has serious mental health problems or turn her back on one of the best men she’s ever met.





Dr. Matt Newman escapes from kidnappers only to land in the ICU then awaken to find the police are convinced he’s a killer, and he’s still a target. Can attorney Sandra Murray and he find the truth before it’s too late?






Terri Hayes owns a thriving Day Care but hungers for a child of her own  while  writer Steve Evans has all the family he needs. Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive them further apart, or does God have another plan?








What would you do if the one man who can help is the one man you can’t trust? A heart attack has stopped workaholic Mara Keegan in her tracks, but Mara’s heart needs to be healed in more ways than one—will Joel Ryan help her or take all she has left?







Three women from three different eras face the aftermath of unwed pregnancies, desperate for hope. Can it be found in the memoirs of Anna, who ran a home for unwed Moms in the 1890’s, or is there no link to their cries for help and their source of hope?






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