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)
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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COTT’s Image Creator, Delia Latham, is excited to announce a new e-Novella in the ongoing Heart’s Haven collection she co-writes with three other Pelican Book Group authors:Tanya Stowe,Marianne EvansandMary Manners.
First in a collection of four Heart’s Haven Holiday romances, LEXI’S HEART is the Mother’s Day feature. Follow-up holiday stories will include Independence Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Here’s a blurb:
Forty-three-year-old Lexi Carlisle’s abusive marriage ended three years ago. Deeply scarred by the experience, and helplessly watching her beloved mother succumb to Alzheimers, Lexi is devastated. After selling her fancy home, she rents a cottage in Heart’s Haven, a special place unlike any other. Slowly learning to live again, she despairs of ever delivering the message of love that burns within her heart for her ever-worsening mother. But Mitch Gaynor, a handsome Christian author, reminds Lexi that with God all things are possible, planting within her battered and distrustful heart the seed of hope for a miracle. But can she open her fortressed heart to God? And is Mitch a part of His plans for her future?
Her Heart. His faith. Love Reborn.
The Heart’s Haven Collection started last October with Delia’s book, Jewels for the Kingdom, followed by Evans’ Operation Breathless, Stowe’s Leap of Faith, and Manners’ Dance with Me. Each Heart’s Haven e-Book is set in Angel Falls—a lovely but fictional small town in East Texas. More specifically, all stories focus on the tenants of Heart’s Haven, a one-of-a kind cottage-rental complex owned by a crotchety old guy named Andrew Hart. Folks ‘round those parts believe old Hart actually sees and speaks with angels, and that Heart’s Haven is a favorite hangout for the heavenly creatures. The taciturn gentleman has never come right out and corroborated that rumor. ‘Course, he hasn’t come right out and denied it either.
But then, lots of things are said about Heart’s Haven. Some folks think the place makes folks fall in love. And to add grist to that rumor mill, each little cottage on the property sports a sign hanging over the gate, carved with the sweet blessing: May love find all who enter here.
Thing is, it usually does.
You’re invited to hang out with the Heart’s Haven gang any time. Come on over and find out who’s falling in love with whom, and what the angels are up to around Angel Falls, Texas. We’re not hard to find—Angel Falls isn’t big enough to get lost in. If you don’t find us kicking back in the rec room at Heart’s Haven, we’re probably having a barbecue…or wedding…or something else we came up with so we could all get together at one of the following places:
We love company, so don’t bother to knock—just come on in!
Born and raised in a place called Weedpatch, DELIA LATHAM enjoys multiple roles as a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, but especially loves being a princess daughter to the King of Kings. She’s got a “thing†for Dr. Pepper and absolutely loves hearing from her readers. Delia writes inspirational romance, and is currently contracted through White Rose Publishing and Vinspire Publishing.
You can contact her at an of the following locations:
After a daring rescue goes awry, the parched north of India grows too hot for nurse Laine Harkness and her friend Eshana. The women flee to the tropical south…and run headlong into their respective pasts.
Eshana, captured by her traditional uncle and forced once more into the harsh Hindu customs of mourning, doubts whether freedom will ever again be in her future, much less the forbidden love that had begun to whisper to her. Is faith enough to live on? Or is her Savior calling her home?
Amid cyclones and epidemics, clashing faiths and consequences of the war, will the love of the True Master give hope to these searching hearts?
* Review by Top Amazon Reviewer, Diana Flowers--"I have ten authors who are my favs...with Shadowed in Silk--Book One and Captured by Moonlight--Book Two, Christine Lindsay has made it into my top five!" * Award-winning author Catherine West—"Christine Lindsay's attention to detail, witty prose and moving story line all blend together to create a treat for the senses, leaving the reader satisfied and completely satiated by the end." * Award-winning, multi-published Author Jeanette Windle—"A worthy sequel to acclaimed debut novel Shadowed in Silk."
About the Author: Irish-born Christine Lindsay writes award-winning historical novels. In Shadowed in Silk and Captured by Moonlight, Christine delights in weaving the endless theme of God’s redemptive love throughout stories of danger, suspense, adventure, and romance. The Pacific coast of Canada, about 200 miles north of Seattle, is Christine’s home.
The winner of Clash of the Titles' latest Clash is:
Forsaken Dreams
by
MaryLu Tyndall
Congratulations, MaryLu, two-time clash winner!
Special thanks to her competitors for their participation:
Sadie and Sophie Cuffe
Gina Holmes
Christine Lindsey
Noelle Marchand
About Forsaken Dreams:
They Left Everything Behind to Build a New Southern Utopia
Colonel Blake Wallace has seen enough death to last a lifetime. Weary and disillusioned, he slumps beneath the weight of defeat and loss. With his entire family murdered by the North and his name appearing on a list of officers wanted for war crimes, Blake organizes a shipload of southerners who, like him, long to escape the horrors of war and start a new life in a verdant land called Brazil.
Eliza Crawford can barely remember the days of her youth spent in opulence and comfort at her Georgian home. She can't help but wonder how different her life would be had she not met her late husband, Stanton Watts, a general in the Northern army. Now a war widow, Eliza is rejected by both North and South. Desperate to keep her marriage a secret and escape her past and pain, she longs to start over again in Brazil.
But once the voyage begins, troubles abound. Dangers at sea and enemies from within threaten to keep Blake and Eliza from the new life—and love—they long for.
Just when I think MaryLu Tyndall cannot write a more passionate, page-turning romance...she does! Forsaken Dreams is a worthy addition to your keeper shelf, melding adventure, love, and spiritual truths in soul-enriching ways. A blessed start to a new series!
- Laura Frantz, author of The Colonel's Lady and Love's Reckoning
BACKSTAGE WITH MARYLU:
Several things inspired me to write my new Escape to Paradise series. First the history is so fascinating. I never knew that so many (tens of thousands) Southerners fled the South after the Civil War for greener pastures. Many went to Mexico, some out west, but several thousand went to Brazil. Their descendants still celebrate there today! Secondly I'm a big fan of the TV show LOST, in particular the jungle setting and the spiritual themes that ran through the show.
I love the supernatural and I saw an opportunity to write a story about a group of settlers who are in a sense, running away from their problems and from God, but who end up being part of an eternal plan that involves a battle between good and evil. Forsaken Dreams is the account of their voyage to Brazil, during which the reader meets all the characters and discovers their individual reasons for running away.
Themes of forgiveness, bitterness, hatred, guilt, rebellion and even Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome are addressed as the colonists face several disasters that threaten their mission and their lives. During the trip, hints are given here and there that something much larger is at stake waiting for them in Brazil, something that originated behind the curtain of the natural world.
MORE ABOUT MARYLU: A Christy Award finalist and best-selling author, MaryLu Tyndall dreamt of tall ships and swashbuckling pirates during her childhood years on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. With over a dozen novels published, she continues to pen her romantic tales while managing a home, husband, six adult kids, and three cats who have decided that her keyboard is the best place to sleep! She believes that without popcorn and chocolate, life would not be worth living, and her sole motivation in life is to bring others closer to God.
Summer's just around the corner, which means you, dear reader, need to be thinking about which books you're going to get lost in while lounging at the pool. Today, Clash of the Titles offers you a few excellent suggestions.
Fresh from the editor's desk, these five new titles are some of our favorites this month. They're hugely diverse. Set in exotic locations such as India and Brazil, and ranging in time period from the 1800's to present-day, at least once of them is bound to catch your fancy!
So have a quick virtual browse, then vote on which you think will most likely make it into your beach bag.
How do you start a new life when you don’t know who you are? Lydia doesn't have a clue, but when she discovers the man who identified her in the train wreck has been lying, she must decide whether to listen to her heart, or her head.
Wings of Glass tells the story of Penny Taylor, a young wife who feels trapped in an abusive marriage until two women from two very different worlds help open her eyes to the truth of who she is, what she deserves and lend her a backbone until she can find her own.
Two women, one Indian, one English, flee to the tropical south of India only to be captured and imprisoned by their respective pasts—Eshana by her traditional Hindu uncle for her faith in Christ, the other, Lieutenant Laine Harkness by her former fiancé who crushed her heart years ago. Amid cyclones and epidemics, tigers and tiger cubs, clashing faiths and consequences of war, will the love of the True Master give hope to these searching hearts?
For Ellie O'Brien, finding the perfect partner for other people is easy, but now the townsfolk of Peppin want to return the favor by matching her with Lawson Williams who Ellie deems least likely to court a tomboy with a guilty secret. Lawson doesn't see marriage with anyone in his future, but what if his childhood friend has become the woman who can chase away the clouds of his past?
After witnessing the death and destruction caused by the Civil War, Colonel Blake Wallace is eager to leave his once precious Southern homeland for the pristine shores of Brazil and the prospect of a new utopian community. Harboring a dirty secret, Widow Eliza Crawford seeks a fresh start and passage on Wallace’s ship, but will dangers from the sea and from man keep them from the peace and love they long for?
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Prolific author Lena Nelson Dooley has done it again! She's released yet another stunning historical romance. The COTT Blog Alliance is honored to feature her latest work, Catherine's Pursuit. It is book three in the McKenna's Daughters series and follows Maggie's Journey and Mary's Blessing.
"A heartwarming tale filled with history, adventure, faith, and love." --Lisa Wingate, bestselling and award-winning author of Dandelion Summer and Firefly Island
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Raised by her father, Catherine McKenna has never lacked for anything, surrounded by people to take
care of her every need. On her eighteenth birthday she discovers that not only did her mother die when she was born, but she has two identical sisters. Although her father vowed not to look for his daughters, Catherine made no such promise. Setting out on her own with one clue and her maid in tow, she's determined to find her sisters.
Collin Elliott has seen better days. After losing his ship to a violent and unexpected storm, he is trying to recover--physically and emotionally. When Angus McKenna sends him to find, follow, and protect his daughter, he wants nothing more than to finish his task and return home. Can he help her find her sisters?
And will the discoveries they make along the way teach them both what's most important in life?
What a great book! As Lisa Wingate says on the front cover, it is indeed a “heartwarming tale.” The story is fully satisfying (once you reach the end) and provides a complete conclusion for the McKenna’s Daughters series. While I still haven’t had the chance to read book 2, Mary’s Blessing, I did read and greatly enjoy book 1, Maggie’s Journey – incidentally, I think #1 had my favorite cover…but this one is a close second. They’re all so neat! Anyway, back to Catherine…this book isn’t a stand-alone, but even though I’ve missed book 2, I didn’t have trouble following (though there were a few parts that weren’t clear because I hadn’t read it yet). Moral of the story – read both of the first ones before this one if at all possible. There are some series where you would be totally lost if all you read was book 3, but that’s not quite true here. Catherine was a lovely girl and made for a gutsy heroine. I loved the historical detail that seemed to be worked into each scene throughout the book, especially the travel scenes. This is a fascinating story and one I think you’ll enjoy! -Charity at http://austenitis.blogspot.com
A bit about Lena:
Award-winning author, Lena Nelson Dooley, has more than 700,000 books in print. Helping other authors become published really floats her boat, with over 20 signing their first book contract after her mentoring. Three of her books have been awarded the Carol Award silver pins, and she has received the ACFW Mentor of the Year award. The high point of her day is receiving feedback from her readers, especially people whose lives have been changed by her books.
Do No Harm is the story of a disgraced Seattle obstetrician whose efforts to fit into her new Texas home are stymied by family conflicts, cultural differences, church politics, and ghosts from her past.
About the Olympia:
The Olympia is Clash of the Titles' opportunity to feature up-and-coming unpublished Christian fiction authors and their work.
Do No Harm was chosen by a panel of judges who narrowed the list of competing authors to three. For that round, the judges were avid readers of Christian fiction and not associated with the publishing industry. For the final round, the submissions went before three professionals in the Christian fiction world.
DEBORAH RANEY--award-winning author
AMANDA LUEDEKE--literary Agent of Macgregor Literary
STEVE HUTSON--literary Agent of WordWise Media
Special thanks to each of our judges
who volunteered their time to this contest.
Recognition also goes to the runners up, Elaine Manders and Bethany Kaczemarek.
Click HERE to listen to an interview with Olympia winner, Laura McClellan.
A lawyer by day and a lover of the written word since childhood, Laura has been published both in professional publications and inspirational magazines and is a contributor to the popular Stepcase Lifehack blog. In 2012 she committed to pursuing her lifetime dream of writing a novel, and she’s currently polishing her first women’s fiction manuscript in anticipation of submitting it (by request!) to her dream agent in early 2013. Laura is member of American Christian Fiction Writers, a team member at My Book Therapy, the women’s fiction category winner in the 2012 Phoenix Rattler fiction contest, and a finalist in the 2012 Olympia fiction contest.
And a special thank-you to the competing authors for taking part in this sparring match:
Traci Hilton, author of Good, Clean, Murder: A Plain Jane Mystery
Lena Nelson Dooley, author of Catherine's Pursuit
Anne Patrick, author of Wounded Heroes Book Three: Betrayal
and Matthew Horn, author of Nothing Good is Free
Believe me when I say, it was a tight race! Everyone did great!
Comments from voters:
I love reading Kelly Irvin's books.
Keep up the good work. Love to read about the Amish.
Love Amish reads and mysteries, but the Amish is my personal winner!!!
Love the way Kelly Irvin makes her characters so real! No cookie cutter Amish here.
Kelly is one of my favorite authors. She has an interesting, informative and entertaining style.
RT Reviews calls Kelly Irvin's new book Love's Journey Home a delight!
"Irvin's warmth and authenticity shines through in her latest novel. She brings back her heartwarming characters that reside in the Amish community of Bliss Creek. She touches on values that bind family and community together and the conflicts that arise when individuals rebel against them. Irvin's knack for good storytelling makes this book a delight."
AboutLove's Journey Home:
It’s been seven years since her husband died, but Helen Crouch is doing just fine. She’s selling her jams and canned goods at the bakery and making a tidy living. But her whole world goes topsy-turvy when a new family moves to town. Gabriel Gless has brought his children to Bliss Creek to escape the worldly influences in Indiana. Helen and Gabriel have so much in common—the loss of their beloved spouses, the experience of raising their families alone, their rock-solid faith—so why can’t they seem to speak without arguing?
And that’s not all that’s going on in Bliss Creek this summer. In the middle of a punishing drought, the community is faced with the decision to uproot their families and establish a new settlement. As families struggle to say goodbye, each one must find the faith to follow the Lord’s direction.
Join the families of Bliss Creek in the dramatic conclusion to their story, and discover with them the joy of finding home.
***
About the author:
Kelly Irvin is the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series, which includes To Love and To Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home, published by Harvest House. Her new series, New Hope Amish, debuts with Love Still Stands, on September 1.
Kelly has also penned two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine, published by Five Star Gale in 2010 and 2011.
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. She also serves as secretary of the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly has been writing nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso.
She has worked in public relations for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department for 19 years. Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-five years, and they have two young adult children. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and read books by her favorite authors.
In accordance with FTC Guidelines for blogging & endorsements, I want to post this disclaimer. From time to time, I do purchase and review some novels. However, most of the novels I review are given to me as a complimentary review copy by the author or publisher. I do not receive monetary compensation for the reviews I complete.
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