October Newsletter

ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF MY AUTHOR WEBSITE

October 8, 2008

Dear Reader,

The last time I contacted most of you, I was anticipating the release of my Christian suspense novel this fall. Welcome to the world of publishing! Plans changed, and now the novel is scheduled for release in spring 2009. So much has happened since the last time I contacted you. The novel's title changed from Now You See Him to Fatal Illusions. The manuscript went through three rounds of revisions. I also recently saw the cover. I realized that I may finally be reaching the end of my journey when I stumbled across my novel page at Amazon.com and saw that the novel is now available for pre-order. With that thought in mind, I am pleased to announce that my author's Web site is now live at http://www.adamblumerbooks.com. Now you can read about the novel and check back for updates as the launch date draws closer.

In conjunction with the official Web site launch and the beginning of a monthly newsletter, I'm conducting a book giveaway during the month of October. Those who sign up for my e-mail mailing list will be automatically entered in a special drawing to win a free copy of the Christian suspense novel Shoofly Pie (Bug Man Series #1) by Tim Downs. If you are the original recipient of this e-mail newsletter, that means you are already on my mailing list. Please invite your family members and friends to sign up! The winner of the drawing will be announced in my November newsletter. Looking forward to seeing you at my official Web site!

May the Lord receive all the glory!

John 3:16 by Nancy Moser

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing John 3:16 Tyndale House Publishers (September 9, 2008) by Nancy Moser.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Moser is the author of three inspirational humor books and eighteen novels, including Solemnly Swear, Time Lottery, a Christy Award winner, and her latest historical, Washington's Lady.

Nancy and her husband Mark live in the Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters,
symphonies, and choirs. She gives Said So Sister Seminars around the country, helping women identify their gifts as they celebrate their sisterhood. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included.

Find out more at Nancy Moser.com and Sister Circles.com


ABOUT THE BOOK

Five people looking for a reason to keep living are about to find it in the last place they expect... In my usual "big cast" style comes a story of what happens when one man puts his faith on the line and holds up a John 3:16 sign at a sporting event. Roman Paulson's life revolves around his son, Billy, a University of Nebraska football hero with a promising life ahead of him. But when Billy's coach encroaches on Roman's relationship with his son, Roman fears he'll lose Billy forever. Roman isn't the only one whose world turns upside down. He's one of five unsuspecting people whose lives intersect on a bright fall day.

If you would like to read the first chapter of John 3:16, go HERE.

Isolation by Travis Thrasher

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Isolation FaithWords (September 12, 2008) by Travis Thrasher.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

It was during third grade after a teacher encouraged him in his writing and as he read through The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis that Travis decided he wanted to be a writer. The dream never left him, and allowed him to fulfill that dream of writing full-time in 2007.

Travis Thrasher is the author of numerous works of fiction, including his most personal and perhaps his deepest work, Sky Blue, that was published in summer of 2007. This year he has two novels published, Out of the Devil’s Mouth, and a supernatural thriller, Isolation.

Travis is married to Sharon and they are the proud parents of Kylie, born in November, 2006, and Hailey, a Shih-Tzu who looks like an Ewok. They live in suburban Chicago.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Trapped

Exhausted

Terrified

. . . Alone

When a missionary family moves into a secluded mansion in the mountains of North Carolina, they think they are escaping their nightmares. But when a snowstorm hits and they are trapped inside their new home, their worst fears become reality. As they fight to stay alive, they will be tested in ways they never imagined. Can their love for one another and their faith in God save them from the dangers lurking here?

A masterfully written story that will grip you from its mysterious beginning to its chilling end.

From Publishers Weekly:

"In this dark chiller, Thrasher (Sky Blue; The Promise Remains) demonstrates a considerable talent for the horror genre. Like Stephen King, Thrasher pits flawed but likable characters against evil forces that at first seem escapable but gradually take on a terrifying ubiquity.

The Miller family has recently returned to suburban Chicago after a harrowing experience on the mission field. Hoping to get away from the busyness of suburban living, they travel to the mountains of North Carolina for an extended stay in an enormous, remote lodge where husband and father Jim plans to write a book while trying to reconnect with his family.

When a snowstorm isolates them further and spiritual attacks make them feel they are losing their minds, both Jim and his wife, Stephanie, begin to wonder if God can rescue them and their two young children. Aside from sharing too many plot points with The Shining, this novel hits very few false notes and should appeal to fans of Christian fiction, the horror genre and all who enjoy well-crafted and suspenseful stories."

If you would like to read the first chapter of Isolation, go here.

MY REVIEW

This novel is a gripping, enjoyable, fast-paced ride that is both scary and filled with a clear biblical message. I was literally glued and closed the book on Sunday night only because I had to get some sleep. Yes, this is a horror tale, but the story is more about the family's survival than about acts of violence, more about things that go bump in the night than about blood and gore. Thrasher does a splendid job of balancing scary scenes with clear faith elements. I must admit that when I started reading the novel, the story felt vaguely familiar. After all, there's a big, creepy house; a bad guy who's as evil as they get; nefarious intent; hints of possible demonism. These plot devices have been used time and again, but Thrasher did a good job of putting a new spin on them.

SPOILER WARNING: The nature of evil the family faces is a bit darker at times than I expected or even wanted, but Thrasher does a good job of exercising restraint and handling details with tact. I could tell from the beginning revelations about an exorcism that went wrong on the mission field that satanism was going to be featured in this novel. It was, and a few scenes left me feeling more than a little unsettled. But again, Thrasher exercised restraint and didn't tell the reader more than he needed to know. Unfortunately, though, the imagination does tend to fill in the blanks. For that reason, I think a few story elements could have been scaled back. I didn't really need to see all of the torture devices or the video clip of a whimpering woman just before being sacrificed.

Yes, this novel has a body count, but Thrasher does a good job of implying violence without throwing it in the reader's face, although some details may be too much for some readers. I was impressed with how he'd stop just before the violent act and then cut to someone discovering the body. In that regard, he is a much nicer, cleaner version of Stephen King, to whom he has been compared. For that reason alone, Thrasher deserves a thank you because I don't touch King, who is typically too far over the edge in the violence and subject matter departments for me to waste my time. In many ways, I think this novel is like vicariously enjoying the best of King without wading through a cesspool. So if you've wanted to read King but didn't want to feel like taking a shower afterwards, Thrasher offers a more acceptable and sanitized alternative.

I do have a few nitpicks with the novel. For one, I've never seen so many missionaries drinking beer, wine, and even gin in one book. The missionary's wife even gets a little tipsy. I guess I must represent the ultra conservative fringe because every missionary (and I know quite a few) and believer I know avoids alcoholic beverages—and for good reason. Sure, believers may debate the issue, but I found the imbibing a bit distracting. One other nitpick is that if you've ever seen a horror film, you know that the villain always comes back, even when he's supposed to be dead. This cliche unfortunately found its way into Isolation. My last nitpick is that I think events are tied up a little too neatly at the end. I don't want to give anything away, but a pretty severe event occurs to one member of the family. Somehow God works a miracle, and everything's suddenly fine. In my opinion this plot twist was the weakest part of the story.

I appreciate Thrasher's message as depicted through Jim, the father, who has pretty much turned his back on God since things went sour on the mission field. We see Jim's disillusionment time and time again. When the family faces trials, they should be reaching toward God, but adversity actually drives them farther away. Jim becomes more bitter and more isolated from what he knows to be true. His struggle is actually quite compelling because so many of us can relate. How many of us have faced seemingly unexplainable hardships and couldn't help wondering where God was? In the end, it takes a miracle to open Jim's eyes. I was happy to see Jim return to his faith, but I couldn't help thinking, Life doesn't always work that way. Things aren't always magically fixed at the end. What if God hadn't worked the miracle? Without the miracle, would Jim still have turned back to God? I guess that's the million-dollar question for everyone. Do we still trust God even when He seems to turn His back on us?

All in all, I was impressed with Isolation. Some of the subject matter flirted closer to the edge than I would have preferred. Some of the violence may be too much for some readers, but I personally don't think Thrasher went too far. He is truly a master at suspense, and I had a very hard time putting the novel down. I was also pleased that he didn't compromise the faith elements in the story and produce a secular story with a couple references to God thrown in. This novel centers squarely on faith and the Word of God, and I found that fact refreshing. In the end, it's the Word of God that wins the day. This was the most suspenseful, fast-paced ride I've enjoyed since the last Peretti or Dekker. I'll definitely be looking for the next Thrasher novel.

Fatal Illusions now available for pre-order

Fatal Illusions, my debut novel, is now available at Amazon.com. Pre-order your copy today. Read more about the novel here.

House of Wolves by Matt Bronleewe

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing House
Of Wolves Thomas Nelson (August 12, 2008) by Matt Bronleewe.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in Dallas, Texas, Bronleewe Matt Bronleewe was raised on a farm in Kansas, where he lived until he left for college in 1992. At Greenville College in Illinois, Bronleewe formed the band Jars of Clay with his dorm roommate and two neighbors, and the group soon found success. Though Bronleewe opted to leave Jars of Clay early on to pursue an academic career, he soon found himself in Nashville, co-writing, producing, and playing music professionally.

To add to his list of accomplishments, Bronleewe has expanded his love of story telling beyond music into authorship. He is currently penning a five-book series for Thomas Nelson Fiction. His first book Illuminated began the adventurous series about rare manuscripts and the mysteries within. Bronleewe currently resides in Brentwood, Tennessee, with his wife and three children. He continues to write and produce music, and he also volunteers through his church to help disadvantaged youth in the community. Bronleewe enjoys reading, taste-testing good food, and watching sports, as well as indulging his interests in art, architecture, design, and science.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A mysterious book with a dangerous secret. An evil brotherhood out to conquer the world. One man stands between them . . . with his family in the balance.

In the twelfth century, Henry the Lion collected the rarest relics in Christendom. And to protect his most precious acquisitions, he encoded the whereabouts in a gorgeous illuminated manuscript called The Gospels of Henry the Lion. The manuscript has been showing up and disappearing ever since. No one knows where the relic has been hidden or know about its ultimate power. Only one man holds the key to the mystery. He's carrying it in his briefcase at his son's school for show-and-tell, and he thinks it's a fake. But he's about to find out just how real it is because the wolves are rapidly closing in. And if August Adams can't decode the secret in time, the world's balance of power will forever be altered.

If you would like to read an excerpt of House of Wolves, go HERE.

Merciless by Robin Parrish

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Merciless (Bethany House - July 1, 2008) by Robin Parrish.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist. In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract.

More than ten years he spent writing for various websites, including About.com, CMCentral.com, and Infuze Magazine, which is a unique intersection between art and faith which he also conceived of and created.

One of his more "high concept" ideas for Infuze was to return to his love for storytelling and create a serialized tale that would play out every two weeks, telling a complete, compelling story over the course of nine months. That serialized story eventually came to the attention of several publishers, who saw it as a potential debut novel for Robin Parrish.

In 2005, Bethany House Publishers brought Robin full circle by contracting him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels including Fearless and Merciless. A trilogy that unfolded in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and this year, 2008. One massive tale -- of which that first, original story would form only the foundational first volume of the three -- spread across three books.

Robin Parrish is a journalist who's written about pop culture for more than a decade. Currently he serves as Senior Editor at XZOOSIA.com, a community portal that fuses social networking with magazine-style features about entertainment and culture. He and his wife, Karen and son live in North Carolina.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The world as we know it has ENDED.
DEATH and CHAOS creep across the globe and only the POWERLESS can RISE UP to stop it.

But can anything stop the onslaught of the DARKWORLD

From the earth's depths crawls a figure with skin like granite, flames for eyes, and the face of Grant Borrows.
Oblivion has arrived.

Every clock around the world has stopped. Time has frozen.

The Secretum have fulfilled the prophecy, unleashing on earth the most powerful being to walk the earth in thousands of years. His name is Oblivion and his touch is death.

He can't be slowed.
He can't be stopped.
And he can't be killed.

But as long as any live who trust in hope and love and freedom, the fight is not over.

They have only one chance before he brings forth the Darkworld.

Oblivion is: Merciless

"Robin Parrish is the kind of writer who understands how to entertain from the word go. His stories are sure to shape fiction for years to come."
~TED DEKKER, author of ADAM

If you would like to read the first chapter of Merciless, go HERE.

"Part the Waters" Submitted to Kregel

I recently submitted the manuscript of a young adult (tween) novel called Part the Waters to Kregel Publications. I had mentioned the project to my editor at Kregel last fall, and he expressed interest. After finishing the edits on FATAL ILLUSIONS in June, I finally found time to dust off PTW (which I'd written in 2007) and spend some time reviewing the project. I also did some marketing research to determine whether other novels in the market are like mine; this type of research is always helpful for publishers as they determine whether the project is a fit for them. Anyhow, I shot off the manuscript along with a two-page synopsis and the findings of my marketing research. Now I wait to see if Kregel wants the project.

For those interested in what Part the Waters is about, let me first share a bit about the background of this project. When I was on staff at Northland Baptist Bible College, I became friends with science professor Arthur Raske. While getting to know Art, I heard an amazing story about his family's escape from East Germany at the close of World War II. Someone else had already written his story. Upon reading the story, I saw its potential, not only for magazine articles but also for a young adult novel.

I did write a two-part article for Northland's Heart magazine about the Raske family's amazing experience and escape, but I felt that the story needed more exposure. I became consumed with the idea of writing the story for a young adult readership as a full novel, but immediately I faced a few challenges. In the true story, Art was only two years old at the time of his family's Atlantic crossing, so I chose to make Art older and develop a fictitious characterization. The second challenge was research. This story is about an American family trapped in Germany at the outbreak of World War II in 1939. They endure the hardships of homefront Germany during the war and later escape. The challenge was finding books about homefront Germany during the war. Though the Holocaust provided some background for my novel, my story is not a true Holocaust account. But most books about Germany in this area are about the Holocaust, so I faced a few challenges in just finding material about what Germany would have been like for the average German from 1939 to 1945.

Anyhow, here is the summary blurb of what Part the Waters is about. I'm leaving the project in the Lord's hands to do with it whatever He wants. But it was a blast to write because the true story practically told itself.

A reunion with grandparents in 1939 Germany turns into a nightmare for eight-year-old Minnesotan Walter Schroeder and his family when Germany invades Poland. As World War II breaks out, the Schroeders—American citizens—become trapped behind enemy lines, all the while under the watchful gaze of the Gestapo, who suspects them of being American spies. To protect his family, Papa, a German native, joins the army, leaving them to fend for themselves in a land oppressed by the Nazis and their ruthless dictator. When the German army falls at Stalingrad, Papa’s letters cease. Will Walter see his father again? If so, do they dare dream of escape?

Based on a true story, Part the Waters is an adventure story about faith, prayer, and God’s protection in danger. As Walter learns, God still performs miracles, even for ordinary people like him.

The Jewel of Gresham Green by Lawana Blackwell

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Jewel of Gresham Green (Bethany House - August 1, 2008) by Lawana Blackwell.
About the Author

A full-time author, Lawana Blackwell's books include her beloved Gresham Chronicles and Tales of London series.

"I had told myself long ago that three books in a series are enough for my attention span, and so after The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, I devoted myself to the trio of books in the Tales of London series, then wrote A Table By the Window, my contemporary novel. All along, I received letters from readers asking me to continue the Gresham series. Many, many wrote that the dairying village of Gresham and its people sent them back to a more peaceful time in the midst of their busy days.

"Prayerfully, I decided to return to Gresham, setting the story fifteen years after Julia Hollis and her children first left London for abandoned coaching inn which became Larkspur Inn. I believe readers would like to see how the children—Philip, Aleda and Grace, Elizabeth and Laurel—turn out as adults. But I like to inject fresh faces into every book, hence Jewel Libby and her daughter Becky find Gresham a haven from a bad man. Writing the book was like coming home, visiting old friends."

Blackwell lives in Louisiana with her husband, Buddy, a supervisor at an oil refinery. They are empty nesters who love to visit their three grown sons, Joseph, Matthew, and Andrew, and three lovely daughters-in-law, Kristine, Penny and Heather, granddaughter Madelyn, and grandson Chandler.

Her other interests include visiting her parents and siblings in Mississippi, vegetarian cooking, and naturally, reading.

About the Book

To protect her precious daughter from the danger nipping at their heels, Jewel Libby must flee the only home she's ever known. Caring friends direct her to the vicarage in the peaceful dairy village of Gresham, but she arrives there to find Vicar Andrew Phelps and his wife immersed in troubles of their own.

The children of Vicar Andrew Phelps and Julia Hollis from the popular Gresham Chronicles series have grown up and are dealing with their own challenges. Philip Hollis, now a successful London surgeon, has a controlling wife who resents his close family ties.

Aleda Hollis lives in a cottage on the outskirts of Gresham, where she enjoys her privacy and a writing career. When Andrew becomes ill and in need of Philip's skills, and Aleda's quest for privacy unwittingly advances an evil man's schemes, it's Jewel Libby, a newcomer to Gresham, who becomes an unexpected support and source of strength to the family. An unlikely romance adds to the intrigue of this jewel in their midst.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Jewel of Gresham Green, go HERE.

All Through the Night by Davis Bunn

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing All Through The Night (Bethany House - July 1, 2008) by Davis Bunn.
About the Author

Davis Bunn is an internationally-acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences spans reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include My Soul To Keep, and Full Circle . A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was named Novelist in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.


About the Book

A loner, trying to forget. A community--and a woman--who need for him to remember...

Broken relationships and unfulfilled promises scatter themselves across Wayne's past like burned-out craters. His background in military special-ops is something he's trying to forget. But when he gets himself sweet-talked into helping a quirky group of seniors who've been scammed, he discovers it will take a lot more than muscle and nerve. Breach a conman's high-security estate to recover stolen money? No problem. Become part of community? Love again? Not on your life.

A lawyer with her own painful past is intrigued by Wayne and asks him to take on another unusual case--Tatanya's wealthy employer believes he's been visited by...an angel? Did a messenger from God in a pinstripe suit truly bring a divine warning, or is this merely another cruel hoax? Tatanya is willing to trust Wayne with her boss's life, but she's not sure she's ready to trust him with her own wounded heart.

With a financial analyst's skills and a warrior's tenacity, Wayne races to unmask dangerous forces hiding behind a corporate veil. But he will need all his resources--and then some--against an unseen enemy bent on destroying his fragile bid for a second chance at life...and love.

All he wanted was to put his past behind him. But now it's the only thing that will save them...

If you would like to read the first chapter of All Through The Night, go HERE.

Note from Adam: I have not yet read or reviewed this novel. This posting is for the purpose of letting my readers know about new books. This posting should not be misunderstood as an endorsement or recommendation unless I have included a positive review.

Dogwood by Chris Fabry

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Dogwood (Tyndale House Publishers - July 9, 2008) by Chris Fabry
About the Author


Chris Fabry has a variety of titles to his credit including At the Corner of Mundane and Grace, Spiritually Correct Bedtime Stories, Away with the Manger, The H.I.M. Book, and The 77 Habits of Highly Effective Christians. His latest work is a collaboration with Jerry B. Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye.

Chris has recently completed the final book in the Left Behind The Kids series, available Fall 2004. Readers of all ages have followed the lives of Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and the others. Now read how their exciting stories culminate in book 40 of this beloved series. Dogwood is his first adult fiction.

Chris and his wife, Andrea, are the parents of nine children and make their home in Colorado. Chris has worked in Christian radio and now enjoys narrating audio books as well as writing. He believes his career as a husband and father is the real evidence of God's grace in his life.

About the Book

In the small town of Dogwood, West Virginia, Karin has buried her shattered dreams by settling for a faithful husband whose emotional distance from her deep passions and conflicts leaves her isolated. Loaded with guilt, she tries to raise three small children and "do life" the best she can.

Will returns to Dogwood intent on pursuing the only woman he has ever loved--only to find there is far more standing in his way than lost years in prison. The secrets of Will and Karin's past begin to emerge through Danny Boyd, a young boy who wishes he hadn't survived the tragedy that knit those two together as well as tore them apart.

The trigger that will lay their pain bare and force them to face it rather than flee is the unlikely figure of Ruthie Bowles, a withered, wiry old woman who leads Karin so deep into her anger against God that it forces unexpected consequences.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Dogwood, go HERE.

Note from Adam: I have not yet read or reviewed this novel. This posting is for the purpose of letting my readers know about new books. This posting should not be misunderstood as an endorsement or recommendation unless I have included a positive review.