Tag Archives: Christian books

So Many Choices–Christian Fiction!

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As promised, I’m giving a list of Christian Fiction books today that you might want to check out. And, of course, you can always check out my books as well. Most of mine are suspense or romantic suspense and don’t deal with social issues, but the list below focuses on books that have a variety of difficult or controversial topics.

It was compiled by author, Deborah Raney and she gave me permission to share it here. You can learn more about Deborah and her books at www.deborahraney.com. 

 

CBA NOVELS THAT ADDRESS SOCIAL ISSUES
Abortion: 
BECAUSE OF THE RAIN, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2017)
LIKE ALWAYS, Robert Elmer (WaterBrook Press 2007)
A HILLTOP IN TUSCANY, Stephanie Grace Whitson (Bethany House 2006)
SAVING GRACE, Denise Hunter (Howard Books 2005)
THE ATONEMENT CHILD, Francine Rivers (Tyndale House 1999)
Adoption/Infertility:
AS WATERS GONE BY, Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press 2015)
ANOTHER WAY HOME, Deborah Raney (Abingdon Press 2015)
LOST AND FOUND, Gayle Roper (Amazon Digital Services 2014)
CATCH A FALLING STAR, Beth K.Vogt (Howard Books 2013)
PERFECTING KATE, Tamara Leigh (Multnomah 2007)
Aging/Body Image/Menopause/Obesity:
INVISIBLE, Ginny L. Yttrup (Shelterwood Press 2018)
ALWAYS JAN, Roxanne Henke (Amazon Digital Services 2017)
FOOD BABY, Linda Kozar (CreateSpace 2015)
MISS INVISIBLE, Laura Jensen Walker (Thomas Nelson 2007)
AIDS/Homosexuality:
THREADS OF HOPE, Christa Allan (Abingdon Press 2012)
A SEASON OF GRACE, Bette Nordberg (Harvest House 2004)
TIGER LILLIE, Lisa Samson (WaterBrook Press 2004)
SPRING RAIN, Gayle Roper (Multnomah 2001)
Alcoholism/Codependency/Drug Abuse:
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE, Beth K. Vogt (Howard Books 2016)
LEAVING NOVEMBER, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2016)
DREAMING ON DAISIES, Miralee Ferrell (David C. Cook 2015)
A PROMISE KEPT, Robin Lee Hatcher (Thomas Nelson 2014)
CRITICAL CONDITION, Richard Mabry, M.D. (Thomas Nelson 2014)
NIGHT LIGHT, Terri Blackstock (Zondervan 2006)
Bullying:
JUST LOOK UP, Courtney Walsh (Tyndale House 2017)
FEAR HAS A NAME, Creston Mapes (David C Cook 2013)
SHATTERED SILENCE, Margaret Daley (Abingdon 2012)
Cancer/Dementia/Terminal Illness:
AFTER ANNE, Roxanne Henke (Amazon Digital Services 2017)
A VOW TO CHERISH, Deborah Raney (Harlequin Special Release 2017)
ALL MY BELONGINGS, Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press 2013)
A TIME TO MEND, Angela Hunt (Steeple Hill 2006)
THE HEALING QUILT, Lauraine Snelling (WaterBrook Press 2002)
Child Abuse/Domestic Violence:
YOU’LL THINK OF ME, Robin Lee Hatcher (Thomas Nelson 2017)
A NEST OF SPARROWS, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2017)
TO WHISPER HER NAME, Tamera Alexander (Bethany House 201
REKINDLED, Tamera Alexander (Bethany House 2006)
Cloning:
THE PEARL, Angela Hunt (Thomas Nelson 2003)
IRREPARABLE HARM, Randy Singer (WaterBrook Press 2003)
Crisis Pregnancy/Premarital Sex:
FALCON, Ronie Kendig (Barbour 2015)
WHEN MERCY RAINS, Kim Vogel Sawyer (WaterBrook 2015)
DANCING WITH FIREFLIES, Denise Hunter (HarperCollins Christian 2014)
RESCUED BY THE FIREFIGHTER, Gail Gaymer Martin (Love Inspired 2014)
MAJOR LEAGUE DAD, Kathleen Y’Barbo (Barbour Publishing 2013)
PAINTED DRESSES, Patricia Hickman (WaterBrook Press 2007)
Depression/Mental Illness/Suicide:
BECOMING OLIVIA, Roxanne Henke (Amazon Digital Services 2017)
SONG OF SILENCE, Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press 2016)
PROMISE TO KEEP, Elizabeth Byler Younts (Howard Books 2015)
THE OAK LEAVES, Maureen Lang (Tyndale House 2007)
THE NOVELIST, Angela Hunt (WestBow 2006)
THE LIVING END, Lisa Samson (WaterBrook Press 2005)
FINDING ALICE, Melody Carlson (WaterBrook Press 2003)
Divorce/Infidelity/Troubled Marriage:
A FRAGILE HOPE, Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press 2017)
SWEETBRIAR COTTAGE, Denise Hunter (HarperCollins Christian 2017)
YESTERDAY’S EMBERS, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2017)
THE FIVE TIMES I MET MYSELF, James L. Rubart (HarperCollins Christian 2015)
CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE, Beth K. Vogt (Howard Books 2015)
REDEEMING LOVE, Francine Rivers (Multnomah 2004)
Drunk Driving:
AFTER THE RAINS, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2017)
WAITING FOR MORNING, Karen Kingsbury (Multnomah 2002)
False Religions/Cults:
A STAR CURIOUSLY SINGING, Kerry Nietz (Freeheads 2016)
SHADOWS ON THE SAND, Gayle Roper (Multnomah 2011)
POCKETFUL OF PEARLS, Shelley Bates (FaithWords 2005)
Homelessness:
ALMOST FOREVER, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2017)
NOBODY, Creston Mapes (Multnomah 2007)
Human Trafficking:
SAVING HOPE, Margaret Daley (Abingdon 2012)
DELIVER ME FROM EVIL, Kathy Macias (New Hope Publishers 2011)
WISER THAN SERPENTS, Susan May Warren (Steeple Hill 2008)
THE LIGHTS OF TENTH STREET, Shaunti Feldhahn (Multnomah 2003)
Immigration/Refugees:
CATCHING THE WIND, Melanie Dobson (Tyndale House 2017)
BEYOND JUSTICE, Cara Putman (Thomas Nelson 2017)
Incest/Rape/Sexual Abuse:
THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS, Roseanna M. White (Bethany House 2016)
BECAUSE OF THE RAIN, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2015)
THROUGH THE DEEP WATERS, Kim Vogel Sawyer (WaterBrook 2014)
PROMISE TO CHERISH, Elizabeth Byler Younts (Howard Books 2014)
BELOVED COUNTERFEIT, Kathleen Y’Barbo (Amazon Digital Services 2013)
REVEALED, Tamera Alexander (Bethany House 2006)
Interracial Dating/Marriage:
HOME AT LAST, Deborah Raney (Abingdon Press 2017)
FIRETHORN, Ronie Kendig (Barbour 2012)
The Occult:
CORAL MOON, Brandilyn Collins (Zondervan 2007)
DARK STAR, Creston Mapes (Multnomah 2006)
Organ Donation:
INSIGHT, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2017)
THE GOOD NEARBY, Nancy Moser (Tyndale House 2006)
Pornography:
WISH YOU WERE HERE, Beth K. Vogt (Howard Books 2012)
PRESUMED GUILTY, James Scott Bell (Zondervan 2006)
LAST LIGHT, Terri Blackstock (Zondervan 2005)
THE LIGHTS OF TENTH STREET, Shaunti Feldhahn (Multnomah 2003)
Racial Conflict/Reconciliation:
NO ONE EVER ASKED, Katie Ganshert (WaterBrook Press 2018)
TO WAGER HER HEART, Tamera Alexander (Zondervan 2017)
ARMANDO’S TREASURE, Melody Carlson (WhiteFire 2017)
ABOVE ALL THINGS, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2016)
TO WIN HER FAVOR, Tamera Alexander (Zondervan 2015)
THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP GETS TOUGH, Neta Jackson (Integrity 2005)
Single Parenthood:
THE MASTERPIECE, Francine Rivers (Tyndale House 2018)
A SCARLET CORD, Deborah Raney (Raney Day Press 2017)
Terrorism:
SKY ZONE, Creston Mapes (David C Cook 2014)
UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

Why Don’t Christians Read Christian Fiction?

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Much of mainstream fiction is filled with bad language, graphic sex scenes, and all manner of wrong-thinking. Considering that, you’d think more Christians would want to read books that come from a Christian worldview–and yet I know many Christians who don’t read Christian Fiction. So why don’t they?

They haven’t even heard of Christian Fiction or if they have…

They think Christian fiction is all based in Bible times.

They think all Christian fiction is sweet romances.

They think Christian fiction is really a sermon disguised as a book.

They think it’s not as professional as mainstream fiction.

They think it’s corny, cheesy, or too preachy.

They think it’s not fun, interesting, or exciting.

They think Christian fiction is not socially relevant.

Whatever the reason, I’m here to say they’re wrong. Modern Christian fiction has something for everyone, no matter what they enjoy. It ranges from very mild Christian content to strong. It has every imaginable genre you could want except for erotica or porn. It ranges from sweet to edgy to even more edgy. It has characters ranging from facing the realities of this life to characters facing aliens or magical beings in another time or place.

So what puts the Christian in Christian Fiction?

In my opinion, there are two things that make Christian Fiction Christian Fiction.

First you have to follow some rules…I know…writers hate rules. It stifles our creativity, right? But without rules there would be anarchy!  And that’s never a good thing.

To me Christian Fiction is a label, much like the movie-rating system and that label should mean something. Readers should be able to trust that label when they make their reading choices. The traditional list for Christian Fiction included: conservative Christian values; Christian characters who didn’t drink alcohol, play cards, dance, or gamble; no profanity; no strong violence; chaste relationships that focuses on the emotional side of love, not the physical. In recent years these rules have relaxed. In fact, some publishers have relaxed beyond a point that is uncomfortable for me.

My own list includes these DO NOT HAVES:

Explicit sex scenes.

Superfluous violence.

Four letter words or any other words that might offend my readers

Second of all, there must be Christian content—how much depends on your specific story.

One of the ways I describe the Christian part of my stories is to say that all of my main characters are on a spiritual journey but they aren’t all in the same place spiritually. Some are devout Christians; some are lukewarm and some are even backsliders. And some are not Christian at all but searching for answers. As Christian Fiction writers, we need to help our characters find the answers. And in the process we might just help our readers find some answers they’re searching for as well.

 

So I hope this post has got you thinking that you might like to give Christian fiction a chance. Tomorrow, I’ll post a list of books that can get you started!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

 

 

 

What I Write…and

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WHAT DO YOU WRITE?

My tagline says I write stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem! In short, that means I write Christian suspense. Some may doubt that suspense/mystery novels can actually be Christian fiction but…there’s a lot of Christian suspense writers out there who would disagree.

Christian fiction has changed so much over the last few decades and continues to change all the time. If you love to read but think Christian fiction isn’t right for you, you’re wrong. So today, I’m inviting other writers to leave a comment telling who they are, what they write, and can even include their website address so you can  check out some new writers.

So writers this is your chance to get some new readers, go for it!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

WRITER OF THE DAY: Elizabeth Maddrey

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Through the wonders of the Internet, I “know” lots of writers. I’ll be letting you know about them and their books as time permits. There’s so many good books out there.  Today’s writer of the day is Elizabeth Maddrey.

Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. You can find her online at http://www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey)

Her debut novel, WISDOM TO KNOW was released a few weeks ago. WAY TO GO, Elizabeth! The first one is always a thrill! Here’s the first page of WISDOM TO KNOW:

“You look like a prostitute.”

Lydia frowned at her best friend. “Brad likes my legs.”

Kevin admired the long, shapely legs in front of him from where he was sprawled on her living room couch. “Won’t you be cold if you show so much of them?”

“It’s September, not the middle of January. It’s still warm out.” Aggrieved she patted her hem. “Besides, the skirt reaches the end of my fingertips.”

“Your elbows are bent.”

“That rule shouldn’t apply to me, I have long fingers.”

Kevin cocked a brow. “You wouldn’t wear that to church.”

“We’re not going to church.” Lydia shot him an impish grin. “Besides, there are a couple of guys there who wouldn’t usually give me the time of day…maybe if I wore this, I’d get their attention.”

What do you think?  I’m thinking Lydia is quite the woman!

WTKCoverWISDOMWISDOM TO KNOW : Is there sin that love can’t cover?

Lydia Brown has taken just about every wrong turn she could find. When an abortion leaves her overwhelmed by guilt, she turns to drugs to escape her pain. After a single car accident lands her in the hospital facing DUI charges, Lydia is forced to reevaluate her choices.

Kevin McGregor has been biding his time since high school when he heard God tell him that Lydia Brown was the woman he would marry. In the aftermath of Lydia’s accident, Kevin must come to grips with the truth about her secret life.

While Kevin works to convince himself and God that loving Lydia is a mistake, Lydia struggles to accept the feelings she has for Kevin, though she fears her sin may be too much for anyone to forgive.

Hardcopy: http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Know-Elizabeth-Maddrey/dp/1938708008/

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Know-Grant-Grace-ebook/dp/B00AYQKATG/

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wisdom-to-know-elizabeth-maddrey/1112557259?ean=2940016078458&isbn=2940016078458

Thanks for being my guest, Elizabeth. May all your dreams come true as you continue on your writing adventure.

God Bless and Good Reading (and writing!)