Welcome to Faith 'n Fiction Saturday! If this is your first time participating, please read this post. It will tell you everything you need to know!!

Today's Question:

You have a good friend who is a devoted Christian and voracious reader. He or she, however, tried to read a Christian fiction book in the past and found it to be too preachy and unrealistic. Your friend wants to try it again and has asked you for a recommendation. Their favorite genre of book is what is considered literary fiction. What book would you recommend to them?

You also have a friend who is not a Christian but wants to read fiction that is considered clean without being too Christian. They have asked you if there are Christian fiction books that might meet their reading needs. They are interested in romance and novels. What book would you recommend to them?

Answer:

From what I have recently read to the first person I would tell them they should read Julie Lessman's Daughter of Boston Series. They are very romantic and not at all preachy but still has great Christian content.

The second one I would point them towards Stand-in Groom by Kaye Dacus. I just recently read this book and I loved it. Great romantic, light-hearted story about love and forgiveness. It is not preachy at all so I think a non-Christian person could really get into this story with out thinking they were getting preached too. (Could recommend this one for the first person too. )

Saturday Matinee

Taken

Staring: Liam Neeson, Famke Jannsen, Maggie Grace

Taken is about Bryan a ex-CIA preventer who is fast losing his relationship with his teenage daughter. She wants to go to Paris with some friends, but he doesn't want her to go. He knows that if he doesn't let her go, he may lose her forever, so he relents and lets her go. He makes her promise to call him and let him know when they arrive. When they get there they meet a young man who looks nice and they share a cab with him. Wrong move. Later he comes back with some thugs and they kidnap both the girls. While she witnesses her friend being kidnapped she is on the phone with her father and telling him everything. He vows to find her and goes to Paris and into the world of sex slavery to find his daughter.

In my opinion this has to be the best action film of this year. I have never seen Liam Neeson play such a kick butt action man as in this movie. As a young lady who has been abroad and knows that there can be bad things that happens I think all young people, especially young ladies should watch this film. They need to know that it is not as safe out in the big world as they might think it is being a teenager. Kim(Maggie Grace) though it would be fun to follow U2 through Europe, but they never thought about the bad things that could happen. It really fall in with what your momma always told you, "Never talk to strangers" To me this is a movie I could watch over and over and when it comes out on DVD I will buy it. It is rated PG 13 and I think it is a good film to watch and have a discussion with your children afterwards.

My favorite qoute:

Byran: I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

Marko: (after a long pause) Good luck.

Fun Facts:

Doing this film propelled Famke Janssen to take action in the real fight against corruption. She now serves as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime.

Former Special Air Service (SAS) soldier, Mick Gould, trained Liam Neeson in combatives and weapons handling skills to prepare him for the role. (Cool thing about being a actor, you get to learn neat things.)

Review of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

(Secular Young Adult Book)

About the book:

Inheart is a fantasy book about Mo and his daughter Meggie who love to read books. Mo has a interesting gift when he reads allowed. He can bring characters out of a book the only problem is, someone has to go in the book. One night when he was reading inkheart the evil villains of the book came out, but Mo's wife disappeared into the book. Mo tried and tried to read her out but nothing ever happened. Now its been several years and capricorn is looking for Mo (silvertongue) so that he can read him out some treasures and more bad men. This is gets Mo, Meggie and Mo's wife's aunt Elinor involved in a dangerous situation.

They escape with the help of dustfinger who had betrayed them to capricorn, but while Mo was out and Elinor had gone home, Meggie is kidnapped by capricorns men and taking back to the village. While she is there they learn that she has the same ability as her father and are going to make her read out a really bad person. Will Meggie have what it takes to change everything and save them all, even her mom?

Review:

Inkheart for me was a little slow paced, the author has a lot of description and it just doesn't flow real fast when reading it. I did think that it was a interesting story with lively characters, I just wanted to be able to speed through it and it didn't hold my attention well enough for that.

The dialog was great and even funny in parts, but it was all the description in between the dialog that made the story go slower than if it had less description and more dialog.

I do believe that Inkheart was a unique book which to me made it a good read. It had interesting characters and a great plot. It is the first in a series and defiantly one that you couldn't try and read the second one with out all the information in the first book.

I am going to finish this series to see how it ends because I really did enjoy the story and I liked the ending of the first book. I only wish that it read faster for me. I can really see why they decided to make it into a movie because I think seeing it on screen will be great.

Over all I give it three stars because it just could have been better.

Fun Friday

College Road Trip

Staring: Martin Lawrence, Raven Symone', Brenda Song

Melanie Porter wants to go to school away from her overbearing father, but her father has other plans. When he finds out she wants to take a college road trip to check out colleges he goes and tries to change her mind. His goal is to try and make the college close to them look better than the ones she would like to go to. All the way, he learns to let go and let his little girl grow up.

I like most of Martin Lawrence's movies but this one to me is a little to much like Robin Williams RV movie. It also has a annoying person you can't get rid off who loves to sing happy songs (Donny Osmond) It has its funny moments and it really is a nice heart felt movie about a man letting go of his little girl who is growing up. It would make a good movie for the whole family to watch it is just has to much stuff in it that has been done already. Rated PG

Fun Facts:

Arnetia Walker is only 9 years older than Martin Lawrence although she plays his mother in the movie.

11 pigs played Albert.

At approximately 00:15:05 into the movie, Albert the pig is seen briefly near a crayon drawing (presumably drawn by Albert) of the words "SOME PIG". This is a reference to the classic book "Charlotte's Web" where the words "SOME PIG" are used to distinguish the uniqueness of Wilbur, the porcine main character.

Book Buzz!

Hi Everyone I just thought I would pass on a bit of book news today.


Whitaker House Authors in the Spotlight -- Jan. 31 – Feb. 9, 2009

Thomas Hundley, Fit for the King author, to appear at book signings, on national radio, and international TV.

Saturday, January 31, Thomas Hundley will be signing copies of Fit for the King and leading exercises at the Books-A-Million, 1920 Skibo Road , Fayetteville NC 28314 . For more information, please call 910-487-3356.

· As a result of Thomas Hundley’s powerful Martin Luther King Day appearance on LESEA’s Harvest television broadcast January 19, the author/fitness expert is returning to the show for three consecutive Monday broadcasts: February 2, February 9, and February 16 where he’ll share diet tips and exercises designed for staying fit physically, mentally, and spiritually. This Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran is an active duty major in the U. S. Army who says his unique calling is to help others achieve and maintain their optimum body size in order to serve God to the fullest. His book Fit for the King with accompanying DVD is now available in stores. Harvest can be seen on affiliate stations all over the world. It airs from 9 – 10 am est and can be seen online at: http://www.harvest-tv.com/.

· Hundley will appear on Sharon Kay’s syndicated radio broadcast, “What’s the 411?” Sunday, February 8, 7– 9 am, produced at Fisk University ’s Public Broadcasting station, WFSK FM. This live, call-in show airs in Nashville , Detroit , and Atlanta and is available to pubic broadcast stations across the country.

· Hundley will be signing copies of Fit for the King at the National Religious Broadcaster’s Convention in Nashville , Monday, February 9, at Booth B in the Exhibit Hall, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Cursebreaker author Nancy Wentz to appear on TV show -- chosen as Barnes & Noble Author of the Month.

· Nancy Wentz will be interviewed on LESEA Broadcasting’s Harvest show Tuesday, February 3, talking about her fiction thriller Cursebreaker. The show airs from 9 – 10 am EST and can be seen online at http://www.harvest-tv.com/.

· On Saturday, February 7 Nancy is being honored as “Author of the Month” at the Denver Barnes & Noble, 960 S Colorado Blvd , Glendale , CO. Wentz will be signing copies of Cursebreaker, the first of her Order of the Scrolls Series, from 1 – 3 pm. For more information call (303) 691-8027.

John McTernan, As America Has Done to Israel author, scheduled for TV and radio shows.

. John McTernan is Susan Turcotte’s guest on four upcoming Voice of Rejoicing television shows produced by the Living Faith TV Network. McTernan will be discussing current U.S. policy regarding Israel and his recently revised and expanded As America Has Done to Israel. For local viewing times and further details, please go to: http://www.voiceofrejoicing.com/, or John McTernan’s blog: http://www.defendproclaimthefaith.org/.

· John McTernan is Christian broadcast pioneer Noah Hutching’s guest on his radio show, South West Radio Church Broadcast, Wednesday through Friday, February 4 – 6. The show can be heard at varying times on hundreds of radio stations across the U. S. and around the world. For local times, for more information or to listen online go to http://www.swrc.com/.

Eleanor Gustafson to discuss her biblical novel, The Stones, on Harvest TV.

Eleanor Gustafson author of the highly acclaimed biblical novel, The Stones, based on the life of King David, is appearing on LESEA broadcasting’s Harvest program Thursday, February 5, 9 – 10 am EST. The book, hailed by fiction readers as well as theologians such as Eugene Peterson, for its creativity, biblical accuracy, and sweeping prose, has an accompanying study guide available for those inspired to conduct further research into the life of David. To tune into the show online, go to: http://www.harvest-tv.com/.

Significant Living authors Jerry and Shirley Rose honored for TV broadcast.

Jerry and Shirley Rose’s Significant Living television show, produced by their Total Living Network, has been named “Best Talk Show of 2008” by the National Religious Broadcasters who will present the award to the Roses Saturday, February 7 at the annual NRB convention in Nashville.

. The Roses will appear on Sharon Kay’s syndicated radio show, What’s the 411? the following morning, Sunday, February 8, 7 – 9 am along with Whitaker House author Thomas Hundley. To tune in or for more information, please go to: http://www.411show.info/.

. From 4- 5 pm, Sunday, February 8, the Roses will be signing pre-release copies of their book, Significant Living, A Road Map for the Rest of Your Life, at the NRB Convention, Booth A in the Exhibit Hall. The book, which targets those aged 50 and over with valuable information on living the second half of life with significance, is due for release to stores nationwide April 1.
Devil, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare author Tom Brown speaking, signing books in Phoenix , AZ

· Tom Brown, will be signing copies of his latest book Devil, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare Saturday, February 7, 1 – 3 pm at the Happy Valley Barnes and Noble, Phoenix , AZ. For more details, go to http://www.bn.com/.

· The following day, Sunday, February 8, Pastor Brown is the guest speaker at Cathedral Church Center , 16635 N. 51st St. , Glendale , AZ 85306 for both the 10 am and 6 pm services. For more information, please call 602-439-8700.

Anna McCoy continues Woman, Act Now! tour with book signings, interviews and speaking engagements

· On Friday, February 6, Anna McCoy will appear on LESEA’s Harvest broadcast, 9 – 10 am EST, talking about her book Woman, Act Now! (WAN) and the formation of WAN chapters and book clubs across the country. For information or to view the show, go to: http://www.harvest-tv.com/.

· McCoy wrapped up a whirlwind tour of southern California last week where she spoke in several churches, signed copies of her book in a variety of locations, and spoke to the local WAN chapter and book club.

· On Monday, February 9 she’ll be signing books as a featured Whitaker House author at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville in the Exhibit Hall, booth C, 2:30 – 3:30 pm. For information on finding WAN chapters across the country, go to http://www.womanactnow.com/.

Anna Joan Hunter speaking in Nashville, featured author at NRB 2009 Convention

· On Thursday, February 5, Whitaker House author Joan Hunter will be the guest speaker at the Oasis Worship Center , 6016 Nolensville Pk., Nashville , TN 37211 . For more information please call 615-306-4900.

· Monday, February 9, 1- 2 pm, she’ll be signing copies of her book, Healing the Whole Man Handbook in Booth A at the National Religious Broadcaster’s Convention, Nashville.

Dramatic Thursday

Persuasion(1995 tv version)

Staring: Ciran Hinds, Amanda Root, Susan Fleetwood, Corin Redgrave, Fiona Shaw

Eight years earlier, Anne Elliot, the daughter of a financially troubled aristocratic family, was persuaded to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a young seaman, who, though promising, had poor family connections. When her father rents out the family estate to Admiral Croft, Anne is thrown into company with Frederick, because his sister is Mrs. Croft. Frederick is now a rich and successful Captain, and a highly eligible bachelor. Whom will he marry? One of Anne's sister's husband's sisters? Or will he and Anne rekindle the old flame?

This is the movie were I fell for the British actor Ciran Hinds. He is not one of those oh so handsome actors but there is something about him that demands attention and he held mine through this whole movie. It is a must see for any Jane Austen fan and if you have seen any of the other Persuasion movies and not this one I advise you to watch this one. To me it is the best one of all the versions. It is a great adaptation of Jane Austen's book which I love and great for the whole family to watch. It is always great when I can find a romance movie to go in my dramatic section..lol.

Fun Fact:

Because of the meager budget, the closing shots of Captain Wentworth's ship were reused from The Bounty (1984).

Filmed completely on location, using all natural light.

Made for British television and originally screened by the BBC in April 1995, the film was released theatrically around the rest of the world.

The brocade suit Corin Redgrave wears during the scene in which Sir Walter Elliot tries to induce Anne to accompany him to Lady Dalrymple's is the same costume James D'Arcy (Tom Bertram) wears during the play rehearsal in Mansfield Park (2007) (TV). (Save money for costume design..lol)

The sage-green Spencer Amanda Root (Anne Elliot) wears on the street in Bath is the same costume Sally Hawkins (Anne Elliot) wears in the final scene of Persuasion (2007) (TV).

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Gatekeepers
(Dreamhouse Kings #3)
Thomas Nelson (January 6, 2009)

by
Robert Liparulo


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert is an award-winning author of over a thousand published articles and short stories. He is currently a contributing editor for New Man magazine. His work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Travel & Leisure, Modern Bride, Consumers Digest, Chief Executive, and The Arizona Daily Star, among other publications. In addition, he previously worked as a celebrity journalist, interviewing Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Charlton Heston, and others for magazines such as Rocky Road, Preview, and L.A. Weekly.

Robert is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

Robert's first novel painted a scenario so frighteningly real that six Hollywood producers were bidding on movie rights before the novel was completed. His acclaimed debut novel, Comes A Horseman, is being made into a major motion picture by producer Mace Neufeld and his short story "Kill Zone" was featured in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson.

Bob has sold the film rights to his second book, GERM. And he is writing the screenplay for a yet-to-be-written political thriller, which sold to Phoenix Pictures, for Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) to direct!

And his third book Deadfall. debuted to rave reviews!


ABOUT THE BOOK

Bob Liparulo wants to give away a signed 3 book set of the DreamHouse Kings books! Send an email to Bob [at] Liparulo [dot] com and put "CFBA" in the subject line. He will pick a winner next week!!!!

In the third novel of this young adult series, the mystery deepens in a house that is more than meets the eye.

The Kings have been in the creepy old place, their new home, for only a few days, but they've experienced enough terror to last a lifetime. And the mystery is growing even more baffling. Shadowy and shifting, the big house conceals doors into other worlds that blur the line between memories and dreams-and the slightest misstep can change history forever.

At least, that's if they believe the trembling old man who shows up claiming to know them. "There's a reason you're in the house," he tells them. "As gatekeepers, we must make sure only those events that are supposed to happen get through to the future."

The problem is that horrors beyond description wait on the other side of those gates. As if that weren't enough, the Kings are also menaced by sinister forces on this side-like the dark, ancient stranger Taksidian, who wants them out now.

It's hard to believe that things could have gotten worse for the King family-but they have. Dad's in handcuffs, the school bully has just found the secret portal that leads from the high school to the house, and Xander is sure he's found Mom, but they can't get back to her. Then Jesse arrives, and he seems to be a virtual Obi Wan of knowledge about the place. But is he the key they need to unlock the secrets, or just a crazy old man?

Dangers are increasing from within and without when Xander makes a startling discovery that explains why they haven't found any rooms that lead to the future. Alongside the threats, though, they're also starting to find some surprising allies.
All they have to do is get organized, get psyched, and get Mom. But that isn't nearly as easy as it sounds.

Xander, David, and Toria must venture beyond the gates to save their missing mother-and discover how truly high the stakes have become.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Gatekeepers
(Dreamhouse Kings #3), go HERE

What they're saying:

Review
"If you like creepy and mysterious, this is the house for you! Every room opens a door to magic, true horror, and amazing surprises. I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?" --R.L. Stine (Goosebumps)

Review
"A powerhouse storyteller delivers his most fantastic ride yet!"
-Ted Dekker, bestselling author of Kiss, Chosen and Infidel

Sounds great but I have not read it for a review.

Giving Away Parting the Water by Jeanne Damoff

A drawing will be held for this book in two weeks, so if you would like to read this book please leave a comment and your email address.

About the book:

When a tragic drowning accident leaves fifteen-year-old Jacob in a coma, the faith of his family and community is shaken to its foundation. Medical experts used phrases such as “persistent vegetative state” and said, “Jacob will never wake up,” but Jacob’s parents knew God would have the final say.

Without sugar-coating the realities of pain and suffering, Parting the Waters presents the heart-warming, true story of what can happen when a community rallies around one wounded family. While Jacob’s parents struggle to preserve their faith and family, the prayers and innovative efforts of community members result in Jacob’s gradual awakening. Each dramatic milestone in Jacob’s recovery creates a new ripple, touching and changing many lives forever.

Told from a mother’s perspective, Parting the Waters is a poignant tale of unexpected beauty found in brokenness.

Bonus feature: a “Q & A” section that fearlessly tackles issues regarding God, His love and mercy, and His divine purposes related to suffering.

About the Author:

Jeanne Damoff has been married for 29 years to George, a biologist, poet, and musician. Their three grown children, Jacob, Grace, and Luke, are her favorite people in the world. She has degrees in social work, sociology, English, and secondary education, and has taught such varied subjects as English, Latin, art, music, and cheerleading. For eight years she taught pre-school through junior high Bible, using a curriculum she designed and wrote. Jeanne is a published writer, a professional choreographer, a musician, and a speaker. She loves to laugh and gives points to anyone who makes her laugh out loud. These points are very valuable. Everyone should strive to earn them, starting now.

Learn more about Jeanne at http://jeannedamoff.com/.

If you would like to buy this book you can purchase it at amazon.com

Please visit these other blogger on the blog tour:

5 Minutes for Books

A Little Whine and Cheese

A Peek at My Bookshelf

A Spacious Place

Alien Dream

Arkansas Dreams

Ashley Evans Boone

Aspire2 Blog

Bible Dude

Blame it on the Loud Mouth Gene

Blog Tour Spot

Bluebonnet in the Snow

Book Nook Club

Canadian Prairie Writer

Christy’s Book Blog

Conversations with a Stranger

Davis Family of 6

Fictionary

Five Bazillion and One

Getting Down with Jesus

Good Word Editing

i don’t believe in grammar

iamhealed.net

Kells Creative Musings

La Vida Dulce

Life with Missy

Lift My Noise

Lighthouse Academy

Marc Whitman’s Blog

Michelle Pendergrass

Musings from the Windowsill

Net’s Book Notes

One Voice in a Big World

Portrait of a Writer . . . Interrupted

Relevant Blog

RestoreSherry Kyle

So You Wanna Be Published

The Friendly Book Nook

the mcgill’s
The Writing Road

They Hang Like Paper Lanterns

This Present Joy

Tooles in Virginia

What I Learned Today

Wide-Eyed Fiction

Word Vessel

Write Brained

Write by Faith

Manic Monday
Disturbia

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Aaron Yoo

In this modern retelling of Hitchcock's thriller Rear Window, Kale (Shia LaBeouf), a troubled teen sentenced to house arrest, begins watching his neighbors out of boredom -- only to discover evidence that a serial killer lives a stone's throw from his home. As his suspicions of his neighbor (David Morse) grow, Kale enlists the aid of friends Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) in his increasingly dangerous snooping.

A unique twist to Rear Window by putting a young man in house arrest. It has the same sort of scenario but with a teenager being able to walk just not go but so far from his house. I like Shia LaBeouf I believe his has come a long way in his acting from Disney's Even Steven. It is a very good teenage suspense movie that the who family can enjoy. Rated PG 13.

Fun Facts:

During filming, David Morse (Mr. Turner) did not speak to Shia LaBeouf (Kale) or any of the other teens. LaBeouf said, "When we finished filming, he was very friendly. But he's a method actor, and as long as we were shooting, he wouldn't say a word to us."

Executive Producer, Steven Spielberg's favorite line from the film is "Operation Stupid is officially over."

To prepare for his role, Shia LaBeouf spoke with many former house arrest detainees, which is where the idea for the Twinkie Tower came from.

The script was written in the 1990's and was optioned. The original studio let the option expire after hearing about Christopher Reeve's remake of Rear Window (1954) (Rear Window (1998) (TV)). It wasn't till 2004 that script was rewritten and sold.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Red Siren
Barbour Publishing, Inc (January 2009)
by
M.L. Tyndall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M. L. (MARYLU) TYNDALL grew up on the beaches of South Florida loving the sea and the warm tropics. But despite the beauty around her, she always felt an ache in her soul--a longing for something more.

After college, she married and moved to California where she had two children and settled into a job at a local computer company. Although she had done everything the world expected, she was still miserable. She hated her job and her marriage was falling apart.

Still searching for purpose, adventure and true love, she spent her late twenties and early thirties doing all the things the world told her would make her happy, and after years, her children suffered, her second marriage suffered, and she was still miserable.

One day, she picked up her old Bible, dusted it off, and began to read. Somewhere in the middle, God opened her hardened heart to see that He was real, that He still loved her, and that He had a purpose for her life, if she'd only give her heart to Him completely.

Her current releases in the Legacy of The Kings Pirates series include:The Restitution, The Reliance, and The Redemption and The Falcon And The Sparrow

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lady Faith Westcott has turned her back on God and on man. Having witnessed the hypocrisy in the Church of England, her older sister's abuse at the hand of her husband, and her own mother's untimely
death in childbirth, Faith has determined never to marry and to gain enough wealth so she and her two sisters will never have to depend on man or God again.

To that end, though a lady by day, she becomes a pirate by night and begins her sordid career off Portsmouth when she attacks and plunders a merchant ship commanded by the young Dajon Waite. Humiliated at being defeated by a pirate and a woman no less, Dajon returns home without cargo and ship, and his father expels him from the family merchant business.

After a brief sojourn into debased society, Dajon rejoins the Royal Navy, where he finds comfort in the strict rules and redemption through his service to others. Three years later, he is sent to the frontier outpost of Charles Town, South Carolina to deal with the pirate problem. There, he connects with his mentor and old friend, Admiral Westcott, who has just arrived with his three daughters.

Much to Dajon's utter dismay, Admiral Westcott, who is being called away to Spain, asks Dajon to be temporary guardian of his three lovely daughters. One of the ladies seems familiar to him, a striking redhead who immediately sends his heart thumping.

Faith recognizes Captain Waite as the buffoon whose ship she plundered off Portsmouth. Yet, he appears no longer the fool, but instead a tall, handsome and commanding naval officer. Despite her immediate attraction to him, she labels him the enemy, but sparks are guaranteed to fly during the next few months when independent, headstrong and rebellious Faith falls in love with God-fearing honorable, rule-following Dajon-especially when Faith continues her pirating off the Carolina coast while her father is away.

Will Dajon catch her? And what will this man of honor and duty do when he does?


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Red Siren, go HERE

Would love to read this book, but haven't got a hold of a copy yet. But I am sure it is real good because her books usually are. :)

Saturday Matinee

Indiana Jones Series

Starring: Harrison Ford (and a assortment of others depending on the film)

Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones finds himself on a series of missions to unearth a assortment of treasures and usually ending up in some sort of trouble.

Since I am featuring Harrison Ford this week I had to put in the Indiana Jones movies and since there are so many of them I just decided throw them together. This is where I feel for Harrison Ford watching him as the adventurous Dr. Jones, with his rugged five o'clock shadow. I love all of the films, though the last one is a bit different from his earlier ones I still liked it. These movies are defiantly a series that people will be watching for years to come. Fun for the whole family and rated from PG to PG13.

Fun Facts:

Tom Selleck was originally cast as Indiana Jones, but was not able to take the role because he was committed to "Magnum, P.I." (1980). "Magnum" did an episode that parodied "Raiders", complete with hat, whip, booby traps, etc. (Now I like Selleck, but hmm not sure if he would have made the series good or not)

Although Tom Selleck had to give up the role of Indiana Jones to film "Magnum, P.I." (1980), the series didn't go into production until filming had already wrapped. Selleck was in fact in Hawaii waiting for the series to start as the final scenes to be filmed (the opening sequence) were being shot in Hawaii.

Nick Nolte, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Jack Nicholson all turned down the role of Indiana Jones. (I just can't see any of these people as Indiana Jones)

Harrison Ford was cast less than three weeks before principal photography began.

One thing we share in common is a love of books. I know there are participants of Faith 'n Fiction Saturdays that read over 200 books a year!

But while we may read a lot of books, only a few books in our lifetimes are special enough that we would never part with them, always recommend them, and maybe even reread them.

So...what fiction books with faith elements are on your keeper shelf? Please keep your answers to no more than 5 books!

The French Twist Series by Sandra Byrd

The Daughters of Boston Series by Julie Lessman

The Stand-in Groom by Kaye Dacus

Hannah Grace By Sharlene MacLaren (Any of her books are keepers though)

Those are the ones that came to me off the top of my head.

Fun Friday

Six Days Seven Nights

Starring: Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, David Schwimmer, Jacquelin Obradors

Robin Monroe, a New York magazine editor, and the gruff pilot Quinn Harris must put aside their mutual dislike if they are to survive after crash landing on a deserted South Seas island.

Was not much of a Anne Heche fan until this movie. I really liked her character and the it was fun watching Ford also. My favorite part is when he apologizes before he pushes her off the cliff and into the water. Great movie for the whole family, rated PG 13.

Fun Facts:

The plane that Quinn flies is a DeHavilland Beaver. Star Harrison Ford not only owned a DeHaviland Beaver, but he also flew the one in the movie. He had to go through several certifications for the insurance company to allow him not only to fly, but to also fly with the rest of the cast in the plane.

The DeHaviland Beaver used in the film is the exact same one used in the production of The Edge (1997). It crashed in both movies.

From Books & Such Literary Agency
Teen Series Turns 20, Hits 2.5 Million Sold
Robin Jones Gunn Reaches 4 Million Copies of her Books in Print

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS--When taken individually--having a series last twenty years with all the titles still in print; seeing 2.5 million copies of those titles sold; and having 4 million copies of your children's, teen and adult books in print--could be considered quite an accomplishment. Yet bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn has achieved all three milestones. Just last week she turned in her 70th book.

Gunn, the wife of a former youth pastor, never intended to become a writer. "We were on a camping trip with the kids in our church youth group, and a bunch of girls were hiding out in their tent reading evocative novels." she states. "When I said I didn't want them reading those books, they challenged me and said, 'Why don't you write a book for us, then? We'll tell you what to write. How hard could it be?' I soon found out that it was very hard but those girls helped me every sentence of the way."

It took two years to finish Summer Promise, the first title in The Christy Miller Series, and 10 rejections from publishers that claimed they just didn't see a market for them before the title was contracted. "I wanted to say, 'You can't see them because they're hiding in the tent with a stack of books from the library.'"

But the book division of Focus on the Family was aware of the need for clean teen books and had been looking for a writer to create a series. When then-editor Janet Kobobel Grant read the manuscript for Summer Promise, she realized Gunn understood how to connect with teens.

By the time the first book was published, Gunn was committed. She had fallen in love with the art of telling stories to teens. "The cast of characters in the The Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, College Years, and Katie Weldon series are all very alive and real in my imagination. Over the years I've received thousands of letters from teens that feel the same way. These characters are their friends."

The books have been translated into several languages, including Portuguese. "Whenever I receive another email from Brazil with lots of exclamation marks I smile," she says. "I can't read a word of it, but my heart knows what they're saying."

Every one of the thirty novels in the Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, College Years, and Katie Weldon series is still in print. Indeed, fans of the first books are now introducing a new generation of readers to the books they love. One of the original readers, Tracy, showed up last year at a booksigning Gunn was doing in Indiana. Tracy surprised Robin by bringing her teenage daughter with her stack of books ready to be signed. "My daughter still doesn't believe I helped with these stories," Tracy said. "She says they're too authentic to have been written in my generation. I told her it's a God-thing."

"Robin's books have connected with teen girls for twenty years, with the first Christy Miller novel releasing in 1988," says Janet Grant, now Gunn's agent and founder of Books & Such Literary Agency. "How fitting that during this anniversary year, her teen books should reach this level of sales."

Grant remains as surprised about the longevity of the series as Gunn. "Neither she nor I ever envisioned such a long, happy and spiritually productive life for Todd, Christy, Katie, and the other authentic characters Robin created. Yet she receives letters and emails from girls every day who gave their lives to Christ or made other significant spiritual decisions as a result of reading these works of fiction."

"After two-plus decades of writing for publication," Gunn says, "I have come to ask of myself and of God the same questions I ask of these fictional characters: "What happens next? What if . . .? and Why not?"

Gunn's desire to write in a way that teens connect with and to touch their lives continues to be her driving force. In the words of one of her fans, "These books totally changed my life. You have no idea how much. Please don't ever stop! No one else writes for us like this. You have to keep writing for us until your hand falls off!"

Given Robin Jones Gunn's track record, many productive years lie ahead of her, and she still has stories to tell that teens long for. Her next teen book release, in May 2009, will be an addition to the Katie Weldon series, Coming Attractions.

Robin Jones Gunn is available for interview

Dramatic Thursday

Regarding Henry

Starring: Harrison Ford, Annette Bening

Henry (Harrison Ford) is a wealthy and successful lawyer whose life with his wife (Annette Bening) and daughter seem perfect, but in reality, Henry is cold-hearted and bitter. But all that changes when he's shot in the head during a robbery and must endure a slow and grueling recovery. As he relearns even the most basic of tasks such as walking and tying his shoes, a loving, caring man appears, much to the shock of his family and friends.

This was a very good movie about a man who gets a second chance at life. He is a horrible bitter and nasty man at the beginning. Once he is shot in the head, he doesn't remember his former life and becomes a very kind and sensitive man and this shocks everyone. He gets to go from not liking his wife to falling back in love with her and it is a very touching movie.

Fun Fact:

According to John Leguizamo in his autobiography, he received hate mail from angry Harrison Ford fans because his character shoots Henry.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Centurion's Wife
Bethany House Publishers (January 1, 2009)
by
Davis Bunn and Janette Oke

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Davis Bunn is an internationally acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences span 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.


Her first novel, a prairie love story titled Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. This book was followed by more than 75 others.

After Love Comes Softly was published, Oke found her readers asking for more. That book led to a series of eight others in her Love Comes Softly series. She has written multiple fiction series, including The Canadian West, Seasons of the Heart and Women of the West. Her most recent releases include a beautiful children's picture book, I Wonder...Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb and The Song of Acadia series, co-written with T. Davis Bunn.

Janette Oke's warm writing style has won the hearts of millions of readers. She has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medallion Award, The Christy Award of Excellence, the 1992 President's Award for her significant contribution to the category of Christian fiction from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and in 1999 the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association International. Beloved worldwide, her books have been translated into fourteen languages.

She and her husband live nearby in Alberta, Canada.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist's perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity...and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma.

Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first-century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil--facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions.

Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death--and missing body--is causing such furor.

This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, the story unfolds the testing of loyalties--between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Centurion's Wife, go HERE

I have not had a chance to read this book.

Found a great book contest today over on Write By Faith so you need to go on over there and take a look at Susan Page Davis's interview about her new book Inside Story. You have till Jan. 23rd to enter. So HURRY!!

Romantic Tuesday

Working Girl

Starring: Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Cusack

Industrious secretary Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) dreams of climbing the corporate ladder and may be on her way after landing a job with Katherine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), a top brokerage firm executive. When a skiing mishap puts Katharine out of commission, the secretary discovers her boss has stolen Tess' idea for saving a client. Hooking up with investment broker Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford), Tess takes over the deal and turns the tables.

Since I am featuring Harrison Ford this week I could not go with out putting up my favorite Romantic Comedy. I absolutely love this film, its cute, funny and well who doesn't like a movie where the underdog rises up and out does the big dog...lol. If you are a Ford fan and have not seen this film then you need too. I can watch this movie over and over...oh wait I have! :0)

Fun Facts:

Harrison Ford got his famous scar by crashing into a pole on Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach, CA. He was a player at the Laguna Playhouse at the time and got a "rush stitch job" at South Coast Hospital in Laguna Beach.

David Duchovny's film debut as a guest at Tess's surprise birthday party, he was one of the guests hiding in the bathroom.

The Petty Marsh (where Melanie and Sigourney worked) lobby scenes were filmed in the lobby of 7 World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks on the USA of 11 September 2001.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Meryl Streepwere considered for the roles of Tess and Catherine (I am not sure if they would have been as good)

Kevin Spacey was brought in as a last-minute replacement for another actor in the part of Bob Speck. On the day the scene was shot, Mike Nichols, who had previously directed Spacey in Heartburn (1986), sent a car to Spacey's New York apartment, with a copy of the script in the back seat. Spacey learned his lines while on the way to the shoot. Nichols was under pressure to finish the scene so he wouldn't have to postpone his wedding to Diane Sawyer two days later.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Stand-In Groom
Barbour Publishing, Inc (January 2009)

by
Kaye Dacus


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kaye Dacus is an author and editor who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. A former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kaye enjoys being an active ACFW member and the fellowship and community of hundreds of other writers from across the country and around the world that she finds there.

She currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, which she co-founded in 2003 with three other writers. Each month, she teaches a two-hour workshop on an aspect of the craft of writing at the MTCW monthly meeting. But her greatest joy comes from mentoring new writers through her website and seeing them experience those “aha” moments when a tricky concept becomes clear.




ABOUT THE BOOK

When wedding planner Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, she thinks she's found the man of her dreams. But when he turns out to be a client, her "dream" quickly turns into a nightmare. Will Anne risk her heart and career on this engaging Englishman?

George came to Louisiana to plan his employer's wedding and pose as the groom. But how can he feign affection for a supposed fiancee when he's so achingly attracted to the wedding planner? And what will happen when Anne discovers his role has been Stand-In Groom only? Will she ever trust George again? Can God help these two believers find a happy ending?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Stand-In Groom, go HERE

What they're saying about it:

“Dacus pulls off a delightful story that places readers in the heart of the South with the debut of the Brides of Bonneterre series. Readers will enjoy this look at how lives are transformed through devastating events and how forgiveness is the key to a promising future. Nothing is as it seems in this heartwarming story.”
–Romantic Times, 4-Star Review

“Absolutely delightful! I enjoyed Stand-In Groom from cover to cover! Ms. Dacus’s clever story and wonderful prose will draw you away to a place deep in the heart of Louisiana, surrounding you with the scents, sounds, and sights of the deep south. A story filled with romance and intrigue, betrayal and forgiveness, I found myself laughing, crying and rejoicing right along with the characters.”
–M.L. Tyndall, author of The Falcon and the Sparrow and the award-winning Legacy of the King’s Pirates series

“Stand-In Groom is as sweet, beautiful, and chaotic as a perfectly planned wedding. Anne is a bright and wounded heroine you’re going to care about for a long time. George is a hero to capture your heart. Kaye Dacus will take you along for a fun, poignent ride in Stand-In Groom.”
–Mary Connealy, author of the Lassoed in Texas series and Of Mice...and Murder

I just started this book the other day and I am halfway through it and I love it. It is funny, sweet and easy to read.

Manic Monday

Frantic

Staring: Harrison Ford, Betty Buckley, Emmanuelle Seigner

Ford plays an American doctor whose wife suddenly vanishes while the couple is visiting Paris. To recover her, he navigates a puzzling web of language, locale, laissez-faire cops and triplicate-form bureaucrats. Ultimately - and reluctantly - he must try a defiant, mysterious waif who knows more than she tells about the woman's kidnappers.

I never watched this movie when it first came out, but a few years ago I seen it on the Dish and did not have anything to do and I love Harrison Ford so I thought I would give it a try and see why it was called Frantic. Though it doesn't have a extremely fast paced storyline you can see why it was called Frantic. A man takes a shower and comes out and finds his wife gone and has no clue where she could be and doesn't know the language well enough to ask for much help. So the man is Franticly looking for his wife..and it wasn't a bad movie. With all the cool stuff they do in the movies these days you have to understand that this movie came out in 1988 and is a good thriller movie for that era.

Fun Facts:

Harrison Ford thought that "Frantic" was a misleading title for the film as the script didn't have a frantic pace. He suggested that "Moderately Disturbed" would be a more appropriate title. Polanski wasn't amused.

Due to studio pressure, 15 minutes were trimmed from the original running time and a new ending was shot.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

M.L. Tyndall

and the book:

The Red Siren

Barbour Publishing, Inc (January 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Best-selling author of The Legacy of the King’s Pirates series, MaryLu Tyndall writes full time and makes her home with her husband, six children, and four cats on California’s coast. Her passion is to write page-turning, romantic adventures that not only entertain but expose Christians to their full potential in Christ.

For more information on MaryLu and her upcoming releases, please visit her website.

Product Details:

List Price: $10.97
Paperback: 318 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (January 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602601569
ISBN-13: 978-1602601567

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

Matthew 13: 20-21

Chapter 1


August 1713, English Channel off Portsmouth, England


This was Dajon Waite’s last chance. If he didn’t sail his father’s merchant ship and the cargo she held safely into harbor, his future would be tossed to the wind. With his head held high, he marched across the deck of the Lady Em and gazed over the choppy seas of the channel, expecting at any minute to see the lights of Portsmouth pierce the gray shroud of dusk. Another hour and his mission would be completed with success. It had taken two years before his father had trusted him to captain the most prized vessel in his merchant fleet, the Lady Em—named after Dajon’s mother, Emily—especially on a journey that had taken him past hostile France and Spain and then far into the pirate-infested waters off the African coast.

Fisting his hands on his hips, Dajon puffed out his chest and drew a deep breath of salty air and musky earth—the smell of home. Returning with a shipload of ivory, gold, and pepper from the Gold Coast, Dajon could almost see the beaming approval on his father’s sea-weathered face. Finally Dajon would prove himself an equal to his older brother, Theodore—obedient, perfect Theodore—who never let his father down. Dajon, however, had been labeled naught but capricious and unruly, the son who possessed neither the courage for command nor the brains for business.

Fog rolled in from the sea, obscuring the sunset into a dull blend of muted colors as it stole the remaining light of what had been a glorious day. Bowing his head, Dajon thanked God for His blessing and protection on the voyage.

“A sail, a sail!” a coarse voice blared from above.

Plucking the spyglass from his belt, Dajon held it to his eye. “Where away, Mules?”

“Directly off our lee, Captain.”

Dajon swerved the glass to the port and adjusted it as Cudney, his first mate, halted beside him.

“She seems to be foundering, Captain,” Mules shouted.

Through the glass, the dark outline of a ship came into focus, the whites of her sails stark against the encroaching night. Gray smoke spiraled up from her quarterdeck as sailors scrambled across her in a frenzy. The British flag flapped a harried plea from her mainmast.

“Hard to larboard,” he yelled aft, lowering the glass. “Head straight for her, Mr. Nelson.”

“Straight for her, sir.”

“Beggin’ your pardon, Captain.” Cudney gave him a sideways glance. “But didn’t your father give explicit orders never to approach an unknown vessel?”

“My father is not the captain of this ship, and I’ll thank you to obey my orders without question.” Dajon stiffened his lips, tired of having his decisions challenged. True, he had failed on two of his father’s prior ventures—one to the West Indies where a hurricane sunk his ship, and the other where he ran aground on the shoals off Portugal. Neither had been his fault. But this time, things would be different. Perhaps his father would even promote Dajon to head overseer of his affairs.

With a nod, Cudney turned. “Mr. Blake, Mr. Gibes, prepare to luff, if you please.” His bellowing voice echoed over the decks, sending the men up the shrouds.

“Who is she?” Cudney held out his hand for the glass.

“A merchant ship, perhaps.” Dajon handed him the telescope then gripped the railing as the Lady Em veered to larboard, sending a spray of seawater over her decks. “But she’s British, and she’s in trouble.”

The ship lumbered over the agitated waves. Dajon watched Cudney as he steadied the glass on his eye and his boots on the sodden deck. He’d been a good first mate and a trusted friend. A low whistle spilled from his mouth as he twisted the glass for a better look.

“Pray tell, Mr. Cudney, what has caught your eye, one of those new ship’s wheels you’ve been coveting?”

“Nay, Captain. But something nearly as beautiful—a lady.”

Dajon snatched the glass back as the Lady Em climbed a rising swell and then tromped down the other side. Sails snapped in the rising wind above him. Bracing his boots on the deck, he focused the glass on the merchant ship. A woman clung to the foremast, terror distorting her lovely features. She raised a delicate hand to her forehead as if she were going to faint. Red curls fluttered in the wind behind her. Heat flooded Dajon despite the chill of the channel. Lowering the glass, he tapped it into the palm of his hand, loathing himself for his shameless reaction. Hadn’t his weakness for the female gender already caused enough pain?

Yet clearly the vessel was in trouble.

“We shall come along side her,” Dajon ordered.

Cudney glared at the ship. “Something is not right. I can feel it in my gut.”

“Nonsense. Where is your chivalry?” Dajon smiled grimly at his friend, ignoring the hair bristling on the back of his own neck.

Cudney’s dark eyes shot to Dajon. “But your father—”

“Enough!” Dajon snapped. “My father did not intend for me to allow a lady to drown. Besides, pirates would not dare sail so close to England—especially to Portsmouth, where so many of His Majesty’s warships are anchored.” Dajon glanced back at the foundering ship, now only half a knot off their bow. Smoke poured from her waist, curling like a snake into the dark sky. Left to burn, the fire would sink her within an hour. “Surely you do not suspect a woman of piracy?”

Cudney cocked one brow. “Begging your pardon, Captain, but I have seen stranger things on these seas.”

***

Faith Louise Westcott flung her red curls behind her and held a quivering hand to her breast, nausea rising in her throat at her idiotic display. How did women feign such weakness without losing the contents of their stomachs?

“They ’ave taken the bait, mistress.” A sinister chuckle filled the breeze.

“Oh, thank heavens.” Faith released the mast. Planting a hand on her hip, she gave Lucas a mischievous grin. “Well, what are you waiting for? Ready the men.”

“Aye, aye.” The bulky first mate winked, and then scuttled across the deck, his bald head gleaming in the light from the lantern hanging on the mainmast.

After checking the pistol stuffed in the sash of her gown and the one strapped to her calf, Faith sauntered to the railing to get a better look at her latest victim, a sleek, two-masted brigantine. The orange, white, and blue of the Dutch flag fluttered from her mizzen. A very nice prize indeed. One that would bring her even closer to winning the private war she waged—a war for the survival of her and her sisters.

The oncoming ship sat low in the water, its hold no doubt packed with valuable cargo. Faith grinned. With this ship and the one she had plundered earlier, loaded with precious spices and silks, she was well on her way to amassing the fortune that would provide for her independence and that of her sisters—at least the two of them that were left unfettered by matrimony.

She allowed her thoughts to drift for a moment to Charity, the oldest. Last year their father had forced her into a union with Lord Villement, a vile, perverse man who had oppressed and mistreated her beyond what a woman should endure. Faith feared for her sister’s safety and prayed for God to deliver Charity, but to no avail.

Then, of course, there was the incident with Hope, their younger sister.

That was when Faith had stopped praying.

She would rather die than see her two younger sisters fettered to abusive men, and the only way to avoid that fate was to shield them with their own fortune. Cringing, she stifled the fury bubbling in her stomach. She mustn’t think of it now. She had a ship to plunder, and this was as much for Charity as it was for any of them.

The bowsprit of the brigantine bowed in obedience to her as it plunged over the white-capped swells. Gazing into the hazy mist, Faith longed to get a peek at the ninnies who had been so easily duped by her ruse but dared not raise the spyglass to her eye. Women didn’t know how to use such contraptions, after all.

Putting on her most flirtatious smile, she waved at her prey, beckoning the fools onward, then she scanned the deck as her crew rushed to their stations. Aboard her ship, she was in control; she was master of her life, her future—here and nowhere else. And oh how she loved it!

Lucas’s large frame appeared beside her. “The rest of the men be waitin’ yer command below hatches, mistress.” He smacked his oversized lips together in a sound Faith had become accustomed to before a battle. Nodding, she scanned her ship. Wilson manned the helm, Grayson and Lambert hovered over the fire, pretending to put it out, and Kane and Mac clambered up the ratlines in a pretense of terror. She spotted Morgan pacing the special perch Faith had nailed into the mainmast just for him. She whistled and the red macaw halted, bobbed his head up and down, and squawked, “Man the guns, man the guns!”

Faith chuckled. She had purchased the bird from a trader off Morocco and named him after Captain Henry Morgan, the greatest pirate of all time. The feisty parrot had been a fine addition to her crew.

Bates, her master gunner, hobbled to her side, wringing his thick hands together in anticipation. “Can I just fire one shot at ’em, Cap’n? The guns grow cold from lack of use.” His expression twisted into a pout that reminded her of Hope, her younger sister. “I won’t hurt ’em none, ye have me word.”

“I cannot take that chance, Bates. You know the rules,” Faith said as the gunner’s soot-blackened face fell in disappointment. “No one gets hurt, or we abandon the prize. But I promise we shall test the guns soon enough.”

With a grunt, Bates wobbled away and disappeared below.

Returning her gaze to her unsuspecting prey, Faith inhaled a breath of the crisp air. Smoke bit her throat and nose, but she stifled a cough as the thrill of her impending victory charged through her, setting every nerve aflame. The merchant ship was nigh upon them. She could already make out the worried expressions upon the crew’s faces as they charged to her rescue.

This is for you, Charity, and for you, Mother.

Heavy fog blanketed the two ships in gray that darkened with each passing minute. Faith tugged her shawl tighter against her body, both to ward off the chill and to hide the pistol in her sash. A vision of her mother’s pale face formed in the fog before her, blood marring the sheets on the birthing bed where she lay.

Take care of your sisters, Faith.

A burst of wind chilled Faith’s moist cheeks. A tear splattered onto the deck by her shoes before she brushed the rest from her face. “I will, Mother. I promise.”

“Ahoy there!” A booming voice shattered her memories.

She raised her hand in greeting toward the brigantine as it heaved ten yards off their starboard beam. “Ahoy, kind sir. Thank God you have arrived in time,” she yelled back, sending the sailors scurrying across the deck. Soon, they lowered a cockboat, filled it with men, and shoved off.

A twinge of guilt poked at Faith’s resolve. These men had come to her aid with kind intentions. She swallowed hard, trying to drown her nagging conscience. They were naught but rich merchants, she told herself, and she, merely a Robin Hood of the seas, taking from the rich to feed the poor. She had exhausted all legal means of acquiring the money she needed, and present society offered her no other choice.

The boat thumped against her hull, and she nodded at Kane and Mac, who had jumped down from the shrouds and tossed the rope ladder over the side.

“Permission to come aboard?” The man who appeared to be the captain shouted toward Lucas as he swung his legs over the bulwarks, but his eyes were upon Faith.

By all means. Faith shoved a floppy fisherman’s hat atop her head, obscuring her features from his view, and smiled sweetly.

***

“Aye, I beg ye, be quick about it afore our ship burns to a cinder,” the massive bald man beckoned to Dajon.

Dajon hesitated. He knew he should obey his father’s instructions, he knew he shouldn’t risk the hoard of goods in his hold, he knew he should pay heed to the foreboding of dread that now sank like a anchor in his stomach, but all he could see was the admiring smile of the red-haired beauty, and he led his men over the bulwarks.

After directing them to assist in putting out the fire, he marched toward the dark, bald man and bowed.

“Captain Dajon Waite at your service.”

When his gaze drifted to the lady, she slunk into the shadows by the foremast, her features lost beneath the cover of her hat. Odd. Somehow he had envisioned a much warmer reception. At the very least, some display of feminine appreciation.

“Give ’em no quarter! Give ’em no quarter!” a shrill voice shrieked, drawing Dajon’s attention behind him to a large red parrot perched on a peg jutting from the mainmast.

A pinprick of fear stabbed him.

“Captain,” one of his crew called from the quarterdeck. “The ship ain’t on fire. It’s just a barrel with flaming rubbish inside it!”

The anchor that had sunk in Dajon’s stomach dropped into his boots with an ominous clank.

He spun back around, hoping for an explanation, but all he received was a sinister grin on the bald man’s mouth.

Tentacles of alarm seized Dajon, sucking away his confidence, his reason, his pride. Surely he could not have been this daft. He glanced back at the Lady Em, bobbing in the sea beside them—the pride of his father’s fleet.

“To battle, men!” The woman roared in a voice belying her gender—a voice that pummeled Dajon’s heart to dust.

Dozens of armed pirates spat from the hatches onto the deck. Brandishing weapons, they hurtled toward his startled crew. One by one, his men dropped their buckets to the wooden planks with hollow thuds and slowly raised their hands. Their anxious gazes shot to Dajon, seeking his command. The pirates chortled. Dajon’s fear exploded into a searing rage. They were surrounded.

The woman drew a pistol from her sash. Dajon could barely make out the tilted lift of her lips. He wiped the sweat from his brow and prayed to God that he would wake up from this nightmare.

“I thank you, Captain, for your chivalrous rescue.” The woman pointed her pistol at him and cocked it with a snap. “But I believe I’ll be taking over your ship.”

I have not reviewed this one, but hope to read it some day.