Stuck in the Middle - Virginia Smith

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Stuck in the Middle

Revell (February 1, 2008)

by

Virginia Smith

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker with the release of her first novel Just As I Am.

Since then she has contracted eight novels and published numerous articles and short stories. She writes contemporary humorous novels for the Christian market, including Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill, August 2007) and her newest release, Stuck in the Middle(Revell, February 2008), book 1 in the Sister-to-Sister Series.

Her short fiction has been anthologized, and her articles have been published in a variety of Christian magazines. An energetic speaker, she loves to exemplify God’s truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, “Biblical Truths in Star Trek.”

Virginia is a speaker, and an avid Scuba diver. She and her husband Ted, divide their times between Kentucky and Utah, and escape as often as they can for diving trips to the Caribbean!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement-or romance.

That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to catch his eye and get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut and into the life she's been hiding from.

Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series, Stuck in the Middle combines budding romance, spiritual searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry that is sure to make you smile.

"A gentle story of one young woman's season of growth, deftly blending the tangle of family relationships with gifts of whimsey and revelation. A joy to read."
~SHARON HINCK, author of Renovating Becky Miller and Symphony of Secrets~

"Virginia Smith has created a charming and humerous novel that celebrates small-town life, generations of women caring for each other, and the value of finding a deeper, more active faith."
~SHARON DUNN, author of the Bargain Hunters mysteries~

April here. I have a confession. Although I've been fairly vocal throughout my life about not liking romance novels, I may have to change my tune. I read a romance last fall that I enjoyed, but I thought it might be a rare exception. Then I read Stuck in the Middle and got another surprise... I really, really enjoyed it. And not only did I enjoy it, I'd eagerly recommend it.

...Miracles do happen... :-)

In an attempt to drive you nuts with curiousity...

...I have a secret. I'll tell you next week. Monday or Tuesday, depending on how things go.

All I'll say now is that I'm really, really excited.

And, for the record, should anyone happen to read this who also has my phone number, even if you call me, you're not going to learn the secret until next week. I'm just mean like that.

NO MORE WINTER!!!

I am tired of winter. Very, very, very tired of winter.

During a normal winter, Kansas gets cold. We get quite a bit of ice. We occasionally get some snow, but usually not a lot and it goes away pretty quickly.

This year, we have had snow on the ground almost non-stop since the middle of December. That it not normal. We got five inches of snow yesterday. This is the wettest winter season (at least in Topeka) on record since they started keeping records in 1880-something, and winter isn't even over yet. We have a chance of flurries this afternoon. (And the last couple times we were supposed to get "flurries," we've gotten multiple inches.) There's a chance of a rain/snow mix almost every day this week.

The groundhog wasn't kidding this year...

My Name is Russell Fink - Michael Snyder

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
My Name is Russell Fink
Zondervan (March 1, 2008)
by
Michael Snyder
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Snyder has spent the bulk of his professional career in sales, has fallen in love, and continues to struggle with the balance between art and vocation. He's never investigated a murder, much less that of an allegedly clairvoyant dog.




ABOUT THE BOOK:

Russell Fink is twenty-six years old and determined to salvage a job he hates so he can finally move out of his parents house for good. He's convinced he gave his twin sister cancer when they were nine years old. And his crazy fiancée refuses to accept the fact that their engagement really is over.

Then Sonny, his allegedly clairvoyant basset hound, is found murdered.

The ensuing amateur investigation forces Russell to confront several things at once-the enormity of his family's dysfunction, the guy stalking his family, and his long-buried feelings for a most peculiar love interest.

At its heart, My Name is Russell Fink is a comedy, with sharp dialogue, characters steeped in authenticity, romance, suspense, and fresh humor. With a postmodern style similar to Nick Hornby and Douglas Coupland, the author explores reconciliation, forgiveness, and faith in the midst of tragedy. No amount of neurosis or dysfunction can derail God's redemptive purposes.

April here: I really enjoyed ready this book. Russell comes across as pretty nuts, especially at first, but he definitely grows on you... I'd recommend this one.