Blog Tour & Review - "The Last Christian" by David Gregory

The Last Christian
Author: David Gregory
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
ISBN: 9781400074976
Genre: Fiction, Christian, Futuristic Fantasy, Science Fiction

About This Book   (from publisher)

In the future, it’s possible to live forever—but at what cost?

A.D. 2088.

Missionary daughter Abigail Caldwell emerges from the jungle for the first time in her thirty-four years, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease that killed her village. Abby goes to America, only to discover a nation where Christianity has completely died out. A curious message from her grandfather assigns her a surprising mission: re-introduce the Christian faith in America, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

But a larger threat looms. The world's leading artificial intelligence industrialist has perfected a technique for downloading the human brain into a silicon form. Brain transplants have begun, and with them comes the potential of eliminating physical death altogether—but at what expense?

As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father's unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals. Hanging in the balance—the spiritual future of all humanity.

In this fast-paced thriller, startling near-future science collides with thought-provoking religious themes to create a spell-binding "what-if?" novel.


SNEAK PEEK - You can read CHAPTER 1 here.








My Thoughts:

The more I read Christian fiction, the more I love it! It's not just romance any more. Christian fiction has taken a direction that is wonderfully exciting and "The Last Christian" is a fantastic example!

I will warn you - this book isn't for the person who reads a few paragraphs and then puts it aside to pick back up at a later time. It is one of those books that won't allow you to put it down. I started this in the morning and couldn't help but read straight through. I had to know what happened next. Yes - it's that captivating.

Mr. Gregory has a fantastic way of pulling you into the story. He makes you want to know more about the main characters and their situations. He is a master at weaving an exciting tale that you soon won't forget. It stays with you long after you put the book down. I am putting David Gregory on my watch list and am looking forward to reading more of his work in the future.

Make sure to add this book to your reading list. You won't be disappointed.


About the Author:

David Gregory is the coauthor of two nonfiction books and a frequent conference speaker. After a ten-year business career, he returned to school to study religion and communications, earning two master's degrees. David lives in Texas, where he works for a nonprofit organization.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Waterbrook Contest - Win a full library of WaterBrook Multnomah children's books

Teach your kids about prayer, have fun and be entered to win 30+ kids books!
Teaching your kids about prayer is important, but it can also be enlightening to get a child's perspective on something that we as adults take for granted.
Here's your mission (should you choose to accept it):

• Video your child(ren) talking about prayer, praying, explaining what prayer is, etc. It can be creative, informational, enlightening, funny, or all of the above but it needs to be no more than one minute and thirty seconds long.
   
  
• The video doesn't need to be professional quality. You can shoot it using your phone's video recorder or use that "video" feature on your digital camera for the first time!
  
  
• Post your video on YouTube, Tangle or Vimeo.
   
• Go to our website and enter your information and include the link of your video (the full list of instruction on how to enter can be found here).
   
• The winning video will win a full library of WaterBrook Multnomah children's books, including the new release This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano. That's over 30 books!

Teaching your kids about prayer has never been so fun! See here for contest rules and more information.
HURRY! This contest ends on 6/7/2010 so time is limited.
ENTER NOW!

Blog Tour & Book Review: "Life In Spite of Me" by Kristen Jane Anderson

Life, In Spite of Me:Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice
Written by: Kristen Jane Anderson
As told to: Tricia Goyer
Publisher: Multnomah
ISBN: 9781601422521
Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, inspirational

About This Book

"She wanted to die. God had other plans.

Why does my life have to be so painful?
What’s wrong with me?
It’s not going to get better.
It could all be over soon, and then I won’t hurt anymore.

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture-perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook: three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a seemingly bottomless depression.

One January night, the seventeen-year-old decided she no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

But Kristen's story doesn’t end there.

In Life, In Spite of Me this remarkably joyful young woman shares the miracle of her survival, the agonizing aftermath of her failed suicide attempt, and the hope that has completely transformed her life, giving her a powerful purpose for living.

Her gripping story of finding joy against all odds provides a vivid and unforgettable reminder that life is a gift to be treasured.

Includes notes of encouragement Kristen wishes she had received when she was struggling most."

Want a Sneak Peek? Read Chapter 1 here.






My Thoughts:

An amazingly powerful yet heartbreaking story of a failed teen suicide. Straight from Kristen's point of view, she tells what drove her to finally decide to kill herself and how it failed. She tells how she had to learn with her one bad choice and how that choice changed her life.

From the moment I opened this book, I was held captivated by Kirsten's story. As a mother, my heart ached for her inability to communicate with her family. As a person, I understood the place where she was at to make her very painful mistake - or decision. There was no way I could put the book down until the end. I needed to know how she got from such a "bad place" to a healing point in her life.

This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. It is one I think everyone NEEDS to read, and am requiring it to be read by both of my teens. I'm sure after they finish it, it will be passed on to their friends. It is an amazing, amazing story!!

About the Authors:

Kristen Jane Anderson has been featured on Oprah and is a popular speaker at colleges, women’s and youth events, churches, and suicide prevention outreaches. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute and the founder of Reaching You Ministries, Kristen seeks to help those who are hurting, hopeless, lost, suicidal and depressed.

Tricia Goyer is the author of three hundred articles for national periodicals, as well as fourteen novels and six nonfiction books, including Blue Like Play Dough.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Blog Tour: "Indivisible" by Kristen Heitzmann

Indivisible
Author: Kristen Heitzmann
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
ISBN: 9781400073092
Genre: fiction, mystery, thriller

Synopsis (taken from the back of the book):

An inseparable bond.
An insatiable force.

Battling his own personal demons, Police Chief Jonah Westfall knows the dark side of life and has committed himself to eradicating it. When a pair of raccoons are found mutilated in Redford, Colorado, Jonah investigates the gruesome act, knowing the strange event could escalate and destroy the tranquility of his small mountain town. With a rising drug threat and never-ending conflict with Tia Manning, a formidable childhood friend with whom he has more than a passing history, Jonah fights for answers—and his fragile sobriety.

But he can’t penetrate every wound or secret—especially one fueled by a love and guilt teetering on madness.

From best-selling author Kristen Heitzmann comes a spellbinding tale of severed connections and the consequences of life lived alone.

How about a little sneak peek? Read Chapter 1 here.

If you'd like to listen to an audio interview with Kristen, Click Here.



My Thoughts:

There's nothing like a good mystery, but sometimes I think I've read way too many in my lifetime. It seems most mysteries just don't carry the surprise and suspense that I expect. I get disgruntled when I've figured out who did what and why early on in the book. I desire twist and turns and the need to be confused and challenged.

"Indivisible" was an interesting read. It had enough creepiness with the animal mutilation to hold my interest, and a bit of romance thrown in. I was disappointed when I figured out early on in the book, who did the mutilations and why, but with the side romance going on, it continued to keep me interested.

The characters were interesting, but I had a hard time with some of the relationships and why they developed the way they did. It led more to the creepy side more than the believable, but that's what made the book a bit more interesting.

In conclusion, I would say this was an enjoyable and entertaining read. I enjoy cozy mysteries, and this, to me, would fall into that category. It's a nice clean read that would I think would please most.

About the Author (bio from Amazon.com)

Kristen Heitzmann is the bestselling author of seventeen novels, including The Edge of Recall and the Christy Award winner Secrets. An artist and music minister, Kristen lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, Jim, and their family.

You can learn more about Kristen Heitzmann by visiting her online at http://www.kristenheitzmann.net/

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group .