Dragon Wall, by Millie Samuelson (Stone Light Books)

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If I had a heritage like Millie Samuelson's, I'd entrust its novelization to her.  What a legacy, and how equally great its preservation in Dragon Wall: A Great Wall Novel.

Those of you who had the pleasure of reading Ms. Samuelson's Hungry River will not want to miss its sequel.  A poignant, personal, and illuminating account of a slice of history so underrepresented in America, Dragon Wall takes us to early 20th-century China, through World War II and into the communist era under Chairman Mao.  All this through the eyes of Christian missionaries who labored tirelessly through persecution and personal loss to bring hope to the masses bombed by the Japanese and exploited by the communists.

What qualifies her to write such a tale?  She was there; indeed, she has written herself into the story as one of the fictional characters.  What a neat approach!  As in Hungry River, she punctuates her historical narrative with modern diary entries that provide a touching modern perspective in hindsight of the events she witnessed herself, the era she lived through, and the lives of those close to her who lived through it with her.  Juxtaposed with the thoughts and words of her alter-ego character, whose outlook is fresh and unvarnished by life experience, Millie's thoughtful retrospection through the journal enhances the reader's journey through a turbulent period of the last century in a country now just coming into its own.

For the historical enthusiast who enjoys the personal touch an author who lived and loved the story she writes brings, you have a winner in Dragon Wall.
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2 Seconds Late, by Eric Wilson (Kingstone Publishing)

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Rarely does a sequel surpass its prequel; however, as good as 1 Step Away was, 2 Seconds Late does just that.

Mr. Wilson has ratcheted up the stakes by more than one notch and on more than one level in this second installment in the "By The Numbers" series.  And, if you've had the pleasure of reading 1 Step Away, you'll agree that's saying something.

The Vreeland family from 1 Step Away takes one step aside to cede center stage to Natalie Flynn, young governess to the Vreeland youngsters and stoic survivor of her own painful childhood. Natalie has moved on to better herself intellectually through education, spiritually through the church, and emotionally through a surprising (in more ways than one, it turns out) relationship with state representative Reuben King. But there's more at stake than Natalie's future. Much more.

Representative King chairs a committee charged to determine the future of Bill 6336, which permits the implantation of tracking microchips in people for the ostensible purpose of protecting them from harm: children from kidnapping, the helpless from exploitation, and the like. Ethical, political and sinister pressures for and against 6336 beat against him like the driven tide of a perfect storm. But what turns the tables for him is Natalie's influence, based upon her own abduction a year earlier. At least it does at first...

Sound fairly simple? What's more to tell? Oh my goodness, a whole bunch, springing from the capable keyboard of an accomplished storyteller like Eric Wilson. Mix Natalie's father's well-meaning (albeit misguided) agenda, the personal vendetta of an enigmatic Russian special ops veteran, and the greed of the ambitious owner of a multi-million dollar corporation that stands to become a multi-billion dollar corporation with the passage of 6336, stir well, don't bother to let set, and you've got a recipe for an explosive tale of political intrigue and personal danger.

Enmeshed in the storyline, Mr. Wilson presents thought-provoking moral, ethical, and spiritual conumdrums through a multi-dimensional cast of characters who defy you to love them purely or hate them wholly. Well, okay, a couple of them you might have no problem hating wholly. And there's one or two who are pretty lovable. But you know what I mean... :-)

There's a reason Mr. Wilson is a NY Times best-selling author. And he's proven it again. You really oughta get this book. It's available in paperback and eBook.
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Blog Giveaway!

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Christina Rich is featuring my writing on her blog at http://christinarich.wordpress.com/ for the next month.  She's doing a great job.  Please stop by and take a look--even comment for a giveaway!  :-)
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Giveaway!

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For the next three days (19-21 May), I'm joining several other authors in a Q&A "Get To Know The Author" giveaway on The Book Club Network.  A total of 82 books are up for grabs, including 3 copies of Katia, 3 vouchers for For Maria (to be sent as soon as it's released), and a set of "A Prophet's Tale."  Here's the link: http://www.bookfun.org/group/tbcnfeaturedauthors/forum/topics/may-2012

Have fun!  :-)
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Yahshua's Bridge, by Sandi Rog (DeWard Publishing)

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Best-selling author Robert Liparulo's opening endorsement, "Sandi Rog has done it again..." is spot on.  She really has.

Book Two in the "Iron and the Stone" series, and sequel to the award-winning The Master's Wall, Yahshua's Bridge follows our beloved characters, David and Alethea, as they experience the trials and the victories of the early Church.  This time, however, a previously supporting cast steps to center stage and transports us from Rome to Alexandria to the depths of desert-bound Egypt, and beyond.

Young Alexander has come into his own.  Tutored in the physical arts of the warrior and the spiritual disciplines of a believer by his mentor and de facto father, David, 'Zander' discovers himself and his surprising past--but that's not all.  He also discovers his future in the person of David and Alethea's daughter, Elianna.  Elianna's take on this?  Well, she's not so sure.

On her own journey of self-discovery, Elianna sheds the shackles of societal convention.  When Zander disappears, her persistent hope in his return to the fulfillment of his promise dwindles.  Meantime, David whisks her away from Rome in the charge of protectors on a journey from her enemies and from what he has become.  But he doesn't count on the Lord's intervention, as so few of us do.  Hold on for the ride, folks.  Oh, yeah.  It's dizzying.

Ms. Rog's in-depth research pairs wonderfully with her exceptional storytelling ability to yield a gripping 1st-century tale of betrayal and love, failure and faith.  You don't read about early Rome, you feel the paving stones beneath your sandals as you race with Elianna through the streets.  The wind-blown sands of the Egyptian heartland prick your face, and you blink in the intense rays of its blinding sun with Zander as he seeks his heritage.

Ultimately, the bittersweet conclusion will have you cheering and brushing the tear from your cheek at the same time.  Few authors can achieve that so fluidly.  Ms. Rog does.

Highly recommended for the historical-Biblical fiction enthusiast. You won't be sorry you took the ride.  Great read.
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Distant Thunder, by Ann Gaylia O'Barr (OakTara)

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A poignant story; intelligently written and thought provoking.

In Distant Thunder, Ms. O'Barr has melded a personal journey of searching and restoration with a candid, point-blank look at American culture and faith.  Okay, that's been done before.  A lot.  But what makes this book unique is the author's perspective on America through the eyes of Americans who have spent a considerable portion of their adult lives outside of America.  Herself a retired foreign service officer, Ms. O'Barr is eminently qualified to relate this tale through the lens of her characters' broadened experiences and observations.

But the story is much more than an examination of a nation.  No, there's a very personal rendering of a woman's search for meaning in the culture that has victimized her.  The woman?  Brooke Rohmer, who is a middle-aged divorcee facing an empty nest as her son prepares to enlist in the US Army.  Stuck in a dead-end job and anticipating the prospect of a personal life as mundane as her work life, Brooke books passage on a train from Georgia to Seattle to visit her aunt.  Just to get away.  And to think.

Neal Hudson, a foreign service consular officer, has just lost his wife and his best friend in separate automobile accidents in Beirut.  Reeling from shock of the double loss, and guilt-ridden at the way he and his wife parted that fateful day, he, too, opts for a train ride to his island retreat on Puget Sound's San Juan Island.  His greatest shock, though, is when he finally brings himself to read her death certificate.

Needless to tell you, Brooke and Neal encounter one another. In the company of two other State Department employees, Ethan and Kaitlin Coverwood, who also happen to be on the train, Neal and Brooke develop a faltering relationship, each afraid of letting the other in too far, understand each other too much, empathize with each other too deeply.  The foursome's discussions and blossoming friendship mirror the train's journey through the heartland of America, across the northern climes, and finally into the Pacific Northwest.

You'll learn a great deal about their perspectives--even what the Foreign Service is like--through their conversations that range from the personal to the professional--but always the profound.

Kudos to Ms. O'Barr for artfully interweaving her theme with her story, never allowing the former to obscure the latter, but delivering the pathos of each in a subtle and honest way.  Precise prose, a piquing underlying wit, and a solid grasp of her topic, the author is a pleasure to read.

Highly recommended for the thoughtul reader.
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Martyr, by E.G. Lewis (Cape Arago Press)

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The organism of a literary series owns a curious personality.  One may birth well, but struggle to keep its pace, its conclusion hinting that author was relieved when it finally ended.  Another begins a little off-balance, perhaps from too much anticipation of its conclusion, but matures from volume to volume until it ends with so strong a finale, you sense the author wished it hadn't--and the reader empathizes.  Others begin to languish soon after the beginning, dragging on from volume to seemingly endless volume until you give up and set it aside before you even find out what the conclusion might have been.  Mr. Lewis' Biblical-fiction series, "The Seeds of Christianity," displays a unique personality as well: a solid start with Witness, acceleration and anticipation through Disciple and Apostle, finally a heart-wrenchingly poignant finale with Martyr.  Just what you want from a series.

Mr. Lewis has novelized the founding and early growth of the 1st-Century Church with an excellent blend of meticulously researched fact, and well-written, imaginative fiction.  Remaining true to the Scriptural account, we experience with Rivka and Shemu'el the Incarnation, Crucifixion and Resurrection, then travel with them to Antioch and finally Rome with Peter, Paul, Mark, Barnabas.  Mr. Lewis provides us with fascinating renderings of the early church fathers, but he delivers the real joy  through a solid supporting cast of fictional characters whose lives reflect the uncertainties, frailties, victories, and failures of our own--those to whom we can relate when the historical heroes of the faith seem so much bigger than life.

Martyr presents a very satisfying conclusion to the series, tempering the poignancy and sadness implied by the title with the certainty of hope we have not only through the arc of the story, but the knowledge of church history.  Vividly portrayed, deeply instructive, emotionally satisfying; there is much to commend the entire series.  It's a journey that will change you--for the better.

Martyr is available in Kindle version through Amazon.com, but also in softcopy directly from Cape Arago Press.
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