IN ALL THINGS by Shawna K. Williams Love Like No Other is Illustrated

IN ALL THINGS by Shawna K. Williams is a full length novel published by Desert Breeze in November 2010, a sequel to NO OTHER. Shawna writes inspirational romances with God at the heart of the story, and I loved this one especially because the ending was so beautiful and touching. The author weaves a story that showcases true human emotions and feelings, life, and troubled relationships as Jacob and Meri continue to pursue their dreams. He's determined that she realizes her dream of becoming an actress and moves them to the city that can make it happen. But is winning an academy award what life's really about? Meri observed her own mother's failure with the same dream. Will becoming a famous actress make her parents proud of her, or will it only make her mother more bitter? This romance illustrates life with God's help and compares the lives of three women who all longed for the same dream, four counting Meri. When Meri opens her eyes, she realizes that only one of those three women is happy, and she's not the one Meri would have said she wanted to be like. Meri discovers who she is and who she belongs to, when a handsome, well-respected producer wants to make her his Sun Goddess and a contract for the film that could make her dream come true is offered upon a silver platter with a fancy brooch that glistens so much it looks like the sun. What will Meri chose? This man claims he can love her like no other, and Jacob learns he has to let her go.

A Familiar Evil by Anne Patrick: A Red Herring Edge-of-Your-Seat Read

A Familiar Evil by Anne Patrick, published by Rebecca J. Vickery, April 2011, is a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat as a childhood monster continues to haunt and literally stalk Jordan. The characters are well rounded and provide realistic dialogue. The novel will keep you guessing who the monster is until very near the end. And, you'll be surprised when you discover which man from her past he is. Sam is her FBI agent husband who follows her back to her hometown, where's she the Chief of Police since quitting her own FBI job so she could return to her roots and catch the serial killer. Will he persuade her to save their marriage, or will she let the monster serial killer and Sam's pretty partner come between them for good? What's worse, Jordan has managed to keep the truth of her childhood attack from Sam. Will it make a difference when he finds out what happened to her at twelve? When Sam is lead on a wild goose chase with his partner, will he return in time, or will the monster claim Jordan for keeps? This book held my rapt interest until the end, and I didn't want to put it down until I discovered who the killer really was. Red herrings keep you guessing, and I just love that. It's available in paperback or eBook formats. If you're looking for a scary Halloween read, you've found it! And, it's only 99cents in eBook format, so grab a great read today. If you love romance and suspense, you'll absolutely love this novel. I did, because I do. The red herrings reminded me of Last Resort. If you enjoy A Familiar Evil, you'll also enjoy Last Resort by B. J. Robinson and The Brotherhood and The Betrayal by Jerry B. Jenkins.

No Other by Shawna K. Williams

No Other by Shawna K. Williams is an inspirational historical romance published by Desert Breeze in May of 2010. This is the first novel I've read by this author, but I can't wait to read the sequel In All Things. It takes place in the aftermath of WWII, and Jakob Wilheimer has returned from the war and found it necessary to reenter high school to earn the diploma he wasn't able to while serving his country. So, he's no ordinary high school boy, and the war has made a man out of him. He didn't count on a teacher he knew who was slightly older than him, Meri Parker. Meri's life is distracted and controlled by her mother and father to the point that they want to tell her who to marry. They plan for her to marry a rich man who can take care of her in style. After all, her father is the mayor, and a suitor must be fitting for the mayor's daughter. Meri is not interested in the man they choose for her. Though she tries to deny her attraction to Jakob, she ends up living next door to his brother and finds it harder than she thought it'd be to think of him as only one of her ordinary students. Jakob discovers the control her family wields and wants to save her. Will he be able to avoid temptation and help Meri discover God? He invites her to Bible study after Bible study, and she turns down all his invitations, but he doesn't give up. Can Meri overcome her family's control, or will she be forced into a marriage only to make her family happy? This is a warm, sweet love story, and a fast-paced read. I enjoyed it so much, I know I'll continue to read books by this author. She knows how to evoke feelings and emotions to create realistic characters and keep the reader turning pages. Though Jakob and Meri make a mistake, and they're not perfect, Jakob struggles to be a man of God and turn Meri into a woman of God, and he refuses to give up. I loved his character. He's some hero. The author also does a fabulous job with description of Jakob's old family home and evokes the readers emotions when he revisits it. In my book, No Other is a five-star love story, and I'm sure In All Things, it's sequel will be, too. So if you're a fan of romance or historical inspirational romance, grab these two novels and curl up for a great reading session. This is a warm,sweet romance set in the 1950's.

Writing the Christian Romance by Gail Gaymer Martin

Writing the Christian Romance by Gail Gaymer Martin, published by Writers Digest Books, copyright 2008, is eleven nonfiction chapters of direction and guidance for aspiring Christian romance authors. Some of it is very basic, but other parts go into great detail that can only serve to hone a writer's skills and craft when applied. Chapter 7 deals with point of view and Chapter 8 with dialogue, which are usually two issues beginning writers have to hone. There's also a chapter on plotting. I highly recommend this book from a well-known Christian author as a tool for improving one's writing for the Christian romance market, and I wish I'd picked it up earlier. I've highlighted important concepts and marked my copy for use as a writing tool to add to my library of resources. It's available in a beautiful paperback and is worth the price. If you want to succeed in the Christian market, get the Bible for it by a woman who has published many such novels of her own. She's even included examples of a long and short synopsis. I give it five well-deserved stars.