Race Against Time by Kimberley and Kayla Woodhouse

Kimberley & Kayla Woodhouse write as a mother-daughter team different than any you've heard of before. Kayla is a young teen. Intrigued? Read on.

Kimberley Woodhouse is a wife, mother, writer, and musician approaching life with a positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. Her previous book, Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy, chronicles her daughter's extremely rare health issues and how the Woodhouses received an amazing gift through the ABC television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Kim and her husband have two children and live in Colorado.

Kayla Woodhouse is a teenage author whose life-altering medical condition (a nerve disorder that prevents her body from regulating its temperature or sensing pain) has not stopped her love for swimming and other activities.

About the book:

Anesia Naltsiine has made mistakes that have cost her--and her 13 year old daughter, Zoya--dearly. But no more. She will prove her worth as a mother and as a breeder of champion sprint racing dogs. Her kennel is so successful that buyers come from all over the world. So why does she still feel worthless?

Zoya misses the dad she never knew. All she wants is to follow in his footsteps as a champion sprint dog racer. But when she witnesses a murder in their town of North Pole, Alaska, she finds herself thrown into dangers and emotions she can't begin to understand.

Enter Sean Connelly, a new employee at the kennel with demons of his own. When he discovers macro-chips bearing military secrets implanted in the Naltsinne's dogs, a puzzle tracing back to the murder unfolds. Then strange accidents start happening; clearly someone wants Zoya silenced. Anesia tells her daughter it's not safe to race, but Zoya, angry with the world--and against God--takes off across dangerous Alaskan territory alone. Anesia and Sean must race against time to save the girl and themselves.

You can read more about this book and watch a video for it here. You can also pre-order it as it doesn't release for a few more weeks.

Thanks Kimberley and Kayla for this clean read and for this ARC copy.

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Karen Witemeyer is still a relative newcomer to the Christian fiction writing scene, but last year I was blown away by her debut novel, A Tailor Made Bride. Now she's gone and done it again with her third release from Bethany House, To Win Her Heart.

Eden Spencer has resigned herself to being a spinster. Her betrothed ran off five years ago and while time has healed her wounds, she's still a little uneasy around men. Especially men new to town like the ruggedly handsome Levi Grant. Levi has just been released from prison and is looking to start over in Spencer, Texas as a blacksmith. He has made peace with his past and has renewed his relationship with the Lord, but he still doesn't want anyone to know about his incarceration, because he doesn't want to be labeled as trouble.

What I loved about this book:

• Eden is the founder of the town library and has it in her home because she considers books of utmost importance


• The characters use stories from the Bible to help them in real-life circumstances


• There aren't too many characters to remember


• I cried at the ending


• The minor characters are as lovable as the major ones

I loved every minute of reading this book. Kudos to the author for another enjoyable read! And for a CLEAN READ.

Thanks to the author for providing this book for review.

You can purchase this book here.

I Called Him Dancer by G. Edward Snipes

From the back cover:

For a moment, Michael danced on top of the world, but on bad choice turned his life upside down. The once promising Broadway star now washed windows for tips and lives among the homeless. When his former dance partner recognizes him behind the fray of whiskers, shame drives him away from her. Angry at God and the world, the Dancer refuses to allow anyone into his life. When everything is stripped away, three things remail: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love.

I Called Him Dancer is a story about how one woman's enduring faith and unconditional love drives her to reach out to a homeles man who has given up on life.

G. Edward Snipes is a freelance writer, president of the Christian Authors Guild, and founder of Exchanged Life Ministries. He has had three award winning short stories, and regularly has articles published on several online ministries. Visit his ministry site here. Or his personal blog here.

Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman

Another Dawn is the latest thought provoking novel by Kathryn Cushman. If you've not yet discovered this author then you need to find her books and start reading. Each of her novels are full of characters that come alive (you know, the kind you begin to care about.) This volume is no exception. Kathryn dares to tackle the controversial issue of whether to immunize your children or not to and she presents both sides of the argument exceptionally well. If you're a fan of Karen Kingsbury then you'll fall in love with this author. Her books are refreshingly different and always give the reader a welcome escape. Grab a box of tissues and start reading.

This book releases on Feb 1, 2011 and you can purchase it here.

About Another Dawn:
What Would You Give for a Second Chance to Make Things Right?

When life gets complicated, Grace Graham runs. She's left romantic relationships, friendships, and even her family after the death of her mother. But now her sister, Jana, is giving her once last chance: Come home and help care for their father--whom Grace still blames for her mother's death--or never show her face in Shoal Creek, Tennessee, again.

With her son, Dylan, in tow, Grace returns home from California. But is she returning for the right reasons? And when costly decisions from the past suddenly put her son's life and the lives of other children in town at risk, will she have the strength to stand strong and await Another Dawn?

About the author:
Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy and practiced as a pharmacist in Georgia, Tennessee, and California. She is the author of three previous novels. She lives in California with her family.

Kathryn's other books are must-reads too. You can find out more about her here. Read about her other books here.

Thanks, Kathryn, for this CLEAN READ!

Found in Translation by Roger Bruner with Kristi Rae Bruner

Released this week from Barbour's THRIVE line is Found in Translation by Roger Bruner with Kristi Rae Bruner (a father-daughter team!) This is a fictional account of a spoiled teenage girl and her first missions trip. It's loosely based on Kristi's own experience (very loosely! I'm sure Kristi is nowhere as spoiled as the character created for this story). If you've got teens who are interested in joining a missions team to another country then this would be a great book for them to read. It's filled with spiritual truths along with real life struggles that we all deal with from time to time. I think we can all see a little of ourselves in Kim Hartlinger.

From the back cover:

When Kim Hartlinger—eighteen and spoiled—arrives on a mission trip to Mexico and discovers, to her chagrin, that she’ll be doing construction in a remote village without plumbing and electricity, rather than evangelism in a medium-sized town with a fast food joint . . she has only two choices. “Rough it” (which isn’t exactly what Kim had in mind when she signed up for this trip) or turn around and head home.

Will Kim be able to touch the villagers’ hearts with the Gospel? Or will her time in Mexico be up before she gets the chance?

About the authors:

Roger Bruner worked as a teacher, job counselor, and programmer analyst before retiring to pursue his dream of writing Christian fiction full time.

Kristi Rae Bruner lives in the Orlando area and enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and cooking. During her teen years she went on a life-changing missions trip to Mexico.

You can purchase this book here.