A newsletter featuring the latest on fiction by
Brandilyn Collins and many other Christian novelists.
Buy these titles at your local Christian bookstore
– and thereby support its ministry.

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~ Brandilyn's Bits: News on her books and appearances
~ A Novel Gift: This month’s chance to win a free autographed book (3 chances to win)
~ Behind the Scenes: Answers to your questions about other Christian novelists
~ Facts on Fiction: Latest available releases from some of your favorite authors

~ Brandilyn's Bits ~

Thanks to a free download promotion, Exposure and Dark Pursuit spent the entire month of January on the Kindle bestseller list, nine days at #1 and #2, respectively. They remained on the list for a week after the promotion. Thanks to the many of you who wrote to say how much you enjoyed the books. Upcoming Appearances: ~ Christian Writers Seminar, Castro Valley, CA February 19-20. On Saturday the 20th I’ll teach two workshops: Creating Character Empathy and Creating Character Emotion. ~ Northwest Christian Writers Renewal, Bothell, WA (Seattle area) May 7-8. I’ll be keynote speaker Friday night, plus teach a three-part workshop Saturday on Creating Dynamic Suspense. I’d love to see you there! How can Sneak Pique be more informative and enjoyable for you? Help me improve our community’s newsletter by giving your opinions through a very short survey. Your answers will be anonymous. I really want to hear from all of you. Please participate by using this link: 10-second Survey.

~ A Novel Gift ~

Visit your local Christian bookstore after reading this newsletter and find one of my novels on the shelf. If you were to give that novel to someone as a present, what item in the gift section of the store would be a good accompaniment? To qualify you must include your name and address as well as the name and address of the Christian bookstore you visit. Please e-mail your answers to my assistant. Don’t hesitate to enter the contest if it takes you a number of days to get to the store. Winning responses often don’t come in immediately. To qualify you must include your name and address as well as the name and address of the Christian bookstore you visit. (This contest is open to those who reside in the continental United States and Canada and who have not won in the past six months.)

~ February-March winners and the stores they visited ~
Molly Edwards (Willow Spring, NC)	~	Source of Truth (Smithfield, NC) and Lifeway Christian Stores (Cary, NC)
Linda Hanberry (Sumrall, MS)	~	Lifeway Christian Store (Hattiesburg, MS)

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~ Behind the Scenes ~

Answers to your questions about other Christian novelists.

Do you have a question about a Christian novelist? E-mail it to my assistant, and I'll try to find out the answer for the next issue of Sneak Pique.

Can you tell me about Kathy Herman’s books? I know The Right Call, third in her Sophie Trace trilogy, is coming out in March. I’m waiting for that one! But what about beyond that?

Here’s Kathy's response:

"The Sophie Trace Trilogy was so much fun that I've contracted with DC Cook Publishers to do another series, The Langley Manor Trilogy, which will be set in the heart of Cajun country. This new series will feature three characters from Sophie Trace who have relocated to the fictional town of Les Barbes (the name means 'beards' and came from the look of the Spanish moss hanging from the trees) after inheriting an old plantation house they want to turn into a bed-and-breakfast. In the first book, Transgressions, the three are are renting an apartment above a gift shop in downtown Les Barbes while the house is being renovated. Their landlord, Zoe Broussard, has a dark past she's never told anyone, not even her husband. And when the wrong people find out about it, Zoe struggles to save her business, her marriage—and her life.

"Transgressions will be my seventeenth novel. The story is based on Ecclesiastes 12:14, 'For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil,' and will be the same fast-paced, intriguing suspense that you've come to expect."

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~ Facts on Fiction ~

Here are new releases from the months of December and January. They’re now available to buy. Read more information about the books below at the authors' Web sites. Buy them at your local Christian bookstore.

Biblical Fiction

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna M. White (WhiteFire Publishing)

Born free, made a slave, married out of her bonds, Abigail never knows freedom until she feels the stray drop of blood from a Jewish carpenter. Disowned by Israel, despised by Rome, desired by all, she never knows love until she receives the smile of a Stoic Roman noble. A Stray Drop of Blood carries readers back to Biblical Jerusalem and Rome for a heart-clutching journey through passion, bitterness, and forgiveness.

Contemporary

A Stranger's Wish by Gayle Roper (Harvest House)

The Amish Farm Trilogy #1. In this updated and expanded version of The Key, artist Kristie Matthews moves to an Amish farm to live in the apartment of landlord Jake Zook, crippled in an accident. The farm dog bites her and she is rushed to the hospital where she meets an elderly man having a heart attack. He gives her a key to keep with the admonition that she tell no one. Strange, dangerous things begin to plague Kristie, culminating in an attempt on her life. Who will stand by her side, lawyer Todd or writer/counselor Jon Clarke? And where is God in the differences between Amish life and English life?

Contemporary Romance

Groom in Training by Gail Gaymer Martin (Steeple Hill Books)

Man's Best Friend Series #2. Friends, Four-legged Friends and Love. A widow with a sad past, Steph Wright finds comfort in her adorable Border Collie, Fred. When Fred becomes enamored with the neighbor's pedigreed Bouvier, Steph meets Nick. With a broken engagement and a busy job, Nick isn't open to love and romance. But when Nick steps in to defend Steph, long talks ensue during dog walking, and both begin to learn that God has plans for each of them, especially Steph, who sees some unexpected "groom-in-training" going on.

Jenna's Cowboy by Sharon Gillenwater (Revell)

Callahans of Texas Trilogy, #1.  Do you ever get a second chance at your first love? After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nate Langley comes home to Callahan Crossing, hoping to return to a normal life helping on the family farm and working as a cowboy. His life-long friend and only love, Jenna Callahan Colby, is back home, too, after a devastating divorce. God and a loving family have healed much of her hurt, but does she dare love again?  And can they help Nate heal from the emotional wounds of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and become the man he thinks Jenna deserves?

Kelly's Chance by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Barbour Publishing) 

Lehigh Canal Series #1. Kelly McGregor's life along the Lehgh Canal has nothing in common with the beauty that surrounds her. Forced to help her family survive by driving her father's mules as they pull boatloads of coal to the city, Kelly determines that she'll never marry. She dreams of owning her own art gallery someday. When store owner, Mike Cooper asks Kelly to be his wife, Kelly must make a decision that could change her life. Will Kelly seize this chance for a love like she's never known, or will her fear of marriage drive her away?

Never Far from Home by Mary Ellis (Harvest House)

Miller Family Series #2. Emma Miller is on the cusp of leaving childhood behind and entering the adult world. She has finished school and started her own wool business, and she longs for someone to court. When the object of her affection is a handsome English sheep farmer with a fast truck and modern methods, her deacon father, Simon, knows he has more than the farm alliance to worry about. But are these the plans God has for this close-knit Amish family? An engaging story about waiting on God for His perfect timing and discovering that dreams planted close to home can grow a lasting harvest of hope and love.

Historical Romance

Becoming Lucy by Martha Rogers (Realms division of Strang)

Winds Across the Prairie #1. Lucinda Bishop travels to Oklahoma Territory in 1896 after the death of her parents to live with her aunt and uncle. But Oklahoma ranch life brings her more than she bargained for when she meets ranch hand Jake Starnes. The problem is that Jake must face his past and get his life back together before someone else claims her hand...or even her life. The story offers a message of hope, transformation, and how God's love can bring them through the darkest hours and lead them to find love.

Love from Ashes by Yvonne Lehman (Heartsong Presents/Barbour Publishing)

For almost five years, Amelia Thurstan has lived a lie, believing her parents faced enough grief with the loss of their son during World War II and the death of her love, Joe, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But that was before Joe's brother showed up in Hawaii, filled with questions she never wanted to answer. Luke Thurstan is a former marine battling to bring peace to himself and his parents after WWII. When he lands in Hawaii, the revelation that his brother married a woman who is half Japanese is disturbing enough. But events quickly force Luke to confront the bitterness that has sprung up within him as a result of the war's devastation. When Amelia's secret is finally uncovered, will it be one more blow to two families overwhelmed by grief? Or will love rise from the ashes on wings of healing?

Romantic Suspense

Christmas Peril (Love Inspired Suspense 2 in 1 anthology)
Merry Mayhem by Margaret Daley and Yule Die by Debby Giusti

Christmas bells ring with danger in these suspenseful holiday stories. Merry Mayhem: When single mom Annie Coleman unexpectedly arrives in Christmas, Oklahoma police chief Caleb Jackson suspects she's hiding secrets. He'll be watching her closely. And his protection is just what Annie and her daughter need, as danger has followed them to their new home.

Yule Die: It's hardly a happy holiday for medical researcher Callie Evans…until she discovers her ailing patient is her long-lost brother. And he's being watched by undercover police officer Joe Petrecelli. When the trio is abducted by a cadre of evil men, Joe and Callie will have to fight to keep her brother—and themselves—alive.

Steal Away by Linda Hall Audiobook

Teri Blake-Addison Mystery Series #1. Dr. Carl Houseman, celebrated minister and speaker, is determined to find out what really happened to his wife, declared dead five years ago after her sailboat washed ashore on a coastal island of Maine. Private investigator Terri Blake-Addison must piece together the life of this woman, who felt she didn't know or understand the God that her husband so faithfully served. Did Ellen really die in those cold Atlantic waters? When a murder rocks the island, Terri knows more is at stake than just the puzzling life of an unhappy minister's wife.

Storm Warning by Linda Hall (Steeple Hill Books)

Whisper Lake Series #1. The rustic lakeside homestead is supposed to be a refuge for widow Nori Edwards. However, the moment the single mom arrives, strange and frightening things start happening. Former police officer Steve Baylor—the only resident who'll step foot on the "cursed" property—vows to protect Nor and catch the shadowy someone dead set on terrorizing her. For the first time, she feels safe. But danger won't stay hidden forever…and neither will Nori's stalker, who's waiting for a chance to let a deadly storm roll in.

Suspense

A Deadly Wilderness by Kelly Irvin (Five Star Gale)

The Ties That Kill Book #1. A frantic call propels counselor Susana Acosta into the center of a murder investigation and into Detective Ray Johnson’s arms. Right where she doesn’t want to be. Following her husband’s tragic death, she’s struggled to build a safe haven for her son. That new world doesn’t include persistent detectives chasing drug dealers and hit men. Thrown together on a tumultuous ride, Susana and Ray both learn to have faith in second chances.

Young Adult

Katy's New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Zondervan)

Katy Lambright Series #1. Katy has always enjoyed life in her small Mennonite community, but she longs to learn more than her school can offer. After getting approval from her elders, Katy begins her sophomore year at the public school in town, where she meets new friends and encounters perspectives much different than her own. But as Katy begins to find her way in the outside world, her relationships at home become strained. Can she find a balance between her two worlds?

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Here is an opportunity for you to read excerpts from recent releases of Christian novels.

To send all comments/suggestions, free-book contest entries, questions about Christian novelists please write my assistant.

You are welcome to forward this newsletter to your friends. Join my mailing list.

BRANDILYN
Seatbelt Suspense®
www.brandilyncollins.com
www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com