Wind River makes my Top Ten List!

The CFBA selection this week caught me by pleasant surprise. I'm not sure what I expected, but Wind River met every expectation I could possibly have for a great book. From page one until the surprising end, I did not put the book down. This book is BEAUTIFUL but filled with such great conflict. Members of my critique group recently named our own Top 10 Lists for "Books to Read Before You Die" and Wind River was on my list.

Relationships, beauty, nature, fly-fishing (my favorite hobby) all brought together by characters with character conflicted on many fronts.

After you read Wind River, let me know if you're adding it to your Top Ten list, too. And if you're so inclined, leave your own "Top Ten Books to Read Before You Die" in the comments this week.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Wind River

(Bethany House July 1, 2008)

by

Tom Morrisey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tom Morrisey is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society - Cave Diving Section.

He has launched, edited or contributed to numerous national publications and is an award-winning adventure-travel writer. A popular speaker, he is also active in both evangelism and the arts. Morrisey earned an MFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University, and his fiction has been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines.

His first novel, Yucatan Deep (Zondervan, 2002) was a finalist for the Christy award, and he is the author of four other novels: In High Places (Bethany House Publishers, 2007), Dark Fathom (Zondervan, 2005), Deep Blue, (Zondervan 2004), and Turn Four (Zondervan 2004). In addition Tom has also written two nonfiction books: 20 American Peaks & Crags (Contemporary Books, 1978) and Wild by Nature (Baker Books, 2001). He and his family live in Orlando, Florida.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

You Can't Outrun the Sins of Your Past

Desperate to forget what happened to him in Iraq, Tyler Perkins flees to the emptiness of Wyoming. He's here to escape and also to fulfill a long-ago promise by accompanying his 86-year-old friend Soren Andeman on a fly-fishing trip--once more for old time's sake. But their trek to an idyllic trout lake soon becomes something more deeply harrowing--a journey that uncovers long-held lies, deadly crimes, and the buried secrets of the past. Ty barely has time to contemplate the question of what constitutes justice when nature unleashes her own revenge. Trapped in a race back to safety, he must face his own guilt-ridden past or risk being consumed.

Powerfully imagined by the acclaimed author of In High Places, Wind River is an engaging wilderness adventure that explores the power of confession, the beauty of forgiveness, and the freedom of truth unveiled.

To read the first chapter, click HERE.

A Young Man's Dream

Remember the last time you got a drink of water? Did it come from your kitchen sink, perhaps from the refrigerator door? Did you happen to think of where the water was coming from or how it came to be in your house, and your convenience?

I urge you to watch this video, and then challenge you to take action. Help this young man help others.

Are you squeezed in the Middle Ages?

Phil Callaway has written the perfect book for our current times. Family Squeeze - Tales of Hope and Hilarity for a Sandwiched Generation offers a humorous look at family life as many of us now know it. And it gives us a perfect theme for this week's entries!

From the back cover:

You've been warned about middle-age spread. But no one told you about the Squeeze.

You're in the "Middle Ages" - sandwiched between the "greatest generation" and the "gimme" generations, busily juggling both with no relief in sight. Children are driving, and parents are not. Money is tight and so are your favorite jeans. And things that never ached before are beginning to give you trouble! For every baby boomer who wonders if it's possible to navigate the Middle Ages with grace and style, Phil Callaway offers plenty of hope and a little hilarity too. Because there's nothing like a smile to make wrinkles less noticeable.

The author of Who Put My Life on Fast Forward? and Laughing Matters offers this lighthearted look at the challenges of the middle years - and promises that while we can't slow down the aging process, we can ease the worries it brings by focusing on what really matters most.

About the Author:

Described as "Dave Barry with a message," author, speaker, and television host Phil Callaway has written twenty books, many of them bestsellers. He is a popular speaker at conferences, camps, and marriage retreats - coaxing laughter and tears from audiences worldwide. Of his personal accomplishments, he rates the following highest: shutting off the TV to listen to his children's questions (twice), taking out the garbage without being told (once), and convincing his high-school sweetheart Ramona to marry him (once.)

You'll start laughing the moment you read some of the chapter titles:

• Shotgun Memories
• The Teenagers are Coming
• Baloney Detectors
• Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Son
• I Proposed in a Chain Letter
• How's Your Stuffometer?
• My Shark Hunter
• Bumper Cars and Harpoons
• and more!

I was recently having an e-mail discussion with one of my friends about the next generation. The opening of Phil's Chapter 14 rang true to our conversation:

Have you ever wondered if there's hope for the next generation? I certainly have. They've got more earrings than brain cells. They're confused. They don't know which way to point their hats or how high to pull their pants. They have problems with their eyesight. They can't find a thing o eat in a fridge full of food nor a thing to wear in a closet full of clothes. They're glued to their cell phones - when they're not chatting online in brief, meaningless sentences.

Family Squeeze is a great book - you'll want to get a copy to promote laughter on your most stressful days!!

Now, for the contest.

We want FUNNY. We want FAMILY. Submit your most humorous family story - it can be real, or imagined - as long as you let us know which one! Limit your entries to 2000 words or less, and submit to me at tracyruckman[at]gmail[dot]com by Friday, midnight.

With each entry, you'll be entered to win a HUGE box of books at the end of July. Right now, the book count is at 18, and it will continue to grow. These are new books, some hardcover, some softcover, fiction, and non-fiction. Most are trade paperbacks (the larger ones) or hardbacks. There are three mass market (smaller) paperbacks. Current authors, many bestsellers, include Goyer, Moser, Baaert, Liparulo, Daley, Raney, Dooley, Arterburn, Sweet, Hake, and MORE!

All Worthwhile

Another Pixel submitted this great story of her family's 4th of July celebration:

All Worthwhile

by Karri Compton

My youngest daughter's birthday is July 4th, so it's an extra celebration for us. She's always so excited to get fireworks on her birthday. This year a friend of ours offered to take us in his boat to the Cape Fear River, where fireworks would be shot off the U.S.S. Battleship North Carolina.

We traveled quickly south down the ICW (Intra Coastal Waterway), wind ripping through our hair and clothes. The salt spray got us a few times as well when our boat crossed another boat's wake, causing the boat’s bow to slam up and down against the water.

A landlubber, I'm not fond of choppy waters and fast speeds, so when we reached the mouth of the river and had to make a right turn in order to come inland, I got a bit nervous. Thankfully, our friend slowed down for me.

It took about an hour to reach our destination, where we were among at least 30 other boats and thousands of on shore spectators. We were trying to set anchor when the display began. I've seen fireworks everywhere from Washington, D.C. to Germany to Disney World, but there's nothing like sitting directly under them when they explode. The sound was deafening and I had to shield my eyes several times because of the brightness. But the feeling of being a kid again, oohing and ahing, trumped any discomfort.

Finally, the show ended and we began our trek home. Now, of course, it was totally dark. The river current was against us, so it took longer to get back to the waterway. Thank God for GPS and depth finders, because we nearly hit a few of the unlit markers when we strayed too close to the boundary of the safe range. I felt so helpless, not being able to control the water or the boat or where the markers were in the almost pitch black. The red and green flashing signs and the GPS were the only things there to guide our friend in the right direction. Thankfully, he was very experienced.

Finally, about two hours later, we arrived back at the marina. I was never so happy to see good ole terra firma! I thanked God silently and our friend aloud for the safe and fun trip. Even though parts of the experience were nerve-wracking, the fantastic show made it all worthwhile.

Isn't that how our lives are sometimes? God is the captain of our boat. He alone knows where the channel is, where the signs are, where the dangers are. He slows down for us sometimes when we're scared. We have to cross choppy waters--it's inevitable in the journey he's taking us on. But he's faithful. His promise to be with us when we pass through the waters remains a hope for us. And at the end of the journey we will look back on the joys and the trials and see that it was all worthwhile.

War Not Over When Soldiers Come Home

This touching piece is written by our special Pixel Amy Barkman. Grab a tissue.

Not Over
by Amy Barkman

It’s so exciting when our soldiers return from service on foreign soil. We relax and breathe a sigh of relief. It’s over and we can let up on our prayers, right?

My husband served two terms in Viet Nam. When we got married he’d been home for sixteen years. I was shocked to find out that he often woke up drenched with perspiration and fear from nightmares that he was on a ship headed back for a third term of duty.

A few years later, we attended a huge Christian conference and before the preacher began his message he asked that all the Viet Nam Veterans stand up. He assured all other Vets present that he appreciated them too but God had put this on his heart for the ones who served in Viet Nam. When the eight men – out of over 4,000 people present– were standing, he said “This is from God and from me. Welcome home, soldier, you did a good job.” My husband wept and said “That’s the first time anybody ever said that to me.”

We’ve learned to show appreciation to our troops on their return since the injustice toward those who served in Nam. But have we learned that just because they are off the battle field physically, their inner war is not over.

Those who fight for freedom do not come back the same as they left us. My husband’s nightmares were not because he wasn’t shown appreciation; they happened because of the horrors of war he experienced.

The horrors of war haven’t changed. Don’t stop praying for our soldiers who make it back safely. Just pray differently. Pray that the healer of broken hearts, the healer of minds who’ve seen horrors, will heal and cleanse and purify their minds and emotions. And pray for their families as they walk with them to wholeness.