In the first book of the series, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby found out that they were not just ordinary children, but the Lost Jewels of Anniera. They are forced to flee from the Fangs of Dang, fierce some snake-like soldiers.

North! Or Be Eaten continues the tale. The Igibys flee north with their mother and Podo, their grandfather, and their uncle because the Fangs cannot handle the cold climate in the north. To reach the Ice Prairies, they encounter the monsters of Glipwood Forest, the Stranders of the East Bend, and Janner must escape from the Fork Factory. The book’s subtitle summarizes beautifully what you should expect while reading the book: “Wild escapes. A desperate journey. And the ghastly Fangs of Dang.”

See yesterday’s post to check out other blog participants.

First, a boring legal disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book for free from the publisher. Just because I got this book for free does not mean that I will give it a glowing review. You can rest assured that I will always be honest in my review of any book, publication, product, website, etc.

Back to our regularly scheduled book discussion…

I was fasting from novels when North! Or Be Eaten arrived. I forgot it was coming so when I opened the package, I thought, “Oh no!” The Lord graciously released me from my fast so I could fulfill my obligation. Yay!

North! Or Be Eaten is the second book in the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. Andrew’s book reminds me of an epic tale that would be told around a summer camp bonfire. Peterson has crafted a story with just enough humor and impossibility to keep you laughing and asking for more.

This book is delightful…from the vicious toothy cows (who ever heard of a cow with sharp teeth that eats people?) to the hysterical names  like Ronchy , Podo, Nurgabog ,and my personal favorite, Leeli (my Spanish name in high school, although it was spelled Lili) will have you chuckling in places.

The entire Wingfeather Saga is perfect for a family read-aloud, especially if you are good at acting out different voices (which unfortunately I am not). This also would be a fantastic children’s movie (hear that Hollywood?). Although there is violence because all good fantasy novels contain violence, there are no “adult” themes to make parents cringe.

Tomorrow I’ll summarize the story and Friday I plan to shine the light on the main characters.

In the meantime, enjoy stopping the other participating blogs:

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Amy Browning
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
Nissa
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Steve and Andrew
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Elizabeth Williams
KM Wilsher

As  many of you are aware, I love reading the Stuff Christians Like blog. I can’t say I’m a real fan, because a REAL fan would pre-order the book, something I haven’t done and probably won’t do (although I’ll buy the book when I can). Anyway, I digress. Today’s post is on Spiritual Attacks. Acuff has a way of making everything funny, even serious topics. You might want to pop over to the blog and read the post so you will understand what I am talking about.

Acuff’s premise is that there are two camps of Christians: The Everything is a Spiritual Attack and Nothing is a Spiritual Attack.

I have to laugh because isn’t it just like us Christians to try to pigeon-hole everything in our life? We just love to make up a sweeping rule to govern ourselves so we don’t have to spend time with the Lord to find out what He says about the situation. Yep. I said it. And I’m guilty of it.

If I believe everything is a spiritual attack, I can just go into Super Christian Warrior mode and bind everything around me in hopes I’ll get the right target and my suffering will stop. If I don’t believe that anything is a spiritual attack, I can resolutely look to the heavens and moan, “This must be God’s will.”

Obviously, as with most things, there is a balance. But the only way to find balance is to spend time with the Lord yourself. He gives us discernment to know what to do in all situations when we take the time to listen. It’s much easier just to follow some rule we were taught or made up.

Did you ever notice that in most things we are faced with in life, there is no hard and fast rule? I think God likes it that way. Then we have to seek Him even more.

Well I almost missed the tour…For some reason, I did not see the e-mails reminding me about the tour in my inbox and they got deleted. I saw someone else’s blog, which thankfully, triggered my memory. So now I have to put three days’ worth of blog tour stuff into one.

Donita K. Paul is one of my favorite authors. The characters in the Dragonkeeper Chronicles were so lifelike I swore they were standing in my living room having conversations. She always manages to make each character have some strange, but believable quirk.  That gift continues in The Vanishing Sculptor, Donita’s new book.

It’s been a while since I read one of Donita’s books (they were all destroyed in the fire), but I believe I enjoyed The Vanishing Sculptor the most. The story is full of depth, more great characters, and tons of laugh out loud moments.

Tipper, the main character The Vanishing Scupltor, is a young emerlindian woman who is running ragged trying to hold it all together. Her father disappear some 15 years ago, her mother is not quite right and has a weak grasp of reality, and financially things are falling apart. She is slowly, with great reluctance, selling off her famous sculptor father’s artwork to support herself and her mother. Unbeknownst to Tipper, doing so has set off a chain of events that may be the death of her father and the unraveling of their world.

In Paul’s previous Dragonkeeper Chronicles books, I had come to think of Paladin as a unique Jesus-like person. He seemed almost invincible (except when he was ill because of unbelief in the land). In fact, in a few of the books, Paladin came in and saved the day with little effort against the bad guys. But in The Vanishing Sculptor, the role of a Paladin take on an entirely different context and there can be more than one Paladin. That was quite confusing to me, but my confusion did not get in the way of enjoying the story.

All of Donita’s books are suitable for children and adults alike. There’s enough whimsy in them to keep children fascinated and a great story, lifelike characters, and rich description to keep adults coming back for more.

Below are other participants. I’ll include notes for some of my favorite posts:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Rachel Briard
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson Excerpt of book showing humor/wordplay. Hysterical!
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Linda Gilmore
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher Good interesting post. More info on Donita K. Paul
Dawn King That would be me!
Rebecca LuElla Miller Our Tour Leader…Didn’t know that Donita K. Paul was the author of the first book the CSFF ever featured.
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen (posting later in the week)
Nissa
John W. Otte
Lyn Perry
Crista Richey
Cheryl Russell
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson Rachel always has great blog posts
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren Nice post with food for thought
Dona Watson Deeper look at the characters
Phyllis Wheeler Good summary
Elizabeth Williams
KM Wilsher First post by a new CSFFer

Last night, while humping myself and books back to my car after a night class, it hit me. I’ve probably been in contact with more unsaved people in the past couple weeks since school started than I have for the past 15 years. That’s scary.

I’ve been quite sheltered since I started having children. Besides family members, for the longest time, I didn’t know anyone personally who was unsaved. I had church friends, joined homeschool co-ops and joined into online communities with Christians.

It is so simple, when you are surrounded by Christians, to feel that everyone believes as you do and that those things going on in the world are just anomalies. Everyone in my social circle believed, at the minimum, that Jesus died for our sins and that we are accountable for our actions. All my friends (irl & online) were moving in the direction of being formed into the image of Jesus. During this time that my passion for evangelism was almost nonexistant. How passionate could I be if I didn’t have relationships with lost people (except my family, but that’s a whole other issue)?

There were several times in those 15 years that God told me to get out of my ivory tower. I really didn’t understand what He was talking about. I do now.

Imagine my rude awakening when I started delivering newspapers a couple years ago and had to run into non-Christian people. I was shocked by the details of some of their lives. My heart started to ache and I longed to tell them about Jesus (and some I actually did!).

Last night on the way home from school, the topic of discussion on the radio station I listen to (Star 99.1) was “How did you reinvent yourself?” They were talking about voluntarily changing your life direction, reinventing yourself. I certainly did not change my life direction voluntarily.

Instead I feel like I was thrown out of the Ivory Tower by the seat of my pants. I didn’t have one of those cool landings where you roll out the force and into a stand gracefully. Nope, I hit the ground face first, body crashing into the ground leaving a crater. I’m slowly getting up amidst much pain, checking for injuries.

Over the past year,  a big part of my identity was ripped away, leaving me kind of confused and wondering who I am and what life has in store for me. Since Ariella was a newborn, when I first held her in my arms, I made the decision to homeschool her and shelter her from all the yuck out there in the world. As each child came along, I’d think, add another couple years of homeschooling to my life because I planned on homeschooling each through high school. I was a homeschooling mom and proud of it. I relished my role and even the admiring exclamations that came when I mentioned I was the homeschooling mother of 7. My whole identity was built around it.

Until the fire, the chaos and finally, putting the kids in school last year. I felt like a failure, but secretly inside, I hoped this was a mere bobble on my life plan. This summer, I knew that decision was not just a bobble, but a new way of life and it broke my heart. All my talk about how sending a Christian kid to public school is sin crashed in on me. My disgusting judgmental and critical self was humiliated. Pride comes before the fall and I ate crow in huge helpings.

God had to strip me of who I thought I was to not only to change my character, but also to get me out of the ivory tower into the world. I have to learn to interact with unsaved people and not let my shock show on my face. I’m also learning that who I am and my worth does not depend on what cool thing I do. I belong to Him and that is enough. I am learning (slowly) who Dawn King is and who God made her to be. I’m learning to seek Him, listen for His instruction, and obey so I don’t end up in another mess. I am not reinventing myself, God is reinventing me into the person He created for me to be. Out of my ivory tower, trying to reach others for Christ, hoping that my experiences will bring someone else hope.

I usually do not read contemporary fiction. Honestly, if I am going to escape from life, I want something that will take me completely away from my culture and lifestyle. That said, ocassionally I do jump the shark and read some contemporary books that intrigue me. The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry is one of those books I would make the exception for.

Imagine getting a call during church that your husband comatose after a car accident. You rush to his side and as he awakens, he can’t remember his life. As you work together to recover memories, you find that the life you thought you had, you really didn’t have. How do you both put the pieces of your life and marriage back together?

Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author’s life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, releases from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently–Forgive Extravagantly!

I had the opportunity to ask Christina a few questions…

How did you come up with such a fascinating plot?

In the summer of 2006, two stories appeared in the newspaper. One was a huge, national story; the other a smaller, local-interest item. I wondered what it might look like if those two stories conceived a child. Boom! I had the entire plot for The Familiar Stranger. It will be interesting to see if readers can figure out which stories inspired the book.

What do you want people to ponder after reading your novel?

What takeaway value do you hope readers receive after reading your novel?

The recent changes in my life—losing my husband, facing finding a “real” job, selling my home—have done nothing but solidify what I hope to be the theme of the book and my life: Live Transparently—Forgive Extravagantly. If reading The Familiar Stranger makes even one man or woman be more honest with his or her spouse or delve into trust issues in a healthy way, I’ll consider it a success. Maybe there’s a hurting heart that can find a new path to forgiveness because of the story.

What part does God play in your writing?

I believe He guides the story, adding layers I’m not even capable of comprehending while I write it. I’m not great at starting my writing time with prayer, but I try to stay open to where He might lead me.

I see writing as one of the tools He uses to form me into His image—a tool to teach me patience, self-control, determination, reliance on Him, and other life lessons. I also see writing as a gift that brings hope, fulfillment, and purpose when the rest of my life is falling apart.

Thanks for sharing with me Christina!

For a chance to win a free book, post a comment on this post. Make sure you include some contact info!

If you can’t wait to read the book, you can order at Amazon.com.

Check out tomorrow’s stop on the blog tour.

I’m sorry all that I missed Day 2. We had some things going on regarding our whole fire/insurance claim yesterday. Not fun. I won’t be able to post much today either. Check out the other participants

I read through a couple of the blog posts about Offworld by Robin Parrish. Amy Cruson that the book is not overtly Christian as expected from a Christian publisher. While Offworld is a great, action filled read, but I didn’t feel that my faith was edified at all.I’m not saying that it is a bad thing, because some books can be just entertainment.

Someone else commented that they wished that there had been more character development, especially for Mae.

***Spoiler warning***

In my opinion Mae does not need much character development. She should be a two dimensional figure because she’s not a real person.

Remember, if you post a comment on this blog, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Offword! Just make sure I can contact you!

Check out some of the other tour participants:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Canadianladybug
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen (posting later in the week)
Nissa
John W. Otte
Lyn Perry
Steve Rice
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Stephanie
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Elizabeth Williams

The featured book for this month’s blog tour is Offworld by Robin Parrish. When the first astronauts to visit Mars arrive back on Earth, they find that everyone has disappeared. Why?

Reading this book felt like a ride with a crazed race car driver speeding along a Los Angelos highway. It is a high-intense, can’t put down book that would make an AMAZING action movie.

Tomorrow I’ll comment more. For now, leave me a comment and you’ll be entered into a drawing with the chance to win a copy of this book. Make sure you also leave me a way to contact you!

My fellow tourists:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Canadianladybug
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
Lyn Perry
Steve Rice
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Stephanie
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Elizabeth Williams

Well today my plan was to just highlight some of the other talented blog tour participants. My writing is not nearly as good and interesting as some of my fellow posters. That is until I read Becky Miller’s Day 2 post. Becky discussed how the protagonists’ faith is really a block to getting the things they want…a successful career in science, prestige, and honor instead of being the crutch that critics of Christianity try to make it out to be. She also reminds us that non-Christians, of course, do not run into this problem.

I’ve often thought that non-Christians must have a boring inner life. I know that’s not true, but I do know the wars that occur in my mind. God is always working on something in me and I’ve often had a difficult struggle. Maybe that’s something that only happens here in NJ.

There are times I want to tell off someone who is treating me wrong or want to act as nasty as they are acting towards me. But God is telling me to “Love your enemies, pray for those who spitefully use you.”

There are times I want to give in the the fear and despair of my circumstances but God says to fear not, do not worry, seek first His kingdom. Totally opposite of what my flesh and the world and the devil are telling me to do.

No, I haven’t been faced with a career killing choice of following God like Lacey and  Cam have. But I have been faced with the same choice Joshua and the Israelites faced.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” Deut. 30:19-20

…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Josh. 25:15

And now back to my regularly scheduled blog post…

Today I want to highlight a few of the great blog posts on the tour for The Enclave by Karen Hancock.

Beth Goddard has a nice chatty review. I wish mine were as easy to write as she makes it look!

Elizabeth Williams has a detailed analysis of the book with both pros and cons. I think some of her criticisms have merit.

Karen Hancock has answers to some publicity questions, plus links to other excellent posts and an interview.

I’d like to highlight these other blogs out of the list because I think their posts are noteworthy:

Keanan Brand

Canadianladybug

Todd Michael Greene

Fred Warren

Krystine Kercher ***spoiler warning***

Rebecca Luella Miller

Steve Rice

Stephanie

Rachel Starr Thomson

The entire CSFF Blog Tour crew:

Brandon Barr
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Canadianladybug
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Heather R. Hunt
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Mike Lynch
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Stephanie
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Elizabeth Williams

I want to mention some other things in particular about The Enclave in this post.

The first line, “Cameron Reinhardt is an idiot!” and the rest of the first chapter are the perfect hook. The action in this book does not take pages to find. It starts right at the beginning and keeps on going. There’s never a dull moment or a scene that you kind of skip because it’s boring. I’ve never wanted to skim Karen’s books because each and every word is necessary to get what is going on.

Secondly, I just had gotten used to the setting in the first two chapters, then suddenly I’m thrown into another world. It was jarring, to be mentally sent to New Eden, the new “ark” of mankind after being in the present for so long.  If the first chapter was the perfect hook that caught me, this one was the tug on the line that embedded the hook for good. Karen does an amazing job of only giving you a tiny bit of information at a time. I was almost frustrated I did not know the whole story, so I kept reading and reading and reading. It’s a good two thirds of the book before we get enough information to really figure out what is going on.

Unlike Jennifer Bogart, another blog participant, I felt the ending was believable except for one point I’ll discuss in a minute. Karen laid out the signs pointing to the ending all along…the little black cubes that could change your thought patterns and influence your actions and Cam’s flashbacks.

****spoiler warning****

I had no problem with the Nephillim, how they were revived, or the destruction they wrought on the Institute. I guess I’ve listened to enough Chuck Missler that those things don’t seem so far out to me. In fact, I’ll go one step farther and believe that in reality, I think Nephillim, fallen angels and demons (which are not necessarily all the same) are fed by negative emotions and even blood. If you think about it, almost all the alien abduction stories contain sights and sounds that are terrifying to people. Demons are constantly trying to influence us to meditate on the dark side of things. And many of the religions of the world involved some sort of human sacrifice.

My main issue was with the wrap-up, the fact that Cam and Lacey left without trying to call the police and having Geri and others who knew arrested. I can’t imagine going through all that and seeing all those dead people and not calling the police. Not only should justice be served on those masterminds still alive, but Geri and the rest of the remaining crew could come after them later on. To me, that felt like the publisher wanted the author to finish the book under a certain word limit and cut out a few things or that Karen got tired of writing.

I noticed that at the end of The Return of the Guardian-King, there was a very short wrap-up, much shorter than I wanted anyway, maybe that is Karen’s style.Some authors give you a whole chapter or two wrap up, which allows me to put the characters to rest and not worry about or wonder what ever happened to them. Yes, it just may be a little kooky to puzzle over, but that’s me.

You can check out Karen Hancock’s blog. I’m sure you will be blessed as blessed by her musings as I have been. Some of her posts have helped me get through the really dark times over the past year.

Check out the other Blog Tour participants:
Brandon Barr
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Canadianladybug
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Heather R. Hunt
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Mike Lynch
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Stephanie
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Elizabeth Williams