Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
COTT's Five Fab Feb Releases
Welcome to another thrilling contest brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Clash of the Titles. This showdown features books released in February 2013. Each is prepared to duke it out for the top spot in this all-out, no-holds-barred, literary sparring match. (Okay, okay, there are a FEW rules. Like no strikes below the belt, no brass knuckles, no slipping poison into the well water. But you get the idea.)
Below are each of the five contenders, listed in no particular order. Please vote for the one most likely to grace your nightstand first. Click on the images to purchase on Amazon:
Good, Clean, Murder: A Plain Jane Mystery by Traci Hilton
Living on her own for her first time, Bible school student Jane cleans houses to make ends meet. But being independent brings big trials, like falling for a handsome professor, dealing with an obnoxious roommate, and then there's the dead bodies...
Catherine's Pursuit by Lena Nelson Dooley
In book three of the McKenna’s Daughters series, Catherine McKenna begins a journey to find her lost sisters that turns into a spiritual journey for the entire McKenna family and leads her to the love of her life.
Wounded Heroes Book Three: Betrayal by Anne Patrick
Army veteran Drew Presley will stop at nothing to find the answers behind his wife's murder. But will those answers destroy the life he's made for him and his son?
Nothing Good is Free by Matthew Horn
The last thing Jeff Scott wants is to end up like his vigilante predecessor, Jim, by letting a life of violence and evil get the better of him. So, in a pursuit to find the path less traveled, he seeks the truth about Jim and the life he led before the two joined forces.
Love's Journey Home by Kelly Irvin
Love’s Journey Home is the story of how the families of Bliss Creek’s Amish community learn to be still and listen for the Lord’s direction and then act on faith that His plan will lead them to a long awaited new life.
What do you think of this month's selection? Have you already gotten your hands on one of these and have something wonderful to share about it? Leave a comment and let us (and the authors) know! We love interacting with readers. It's what we're all about. Hope you enjoy our site. Make it a great day!
Come back next week to find out who will stand victorious.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
The Q Manifesto by Alan Schleimer
Clash of the Titles presents...
The Q Manifesto by Alan Schleimer.
A new Dead Sea Scroll stuns the world. Is it a forgery or the end of Christianity?
Not long ago, experts announced that an ancient papyrus referred to Jesus Christ as having a wife. It caused quite a stir before being quickly discredited. But what if an even more explosive papyrus was found that showed the gospels were faked and that document passed every modern test for legitimacy? That is the premise for The Q Manifesto.
The story centers on Jay Hunt, who quit a lucrative Wall Street career to become a backcountry tour guide. Soon after, an ancient manuscript is uncovered that reveals the Gospels were an orchestrated fiction. Though its revelation stuns the world, Jay ignores it until his father, a retired Dead Sea Scrolls expert, gets in over his head investigating the scroll. Chased by assassins, Jay soon learns that the world’s only chance to survive Armageddon depends on him deciphering a cryptic trail of clues in his quest for the truth.
Alan Schleimer wasn’t always a writer. In fact, he says that he was the least likely candidate to become a published author. About ten years ago, he was enjoying a career in the corporate world. The former energy trader and business development professional with a finance MBA claims he struggled writing a two-paragraph business letter. “I kept getting these cool ideas for a book. I thought some day, if I ever retired, I would write it. Well, I noticed that these ideas came more frequently while I was spending my quiet time meditating. Eventually, I became convinced it was a calling from God, and I began writing full-time. The story that started it all was a Christian fiction fantasy. It was a great learning process filled with numerous rookie mistakes. I took writing classes and attended writing conferences until deciding to write the kind of fiction I liked to read—mystery/suspense/thrillers.”
Besides studying writing, Alan is a graduate of Sugar Land’s Citizen Police Academy. He describes it as “A great program for anyone, but it was an ideal introduction for me to police procedures. You can read about police work, but the Academy brings to life the daily risks and snap judgments police officers must make to keep us safe.” Besides his Academy participation, he has studied martial arts, finance, and what he calls the divine source of all truth—the Bible.
Evidence that the Police Academy and other studies have enriched Alan’s writing is reflected in one reader’s review, which praised it as a “magnificent debut whose stunning depths, pivotal settings and tangible descriptions manifested themselves in imagery akin to an HDTV movie.” His storyline was cited as a “masterfully crafted, full-immersion thriller written with intelligence, heart and virtue, brilliantly plotted, and played out at machine gun pace.” Pleased that his book is categorized as Christian fiction, Alan prefers to think of it as a family-friendly wild ride with a message of hope and a challenge to anyone’s faith.
Awards
The Q Manifesto was named the top inspirational/religious novel of 2012 by the national website Daily Cheap Reads. Previously the story garnered the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis award in the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. Schleimer’s debut novel is a suspense thriller and has been compared favorably to Dan Brown’s "Da Vinci Code" for its masterfully-executed twists and turns.
The Q Manifesto is available as an eBook at Amazon and by month’s end at most online booksellers in a print edition. You can connect with Alan through his website www.alanschleimer.com and “Like” him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlanSchleimer.Author.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Olympia Finalists Announced!
Today brings Clash of the Titles to the end of Round Two of our first annual Olympia Award.
The Olympia is a literary contest dedicated to Christian fiction and offered only to unpublished writers. In Round Two, the first 3,000 words of entrants’ manuscripts were read and scored by non-industry readers.
A hearty THANK YOU to each of these women who set aside a portion of their time for this contest. Without them, the Olympia would not be.
Of all our submissions, only the top three scores move on to Round Three.
Those scores go to manuscripts belonging to:
Bethany Kaczmarek
Laura McClellan
Elaine Manders
Our warmest congratulations to these three authors!
During Round Three, their manuscript excerpts will be read and scored by the following generous individuals:
DEBORAH RANEY--award-winning author
AMANDA LUEDEKE--literary Agent of Macgregor Literary
STEVE HUTSON--literary Agent of WordWise Media
The winner will be announced
Friday, March 01, 2013.
Best wishes to our finalists!
The remainder of the contest's entrants can expect to receive their scores by Friday, January 25.
In the meantime, stop by COTT and vote for your favorite book this week: www.clashofthetitles.com
In the meantime, stop by COTT and vote for your favorite book this week: www.clashofthetitles.com
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