Unveiled

Book #5 in Steven James, Patrick Bowers Files has arrived! Our review of Queen will be up in a few days and we’ll be giving away a copy to some lucky reader. Until then, check out some past reviews we have featured and interviews with master story telling, Steven James.

 The Pawn  The Knight  The Bishop  

Our most recent conversation with Steven James

Steven James is one of the nation’s most innovative storytellers. As one of the most versatile authors in the country, Steven has penned more than 25 books of both award-winning fiction and nonfiction including fantasy, inspiration, poetry, short stories, scripts, a nine-book storytelling library of resources for educators, and the best selling psychological thrillers The Pawn, The Rook, The Knight, The Bishops and coming soon, The Queen.

Continue Reading

“We’re all freaks. It’s just a matter of perspective”

Over the next few weeks we will be featuring fiction from sources some don’t always consider: independents, boutique, and self-published. These are some of the most innovative and captivating suspense and thriller novels out there.

First up will be Winter by Kevin Newsome, the first thriller from Splashdown’s new “Darkwater” imprint. The review will be up in a couple of days but until then check out this fantastic trailer.

I can now announce that I’ve signed a contract with Tyndale House for my second novel, Bound by Guilt. This book is a sequel to my first, Thicker than Blood, in that some of the main characters from Thicker (Christy, Hunter, etc.) become minor characters in Bound. Right now we’re looking at an early 2011 release date. Some of the same settings play a part in this story as well, including rare books (a valuable first edition copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in particular), as well as the Colorado town of Elk Valley.

So there you have it. I’ve also begun a third book that ties into my first two books as well.

Brandilyn Collins’ seatbelt fiction has been a staple in Christian suspense for years. Check out my review of one of her latest, Exposure and an interview I did with Brandilyn a few months ago.

I recently asked Brandilyn what lies on the horizon for her.

The novel I’m working on right now is the book I was made to write—a suspense about Lyme Disease. As many know, I battled this disease in 2002-2003 until God chose to grant me a miraculous healing from it. Had it not been for that gift, I would have battled the illness far longer. Lyme Disease is so controversial in our country the arguments surrounding it are called the “Lyme Wars.” On one side are the doctors who deny the very existence of chronic Lyme and insist a mere 10-day or so bout of antibiotics will cure it. On the other side are very sick patients and the few doctors who treat them long-term, sometimes at the risk of losing their medical licenses. My story is based on current events from the Lyme Wars and centers on the wife of a prominent doctor who refutes chronic Lyme. It will be my typical fast-paced Seatbelt Suspense® and at the same time will shed light on the labyrinthine perils of the Lyme Wars and those who battle the often-crippling disease. Title of my novel: Over the Edge. It will release in May 2011.

Athol Dickson has been a friend of Unveiled almost since the beginning. Check out my reviews of They Shall See God, River Rising, The Cure, Winter Haven, and Lost Mission and both of my interviews with Athol (June 2009 and September 2009). I also had a chance to chat with Athol over at FictionAddict.com a few months ago. I recently asked Athol what is on the horizon for him.

Great question, Tim. Right now I’m putting together a thirteen-part presentation based on The Gospel according to Moses, What My Jewish Friends Taught Me About Jesus. It’s a memoir I published nearly eight years ago about five years I spent studying the Torah under the senior rabbi of the world’s second largest Reform Jewish congregation. The Gospel according to Moses, continues to be a bestseller among a wide spectrum of readers, both Christians and Jews. As the title says, I learned a great deal about Christian faith from the rabbis and Jews with whom I studied with during those five years. As a Christian, I found their take on the Torah fascinating, but also frightening. They challenged my stereotypes and presuppositions about God and the Scriptures, stretching my faith almost to the breaking point more than once. In the end my relationship with Jesus and our Father became much, much richer for having been engaged in study from a Jewish perspective.

The series I’m putting together will duplicate that intense experience as much as possible. Each session is a stand-alone encounter, so groups can pick which topics they’d like me to explore. I’ll dig into questions such as, “What does it mean when doesn’t God answer my prayers?” “How should I respond to the contradictions and paradoxes I find in the Bible?” and “Am I allowed to have doubts?” I’ll look into the most fundamental difference between Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism (it’s not what most Christians think). I’ll lead a search for Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures. I’ll wade into the very difficult topic of anti-Semitism in church history and how we should respond, and I’ll investigate the question that most disturbed me while I was at temple, “Are Jews going to hell?”

I’ll have this series ready to go by the end of April, and would love to talk to anyone who’s interested in having me come to lead their church or group through any part, or all of it.

Terri Blackstock’s last novel is on the New York Times Bestseller list and she isn’t finished yet. Check out my review of Intervention as well an interview I did with Terri a while back.

I recently asked Terri what is on the horizon for her.

I’m working on Book Two in my Intervention Series. I wasn’t planning to make it a series when I wrote Intervention, the first book, but when it hit the New York Times Best-Seller List and I got so many letters begging for me to continue the story, I changed my mind. I’m tentatively calling it Vicious Cycle. I can’t wait to continue the burgeoning romance of Barbara and Kent, and get Lance and Emily out of their newest trouble.

After authoring a number of non-fiction works Steven James took the fiction market by storm with his Patrick Bowers suspense novels. Check out my reviews of The Rook and The Knight as well as my interview with Steven from a few months ago. You can also listen to a conversation with my friend Jake Chism and Steven over at FictionAddict.com.

I recently asked Steven what is on the horizon for him.

Currently I’m finishing my final edits to The Bishop, my fourth installment in the Patrick Bowers novels. It ties together plot threads from all three previous books, answers some of the biggest questions brought up in The Knight and ends with a twist that will leave readers reeling.

It’s been a great journey, taken me nearly a year to write. I can’t wait to tidy up the final edits. Watch for news about a new series I’ll be launching this summer. I can’t share too many specifics, but people are saying the main character makes them think of Patrick Bowers meets James Bond.

Mike has been a friend here at Unveiled for some time. In case you missed them check out my reviews of The Hunted and Scream as well as my interview with Mike here at Unveiled. You can also listen to an interview I did with Mike over at FictionAddict.com a few months ago.

I recently asked Mike what is on the horizon for him. Here is what we can be looking forward to from this fast rising star in Christian thrillers.

Hey Tim, right now I’m working on two projects at the same time. I’m gearing up for the May 4th release of Darlington Woods, my newest supernatural suspense. I think DW is my most harrowing tale yet and has already gotten some pretty good reviews. From now until its release I’ll be sending out press releases, contacting blogs and offering to do a guest post (if any of your readers are interested, please email me), arranging book signings, and setting up speaking engagements. Also, I’m working on my next novel, Darkness Follows, due out May of 2011. I just started writing it a few weeks back and am about a quarter of the way through the first draft. This one will be another supernatural suspense and I’m mixing in a bit of historical horror (think Civil War). Right now, things are flowing and I’m in the groove . . . just hoping and praying it stays that way!