Right now, I want to thank Becky Germany for believing in this series and JULEE SCHWARZBURG who edited and worked with me tirelessly on this book!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, I got this email from her–along with photo:

Hey Ronie,

Got some more cool stuff for you. The designer sent over an outtake from
the photo shoot today for Talon. She said the dog was very friendly and
liked to roll in the dirt, so they played together a bit in-between takes.

Happy Easter!

Ashley

What do you think? Is this Lab happy or what?

And what a beautiful model! I can’t wait to see this cover. OORAH!

In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: ”You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”

7 Hours anthology includes acclaimed authors Mike Dellosso, Rene Gutteridge, Robin Parrish, Tom Pawlik, Travis Thrasher, and James Andrew Wilson!

Check out the 7Hours landing page www.7hoursbooks.com!

WHOLE PIECES by RONIE KENDIG

After a brutal attack left him without a limb and his team dead, former Green Beret Haytham “Hawk” Wilson is angry at life and God. Bitter, he pushes everyone out of his life. Every day he relives his decision to send the Afghan boy home rather than following orders to kill any who came upon his hidden team. So when on his deathbed at age 36, eaten alive by grief and regret, he’s offered the chance to relive any seven hours, Hawk is determined to go back, kill the boy, and save his team. The decision is simple . . . until he gets there.

The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?

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Below are listed the INSPIRATIONAL finalists! WAY TO GO!!!

BEST INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE

1.   Katie’s Way by Marta Perry (Berkley Publishing Group; Ellen Edwards, editor)

2.  The Measure of Katie Calloway by Serena Miller (Revell; Vicki Crumpton, editor)

3.  My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers; Karen Watson, editor)

4.  Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon (Revell; Jennifer Leep, editor)

5.  Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist (Bethany House Publishers; David Long and Julie Klassen, editors)

6. Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones (Thomas Nelson; Natalie Hanemann and Jamie Chavez, editors)

7.  The Ladies’ Room by Carolyn Brown (Avalon Books; Lia Brown, editor)

8. The Christmas Child by Linda Goodnight (Harlequin Love Inspired; Allison Lyons

“Ronie Kendig strikes gold with book one in her new series! Gritty, honest characters that grab your heart and don’t let go. Heath, Jia and Trinity make an exceptional team. The suspense rocks, the romance sizzles and the danger escalates at a rapid pace. Ronie’s accurate and in the headlines portrayal make will make you get on your knees and thank God for people who are willing to put their lives on the line to fight terrorism. This is a book you won’t want to put down until you finish it–and even then the characters will stay with you long after THE END. I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Military War Dogs series.” – Lynette Eason – bestselling, award-winning author of the Women of Justice series.

What a gracious and amazing review!! And if you haven’t read Lynette’s books, you need to hop on over to AMAZON or your favorite retailer and grab a copy now! You won’t be disappointed!

Cory said that the cover for Trinity, in his mind, didn’t really capture the essence of the story, so…he made his own.

What do you think? Is that not RAWKIN?!?! I was so stoked and impressed that I actually asked Barbour if it was too late to use Cory’s concept/layout for the cover. Alas, their version of the cover (see below) has already been set up for catalog, etc., and Talon’s is already in progress (Beowulf too), so we’re too late.

But I tell you–I’d LOVE to have Cory design a future cover. In fact, i heartily recommend him to anyone who might be doing self-publishing or have the option of using your own cover designer. Take a peek at his site and portfolio! http://coryclubb.carbonmade.com/

BLUE MOON PROMISE

by Colleen Coble

About the book:

Book #1 in the Under Texas Stars series

A love like Lucy and Nate’s only comes along once in a blue moon . . .

Lucy Marsh’s worldly resources are running out, but she’s fiercely determined to care for her younger brother and sister. When she discovers that their father’s recent death was no accident, Lucy is eager to leave town. She accepts a proxy marriage she believes will provide safe refuge. But trouble follows her to Texas where her new husband is surprised to suddenly have a wife and children to care for.

Nate Stanton always hoped he’d marry someday, but running the family ranch meant he had no time for romance. When his father deposits Lucy Marsh—a city girl—on his doorstep, with two siblings in the bargain, he expects ranch life will send her running on the first train out of town. But Lucy is made of tougher stuff than Nate imagined. When danger moves in, Nate finds he’d give anything to protect Lucy and the children he’s grown to love. Even if it means giving up his ranch.

Ronie’s Fast-Rope Review:

Colleen’s books have always been a fun read for me and BLUE MOON PROMISE is no different. I love the way Colleen weaves intricate back story into her characters, which adds depth. Her heroines are always strong and determined, especially Lucy Marsh–make that Mrs. Lucy Stanton.

One of my favorite plot devices is the forced/arranged marriages/marriage of convenience or purpose. While I’ve seen this abused and even done poorly, not so with BLUE MOON PROMISE. The characters were authentic and respectful.

A delightful read for anyone!

About Colleen:

Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

For more about Colleen and her other books visit www.colleencoble.com

BUY THE BOOK!

About the party:

Blue Moon Promise is a story of hope, romance, and suspense . . . immersing the reader in a rich historical tale set under Texas stars.

To celebrate Colleen is teaming up with her publisher Thomas Nelson for a “Blue Moon Promise” Facebook Chat party where she will giveaway a KINDLE Fire and a Texas-sized gift basket (fabulous Texas treats and fun Lucy-inspired housekeeping products)!

Click the banner, RSVP today for the Facebook Party, and mark the date on your calendar!

Invite your friends and don’t miss Colleen’s evening of chat, trivia, prizes, and more.

Kindle Giveaway and More! Save the Date – 3/13!

*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog. The handsome guy on the front lured me into buying it straight away.

And let me tell you, this has been one of the best books on military working dogs–from a “active” standpoint. Sure, you can read textbook-style tomes or books that read more like instruction manuals, which will give you the gist of the story.
Or you can read SERGEANT REX--feel the heat, the torturous fear of walking IED Alley, sense the ominous presence of danger in the Triangle of Death, and the incredible heart-tugging bond between handler and four-legged hero.

Truly, this is probably the best book I’ve read on the MWDs. The author put me RIGHT THERE. Despite two annoyances (the language which is to be expected when you’re reading play-by-play dialogue in the heat of battle, and the constant misspelling of one of the primary MWD breeds–Belgian Malinois (misspelled MALINOISE in the book), the book captivated me, immersed me in the lives of these two military heroes and propelled me toward the end. I was delighted to discover that Rex is still alive/well.

Just two things to say:

WELL DONE!

THANK YOU, Sergeant Mike Dowling and Sergeant Rex,

for your service and sacrifices!

You are heroes!!

About the book:

Have you ever wondered, “Does God really love me? Do I really matter to him?”

HE LOVES YOU.

As a matter of fact, God loves you just as much as he loves His own Son.

In the pages of this heartwarming, thoughtful and life-affirming 21-day journey, award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, and teacher Babbie Mason reminds you, when you know you are loved by God and that you are in His eternal plan, you’ll never again wonder if your life matters.

Click for more information:

About Babbie Mason:

Babbie Mason is a Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated gospel singer, songwriter, author, creator of the Embrace: A Worship Event for Women ministry, professor of songwriting at Atlanta Christian College and Lee University, and a television talk-show host. She was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2010 and has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs. Babbie has been honored perform for Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, Steve Forbes among many others. Babbie performs a holiday special at Carnegie Hall every year. Babbie lives near Atlanta on a farm with her husband Charles.

RONIE’s THOUGHTS:

First – let me all-out say that I rarely do non-fiction books for review on my blog, mostly because I have so little time that the NF books I do read are usually research related. But when this invitation to join this tour dropped into my box, it was like the world slowed. I knew I had to join the tour.

So, I did. And I’m really glad I did. I did get the book with enough time to do the 21-day challenge, but I have been working through the chapters on my own. They are beautiful and poignant. Very thought-provoking, especially if one takes the time to really apply them, to consider the words. I am really looking forward to finishing this book with its 21-day challenge. In a world where we’re told how replaceable we are, it can be challenging to honestly open your heart to words and thoughts that say you are greatly loved. Then, to EMBRACE those words–that’s humbling!!

I do have one “hmm…” about this book. Will not say it’s a negative. The chapters for each day are long. I’m in a rough place right now, where my time is pretty much not my own with my upended life, homeschooling, edits, and book deadlines. So, the 15-20 page chapters are killers for me, especially since I’m trying to do this in addition to my normal quiet time. They’re just too long for me. And like I said–that is not a bad thing because there is relevant, heart-stirring content. Just realize this isn’t a “mere devotional.”

Overall, a powerful, poignant book that has the potential to revolutionize your thoughts and how God views you! Beautifully done!

 Link to buy the book:

Embraced by God is a 21-day encounter that shares the unconditional love of God. “If you watch what the media says as to where we should find our identity–” says Babbie, “–money, beauty, power and technology–you’ll just be confused about who you are and what your purpose is. As a culture we are trying to buy or sell what can only be administered to the soul by Jesus.”

Celebrate with Babbie by entering her Nook Tablet Giveaway and coming to her “Embraced Facebook Party {3/6}!

One beloved winner will receive:

• A Brand new Nook Tablet with Wi-Fi
• Embraced by God by Babbie Mason
• Babbie’s Embraced by God Music CD
• Babbie’s Embraced by God Note cards

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/5/12. Winner will be announced at Babbie’s “Embraced” Facebook Party on 3/6. Babbie will be hosting an evening of chat, music, laughter, and encouragement – bring your friends! She’ll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, Embraced by God music CDs and Note cards, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club.)

So grab your copy of Embraced by God and join Babbie and friends on the evening of March 6th for an evening of fun.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 6th!

To celebrate–let’s do A GIVEAWAY! COMMENT here or on the RapidFireFiction Facebook page. Share your favorite dog story (Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, etc.) from childhood, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of TRINITY when she releases (your name will go on my personal list)!!! On March 1–six months before TRINITY’s release, I’ll draw a winner!!

Moving & compelling…
ISBN: 978-1-6026-0785-9

LIMITED TIME ONLY!!! And for those who haven’t heard–Amazon, Barnes & Noble are offering an incredible pre-order price of $6.11. Christianbook.com has it for $6.99!!

Pre-order this puppy (pun totally intended) now!!!