Pelican Book Group Official Blog: Ten Reasons Abstinence Benefits Society

Pelican Book Group Official Blog: Ten Reasons Abstinence Benefits Society

Torn Asunder by Alana Terry

Torn Asunder by Alana Terry 

Torn Asunder is the newest suspense novel from award-winning author Alana Terry. Torn Asunder is the story of Hannah and Simon, two North Korean refugees who sneak back into their country to serve as underground missionaries. In this world of spies, secret police, and informants, Simon and Hannah learn that staying together won't just compromise their ministry. It could cost them both their lives.

Torn Asunder launches today for just 99 cents, and all book sale proceeds today support the work of Liberty in North Korea, an organization that runs an underground railroad for North Korean refugees. You can get the paperback or the ebook for 99 cents for a limited time only. And remember the best news ~ Your purchase will help save a North Korean refugee!

Excerpt from Torn Asunder:

Simon gritted his teeth. His head felt like it was sinking. The general kept his voice level and pleasant as he slipped the device over Simon’s pinky. “Now, you just tell me who you delivered your Bibles to, and I’ll let you leave here with everything intact.”

Simon tried to swallow. His whole jaw was swollen from his scuffle in the woods. He shut his eyes and hoped the general couldn’t feel him tremble.

General Sin chuckled to himself. “Silly me. I forgot.” He slid the device off Simon’s finger. “This kind of tool won’t work on a big, strong man like you.” He strode over to Hannah and yanked her hand before Simon could even cry out. He jammed her ring finger into the opening.

Simon struggled against his iron restraints. “Let her go!”

Hannah sucked in her breath. General Sin still glared at Simon. “This is your last chance. Give me the names, and I'll release her unharmed.”

Simon’s field of vision blurred over. He wanted to scream. The metal from his handcuffs sliced open his wrists. He pictured himself breaking free and tackling the general to the ground.

“Better talk.” General Sin yawned. “I hate getting my uniform messy.”

Hannah’s hand trembled, but she didn’t make a noise.

“Three …”

Simon clenched his jaw, unable to tear his face away from Hannah’s wide, terrified eyes.

“Two …”





Want more? Buy Torn Asunder on amazon now. And remember, all book sales today will be donated directly to Liberty in North Korea, a group committed to seeing North Koreans achieve their freedom in THIS GENERATION.

Want to help spread the word? See below to click and tweet, or share this image on your timeline. Then be sure to scroll down to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $100 gift card, surprise grab bag ($60 retail), great CD from Cherie Norquay, and free prizes to everyone who enters! And don't forget to leave a comment and tell us what you think of Hannah and Simon and those like them who sneak into hostile mission fields to share the gospel.

Post by Alana Terry.

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Tweet: Buy a book. Save a refugee. Torn Asunder by Alana Terry. All proceeds today to @libertyinNK. #99cents #suspense http://ctt.ec/QjI3D+

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Or copy and paste into an email or Facebook status: Torn Asunder is a new Christian suspense novel by Alana Terry about two North Koreans who serve as undercover missionaries. It's on sale for only 99 cents, and all book proceeds today will be donated to Liberty in North Korea's underground railroad for North Korean refugees.

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Plundered Christmas by Susan Lyttek

Blurb: Compelled to spend Christmas on a private island with her father's future bride and extended family, Jeanine learns that Margo Banet is descended from a pirate queen. Relatives and friends all have their reasons for attending the festivities--including the legendary treasure. But when Margo's nephew winds up dead and a violent storm cuts them off from the mainland, Jeanine has to wonder if they will solve the mystery before someone else dies trying.

I held up the parchment. “This raised brick caused the last carton to spill. We found this under it.”

“Oh my.” Margo’s mouth fell open as she claimed the find.

****

Christmas decorating was put on hold immediately. All of Banet Island wanted to see the mysterious parchment and what it contained. I heard whispered questions. “Is it the map?” and “How could a visitor find what none of us did?” as well as grateful exultations. They all hoped that I had stumbled upon something, something precious and priceless for the Banet family.

In the grand dining room, we huddled around the ancient paper as Margo used a hot skewer to lift and cut the wax, preserving the seal.

Then William suggested that I, someone with no connections or interest in whatever it was, open the parchment and read it.

Nervously, wearing the white cotton gloves someone loaned me, I unrolled the document. I wasn’t sure what I expected to find, or what they expected me to read, but it seemed to surprise everyone. The ornate script was difficult to decipher at first, but then, as I grew accustomed to it, a mysterious woman came to life upon its page.

The year of our Lord, 1720, December

Mary died. My best friend in all the world burned up by the cruelest of fevers. That was all I could turn my mind to when the cell door opened. They had come for her body.

I had seen the baby kicking within her as Mary thrashed in agony. The poor thing did not realize its mother was dying. Nor did it know it would also, without ever seeing the light of day. I hugged my own belly. Oh dear God in heaven! What hope remained for my own infant?

I felt a pang of another kind. What about my other child? Who had he become? Now that I had no hope of life, I longed for him, the one I had thrust aside for my pleasure and adventure. Fate is cruel and leads us in its merry ways simply, I believe, to see how we will dance.

However, it was not the gaoler who opened the door to my confinement. Much to my surprise, it was my husband. I did suppose, even after my transgressions and flights of fancy that he was still my husband.

“Be still,” he told me in a whisper. “Your father and I have arranged for your escape.”

That my father could and would do such a thing, I could believe. Since the death of my mother, he indulged me far too much. But that he and James would work in concert seemed an incredible thing. Father had never cared for James. He often called him weak-willed and lily-livered. At sixteen, I believed not a word of it. On the other hand, perhaps I did give it credence and wanted to defy my father anyway.

James urged me to silence as he afforded my exit. We had to be quick about it. The guards had been paid for only momentary blindness.

I said a quick word of farewell to my longest, truest friend and put my favorite (and only remaining) shawl across her face. Then I followed James up and out to freedom.

In the harbor, a small frigate with my father’s colors awaited us. After we boarded and set sail, James let me know the plan.

Through his connections with the governor, he found a small, uninhabited island. Using the monies he had earned as informant, he purchased that same island. There, he explained, we would live in blissful anonymity.

When I began to protest, he told me some details about the layout of our new abode and the way the prevalent currents avoided it. Few people, without intending to visit us, would find us. However, we had a ship.

His plan was wise. The years had grown well on James. Father provided that he would leave us be and circulate various rumors about my disappearance: that I had died, that I had remarried and lived as a sedate housewife, and that I vanished as mysteriously as I had been born.

Father only had two conditions for helping us. One, that we make available various items of interest we, shall we say, stumbled upon in our journeys for him to dispose of however he should wish. Some he would sell to profit by, but knowing how Father collects things which please him, others would find a place in his abode. However, the second condition was more personal. Perhaps he felt it made up for him being first an absent and then a permissive father? He required that I keep a journal, a record of my life and days to be available for him to read if ever he should visit us on the island. If I refused to do so, he would turn me back in to the Jamaican authorities.

As Father had never made such a promise of retribution before, I had no reason to doubt it. However, as James explained, with what we planned for our livelihood, it would not do well to have all the pages in the same place.

This, in evidence, is the first of such pages. I attest it to be as real and as truthful as I ever wrote.

Anne, Queen of Banet Island

Beneath her final words, a compass rose was drawn with one arrow pointing north and another southwest. I could only guess what that meant.

Link:


Christmas paragraph: Since I have a Swedish heritage, Christmas officially starts on Christmas Eve. (Well, Christmas proper. As a kid there was Advent and all that surrounded it plus the Feast of St. Nicholas and we even did Santa Lucia day sometimes...) We spend the day cooking and baking. Then the family gets together to eat around 4:00. If we're visiting my parents, it used to mean a mega-household of extended relations. As my sisters and I have become older (and our cousins, too) it has changed a bit because not everyone is free on Christmas Eve. Other than the Swedish Christmas dinner, another absolute is Christmas Eve service. My favorite is to go to midnight service to welcome the baby Jesus with my parents, but at home our church doesn't have that and we go around 7:00 PM. Ninety percent of the presents get opened Christmas Eve. We just save immediate family for Christmas morning. Christmas morning is quiet, relaxed and laid back. We have breakfast whenever everyone's up and then open the last presents. Then we just hang out together for the day.


Bio: Susan A. J. Lyttek, author of the Talbott family mystery trilogy by Harbourlight Books, including the recent release, Plundered Christmas, writes near the nation’s capital. She enjoys teaching the next generation of writers through STARS and WriteAtHome. Find out more about her upcoming books and other projects at sajlyttek.com.

Silver White Winters by Candice Sue Patterson

Blurb:

Country music singer/songwriter Raelynn Rivers is a has-been. According to the latest gossip magazines, that is. Her last number-one hit was six years ago, and her songwriting ability has vanished. Her foundering career is all she has left, and she’s determined to once again hold the title of “Country Music Queen.” But Raelynn’s dreams are derailed when a coal mine collapses in her home town of Eve Hollow, West Virginia, trapping her daddy and brother inside.

            The man in charge of the mine rescue is Lane Ryan, her childhood best friend and the former fiancé she abandoned twelve years ago for her career. In the snow-covered mountains of Appalachia, Raelynn reconnects with family and rediscovers her musical abilities—and her faith. And no one inspires her more than Lane. She’s finally ready for a relationship, but the secret Lane carries around is as big as Coal Mountain.

            Will Raelynn sacrifice her title, or say goodbye to Lane forever?

Buy Link

Interview with Candice Sue Patterson

My family celebrates Christmas the way most people do with a decorated tree, lots of Christmas movies and music, baked goodies, get-togethers, and gift exchanges. We stress to the kids that Christmas is NOT about the presents but about the ultimate gift—God sending His son, Jesus, to earth to die for our sins. We read aloud from the Bible the birth of Christ before any presents are opened on Christmas morning.

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to forget the reason for the season. But that night in the stable long ago is our heritage, our roots, and we mustn’t forget. In my newest release Silver White Winters, country music singer and songwriter Raelynn Rivers has strayed from her heritage, her true legacy, but when tragedy strikes, she returns home to discover that fame might not be a treasure worth fighting for.

Author Bio

Candice Sue Patterson studied at the Institute of Children’s Literature and is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she’s not tending to her chickens, splitting wood, or decorating cakes, she’s working on a new story. Candice writes Modern Vintage Romance—where the past and present collide with faith. Her debut novella Bright Copper Kettles is available now. 

Dr Noah and the sugar plum fairy by Carla Rossi

Dr. Noah and The Sugar Plum Fairy

College senior and not-so-ex-ballerina Jane Trumbull is home for Christmas break. She welcomes the joyful chaos of a happy family holiday – then the rollercoaster of emotions begins.

Veterinarian Dr. Noah Barron hopes his return to Texas and his new clinic will help him forget about his dark days in California. But he can’t outrun unresolved issues and doesn’t know how lonely he really is – until he meets slightly clumsy Un-Plain Jane.

Can Jane and Noah learn to share who they really are and what they really want? And can they allow God to send joy after sorrow, hope for hidden dreams, and healing for past wounds?

How Nick and Holly Wrecked... Saved Christmas - YA

Holly Moreau and Nick Zernigan aren’t friends at school – or anywhere else. Especially since Holly blames Nick for her broken nose after a freak accident. But when they find themselves unexpectedly dropped with older relatives at a retirement complex over Christmas break, they must make peace. They have to. It’s the only way to survive karaoke night and a senior citizen Christmas dance. 

Holly thinks Nick is a careless loser. Nick thinks Holly is a too-serious choir nerd. Can one party and a crime spree change their minds about each other? And can Nick and Holly remember the miracle of Christmas and find the answers to some of their hidden questions?

Bio:

Carla Rossi is a multi-published, award-winning author as well as a cancer survivor, life-long music minister, and speaker. She has been writing inspirational romance for White Rose Publishing/Pelican Book Group since 2007. Carla lives north of Houston with her husband. She has three grown children and two grandchildren.

Sleigh Ride Together with you by JoAnn Durgin

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Publication Date: November 2, 2012

Jacob Marston, Starlight, Iowa’s hometown hero made a long-ago promise to the Lord: he won’t kiss a woman until he knows she’s “the one.” Now at age twenty-eight, the rugged firefighter questions if it’ll ever happen. When he meets his best friend’s sister, Jake believes he’s found the woman of his dreams. But what will she think when she discovers his vow?

When Julia makes an unexpected confession on Christmas Day, Jake shares his secret with her, and it looks as though happily-ever-after will make a holiday appearance.

But somehow, everyone in the tiny town of Starlight learns Jake’s secret, and he’s instantly transformed from town hero to laughingstock. Did Julia reveal his secret? Can Jake forget the humiliation and find his way under the mistletoe to share a forever kiss with Julia?

           

Starlight, Star Bright

Publication Date: November 11, 2013

Dante Moretti, Texas-born goalie of an Italian World Cup champion team, expects Starlight, Iowa will be only a blip on the radar of his life. Grabbing a quick meal at Barney’s Diner during the holidays, Dante meets two women who capture his heart in very different ways. Then his rental car won’t start and leaves him stranded. Does the Lord have a plan for bringing him—and keeping him—in Starlight?

Amanda Marston is excited to be home for her brother’s wedding. When she drops in for a cup of coffee at Barney’s, she’s charmed by the mysterious, Italian-spouting cowboy. Before she can blink, the handsome stranger is helping with projects all over town and working his way into her heart. Does God have a plan for Dante in her beloved little Starlight or will he take her heart with him when he returns to Italy?

Sleigh Ride Together with You

Publication Date: November 2014

As the popular television co-host of Wake Up, Des Moines! Nicole Reardon has achieved her dream. So why has the network sent “image maker” Alex Kingsfield to the station? The irritatingly handsome man is also the first man she’s been attracted to since Jake Marston dumped her three years ago in Starlight, Iowa. When an unexpected assignment sends Nicole and Alex to Starlight, can she rise above the past and make this interview the defining moment of her career?

Alex Kingsfield knows Nicole is poised on the cusp of network stardom. But beneath the professional exterior is a small-town girl at heart, genuine and God-honoring. Alex holds the power to boost Nicole’s career to unknown heights. Or crush her dreams. From any angle, he’s caught in a “no win” situation when he finds himself falling for the beautiful Nicole. What’s a man to do when love comes calling at Christmas? Buy Link

All of the featured Christmas novellas are available in eBook format on Amazon.com and other online book retailers. Paperbacks can be ordered by contacting JoAnn Durgin at jdurgin9587@att.net or via her website at www.joanndurgin.com

JoAnn Durgin is the author of five novels in the popular Lewis Legacy Series, as well as Amazon bestselling Catching Serenity, and novellas including Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, Starlight, Star Bright, Sleigh Ride Together with You, and Echoes of Edinburgh. JoAnn lives with her husband and three children in southern Indiana and loves to hear from her readers at  www.joanndurgin.com or  www.facebook.com/authorjoanndurgin.

Do you see what I see by Delia Latham

Blurb:

Laramie Buchanan’s fiancé betrayed her on what should have been their wedding day. 

Evan Lassiter is still trying to recover from being jilted at the altar three years ago. 

Now, with Laramie’s beloved Granddaddy celebrating his eightieth birthday (on Christmas Eve) she’s forced to return home to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. But even the memory of that awful day rips her heart to shreds. How can she survive a face-to-face meeting with the man she still loves? 

Bio:

DELIA LATHAM is a born-and-bred California gal, raised in a place called Weedpatch and currently living in the lovely mountain town of Tehachapi with her husband, Johnny. She enjoys multiple roles as Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, but especially loves being a princess daughter to the King of Kings. She has a "thing" for Dr. Pepper, and loves to hear from her readers. Contact her through her website or send an e-mail to delia@delialatham.net. Find her also at the following online locations:

Living the Write Life (blog)

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon Author Page

Amazon Purchase Link:  

http://www.amazon.com/What-Smoky-Mountain-Christmas-Book-ebook/dp/B00PDETVIA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1415564366&sr=8-4&keywords=delia+latham