An interesting take on the Mayan end-of-the-world prediction, Hoesel’s The Alarmists is an action-packed, fast-paced novel that will keep the pages turning.

In the story, Arthur Van Camp decides to invest in the stock market based on events happening around the world, events that he, in fact, created. Meanwhile, aiming to stop the doomsday events, sociology professor Brent Michaels along with a team of military investigators must move to decide if there is a correlation with a chain of consequences, and where the next disaster will strike.

Faith is mentioned only briefly through the characters' convictions, and there seems to be no representation of how God might be moving in this end-of-the-world drama. Still, this work of suspense is well-written and will keep readers involved in seeing how the end of the world is portrayed. The book will attract readers of suspense as well as those interested in the 2012 prediction.

—Jennifer Toth

FICTION:

The Alarmists

Don Hoesel

Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group)

softcover, 320 pages, $14.99

978-0-764-20562-0

April 2011

Christian retail channel offers for the week of March 7

LifeWay Christian Stores offers a pre-buy special on the latest Narnia DVD in its two email promotions. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is available for $17.99 ahead of its April 8 release when the regular price will be $29.98.

Meanwhile, the chain's other movie specials include a $7.99 price for Second Chances, Reggie's Prayer and The Widow's Might. Among $10 titles are The Wylds, The Lost & Found Family and Set Apart.

In a second emailing, LifeWay presents a selection of $10 Bibles that includes NIV compact Thinline editions in a variety of colors. There are also 50% reduction on editions including The MacArthur Study Bible, The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible and The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, each available for $34.99.

Mardel Christian & Education's promotion knocks $2 off the cost of VeggieTales' new 'Twas the Night Before Easter, pricing it at $12.99.

Lis Wiehl continues her “Triple Threat” series with the third, starring a trio of best friends crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, FBI agent Nicole Hedges and federal prosecutor Allison Pierce. One murder after another seem to be linked, but the three can’t figure out how until Cassidy breaks the case with a surprising discovery. But can they outmaneuver a killer who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals?

Suspense fans will enjoy the taut action and pure evil of the antagonist; series fans will enjoy probing deeper in the lives of the best friends as each struggles with difficult situations.

Readers looking for a strong Christian element won’t find it here—though Christian themes are present, as are the occasional curse and graphic scene—but those looking for a good escape tale brimming with excitement will find much to enjoy. 

—Ann E. Byle

FICTION:

Heart of Ice

Lis Wiehl with April Henry

Thomas Nelson

hardcover, 336 pages, $25.99

978-1-595-54707-1

April 2011

GRAMMY nominee and American Idol finalist Mandisa sees her third album’s release April 5, while celebrating—publicly—her personal success of shedding 100 pounds.

First single, “Stronger,” from What If We Were Real (Sparrow Records/EMI CMG Distribution) was inspired by the belief that surviving hardship makes a person more resilient—something Mandisa knows about from her struggle with weight loss.

"I can't think of a better time to have finally lost 100 pounds," Mandisa said. "How appropriate that on the day my single 'Stronger' is released, proclaiming that God is able to take us through the difficult times and bring us out stronger, He gives me a physical manifestation of that truth."

Christian retail channel offers for the week of Feb. 28

LifeWay Christian Stores and Family Christian Stores offer competing children's events, March 5.

LifeWay's Kids Day, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., includes crafts, snacks, fun activities and a one-day sale. Among the offers are up to 85% off select VeggieTales books, and the new 'Twas the Night Before Easter DVD available for $9.99 (regular price $14.99). Half-off pricing sees triple-feature VeggieTale DVDs available for $7.49.

The LifeWay promotion also promises "something for the grown-ups,” with a coupon for 25% off one regularly priced item on the same day.

Meanwhile, Family stores will be premiering 'Twas the Night Before Easter with screenings at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. The DVD is available for pre-buy at $12.97 and the first 40 children at the in-store events will receive a poster and balloon

Francesca Battistelli's sophomore release, Hundred More Years, is featured in LifeWay and Mardel Christian & Education music promotions. The album is available for $13.99 at LifeWay, which offers Brandon Heath's Don't Get Comfortable and MercyMe's All That Is Within Me for $5 each. Michael W. Smith's latest, Wonder, is priced at $10.

Mardel offers Battistelli's new CD for $9.99 and a deluxe edition of her previous, My Paper Heart, for $5.99. The chain also prices WOW #1s at $12.99 and the collection's deluxe edition at $18.99.

Berean Christian Stores promotes its new Church Resource Catalog in an emailing that also includes a coupon for $10 off a $50-plus purchase, valid through March 6.

Christian retail channel offers for the week of Feb. 21

Though it has yet to debut in theaters, with no DVD release date yet set, inspirational police drama The Grace Card gets strong promotion.

A link to a trailer for the movie, which features an appearance by Louis Gossett Jr. and opens Feb. 25, is featured in two LifeWay Christian Stores emailings, while the film is the lead item in Family Christian Stores' promotion.

Family offers three tie-in products: Faces of Grace, a 30-day devotional, for $9.99; The Grace Card: A DVD-Based Study Guide for $19.99; and The Grace Card Study Guide for $6.99. Family's promotion also include an offer for Secretariat for $24.99, $5 off the regular price.

The Grace Card is flagged in a LifeWay emailing offering DVDs for $5 and $10. The $5 titles include The Wager (regular price $14.95) and Clancy ($14.99). The $10 deals include The Book of Ruth and In the Blink of an Eye (each $14.99).

The movie emailing and LifeWay's other, promoting new books, each contains a Customer Appreciation Day coupon giving 33% off one regularly priced item, Feb. 26. Among the new titles LifeWay presents is Mike Huckabee's Simple Government (reduced from $26.95 to $19.99) and Terri Blackstock's Vicious Cycle (from $14.99 to $11.24).

Parable Christian Stores presents Attic Books, a series that reprints historic biographies with a classic look. Among the titles featured are The Life of Luther and The Life of John Knox, with online prices $14.97 and $12.97 respectively.

Mardel Christian & Education and Berean Christian Stores both promote the new Beautiful Everyday Bible, a partnership with Tyndale House Publishers that encourages shoppers to buy a copy for $5.99 and donate it to a local pregnancy resource center. As part of the promotion, Berean spotlights a maternity home it helps support.

When Life’s Not Working: 7 Simple Choices for A Better Tomorrow offers direction for those seeking help for life’s failures and disappointments. Merritt, senior pastor at Eagle Brook Church in White Bear Lake, Minn., is a champion of the ordinary man and presents steps the reader can take toward achieving the extraordinary in a complex world.

Merritt uses his enthusiasm for sports, including hunting and fishing, to introduce concepts grounded in Scripture and proven in his own life. His seven choices—don’t quit, do a few things well, be prepared, be consistent, be disciplined, stretch yourself and practice self control—are so simple that they are often missed or ignored, yet can lead to fulfillment for those struggling with an overloaded life.

Merritt is a thoughtful voice writing with old wisdom for a new world. His seven choices encourage and challenge all who think they just aren’t gifted enough to succeed in life.

—Eilene Ishler

When Life’s Not Working

Bob Merritt

Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group)

hardcover, 256 pages, $17.99

978-0-801-01378-2

Christian Living

April 2011

Christian retail channel offers for the week of Feb. 14

Parable stores promote fiction, with a special offer on Randy Alcorn's new release, The Chasm. Regularly priced at $14.99, the allegorical adventure is available to online shoppers for $11.97. The same email indues a coupon for $5 off a $20 fiction purchase.

Parable stores also price family drama, Standing Firm, at $16.97 (usual price $19.95), and offer a range of DVDs for $3 each in a clearance sale. Among the titles on offer are The Last Sin Eater and Monkey Business, starring Marilyn Monroe.

Family Christian Stores majors on a half-off sale that includes God's Little Princess Devotional Bible for $8.49, Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids by Sarah Young for $7.49 and The Bible Experience Audio Bible on CD for $62.49. The promotion includes a “create your own sale” coupon for 25% off an entire purchase of regularly priced items.

Mardel Christian & Education prices Hillsong United's new release, Aftermath, at $9.99 and promotes the new Truth Soul Armor apparel line from Not of This World. A second Mardel emailing highlights Amazingly Graced by Wes Lane, which tells the story of the Oklahoma City district attorney's faith and career. The book is priced at $11.99 through Feb. 19, reduced from $14.

LifeWay Christian Stores spotlights its semi-annual sale, with $5 offers on Bibles, books and children's titles. The selection includes The One Year Bible for New Believers. NLT, Max Lucado's Cast of Characters, Ted Dekker's Boneman's Daughters and VeggieTales' God Made You Special.

Christian retail offers for the week of Feb. 7

Hearts abound in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day. There is the big red one one that features on the cover of Hawk Nelson’s new Crazy Love, featured on sale at Mardel Christian & Education for $9.99, while it is priced at $13.99 by LifeWay Christian Stores in its spotlight.

Then there are the heart-shaped price stickers on LifeWay's emailing promotion offering up to 65% off Bibles. Among the savings are The NASB/The Message Parallel Bible (reduced from $64.99 to $19.99), The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (from $49.99 to $24.99) and the NIV Adventure Bible (from $27.99 to $16.79).

In addition Hawk Nelson's new album, LifeWay has NeedToBreathe's The Outsiders and Michael W. Smith's A New Hallelujah each available for $5, while the deluxe edition of Francesca Battistelli's My Paper Heart is priced at $7.99.

At Mardel, Crazy Love is twinned with The Light Sides, acoustic versions of previous Hawk Nelson hits, for $13.99. Other music offers include Josh Wilson's See You, available for $7.99, while $5 deals include Arriving by Chris Tomlin, Speaking Louder Than Before by Jeremy Camp and We Need Each Other by Sanctus Real.

Berean Christian Stores focuses on gifts, reminding shoppers that “Berean has the WillowTree figurine your Valentine is asking for.” Also promoted are a range of DaySpring cards, including VeggieTales and Precious Moments valentines for $2.99 a pack.

Parable stores offer a free card with every nine bought through its DaySpring customer loyalty card. The main focus of the group's email promotion, however, is From Hopeless to Honored, by Michael Oher, the football star whose story was depicted in the hit movie, The Blind Side. Regular price $26, it is offered online for $16.97.

Christian retail offers for the week of Jan. 31

Red is the color this week, with romance and hard rock to the fore

As Valentine's Day nears, Parable stores ask "What's your love language?" to promote Gary Chapman's well-known works. The stores make his The 5 Love Languages, The Five Love Languages of Children and The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers available for $8.97 each online.

LifeWay Christian Stores' "wonderful ways to say, 'I love you'" promotion offers The 5 Love Languages for $9.99 (reduced from $14.99) and Emmerson Eggerichs' Love and Respect for a Lifetime for $5 (down from $12.99). Marriage drama Fireproof is reduced from $19.99 to $5.

Until We Have Faces from four-piece Red headlines the Mardel Christian & Education emailing, priced at $9.99. The band's previous Innocence & Instinct is offered for $5.99, with both releases available together, in-store only, for $19.99.

The new release also leads the list of new music from LifeWay, priced at $9.99. The chain's other featured music includes WOW Gospel 2011 (various artists) for $2 off the regular price, at $11.99. Brandon Heath's Leaving Eden is also priced at $9.99 (down from $13.99).

DVDs are also a focus, with Parable's online-only clearance offering a range of titles for $ each. Among them: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and its sequel, The Two Towers, The Black Stallion and Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. Mardel's $7.99 DVD sale includes In the Blink of An Eye, The Story of Ruth, Clancy and Home Beyond the Sun.

Family Christian Stores offers free shipping on any online order of $35 or more and 30% off an entire online purchase of regularly priced items.

Christian retail offers for the week of Jan. 24

DVDs at discounts prices are the main feature in email promotions from LifeWay Christian Stores and Family Christian Stores.

LifeWay offers pro-marriage bestseller Fireproof for $5, reduced from $19.99, with children's adventure Mandie and the Secret Tunnel available for the same price and music drama The Imposter priced at $7.99 (down from $14.99). New release Like Dandelion Dust is reduced from $22.98 to $17.99.

Family, meanwhile, presents a half-price selection, with The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, Standing Firm, and Hachi: A Dog's Tale each available for $9.99. The Book of Ruth: A Journey of Faith, starring Carman, is priced at $7.49.

Family also spotlights 20% savings on One Year devotionals and Bibles and $8 each for classics by Max Lucado, including Just Like Jesus, He Still Moves Stones and No Wonder They Call Him The Savior. Music releases offered at $7.97 each include Phil Wickham's Heaven & Earth and Third Day's Revelation.

The mailing also includes a coupon for 50% off a second purchase, while LifeWay's promotion has as coupon offering 33% off any one regularly priced item, Jan.31-Feb.2, in the chain's three-day Super Sale Event.

With Valentine's Day in mind, Parable discounts the “Love Dare” line. The original book is priced at $9.99, while the keepsake edition is priced at $17.99. The daily devotional is offered at $13.99 and its wedding edition for $22.99. Like Dandelion Dust is priced at $19.99, in-store only.

Mardel Christian & Education spotlights a sale of Thoughts to Share jewelry, with items reduced to $10 each. A separate emailing from the chain highlights outreach Bibles, with the full text NIV edition available for $1.90 each in packs of 20.

In Kathryn Cushman’s Another Dawn, single mother Grace Graham finds herself coming full circle after choosing to run from life’s difficulties since her mother’s passing more than four years ago.

At the request of her sister and in hopes of reconciling with her father—whom Grace blames for her mother’s death—Grace heads for her hometown of Shoal Creek, Tenn., to help her father recover from surgery. While there, Grace’s 4-year-old son, Dylan, comes down with the measles. Knowing that her California employer’s son became autistic after being vaccinated worries Grace, so she decides against having Dylan vaccinated. But when the disease spreads and the town is quarantined, Grace is hit with a backlash of hate and blame, including from her sister whose baby daughter is fighting for her life.

In spite of the turmoil, Grace chooses to stay, and with the help of an old friend who comes to her aid, she finds herself praying for her niece to be healed and that God will help her reconcile her relationships. 

Through her characters, Cushman—a former pharmacist—demonstrates both sides of the immunization argument. The well-written Another Dawn shows that choices have consequences, good or bad, that affect others.

—Nicole Anderson

Another Dawn

Kathryn Cushman

Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group)

softcover, 320 pages, $14.99

978-0-764-20825-6

February 2011

Barbour Publishing author Wanda E. Brunstetter--who recently hit the 5 million copies-sold mark--visited the offices of Christian Retailing with her husband, Richard, Jan. 12. Wanda has been meeting her fans at book signings at stores across Florida, including LifeWay and Family Christian Stores in the Orlando area. Look for the first installment of her "Kentucky Brothers" series, The Journey, in April.

Anna Smith--wife of Martin Smith, lead singer for the now-defunct U.K. Christian band Delirious--offers Meet Mrs. Smith, an account of her life with Smith and the band.

Through most of the book, Smith shares about her budding romance and the early days of her marriage. She also writes about her daily life and the ups and downs of her numerous pregnancies.

As the Smiths’ family grows, so does their vision to begin a new life reaching out to impoverished communities around the world. While at times Smith struggled with feeling alone during her husband’s international travels or in understandstanding the things that burdened his heart, she stayed strong, trusting the Lord to open her eyes to the same things—and God was faithful.

Mothers will relate to the stories in Smith’s debut book, as she leads them along her journey from newlywed to mother of six, and sees her family work together to make a difference.

—Heidi Ippolito

Meet Mrs Smith

Anna Smith and Carolyn Johnson

David C. Cook

softcover, 224 pages, $14.99

978-1-434-70203-6

February 2011