King of the Trees by William Burt 25% Off on September 18 ONLY!

~SEPTEMBER 18 ONLY, SAVE 25% OFF THE COVER PRICE OF THE KING OF THE TREES ($8.99 vs. $11.99)!!

Book I in the "King of the Trees" allegorical series by William D. Burt.
WINEPRESS PUBLISHING: 1st edition, 1998; 2nd edition, 2004.
(Softcover; 233 pages. Ill. by Terri Lahr and Rebecca Burt.) Includes glossary and pronunciation guide at the back for easier reading.
What do an old wooden box, a jeweled pendant and some mysterious, green-garbed strangers share in common? When Rolin son of Gannon sets out to solve this riddle, his adventures take him worlds beyond the walls of his little log cabin in the mountains. With the help of some grumpy griffins and a long-lost prophecy, Rolin and his friends battle a fiendish foe and his underworld army; deadly snake-trees; dragons, and other mythological creatures. On their perilous quest for the fabled Isle of Luralin and the Tree of Life, they must trust the King with their very lives. In the end, they learn that "The greatest help oft comes in harm's disguise to those with trusting hearts and open eyes."
The King of the Trees will enchant readers young and old, especially those who love trees and the Tree-Maker.

SILVER MEDALIST IN CHRISTIAN FANTASY/SCI-FI: READERS’ FAVORITE 2014 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD CONTEST!

READERS’ FAVORITE 5-STAR REVIEW

Amazon.com Reviewer: “Leslie"—5 stars

"Great reading for ALL AGES"

"If you've read The Chronicles of Narnia and are looking to other similar great reads for yourself or your family, please consider reading the "King of The Trees" series. I can't actually remember how I happened upon this book. I bought it for myself, and it sat beautifully on a shelf for a whole year in my home. Then, on a cold day in Texas, I grabbed this book and a blanket and sat down by the fire— and found myself completely enjoying Book One of the "King Of The Trees” series. My kids caught me reading it, and then the tug-of-war was "on" to see who would get to read it next. My 13-year-old-son stayed up all night to read it and has asked for more books. (I ordered AUTOGRAPHED COPIES from this treasure-trove of books through the author’s "King of the Trees" website). I highly recommend ordering through the author's website. When I contacted him about teaching his books as part of a middle-school or high-school-aged class I hope to begin, I learned an activity book was available. The author is a very kind man. When I was charged too much for something, Mr. Burt wrote me a personal check as reimbursement (which is why I recommend ordering through the "King of The Trees" website). Do yourself, your students, and your classrooms a favor—purchase this book, study it, enjoy it!”

Amazon.com Reviewer: Kelly Andersen—5 stars

“An Imagination Inspirer all will Love"

"This is a wonderful book that you and your children will absolutely love. We read this every night together before going to bed and every night I was begged if we could read just one more chapter. This imaginative book will draw you and your children in and you will love the characters you come to know... I highly recommend this book and we are anxiously awaiting another to follow. May your sythan-ar ever flourish!”

Amazon.com Reviewer: “Amy"—5 stars

"Awesome book! Perfect Book to read.”

"I have loved this book ever since I got it. It is fascinating and the author provides great descriptions for settings and characters in his book. Another great thing about it is that William D. Burt puts Christianity in his series. For any home-school mom looking for something for her kids to read, this is a great choice. If you are just looking for something to read, I recommend this book and the series.”

Amazon.com Reviewer: “A Customer"—5 stars

“A wonderful book for all ages! Got to read this one!

"This book is by far better than C.S. Lewis's "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." I read this book to my four-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter. They loved it as much as I did! Each character is developed well, and the plot surpasses any that we have read this year. If you only read one book, please let it be this one. This is the perfect gift for any age, expecially pre-teen and teen. These days, they seem to be hungry for the drama and excitement that each chapter is filled with. Rolin's adventure to find himself as well as his purpose leads him to discover not only a world that he did not know existed all around him, but also how important he is to that world and others. Do you have a synth-ar? When you finish this book, please write to me and share your thoughts. 'May your leaves never wither.'”

Book Review: The Proof by Cheryl Colwell, Historical Adventure

The Proof by Cheryl Colwell

A Fun Adventure backed by Excellent Writing

I belong to a Yahoo Group made up of Christian authors who act cooperatively to help one another become successful in the book business.  One of the really great parts about being in such a group is that I get to read unknown or barely known authors.  Of course, this could be a great blessing or a real drag.  Not all folks who think they can write, should.

After a few months and around ten reads from the group, the overall quality has been better than I would have ever imagined.  You can find several of the reviews here on the blog.

Cheryl Colwell's new book was no exception to this string of outstanding books.  Her novel, The Proof, did just about everything you could ever want a novel to do:  Captivating characters who you came to care about and want to know more about; scene development that was so clear you could almost reach out and touch the walls; adventure (even including swords), that kept the pages turning as fast as possible; plot turns and twists that were surprising, yet believable; historic and geographic settings that were like travelogs and time machines in their clarity; and gentle teachings about both truth and character.  Did I leave anything out that you hope to find in adventure fiction?

Oh!  The writing!  I guess I alluded to that earlier, but in truth that is often the missing ingredient in otherwise delightful Christian writing.  Actually excellent writing is sometimes commonly missing in major best sellers like Killing Jesus.  Cheryl is a seriously good writer.  Bill O'reilly take note if you ever consider changing writing partners.

The book is primarily set in Italy, but the adventures take place over 20 centuries as a religious relic is fought over by good guys and thugs.  The relic is believed to possess supernatural power, not just monetary value, setting up the ongoing tension.

If you like mystery, suspense, adventure, and intrigue in historic settings, you can't possibly go wrong with The Proof.

A Riviting Parable of Dramatic Loss Leading to Victory

A Fictional Tale Loaded with Truth

It wasn't that long ago that I went from a life rarely interrupted by any type of negative circumstance to one where I can remember worrying over the single dollar it was going to cost me in gas to drive to the gas station.  It was a time when my 20 year marriage was on the rocks with divorce papers drawn and ready for signature.  A time when my adult daughter stated:  "You're like a country western song; even your dog died."

Jackie Macgirvin

So the story that Jackie Macgirvin tells hits very close to home.  It tells the story of a woman of greater means than I possessed even at the top of my financial time, who is brought lower by far than the lowest day I endured.  The devastation I experienced brought havoc to my life in every way, including my spiritual walk.  Why had Jesus allowed this to happen?  Where was He?

The author doesn't let her heroine off the hook in any of this.  She certainly asks the same questions, shakes the same fist, and feels sorry for herself.  She comes ever so close to giving up on the promises God has made to her, to me, and to every saved individual.

The story is fiction, but has the power of seeming all too real.  Jackie Macgirvin brings her characters alive and makes you feel their emotions, deprivation, hopelessness, and then hope and wonder at God's wonderful works and grace. 

I would give this book any number of stars allowed.  Beautifully written, wonderfully inspiring, incredibly insightful, and a joy to read. 

If You Love Christian Fiction from Ted Dekker, Randy Alcorn, Paul Young

You Are Going to Get a Real Treat with "The Masters Quilt (Giants in the earth)" by Michael Webb

For some who love to get lost in a great novel, there is just not enough great writers working in Christian Fiction.  You find a new author to love, and soon you've read everything the guy has to offer.  Then there is the withdrawal, the idea that there will be a new one for Christmas.  My kids don't even ask me what I want for Christmas anymore.

The really good news is that I have found an author you probably don't know anything about.  And he has three other published works available right now.  And I even happen to know that there's another one coming shortly.  The Master's Quilt is the first in a trilogy called Giants in the Earth.  I have just completed this book and will be reading the other two very soon.  I'll report on the others here.

Michael Webb brings so much more than just nail biting action to the stage.  He has an amazing knowledge of history and the inter-relationships of the major players during 1st Century AD.  He weaves tales of deceit and manipulation that provide us one view of what might have been going on behind the scenes as Pilate, Saul of Tarsus, Herod Antipas, Caiaphas and others battled for power.

There is seemingly never ending stream of specific anthropological, cultural, and religious insights that help us to see more clearly what the struggle between Rome, the Jews, and the new Christians was really all about.  Add the spiritual realm to the equation to complete a tapestry that keeps you guessing throughout the work.

Some reviewers on Amazon have argued that the book starts off a little slow.  I would encourage every reader to give the book 50 pages.  I would compare the opening to Dicken's "A Tale of Two Cities."  I started that book twice, and only the third time did I finish it.  The reason is the same.  There are many, many characters, and they have very odd names.

In the headline, I compared Michael Webb to some huge authors.  He is actually a better writer than Young or Dekker.  His story lines are equal to any of the three.  His research is as good as Alcorn.  I'll give Alcorn an edge on writing, but not by much.

You can get any of Webb's Books on Kindle for under $5.  As of today, this book is available free on Kindle.  I think it is normally $2.99.