Book Review: Unspoken Rules by Lora Inak

Review by Iola Goulton

Natalie is a Syrian Orthodox Christian, the child of immigrants to Australia, currently in her final year of high school. Her older sister wants nothing more than to marry a Baba-approved man from the Syrian expat community, but Natalie is falling for a guy from school. An Australian. And she wants to become a journalist and travel the world, not get married and start her own family.

She has many of the same struggles as normal seventeen-year-old girls, but she also has the struggle of straddling two worlds—the conservative patriarchal culture of her Syrian family and community which is full of unspoken rules, and the more liberal Australian culture of her school. And things are difficult at home. Her older sister is moody, but that’s nothing new. Her mother is acting out of character. Baba carries on making bad jokes.

Natalie might hide her Syrian culture from most of her schoolmates, but she can’t hide it from the reader. 

Instead, we see that the girls at her church are just as focused on clothes and boys as the girls at school. What was good to see was that none of the characters experienced any racism—although that could be more because racism wasn’t the focus of the book than because it doesn’t exist in modern Australia.

One thing that bugged me was that while the family were strict Syrian Orthodox Christians, the focus seemed to be on the cultural aspect rather than the spiritual. Natalie’s sister was the only character who seemed to pray—I never really understood whether Natalie believed in what the church taught or not. Sure, she followed the rules, but that’s a matter of outward behaviour, not inner faith. I guess I’d have liked to have understood that a little better.

Unspoken Rules was a fascinating insight into other cultures—the Syrian Orthodox culture, the tightknit Syrian community (which can’t really be separated from the Orthodox), and modern Australian teen culture. And it’s a warts-and-all insight, told from Natalie’s point of view. The writing has a slightly foreign flavour, especially when Mama and Baba are talking. But that makes sense, because their first language is Arabic.

A fascinating and engrossing Young Adult novel that shows growing up is hard no matter what your culture.

Thanks to Rhiza Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction. Visit my website at www.christianediting.co.nzto download a comprehensive list of publishers of Christian fiction. 

I also write contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist—find out more at www.iolagoulton.com.

You can also find me on:
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Reading Beyond Our "Comfort Zone" - Kara Isaac

As a contemporary romance writer, I read (and buy!) a lot of inspirational contemporary romance. Firstly, because I love it and want to support other authors in my genre and secondly because it's important for me to be knowledgable about my fellow authors' latest releases.

Unfortunately, between chasing a young family, working on my own projects and keeping up-to-date with the stories being released in contemporary romance, there isn't really any time left to explore unfamiliar genres.

However this summer, with the arrival of a new addition, I took a break from my own projects and decided it was the perfect opportunity to try out the grass on the other side of a couple of fences! So I picked up Intermission by Serena Chase, a young adult story that I'd seen a few blogger friends raving about and Unblemished by Sara Ella, a young adult dystopian that I'd heard good things of.

I was so glad I did!

To be honest, I tend to avoid YA because I often find the main characters too self absorbed and self indulgent for my liking. However, I adored Intermission. So much so that I ran a giveaway for a copy to my newsletter subscribers. It was funny, poignant, charming and so well written. It was the first book I've read by Serena Chase but it definitely won't be my last.

While I haven't finished Unblemished yet (the "alternate worlds" aspect combined with a large cast of characters mean I need to be very awake to keep track of what's going on which doesn't happen too often with a new baby!) I am also really enjoying it.

When was the last time you ventured beyond your reading "comfort zone"? What books have you discovered on the other side of the fence that you loved?

Kara Isaac is the romantic comedy author of Close To You and Can't Help Falling and lives in Wellington, New Zealand. When she's not chasing around two little people or trying to convince the third to nap (documentary evidence to the left to prove she was successful once!), she spends her time writing horribly bad first drafts and wishing you could get Double Stuf Oreos in New Zealand. She loves to connnect on her website, on Facebook at Kara Isaac - Author and Twitter @KaraIsaac

Book Review: Intermission by Serena Chase (and a giveaway)

Review by Iola Goulton

I’d heard good things about Intermission, so when the opportunity came to read a review copy, I was in.

Intermission is written in first person present tense—which is common in Young Adult novels, but something I always find takes me a little while to get in to. It just doesn’t feel as natural to me as past tense. The other slightly weird thing was that it started in the present, then slipped three years into the past, and my brain said that definitely should have been written in past tense. As such, I did find the opening a little odd.

No matter. I always have that reaction to present tense, and I always get over it. In the case of Intermission, I was hooked by the end of the first chapter and could probably have read the whole book in one sitting if I’d been allowed. If you’re like me and bothered by present tense, don’t let it put you off. Keep reading, and I’m sure you’ll be hooked as well.

Our first person narrator is Madeline Faith Prescott, known as Faith because Madeline is her grandmother’s name and her mother and grandmother don’t get on. Even though they live in the same small town Iowa. This should have been a clue …

Faith is sixteen, a sophomore in high school, and wants to major in musical theatre at college. Her father is a doctor and her mother is an accountant, and they’d rather she majored in something more practical. Less artsy. They have their reasons and some of them are even good reasons, but that doesn’t stop Faith auditioning for a major part in The Sound of Music … and falling for Noah, her blue-eyed co-lead.

Is that cute or what?

Noah isn’t perfect, and every time I suspected he was he pointed out to Faith (and me) that he wasn’t. But he’s a gentleman who has a real faith in God, and who is doing his best to live according to that faith. Sure, he makes mistakes … but he’s the kind of boy I’d want my daughter dating (hint, hint).

The shame is that Faith’s mother doesn’t see it that way (despite obviously being the woman who signed Faith up for dance classes, and paying for her vocal lessons. Who knows why. I guess because she knew Faith would have to have strong extra-curricular talents in order to get into the ‘right’ college).

Anyway, Faith’s mother sees Noah as too old for Faith … and while that might (might!) be the case when they are 16 and 19, many couples have far more significant age gaps when they marry, and always have (although I do admit to not liking the sixteen-year age gap in Jane Austen’s Emma. That always struck me as a little creepy).

As the story progressed, I found myself getting more and more angry with Faith’s mother, for her over-the-top reactions and pronouncements. And they were all too believable, as was Faith’s wimpy father. I won’t say more. Just read the book. The plot is excellent, the characters are excellent, the writing is excellent.

Recommended for fans of YA fiction that gives you the feels (like The Fault in Our Stars, or Me Before You, although I think I can give this to my daughter to read without her threatening me over the ending. Unlike Me Before You, which she’s still angry about).

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Serena Chase

SERENA CHASE is the author of the critically-acclaimed Eyes of E’veria series and a regular contributor to USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog. A lifelong performer who sometimes speaks in show tunes, Serena lives in Iowa with her husband Dave, teen daughters Delaney and Ellerie, and a 100-pound white Goldendoodle named Albus, who is the biggest star of her Instagram account. Connect with Serena Chase by visiting her website and signing up for her newsletter, “like” her official Facebook page to stay up-to-date on new release news, and enjoy her sometimes poignant, but more often chuckle-inducing random observations of life on Twitter.

If you'd like to win a copy of Intermission, Serena is running a giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction. Visit my website at www.christianediting.co.nz to download a comprehensive list of publishers of Christian fiction. 

I also write contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist—find out more at www.iolagoulton.com.

You can also find me on:
Facebook (Author)
Facebook (Editing)
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby! (Part 1)

By Andrea Grigg

Sex. 

One of the most controversial topics within Christian fiction, especially in my favourite genre, romance.

I get the feeling some Christians would like to remove sex from fiction altogether. I suspect they might even consider it sinful to read Christian fiction in the first place!

Of course, there’s the other end of the spectrum, although I’m not sure what it looks like. I haven’t gone searching for Christian books with explicit sex scenes in them but they could be out there. If they are, I suspect they’re in the self-published section.

When I was writing A Simple Mistake I had a very interesting conversation with a friend. She encouraged me to ‘keep my writing real’ and then related a story about a girl she knew personally who needed counselling because her marriage relationship hadn’t turned out like the ones in the Christian romances she’d read.

My first thought was, ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’ and my second, ‘What on earth has she been reading?’ Even though it sounds far-fetched, the story is true and it has stayed with me. Keeping it real is something I think about all the time as I write.

But just how real should we get? Nicki Edwards discussed this question in a blogpost in Christian Writers Downunder. You can read her thoughts here

Unresolved Sexual Tension (or URST) is a must in romance novels. In a Christian world-view story, that’s how it stays – unresolved – at least until the wedding night and then the door is firmly closed. Usually. Francine Rivers has left it wide open in her book, Bridge to Haven. And what a furore that has caused! We might have a discussion on that in my next post.

Here’s something else to consider. Whether we care to acknowledge it or not, Christians have sex outside of marriage. But should we write stories about it?

One of the answers I’ve been given is an emphatic ‘No, because sex outside of marriage doesn’t glorify God.’ Now while that’s true, a lot of what our characters do doesn’t glorify God either. They might lie, occasionally get a speeding fine or say harsh and unloving words. However, sexual indiscretion is given a much greater sin value than those things.

So what kind of attention should we give it?

There are readers who need reassurance they are forgiven, no matter how many times they fall. And isn’t one of our aims to give hope to our readers? Camy Tang’s Only Uni is a great example of a book which does this. Trish is desperate to clean up her act despite stumbling and falling repeatedly. There are no sex scenes but it’s clear what has gone on. Camy Tang isn’t afraid to use the word ‘fornication’ and she does it in context and without condemnation. Believe me, her character Trish is her own judge and jury – she doesn’t need any help to feel bad.

Another book which has impressed me greatly is Sway, by Amy Matayo. My review is scheduled for June 4 so I won’t give too much away except to say a portion of what I loved about the story is Caleb’s honesty concerning his thoughts about Kate. Straight from the gut and God-honouring, as well as an eye opener as to how a guy’s mind works.

Teenage girls (and older) would benefit greatly from these messages. Many of them don’t ‘get’ that what they’re wearing or how they’re behaving really affects a guy, even though they may (or may not) have heard it from the pulpit or home.

As writers, can we not address these issues in a story that tells it like it is and then offer hope and encouragement?

There’s not time to go into everything I’d like to say this time around, so keep your eyes peeled for Part 2 and maybe even a Part 3.

I’ll leave you with something to ponder: When is realistic too much?

As always, I look forward to reading your comments.

 Andrea Grigg lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and is a writer of contemporary Christian romance. Her first book, ‘A Simple Mistake’ was a finalist in the 2012 CALEB awards. Her second novel, ‘Too Pretty’ was released in August 2014.

Website: www.andreagrigg.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.andreagrigg?ref=hl

Twitter:  @andreagrigg https://twitter.com/andreagrigg

Book Review - 'Dauntless' by Dina L. Sleiman

 

 Though once a baron's daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village. Dubbed "The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest," her band of followers soon become enemies of the throne when they hijack ill-gotten gold meant for the king.

Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own. When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance. But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, will he choose fame or love?

MY THOUGHTS:

This novel is set almost exactly 800 years ago, in the year 1216. Teenager Merry Ellison leads a group of outlaw children whose families were slaughtered in a terrible political attack. Timothy Grey is the youngest son of a nobleman who longs to prove his worth by capturing the band of thieves for his employer.

It's a pleasant and entertaining story set in a grim stage of history which was just the opposite. People rarely bathed, methods of torture were barbaric, travel was long and difficult, and the age of legal culpability was seven, so that many of Merry's young followers would be hung, drawn and quartered if discovered along with their leaders.

It doesn't take long to figure out that this is going to a fairly lighthearted book. It's quite comical at times. Dina Sleiman wrote the story so lovingly, I couldn't help being confident, the further I read, that all would be well to the point of the macabre threats becoming a bit of a joke. For example, Lord Wyndemere scolding Timothy for not dealing with the thieves, saying, 'I was quite disappointed to find no rotting remains to greet me upon my return to the castle.' Yet I think she manages to pull it off okay without having it digress into a Medieval farce. We readers know that we're just getting a fun romp through the Middle Ages, but for Merry and her supporting characters, the ever-present threats of danger and sudden death are real.

Sometimes in books set so long ago, there's the danger of filling characters' heads with modern attitudes which would never have crossed their fixed mindsets. I wondered if this was happening with Merry, as some of her ideas about divine right order seem pretty up-to-date for a Medieval girl, but I think the author manages to get away with it here too. After all, some of Merry's fellow men set the precedent, such as Robin Hood (or Robyn of the Hode, as he's known by these characters).

The love triangle is fraught with some inevitable regret, as both contenders for Merry's heart are equally easy to support, to the point where we know we'll be sorry for the one who misses out. Even toward the end, she's not sure which it will be herself. Merry doesn't intend to play one off against the other, but she can't help doing so a bit. There's Timothy, trying to balance his Biblical respect for rulers with what he knows in his heart is right. And then there's Allen, who can plunder and steal one day, and approach God confident of help the next, because he knows God judges the heart (and after all, who can be innocent according to the twisted laws of King John?) During their sparring match, I honestly couldn't decide which of these two young men I hoped would win. I think the strength of childhood ties managed to push one of them over in the end.

I know my favourite aspect of this novel. Not the daring rescues, skilful exploits, tense love triangle, jealous foes, and backing out of what looks to be a perfectly set trap. Neither is it the touch of the angelic or the 'in the nick of time' reunions. Great as these things are, I loved the deep affection and camaraderie between the Farthingale Ghosts. This includes the way in which every member played on their strengths, carried each others weaknesses and were so distinct from each of their companions. I hope there will be another book because now I want to find out what happens to each of them, and most of all he who didn't win the heroine's hand.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for my review copy.

Award-winning author, Paula Vince loves to evoke tears and laughter through her novels. A wife and homeschooling mother of three, she resides in the beautiful Adelaide Hills of South Australia. Her youth was brightened by great fiction and she’s on a mission to pay it forward.

Her novel, Picking up the Pieces, won the religious fiction section of the 2011 International Book Awards.

Her novel, Best Forgotten, was winner of the 2011 CALEB Award in the fiction category and also recognized as the best overall entry for the year, chosen over memoirs, devotionals and general non-fiction.

Paula’s books are a skillful blend of drama and romance tied together with elements of mystery and suspense.

Find out more at www.justoccurred.blogspot.com.au and www.vincereview.blogspot.com.au.

Perfect Mercy plus book giveaway

by Elaine Fraser

Perfect Mercy is my first young adult novel and part of the Beautiful Lives Series. For many years I was a secondary school teacher and loved seeing how my students’ lives were transformed over the years. Sometimes the way was rocky and they had detours.

Sometimes their lives seemed perfect on the outside, but years later I found out that at that the time turmoil was lurking underneath. Others’ lives were relatively peaceful and happy during the school years and it was only when they left school that problems emerged. 

A couple of years ago I received a message on Facebook from a student I hadn’t seen for about ten years. I had never had any contact with her since she’d left school. 

At the time, I was writing Perfect Mercy and feeling discouraged. Why had God told me to write fiction? I was ready to give up. What was the point? 

I just wanted to say to, that while I was at school I went through one of the hardest times in my life. 

I haven't told many people this, but it got so bad back there that I actually became suicidal. 

I want you to know that you were a shining light to me back then, and I am sure that God put me in your class for a reason. He knew that what I would go through would be tough, but He always manages to put the right people around us. 

While I was at school that right person was you, I might not have always behaved like it, and I'm sure I never said it. You were a light into the dark places of my life. 

Coming to your class, for me, was like a breath of fresh air, an escape. It wasn't anything about what you were teaching, it was more who you were and I guess I could see (without realising it at the time) but God was alive in you and that was clear to see. You carried his presence with you and that for me, was life. 

So, thank you (insert facebook hug here). So, I thank you...and I am sure that I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for that. 

Leaving teaching to write was one of the hardest decisions of my life. I loved it so much. God has given me a new mission - to write for girls like the one above. The ones who love God, yet struggle with life and emerge stronger and more resilient. 

My hope for these novels is that the girls who read them enjoy the stories but are also inspired to build faith and live beautiful lives. 

Book One: Perfect Mercy 

Perfect Mercy, Elaine’s first novel, is the start of the Beautiful Lives series for young adults.

Perfect Mercy is the story of Mercy Hamilton who has the perfect life. She is gorgeous with amazing fashion sense, is intelligent and has the perfect boyfriend, family and home. 

However, things start to unravel when Mercy does something she regrets at a party. Mercy’s perfect world falls apart as she discovers her parents haven’t been as happy as she believed, her reputation is ruined and her relationship with her boyfriend breaks down.

In real life our choices have consequences and, just when you think there is no hope, along comes Perfect Mercy. 

Book Two: Love, Justice is due out April 2014

Book giveaway: Elaine, thanks for visiting with us today. By commenting on today’s post, Australian and New Zealand readers can enter the drawing to win a print copy of Perfect Mercy. The drawing will take place on Monday, February 3 and the winner announced in a comment on this post on Tuesday, February 4. Please leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached. 

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

After many years as an experienced and respected secondary school educator, Elaine began writing for young women. 

She sees the need to teach young people to have resilience, confidence and a strong sense of purpose. 

Her husband, Steve is a photographer and they both spend significant time traveling the world gaining inspiration.

Elaine also works for Transform Cambodia as an educational consultant. The role involves travel to Cambodia and the training of teachers.

Elaine has published two non-fiction books: Beautiful: beauty tips for the soul and Too Beautiful: more beauty tips for the soul. Her first young adult novel, Perfect Mercy, was released in 2012. 

You can find out more about Elaine at www.beautifulbooks.co

Regular blogger at: http://www.kinwomen.com/author/elaine-fraser/ 
Website: www.beautifulbooks.co 
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ElaineFraserBeautifulBooks 
Twitter: @Elaine_fraser 
Instagram: elainefraserauthor