GENTLE JOURNEY, by Elaine Lyons Bach

Day 7. Wrapping it all up.

It's been an interesting journey this tag team tour. And like the title, "Gentle" probably isn't the best way to describe it. Yet watching people jump in and do more than their share is fantastic.

You have to wonder if it's because of the talent that went into constructing this romance, a period romance I might add. I know I've said it before, but to me the only thing worse than a romance is a period romance. Yet there were no harlequinesque steamy scenes. I love the cover. It beats the romance paperbacks I see a lot of people taking out at the library. They always have this big muscled guy with his shirt off and some voluptuous young maiden clinging to him as if should she let go she might disappear. Hogwash! That's one of the things that I liked about Elaine's characters. They were realistic, from the young woman who wants to help society, but she wants to paint as well, to the twisted chimney sweep who keeps trying to steal back "his boys". You can picture the handsome, the beautiful, the bucktoothed, the thin and scraggly, the dashing, but dangerous. It would be easy to modernize this because these characters are so realistic.

For those that missed the twist, I found it interesting for this woman to go from trying to influence her employer to get things done for the poor to becoming one of those influencial people herself.

Elaine, I and the rest of CFRB wish you the very best. I pray that you would do well, sell well, but more importantly, that you would reach people with the Gospel of Jesus because of this work.

Now for a treat. Laura Davis wasn't happy with just posting a couple of times. She was struggling with the powers that be to try and regain a lost interview. Well, between her persistence and the help of Elaine Lyons Bach, you can now read a new interview with Elaine. All you have to do is go to Christian Author Laura Davis and it's right there. Be sure to "tag" her by leaving a comment on her site. Remember, sometimes a comment is the only way we know you've visited our sites. So even if it's just "Hi, just dropped by for the tour," that's fine. It tells us you were there and took enough time to comment. I know that at least one of the members has a giveaway going on for those who post on her blog. So check out Laura's site.

David Brollier
CFRB co-founder

GENTLE JOURNEY, by Elaine Lyons Bach

Welcome to Day 6 of GENTLE JOURNEY's Tag Team posting. Today you'll have the privilege, if you can call it that, of going to my site and reading my post.

First, a little about me. At nearly 56 years old I'm still a red head, although I have less hair now. And the beard in that picture is gone too. I love reading and writing, especially things that are filled with action and drama. Jeffery Deaver is one of my very favorite mystery writers, because he includes forensics into his stories. In fact the Lincoln Rhyme novels are built around that very thing. I also like him because he's a humble man and has been one of my chief supporters as I've been writing. That's not to say I don't like greats like Terri Blackstock and Brandilyn Colliins. I do. In fact I feel a closeness (in the Lord mind you) with Terri.

I've been married for almost 35 years to the same wonderful woman. Barbara Ann means the world to me. I think I've been mostly an annoyance to her. Everytime I'd write something, short story, article, poem, whatever, she'd say, "So, when are you going to get it published?" Well, I finally got something published. THE 3RD COVENANT has its rough spots, but is a really great premier novel. We have 2 grown children. Brent and his wife Laura, are preparing for the mission field with Pioneer Bible Translators. Right now they're in Dallas, TX with their 2 kids (Yup, I'm a grandfather) getting ready to take courses in linguistics and other related subjects as preparation to entering the field. (If you'd like to support them email me at davidbrollier@yahoo.com and I'll get you their address and some information about that). Carrie, the younger of the 2 has her Masters in Deaf Education and has spent the last year teaching pre-school deaf children. She'll be re-locating to the Boston area in the near future. We're proud of both my kids.

In addition to this I'm a retired correctional officer who now works part time as a library clerk, a licensed minister, and, oh yeah, a published author. Okay, "tag" your it. Go to my site, Christian Mystery Writers and read my review of GENTLE JOURNEY there. You can "tag" me by leaving a comment. Don't forget to come back here for a wrap up of the tour and some surprises.

David Brollier

GENTLE JOURNEY, by Elaine Lyons Bach

It's Day 6, the day you've been waiting for when I post my review on my personal site. Tag, you're it. You'll find me at Christian Mystery Writers. That old blog was built to promote my own book, THE 3RD COVENANT, but has since become a parking ground for book reviews, especially reviews for CFRB. Well, I put a little bit up about the others, so I guess I should tell you a bit about myself.

I'm a graduate of Evangel College, class of '74, with a major in Biblical Studies. I worked as a manager trainee at Steak 'n Shake for 11 days. Was the entire art department for a midwestern TV station for a few months. I've been a custodian, janitor, light maintenance worker, security guard and correctional officer. The latter job I held for 20 years and retired at age 50. Around this time I was once again licensed to preach. A month or so after I retired I got a part time clerk position at our local library. Shortly afterwards I began writing THE 3RD COVENANT, with encouragement from people like Bill Myers, Terri Blackstock and Jeffery Deaver, not to mention all the friends, co-workers and family members. Tragically the book is still filled with errors, which I am not going to correct. That's not because I'm lazy. It's to remind me of where I came from and keep me humble.

After my book came out I was faced with the gargantuan task of promoting it. I was never a salesman of any kind, although I've sold more books than anything else I'd ever tried to sell. I thought what I needed was exposure. I needed to tour my book on a blog, because a physical tour wasn't financially in my grasp. I contacted one blog and was told that because I was published by PublishAmerica they couldn't tour me. So I began networking, especially on MySpace. Shortly I found Jackie Moore and decided to ask her if she'd consider co-founding a Christian Fiction Review Blog. She prayed about it and accepted. (See guys, we're being held up in prayer by someone you barely recognize as being part of CFRB).

When CFRB started, our first tour was January, 2007, my goal was to promote MY book. Yet I began applying a Scriptural principle of putting others first. Today we have 44 members, although most of the original members aren't active we still have a strong core and our newer members have caught the vision of this being a ministry, not a promotional site. Jesus taught in parables during His entire earthly ministry. A parable is a story, a work of fiction. We are dedicated to promoting Jesus through our works of fiction.

As far as family goes, I'll be married 35 years on July 7th of this year to Barbara Ann, the love of my life. We have two grown children. The youngest, Carrie Ann, is a deaf education teacher to preschoolers. She can be taxing some times, but we are so very, very proud of her. Our eldest, Brent Andrew went off and got married to Laura, then they began their own family. Ethan Scott Brollier is just shy of 3 years old and Claire Cerese Brollier is just under 4 months old. They just made a major move, from Florida to Texas to begin preparation to enter the mission field with Pioneer Bible Translators.

Okay, now it's your turn to go and tag me. Go to Christian Mystery Writers and "tag" me by leaving a comment on my blog, and may God give you a wonderful day.

GENTLE JOURNEY, by Elaine Lyons Bach

It's Day 5. Tag, you're it! Today we'd like to introduce to you another CFRB member, and another red head, Rebecca Wire. Here's what she posted on her site about herself:

Rebecca received her B.A. in English from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2002. She minored in History and Literature. Her favorite courses included Creative Writing, military history courses, and “anything having to do with Shakespeare”. After graduating she married and moved from Maryland to Virginia .

While living in Maryland, Rebecca had been an ESL (English as a Second Language) tutor for several years. In 2004, she founded a non-profit ministry helping English language learners practice their English. Guide My Words functions today as a means for students to use the Internet to find Conversation Partners and for churches to learn more about establishing ESL ministries. Rebecca has written dozens of Bible-based lesson plans, compiling several workbooks for ESL classes and Bible studies. She has led a tutor training workshop and is certified in Conversational English Language Training through the North American Mission Board.

Also in 2004, Rebecca began writing book reviews for Roundtable Reviews. Rebecca served as an occasional proofreader of reviews submitted by other writers with the site. During her time with Roundtable Reviews, Rebecca wrote over 40 book reviews from a variety of genres. She ended her time at Roundtable in early 2008 and began to write book reviews for Christian Fiction Review Blog.

In 2007, Rebecca began a freelance writing and editing career. She became a member of The Christian PEN Proofreaders and Editors Network. Rebecca also began offering manuscript critiques for aspiring authors.

Rebecca offers writing and editing services in the form of Researching, Interviewing, Audio Transcribing, Copyediting, and Ghostwriting. She is currently ghostwriting a nonfiction work.

Rebecca lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and their three boys. They are active in local church planting and are passionate about international missions. They seek to serve God by serving others in whatever way God leads them.

Now it's your turn. She's the one posting today. Go to her site, Welcome to Rebecca Wire.com and "tag" her by leaving a comment there.

GENTLE JOURNEY, by Elaine Lyons Bach

For Day 4 of our tour of GENTLE JOURNEY, by Elaine Lyons Bach we have a special treat. Today, author and friend Susan Kirkland is going to give her slant on this book. SM Kirkland has short stories published in LIGHT AT THE END OF DARKNESS and has her own book out, HIGHER HONOR. Susan has been with us for a while now and is a great asset to CFRB.

Susan makes these remarks about herself on her MySpace page:
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Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: 1. Jesus Christ. 2. The American G.I. One died for your soul, the other for your Freedom."Light at the Edge of Darkness" is getting some great reviews! "Fair Balance" is also individually getting some awesome feedback. I'm in over my head researching "Fair Balance - the Novel" or as Cyn calls it "The Big." This YA book will be the events leading up to the short story and what happens after it. I'm also researching a sequel to "Higher Honor" mostly like dubbed "Higher Courage" which will follow the cadets into their civilian and military lives after graduation. So check it out: Here's some good stuff -- ordering info: ISBN: 978-1-934284-001 Release date: April 3, 2007 Light at the Edge of Darkness: A collection of Christian speculative fiction short stories, featuring "Fair Balance" by S.M. Kirkland, Adam Graham, Andrea Graham, Deborah Cullins Smith, Donna Sundblad, A.P. Fuchs, Frank Creed, and Grace Bridges.

You can find her post at http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=87156559 Remember to leave a comment to "tag" her.

David Brollier
co-founder CFRB

GENTLE JOURNEY, by Elaine Lyons Bach

It's Day 3 for Elaine Lyons Bach's GENTLE JOURNEY. Today CFRB directs you to Christian Author Laura Davis Laura has experienced some technical difficulties in the form of having her interview deleted by another hosting site. It'll be interesting to see if she gets another interview up or goes a different direction.

Laura has this on her site, which gives us a good feel for who she is, and the journey she's traveled to get her own work published:

For the past 30 years I have been involved in Contemporary Christian Music Ministry as a soprano soloist. I wrote many of my own songs, produced an album and sang mainly in Ontario and once or twice Stateside. My life was music and singing. I simply did not know anything else, it was my identity, until I lost my voice.

Five years ago, it was discovered that I had a rather large tumor growing in my abdomen. While trying to take it out, the surgeons operating on me made a mistake and I ended up having emergency surgery to repair the damage, two hours after my original surgery. I was intubated and subsquently my vocal chords were injured. My singing voice, as I knew it, was gone.

My life changed overnight. I was like a ship without a rudder - I had no sense of direction in my life at all. Where was God in all of this? Why take my voice after a 30 year ministry? It was too much to comprehend and I was depressed for months. I tried various exercises hoping to get back to where I once was, but my high soprano voice would not come back to me. At most I was now an alto, but even that did not feel comfortable because where I once had control, I now had none - my voice would crack and squeal when I least expected it.

After I sought the Lord in prayer, I began to see the seeds of an idea for a story take shape in my mind. But I could only see the end of the story. For three months I ignored this impression (that was quickly becoming an obsession), because I believed I was not a writer. I argued with God and told Him I wrote songs, not stories. But the urge to write overcame me, so that one day I sat at my computer and said, "Okay Lord. Not my will, but Yours be done. Use me as you will." I placed my hands on the keys and before I even realized what was happening a story poured through them. I saw the beginning, the middle and the end. For months I was at my computer. Housework went by the wayside. After being depressed for so many months about losing my voice, I suddenly felt alive!

Finally, after several months the story was complete. I had written a novel! Not a short story - but a novel. The relief in knowing that I had finished was sweet, until I realized that I wasn't really finished. It took me another 3 years of editing and rewrites before I was completely done.

The book I wrote is called "Come to Me" and you can purchase it in my bookstore.

Now it's your turn. Go to Christian Author Laura Davis and "tag" Laura by posting on her site.

GENTLE JOURNEY, by Elaine Lyons Bach

Ready for Day 2? OK, tag, you're it! Today we direct you to Cathi Hassan. Some of these people just couldn't wait to post GENTLE JOURNEY'S post, so they'll be doing at least 2. Cathi is one of those. You can read both of Cathi's beginning with yesterday's review. Today she has another post, which I hope you will drop in and read. Be sure to "tag" her by leaving a comment on her site.

Here's what Cathi says of herself:

I am a former English/French teacher who had to retire on disability. Recently, God has blessed me with several opportunities to do some editing, proofreading, and reviewing, all with Christian writers. I get to do what I love and keep those little gray cells active.

In addition to that she has been a valuable member of CFRB, always ready to offer a comforting word. Now it's your turn to "tag" her. Go to her site at Cathi's Chatter and God bless you.

David Brollier
co-founder of CFRB