Thursday, April 16, 2015

Author Spotlight + GIVEAWAY: Lynn Austin


I always begin my interviews by saying that I'm honored to welcome a particular author, which is always true, but Lynn Austin is very special to me - and, to be honest, I'd have to say that I'm a little in awe! An eight-time winner of the Christy Award for excellence in Christian fiction, Lynn's novels are not only popular, but she is well respected - and rightly so. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Lynn today.

In the Restoration Chronicles series, Lynn's prose, biblical authenticity, and storytelling ability combine into what I consider to be the best in this genre today. Return to Me and Keepers of the Covenant (click on titles to see my reviews) are moving stories that not only entertain, but give new meaning to the term "relevant" when the importance of their message for today is considered.

Lynn is graciously sharing a copy of book #2, Keepers of the Covenant, with one of our readers; details are at the end of this post. Now enjoy Lynn's thoughts as she tells what this story means to her personally . . .



Lynn:  To me, the question at the heart of Keepers of the Covenant is, will we trust God in faith even when life doesn’t seem to make sense? Will we continue to walk with Him no matter what? I’ve always been fascinated with the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah and wanted to bring them to life for readers because I believe their theme is very a contemporary one. How do we live according to the Bible, without compromising, in the midst of a godless culture?

Keepers of the Covenant is the second book in the Restoration Chronicles series and tells how Ezra led a group of exiles back home to the Promised Land and back to God. It begins with the events of the book of Esther—but told from the viewpoint of the Jewish people, scattered throughout the Persian Empire, who suddenly find themselves facing Haman’s death sentence. Will they trust God or give in to evil? My goal is to show the relevance of scripture for our lives, to write stories that give readers hope; stories that say, yes, life is hard but God is good. And no matter what, to believe that He’s always in control.


Carole:  Quality Christian fiction not only entertains, but challenges and causes us to reflect, and that's what this series does so well, Lynn. I said in one of my reviews that you could make a blueprint of these stories, lay it over today's world, and they would meld into one. It is indeed an honor to have you visit, and I hope you'll come back when your next book releases.




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GIVEAWAY

To enter the drawing for Keepers of the Covenant, please leave a relevant comment . . . for instance, a favorite novel of Lynn's, enjoyment of biblical fiction in general, living in today's "politically correct" society, etc.

BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS in a safe format - [at] and [dot] - for the drawing, and please indicate if yours is an international address.

If you'd like to receive e-mail notifications of reviews, author interviews and giveaways, please subscribe to my blog in the upper right corner. "Likes" on my Facebook page, ThePowerofWordsBookReviews, are also greatly appreciated, as are followers on Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, and this blog.

E-mail required for entry in the drawing. Contest ends at midnight PST on Saturday, April 25. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and contacted by e-mail. Respond within 48 hours of notification or another winner will be chosen.

Eligibility: Open internationally

28 comments:

  1. I haven't yet had a chance to become acquainted with Lynn's writings. So I am hoping that I can read some of her Biblical fiction books. I enjoy this genre and it would be a nice change of pace for me. sonja dot nishimoto at gmail dot com

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    1. Sonja, there's just more to read than we have time for, isn't there?! Lynn is an excellent writer and if you enjoy biblical fiction, you should really try this book. There's an earlier book, Return to Me, but you don't need to read it first. The three books in this series take place at different times during Israel's return from Babylonia captivity. Best wishes in the drawing, Sonja!

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  2. I've only read Lynn Austin's historical romances set around the turn of the 20th century. It would be great to see what her books in the other genres are like.

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    1. Hi Dawn! I'm behind on my Lynn Austin books because I had only read one historical before starting this biblical fiction series. Keepers of the Covenant is excellent and extremely relevant for us today. Like I told Sonja above, there's an earlier book, but you don't have to read it first. Best wishes, Dawn!

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  3. I love Biblical fiction. I've not read Lynn Austin's books. I hope to do so soon. Thanks for the chance!

    psalm103and138[at]gmail[dot]com

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    1. Caryl, I enjoy biblical fiction also. I recently read The Crimson Cord by Jill Eileen Smith, which was very good. Keepers of the Covenant is the first of Lynn's biblical fiction that I've read and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by, Caryl.

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  4. Hello Lyn and Carole, I enjoy reading the christian fiction books...I always learn from them and they are easier to read then Bible verses. I know they don't replace it but they do help understand it better.
    thanks for sharing today about your love of these books you write, I would love to be in the drawing.
    Paula O(kyflo130(at)yahoo(dot)com )

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    1. So glad you're interested in Lynn's novel, Paula! Some biblical fiction authors stray a little too far from Scriptural accounts for my taste, but not so with Lynn. With biblical accuracy, she fleshes out the story in a way that not only entertains, but makes you think. I'm sure you will enjoy Lynn's writing, Paula. It's always good to see you here!

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  5. It has been a while since I've read biblical fiction, but I have a copy of Return to Me on my shelf and I hope to read it soon. I've recently started reading historical romances again, so I'll have to give Lynn Austin's books in that genre a try as well. Any suggestions on where to start?
    bibliogr[at]gmail[dot]com

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    1. Yvette, I'm going to give you the link to Lynn's page on FantasticFiction.com, a book/author resource that I use almost daily. When you search by author, it will give you all of their books in chronological order and grouped by series. The Refiner's Fire series is historical, as are some of Lynn's standalone novels. A Proper Pursuit is the only other book I've read, and it was excellent. Hope this helps, Yvette.

      http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/lynn-n-austin/

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    2. Thanks, Carole! I think I might start with the Refiner's Fire series.

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  6. I love biblical fiction, it's the only genre I read! These books sound so good, I haven't read any of them but I have seen them at my local Christian bookstore and have been wanting to read them. Hoping to win! shellymae1002(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. You should really enjoy this series, Michelle. Lynn has another biblical series called God and Kings. Have you read any of Jill Eileen Smith's novels? I enjoy her writing also.

      Here's the link to Lynn's page on FantasticFiction where you can see more about the series I mentioned. Thanks for visiting, Michelle.

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  7. I'm a huge fan of Lynn Austin's work! I first read Candle in the Darkness, and that got me hooked. Since then I've added all of her books to my TBR!

    I've recently gotten back into biblical fiction and love it. It's definitely a genre I need to read more of. Thanks for the giveaway!

    thescribblingsprite(at)gmail(dot)com

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  8. a wonderful posting...thanks for the chance to read lynn's latest novel :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

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  9. What a great interview. I would love to win a hard copy of this book. Thank you.

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  10. I loved reading theRefiner's Fire serie. It was an excellent series and the historical details were what I enjoy reading in books. I haven't read any of her biblical fiction but if they are as great as her historical fiction I know I'll love it. I would love to give her biblical fiction a try. Thank you for the great giveaway opportunity !
    Deanne
    Cnnamongirl@aol.com

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  11. Such an joy of a chance to read Christian books during a time where there is abundance of genres I don't care for. These books here place a joy and warmth in my heart much needed nowadays. tinawhitney16269@yahoo.com

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  12. I love Biblical fiction books, and these sound amazing! Thanks for the chance to win. myfacebookemail23 at yahoo dot com

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  13. I thought I had read a number of Lynn Austin's books, but now I can't come up with any. I've had Gods and Kings on my reading list for a long while so I guess it's about time for me to actually read it! These you have highlighted here also look really good! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday!
    Tina

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  14. Sounds amazing! I love Lynn Austin's book :)

    samanthabis23 at gmail dot com

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  15. I'm not too familiar with Biblical fiction. It sounds like a good way to enjoy the stories of the Bible on another level.
    melissa dot snoopy at yahoo dot com

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  16. I first read Candle in the Darkness and it soon became my favorite, but then I read All Things New and simply fell in love! jdennis298(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. I haven't read any of Lynn Austin's books yet - though I have one in my TBR pile :-). This one sounds excellent! Thanks for hosting the giveaway. :-)
    aliciagraceroque (at) gmail (dot) com

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  18. I haven't read much biblical fiction, but I do like historical fiction. Thanks for the giveaway!
    terkim at gmail dot com
    I live in Ontario, Canada

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  19. I would love to read this book and I am keeping my fingers crossed! Thank you for this opportunity!

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  20. I'm not sure if I've read anything by Lynn, but I believe I have one or two of her "Refiners Fire" books on my Kindle. I have so very many books to read, it seems I may never get to them all!! I also haven't read any biblical fiction, but it's fun to imagine what it would be like to have lived in those times!
    Thank you for the chance to win & the wonderful author interview!

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  21. I love Christian fiction. When I read Candle in the Darkness I fast became a fan of Lynn Austin.

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