Thicker Than Blood-Review and Giveaway!

TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:

Thicker than Blood
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House

Winner of the
2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel Contest!

Christy Williams finally has her life on track. She’s putting her past behind her and working hard to build a career as an antiquarian book buyer. But things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged younger sister, May, whom she abandoned after their parents’ untimely deaths. Soon, Christy’s fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could May’s Triple Cross Ranch be the safe haven she’s searching for? Will the sisters realize that each possesses what the other desperately needs before it’s too late?

MY REVIEW: This is the second Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel Winner I’ve read, the first being Jennifer Erin Valent’s Fireflies in December. What a service the Guild is doing by finding such fabulous authors, and kudos to Tyndale for publishing great fiction!

C.J. Darlington’s debut is a wonderful start to what I’m sure will be a long, successful career. First off, Christy’s career as a rancher and May’s as a book buyer are not the ho-hum, usual careers of characters. That should have tipped me off from the beginning that this would be a book that would keep my interest long into the night. Darlington masterfully creates scenes that are inherently intriguing. How many books have you read where the majority of the book takes place in a living room/coffee shop/office with a whole lot of talking? Myself, too many! In Thicker Than Blood, the reader is treated to a look at the backroom of book buying and the open range of ranching. The characters DO things while sharing their thoughts, which leads to an active, engaging story.

The themes of forgiveness, importance of family, and the constant offer from God for a new life are deftly woven into the story. Never, not even during a sermon, did the writing come across as preachy. In fact, Christy’s point of view of a non-Christian is among the best I’ve read for showing exactly how crazy the Christian faith can seem to one who hasn’t yet chosen to give control on his/her life to God. There were other issues dealt with that I can’t go into without giving some plot points away, but Darlington manages to take these massive, painful life choices and fit them naturally into one hurting, seeking heart.

Lovers of horses, lovers of books, or lovers of story will enjoy this suspenseful debut!

With careful attention to detail, emotion, and scene-setting, C.J. Darlington scores with her debut effort. Here is a special writer you won’t want to miss.
—Jerry B. Jenkins, New York Times best selling author

If you love a good read filled with adventure and ultimately redemption, I encourage you to brew the tea, settle into your favorite chair and pick up the page turner that is C.J. Darlington’s imaginative new novel of a modern day sisterhood that triumphs over separation and the raw challenges of life to find the real endurance of both family ties and God’s amazing grace.
—Rebecca St. James, Grammy award winning Christian singer and bestselling author

With Thicker than Blood, C.J. Darlington proves she’s a novelist for the long-haul, a strong new voice in Christian fiction. This book speaks to the heart, from the heart, about the heart. Readers will not soon forget it.
—Sibella Giorello, Christy award-winning author of The Rivers Run Dry & The Clouds Roll Away

About the Author:
C. J. began writing the story that would become Thicker than Blood (her first novel) when she was a fifteen-year-old homeschool student. She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over a decade, scouting for stores similar to the one described in the novel before cofounding her own online bookstore. Thicker than Blood was the winner of the 2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel.

C. J. co-founded the Christian entertainment Web site TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. She makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Visit her website www.cjdarlington.com for more info.

QUICK LINKS:

• The 1st chapter of Thicker than Blood
• The “Story Behind the Story” of Thicker than Blood
• More endorsements from Jenny B. Jones, James Scott Bell, Susan Meissner, and more!
• Our interview with C.J. at TitleTrakk.com
• Buy Thicker than Blood at Christianbook.com
• Buy Thicker than Blood at Amazon.com
• List of the other 85+ Thicker than Blood blog tour participants!

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