Drawn from Immanuel's veins...
My review is at the end. Enjoy!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty novels. He is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans.Early in his career he wrote a number of spiritual thrillers and his novels were lumped in with ‘Christian Fiction’ a surprisingly large category. His later novels are a mix of mainstream novels such as Adam, Thr3e, Skin, Obsessed and BoneMan’s Daughters, and fantasy thrillers that metaphorically explore faith. Best known among these is his Circle Series: Green, Black, Red, White and The Paradise Books: Showdown, Saint, and Sinner.
Dekker was born to missionaries who lived among the headhunter tribes of Indonesia. Because his parents’ work often included extended periods of time away from their children, Dekker describes his early life in a culture to which he was a stranger as both fascinating and lonely. It is this unique upbringing that forced him to rely on his own imagination to create a world in which he belonged.
After leaving Indonesia, Dekker graduated from a multi-cultural high school and took up permanent residence in the United States to study philosophy and religion. Upon earning his Bachelor’s Degree, he entered the corporate world and proceeded to climb the proverbial ladder. But his personal drive left him restless and, after many successful years, he traded corporate life for wide range of entrepreneurial pursuits that included buying and selling businesses, healthcare services, and marketing.
In the early nineties while visiting a friend who had just written a book, Dekker decided to pursue a long held desire to be a novelist. Over the course of two years he wrote two full length novels before starting from scratch and rewriting both. Now fully enamored by the the process and the stories, he realized that storytelling was in his blood and a new obsession to explore truth through story gripped him anew.
He sold his business, moved his family to the mountains of Western Colorado and began writing full-time on his third novel. Two years and three novels later his first novel, Heaven’s Wager, was published.
Now, Dekker’s novels had sold over 3.4 million copies worldwide. Two of his novels, Thr3e and House, have been made into movies with more in production. Dekker resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Lee Ann and two of their daughters.
ABOUT THE BOOK
It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice.
Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover.
With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds.
Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow.
Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter.
But remember, not everyone is for this story.
If you'd like to read the first chapter of Immanuel's Veins, go HERE.
Watch the book trailer:
Thomas Nelson asks:
What is sacrificial love?
My answer:
Sacrificial love is just as it says: love that sacrifices. Love that gives without expecting anything in return. Love given freely. Love like the love Jesus Christ exhibited for us on the cross.
I am probably as guilty as the next person of not always loving in a sacrificial way. So often we as human beings get caught up in "what's in it for me" kind of love. Sacrificial love is hard. It's sometimes painful. Often it's exhausting. But it's necessary. Oh, it's necessary to show Christ's love that way.
As part of this blog tour, I was gifted with a t-shirt that says "Share the Love." It's an outline drawing of a human heart, and it's a little startling (and not what I'd usually wear). But it's true. Sacrificial love can feel like it's giving our life's blood out of our own muscley, beating heart.
Read Ted Dekker's post on "Share the Love" here.
Pattie's Book Review:
I was immediately skeptical of this book because of the many pages of endorsements preceding the beginning. After awhile, it was like, "C'mon, how many people do you really need to tell me I should be reading the book I have in my hands right now?" (I think I've become a bit jaded on the endorsement thing at the beginning of novels!)
This is the first Ted Dekker novel I've read, although I've seen his name among discussions between authors online about Christian fiction. I guess that makes me a bit of a voyeur, because instead of reading his work, I was reading about what others said about him and his work.
The reason I chose this book to review was the love story and "not everyone is for this book" tag line. Otherwise I may have passed it up, as intense and/or scary suspense is not always my first choice in pleasure reading.
If I'd known it was a vampire-type book, I may have passed. As it was, by the time I figured out that it truly was (wanting to give the benefit of the doubt in spite of the chalice on the cover), I was engrossed enough in the story to want to finish and find out the end.
I did like how the story drew me in to the world of centuries ago, with the folklore that was not quite Bram Stoker but also not quite like anything else either. I was not really put off by the sensual imagery, although I can see how others might be (leading to the banning of this book in Holland). What I find intriguing is that Dekker said on Facebook, "The book is a passionate tale of God’s love for his bride, perhaps the most Christian book I’ve ever written." To be completely honest, I never thought of Jesus' love being seen in that way. It's certainly food for thought.
Contest:
To enter and win a t-shirt, all you need to do is comment on my blog here with your name and a way for me to get hold of you, be it through your own blog or your email address. If you are the winner, I'll contact you to get your name, mailing address, and t-shirt size. That's it! So leave a comment and "Share the Love" with me! :)
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