The Gathering Storm

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


The Gathering Storm Summerside Press (August 1, 2010)


by Bodie and Brock Thoene





ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Bodie and Brock Thoene (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 50 works of historical fiction. Over twenty million of these best-selling novels are in print. Eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards affirms what millions of readers have already discovered—the Thoenes are not only master stylists but experts at capturing readers’ minds and hearts.



Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.



Brock has often been described by Bodie as “an essential half of this writing team.” With degrees in both history and education, Brock has, in his role as researcher and story-line consultant, added the vital dimension of historical accuracy. Due to such careful research, The Zion Covenant and The Zion Chronicles series are recognized by the American Library Association, as well as Zionist libraries around the world, as classic historical novels and are used to teach history in college classrooms.



Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake, Luke, and Ellie—and seven grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.



Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.





ABOUT THE BOOK

As Nazi forces tighten the noose, Loralei Kepler, daughter of a German resistance leader, must flee her beloved Germany. But is any place safe from Adolf Hitler's evil grasp? Loralei's harrowing flight leads her into the arms of needy child refugees, who have sacrificed everything in exchange for their lives, and toward a mysterious figure, who closely guards an age-old secret.



Explore the romance, the passion, and the danger of the most anticipated series of the last twenty years.



Born from the highly acclaimed and best-loved novels of three generations of readers -- The Zion Covenant series and The Zion Chronicles series -- Zion Diaries ventures into the lives of the inspiring and intriguing characters who loved intensely, stood up for what was right, and fought boldly during Hitler's rise to power and the dark days of World War II.



If you would like to read the first chapter of The Gathering Storm, go HERE



The Gathering Storm by Bodie & Brock Thoene is the first book in the Zion Diaries series. Loralei grew up in Europe after World War I while her father prophesied that Germany would rise again. As Hitler's Germany begins to crush the Jews, her family pulls together to help out however they can, aiding the escape of Jewish children to America, getting false Catholic identities for some, and Loralei even marries a Jewish man ,Varrick, partly to save him and his family, but also because she allows herself to fall in love with him. But they family is soon expelled from Germany back to their home in Belgium where Varrick is sent to the front lines. When the family is forced to flee their home in anticipation of the Nazi invasion, she helps her niece, two Jewish girls, and her pregnant sister get to England. Lora's story is enthralling and exciting making it nearly impossible to put the book down. With lots of action, a hint of romance, and a ton of faith this is a terrific story, and I can't wait for the sequel! The Thoenes have included so much detail readers will almost hear the bombs falling around them, but always making the story deeply personal.