Immanuel's Veins

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Immanuel's Veins Thomas Nelson (September 7, 2010)


by Ted Dekker





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

This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story.



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:






Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker is a stand out book by a controversial Christian author. Toma Nicolescu is a devoted warrior for Catherine, Empress of Russia, so when he is sent to Moldavia with Alek, his comrade-in-arms, to protect the twin daughters, Lucine and Natasha, of an important estate, he intends to remain businesslike, despite their renowned beauty. Alek and Natasha have an immediate connection as lovers of passion and freedom. Toma is mysteriously drawn to Lucine, but his duty to Russia makes him deny his feelings until she is threatened by Vlad van Velarik, a mysterious Russian who has brought a entourage of strangely beautiful men and women who alternately entice and taunt the two couples. Everything changes when Vlad determines to court Lucine, and Toma must decide what she means to him and just far he is willing to go for love. Dekker is well-known for his dark and occasionally disturbing fiction that stretches readers' imagination and faith, but IV has taken his writing to a completely new level. The tone is completely authentic, and the images are haunting, compelling, and completely unforgettable. This book will shake up readers' ideas of what sacrificial love looks like. It is beautiful and terrible and life-changing. Dekker has truly set himself a new standard of writing with this book, and I can't wait to see what he does next.

The author has asked all bloggers to write about their definition of sacrificial love. This is mine: I believe that my husband, Jesse, has shown me the most beautiful example of sacrificial love. Because of my illness, I can't work full-time, putting the complete burden of supporting our family on his shoulders. Jesse works a thankless job to provide for our family, then comes home to make supper and take care of the household chores, because again, my pain limits what I can do. On top of that, he's attending school full-time to try and give us all a better life. This is not the life that we promised each other when we were married eight years ago, but he does it, day in and day out, with only rare complaint. His love for me amazes me, and I know that I am a blessed woman.

The author is also giving away completely awesome T-shirts in a contest this week. The artwork is phenomenal, and I love mine! If you would like the chance to win, just leave me a comment here on this post before 10 pm on Thursday, Sept. 16th. I'll pick a winner randomly from the comments and post the winner here on Friday. Good luck!