Candy and I, we realize the one area of our romance education that is most lacking is the Inspirational category. I’ve read a secret baby – ok, it wasn’t a secret baby but it was close – and two sheikh-esque (now that is a fun word to say) and have dabbled in other genres as much as possible. But the Inspirational romance, I have not read.
Part of my hesitation is that I’m not Christian, so I personally wouldn’t be too inspired, if that is the goal, to dedicate my life to Jesus Christ. And as far as I know there aren’t too many Jewish inspirationals – though I could be wrong.
Be that as it may, both Candy and I think it’s time we dipped our reading toes in the river of Inspirational romance, and who else to ask but our incredibly well-read readership. Got a recommendation? Or two?
I would second the Grace Livingston Hill, but you do have to pick and choose. Sometimes the heroines can be too sacchrine, but a lot of the heroes are Presbyterian ministers.
Very early Emilie Lorings are good. Most are not necessarily inspirational, but a few are.
I actually read a secret baby inspy, but it was ridiculous. I had nightmares of Southern Baptists for days.
I am a Christian but avoid most Christian fiction for all the reasons already outlined. I see that Francine Rivers has been recommended but not all her stuff is good. The Scarlet Thread by Rivers made me want to slit my wrists with the pages. The heroine was a whining, pity party that never ended. Lord, help us from idiotic women.
However, Redeeming Love, mentioned earlier and by Rivers, is my favorite IR.
Thanks for the other suggestions. I am going to the used book store this week to find some of them.
Another vote for Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I’m not a regular inspie reader. Actually I wasn’t aware that Redeeming Love might be considered an inspirational until years after I’d read it. Not heavy-handed and judgemental at all. Not sweet either. There’s plenty of sex in this story! It’s really a wonderful book and it’s solidly on my keeper shelf.
As a Christian and avid reader myself I will have to agree, the selection of well written, character driven, non-cheesy Christian fiction is, well, abysmal. I would recomend Francine Rivers “Redeeming Love”, this is an excellent book. If you can find an orginal copy before the book was “cleaned up” for the Christian market, even better. My favorite book of Francine’s is “The Last Sin Eater”, but it is not for everyone and the movie that is out on DVD, well the book is sooooo much better. Dee Henderson’s “Danger in the Shadows” is a wonderful romantic/suspence worth reading. Francine and Dee restored my “faith”(sorry, I couldn’t help it) in the ability of Christians to write something relevent and entertaining.
Okay, now I’m curious. Allison mentioned that Redeeming Love was “cleaned up”… how would one find the original?
I read it years ago (and I remember being completely enthralled by it), but now I’m wondering which version I read.
Thanks, KellyMaher! I looked it up when I got home (or, to be precise, looked over) and wondered why I couldn’t remember the author’s name. It’s very close to my stepmother’s. Maybe that’s why she bought the book.
I second the Ann Burton ” women of the bible” series. wonderful books that the author really put a lot into historical research and the storeis are just beautiful.
also, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Exceptional book!!!!
synopsis: Amazon.com
The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insider’s look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter, Dinah. Told in the voice of Jacob’s daughter Dinah (who only received a glimpse of recognition in the Book of Genesis), we are privy to the fascinating feminine characters who bled within the red tent. In a confiding and poetic voice, Dinah whispers stories of her four mothers, Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah—all wives to Jacob, and each one embodying unique feminine traits. As she reveals these sensual and emotionally charged stories we learn of birthing miracles, slaves, artisans, household gods, and sisterhood secrets. Eventually Dinah delves into her own saga of betrayals, grief, and a call to midwifery.
“Like any sisters who live together and share a husband, my mother and aunties spun a sticky web of loyalties and grudges,” Anita Diamant writes in the voice of Dinah. “They traded secrets like bracelets, and these were handed down to me the only surviving girl. They told me things I was too young to hear. They held my face between their hands and made me swear to remember.” Remembering women’s earthy stories and passionate history is indeed the theme of this magnificent book. In fact, it’s been said that The Red Tent is what the Bible might have been had it been written by God’s daughters, instead of her sons.
Francine Rivers is good – I heartily second the recs for Redeeming Love. Jannette Oke is popular, but I think I outgrew her books by the age of 12. Also, in her Love Comes Softly series, the dialect transcription can get incredibly annoying. Just spell the damn words and I’ll fill in the accent on my own, thanks. Her Canadian West is better, IMO.
If you’re looking to read good inspiration, I’d go for the Cheney Duvall, MD series by Gilbert Morris. They’re about a female doctor during the Reconstruction Era. The hero is her ex-Confederate soldier nurse. Both characters are very well written, funny and there’s a ton of chemistry.
Also on the historical front, the Zion Covenant and the Zion Chronicles are extremely well-constructed epics about a group of (mostly Jewish) characters in WWII Europe and post-war Israel. Those were the books that made me want to be a writer. Oh, and The Russians Series by Judith Pella. Those are awesome, even if I can’t make myself read past Bloody Sunday. Too sad.
Okay, I’ve read way too much inspirational. I need to go find some erotica now.
I read Francine Rivers ancient Rome trilogy and also really loved the first one, A Voice In The Wind.
But Redeeming Love…I hated it more than any other book I have ever read. I dunno, maybe it was because I was the mother of a beautiful, blonde-haired five year old at the time I read it. I would never even consider re-reading it to see if my opinions have changed, it bothered me that much. (BTW: I love horrors and thrillers, but *this* is not what I read romance for.)
Aside from that issue, the whole Christian forgiveness/redemption thing was just not enough to overcome the ugliness. And there wasn’t a single character in the book that I liked…she went way too far in her revenge (blech) and he was a total doormat.
Just another opinion…fwiw.
Oh, the Red Tent is one of my favorites. *smacks self on head* I forgot about it!
“I read it years ago (and I remember being completely enthralled by it), but now I’m wondering which version I read.”
sara, I don’t have the book with me (I’m at work)but I will look it up this evening when I get home to tell you the copyright date, I am thinking the original was published in the early 90’s, but I’m not sure. The biggest differences I noticed between the two: the language was cleaned up and Sarah’s decision to turn away from her past was a defined “walk to the altar” scene in the cleaned up version.
I haven’t read any of Judy Baer’s books, but she spoke to one of my library-school classes, and she was funny and erudite, so I have to hope her books are, too.
I think some of her books technically are considered “Christian chick-lit,” but they sound entertaining,and seem to contain romantic plots. In Million Dollar Dilemma the heroine puts $5 in the office lottery-ticket buy, thinking she’s giving money for a colleague’s baby shower; when the group wins, she has to figure out what to do with her share of the money, because gambling violates her faith. And in Be My Neat-Heart, the heroine is a professional home-organizer, which I think sounds interesting. (Mostly because my house is not so much with the “organized.”)
Be mindful of which Redeeming Love you pick up. I preferred the old one, before it was touched up and iced for the inspy lines.
As a Christian I have not found too many inspirationals all that inspirational. I think there can be plenty of love and romance without sex, unfortunately the ones I’ve read all portray these vapid, lukewarm couples who have no trouble not having sex. As a Christian I have to say this is BS. Even should you decide to wait its never as simple as being satisfied with lukewarm Eskimo kisses on a sofa.
If there is an inspirational out there that portrays how truly difficult this decision can be for two people madly in love, and shows how it can be overcome and used as an obstacle for a growth or shows the effects on the relationship, I’d be interested in that.
However, perfect beautiful people with no apparent attraction to one another? Not interesting.
Also, I’d be interested to see an inspirational where someone has an actual crisis of faith, rather than just going around getting everybody saved and baptized.
I just told all y’all where you can find inspirationals that exactly fit the above description in vast quantities, and nobody seemed all that interested.
I wonder why?
[chortle!]
HEAVENS TO BETSY by Beth Pattillo and its sequel, EARTH TO BETSY. Funny tales about a female reverend and her trials and tribulations.
A little quick off the mark there, aren’tcha? I don’t write “THANK YOU SO MUCH!!1!1!” blog comments but it’s not lack of interest. When I see a suggestion I try it. If like it I come back later and comment. That’s just me. I like to have something to say other than “OMG!TX!”
unfortunately the ones I’ve read all portray these vapid, lukewarm couples who have no trouble not having sex.
This is what I could never understand about inspirationals. Reading the submission guidelines for some of the Christian lines just boggles my mind. No sex, no kissing, no thoughts about sex, no lusting, no drinking, smoking, blah, blah, blah. Who the hell are you supposed to inspire? All the totally perfect people out there?
This is what surprised me when I picked up the Deeanne Gist book. There is lust and there are real people making normal mistakes, etc.
A little touchy over a li’l chortle. I chortle all the time. Chortle here, chortle there.
Seriously, if anybody had been interested, you know there would have been discussion. Y’all discuss anything you’re interested in until it’s dead, stomped to the ground, and begging to be buried.
People have the perfect right to be interested in what they want.
But they may miss some good stuff. Fir example, have y’all heard Yolanda Adam’s Christian tune Open My Heart?
It’s very good.
That’s all I was sayin’
Now see here, lady. I didn’t respond with my interest because I was TOO BUSY STUFFING MY PREGNANT HEAD WITH GINGERBREAD because YOU BROUGHT IT UP YOU MONSTER WOMAN YOU!
*ahem*
Now that I’ve gained forty five pounds on gingerbread alone, I have a question: why would someone pray for a thug? That would be the first thing that might stop me from buying a book with that back cover copy – why would someone pray for a thug?
I’m going to pray for more gingerbread, personally.
This is where the urban dictionary comes in handy. Don’t tell a soul, but I use it all the time.
You don’t understand what a thug really is. She wasn’t praying for a criminal, but a man who knows the streets and how to deal with them, a surviver, who is cool in every way, who is down, who is like a J.R. Ward character without the blood drinking requirements. The ultimate urban alpha male. To many woman, a thug is well worth praying for.
If you’re unclear about who Tupac is, he’s one of the minor Gods.
Geez, Sarah, are you pregnant again? AGAIN?
Good Lord, woman. You need to read some inspirational romance quick.
I am well-familiar with Tupac, do not worry! My education has giant holes in it but not where Mr. Shakur is concerned.
Ah, see, now that makes sense. She wants an alpha male in the urban sense. I get it. Thanks.
And yes, I am indeed pregnant. Pass the gingerbread. I ain’t mad at ya… if you pass the damn gingerbread already.
“Song of Solomon, or The Song of Songs (depending on the translation.)…. Pretty hot, actually. Find a good translation and it’s probably the best erotic romance ever. ” Posted by Kaite
How true!! I never got over the way her hips and thighs and breasts were described; it was beautiful, and I couldn’t believe it was in the bible!
Anyway, I read a few inspirationals when I was younger… my family kept telling me that romances were sinful, even the christian ones. Eventually I got over their opinions and told them where to get off, but that’s another story.
I still have a couple of them in my collection; Blind Promises by Diana Palmer (very sweet), and 4 girls at Chautauqua by something Alden.
As a Christian, I will agree that there’s not much out there that really tells a story about a person who loves God, as opposed to preaching about how a Christian life should be lived (usually according to fundamentalist standards). I can’t stand Janette Oke myself, but her books are pretty popular. My own favourites come from the detective-thriller genre – Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series, which have at their heart a twelfth-century Benedictine monk and all feature a romance, and the Starbridge series by Susan Howatch, which are about the Anglican church in the twentieth century, but also each feature a stand-alone love-story (not necessarily one with a HEA). Her sequel series set at St Benet’s in London also has a love-story per book, and takes place among the corporate world, particularly the middle one, The High Flyer. Also, for me Katherine and The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton could be called Christian histoical romances, and several of Elizabeth Goudge’s books, such as The White Witch, The Green Dolphin, City of Bells, and Towers in the Mist.
Your “pregnant head” is giving me mental images involving Athena. Just sharing the randomness, of course.
I’m not big on gingerbread, so if I
could afford any if I wasn’t a pathetic college student
had any, I give you some, Sarah.
Offers of gingerbread? *sniffle* I’m hormonal, folks, don’t make me cry like a wussy fool!
Mm. Gingerbread.
Chiming in WAY late here, but Deeanne Gist is a definite winner. I’m not a big fan of inspirationals, but hers are just edgy enough to keep me interested.
Oh, and I’ve heard that erotic inspirationals are in the works. In fact, my former editor at Red Sage asked specifically for them. I’m DYING to find one…
*waves*
The only remotely Jewish inspirationals I’ve seen(and I’ve definitely been looking…) are holiday themed. Judith Arnold has one in an anthology(‘Burning Bright), as does Laurie Graf(scene’s from a holiday). Lorna Michaels released a Silhouette SE last year called ‘A Candle for Nick.’(cue cover Menorah and huge ‘Happy Holidays’ banner on the side…) Laurie Gwen Shapiro’s ‘The Matzoh Ball Heiress’ is perfect for Passover time.
Much to my chagrin, I heard that an innovative, brilliant USA Today Best Selling author tried to pitch a collection revolving around a bunch of different Jewish Holidays …and was told not to.
But then again last year, Anna Genoese put out an open call for ‘Chanukah Paranormals’. Maybe the market is changing. I hope so.
Stacey 🙂
Stacey—I wouldn’t call them Jewish inspirationals, but some of Naomi Ragen’s books come close to being Jewish themed romance. I think they’re closer to “women’s fiction”, but Sotah, Jepthe’s Daughter and The Ghost of Hannah Mendes all have a strong romance storyline in them.
And I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a Chanukah historical short story or novella based on characters from my novel Captain Sinister’s Lady, Gabriel Moses Lopez and Judith Kahn. Maybe I’ll do it when I finish my WIP, see if I can sell it for a holiday anthology.
Correction—That book title by Ragen is Jephte’s Daughter.
I want to thank everyone who recommended “Redeeming Love” and “The Monk Downstairs.” I’ve read them both over the past two days, and appreciated them so much. Well written, humane stories with truly moving representations of faith. Thanks!
Well, I did my final project on this very subject this past fall, so… yeah.
There is no snoggery. There is no DANCING. There are three people in this romance—the man, the woman, AND GOD. I’m still reeling a tch. You’ll want to look up Heartsong Presents and Harlequin’s Steeple Hill lines.
I read and somewhat enjoyed “Everything’s Coming Up Josey” by Susan May Warren. Josey’s a bit dense, but the first person voice is just as fun as any good chick lit on the market. http://readingbackwards.wordpress.com/2006/12/08/everythings-coming-up-josey/
“Lambert’s Pride” by Lynn A. Coleman & Rachel Hauck…? Not so great. In fact, my own review describes it as “WEAK.” … Then Rachel Huack showed up made a response so long it needed two comment posts. I stand by my assessment. http://readingbackwards.wordpress.com/2006/11/26/lamberts-pride/
Good luck, ladies!
Angel—Glad you enjoyed The Monk Downstairs. I read there’s a sequel called, naturally, The Monk Upstairs. It’s not out yet, but I’m guessing the HEA isn’t something one should take for granted. Just like real life. But we saw hints of this with the conflict over taking the little girl to church.
“Lambert’s Pride†by Lynn A. Coleman & Rachel Hauck…? Not so great. In fact, my own review describes it as “WEAK.†… Then Rachel Huack showed up made a response so long it needed two comment posts. I stand by my assessment.
I know nothing about Lambert’s Pride or inspy Romance in general, but I have to say that I actually liked the way Hauck responded. IMO she wasn’t defensive, even though she defended her vision, and she even conceded that one of your plot criticisms was valid. Maybe I’ve been conditioned by horrible author behavior, but all in all, I think Hauk conducted herself well (not self-righteous, not trying to invalidate your reaction). If I was into hard core inspy Romance, I’d consider picking up a Hauk book based on the way she responded to your review.
. . . assuming, that is, that I could spell the author’s name correctly.
Aw, you guys…now I have to go make gingerbread. And I’m not even pregnant.
Spamword: make36! Okay!