The Storytellers' Collection Book 2: Tales from Home [Paperback]

Karen Ball (Compiler), Melody Carlson (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2001 | Series: Storytellers' Collection (Book 2)

A great idea is always worth repeating! In one volume, Christian readers' favorite fiction authors-including Randy Alcorn, Terri Blackstock, Angela Elwell Hunt, Melody Carlson, Nancy Moser, and Karen Kingsbury-offer delightful new short stories about hometown faith and foibles. This hard-to-put-down book, which features story settings all around North America in a variety of time periods, reminds readers about what values really spell home. And the contributors celebrate a home-based ministry by donating their royalties to Prison Fellowship!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Karen Ball is the senior editor for women's fiction at Multnomah Books. She came to Multnomah after 11 1/2 years with Tyndale House Publishers. She has enjoyed working with such notable authors as Francine Rivers, Gilbert Morris, Angela Elwell Hunt, and Robin Jones Gunn. Karen has authored both fiction and nonfiction books, including several romance novels (Reunion, Mistletoe, Heart's Delight, and Fools for Love). She lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, and their two Siberian huskies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (June 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576738205
• ISBN-13: 978-1576738207
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,403,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

First thing to know about me: I love Oregon. You won't find more varied terrain anywhere. From desert to mountains to forests to the ocean: Oregon has it all. evergreens; a rugged ocean. And climate? Hot, warm, cool, cold, snow, rain, fog, blazing summer heat (as high as 115 degrees!). Every aspect of this state is beautiful in its own way--kind of like life. We face good times and bad, and yet, in every situation, God brings beauty when we least expect it.

I love that about Him.

Second thing to know: I'm a bonafide PK (preacher's kid), but I never went through a rebellion. Why not? 'Cuz my parents are a rare breed: their family was their first ministry. So here I am, a grown up PK, who loves the church, my family, and God.

Let's see...what else? I'm married to a guy who's a blend of John Wayne and Jerry Lewis. He's strong and protective--and just this side of crazy. We've had some major ups and downs, but God has brought us from a very dark place into His love and peace. It still amazes me. (THE BREAKING POINT is based on our struggles and what God taught us.) And though we don't have kids, we have great dogs--our "boy" Bodhan, a Siberian husky whose name means "God's gift." He just showed up on our doorstep one winter, and has been our sweet fella ever since. And then there's Dakota, an Aussie-terrier mix we should have named "Destructo." Good thing we love her!

Last, but not least, there's my day job. I've been an editor in Christian publishing for more than 20 years. In fact, it was my authors who told me I should be writing--and when people like Francine Rivers, Angela Hunt, and Gil Morris tell you to write, you do it. So my days are spent working with such amazing folks as Terri Blackstock, Brandilyn Collins, Bill Myers, Karen Kingsbury, and a host of others on their novels. And my evenings I'm writing. Yes, it's true: my entire life is make-believe.

So that's me in a nutshell (which is where some folks say I belong. Or was that a nut house...?) Thanks for stopping by to find out about me. Hope your day is full of God's best blessings!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An improvement from volume 1., August 5, 2003

By 

Godly Gadfly - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Storytellers' Collection Book 2: Tales from Home (Paperback)

After being rather disappointed by the short stories in the first Storytellers' Collection, I was pleasantly surprised by the improved quality of volume two. Consisting of 37 short stories, it is a collaboration of the members of ChilLibris, successful Christian novelists like Karen Kingsbury, Randy Alcorn, Angela Elwell Hunt, Terri Blackstock, and others. As with the first volume, the royalties go to a worthwhile organization, in this case Prison Fellowship Ministries, founded by Chuck Colson in 1976. But while the first volume of stories focused on travelling, these tales are more about hearts and homes. The change in focus seems to be a successful one - the stories themselves are rather interesting and effective, and not hampered by as many theological problems as those in the first volume.

Two of the especially memorable stories were "Fragments of Truth" by Carol Cox, which is an excellent mystery story, and "Jessica's Gift" by Karen Kingsbury, which shows the effect of the gospel on a broken marriage through the eyes of a young girl with cerebral palsy. But many of the other stories in the collection are also worth reading:
Shari MacDonald's "Homecoming" shows the struggle of a new bride who leaves her husband after six months when she discovers that marriage isn't all a honeymoon.
Karen Ball's "The Orchard" is a must-read to remind fathers of the importance of spending time with family in light of the eternal things that really matter.
Jefferson Scott's "A Matter of Perspective" shows how you can look at an ordinary day in two completely different ways depending on your perspective.
Carole Gift Page's "Home to Southfiled, Mourning" features a husband and wife who discover the isolation between them after a funeral.
Lori Copeland's "Communication" is a humorous tale about a wife who fries her husband's trophy fish.
Colleen Coble's "Heart Treasure" highlights the truth of Matthew 6, as a mother gives up her baby for adoption and must choose between giving her child Christian parents, or gaining wealth for herself.
Neta Jackon's "Fences" is an extended metaphor about taking down fences and building bridges between people.
Athol Dickson's "The Coward" uses the story of a boy whose love for his grandfather overcomes his fear of heights to illustrate the Scriptural idea that "Perfect love drives out fear" (1Jn 4:18).
Terri Blackstock's "The Blue Convertible" puts a face on a criminal and through the eyes of a young girl helps the reader to identify with a prisoner.
Patricia Hickman's "Diary of a Farmer's Wife" is an allegory that shows how the bride of Christ often acts like a woman who lives her life selfishly and throws away the most precious treasure of all.
Randy Alcorn's "Brothers" in true Alcorn style demonstrates the importance of living for eternity and heaven, in a situation between two detached brothers whose father dies.
Judith McCoy-Miller's "In The Matter of Grace" portrays a widow who learns to deal with grief and see her blessings.

These stories are probably the highlights of the collection. They may be fiction, but the spiritual values and truths that they underline are very real. Skip volume one (aside from two gems which it does have) and go straight to this volume - there's lots of stories here that will inspire and entertain you with a short bite-sized and spiritually nourishing read! -GODLY GADFLY

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm proud to be part of this collection, June 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Storytellers' Collection Book 2: Tales from Home (Paperback)

Some of the top authors of Christian fiction are represented in this collection, and readers will find a treasure trove of stories between the covers. Not only will readers be entertained, but when they buy the book, they will be participating in giving to a good cause. All author royalties will be donated to Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Enjoy!

Robin Lee Hatcher, author of RIBBON OF YEARS ([e-mail])