For whatever reason, I’ve kept Christina in my htoughts and prayers over the years, so I was eager to help when she announced her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, was coming out from Moody Press in September of 2009. Go, Christina! She was the second place winner with this story in the Genesis contest, a testament to the attention the contest can bring you. And when I started reading her book, I didn’t have to wonder why she did so well.

I didn’t get to start The Familiar Stranger until conference this year. I opened the first page, made a few observations. The first word? His. Chapter heading sort of thing to tell you whose point of view you’re in. Naturally, the other option is Hers. I loved this from the get-go. Then I read the first page and said something like, “Wooooowwwww.” She totally captured the male mindset, right down to the sarcasm. I could totally hear it, totally put myself into the mind of her hero. And as I turned the page . . .

My roommate came in. LOL. Stephanie looked at what I was reading and said, “Oo, I can’t wait to read that. Is it good?”

I often hate it when people ask that question when I’ve been reading for all of thirty seconds, but this time I didn’t mind at all. “The first page is awesome!” I told her.

It wasn’t until later that night that I got to read more, but my exclamation after the first chapter was pretty amazed too. “Oh my gosh!” I announced to Stephanie. “I think this guy’s going to try to fake his own death!”

Kept reading . . . got to the stuff on the back cover. Craig (hero) is in a debilitating car accident that leaves him seriously injured and with retrograde amnesia. His wife, who has been wondering if their marriage is in serious danger, rushes to his side and prays that somehow this will draw them closer. And it does–except for all those unanswered questions. Obviously there are lies between them. But can they overcome them?

You don’t think I’m going to tell you, do you? Ha! No, you’re just going to have to open up this awesome book yourself and see. I promise you won’t regret it. Christina is a talented writer, and she confesses that she pulled a lot of the feeling from her own life–a marriage on the rocks that got better only to end without warning.

Yet still Christina radiates the Joy of the Lord, and it’s so clear from a minute of talking to her that this is one woman excited about what God might have in store for her. Her tagline, Live Transparently–Forgive Extravagently sums it up rather well, doesn’t it? I was so glad to get to talk to her and hug her again in Denver, and it’s my prayer that this book takes off and establishes a reputation she totally deserves as a writer and a person.