It began with a letter. Jackson Grim, newspaper columnist, was wading through his usual pile of hate mail from gun owners, religious wackos, and fans of a political talk show when he found it. The letter writer regretted the decision of the Hartville City Council to ban a manger scene on the front lawn of City Hall unless other "Winter Holiday" symbols (Santa, reindeer, snowpersons) were included in the display. Though he was not a religious man himself, Jackson decided to print the letter in his column—a decision he quickly came to regret.
This story of Christmas in the culture wars reveals a town thrown into mayhem by rhetoric on all sides when everyone from the town's leading atheist, Diedra Freep, to Pastor Marty is drawn into the debate. You will be amused and surprised by the events that follow, and you may even find your heart strangely warmed.
"Great Christian novels are more than a story, they leave the reader pondering the state of his or her own heart. Not in the Heart demonstrates God's power to transform the seemingly untransformable."
— TITLETRAKK.COM
"A conflicted, memorable main character. . . . While the mystery at its core is compelling, it's Wiley's inner conflict that's truly engrossing. Down to its final pages, [Not in the Heart] is a gripping read."
— CROSSWALK.COM
"A character-driven tale of dignity and compassion for those who seem to have lost importance to society . . . this thought-provoking read challenges the prevailing cultural calculations of the value of a person's life."
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Every Waking Moment
"Once again, Chris Fabry's brilliance in developing full-fleshed characters within a thrilling, yet poignant and sometimes painful story has captivated my heart and mind."
— FICTIONADDICT.COM on Every Waking Moment
"Fabry has built a rewarding story; it's hard to imagine inspirational fiction done better than this."
— WORLD MAGAZINE on Not in the Heart
"The rural South comes to life, with themes of forgiveness and second chances as highlights. The characters are both deeply flawed and immensely relatable, making this another hit for Fabry."
— LIBRARY JOURNAL on A Piece of the Moon
"In this suspense-filled drama, Fabry covers hot topics involving illegal immigration policies, drug running between borders, and the cost of being involved with the mob. . . . Readers will be immersed in the lives of Maria and J. D."
— ROMANTIC TIMES, 4-Star Review of Borders of the Heart
"A captivating story. . . ."
— CHRISTIANBOOKPREVIEWS.COM on June Bug
"A book about deep secrets, the effort it takes to heal catastrophic hurts, and a thriller with an excellent plot climax."
— 1340MAGBOOKS.COM on Dogwood
"An involving novel with enough plot twists and dramatic tension to keep readers turning the pages."
— BOOKLIST on June Bug
"A powerful story of faith and the material things people hold dear. . . . This is Fabry's best yet."
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on A Piece of the Moon