Yesterday, around dinner time, a young woman who I didn't know came to my door with a bunch of flowers and

a card. She had read Babe's Bible: Gorgeous Grace on the recommendation of her friend (a woman who is not a churchgoer, to whom I gave the book last year). In her card she wrote:

Dear Karen, Thank you for writing such an amazing book (I've just read the first in the series). I have been flirting with church and religion for a long time and have never had a "Eureka" moment or a feeling of being "born again". I'd just always thought church was a "nice" place full of "nice" people. I'd had my own beliefs but couldn't really work out what they were or find time to process them. I guess I was what you'd call a "closet Christian". I was baptised at St Michaels, as was my eldest son. All family weddings, burials, etc, have been held there and until now it was the only church I would have felt comfortable in (without the fear of having a spotlight shone on me mid-service for not really understanding what it's all about). I had started Alpha before moving house (before moving back again). I found it really interesting yet still struggled with my beliefs. I've been to Israel with school and visited all the holy sites and I've read pages and pages of the Bible yet it was still intangible and felt like fairy tales. Then I read your book wow!!! It seemed as if everything came crashing together and finally made sense. I'd previously had the feeling of I can't go to church on Sunday because I've sworn three times already, not dyed my roots and the kids are bound to kick off! I now realise God wouldn't mind if I turned up in a leopard-print onesie! I'd always thought of him-upstairs as a strict headmaster, only to be called on in case of an emergency (like breaking down on the motorway), instead of a true friend, always beside me and always ready for a chat. Best of all, those nice people at church might just be normal too, and prone to the odd swear word, ignoring the housework and shouting at their children sometimes. Through your amazing writing and the way you've added flesh to the bones of the Bible stories, I feel as if I've had a fantastic history lesson, counselling session and spiritual awakening all rolled into one and will be forever grateful. Wishing you many, many, many more books to come, Jennie.

BABES BIBLE
Book One: GORGEOUS GRACE

Karen Jones
In the 1st Century and the 21st Century, the world is run by men. Lila and Mary in the 1st, and Grace and Chloe in the 21st, share the same question: 'Where are the good men?' Their fathers failed them, their husbands failed them, their leaders failed them. But there is one man. One man who, just for them, would go to Hell and back.

978 0232 52920 3

256pp

10.99

BABES BIBLE
Book Two: SISTER ACTS

Karen Jones
Grace knows that a new challenge lies just over the horizon... she just cant work out what it is yet. Following unexpected shifts in her relationships with a number of people best friend Chloe, softspoken bishop Duncan, James the shadow from her past, and the mysterious, tortured young woman who has been watching her from afar Graces calling becomes clear.
978 0232 52980 7 320pp 8.99

In 1st century Jerusalem, a tear-stained and blood-soaked Lila lies on the ground outside the Temple, awaiting her inevitable death by stoning, having been caught in the act of adultery. When a mysterious Rabbis words save her life, her world will never be the same again. In following the Messiah, she befriends a young girl called Mary, who has her own dark past ... As a tall gorgeous blonde, Grace is seen by many as an unlikely candidate for her new job, as a female curate in a suburban parish near London. When her friend, youth worker Chloe, gets embroiled in a disastrous affair, it throws the entire church community into upheaval. In helping her friend, Grace is confronted with some demons from her own past and struggles to find a way through. Searching for help, she turns to the Bible and, out of its ancient wisdom, begins to write a story of her own, starting with the account of the woman caught in adultery in John 8. From a tale of powerful imagination, she finds true strength, and begins to believe that healing and wholeness are possible, whatever your past mistakes.

In our increasingly secular 21st century, the challenge to share the riches of the Bible in a fresh and engaging way has never been greater. In recent years, books such as Walter Wangerins The Book of God, Rob Laceys Word on the Street, Dave Hopgoods The Blokes Bible and Eugene Petersons The Message have all explored different ways of presenting afresh Bible text and Biblical truths for todays society. Babes Bible is an exciting new contemporary fiction series for women. Brilliant new author Karen Jones uses the page-turning narratives of four women in the 21st and 1st centuries to bring the message of the Bible alive in an original, faithful and engaging way for women today. Through the two story threads, Lila and Mary, Chloe and Grace explore universal themes including pain, forgiveness, mercy, despair, grief, self-acceptance, personal growth, loss, hope, reconciliation and the enduring power of faith and love.
Karen Jones is a Church of England minister, artist, writer and singer/songwriter www.kejones.co.uk To order Babes Bible: Gorgeous Grace or Babes Bible: Sister Acts online, please visit www.dltbooks.com To find out more about Babes Bible on Twitter, follow @50ShadesGrace