Christian Fiction

2012 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting Competition

2012-01-24T09:27:00.001-05:00

For my screenwriter buddies. You have until May 1 to apply for the 2012 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting Competition. 5 Fellows will receive $35K to complete an original motion picture screenplay. Past winners are: Andrew Marlowe -the creator and executive producer of the ABC-TV series "Castle", Ehren Kruger- "Transformers Rise of the Fallen" and "Transformers Dark of the Moon." http://www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/about/index.html

2012 Youth Media Awards and Kadir Nelson

2012-01-23T10:48:00.001-05:00

The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Dallas.

A list of all the 2012 award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:

“Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos, is the 2012 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Farrar Straus Giroux.

Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: "Inside Out & Back Again," written by Thanhha Lai and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; and "Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

“A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka, is the 2012 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco, and published by Disney · Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group; "Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; and “Me … Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell, and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley, is the 2012 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon& Schuster Children’s Publishing.

“Why We Broke Up,” written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group; “The Returning,” written by Christine Hinwood and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group Young Readers Group USA; “Jasper Jones,” written by Craig Silvey and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; and “The Scorpio Races,” written by Maggie Stiefvater and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Two King Author Honor Book recipients were selected: Eloise Greenfield, author of “The Great Migration: Journey to the North,” illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and Patricia C. McKissack, author of “Never Forgotten,” illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom,” is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

One King Illustrator Honor Book recipient was selected: Kadir Nelson, illustrator and author of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” published by Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Ashley Bryan is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime achievement. The award, which pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

Storyteller, artist, author, poet and musician, Bryan created his first children’s book in first grade. He grew up in the Bronx and in 1962, he became the first African American to both write and illustrate a children’s book. After a successful teaching career, Bryan left academia to pursue creation of his own artwork. He has since garnered numerous awards for his significant and lasting literary contribution of poetry, spirituals and story.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:

The Jury chose not to award a book in the category for children ages 0 – 8 because no submissions were deemed worthy of the award.

Two books were selected for the middle school award (ages 9 – 13): “close to famous,” written byJoan Bauer and published by Viking, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group; and “Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures,” written by Brian Selznick and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic.

The teen (ages 14-18) award winner is “The Running Dream,” written by Wendelin Van Draanen and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

“Big Girl Small,” by Rachel DeWoskin, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
“In Zanesville,” by Jo Ann Beard, published by Little, Brown & Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
“The Lover’s Dictionary,” by David Levithan, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
“The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens,” by Brooke Hauser, published by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
“The Night Circus,” by Erin Morgenstern, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
“Ready Player One,” by Ernest Cline, published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.(ISBN: 9780307887436)
“Robopocalypse: A Novel,” by Daniel H. Wilson, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
“Salvage the Bones,” by Jesmyn Ward, published by Bloomsbury USA
“The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures,” by Caroline Preston, published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
“The Talk-Funny Girl,” by Roland Merullo, published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video:

Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Children Make Terrible Pets,” are the Carnegie Medal winners.

The video is based on the book written by Peter Brown, and is narrated by Emily Eiden, with music by Jack Sundrud and Rusty Young, and animation by Soup2Nuts.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:

Susan Cooper is the 2012 Edwards Award winner. Her books include: The Dark Is Rising Sequence: “Over Sea, Under Stone”; “The Dark Is Rising”; “Greenwitch”; “The Grey King”; and “Silver on the Tree.”

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site:

Michael Morpurgowill deliver the 2013 lecture.

Born in England, Morpurgo was teaching when he discovered the magic of storytelling and began writing. His books are noted for their imagination, power and grace. In 1976, he and his wife established the charity Farms for City Children. He is an officer of the Order of the British Empire and served as Britain’s third Children’s Laureate. His novel, “War Horse,” has wowed theater audiences in London and New York and movie audiences all over.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States:

“Soldier Bear” is the 2012 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Dutch in 2008 as “Soldaat Wojtek,” written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

One Batchelder Honor Book also was selected: “The Lily Pond,” published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., written by Annika Thor, and translated by Linda Schenck.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:

“Rotters,” produced Listening Library,an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, Random House, Inc., is the 2012 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Daniel Kraus and narrated by Kirby Heyborne.

Four Odyssey Honor audiobooks also were selected: “Ghetto Cowboy,” produced by Brilliance Audio, written by G. Neri and narrated by JD Jackson; “Okay for Now,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, Random House, Inc., written by Gary D. Schmidt and narrated by Lincoln Hoppe; “The Scorpio Races,” produced by Scholastic Inc., Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Maggie Stiefvaterandnarrated by Steve Westand Fiona Hardingham;and “Young Fredle,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, Random House, Inc., written by Cynthia Voigt and narrated by Wendy Carter.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

“Diego Rivera: His World and Ours,” illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Two Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred,” illustrated by Rafael López, written by Samantha R. Vamos and published by Charlesbridge; and “Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match /Marisol McDonald no combina,” illustrated by Sara Palacios, written by Monica Brown and published by Children’s Book Press, an imprint of Lee and Low Books Inc.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award:

“Under the Mesquite,” written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, is the Belpré Author Award winner. The book is published by Lee and Low Books Inc.

Two Belpré Author Honor Books were named: “Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck,” written by Margarita Engle and published by Henry Holt and Company,LLC.; and “Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller,” written by Xavier Garza and published by Cinco Puntos Press.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:

“Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade,” written by Melissa Sweet, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Four Sibert Honor Books were named: "Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene ‘Bull’ Connor," written by Larry Dane Brimnerand published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc.; "Drawing from Memory," written and illustrated by Allen Sayand published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; "The Elephant Scientist," written by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson, photographs byCaitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwelland published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company; and "Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem" written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzerand published by the National Geographic Society.

Stonewall Book Award -Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

“Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy,” written by Bil Wright and published by Simon & SchusterBFYR, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division,is the winner of the 2012 Stonewall Award. The award is given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.

Four Honor Books were selected: “a + e 4ever,” drawn and written by Ilike Merey and published by Lethe Press, Inc.; “Money Boy,” written by Paul Yee and published by Groundwood Books, an imprint of House of Anansi Press; “Pink,” written by Lili Wilkinson and published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins; and “with or without you,” written by Brian Farrey and published by Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:

"Tales for Very Picky Eaters," written and illustrated by Josh Schneider, is the Geisel Award winner. The book is published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Three Geisel Honor Books were named: "I Broke My Trunk,” written and illustrated by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group; "I Want My Hat Back," written and illustrated by Jon Klassen, and published by Candlewick Press; and "See Me Run," written and illustrated by Paul Meisel, and published by Holiday House.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:

“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley is the 2012 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon& Schuster Children's Publishing.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Girl of Fire and Thorns,” written by Rae Carson, published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Paper Covers Rock,” written by Jenny Hubbard, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books; “Under the Mesquite,” written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, published by Lee and Low Books; and “Between Shades of Gray,” written by Ruta Sepetys, published by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group USA.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults, ages 12 – 18, each year:

“The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery” written by Steve Sheinkin, is the 2012 Excellence winner. The book is published by Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science,” written by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos, published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; “Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition,” written by Karen Blumenthal, published by Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; “Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way),” written by Sue Macy, published by National Geographic Children’s Books; and “Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein,” written by Susan Goldman Rubin, published by Charlesbridge.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALA Web site at www.ala.org.

Firethorn, Discarded Heroes #4, by Ronie Kendig

2012-01-23T00:33:00.000-05:00

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Ronie Kendig

and the book:

Firethorn, Discarded Heroes #4

Barbour Books; Discarded Heroes edition (2012)

***Special thanks to Ronie Kendig for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her only respite and “friends” during this time were the characters she created.

It was no surprise when she married a military veteran—her real-life hero—in June 1990. Married more than twenty years, Ronie and her husband, Brian, homeschool their four children, the first of whom graduated in 2011. Despite the craziness of life, Ronie finds balance and peace with her faith, family and their three dogs in Dallas, TX.

Ronie has a deep love and passion for people, especially hurting people, which is why she pursued and obtained a B.S. in Psychology from Liberty University. Ronie is an active member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has volunteered extensively, serving in a variety of capacities from coordinator of a national contest to appointment assistant at the national annual conference.

Since launching onto the publishing scene in 2010, Ronie and her books have been gained critical acclaim and national attention, including:

Finalist in Christian Retailing’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards (Nightshade)
RWA’s Faith, Hope, & Love’s 2011 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Awards in Romantic Suspense (Nightshade)
Named one of the Top 25 Christian Fiction Suspense, Mystery, and Thriller Writers by FamilyFiction (Sept 2011)
2011 FamilyFiction Readers’ Choice Awards – 3^rd place as New Favorite Author, 8^th place with Nightshade for Novel of the Year.
INSPY Award Shortlist final in Mystery/Thriller (Dead Reckoning)
The Christian Manifesto’s 2010 Lime Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Nightshade)

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Blown and dismantled, Nightshade is ready to repay the favor.

Former Marine and current Nightshade team member Griffin "Legend" Riddell is comfortable. So comfortable he never sees the set up that lands him in a maximum security prison, charged with murder. How can he prove his innocence behind bars?

Covert operative Kazi Faron is tasked with reassembling Nightshade—the black ops team someone dissected. Breaking Griffin out of a federal penitentiary amid explosive confusion may turn out to be her last assignment. What will it take to convince the fugitive that whoever set him up has also dissected the Nightshade team? As Kazi and Griffin race to rescue the others and discover the traitor,
love begins to awaken in their hearts.

Can a covert operative and the felon she's freed overcome their mutual distrust long enough to save Nightshade? Will anything prepare them for who—or what is coming?

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books; Discarded Heroes edition (2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602607850
ISBN-13: 978-1602607859

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

To all American military heroes

At home and abroad,

Those who have gone before

and those serving today—

THANK YOU!

Because of you, we are FREE!

RECON CREED

Realizing it is my choice and my choice alone to be a Reconnaissance Marine, I accept all challenges involved with this profession. Forever shall I strive to maintain the tremendous reputation of those who went before me.
Exceeding beyond the limitations set down by others shall be my goal. Sacrificing personal comforts and dedicating myself to the completion of the reconnaissance mission shall be my life. Physical fitness, mental attitude, and high ethics—The title of Recon Marine is my honor.
Conquering all obstacles, both large and small, I shall never quit. To quit, to surrender, to give up is to fail. To be a Recon Marine is to surpass failure; To overcome, to adapt and to do whatever it takes to complete the mission.
On the battlefield, as in all areas of life, I shall stand tall above the competition. Through professional pride, integrity, and teamwork, I shall be the example for all Marines to emulate.
Never shall I forget the principles I accepted to become a Recon Marine. Honor, Perseverance, Spirit, and Heart.
A Recon Marine can speak without saying a word and achieve what others can only imagine.

Swift, Silent, Deadly

Chapter 1

The Shack
      “It’s sad, really.” Marshall “The Kid” Vaughn trudged away from the thumping rotors of the helo that had deposited them back at the Shack, his pack almost dragging the ground. “Ya don’t realize how much a person adds until he’s gone.”
      “Legend’s not gone.” Max “Frogman” Jacobs hoisted his rucksack into a better group, his mind locked on Sydney and their two sons waiting for him at home. Poor woman had to be going out of her mind with two of his Mini-Me’s running around.
      “Yeah.” John “Squirt” Dighton hit the light breaker, then waited for the six-man team to clear the door. “He’s just temporarily detained.”
      Lights sizzled and popped to life. Groaning bounced off the grimy windows as he hauled the door closed, locked it, then started toward the showers.
      The Kid grunted. “Forty-years-to-life temporary.”
      In the locker room, a depressive gloom hung over the team. They’d been on countless missions, hit just about every terrain and environment imaginable, but none had taken the toll the last couple had. And there was one reason—they were down a man. Griffin “Legend” Riddell. If Max could write the playbook, they wouldn’t do another mission without the guy. But with the man in federal prison for murdering a congressman, it’d be a long wait.
      It was quiet. Too quiet. Max looked around the Spartan room. Walls of lockers, most unused. A few benches. A giant once-white bin for dirty duds. And the team. Six men, now. All very skilled. Good men. Even the one missing. Every man here knew Legend had been set up—he didn’t murder that congressman. But nobody could prove it. The evidence was damning. Justice—injustice was more like it—came swiftly. Lambert, ever the puppeteer, couldn’t pull the right strings to get Legend off.
      “I’m heading up to visit him tomorrow. Anyone game?” Colton “Cowboy” Neeley slumped on a bench and ran a hand over his short, dark hair. His blue eyes probed the group.
      “Nah, man. I’ve got a date,” the Kid said.
      Squirt beaned him with a towel. “What girl would go out with you, mate?”
      The Kid snapped the terry cloth back at the former Navy SEAL. “Your sister.”
      Squirt froze. His jaw went slack. Then his eyes darkened.
      Laughing, Canyon “Midas” Metcalfe rose to his feet from the corner. “You just proved his point by thinking your sister would actually go out with him.”
      Squirt swallowed, his face drained of color. “I introduced them at a New Year’s party.”
      Midas laughed harder. “Your mistake, mate.”
      Shuffling closer, Squirt pointed a finger at the Kid. “I swear, you touch her, I’ll shove a fist full of witchety grubs down your gullet.”
      “Give me credit, dude.” The Kid raised his hands. “I’m a gentleman.”
      Max grunted. “Right.” As he strode around the lockers to the shower well, he heard more threats and much more laughter from the Kid. Max shook his head. Would the Kid ever grow up, learn when to leave things alone?
      As he tossed his oily, grimy duds on the bench, Max paused, thinking maybe he should send his report to Lambert now so he wouldn’t have to mess with it tomorrow. The mission had been simple enough, a snatch-n-grab of an Iranian doctor. It’d been nice and clean, in and out. The report wouldn’t take long. Then he could shower, bug out, and know he had the whole weekend with Syd and the boys.
      Max jogged up the iron stairs, which creaked and groaned beneath his weight. Down the hall to the right. He punched in the code and entered the secure hub, the door hissing shut behind him. The most high-tech part of this dump-of-a-warehouse.
      Shouts drew his attention to the blinds. He jabbed two fingers between a couple and spread them to peeked down into the main area. Squirt and the Kid raced into the bay and back the way they came. Squirt looked ready to kill. The Kid’s face revealed his fear. Max shook his head again. Man, he wanted Griffin back. The guy seemed to bring balance to the team. Badly needed balance.
      Max powered up the computer. Hand propped on the warped wood, he waited for the system to boot.
      More shouts. Loud thuds.
      He pinched the bridge of his nose. Would they never—?
      Tat-a-tat! Tat-tat-a-tat!
      Instinct drove Max to his knee at the sound of gunfire. He scrambled to the window. Through the slanted blinds, he peered down into the slab of cement. His brain wouldn’t assemble what he saw. Gunmen. A dozen or more. Rushing into the Shack from the parking bay. Moving swiftly, as if. . .
      They know the layout.
      Max darted to the door and jerked it open. He sprinted down the hall toward the stairs. As his boot hit steel, he froze. A shadow emerged. Floated into the hall.
      Too late.
      Max jerked back. Pressed his spine against the wall.
      By the showers, the Kid looked up. Max signaled to him. Then made his best and loudest Nightshade whistle, hoping it would penetrate the building, give the men warning to take cover.
      The Kid threw himself back into the locker room.
      Men swarmed the corner. One looked to his left, one right. His weapon slowly rose as he traced the stairs with his M16.
      Max leapt backward into the darkness and into office. He closed the door. As the lock clicked, darkness dropped like an anchor over the entire building. Behind him, a glow screamed his location. The monitor!
      Max spun. Lunged across the desk. Stabbed the power button. And paused with his hand still near the monitor. If someone was coming after them. . .accessing this computer. . .
      On his knees, Max yanked the cords free. With the box, he moved to the window and reassessed the parking bay. Another van with a half-dozen men with AK-47s. They streamed into the warehouse.
      Max’s gut wound into a dozen knots. They were screwed.
      Think! Hand on the door, he considered going back downstairs. But that would get him captured. Killed. Yet he’d rather be with his guys than running like a chicken.
      No, not running. Considering options, gaining the advantage. Planning. The invasion force was armed to the teeth. They knew who they were coming after. They’d brought weapons. And those guys moved with precision. Swift, deadly precision.
      Though Nightshade had a stellar ops record, perhaps they had finally met their match. Still. . .two to one? Nightshade had faced worse.
      A large black Suburban screeched to a halt in the middle of the parking bay. Two men emerged, both wearing trench coats.
      Max cursed his luck to be up here, away from his gear, his weapons. Up here, without firepower. Thus, powerless.
      Okay, enough. He was going down there. He eased the door open and slid across the hall. Bathed in darkness, he crouched at edge of the landing, using the wall for cover. A dozen men so far, rushing here and there. Quick, quiet chatter between the men.
      A smirk slid into Max’s face. His team had taken cover and these goons couldn’t find them. If he could just get a weapon. . .
      “Can’t find them.”
      “They’re here. I saw them go in,” the man nearest the SUV shouted. “Find them! Lights!”
      Light rushed through the building as headlamps from the vehicles stabbed the dusty, damp building. Max yanked back, out of sight. He needed to get down there, defend his men. His boot hit the landing.
      Shouts erupted. A shot bounced off the steel rafters, taunting as it echoed through the Shack. Stilled, Max waited. More shouts. The sound of a scuffle. The half-dozen men waiting by the SUV lifted their weapons to the ready.
      The locker room door swung open. A man walked backward, his AK-47 aimed at a large form filling the doorway. Cowboy. Arms raised, dressed only in his jeans, he stalked forward. Someone shoved him from behind, which barely moved the big lug.
      Spine pressed against the wood, Max peered down into the bay.
      “You move one wrong muscle,” the one in front of Cowboy growled, “and so help me God, I’ll kill you.”
      “No you won’t.” Cowboy lowered his hands. “If you wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be out here.”
      Ride ’em, Cowboy.
      From the side entrance to the showers, three men dragged a shouting, cursing Kid into the bay. Max smirked that it took three tangos to wrangle the Kid.
      Hand clenched, Max’s mind went into overdrive. What could he do? God. . .I need. . .something. What could he pray for? Intercepting the team was impossible. Twelve, fifteen armed tangos against one unarmed man?
      He latched on to the hope that they’d only found Cowboy and the Kid. No Midas, Squirt, or Aladdin. Good. Maybe they could regroup and—
      A man flew through the bay door from the showers and landed with a thud a yard from the others. Midas flipped over, scissored his legs, and swept the thug off his feet. The Kid seized the confusion to attack the men guarding him. And impressively. With a hard right, he dropped the first and used that weapon to disable the second.
      Cowboy took a step back and rammed his elbow into the gut of the nearest guard. The gunman bent forward—straight into Cowboy’s meaty fist. The big guy pivoted, slapped the interior of the gunman’s wrist, effectively seizing the weapon and flipping the muzzle around. He fired at the guy.
      Crack!
      In the split second it took for Max to realize the sonic boom that rent the air wasn’t the report of Cowboy’s .45 MEU but of a rifle, Max saw the man in the black trench coat drop to the ground. A circle spread out like a dark halo.
      “Sniper!” someone shouted.
      The dead guy had fallen backward. Most likely shot from the front. Which meant. . . Max’s gaze rose to the rafters. With no light, it’d be the perfect hiding spot. But. . .who? Squirt? Aladdin?
      Crack!
      The man guarding Colton stumbled forward, then went to his knees before hitting the cement.
      The man in the black trench coat nearest the SUV dropped. A pool of blood spilled out.
      “There!” One guard swung and fired his fully automatic at the ceiling. Four others followed suit, firing at the bank of grimy windows on the southeast wall of the building.
      Max followed their direction and watched. Waited, his breath caught at the back of his throat. Cracks and shattering glass blended with the staccato punches of the guns to create a wild cacophony of noise. Max tuned it out, praying whoever—Aladdin or Squirt—wouldn’t be hit.
      But then he saw it. A shift of a shadow. Like someone rolling. . .
      The gunfire petered out as a body plummeted the eight feet to the ground.
      The thud seemed to have supernatural powers as it pounded Max’s chest and pushed him back. Away from the window but not far enough that he lost line of sight.
      Silence dropped on the Shack.
      “Where’s Max Jacobs?”
      As the question streaked through the warehouse, Max registered a red glow in the far corner. Even as he noticed it, he heard a beep. Another. His gaze darted to the source of the noise. Two men were walking the perimeter, their M16s dangling as they raised their arms and pressed something against the supports. Arms lowered and the men stepped back revealing gray bricks with wires.
      Explosives.
      Gotta stop this. Do something. His gaze collided with Cowboy’s. The big lug gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
      Max’s nostrils flared as he wrestled with what to do.
      “Where’s Dighton?”
      How do they know our names?
      “Dead,” someone answered.
      Pulled back into the shadows, Max clenched his eyes and bit down on his tongue. Dighton was dead. What about Aladdin—had he survived the fall?
      Sirens wailed in the distance.
      “Load ’em up.”
      “What about Jacobs?”
      “Outta time.” The leader left as the gunmen dragged the team out of the building.
      Stealthily, Max held on to the box and sprinted the length of the hall to the side of the Shack. In the conference room, he plunged toward the window. Craned his neck to peek out. Three vehicles—twin white vans and a black town car.
      The guys were loaded into the van and one into the car.
      The leader shifted, held something out, then it wavered.
      Detonator.
      Max spun around, searching for an out. Doors. Only one way down—the stairs. But they led to the bay, which would be engulfed.
      Windows. Overlooked the dock. The canal. It was January. The water would be brutal cold. His split-second assessment told him no matter what route he took, it’d be deadly. Despite his training, if he didn’t find shelter out of the water once he broke surface, he’d die an ice cube. If he stayed, he’d die a fireball.
      Good thing SEALs are insulated against cold water.
      Max vaulted toward the window, hurtling the computer through the window. The glass shattered as a violent force blasted through the air. It lifted him. Up. . .up. . . Flipped him. Searing pain sliced through his arm. Heat stroked his back and legs. Fire chased him out of the building. Into the night.
      Boom!
      Another wave slammed into him. Threw him backward. Toward the water.
      Something punched his gut. Knocked the breath from his lungs.
      Bright white lit the night. Blinded him. Then—almost instantaneously—black. Pure black. And he was falling. . .down. . .down. . .

Ro n i e K e n d i g

Firethorn

Discarded Heroes # 4

OTHER BOOKS BY RONIE KENDIG

Nightshade (Discarded Heroes #1)

Digitalis (Discarded Heroes #2)

Wolfsbane (Discarded Heroes #3)

© 2011 by Ronie Kendig

ISBN 978-1-60260-0785-9
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

For more information about Ronie Kendig, please access the author’s Web site at the following Internet address: www.roniekendig.com

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, OH 44683,

www.barbourbooks.com

Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

Printed in the United States of America.

Tyler Perry on George Lucas and Red Tails

2012-01-20T10:07:00.001-05:00

The problem with all-star African American Casts...

Unfortunately, movies starring an all African American cast are on the verge of becoming extinct. THAT’S RIGHT, EXTINCT! Ask any executive at a Hollywood Studio why, and most of them will tell you one of two things. The first thing they’ll say is that DVD sales have become very soft, so it’s hard for a movie with an all black cast to break-even. Secondly they’ll say, most movies are now dependent on foreign sales to be successful and most "black" movies don’t sell well in foreign markets. So what that means is you will begin to see less and less films that star an all black cast. Isn’t that sad in a 2012 America? Somewhere along the way we still haven’t realized that we are more alike then not.

I must tell you that I have been very fortunate to work with a studio that sees the value in my type of storytelling and filmmaking. As well as having you, an audience of all races of people, who have stood by me arm and arm. It has helped me navigate through some pretty rough waters.
I thought that as black people in Hollywood, this is just our reality, but I quickly realized that this is not racism. What made me realize this is I had a conversation with Mr. Star Wars himself, George Lucas, and he was telling me that he was having the same problem with Red Tails. I was blown away! Red Tails is an important story about, not just black history, but American history about the Tuskegee Airmen. It has an all-star African American cast, including Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard, which opens this Friday. He went on to say that he brought the movie idea of Red Tails to several studios and no one wanted to make this film…. AND THIS IS GEORGE LUCAS! Not to be deterred, he put up his own money, shot the movie then took it back to those same studios, and they wanted nothing to do with it. One of them even refused to see the film, citing the above mentioned problems. So George decided to take a huge risk by entirely funding the movie and releasing it himself. What a guy! For him to believe so strongly in this story is amazing. I think we should pull together and get behind this movie. I really do! Not just African Americans, but all of us. I have seen the movie and screened it here in Atlanta. I loved it and I think you will too. The Tuskegee Airmen, who were at the screening, were so happy that somebody is telling a small part of their story.
It opens this Friday. Please take your kids, you will enjoy it and so will they. There is a lot of action and adventure and also a great history lesson to be learned.
George, I just want to say, thank you for having the courage to do this.

by Tyler Perry on January 17, 2012.

Sinners and Saints

2012-01-17T05:21:00.000-05:00

Today's Wild Card authors are:

Victoria Christopher Murray
and
ReShonda Tate Billingsley
(Chapters written by alternating author)

and the book:

Sinners and Saints

Touchstone; Original edition (January 10, 2012)

***Special thanks to Shida Carr of Simon & Schuster for sending me a review copy. My review will post up this Friday***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of nine Essence bestselling novels, including The Ex Files, Too Little, Too Late, and Lady Jasmine. Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction and Author of the Year, she splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Visit the author's website.

ReShonda Tate Billingsley is an award winning former television and radio reporter, as well as the author of twenty-one books which have appeared on the Essence bestseller list more than twenty times. She is married with three small children and lives in Texas.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

TEAM JASMINE or TEAM RACHEL?

Bestselling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans.

Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides.

When a coveted position opens up—president of the American Baptist Coalition— both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks. Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them.

Double the fun with a message of faith, Sinners & Saints will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.

Product Details:

List Price: $15.00

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (January 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451608152
ISBN-13: 978-1451608151

AND NOW...THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS:

Chapter One

How in the world was Jasmine going to keep her promise to God now?

Two years ago, she had promised Him that if He saved her daughter when she was kidnapped, if He brought her home safely, then she was going to live a life devoted just to Him. Jasmine had vowed that with Jacqueline’s return, she was going to live the life that God had for her as Hosea’s wife, as Jacqueline and Zaya’s mother. She wasn’t going to want for anything more than what God had given her, because surely, He had supplied her with enough.

God had done His part.

And for the last two years, Jasmine had done her part, too.

She’d lived a low-key life, thrilled that her greatest dramas were debates about fashion choices every morning with her seven-year old daughter.

But how was she supposed to keep her promise to God now? After what her husband had just told her?

“So, hold up,” Jasmine said, slipping into the chair across from Hosea. “I thought you were just going to the convention as the keynote speaker.”

Hosea nodded.

“So, explain this to me again.”

With a sigh, Hosea folded the newspaper he’d been reading and placed it on the table. He stuffed his mouth with a forkful of pancake, chewed for a moment, then said, “The call came in from a friend of Pop’s, Pastor Earl Griffith. He thinks I need to submit my resume.”

“To be the head of the American Baptist Coalition?”

Hosea nodded.

“But we’re not Baptist.”

His eyes danced with his amusement. “Get out of here.”

“You know what I mean,” Jasmine said, waving one hand. “I just don’t get it. Why would they call you?”

“They didn’t call me. Only Pastor Griffith.Seems like there’re a couple of men in the running, though according to Griffith, the front-runner is Pastor Adams, Lester Adams from the Southern region.”

Jasmine frowned. “I’ve never heard of him.”

“Out of Houston. But Pastor Griffith doesn’t think Adams is the man. Seems that the last four presidents have been from the South and Griffith and a couple of other pastors on the board think that the Coalition needs someone from the North, someone more progressive, to really move the organization forward.”

“And they think that can be you?”

“Not they, darlin’. I told you—Griffith called me.”

“But you said there were others who agreed with him.”

Hosea nodded. “Apparently, they don’t have anyone from the North who they think can go up against Adams. I guess they think my name could win this.”

“That makes sense to me.”

“It doesn’t matter how much sense it makes, darlin’. I told Pastor Griffith that I’m not interested.”

As if she didn’t hear any of Hosea’s last words, Jasmine whispered, “Wow.” Old thoughts, familiar desires came to her mind—of power and prestige and money. How much money would a president receive?

She didn’t know a lot about the American Baptist Coalition, but she knew enough. Like the fact that they were the largest African American religious organization, and wielded major political clout. And as much as black folks loved religion, the head of the ABC would have a boatload of power—and so would his wife.

Talk about being the first lady!

“Jasmine?”

I’d be the first lady of like . . . the world!

“Jasmine?”

“Huh?” Her eyes were glassy with images of her future and it took her a moment to focus on Hosea.

His admonishment came before he even said a word. It was in the way his eyes narrowed and the way he’d already begun shaking his head. “Don’t even think about it.”

“What?”

“You know what. I’m not gonna do it,” he said slowly, as if he was speaking to one of their children. “I’m gonna go to the convention and speak, just like they asked. But I’m not gonnarun for that office. The little I know about Lester Adams, he’s a good man. They’ll be fine with him.”

“How could he be the one if I’ve never even heard of him?”

“Like you know every pastor in the country.”

“I’m not talking about knowing every pastor. I’m thinking that Pastor Griffith is right. The head of the ABC should be someone who’s known and who can add to the Coalition. Think about what you bring as the pastor of one of the largest churches in the country. Then, there’s your show.” She nodded. “Pastor Griffith is right,” she repeated. “It has to be you.”

His head was still shaking. “No. I don’t want the drama.”

“Who said anything about drama?”

“Any type of election—political or religious—is always about drama.” He stood and placed his plate in the sink. “And then there’s you, my wonderful wife. As much as I love you, darlin’, anytime you’re involved in anything, drama makes its way into our lives. No, I don’t want any part of it.”

“So, you’re just gonna let this huge opportunity pass us—I mean, pass you by?”

“Yup, because it’s not an opportunity that interests me. The church, the show, and most importantly you and the children are enough for me.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Speaking of the church, I’m gonna get dressed and head over there. I have a meeting in a couple of hours.”

“Okay,” she said, dismissing him with words, though she’d already dismissed him in her mind. Jasmine stayed as Hosea left her alone in the kitchen.

You and the children are enough for me.

Until a few minutes ago, she would’ve agreed with her husband. But this conversation was a game changer.

Hosea was right—their lives were without drama, but it had gotten kind of boring. Every day it was the same thing—getting the children off to school, then working on the women’s committees at the church, then coming home to meet the children, then helping Mrs. Sloss with dinner, then . . . then . . .then . . .

Not that she had complaints; she loved her life, her family. But she would still love everyone, and maybe even a little bit more if Hosea were the head of the ABC .

Oh, no. She wasn’t going to sit back and let this opportunity pass Hosea. He needed this position, even if he didn’t know it.

Standing, she moved toward their bedroom, the conniving wheels of her brain already churning. She stood outside the door of their master bathroom, listening to her husband praise God, the spray of the shower, his accompanying music.

“I trust you, Lord!” He sang the words to one of Donnie McClurkin’s songs.

“Babe,” she said, interrupting his praise time. “I’m gonna run over to Mae Frances’s apartment, okay?”

“Don’t you have a meeting at the church?”

“Yeah, but it’s not till this afternoon and Mae Frances just called and she really needs me to help her with something.”Jasmine paused. It had been a long time since she’d manipulated the truth to get somethingshe wanted. But it wasn’t like she was going back to being a total liar again—she just needed to get this done and after Hosea was in his rightful place, she’d go back to being on the side of righteousness.

“Oh, okay. Is Nama all right?” he asked, referring to Mae Frances by the name their children called the older woman.

“She’s fine. You know Nama. I’ll call Mrs. Whittingham and tell her that I may be a little late for my meeting.”

By the time they said their good-byes and Jasmine grabbed her purse, she already had a plan. But she’d need some help, and Mae Frances, her friend who knew everyone from Al Sharpton to Al Capone and his offspring, was just the person to help her.

“Sorry, Pastor Adams,” she said to herself as she rode down in the elevator. “Whoever you are, you can be the president of the ABC once Hosea and I are done—in, say, ten or twenty years.”

She stepped outside of their Central Park South apartmentbuilding and into the New York springtime sun. Slapping on herdesigner glasses, she laughed out loud.

Oh, yeah, today was gonna be a really good day.

Chapter Two

Watch out, Michelle Obama!

Rachel Jackson Adams smiled in satisfaction as shesurveyed her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She’d had toleave the prestigious American Baptist Coalition regional dinnerand step inside the restroom to compose herself. After all, shewas about to be the first lady of one of the most prestigiousorganizations in the country. She couldn’t very well be actinga plumb fool because she was overcome with excitement.But Rachel had wanted to do a backflip, front flip, toe touch,cartwheel, and anything else she could think of to express herjoy.

Rachel fluffed her honey brown curls, then lightly refreshedher MAC Oh Baby lip gloss. She had come such a long way. Hermother was probably dancing in her grave at the sight of Rachelas not only a first lady, but a soon-to-be prominent one at that.Rachel had worked hard to garner the respect of the parishionersat Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church. She’d grown up inthat church, so everyone knew her dirt—all of it—and it hadtaken God himself to get these people to respect her. And whileZion Hill had grown tremendously, it still wasn’t considereda megachurch, and outside of Houston there were few whohad even heard of it. As the first lady of the American BaptistCoalition, her status would go to a whole new level. Shoot, if shehad to be first lady, she might as well be the top first lady.

Rachel savored the thought as she dropped her lip gloss backinto her clutch and stepped back into the corridor.

“I was beginning to think you’d fallen in,” her husband ofeight years said before leaning in and lightly kissing Rachel onthe cheek.

Lester Adams wasn’t her true love—that title belonged toher thirteen-year-old son’s father, Bobby Clark. But Lester wasgood for her. Her love for Lester was that agape love they talkedabout in First Corinthians. It brought out the best in her. Well,for the most part anyway. Life with Bobby had been filled withdrama—Rachel admitted much of that was her own doing, but itwas drama-filled nonetheless. And although Bobby still remaineda part of Jordan’s life, Rachel had finally gotten him out of hersystem and was focusing all of her attention on making hermarriage work.

“What took you so long?” Lester asked, snapping Rachel outof her thoughts.

“Sorry,” Rachel said with a slight smile, “but you know I’mabout to be the preeminent first lady, so I had to make sure mymakeup was on point.” She tossed her hair back. “Come to thinkof it, I think I’ll change my name to Lady Rachel so I can havethe title to go along with the position.”

Lester narrowed his eyes and glared at his wife. “Rachel,” hebegan in that voice she hated—the one that he always used whenhe was chastising her.

“What?” Rachel shrugged, already getting defensive.

“I don’t have the position yet,” he said matter-of-factly. “Theregional board just nominated me tonight. There’s still a nationalelection.”

Rachel waved him off. “That’s just a formality. Did you hearthose election results? You beat Pastor Johnson seventy-three totwenty-five percent!”

Lester sighed. “Pastor Johnson also got his sixteen-year-oldstepniece pregnant.” As soon as Lester said it, he looked like hewished he could take the words back.

The smile immediately left Rachel’s face. Lester was no sainthimself. He’d had his own little pregnant-woman-on the-sidedebacle. But thank God, they’d worked through that crisis.“I’m just saying,” Lester quickly continued, like he wanted toprevent Rachel’s mind from traveling down that rocky memorylane, “Pastor Johnson wasn’t that hard to beat. I still have to runagainst whomever they nominate from the North region, andrumor has it they’re bringing out their top dogPastor HoseaBush.”

“That jack-legged TV preacher?” Rachel asked with a frown.

Lester shook his head. “Pastor Bush is not jack-legged. He’swell established, comes from a highly respected family, and heleads one of the largest churches in the country.”

“So? He’s. Not. You,” Rachel said, reaching up and adjustingLester’s bow tie. Lester had been an extreme nerd when theywere in high school—which is why Rachel had never given himthe time of day. But he’d pursued her relentlessly and eventuallyhad worn her down. He was willing to be a father to her twokids and he loved her unconditionally. So she agreed to givetheir relationship a try, but not before having him shave off thatred mop of a hairstyle he wore and introducing him to Proactiv.She’d revamped his wardrobe, taught him how to have a littleswagger, and now, even she had to admit, he had it going on. Notto mention the fact that he was an awesome preacher. “Lester,sweetheart,” Rachel said, taking her husband’s hands, “you heardthat emcee tonight. For the past sixty years, the president of theABC has been a Southerner. That’s not about to change. I don’tcare how prominent this Rev. Tree is.”

Lester let out a small chuckle. “Pastor Bush,” he corrected.

“Tree, Bush, Leave, whatever,”she said, flicking her hand.“The bottom line is, that position is ours. God said so.”

He laughed again. “Oh, God said so, huh?”

Rachel nodded emphatically. “He sure did. And if God said it,then it’s so.” She grinned widely.

“Look at my baby,” Lester said proudly. “And to think, youthreatened to divorce me for entering the ministry.”

“Well, that’s because I’d spent my life as a preacher’sdaughter. I wasn’t trying to be a preacher’s wife. But I’ve gottenthe hang of it now.”

“You do make a great first lady,” Lester said, kissing heragain. “And can I say it again—you look lovely in that dress.”

“Thank you. And I’m going to make an even better first ladyon a national level.” She tightened the belt on her royal blueDiane von Furstenberg silk dress. Her attire tonight was justone indication of how far she’d come. Just a few years ago, shewould’ve shown up to an event like this in the latest Baby Phator Apple Bottoms style that she could find. And although she stillloved her some Kimora Lee Simmons, she didn’t have to wear iteverywhere.

“Congratulations, Rev. Adams,” an elderly man said as hewalked past them.

Lester stopped and smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

“I can’t wait until you officially claim that presidency,” theman said as he stepped on to the elevator.

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Lester replied as he wavedgood-bye.

Rachel waited for the elevator door to close. “See, everyoneknows you’re the man for the job. And I’m the woman that needsto be next to the man for the job.”

“Since when did this kind of stuff excite you?”Rachel’s hands went to her hips. “Since I did my homework.Do you know that the last wife of the ABC president wasinvited everywhere? To White House dinners, commencementceremonies, the Grammys—she even cohosted on The View!”

“But wasn’t she a TV journalist anyway?”

Rachel frowned. Lester and all this negativity was about towork her nerves. “That’s beside the point. Everyone knows theABC president is one of the most powerful men in the country,so that means the ABC ’s president’s wife would be one of themost powerful women.”

“I’m just saying, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Whatever, Lester.”Rachel rolled her eyes. She’d beeneuphoric since they announced he’d won the election an hourago. Of course, she always knew he would, but hearing itconfirmed was the icing on the cake.

As thoughts of hanging out with Michelle Obama danced inher head, Rachel once again smiled.

“Rachel, I see your mind working.”

“Just trying to determine where I’ll get my dress for yourinduction ceremony.” Maybe she could get Kimora to design hersomething personally.

“Rachel—”

She put her finger to his lips. “Shhhh,” she said, draping herarm through his. “Let’s just savor the moment tonight. Let’s goback in, mingle with the people, and enjoy ourselves. My dadand Brenda have the kids, so the night is all ours. Tomorrow,we’ll talk about the national election.” Rachel decided to justchange the subject because she didn’t care what Lester said,he would win the national election. And if this Reverend Bushproved to be a problem, well, Rachel might just have to revertto her old bag of tricks—just for a moment—to make sure thathe wasn’t a threat. She wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone,stand in the way of claiming what was destined to be hers.

Bernice McFadden January 2012 #Blacklitchat Host

2012-01-16T16:35:00.001-05:00

Twitter Book Club Discussion: Gathering of Waters

Join us for our first #blacklitchat Twitter party of 2012. We are excited and honored that Bernice McFadden is out host for this chat. We will be discussing her fantabulous new novel, Gathering of Waters (January 2012)

BERNICE L. McFADDEN is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels including the classics Sugar and Glorious, which was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, selected as the debut title for the One Book, One Harlem program, and was a finalist for the NAACP Image Award. She is a two-time Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist, as well as the recipient of two fiction honor awards from the BCALA. Her sophomore novel, The Warmest December, was praised by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison as "searing and expertly imagined." McFadden lives in Brooklyn, New York.

GATHERING OF WATERS is a deeply engrossing tale narrated by the town of Money, Mississippi--a site both significant and infamous in our collective story as a nation. Money is personified in this haunting story, which chronicles its troubled history following the arrival of the Hilson and Bryant families.

TASS HILSON AND EMMETT TILL were young and in love when Emmett was brutally murdered in 1955. Anxious to escape the town, Tass marries Maximillian May and relocates to Detroit.

FORTY YEARS LATER, AFTER THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND, Tass returns to Money and fantasy takes flesh when Emmett Till's spirit is finally released from the dank, dark waters of the Tallahatchie River. The two lovers are reunited, bringing the story to an enchanting and profound conclusion.

GATHERING OF WATERS mines the truth about Money, Mississippi, as well as the town's families, and threads their history over decades. The bare-bones realism--both disturbing and riveting--combined with a magical realm in which ghosts have the final say, is reminiscent of Toni Morrison's Beloved.

Following her best-selling, award-winning novel Glorious, McFadden produces a fantastical historical novel featuring the spirit of Emmett Till.

"The rich text is shaped by the African American storytelling tradition and layered with significant American histories. Recalling the woven spirituality of Toni Morrison's Beloved, this work will appeal to readers of mystic literature."
--Library Journal

"McFadden makes powerful use of imagery in this fantastical novel of ever-flowing waters and troubled spirits."
--Booklist

"As strange as this may sound, Bernice L. McFadden has created a magical, fantastic novel centered around the notorious tragedy of Emmett Till's murder. This is a startling, beautifully written piece of work."
--Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River

"In her new novel, Gathering of Waters, Bernice McFadden brings her own special vision to the unfortunate story of Emmett Till and his murder in Money, Mississippi. This moving and magical novel, which traces the generations leading up to and away from that horrible night in 1955, drew me in immediately and swept me along through its richly imagined world. I couldn't stop reading, caught up as I was in that enticing place between truth and fantasy, the here-and-now and the what-was, the living and the dead, the ugliness and the beauty, the hatred and the love. What a rich chorus of voices Bernice McFadden has fashioned from this place called Money."
--Lee Martin, author of Break the Skin and The Bright Forever

Join us this Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 9PM ET to chat LIVE with Bernice McFadden about GATHERING OF WATERS here.

Rhonda Bowen featured in Publishers Weekly

2012-01-10T15:17:00.001-05:00

Rhonda Bowen. Dafina/Kensington, $14 trade paperback (320p) ISBN 978-0-7582-5958-5

Less a traditional romance novel and more a story of faith and redemption, Bowen’s sophomore outing (Man Enough for Me) enchants from the first page. Click the link to read the full review.

One Way or Another releases February 28, 2012.

Maggie

2012-01-09T12:44:00.001-05:00

Scriptural Reference: 1 Samuel 17

Happy New Year! It has been a while since I’ve blogged at The Master’s Artist. The main reason for my absence has been fear of moving forward. In the past few months I’ve suffered medical setbacks, family loss, heart break, and been under enormous stress to complete the edits for my next novel (Someone Bad and Something Blue, Kensington, July 201 2.) It felt like one thing after another was pushing me down. As I write, my life is surrounded by road blocks, stumbling blocks, and insecurities. I’m afraid to fail, afraid to disappoint my editor at Kensington, to not do enough for my family, friends, and clients…I’m afraid of it all. However, I couldn’t wait another two weeks to talk to you. My heart wouldn’t let me sleep until I shared my struggle with you, because I believe I’m not alone and I need you. More

2012-01-09T00:13:00.000-05:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Denise Hunter

and the book:

The Accidental Bride

Thomas Nelson (January 3, 2012)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings – The B&B Media Group – for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Shay Brandenberger has built her entire life on the shifting sands of what others think. Constantly seeking the approval of others, she has struggled through a rocky childhood, a failed marriage and single parenthood. Now it looks like she’s losing the ranch that has been in her family for three generations, a surefire way to mark her as a failure in the eyes of the community. When Travis McCoy, the high school sweetheart who very publicly broke her heart fifteen years before, returns to Moose Creek, she is less than pleased. Not only does his re-appearance dredge up a deluge of painful memories, it also reminds everyone in town that it was he who left her, not the other way around. To make matters worse, Shay and Travis are unwittingly paired to play bride and groom in the annual Founder’s Day wedding re-enactment where, much to her chagrin, she discovers he still has the power to take her breath away.

Product Details:

List Price: $15.99

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 3, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595548025
ISBN-13: 978-1595548023

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The bell above the diner’s door jingledand—despite her most valiant effort—Shay Brandenberger’s eyes darted toward theentry. An unfamiliar couple entered—tourists. She could tell by their khakiEddie Bauer vests and spanking-new hiking boots. Look out, Yellowstone.

When her heart rate returned to normal,she checked her watch and took a sip of coffee. Five minutes till she met MissLucy at the Doll House, forty till she met John Oakley at the bank. What if hesaid no? What would they do then?

“Mom . . . Earth to Mom . . .” Oliviawaved her hand too close to Shay’s face, her brown eyes widening.

“Sorry, hon.” The one bright moment ofher Saturday was breakfast with her daughter, and she couldn’t enjoy it for thedread. “What were you saying?”

Olivia set her fork on herpancake-sticky plate and heaved a sigh worthy of her twelve-year-old self.“Never mind.” She bounced across the vinyl bench, her thick brown ponytailswinging. “I’m going to meet Maddy.”

“Right back here at noon,” Shay called,but Olivia was out the door with the flick of her hand.

The diner buzzed with idle chatter.Silverware clattered and scraped, and the savory smell of bacon and fried eggsunsettled her stomach. She took a sip of the strong brew from the fat rim ofher mug.

The bell jingled again. I will not look. I willnot look. I will not—

The server appeared at her booth, a newgirl, and gathered Olivia’s dishes. “On the house today.”

Shay set down her mug, bristling. “Why?”

The woman shrugged. “Boss’s orders,” shesaid, then made off with the dirty dishes.

From the rectangular kitchen window,Mabel Franklin gave Shay a pointed look.

So Shay had helped the couple with theirfoal the week before. It was the neighborly thing to do.

Fine. She gave a reluctant smile and awave. She pulled her wallet from her purse, counted out the tip, and draggedherself from the booth, remembering her daughter’s bouncy exit. Lately herthirty-two years pressed down on her body like a two-ton boulder.

She opened the diner’s door and peekedboth ways before exiting the Tin Roof and turning toward the Doll House. Shewas only checking sidewalk traffic, not hiding. Nope, she wasn’t hiding fromanyone. The boardwalks were busy on Saturdays. That was why she hadn’t come totown for two weeks. Why their pantry was emptier than a water trough at highnoon.

She hurried three shops down and slippedinto the cool, welcoming air of Miss Lucy’s shop.

“ ’Morning, Miss Lucy.”

“ ’Morning, dear.” The elderly woman, inthe middle of helping a customer, called over her rounded shoulder, “It’s inthe back.” Miss Lucy’s brown eyes were big as buckeyes behind her thickglasses, and her white curls glowed under the spotlights.

“Okeydoke.” Shay forced her feet towardthe storeroom.

A musty smell assaulted her as sheentered the back room and flipped on the overhead fluorescents. She scanned theboxes of doll parts and skeins of yarn until she found what she was lookingfor. She approached the box, lifted the lid, and parted the tissue.

The wedding gown had been carefullyfolded and tucked away. Shay ran her fingers over the delicate lace and pearls.Must’ve been crisp white in its day, but time had cast a long shadow over it.Time had a way of doing that.

Her fingers lingered on the thin fabric.She remembered another time, another dress. A simple white one that hung on heryoung shoulders, just skimmed the cement of the courthouse steps. The ache thatsqueezed her heart had faded with time, but it was there all the same. Would itever go away?

Shaking her head, Shay turned back tothe task at hand. The gown seemed too pretty, too fragile to disturb.

Oh well. She’d promised.

She pulled it out and draped it over thebox, then shimmied from her jeans. When she was down to the bare necessities,she stepped carefully into the gown. She eased it over her narrow hips and slidher arms into the long sleeves. The neckline was modest, the gathered skirtfuller than anything she ever wore. Here in the air-conditioning it was fine,but she would swelter next Saturday.

Leaving the button-up back gaping, shehitched the skirt to the top of her cowboy boots and entered the store.

Miss Lucy was ushering the customer outthe door. When she turned, she stopped, her old-lady shoes squeaking on thelinoleum. “Land sakes.”

Shay took two steps forward and droppedthe skirt. It fell to the floor with a whoosh.

“Fits like a glove,” Miss Lucy said.“And with some low heels it’ll be the perfect length.”

Shay didn’t even own heels. “My boots’llhave to do. Button the back?”

Miss Lucy waddled forward, turned Shaytoward a small wall mirror flecked with time, and began working the tiny pearlbuttons.

Shay’s breath caught at her image. Sheforced its release, then frowned. Wedding gowns were bad luck. She’d swornshe’d never wear another. If someone had told her yesterday she’d be wearingthis thing today, she’d have said they were one straw short of a bale.

Miss Lucy moved up to the buttonsbetween her shoulders, and Shay lifted her hair. The dress did fit, clinging toher torso like it was made for her, wouldn’t you know. Even the colorcomplemented her olive skin.

Still, there was that whole bad luckthing.

And what would everyone think of ShayBrandenberger wearing this valuable piece of Moose Creek heritage? A whitewedding gown, no less. If she didn’t have the approval of her closest friendsand neighbors, what did she have? Not much, to her thinking.

She wanted to cut and run. Wanted toshimmy right out of the dress, tuck it into that box in the storeroom, slipback into her Levi’s and plaid button-up, and go back to her ranch where shecould hole up for the next six months.

She checked the time and wished MissLucy had nimbler fingers. Of all days to do this, a Saturday, when everyonewith two legs was in town. And she still had that infernal meeting with JohnOakley.

Please, God, I can’t lose our home . . .

“I’m obliged to you, dear. I completelyforgot Jessie was going out of town.”

“No problem.”

“Baloney. You’d rather be knee-deep incow dung.” The woman’s marionette lines at the sides of her mouth deepened.

“It’s one hour of my life.” A pittance,after all Miss Lucy had done for her.

Miss Lucy finished buttoning, and Shaydropped her hair and smoothed the delicate lace at the cuffs.

“Well, bless you for being willing. Godis smiling down on you today for your kindness.”

Shay doubted God really cared one way oranother. It was her neighbors she worried about.

“Beautiful, just beautiful. You’ll bethe talk of the town on Founders Day.”

“No doubt.” Everyone in Moose Creekwould be thinking about the last time she’d worn a wedding gown. And the timebefore that.

Especially the time before that.

Third time’s a charm, Shay thought, the corner of her lipturning up.

“Stop fretting,” Miss Lucy said,squeezing her shoulders. “You look quite fetching, like the gown was made foryou. I won’t have to make a single alteration. Why, it fits you better than itever did Jessie—don’t you tell her I said so.”

Shay tilted her head. Maybe Miss Lucywas right. The dress did make the most of her figure. And she had as much rightto wear it as anyone. Maybe more—she was born and raised here, after all. Itwas just a silly old reenactment anyway. No one cared who the bride and groomwere.

The bell jingled as the door openedbehind her. She glanced in the mirror, over her shoulder, where a hulkingsilhouette filled the shop’s doorway. There was something familiar in the setof the man’s broad shoulders, in the slow way he reached up and removed hishat.

The sight of him constricted her ribcage, squeezed the air from her lungs as if she were wearing a corset. But shewasn’t wearing a corset. She was wearing a wedding gown. Just as she had beenthe last time she’d set eyes on Travis McCoy.

Kensington Books Author Rhonda Bowen Online Book Tour March 2012

2012-01-06T21:10:00.001-05:00

We are proud to announce that Kensington Books Christian Fiction Author Rhonda Bowen One Way or the Other Tour is set for March 6, 2012.

More about the book: One Way or the Other

Atlanta reporter Toni Shields will do whatever it takes to get a good story. So when she’s arrested for sneaking around the mayor’s house, she’s prepared. What she’s not prepared for is getting demoted—or her run-in with stubborn Adam Bayne, director of the local young men’s rehab center…

The first time Adam saw Toni, she was wrangling with the cops. Now she’s looking for a scoop at Jacob House. Adam has no intention of letting her near his boys—yet as usual, her pushiness wins. And when she genuinely helps a teen in trouble, Adam sees a side of her that cares about more than just a headline. Soon, they become close—their attraction growing. But there’s more to both their lives than meets the eye. Toni has a haunting family secret, one that is taking a great toll on her. And when she uncovers that Adam has a devastating past of his own, not only their relationship, but their futures, and their faith, lie in the balance.

More about Rhonda Bowen

Christian Fiction Romance Author Rhonda Bowen writes for Kensington Publishing Corps (Dafina Books.) She has written two faith based novels Man Enough for Me and her current release One Way or Another. She is also an event planner and currently resides in Toronto, Ontario Canada visit her at www.rhondabowen.com or her Learning the Ropes Blog at www.learningtheropes.wordpress.com

More about the Book Tour:

March 6 we will be celebrating the release of One Way or the Other by sharing this book with our network. We will share on our blogs, our Facebook Pages, Goodreads, Twitter anywhere we gather online with our friends and family. In return you will receive an advanced copy of One Way of The Other and an online participant badge for your website or Facebook profile.

We would love for you to participate in this book tour. If you can, please complete the form below.

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Trailer Park Tuesday: Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee Forbidden

2012-01-03T18:34:00.001-05:00

'Forbidden' by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

Happy New Year. Christian Fiction Blog kicks off Trailer Park Tuesday with Beverly Lewis’s The Mercy(Bethany House.)

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee to create this gripping thriller set in a desolate future.
A terrible truth has been revealed to one man: the entire human race has been drained of every emotion except one-- fear. To bring life back to the world, Rom must embark on a journey that will end either in his own demise or a reawakening of humanity. But to bring love and passion back into existence will also threaten the powers of the world with the revolution and anarchy that had nearly destroyed them previously.

click the small pic to order

Best 20 Christian Fiction of 2011: African-American

2011-12-31T10:41:00.001-05:00

Christian Fiction Blog is proud to announce the 2011 top 20 Christian Fiction Novels written by African American writers. We spotlight these books, because most Christian media and Christian bookstore chains don’t for reasons we cannot fathom. Congrats to these authors and continue to spread the Gospel to the Church Universal..
To see the all the book covers showcased visit our pinterest white board. This list is not in any order or rank.

Sharon Ewell Foster, The Resurrection of Nat Turner: The Witness
Booker T. Mattinson ,Snitch
Vanessa Miller, A Promise of Forever Love
Shana Burton, Catt Chasin
Kim Cash Tate, Cherished
Patricia Haley, Broken
Serita Jakes, The Crossing
Vanessa Davis Griggs, Redeeming Waters
Tia McCollors, Steppin into The Good Life
Pat G’orge Walker, No Ordinary Noel
Kendra Norman Bellamy, Upon This Rock
Michelle Simpson, Someone to Watch Over Me
Claudia Mair Burney, Exorsistah: X Restored
Sherryle Kiser Jackson, Taylor Made
Rhonda Bowen, Man Enough for Me
Victoria Christopher Murray The Deal, The Dance, and the Devil
Reshonda Tate Billingsley, Say Amen Again
Kimberla Lawson Roby, To Love, Honor and Betray
Shelia Goss, Delilah
Cheryl Faye, Who Said it Would Be Easy

Write What You Know: A Career U.S. Diplomat

2011-12-29T10:15:00.001-05:00

Robbie Cutler Diplomatic Mysteries

By William S. Shepard

I was a career diplomat in the American Foreign Service. I served at our U.S. embassies in Singapore, Saigon, Budapest and Athens, and then retired as Consul General in Bordeaux, France. Since the usual advice given to beginning writers was “write about what you know,” I wrote about the Embassy world. During one of my five Washington tours, as Duty Officer for the Secretary of State, I found myself staying late one evening at the office. While I perused files and diplomatic cables, I realized I had access to a variety of interesting information and sources. That was when the idea came to me that after I retired, I would write mystery stories set in American Embassies overseas.

Continue reading William Shepard’s story and talk with him LIVE today at The Thrill Begins

Trailer Park Tuesday: Tyler Perry's Good Deeds Movie

2011-12-27T03:31:00.001-05:00

A successful, wealthy businessman, Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) has always done what's expected of him, whether it's assuming the helm of his father's company, tolerating his brother's misbehavior at the office or planning to marry his beautiful but restless fiancée, Natalie (Gabrielle Union). But Wesley is jolted out of his predictable routine when he meets Lindsey (Thandie Newton), a down-on-her-luck single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building. When he offers to help her get back on her feet, the chance encounter with someone so far outside his usual circle ignites something in Wesley. This one good deed may finally spark his courage to exchange the life that's expected of him for the life he's always really wanted. A moving, uplifting drama about coincidence, courage, and the defining choices we make on our paths to happiness, TYLER PERRY'S GOOD DEEDS is written, produced and directed by Tyler Perry, and stars Perry, Thandie Newton, Brian White, Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson, Beverly Johnson, with Phylicia Rashad, and Gabrielle Union. In theaters February 24 2012

Gospel Christmas Music Preview Deborah E. Bradley Tis the Season

2011-12-23T17:48:00.001-05:00

This image is interactive. Move your arrow to sample Deborah E. Bradley’s Tis the Seasonhttp://itunes.apple.com/us/album/joy-to-the-world/id476273788?i=476273972&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 Gospel Christmas CD.

Two Christmas Stories You can Read in 5 Minutes

2011-12-23T15:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday: Here are Two Christmas Stories you can read in 5 Minutes. thanks to Chris Mikesell and Kathleen Kovach winners of our Christmas Short Story Contest at Christian Fiction Online Magazine.

Nativity by Chris Mikesell

The box and its contents had been a birthday gift from his father. Handmade wooden figurines: a man, woman, infant, three shepherds, six sheep (mostly still intact), and an angel. A year later he painted the inside of the box, a child’s rendering of a stable, complete with a lop-eared donkey and a horse whose facial expression indicated intestinal distress.

For the past three years his parents had recited the story to him. This year it was his turn…

Warmth from a Window by Kathleen E. Kovach

Sleet pelted the concrete as she walked toward the old church. Her fingers clutched her coat collar to keep the cold from invading. She hadn’t been to worship in years, but something about the solid stone building beckoned her.

This Christmas Eve she’d never felt more alone. She had relocated because of a new job. Old friends were far away. She had no family.

But the old church smiled at her one day as she walked by on her way to work. How else could she describe it? Its double doors were open wide and she heard laughter coming from inside…

Click here to read them in full http://christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/best_multicultural.html

2011 INSPY Award Winners

2011-12-17T08:14:00.001-05:00

The INSPY Advisory is pleased to announce the 2011 INSPY Award Winners:

Creative Nonfiction: Passport Through Darknessby Kimberly L. Smith

In Passport Through Darkness, Mrs. Smith portrays sacrificial Christian living as the absolutely normal and healthy choice for all Christians. She and her husband are willingly transparent with their weaknesses and present a realistic picture of what a Christian living looks like: hard, messy, and painful, but right and worthwhile. Passport Through Darkness is a powerful story that can change who you are at a fundamental level.

General Fiction:City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell(Henry Holt & Co, September 2010)
We chose City of Tranquil Light because it tells a compelling story with complex characters that feel true to life, characters we care about. Bo Caldwell’s prose is lyrical.

The characters live a very real faith. Everything they do has Kingdom service in mind, yet they never come across as preachy. Their faith is organic. Serving Christ is what they do, it’s who they are. Because of that, this book’s appeal goes beyond that of the Christian community.

Literature for Young People: Saint Training by Elizabeth Fixmer (Zondervan, 2010)

Saint Training is realistic in its examination of religion without stereotype or fundamentalist views. An inspiring read, relevant to young readers and a stand out in its genre. Mary Clare is very down to earth and anyone will be able to relate to her struggles.

Mystery/Thriller: The Bishopby Steven James

Steven James did not shy away from the “tough” questions about God and we appreciate that an author – a Christian author at that, would be up-front and center with the real tough spiritual questions. The Bishop treats the reader as intelligent and with a mind of her own. The plot was engaging and the characters felt real.

Romance:Yesterday’s Tomorrow by Cathy West (Oak Tara, March 2011)

Catherine West gives us a gritty and moving account of the Vietnam War as experienced by an intrepid journalist providing innovation of the setting, time period and subject matter. The edgy realism and poignant honesty that flow from West’s pen in Yesterday’s Tomorrow place it head-and-shoulders above some of biggest bestsellers on bookstore shelves today, and it easily fulfills all the requirements set forth to make it the INSPY Award Winner for Romance.

Speculative Fiction: The Falling Away by T.L. Hines (Thomas Nelson, September 2010)

Non-linear plot lines that all converge without being predictable, responsible treatment of mental disorders without cliche; self sacrifice, demonic encounters and the power of Grace; all these reasons and more make The Falling Away by T.L. Hines the speculative INSPY winner. In his own distinctive “noir bizarre” style, Hines explores powerful truths about life, death and redemption. The author managed to tackle a familiar subject (spirituals warfare) in a most unconventional way. Full characterization meshed with a tight plot that is engaging even for newcomers to the supernatural thriller. Ultimately, more than one character learns important truths about the fallen world we live in and the spiritual dangers one may face from without and within. This novel is an embodiment of the concept that God’s power is made perfect in human weakness.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide for Luxe Writers

2011-12-13T09:58:00.001-05:00

It’s my favorite post of the year! The Luxe Hooliday Gift Guide for Writers. These items range from the modest to the affluent. However, what holds true for all the items on this list is that the writer in your life would love them this holiday season.

1. Su Blackwell Blank Greeting Cards. (above) Book Arts is something I love, love, love. My minor is in printmaking and book arts. So anything Su Blackwell works for me. Look at what she did with Alice and Wonderland. These cards are luxuries, but priced affordably, but the shipping fee is the bling thing. Click here to order

2. Nostalgic Impressions has a gorgeous Black feather quill pen for $33. Click here to order

3. Hello Kitty Black Quilt Laptop Carrying Bag.

Place your 15" screen or smaller laptop in this Hello Kitty black quilt laptop carrying case. Design features Hello Kitty's face and name quilted in the background as well as her face embroidered in silver with a pink bow. The outside of this case has one zipper pocket in the front and one Velcro pocket in the back to carry other electronic necessities. Not to mention two short black handles and one black adjustable strap for you to decide how you want to rock out with this laptop case. $75 Click to Order

4. Magnifying Glass Pendant Vintage $34. Click here to order.

5. NoteSlate isn’t available yet, but I want it!

6. Vintage Typewriter from Vintage Typewriter Shoppe. They go fast, so go, go, go.

7. Vintage Typewriter Key Letterpress Card Set $11.25. Click here to order

8. GRETA GARBO 1905 COMMEMORATION EDITION FOUNTAIN PEN

Hand-crafted rhodium-plated 18 K gold nib with heart-shaped hearthole
Cartridge fountain pen (no converter)
Fountain Pen
18 K yellow gold nib
$4000
Click to Order

9. First Edition Alice Walker’s The Color Purple $300 Click here to order.

10. Chanel Book Clutch $3850. Click to Order

God Gave Us Love: Christian Children’s Book

2011-12-12T05:52:00.000-05:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Lisa T. Bergren

and the book:

God Gave Us Love board book

WaterBrook Press; Brdbk edition (December 20, 2011)

***Special thanks to Laura Tucker, WaterBrook Multnomah Publicity, for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

LISA BERGREN is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than thirty books, with more than two million copies sold. A former publishing executive, she now splits her time working as a freelance editor and writer while parenting three children with her husband, Tim, and dreaming of the family’s next visit to Taos.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

As Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others… even the seemingly unlovable.

In answering her questions, Grampa Bear gives tender explanations that teach Little Cub about the different kinds of love that is shared between families, friends, and mamas and papas. Grampa explains that all these kinds of love come from God and that it is important to love others because…

“Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love.”

This sweet tale will warm the hearts of young children as they learn about all the different sorts of love, while the gentle explanations of each provide a valuable opportunity to encourage children to share with others a “God-sized love.” Now in a sturdy format, ideal for the littlest hands at storytime, bedtime, or anytime. Would make a great Christmas gift!

Product Details:

List Price: $6.99
Reading level: Ages 0 and up
Board book: 22 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; Brdbk edition (December 20, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307730271
ISBN-13: 978-0307730275

AND NOW...THE FIRST PAGES (Click on images to see them larger):

Advent Bible Study: Honor and Learn from the Past

2011-12-07T10:36:00.001-05:00

Dorris Miller stamp

Good Wednesday. Advent Bible Study Scripture for today Psalm 78:1-7 Honor and learn the lessons of the past. Today we know that the US declared war on Austria, which marked the beginning of World War I, the attack on Pearl Harbor during WW II was also today, and here in Atlanta we had the deadliest hotel fire in history (the Winecoff.) All three events have changed our lives. However, let's also reflect on this past year or the sacrifices people paid so that we could be here, the lessons learned, and then ask ourselves: Are we honoring those lessons? If not, today is a great day to start. Merry Christmas!

Presidential Proclamation -- World AIDS Day, 2011

2011-12-01T13:17:00.001-05:00

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On World AIDS Day, 30 years after the first cases of HIV/AIDS were reported, we stand with the individuals and communities affected by HIV and recommit to progress toward an AIDS free generation.

My Administration is taking action to turn the corner on the HIV/AIDS pandemic by investing in research that promises new and proven methods to prevent infection and better therapies for people living with HIV. In the past year, the National Institutes of Health has reported important progress. We now know that treatment of HIV not only improves clinical outcomes, but can also dramatically reduce the risk of transmission. Studies on the use of antiretroviral medications to prevent infection of HIV negative individuals show promising results. And research is ongoing to devise new prevention methods that may one day offer innovative ways to prevent the spread of HIV, like microbicides that can curb the risk of infection in women. By pursuing the next breakthrough treatment in the fight against HIV, continuing research to develop a vaccine, and incorporating new scientific tools into our programs, we are taking important steps toward an AIDS free generation.

To combat the HIV epidemic in the United States, we are implementing the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy in our country's history, which calls for strong, coordinated policy initiatives, enhanced HIV/AIDS education, collaboration across the Federal Government, and robust engagement with individuals, communities, and businesses across America. As part of these efforts, we are embracing the best science available to prevent new HIV infections, and we are testing new approaches to integrating housing, prevention, care, and substance abuse and mental health services related to HIV/AIDS. We are implementing the Affordable Care Act, which mandates new consumer protections and new options for purchasing health insurance for all Americans by 2014, including those with HIV. We are also striving to secure employment opportunities for people living with HIV by working to end discrimination based on HIV status.

To address the global HIV pandemic, we are working with nations around the world to advance comprehensive prevention efforts and provide lifesaving medicine to millions of people living with HIV. We are integrating cutting edge science into the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that will do even more to prevent new HIV infections, including more effective drug regimens to prevent mother to child HIV transmission and low cost approaches like voluntary medical male circumcision. When combined with other proven approaches, such as condoms, HIV testing and counseling, and programs to support behavior change, these advances can dramatically reduce HIV incidence and save lives. As we move forward, we will maintain our commitment to rigorously measuring the impact of these approaches, revising them appropriately, and incorporating new ideas and technologies as they become available.

Recognizing that a coordinated strategy is essential to our success, we are partnering with a wide variety of stakeholders to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and treatment. Here at home, States, tribes, territories, and local governments are vital partners in implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and we are joined by a host of public and private supporters and collaborators in PEPFAR. Partnerships with corporations, foundations, faith-based institutions, academic institutions, and other organizations are critically important to the fight against HIV, and we will work to strengthen these ties in the years ahead.

At this pivotal time in the worldwide response to HIV, the United States is preparing to welcome the global community to Washington, D.C., for the 19th International AIDS Conference in July 2012. We look forward to working with and learning from people living with HIV, clinicians, researchers, practitioners, and advocates from across the globe. On this World AIDS Day, let us reflect on the people we have lost and those we hold dear who are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. And as we pay tribute to the past and current heroes in the struggle against this disease, let us recommit to bringing an end to this tragic pandemic and pursuing an AIDS-free generation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States do hereby proclaim December 1, 2011, as World AIDS Day. I urge the Governors of the States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of the other territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join me in appropriate activities to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS and to provide support and comfort to those living with this disease.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/01/presidential-proclamation-world-aids-day-2011

The Heart of Christmas

2011-11-30T16:13:00.001-05:00

Background of The Heart of Christmas Dax Ryan Locke, born to Julie and Austin Locke on June 26, 2007, was diagnosed with AML M7, a rare form of leukemia, when he was 13 months old. The Heart of Christmas is set in Washington, Illinois, and at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly diseases in children . Told in flashback from the perspective of Megan (Candace Cameron Bure), a successful businesswoman, wife and mother of two, the storyline unfolds when her commitment to faith and family is renewed after reading the blog of Julie Locke , (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/daxlocke), the online journal that Julie kept after Dax was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). In The Heart of Christmas, Megan, who has been struggling with finding time for her husband Walt (Burgess Jenkins) and hasn’t made it to one of her daughter Emma’s (Brooke Bryan) soccer games all year, has forgotten that it is Halloween until her son Jackson (Christian Nelson, Hayden Nelson) is standing in front of her in costume, ready to go trick-or-treating. After bargaining with Emma to take her brother door to door in a nearby neighborhood for a few hours so she can finish a business proposal, they race out of the house, only to find hundreds of homes lit up for Christmas on Halloween. Confused by this scene, Megan asks neighbors Mark (Matthew West) and Trish (Erin Bethea), who have rallied the community to bring Christmas holiday cheer to the Locke family upon Dax’s (Chris Shone, Nick Shone) final return home from St. Jude, to explain the scene before them. Trish hands Megan a card with Julie Locke’s (Jeanne Neilson) blog information on it and encourages Megan to read it. Before Megan is able to react, Trish sends her away with a heartfelt warning, stating, “it will change your life.” Through Megan’s narrative, we are introduced to Dax’s father Austin (Eric Beck), who is deeply concerned about Dax’s prognosis; the type of cancer has poor survival rates in children Dax’s age. Austin is committed to being open to new forms of treatment and to staying hopeful for Dax, for his wife Julie, her sister Melissa (Kelsey Marie Kingsbury) and Dax’s grandmother Theresa (Anita Renfroe).During their hospital stay at St. Jude, Julie Locke meets Michelle (Dendrie Taylor), whose daughter Elizabeth (Kaya Millar) is also being treated there.Michelle introduces Julie to a support system of other moms, who encourage Julie to blog about Dax’s progress and her journey as a way to keep friends and family informed. Days after initial treatment begins, we meet the team of incredible doctors at St. Jude: Nurse Lisa (Sophia Sinise), Dr. Sandler (George Newbern) and Dr. Benson (Karl T. Wright), who is charged with telling Julie and Austin that, after months of treatment and a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows, the experimental, last chance effort was unsuccessful in curing Dax’s cancer. Determined to give Dax one last Christmas, Austin Locke surprises Julie and Dax with a Christmas tree- even though it’s October.The neighbors quickly catch on and surprise the Locke’s by showing up at their home to give Dax, his family and the community a magical night to remember.

Love Begins DVD Review

2011-11-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

My Review:

Love Begins! is a great DVD to own this holiday season! I’ve seen all of the Love Series movie adaptations. However, this one is such a beautiful redemption story. Clark’s recommitment to his faith felt very realistic. Although the story is set in late nineteenth century, the challenges he had with organized religion is relevant today, even more so. It didn’t feel phony or rushed and I appreciated the way his story unfolded. At first I thought that Ellen’s icy demeanor at the beginning was too hard, but as the tragedy about her dad and her fiancee leaving her, I understood. I liked how tough she was; I liked even more that she humbled herself with a sense of humor. She knew she had been giving him a hard time. I really liked how the characters in this story had realistic conversations. It’s my family’s favorite DVD this season. There are so many talking points for Christian parents of teens to discuss. Really loved this movie.

More about Love Begins:

Clark Davis’ (Wes Brown, “True Blood”) adventurous dreams of seeing the world are put into jeopardy after he and a friend start a fight which damages a local cafe. Through a plea deal with the Sheriff (Jere Burns) and café owner Millie (Nancy McKeon), Clark works off his sentence as a farmhand for the Barlow sisters, Ellen (Julie Mond, “General Hospital”) and Cassie (Abigail Mavity).

Older sister Ellen doesn’t understand Cassie’s friendly nature with Clark; she agreed to the Sheriff’s offer only because the farm has become too much to maintain alone. Clark is slowing winning Ellen over, but suddenly suffers a traumatic head injury in a fall. After Ellen nurses him back to health, her former fiancé returns to win her back.Will Clark travel on or stay behind where love begins?

LOVE BEGINS releases on DVD November 22.

Thriller subgenres: is it SciFi, or SciThri?

2011-11-17T11:52:00.001-05:00

Come meet me and the Georgia Peach Authors (Marissa Monteilh, Jeanne Holloway, Gail McFarland, Electa Rome Parks, and Dwan Abrams) along with ten other Atlanta prolific authors this Saturday, November 19, 2011 for Authors on the Square.

Where: Central Library Auditorium, 1 Margaret Mitchell Square, Atlanta, GA

When: 12-5 PM (I will be on a Writing Discussion Panel at 3PM ET.)

The Event: Join us for a celebration of local authors, books, and reading as we recognize National Novel Writing Month. The featured authors are Gregory A. Freeman, The Last Mission of the Wham Bam Boys: Courage, Tragedy and Justice in World War II; Jennie Helderman, As the SycamoreGrows; and Rene Silvin, Noblesse Oblige In addition, at the Meet & Greet tables talk one on one with local authors such as Dr. Tiffany Brown, Dwan Abrams, Joe Wilson, Marissa Monteilh, Electa Rome Parks, Miranda Parker, and many more. Free and open to the public.

This is a great event to get autographed books for Christmas gifts.

Visit this link to learn more http://www.georgialibraries.org/events/calendar/authors-square-atlanta

Thriller subgenres: is it SciFi, or SciThri?

2011-11-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

Thriller subgenres: is it SciFi, or SciThri?

By Amy Rogers

When authors pitch a novel to agents or editors, they’re expected to cite which category or genre applies to their work. “Where would this book be shelved at Barnes & Noble?” is the question.

Happy Thriller Thursday!
Dr. Amy Rogers has written a great article at ITW's The Thrill Begins, "Is it SciFi or SciThriller?" I've opened up a discussion in the chat room that compliments the article, that is also a topic for authors regardless of genre. "Do you know why properly tagging your book matters?" If you get a chance today, please stop by thank, read, or respond to the discussion.
Here's the link: http://thethrillbegins.blogspot.com/2011/11/thriller-subgenres-is-it-scifi-or.html

Seeking Christmas Short Stories

2011-11-14T08:47:00.001-05:00

I am seeking Christmas theme short fiction for my December Christian Fiction Online Magazine column. The Submission guidelines are simple:

deadline November 21, 2011
500 word maximum
Christmas theme
stories that share a Christian worldview
one paragraph bio
bio pic .jpg or .png format
submit to deegospelpr at gmail dot com

Dee Stewart is an inspirational book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, contributing writer to Hope for Women Magazine, staff columnist for Christian Fiction Online Magazine, owner of Christian Fiction Blog and DeeGospel PR, an entertainment PR boutique. She is also Miranda Parker, novelist for Kensington Books. Her debut novel “A Good Excuse to be Bad” released July 2011. Visit her online blog tour click this link for tour schedule. This Saturday she will be featured at Authors on the Square sponsored by Atlanta Fulton Public Library.

Posted at 07:05 AM in Dee Stewart | Permalink

Veterans Day: Red Tails Trailer

2011-11-11T09:10:00.001-05:00

1944. World War II rages and the fate of the free world hangs in the balance. Meanwhile the black pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program are courageously waging two wars at once -- one against enemies overseas, and the other against discrimination within the military and back home. Racial prejudices have long held ace airman Martin "Easy" Julian (Nate Parker) and his black pilots back at base -- leaving them with little to do but further hone their flying skills -- while their white counterparts are shipped out to combat after a mere three months of training. Mistakenly deemed inferior and assigned only second-rate planes and missions, the pilots of Tuskegee have mastered the skies with ease but have not been granted the opportunity to truly spread their wings. Until now.
As the war in Europe continues to take its dire toll on Allied forces, Pentagon brass has no recourse but to reconsider these under-utilized pilots for combat duty. Just as the young Tuskegee men are on the brink of being shut down and shipped back home, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) awards them the ultimate chance to prove their mettle high above. Undaunted by the prospect of providing safe escort to bombers in broad daylight -- a mission so dangerous that the RAF has refused it and the white fighter groups have sustained substantial losses -- Easy's pilots at last join the fiery aerial fray. Against all the odds, with something to prove and everything to lose, these intrepid young airmen take to the skies in a heroic endeavor to combat the enemy -- and the discrimination that has kept them down for so long.

Directed by: Anthony Hemingway.

Starring: Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, Brandon T. Jackson and Nate Parker.

Red Tails is an upcoming film directed by Anthony Hemingway, from a script by John Ridley and story by executive producer George Lucas. It is based on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American combat pilots during World War II, and is the first Lucasfilm Ltd. production since Radioland Murders (1994) not to be associated with the Indiana Jones or Star Wars franchises.

George Lucas began developing Red Tails around 1988. He compared it to Tucker: The Man and His Dream as "a story too good to be true". Thomas Carter was his original choice to direct. A number of writers worked on the project until John Ridley was hired in 2007 to write the final screenplay. Lucas held discussions with Samuel L. Jackson regarding Jackson possibly directing and acting in the film. Although Jackson praised the script, he did not commit to either role. Anthony Hemingway was finally chosen to direct in 2008. In researching the film, Lucasfilm invited some of the surviving Tuskegee Airmen to Skywalker Ranch, where they were interviewed about their experiences during World War II. Lucasfilm was also given access to the original mission logbooks used by some of the pilots.
Production began in March 2009. High-definition Sony F35 cameras were used for principal photography, which took place in the Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia and England. While shooting in the Czech Republic, the actors underwent a "boot camp" program, during which they lived in similar conditions as the actual Tuskegee Airmen. Editing began while the production was in Prague. Avid editing systems were used simultaneously in a Prague studio and at Lucasfilm. A vehicle was fitted with a "technical center" so that the production could quickly move between locations. In March 2010, Lucas took over direction of reshoots, as Hemingway was busy working on episodes of the HBO series Treme. Hemingway will have final approval over the footage.

Red Tails releases January 20, 2012

www.redtails2012.com

Veteran's Day: A Time To Remember by Tricia Goyer

2011-11-11T07:48:00.000-05:00

Veteran's Day: A Time To Remember

By Tricia Goyer

In 2000, I got my idea for what came to be my first historical novel, From Dust and Ashes. Wanting to know more about the 23 men who liberated Mauthausen concentration camp, I contacted the 11th Armored Division who put me in touch with six of the veterans. These men then invited me to attend the 59th reunion of their division. I wasn't expecting that at all. I thought they'd point me to a good research book or allow me to interview them over the phone.

I felt SO unworthy to meet with these men. I knew very little about WWII, and I didn't want my inexperience to show. Not to mention the $1000+ for airfare, hotels, rental car for a book I didn't have a contract to write.

I urged a friend to go with me, and I've been so thankful we went. The men were caring and opened their hearts to me. They shared stories with me that they hadn't shared with anyone before. They laughed. They cried. They took my hands and thanked me for caring about their story. They hugged me and kissed my cheeks.

When it came to writing my novel, I wasn't writing about fictional characters. I was writing pieces of Charlie's story, bits of Arthur's experiences. The memories that made LeRoy cry made it into my book. The snapshots that Tarmo carried around in his mind for 60 years transformed into scenes in my novel (and the novels to follow!).

I get many letters from readers who say that my novels come to life on the pages--that's because the men's experiences came to life to me as I looked into their eyes and saw glimpses of young heroes. Also, the following year I went to Europe and walked the streets of the SS housing with a man who'd been nine-years-old when the camp opened near his home. Again, I "saw" the story in his eyes as he shared--this time from someone on the outside.

There was an added benefit to this diligent research that I didn't expect. After my second novel Night Song (http://www.triciagoyer.com/historicalfiction.html#NightSong) came out I received a letter from a veteran. He made a list of twenty minor research points that I'd gotten right, and then he asked, "One thing I didn't understand was the faith element of this story. Can you tell me more about your faith in God?"

YES!

Because I had done the research, I'd was able to share about my Jesus with a veteran who has since passed away.

One more fun thing I didn't expect. One of the men I met at the reunion was Pete. Pete was a medic--the one medic I met. Years later I received a letter from a reader who had read From Dust and Ashes. She was a survivor of Mauthausen--actually, she was born there. When she was 3-weeks-old she was close to death. When the gates were open a medic spent a full day lancing and cleaning infected boils on her skin, saving her life. She asked me if I knew any medics. I knew one, and I passed on his phone number. It turns out Pete was the one who saved her life! They have since met on numerous occasions.

If I hadn't gone to that reunion I wouldn't have met Pete, and I wouldn't have been able to connect him with Hana--what a God thing! Pete and Hana’s story inspired it’s own novel, my just released Remembering You (http://www.triciagoyer.com/contemporaryfiction.html#RememberingYou).

Of course, I do have regrets concerning research, too. In my most recent series on the Spanish Civil War I received a letter from a SCW veteran who said he was willing to help me with research. The letter got put into my "very important" pile on my desk and weeks and months passed. I pulled it out again, and I planned on calling him when I heard from someone else that this man had passed away. That has happened more than once with men who offered to be interviewed, and I'm always regretful of the "one more story" I missed. After all, once gone they are gone for good.

If you have a veteran in your life ... today is the perfect day to reach out--to listen to his or her story. Don't let the stories die, when you have a chance to make a difference.

Tricia Goyer is a homeschooling mom of four and an acclaimed and prolific writer, publishing hundreds of articles in national magazines. She has also written books on marriage and parenting and contributed notes to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Tricia's written numerous novels inspired by World War II veterans, including her new release Remembering You. Tricia lives with her husband and four children in Arkansas. You can find out more information about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.

CREATING A WORTHY ANTAGONIST

2011-11-10T11:42:00.001-05:00

"Since the heroes and the gimmicks tend to repeat from film to film, only a great villain can transform a good try into a triumph." Roger Ebert

Welcome to Thriller Thursday!

This week we have a treat for you. Jodie Renner shares advice that is paramount to writing a great thriller. The Villain. As the Roger Ebert quote states above, having a worthy antagonist does more than just give your hero someone to defeat. The villain gives your reader a reason to join your hero’s journey, to connect emotionally with the hero, and to understand what’s at stake, if the hero does not succeed.

The villain deserves a great deal of attention from the writer. Wouldn’t you agree? Renner shares terrific villain character development tips and also opens up this week’s discussion. How evil should a modern villain be?

Click here to join the discussion:http://thethrillbegins.blogspot.com/2011/11/creating-worthy-antagonist.html

Creating a Worthy Antagonist (thethrillbegins.blogspot.com)

Christmas with First Lady of Gospel Comedy Fiction

2011-11-06T11:12:00.001-05:00

Christmas with First Lady of Gospel Comedy Fiction, Pat G’Orge Walker

Pat G’Orge-Walker has been the first lady of gospel comedy and fiction for the past decade. She is also a former record industry veteran who has worked for several major labels, including Epic, Def Jam, and Columbia. She also performed with the legendary ’60s girl group, Arlene Smith and the Chantels (“Maybe”) as well as with gospel groups. Now Pat is busy touring the country performing her sold-out, one-woman Sister Betty comedy show and writing the Sister Betty novel series, which helped launch Kensington Books Dafina Christian Line.

This year she gifts us with a Christmas installment of the Sister Berry series No Ordinary Noel (October 2011), the story of Crossing Over Sanctuary Church, a small-town congregation that needs every miracle in the Book to rediscover the real reason for the season. The financially struggling members have until Christmas day to pay off millions in debt, and Reverend Leotis Tom refuses to accept any of trustee Freddie Noel’s sinful lottery mega winnings. Instead, he hopes bickering church mothers’ money-raising schemes will provide heaven-sent rewards—while he renegotiates with God.

Is Bea’s Christmastime Keep a Man Fried Cabbage the real deal?

LOL. Yes, for the most part it’s the real deal. There are a couple of secret ingredients omitted but when added, it’s kept my husband at home and in church for years.

Click here to read more.

Want You NANOWRIMO With ME?

2011-11-03T00:25:00.001-04:00

November is National Write a Novel Month. For the past six years I've participated in NANOWRIMO. This year I'm writing Book 3's first draft during NANOWRIMO. Although I can't share the novel with you, I would love to write with you. I'll also be sharing a NANOWRIMO writing tip at my friend Alma Katsu's blog this month so stay tuned for that. If you want to be my friend at NANOWRIMO here's my participant link. Hope to read you there.
Miranda at Nanowrimo

Harper Collins Zondervan and Thomas Nelson

2011-11-02T11:11:00.001-04:00

One of the biggest headlines in Christian Fiction this week has been Harper Collins acquisition of Thomas Nelson. What will that mean for it’s other Christian Publishing imprint Zondervan? What will this mean for Christian Publishing, since Harper Collins will corner almost half the Christian books Market Share? And most importantly, Is this writing on the wall for the industry… Will CBA become a dinosaur?

D.C. Gospel Music Producer Deborah E. Bradley: The Master’s Artist

2011-10-31T10:10:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday!

Although many are spending today gearing up for Halloween, many of us are working on new content to glorify God and celebrate Christ through these holidays season. Today I wanted to share an interview with artist and gospel music producer, Deborah E. Bradley. This month she released her Christmas CD and is also offering a free concert to D.C. local non-profits, who serve the needy during the holiday season

What separates Tis the Season from other Holiday CDs releasing this year?

This year there is a want for nostalgia. By the television shows we’re watching, the clothes we are wearing, we want to remember the great things. Tis the Season reminds us of the greatness of God. There is at least one or two songs that every listener will love dearly and may choose to listen year round, because these are classic Christmas songs. Songs we can hear over and over again.

Click here to read Bradley’s full interview at The Master’s Artist

Tayari Jones Hosts #Blacklitchat Anniversary

2011-10-30T17:25:00.001-04:00

Happy Anniversary to #blacklitchat!!! We are pleased to announce that Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 9pm EST Silver Sparrow author, Tayari Jones will be our Special Host for #blacklitchat Tweet Chat on Twitter!!!!!!!!!! So all you fans of Tayari, lets have an online book chat with her. We may have some surprise drop ins from past #blacklitchat co-hosts.

Tayari Jones

Her first novel, Leaving Atlanta, is a coming of age story set during the city's infamous child murders of 1979-81. Jones herself was in the fifth grade when thirty African American children were murdered from the neighborhoods near her home and school. When asked why she chose this subject matter for her first novel, she says, "This novel is my way of documenting a particular moment in history. It is a love letter to my generation and also an effort to remember my own childhood. To remind myself and my readers what it was like to been eleven and at the mercy of the world. And despite the obvious darkness of the time period, I also wanted to remember all that is sweet about girlhood, to recall all the moments that make a person smile and feel optimistic."

Leaving Atlanta received many awards and accolades including the Hurston/Wright Award for Debut Fiction. It was named "Novel of the Year" by Atlanta Magazine, "Best Southern Novel of the Year," by Creative Loafing Atlanta. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Washington Post both listed it as one of the best of 2002. She has received fellowships from organizations including Illinois Arts Council, Bread Loaf Writers Conference, The Corporation of Yaddo, The MacDowell Colony, Arizona Commission on the Arts and Le Chateau de Lavigny.

Her second novel, The Untelling, published in 2005, is the story of a family struggling to overcome the aftermath of a fatal car accident. When asked why she chose to focus on a particular family in this work after the sprawling historical subject matter of Leaving Atlanta, Tayari Jones explains, "The Untelling is a novel about personal history and individual and familial myth-making. These personal stories are what come together to determine the story of a community, the unoffical history of a neighborhood, of a city, of a nation." Upon the publication of The Untelling, Essence magazine called Jones, "a writer to watch." The Atlanta Journal Constitution proclaims Jones to be "one of the best writers of her generation." In 2005, The Southern Regional council and the University of Georgia Libraries awarded The Untelling with the Lillian C. Smith Award for New Voices.

The Silver Girl, her highly anticipated third novel, is forthcoming from Algonquin Books. An excerpt has been published in Calaloo. Tayari Jones debuted the piece as a headline reader at the conference of the Associated Writers Conference in Atlanta.

Tayari Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, The University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. She has taught at Prairie View A&M University, East Tennessee State University, The University of Illinois and George Washington University. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University. She was recently named as the 2008 Collins Fellow by the United States Artists Foundation. She will spend the 2011-12 academic year at Harvard University as a Radcliffe Institute Fellow, researching her fourth novel. http://www.tayarijones.com/books

I’ve heard about Silver Sparrow, but don’t know what it’s about?

With the opening line of Silver Sparrow, “My father, James Witherspoon is a bigamist,” Tayari Jones unveils a breathtaking story about a man’s deception, a family’s complicity, and the teenage girls caught in the middle.

Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon’s families– the public one and the secret one. When the daughters from each family meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows they are sisters It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich and flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, and the destruction, they brought to each other’s lives.

At the heart of it all are the two girls whose lives are at stake, and like the best writers, Jones portrays the fragility of her characters with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women.

Praise for SILVER SPARROW:

“Tayari Jones is fast defining middle-class black Atlanta the way Cheever did Westchester…”
—The Village Voice

"A love story... full of perverse wisdom and proud joy....Jones's skill for wry understatement never
wavers."—O, The Oprah Magazine

“Jones is a master and Silver Sparrow is a revelation, alive with meaning and hope.”
—Jayne Anne Phillips, author of Lark and Termite

“Silver Sparrow is rich, substantive, meaningful. It is also, at turns, funny and sharp, haunting and heartbreaking.”—The Root (The Root )

“Nakedly honest...dazzlingly charged” —Atlanta Journal Constitution (Atlanta Journal Constitution )

What is BlackLit Chat?

It's a stream of tweets about books by Black[including Pan-African, African-American, Brit, Caribbean, Canadian Black, etc.] authors in real time during a specified time. Our time for this chat is Sunday, October 17, 2010 from 7-8 PM EST. Remember it here via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/blacklitchat.

How does it Work? 3 Easy Steps

Get a Twitter account, or login, or remember your Twitter Password.
Join the chat by clicking this link. http://twebevent.com/blacklitchat
Now login with your Twitter Password.
To join the conversation on October 30, please follow #blacklitchat on Twitter for a conversation moderated by me (@BernadetteDavis) and my co-moderator @deegospel. And if you aren't already, follow @tayari

Thriller Thursday: Can a Real Spy Write a Thriller?

2011-10-27T09:43:00.001-04:00

Huffington Post Intelligence and Policy Blogger and Former CIA analyst turned author Alma Katsu answers the question, "Can A Real Spy Write a Spy Thriller?" and shares 3 Things to Consider when Your Day Job is the stuff of Novels today on Thriller Thursdays at The Thrill Begins Blog. Alma will be online throughout the day answering your questions and responding to your comments. Click the link above to be directed to the blog.

FYI: On Thursdays I moderate The Thrill Begins Blog. Please hop over and chat with me and Alma Katsu.

2012 GMA Dove Awards To Return To Atlanta's Fox Theatre

2011-10-26T18:16:00.001-04:00

The 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards will return to the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA for the second year in a row to host the 2012 event. Mitchell Solarek, chairman of the board of The Gospel Music Association (GMA), made the announcement at a Dove Awards kickoff reception hosted by CCM Magazine held earlier this week in Nashville.

The GMA Dove Awards is Gospel music's biggest night of the year, featuring top artists from the many different genres of Gospel and Christian music. The event will be an evening of music and celebration held at the Fox Theatre on Thursday, April 19, 2012, and will be televised nationally on GMC (www.watchgmctv.com) on Sunday, April 22, 2012.

Mitchell Solarek, speaking to record label executives, recording artists and other industry VIPs, said, “Following last year’s outstanding event, we are excited to return to the Fox Theatre for another diverse program showcasing the most talented group of artists from within the Gospel and Contemporary Christian music genres.”

The decision last year to move the industry event to Atlanta marked the first time ever the GMA Dove Awards had been held outside of Nashville in more than four decades. The sold-out show at the Fox Theatre also garnered the highest ratings for the event to date on GMC, with more than 1.5 million viewers tuning in to watch Sherri Shepherd host the broadcast and to see an array of leading artists perform and take home honors at the annual awards show -- including Female Vocalist of the Year Francesca Battistelli, Male Vocalist of the Year Chris August, and stars such as Third Day, Casting Crowns, Natalie Grant, Chris Tomlin, Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp and Kenny Rogers.

“The Fox Theatre is thrilled to host this prestigious national event honoring the top artists in Gospel music again this year,” said Allan C. Vella, General Manager of the Fox Theatre. “Last year’s event sold out quickly, which speaks to the enthusiasm and support of the Atlanta community. The GMA Dove Awards is already becoming a much anticipated event on the Atlanta entertainment calendar and the Fox Theatre is proud to be a part of it.”

In 2012, Dove Awards will be handed out in 43 categories. The Dove Awards nominations go to recordings released during the eligibility year from November 1, 2010 through October 31, 2011 and voted on by the members of the GMA.

Tickets to the 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards will go on sale in early 2012.

D.C. Music Producer Releases ‘Tis the Season’ Christmas Gospel CD and Gives Free Concert

2011-10-26T15:34:00.000-04:00

Deborah E. Bradley releases Christmas CD Tis the Season.

Washington, DC – Fans say that D.C. Gospel Music Producer Deborah E. Bradley combines the spiritual intimacy of Mahalia Jackson with the jazzy gospel infusion of Dottie Peoples in a contemporary and nostalgic way in her Christmas new release, Tis the Season. Enjoy ten tracks of classic Christmas songs and Gospel hymns compromise this fusion of contemporary and nostalgic Christian music perfect for the holiday season.

“TIS THE SEASON reminds us of the greatness of God. There is at least one or two songs that every listener will love dearly and may choose to listen year round, because these are classic Christmas songs. Songs we can hear over and over again,” Bradley states.

Bradley has appeared at Seaton Memorial AME Church of Lanham, MD and Montplier Arts Center in Laurel, MD. As a gift to the community that has supported her, Bradley is offering a free concert to local non-profits, which service the needy during the 2011 holiday season

Visit her at www.deborahedwardsbradley.com to listen to Tis the Season. To book her to appear at your holiday event, contact please complete this form or contact Dee Stewart at DeeGospel PR.

THe Edge of Grace

2011-10-26T00:06:00.001-04:00

Christa Allen’s Excerpt of The Edge of Grace ….

The last two words I said to my brother David that Saturday were "oh" and "no," and not in the same sentence—though they should have been.

On an otherwise ordinary, cartoon-filled morning, my son Ben sat at the kitchen table spiraling a limp bacon slice around his finger. His last ditch effort to forestall doing his chores. I was having a domestic bonding experience with the vacuum cleaner. My last ditch effort to forestall the house being over- taken by microscopic bugs, dead skin, and petrified crumbs. I’d just summoned the courage to attempt a pre-emptive strike on the intruders under the sofa cushions when the phone rang.

I walked into the kitchen, gave Ben the "don’t you dare touch that phone with your greasy bacon hands" stare, and grabbed the handset.

It was David. "I wanted you to hear this from me," he said. An all-too familiar sensation—that breath-sucking, plum- meting roller-coaster feeling—I’m thinking he’s been fired, in a car wreck, diagnosed with cancer, six months to live, but,

no, it wasn’t as simple as that.

He told me he was leaving in a few days for a vacation. With a man. Leaving with a man. Crossing state lines from Louisiana to Mexico to share sun, sand, and sheets with a per- son of the same sex.

My universe shifted.

Click here to http://christaallan.com/writing to lean more about her book.

Spec Fic Spotlight: Mike Duran The Telling

2011-10-12T09:05:00.001-04:00

Mike Duran shares the concept of his new novel, "The Telling" on Youtube. The video is quite nice and the content Mike shares is very intriguing.It is the story of a disfigured reluctant prophet who has to step out of his own way, in order to save the world. Check out and visit his Decompose Site to let him know how you feel about The Telling. He welcomes your feedback. Here’s the link: http://mikeduran.com/2011/10/the-telling-promo-experiment/

Fish Sticker Sighted Scary: Mike Duran on the Exorcism of Emily Rose

Where do you get your stories?

2011-10-10T11:01:00.001-04:00

Where do you get your story ideas? Where do you get your story ideas? Are you a ripped from the headlines type? Do your story ideas actually start with character? Do they reflect your life/interests? Are they more intuitive? AND, how do you know when they’re good? Join us at the Big Thrill for this week's Roundtable Discussion this week and share. I’ll ne sharing how A Good Excuse to Be Bad came to be. http://www.thebigthrill.org/2011/10/coming-october-10-16-where-do-you-get-your-story-ideas/

Fall into Faith, Fun, and Romance with Christian Fiction Author Shana Burton

2011-10-03T13:04:00.001-04:00

Christian Fiction Author Shana Burton featured in October Christian Fiction Online Magazine

Fall is one of my favorite times of year for reading. The summer book best-seller blitz is over. My book tour winds down. My next book isn’t due to my publisher for a few months, so I have time to visit some book festivals and soak myself in a good read.
This year I wanted to read something funny, romantic, and filled with Christian principles. Georgia Book of the Year Nominee and Double Day Book Club Pick Shana Burton’s new book, Catt Chasin’, fit that need. I’ve known Shana for a few years. She is the sweetest person you’d ever meet, and she’s quite shy. This month she opens up about the book, how its message brought her closer to Christ, and why dating coaches and people watching make great fodder for plot points.
Click here to read more http://christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/best_multicultural.html

How to Plot your Novel and Bring Your Character’s to Life Free Online Writing Workshop

2011-10-03T12:59:00.001-04:00

Essence Magazine Bestselling author Shelia Goss and Kensington Books New Suspense Author Miranda Parker team up to host a free online writing workshop for their fans and aspiring writers.

How to Plot Your Novel and Bring Your Character’s to Life Workshop October 20-22, 2011 at http://novelwritingworkshops.blogspot.com/

This three day workshop will include two components:

How to Plot your Novel. Miranda Parker host
- In this workshop you will take your working story idea and build a novel ready plot that can also be used as book proposal synopsis.
- On Day One you will learn the basics and writing techniques to compose a novel plot and will receive a homework assignment to apply these rules to your working story.
- On Day Two you will present your story plot to the other participants in the workshop to be critiqued by Miranda Parker and the group. Miranda will send you revisions and suggestions.
- On Day Three you will submit the final plot.
How to Bring Your Characters to Life. Shelia Goss host.
- In this workshop you will take your main character in your working story and learn techniques to build a publishable character story arc.
- On Day One you will learn how to make your character novel worthy.
- On Day Two you will present your character sketch to other participants in the workshop, to also be critiqued by Shelia Goss and the group. Shelia will send revisions and suggestions.
- On Day Three you will submit your final sketch.

This workshop includes:

a private Facebook group for participants
one on one feedback from both Shelia Goss and Miranda Parker
a private online workshop to protect their work

More about Shelia Goss:

Shelia M. Goss writes in multiple genres. She is the author of the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News and Black Expressions Bestseller My Invisible Husband and Roses are thorns, Violets are true, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum, His Invisible Wife, Hollywood Deception, Delilah, Savannah’s Curse, and Ruthless (Dec. 2011). She’s also the author of the young adult book seriesThe Lip Gloss Chronicles: The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, Paper Thin, Secrets Untold and Secrets Undone (2012).Shelia also writes young adult fiction. Be sure to share the news of her books with a teen in your life. The website is www.thelipglosschronicles.com. The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, Paper Thin, and Secrets Untold are the books in the Lip Gloss Chronicles series.

visit her at www.sheliagoss.com

More about Miranda Parker:

Miranda Parker is the author of A Good Excuse to Be Bad, book 1 in the Angel Crawford Bounty Hunter Series. She has been featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, RT Book Reviews Magazine and Publishers Weekly. She has also made featured author appearances for the 2011 (NBCC) National Book Club Convention, Black Pearl Magazine’s Chocolate Social, The Decatur Book Festival, and the Atlanta Press Club. She is also the Social Media/Marketing Head for the ITW Debut Authors Program and a contributing editor to The Big Thrill. Bestselling Author Reshonda Tate Billingsley states that "Angel is a good girl in a fast paced, kick butt, bad boy chase, sexy thrill-ride. Can’t wait for the next man hunt." She resides with her family in Georgia near a horse ranch and her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop. On a perfect day she can be found curled up with a good book or in a movie theater with a bucket of popcorn. Visit her blog at www.mirandaparker.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/mirandaparkerbooks

Hint: I’m her.

To register for this event, please visit http://goo.gl/m4FIq

Review: Courageous, the movie

2011-10-01T22:02:00.001-04:00

Christian Fiction Blog Reviews Courageous

This summer I saw an early screening of Courageous, the Movie at the 2011 ICRS Convention in Atlanta. The movie released yesterday nationwide. Here's my review.

Synopsis: Courageous is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA. It is the story of law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners. They are confident and focused: they willingly stand up to the worst the world can offer. While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they're quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark. When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God ... and to their children?

Protecting the streets is second nature to these law enforcement officers. Raising their children? That will take courage.

Runtime: PG-13. 2 hours, 4 minutes

Review: This movie’s writing is far better than Fireproof. I loved, loved, loved the scene when Officer Hayes took his daughter to dinner and gave her a promise ring. I loved when Officer Mitchell danced with his daughter. Kudos for those bright moments. However, there were some melodramatic, predictable, and questionable spots that kept it from receiving a 5 star rating from Christian Fiction Blog.

Without sharing much of the plot and the denouement, I want to address my challenge with the constant negative and stereotypical portrayals of people of color in the movie. I’m from South Georgia and have many relatives in Albany, where this movie is set. It would be hard for me to watch this movie with them without cringing. For the record southern af-am gang members aren’t jumped-in like it is portrayed in the movie nor do they wear do-rags and cut off jean shirts. There are many Af-am churches in Albany that could have helped Sherwood on what gang members really look like now. (They could have contacted me, since I was once on a gang prevention task force.)

Moreover, the comic scene whereby the latino friend masqueraded as the stereotypical Tony Montana, greasy Latino Drug Lord was disturbing and not funny. My in-laws are Latina, as well as my child. I’m not in the mood to have a conversation with her about living with a double stereotype , which has been pushed by leaders of our faith. Furthermore, it is more evident after reading the praise of The Help that many of us do not know American Immigration history and how damaging these prejudiced roles are to the psyche of our society.

Although I understand the message this movie wants to get out, I do not understand the need for perpetuating stereotypes in order to do it. It puts people off, which I’m sure wasn’t its desired intent. All men, regardless of race, are challenged by being fathers. Criminal behavior is not regulated just to people of color, and all af-am men who grew up in single parent households aren’t doomed to a life of crime, nor are the ones who aren’t criminal an exception to the rule.

At some point American Protestant Society including CBA and Sherwood has to realize that if they want to evangelize Christ message to everyone, if they want to edify the Body of Christ, if they want to glorify God, they are going to have to see everyone as equal. Casting people of color is a step forward; Casting them to stereotype is two steps back. Otherwise Courageous, is a movie only for white protestant fathers, which I don’t believe- especially after having a chat with director Alex Kendrick.

Sure Tony Dungy praised the film in USA Today. However, he doesn’t speak for me and I’m proof positive he doesn’t speak to the men of color in Albany, Georgia, whom this movie will most assuredly single them out to be bad men.

3 stars.

2011-09-13T06:30:00.000-04:00

Book Blog Swap with Kate Scott of Parchment Girl Blog

Welcome to Day 2 of Book Blogger week. This year Christian Fiction Blog is participating in the BOOK Blog Swap. I received the honor to interview Kate Scott of Parchment Girl Blog. Parchment Girl Blog was created in 2009. Here's the interview:

Who introduced you to book blogging and what about their blog inspired you to create your own?

No one person introduced me to book blogging. Over time I discovered a number of amazing book bloggers and was inspired by their professionalism and passion for books.

Your blog design is gorgeous. How did you decide on the design for your blog?

Thanks! I hired Darcy, the gifted designer behind GraphicallyDesigning.com to create the perfect look for my blog. I gave her my general ideas of what I wanted it to look like and she turned them into a work of art!

Since you became a book blogger, which book has surprised you the most in a good way and why?

The book that has surprised me the most is actually one I read just a few weeks ago--Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand. I'm not a big crime reader (aside from cozy mysteries), but I was super impressed with Bertrand's gritty, realistic style and great character development. Christian fiction has come a long way in terms of quality, but Back on Murder surpassed every expectation I had.

What blog communities do you belong to and why did you choose them?

I belong to the Ning community for book bloggers. I like to interact with other book bloggers in the forum, swap ideas and answer questions. Other than that I'm just a part of the community of Christian book bloggers who interact via Twitter and blog comments.

What do you love most about BBAW?

Discovering new blogs to follow! I'm excited to check out the shortlisted blogs in each category and read some of these interview swaps!

Miranda Parker and The Book Club Network's Book Fun Party Tonight

2011-09-12T09:44:00.002-04:00

Miranda Parker's A Good Excuse to Be Bad included in Book Fun Getaway
Good Monday
If you haven't read my novel, A Good Excuse to Be Bad, tonight you could win a copy and possible a KINDLE!! Today I'm participating in The Book Club Network's Big Book Fun! They will be giving away a KINDLE & my novel Miranda Parker A Good Excuse to Be Bad TONIGHT?? It's Not too late to win these gifts!! Contest Starts at 9p.m. Eastern Standard time! Join and pass this news on today It's Free and we have lots of books to give away www.bookfun.org
Miranda

Decatur Book Festival Sunday Events at Decatur High Stage

2011-09-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

Sunday, September 3rd I will be one of the stage captains for the Decatur Book Festival. I will be working the Decatur High School Performing Arts Center. Here’s the rundown on the events and more about the authors who will be presenting. I hope you come out and join us tomorrow. We have a great line up! I’ll be wearing a gray tee. :)

Decatur High School

12:00-12:45:

Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind featuring Ellen Brown shares the fascinating stories behind Margaret Mitchell's classic and how it became a Hollywood blockbuster. I hope she tells us whether Scarlett won Rhett back.

1:15-2:00:

100 Things Braves Fans Should Know & Do Before They Dief eaturing Jack Wilkinson

Veteran sportswriter Jack Wilkinson[E-6] has collected every essential piece of Braves knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom.

2:30-3:15:

From the Briar Patch to the Big Stage: Adapting Brer Rabbit for Opera featuring Park Cofield, Madeleine St. Romain, Nicole Chamberlain

The Atlanta Opera has commissioned a one-hour children’s opera around the famed tales of Brer Rabbit — popularized by Joel Chandler Harris — for its 2011-2012 season, and at the AJC Decatur Book Festival we will have a special presentation about its development and creation (as well as a sneak peek of some of the songs!).

Madeleine St. Romain, Author

Nicole Chamberlain, Author

Park Cofield, Author

Lain Shakespeare, Moderator

3:45-4:30:

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Taking Your Breath (and Your Blood) Away featuring Tananarive Due, Alma Katsu

Tananarive Due and Alma Katsu discuss their chilling supernatural thrillers and how they came to write terrifying fiction.

5:00-5:45:

What Lies in Shadow featuring Philip Nutman, Christopher Buehlman

Christopher Buehlman and Phillip Nutman discuss their horrifying tales about that which lies in the shadows of the night.

Kensington Books Author Miranda Parker at Decatur Book Festival

2011-09-02T17:11:00.001-04:00

The Decatur Book Festival Is The Largest Independent Book Festival in the Nation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical is an annual, free book festival that takes place over Labor Day weekend in Decatur, Georgia at several venues located in and around the downtown Decatur Square. Conceived in 2005 and launched in 2006, the festival brings more than 300 authors to Decatur for the holiday weekend. The authors give readings, talks, and panel discussions. The event is free and open to the public.
Miranda Parker will discuss how the city of Decatur became a main character in her Angel Crawford Series. She will also reads and sign her novel A Good Excuse to Be Bad, which has just been selected as a top pick by the Atlanta Press Club.
http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2011/authors/detail.php?id=253

Searching for Daylight: Sharon Foster

2011-09-01T12:55:00.001-04:00

Multicultural Fiction

Searching for Daylight: Part II

Sharon Ewell Foster on Witness, Writing, and the Christian Writer’s Journey

Last month, Foster’s highly anticipated new novel released.
The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses (Simon & Schuster) is a story about how Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, aims to clarify the accepted history of Nat Turner’s prosecution. Turner, the Ethiopian turned American slave, is a well-read patriot in slaves’ eyes, but an ornery slave who needs to be put in his place in his mistress’s eyes.

Foster continues her chat with Christian Fiction Online Magazine about this controversial novel, her questions to God about her writer’s journey, and how her readers were her saving grace.

Here’s a sneak of this interview.

What themes in this story are relevant to our current Christian worldview?

I’m always fascinated by how our past speaks to our present.

It is about love.

Slavery, trafficking—no matter what country, race, or age—is very simply our failure to see one another as brothers, to love one another. We can try to intellectualize it, but it is what it is.

It is about the power of truth and the power of lies. Many people, lots of black men, find it hard to love God because of the lies they’ve been told—lies like God doesn’t love them, God meant for them to be slaves, God says people are inferior or superior because of the color of their skin.

In the books, I explore lies that are so ubiquitous that we have come to accept them as truth—even when those lies fly in the face of God’s Word. I explore the power of the truth to overcome even the oldest lie.

Read the rest of this great interview here.

Aaliyah 10 Year Tribute Tonight

2011-08-25T11:18:00.001-04:00

BET announced in a tweet last month that it would host a tribute to Aaliyah tonight. Today is the tenth anniversary of her death. She died in a plane crash in 2001 after leaving a music video shoot in the Bahamas.

On August 25, 2011, it will be ten years since the passing of one of R&B's brightest stars. BET will pay tribute to Aaliyah Dana Haughton with the one-hour special, "Aaliyah: One In A Million" airing on Thursday, August 25 at 8PM. The show takes a look at the life and the short-lived career of Aaliyah with never before seen behind-the-scenes footage and intimate conversations with the family and friends that knew her best. -BET

Personal note: I am still a huge fan of Aaliyah. I miss her talent greatly and will be watching.

How PR Works on Facebook

2011-08-22T10:19:00.001-04:00

This Morning, while responding to a few phone calls, I skimmed through my Facebook stream and got stuck on this.

An picture of the ARC cover for Bernice McFadden’s upcoming title, Gathering of Waters.

McFadden is a gifted storyteller. She writes rings around Kathryn Stockett. The New York Times Book Reviews, Publisher’s Weekly, and National Book Critics Circle agrees.

So when I saw her ARC running through my Facebook Stream I had to grab it.

And then I realized…

THIS IS HOW PR WORKS ON FACEBOOK!!

If you create quality work and befriend gatekeepers like me who can’t keep their mouths shut about great books, then you create preorder buzz about your book.

Hope you’re following us on Facebook

2011 Christian Fiction Authors to Watch and Read

2011-08-17T13:17:00.001-04:00

2011 Christian Fiction Authors to Watch and Read

Catt Chasing 2011 (Urban Christian)
Ever went into a LifeWay or Family Christian Store and saw the same ten authors over and over? I do, I always do. However, I know that there are many more books that never reach the store shelves. And then there are some books you’re not too sure about, because they’re not featured on the 700 Club or recommended by your church librarian. This month I want to spotlight the brightest spots out there and the books you shouldn’t let get away.
Shana Burton ‘s Catt Chasing. Although it’s not listed in Family Fiction (for whatever reason) the novel released in July. It’s in all non Christian bookstores and places where books are sold like: Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Booksamillion. It’s also a Black Expressions Book Club summer pick.
Gina Holmes Dry as Rain.
Vanessa Miller Forsaken
Sharon Ewell Foster
Tosca Lee Forbidden with Ted Dekker
Brandilyn Collins Over the Edge
Booker T. Mattinson Snitch
Steven James The Queen

I would also like to share that Sharon Ewell Foster, the award winning, highly acclaimed, Christy Book Awards Winner has returned with a new novel series( The Resurrection of Nat Turner.) The Witness (Simon & Schuster.)

A Special Thank You to My Friends, The Miranda Parker Collective

2011-08-16T10:03:00.001-04:00

Happy Tuesday! I want to thank all my friends who purchased my first novel, A Good Excuse to Be Bad last month. I'm really honored, especially when there are so many books out by BIG authors and back to school shopping, high gas prices, & other things to do with $14. I hope you enjoyed the book. Please let me know.

Twitter Tuesday: Tina Ansa, Bernadette Davis, and…

2011-08-09T10:05:00.001-04:00

It’s Twitter Tuesday! I recommend three people and you recommend three Twitter people to me. Let’s go!

1. Tina McElroy Ansa

‎"

I hate to give book, movie any more hype, but am stilled distressed by what "Help" says re black women, our voice, our culture, principles." Tina McElroy Ansa http://bit.ly/r7HVpP

Follow @TinaMcElroyAnsa. She is the acclaimed author of 5 novels (Baby of the Family, Ugly Ways, The Hand I Fan With, You Know Better, and Taking After Mudear.) She is also the founder of DownSouth Press and Sea Island Writers Retreats. She supports #blacklitchat, replies to tweets and is very generous to her fans (myself included.)

2. Bernadette A. Davis

I I also recommend you follow Bernadette A. Davis @BernadetteDavis. She is the editor of Black Books Blog and co-produces #blacklitchat with me. (FYI: Carleen Brice is our August guest host.) I consider Bernadette an authority on serious African American Fiction. She's also Blogalicious, another bonus. Follow her at www.twitter.com/bernadettedavis

3. Dee Stewart

: I recommend you follow my handle - @deegospel, because I've been on Twitter for 4 years, since 2007 when it was mostly techies, tech PRs and me. I teach free classes on how to maximize Twitter and I have a list of over 100 bookstores, a list of over 100 libraries, and a three cool Twitter newspapers that are great sources for writers. http://www.twitter.com/deegospel Im the owner of DeeGospel PR, I’ also write as Miranda Parker for Kensington Books, so I know a thing or two about Blacks in Publishing.

Now who you got for me?

Tuesday Book Pick: Kim Cash Tate Cherished

2011-08-02T08:53:00.002-04:00

This Tuesday’s Book Pick is Kim Cash Tate’s Cherished(Thomas Nelson, August 2011)
Kelli London once dreamed of being a songwriter. As crazy as it seemed, she hoped that God would use the lyrics that came to her while she slept. She dreamed about Brian too, that the love that they shared would be a forever kind of love. But choices she'll forever regret upended her hope and turned her dreams to dust. When those dreams come knocking once more, she's forced to deal with the pain of the past.
Heather Anderson's life has spun out of control--first an affair with a married man, then a one-night stand with a drummer of a popular Christian band that left her devastated. Broken and alone, she cried out to the only One who can save her. And He did, but that's just the beginning, because now she must leave behind the only life she has ever known.
Two women with shame-filled pasts form an unlikely friendship. What does God's forgiveness look like for them? Will they ever believe that He loves them...and can still offer them a life where they are cherished?

Monday Moment: Sharon Ewell Foster on Nat Turner

2011-08-01T08:57:00.001-04:00

Christian Fiction Online Magazine: Searching for Daylight: Part I

Sharon Ewell Foster is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. She is the author of Passing by Samaria, the first successful work of Christian fiction by an African American author, and six other works of fiction. Her works regularly receive starred book reviews—which is a rarity among writers—and has won a Christy Award, the Gold Pen Award, Best of Borders, and several reviewers’ choice awards.
Releasing this month is Foster’s highly anticipated new novel, The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses (Simon & Schuster), a story how Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, aims to clarify the accepted history of Nat Turner’s prosecution. Turner, the Ethiopian turned American slave, is a well-read patriot in slaves’ eyes, but an ornery slave who needs to be put in his place in his mistress’s eyes.
Foster chats with Christian Fiction Online Magazine about this controversial novel, her questions to God about her writer’s journey, and how her readers were her saving grace.
Sharon Ewell Foster is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. She is the author of Passing by Samaria, the first successful work of Christian fiction by an African American author, and six other works of fiction. Her works regularly receive starred book reviews—which is a rarity among writers—and has won a Christy Award, the Gold Pen Award, Best of Borders, and several reviewers’ choice awards.
Releasing this month is Foster’s highly anticipated new novel, The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses (Simon & Schuster), a story how Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, aims to clarify the accepted history of Nat Turner’s prosecution. Turner, the Ethiopian turned American slave, is a well-read patriot in slaves’ eyes, but an ornery slave who needs to be put in his place in his mistress’s eyes.
Foster chats with Christian Fiction Online Magazine about this controversial novel, her questions to God about her writer’s journey, and how her readers were her saving grace.

Man Book Prize Long List Announced

2011-07-26T13:57:00.001-04:00

The 13 books on the list include: one former Man Booker Prize winner; two previously shortlisted writers and one longlisted author; four first time novelists and three Canadian writers. The list also includes three new publishers to the prize - Oneworld, Sandstone Press and Seren Books.

The titles were chosen by a panel of five judges chaired by author and former Director-General of MI5, Dame Stella Rimington:

Julian Barnes The Sense of an Ending (Jonathan Cape - Random House)
Sebastian Barry On Canaan's Side (Faber)
Carol Birch Jamrach's Menagerie (Canongate Books)
Patrick deWitt The Sisters Brothers (Granta)
Esi Edugyan Half Blood Blues (Serpent's Tail - Profile)
Yvvette Edwards A Cupboard Full of Coats (Oneworld)
Alan Hollinghurst The Stranger's Child (Picador - Pan Macmillan)
Stephen Kelman Pigeon English (Bloomsbury)
Patrick McGuinness The Last Hundred Days (Seren Books)
A.D. Miller Snowdrops (Atlantic)
Alison Pick Far to Go (Headline Review)
Jane Rogers The Testament of Jessie Lamb (Sandstone Press)
D.J. Taylor Derby Day (Chatto & Windus - Random House)

I’m excited that Esi Edugyan’s Half Blood Blues was longlisted. It's the story of AfroGermans presence in the 1930s (Nazi Germany.)

“Berlin, 1939. A young, brilliant trumpet-player, Hieronymus, is arrested in a Paris cafe. The star musician was never heard from again. He was twenty years old. He was a German citizen. And he was black.

Fifty years later, Sidney Griffiths, the only witness that day, still refuses to speak of what he saw. When Chip Jones, his friend and fellow band member, comes to visit, recounting the discovery of a strange letter, Sid begins a slow journey towards redemption.

From the smoky bars of pre-war Berlin to the salons of Paris, Sid leads the reader through a fascinating, little-known world, and into the heart of his own guilty conscience.

Half-Blood Blues is an electric, heart-breaking story about music, race, love and loyalty, and the sacrifices we ask of ourselves, and demand of others, in the name of art.”

Read more about it here at http://www.esiedugyan.com/half-blood-blues.html

Save the Date: LitChat Alter Egos & Miranda Parker This Friday

2011-07-26T13:51:00.001-04:00

Samuel Clemons had Mark Twain. Charles Dodson had Lewis Carroll. The Bronte sisters had the Bells. Pseudonymns. For reasons public and private, long-speculated and tossed glibly in gossip, these and thousands of other authors through the years chose to publish their writing under different names. The reasons they chose pen names are many, varied from author to author and era to era. This week in #litchat we’ll discuss authors writing under pseudonyms.

On Friday, Litchat will chat with me about my choice to use a pen name and if the alter ego is a good excuse to be bad. Click here to get the deets on the chat, so you can join us.

Spring for Susannah Reviewed

2011-07-21T11:00:00.001-04:00

Catherine Richmond’s Spring for Susannah

Synopsis:

With no prospects for marriage and her parents recently deceased, Susannah agrees to go west to the Dakota territory to marry her minister's homesteading brother, Jesse Mason. But Susannah is painfully shy, doesn't see herself as worthy of love from either a husband or from God, and lives in constant fear that Jesse is going to ship her back to Detroit.

In spite of her petite size and the fact that Susannah doesn't look like she could survive on the prairie, Jesse quickly discovers that his new wife is a greater blessing than he even hoped for. The years she spent as her father's veterinary assistant allow her to save Jesse's ox and twin calves and to help neighboring farmers with their animals.

But Susannah's feelings of unworthiness are deeply rooted, and she can't believe that Jesse's praise-or the tenderness and love he shows-could possibly last. The thawing of her heart seems almost as distant as Spring in the midst of the winter blanketing the Dakota prairie.

My Review:

1. Character: Jesse was charming from the first moment he met Susannah. I enjoyed his character a great deal. Susannah, albeit living in this story centuries before me, is very relevant to women like me. Her self condemnation, feelings of inadequacies, not seeing her value… that’s what makes this story compelling for an African American woman living in Atlanta (me.)

2. Plot: This story has a clear beginning, middle, and end. No surprises.

3. Style/Tone: Richmond has an elegance to her storytelling that I admire. It fit very well with a historical romance set in the Dakotas.

4. Setting/Theme: I enjoyed learning about Dakota Territory, particularly Oriska, North Dakota when it was a part of Fourth Siding. One of my challenges with modern women’s historical fiction is the notion that revising history for the sake of not dealing with the hard stuff works or keeps it pretty for women readers to digest. Revisionist history in works like Cold Mountain, The Help unnecessarily glosses over important issues that would make the story even more compelling. In this case Richmond, did the opposite and I applaud her for that.It was a perfect balance of grounding us into a realist backdrop of the time of Custer, the Maldan Indians, Reconstruction, and the expansion of the western territory.

5. Voice/Orthodoxy: The Christian Worldview doesn’t overwhelm or plod the plot. There is a very good balance of storytelling and spiritual takeaway.

Spring of Susannah was pitch perfect and hit every point I look for in a novel. Kudos! 5 Stars

2011 ACFW Carol Awards Finalists Announced

2011-07-16T13:21:00.001-04:00

Last week at ICRS the ACFW held a press conference to announce the 2011 Carol Awards Finalists:

Debut Novel:
The Preacher’s Bride by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House - Dave Long/Sharon Asmus, Editors)
Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale Publishers - Kathryn Olson, Editor)
Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing - Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)

Long Contemporary:
The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)
Red Ink by Kathi Macias (New Hope Publishers - Randy Bishop, Editor)
Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate (Bethany House - Dave Long, Editor)

Long Contemporary Romance:
Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge (Harvest House - Kim Moore, Editor)
Anna’s Return by Marta Perry (Berkley - Ellen Edwards, Editor)
Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson - Natalie Hanemann, Editor)

Long Historical:
Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs (Waterbrook Press - Laura Barker, Editor)
Petra: City in Stone by T.L. Higley (B&H Publishing - Karen Ball, Editor)
Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren (Summerside Press – Susan Downs, Editor)

Long Historical Romance:
The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy (Barbour - Rebecca Germany, Editor)
Love Finds You In Homestead, Iowa by Melanie Dobson (Summerside - Rachel Meisel/Connie Troyer, Editors)
Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)

Mystery:
Mirrored Image by Alice K. Arenz (Sheaf House - Joan M. Shoup, Editor)
Muslin Mystery by Vera Dodge (Guideposts - Beth Adams, Editor)
The Camera Never Lies by Elizabeth Goddard (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Novellas:
The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)
Ride With Me Into Christmas by Rachael Phillips (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)
A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Romantic Suspense:
The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson (Summerside Press - Rachel Meisel/Susan Downs, Editors)
Don’t Look Back by Lynette Eason (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)
Pursuit of Justice by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale Publishers - Karen Watson, Editor)

Short Contemporary:
The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight (Love Inspired - Allison Lyons)
A Father for Zach by Irene Hannon (Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich, Editor)
Winter’s End by Ruth Logan Herne (Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich, Editor)

Short Contemporary Suspense:
Night Prey by Sharon Dunn (Love Inspired Suspense - Emily Rodmell, Editor)
Legacy of Lies by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (Love Inspired Suspense - Emily Rodmell, Editor)
Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley (Love Inspired Suspense - Tina James, Editor)

Short Historical:
Her Healing Ways by Lyn Cote (Love Inspired Historical - Tina James, Editor)
Promise of Tomorrow by S. Dionne Moore (Barbour - JoAnne Simmons, Editor)
The Columns of Cottonwood by Sandra Robbins (Barbour - JoAnne Simmons, Editor)

Speculative Fiction:
The Wolf of Tebron by C. S. Lakin (AMG Publishers - Rick Steele, Editor)
Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing - Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)
König’s Fire by Marc Schooley (Marcher Lord Press – Jeff Gerke, Editor)

Suspense/Thriller:
Predator by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan - Sue Brower/Dave Lambert, Editors)
Fear No Evil by Robin Caroll (B&H Publishing – Karen Ball, Editor)
Medical Error by Richard L. Mabry (Abingdon Press – Barbara Scott, Editor)

Women’s Fiction:
Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett (Tyndale Publishers - Jan Stob/Lorie Popp, Editors)
They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon – Barbara Scott, Editor)
Beyond Summer by Lisa Wingate (NAL - Ellen Edwards, Editor)

Young Adult:
Anything But Normal by Melody Carlson (Revell - Lonnie Hull Dupont, Editor)
The Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (Zonderkidz - Jacque Alberta, Editor)
Katy’s New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Zonderkidz - Jacque Alberta, Editor)

Receive a Free Review Copy of Shana Burton’s Catt Chasin

2011-07-14T13:39:00.001-04:00

African American Christian Fiction

DeeGospel PR is seeking book bloggers and book reviewers to participate in the 2011 Online Blog Tour for Shana Burton’s Catt Chasin. To participate please read below and complete the form, we will send you details on how the tour will run and how to get a book to you for review.
Catt Chasin Synopsis:
Jamal Ford has narrowed his love life down to a science through the creation of his 30-Day Dating Plan, a guide intended to weed out the drama queens, gold-diggers, and baby mamas from his ideal: a part goddess, part sex kitten, and part Stepford Wife mate. The shallow, fun-loving 33-year-old knows he’s one of Charlotte, North Carolina’s most eligible bachelors, and he won’t settle for anything less than the trophy wife of his dreams.
Catherine “Catt” Cason has never let anything slow her down. The brilliant chemist takes being labeled “the cute fat girl” in stride as she fast-tracks her way to a top position with her cosmetic company, Telegenic. While she would enjoy the love of a good man, Catt refuses to risk heartbreak again just to have a warm body at her side. Besides, why settle for the love of an earthly man when she is the fiancée of Christ?
When Jamal is paired with Catt to launch a new product for work, it’s loathe at first sight. She thinks he’s arrogant and incompetent; he thinks she’s a sanctimonious kill-joy. However, what each believes they want may not be what God knows they need. In this game of love, rules don’t exist, and no heart is safe. The Lord is speaking, but will they be too caught up in their own agendas to listen?

2011 Christys Award Winners Announced

2011-07-12T01:48:00.001-04:00

The 2011 Christy Awards presentation was held Monday evening, July, 11, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta during the International Christian Retail Show. The banquet featured a keynote address by celebrated screenwriter and director Randall Wallace and was emceed by New York Times best-selling and Christy Award-winning author, Liz Curtis Higgs.

Congrats to the 2011 Christy Awards.

Contemporary Romance

Sworn to Protect

by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale House Publishers)

Contemporary Series

The Reluctant Prophet

by Nancy Rue (David C. Cook)

Contemporary Standalone

Almost Heaven

by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)

First Novel

Heartless

by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Historical

While We’re Far Apart

by Lynn Austin (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Historical Romance

The Girl in the Gatehouse

by Julie Klassen (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Suspense

The Bishop

by Steven James (Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Visionary

To Darkness Fled

by Jill Williamson (Marcher Lord Press)

Young Adult

Motorcycles, Sushi, and
One Strange Book

by Nancy Rue (Zondervan)

Christian Fiction: My Writing Journey

2011-07-11T17:03:00.001-04:00

‎"...my boss assigned me to interview a new pastor in town. He was a local loadie, bad boy turned good, who now had returned to his hometown to fulfill God’s vision for his people and make a better name for himself ... I was intrigued until my boss told me my subject’s name. You guessed it: my old crush who dropped me like a hot potato because I was too holy-fide to be a high school hoochie."http://bit.ly/dd2xea

A Good Excuse to hang with Miranda Parker this Independence Day

2011-07-04T22:42:00.001-04:00

Happy Independence Day!

Today is also the launch of my online blog tour for Miranda Parker’s A Good Excuse to Be Bad! To keep you in the holiday spirit, I began the tour with my favorite National Anthem tributes at The Master’s Artist Blog.

Then hop over to Rhonda McKnight’s Urban Christian Fiction Today as I share something interesting about some of the difficult scenes I had to write.

At All the Buzz Reviews I share some of the jobs I had before I became Miranda Parker. You would be surprised at what popular things I was a part of. I still pinch myself.

The Big Thrill Newsletter spotlights me as a debut author here. Some of my author friends share nice things about A Good Excuse to Be Bad.

And then I share my writing journey on Christian Fiction Online Magazine. Click here or click the pic.

After you’ve checked in, you can chat with me live on www.Facebook.com/mirandaparkerbooks or at www.mirandaparker.com

Keep checking this week to chat with me. I have some Goodies to sprinkle on some of the participants. Thank you so much in sharing this journey with me. Click the link below to see this summer’s online tour schedule. If you would like to be a part of it, visit me at www.mirandaparker.com.

http://www.tywebbin.com/blog-tours/2011/04/a-good-excuse-to-be-bad-blog-tour-july-4-8-2011/

I will also be chatting with you on GoodReads all summer about A Good Excuse to Be Bad one chapter at a time. You’re invited to join us! Click here.

And don’t forget my A Good Excuse to Drive Fast Miranda Parker 2011 Road Tour. This weekend we were in Valdosta, Georgia. We sold all the books in town and some. This weekend we will be in Atlanta for my Book Release Party hosted by Barnes & Noble. Free and open to the public. Food. Summer Refreshments. Book Fun and Me. Click the pic or link to join us. If you would like me to come to your town message me.

*The pic of Clothespin Betsy Ross is adorable. Click the link to purchase your own.

A Good Excuse To Be Bad Book Trailer

2011-06-24T01:17:00.001-04:00

In four days my novel A Good Excuse To Be Bad releases. I’m excited. Check out the trailer for a teaser of the series.

New Devils and The Next Level

2011-06-20T11:57:00.001-04:00

New Devils and The Next Level

“Show us the father and we will be satisfied.”John 14:8-14

As I grow closer to my novel’s book release, I stumble over more stumbling blocks, hit road blocks,detours, disappointments and, yet through it all, discover new great things about God. These things give me solace, because when you’re this close to experiencing a personal dream come true life gets pretty weird.

Continue reading "New Devils and The Next Level" »

Red Beach Bag Books: The Lightkeeper’s Ball

2011-06-15T14:16:00.001-04:00

“The New York brownstone was just half a block down from the Astor mansion on Fifth Avenue, the most prestigious address in the country. The carriage, monogrammed with the Stewart emblem, rattled through the iron gates and came to a halt in front of the ornate doors.”

I like when I read the first lines of a fresh novel and it pulls me in as if I’m the character. Colleen Coble does a great job of transporting you into her character’s world. If you’re into elegance, romance, regencies, and a story written with a Christian worldview then this book is for you.

So to kick off my Red Beach Bag Summer Books Spotlight I introduce you to The Lightkeeper’s Ball. (The bag is a Carolina Herrara.)

Synopsis: Olivia seems to have it all, but her heart yearns for more.

Olivia Stewart's family is one of the Four Hundred-the highest echelon of society in 1910. When her sister dies under mysterious circumstances, Olivia leaves their New York City home for Mercy Falls, California, to determine what befell Eleanor. She suspects Harrison Bennett, the man Eleanor planned to marry. But the more Olivia gets to know him, the more she doubts his guilt-and the more she is drawn to him herself.

When several attempts are made on her life, Olivia turns to Harrison for help. He takes her on a ride in his aeroplane, but then crashes, and they're forced to spend two days alone together. With her reputation hanging by a thread, Harrison offers to marry her to make the situation right. As a charity ball to rebuild the Mercy Falls lighthouse draws near, she realizes she wants more than a sham engagement-she wants Harrison in her life forever. But her enemy plans to shatter the happiness she is ready to grasp. If Olivia dares to drop her masquerade, she just might see the path to true happiness.

A Sweet Incentive & Book Hug

2011-06-13T15:39:00.001-04:00

This month is a busy one for me, because A Good Excuse to Be Bad releases. I had this great idea to pos every day leading up to the book launch. But then I thought to myself, would it be too much? Would you be sick of my by the time the book releases? Because who can take that much self promotion.

So I decided to do something else. I wanted to countdown my book release thanking the people who helped me get published. Therefore, for the next fifteen days I will be breaking down my acknowledgments page with you.

I think this is much better than me talking about myself. Most importantly, I think it’s important to know what goes on behind the scenes for a published author. What does it really take to create one of these books.

Tomorrow we will begin and I hope you join me. To make this journey a sweet incentive, I will be giving away a box of one of my chocolate guilty pleasures to the best lurker of my email.

You don’t have to miss a beat by subscribing to my blog or subscribing to my Facebook Fan Page. Click the blue to get connected.

Thanks so much for being a part of this journey with me.

Miranda P

Seven Authors on Faith, Fiction, and Summer Retreats

2011-06-08T08:59:00.001-04:00

Seven authors participating in the 5th Annual Faith and Fiction Retreat are featured in the June issue of Christian Fiction Online Magazine. Click here to read more.

10 Things to Do the Month Before your Book Releases

2011-06-08T00:04:00.001-04:00

My novel, A Good Excuse to Be Bad has its national release June 28, 2011. When I noticed how I close I was to the book launch date I realized that although I have had the busiest, most trying, family in crisis year than I’ve ever had still needed to apply the action items I often encourage my clients and my Dee Goody Mail members. So as a reminder to myself and to up my accountability, I am sharing my checklist here.

Continue reading "10 Things to Do the Month Before Your Book Releases" »

6 Reasons Atlanta Made Amazon.com Top 20 Most Well Read Cities in America List

2011-06-07T23:57:00.001-04:00

Amazon.com announced its list of the Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities in America. Atlanta placed 20.

Why did Atlanta make the list?

1. Vibrant Book Club Culture

Atlanta has a vibrant reading culture. In every county you can find bookclubs meeting in libraries, coffee shops, winebars and hosting their own events. RAWSISTAZ Book Club has its annual RAW Affair in September, the National Book Club Conference meets here every year in July, and many more.

2. Book Events Galore!

a. The AJC Decatur Book Festival is the largest independent book festival in the country. Last year some of the most popular authors in the country were there like Jonathan Franzen and Emily Giffin. (Shameless plug. You can meet me[Miranda Parker] there this year. The DBF doesn’t just work the 3 day Book Festival it hosts year round literary events. This month they hosted a dinner with NYT Bestseller Kim Severson.

b. The Georgia Center of the Book is the state affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Dekalb County Library is its host and sponsor. It funds some of the best literary events in the city. June is going to be an incredible month with Tayari Jones and Mary Doria Russell visiting.

3. Reading and Reader Hot Spots.

I’ve spent many date nights at Barnes & Noble Peachtree Starbucks. The Grounds Coffeehouse is a nice place to listen to author readings. The now gone Vino Libro (Wines and Books) was a great hot spot for readers and wine connoisseurs. There are also nice spots for poetry reading and spoken word artists like Hank Stewart’s White Linen Affair.

4. Popular Authors in Resident

Emily Giffin
Pearl Cleage
Kathryn Stockett
Joshilyn Jackson
W. Dale Cramer
Natasha Trethewey
Karen White
Karin Slaughter
Jelani Cobb

5. Independent Bookstore Haven

Atlanta also houses nationally recognized independent bookstores like:

Foxtale Bookshoppe
Blue Elephant
Outwrite
Charis
Medu
Little Shop of Horrors
Eagle Eye
Acapella,
to name a few

6. Strong Reading Initiatives

a. Atlanta’s R.E.A.L. Men Read is a great organization and mentoring program for Atlanta Public Schools

b. Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta is an organization that assists with adults with learning to read.

I’m sure other cities have a great reading culture. These are just my reasons why Atlanta made the list. What should I add?

10 Things to Do the Month Before Your Book Releases

2011-06-06T14:10:00.001-04:00

Relax. (you don’t have to do anything us, but enjoy it all. so chill)
To enjoy this time throw a party.
Now promote that party in every free outlet you can find.
Get some door prizes for the party.
Promote the biggest door prize on your site and every where you can near the venue two weeks before the event.
Book a second event, because this party will be so cool. Your buddies will not want it to end, so have another place for them to meetup and provide an invite at this party.
Invite people who matter to you and gift them for being such a great help.
Prepare what you will read. Practice it.
Pay for an ad in your local paper or local email blast.
Prep the venue staff for your party. Early visit. Take your book. See who will be working for you. Give them a phone script in case someone calls wondering are you actually there.

Bonus. Have Fun. If no one else have fun, you better! LOL

One more thing. Today is the last day to enter to win a free autographed copy of A Good Excuse to Be Bad. Click the Good Reads pic or the link above to enter.

Dee Stewart is an inspirational book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, contributing writer to Hope for Women Magazine, staff columnist for Christian Fiction Online Magazine, owner of Christian Fiction Blog and DeeGospel PR, an entertainment PR boutique. She is alsoMiranda Parker, novelist for Kensington Publishers Dafina Books. Her debut novel “A Good Excuse to be Bad” releases July 2011

Women Soldiers Memorial Day Tribute

2011-05-30T06:04:00.000-04:00

This weekend a friend shared a link with me that honored Af-Am Women Soldiers who had fallen during their tours in Afghanistan or Iraq. It made me pause. Many of them were mothers. They are all someone’s child. As we celebrate this weekend, please carry them and their families in your heart.

Here’s the link:

If you would like for us to pay tribute to a fallen loved one, please leave their name in the comments.

Christian Fiction

2012 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting Competition

2012 Youth Media Awards and Kadir Nelson

Firethorn, Discarded Heroes #4, by Ronie Kendig

At home and abroad,

Those who have gone before

and those serving today—

THANK YOU!

Because of you, we are FREE!

OTHER BOOKS BY RONIE KENDIG

Nightshade (Discarded Heroes #1)

Digitalis (Discarded Heroes #2)

Wolfsbane (Discarded Heroes #3)

© 2011 by Ronie Kendig

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

For more information about Ronie Kendig, please access the author’s Web site at the following Internet address: www.roniekendig.com

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, OH 44683,

Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

Printed in the United States of America.

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I hate to give book, movie any more hype, but am stilled distressed by what "Help" says re black women, our voice, our culture, principles." Tina McElroy Ansa http://bit.ly/r7HVpP