Date Correction: Wear Red & Read Dessert Feb. 20, 2009

Barnes & Noble Booksellers & Atlanta Christian author, Dwan Abrams is hosting our first annual:
Wear Red and Read Dessert
February 20. 2009
6:30 -8:30 pm

Atlanta localebrities set to perform:

• Passion Poet & Author, Hank Stewart
• and CCM musical artist B. David(Destiny Praise)
  

Dwan will read an excerpt from her novel, Married Strangers

Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory & Starbucks Coffee will be on hand

Sales proceeds in the store and the Starbucks cafe during the benefit will go to the American Heart Associations Go Red Campaign.

To learn more about Go Red or to RSVP to this event, click here. (The first 2o RSVPs will receive a free gift.)

Atlanta's Wear Red & Read Dessert

Barnes & Noble Booksellers & Atlanta Christian author, Dwan Abrams is hosting our first annual:
Wear Red and Read Dessert
February 20. 2009
6:30 -8:30 pm

Atlanta localebrities set to perform:

• Passion Poet & Author, Hank Stewart
• and CCM musical artist B. David(Destiny Praise)
  

Dwan will read an excerpt from her novel, Married Strangers

Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory & Starbucks Coffee will be on hand

Sales proceeds in the store and the Starbucks cafe during the benefit will go to the American Heart Associations Go Red Campaign.

To learn more about Go Red or to RSVP to this event, click here. (The first 2o RSVPs will receive a free gift.)

I found a love note from God: The Color Purple

Happy Lover's Weekend. Yesterday I missed my chance to participate in Faith' n Fiction Saturdays. But I loved the question so much I thought I would respond and ask you to participate with me as well. So there's the question:

Besides the Bible, have you ever read a book that taught you, reminded you, or encouraged you about God's love for you in a new or deep way? It can be fiction or non-fiction.

When I was thirteen I was introduced to Alice Walker's A Color Purple. This novel is the story of a southern woman named Celie, who wrote letters to God to survive years of abuse, tragedy and lack of sense of self. One of my favorite lines in the novel is:

I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it.

This line was like a lightbulb moment for me. I never wondered how God felt about things. I was always concerned about what God didn't do for me. But what about what I didn't do for Him? I also thought about all the great things God made just for me to relish like the smell of magnolias or the way a boy's dimple made me giggle, these things that only God knows that makes me happy. I begin to feel like God wanted me and for a little girl, it is a good thing to know.

In what books have you found a love note from God?

Karen Kingsbury This Side of Heaven, Excerpt

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:

Karen Kingsbury

and the book:

This Side of Heaven

Center Street (January 6, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's #1 inspirational novelist. She's written more than thirty novels, ten of which have hit #1 on bestseller lists, and her Center Street novel Just Beyond the Clouds hit #13 on the New York Times bestseller list. There are nearly seven million copies of her award-winning books in print, including more than two million copies sold last year alone. She lives in Washington state with her husband, Don, and their six children, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Center Street (January 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599956780
ISBN-13: 978-1599956787

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Christian Fiction News: 2008 Christian Book Sales Rise & Fall

Are Christian Books Selling?
During December, bookstore sales fell 4.7% to $2.051 billion--down for the fourth month in a row--according to preliminary estimates from the Census Bureau. In November, bookstore sales fell 13% compared to the same period a year earlier...Religious books rose 3.5% to $49.3 million (down 7.6% for the year). Source: Shelf Awareness Question: How many Christian books in the religion character make up this number?

Christian Book Expo
I read through all the workshops and panel discussions, but didn't see one panel or workshop that spoke to me. Your Thoughts.

5 Ways to Support your Favorite Author for Free

We're in a money crunch, but we love books, and if you're an avid reader like me you find yourself buying books despite your budget. For instance, in thirty minutes I'm heading to my daughter's school book fair to what? by some books.

But do you know there are some very cheap things you can do to support author...for free? Aw, yeah, baby:

1. Call your local bookstore and pre-order the book. What this does is ensures that your author's book will be sitting in the store for you to buy when your payroll check clears and it also alerts the store that your author is worthy of shelf space. And bonus, you are giving your local bookstore some love. They love to know that all bookbuyers aren't just using Amazon.
   
2. take a pic of you and your favorite book in the bookstore and then email it to your friends with the bookstore, Walmart, whatev location or send it on twitpic or facebook. You become a viral marketer for your fave author. If you do this, let me know.
3. Ask you local library to stock the title. Libraries want to be sure that they are housing titles that is relevant to their community. If you can't afford to purchase, know that your local public library can.
   
4. Host a school book fair through Barnes & Noble as a PTA fundraiser. If you are a member of the National PTA, you can chair the Media Services division. National PTA loves great fundraising ideas. For free you can build a school book fundraiser through your local Barnes & Noble. Ask that they stock your favorite author as an adult title for parents.
   
5. Become a blog book reviewer. You can review books for free, if you own a book blog, which is also free. Publishing houses and publicists like myself will send you your fave author book in exchange for a review.

Hope this helps. Now do you want to help me out? Email this post to your reading friends, Digg this article, share it on Facebook or Retweet it on Twitter. Then come back here and give me the link. I have a gift for you.

Win a Box of Sees Candies for Valentine's Day: Christian Fiction Blog

Laying Your Burdens Down

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with your circumstances, you can't even fathom trying to praise the Lord? Your circumstances are in your face and that seed of doubt and despair has taken root in your heart. But at some point, the burdens are just too much to bear. Today, continue to listen to Denise' story.

ONLY IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE PLAYER, USE THE DOWNLOAD LINK BELOW

Click here to listen to audio excerpt ...

Are you burdened today? In 1 Peter 5:7, it says to "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." How will Denise continue to try to hold it together - all in the pursuit of protecting her husband's image? We hope you will purchase Illusions to learn more about Denise' story. Leave your comments below and let us know your thoughts.

THIS WEEK: Celebrate Wanda's birthday & Valentine's Day

This week's winner will receive A Box of Sees Candies and a coupon for a FREE print design (choose a bookmark, postcard or business card) courtesy of Tywebbin Creations. Winner are responsible for printing.

Check Wanda B. Campbell's blog for the winners.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After three years of marriage, Denise Hightower discovers that her husband, Pastor Bryce Hightower, has a secret addiction that not only jeopardizes his marriage, but impairs his ability to effectively preach the gospel.

Yielding to pressure from her mother and her husband, Denise agrees to keep his addiction a secret, although her self-esteem plummets. Her life as the perfect First Lady is falling apart at the seams. Denise suffers in silence until she is confronted with the addiction from a trusted member of the church.

Self-centered and determined to uphold his pastoral image, Bryce is oblivious to his wife's emotional state. He's convinced that he can overcome his "little problem" on his own, so he rejects the spiritual help God sends him. But when his secret is discovered, will he be able to come clean with himself, God, and his congregation before he loses it all?

For more information about Wanda, visit her at wandabcampbell.net.