THE DIGITAL STORY OF THE NATIVITY

10 Fab Glam Christmas Gifts for the Women Writer & a Steampunk Ring

One of my favorite things of the Holiday Season is to create my own Christmas Wish List for Writers.  It gives me a chance to browse glamorous stores I wouldn’t normally shop, to dream big, and to have some adult fun. This list is for the penny pincher who needs a good reason to spend those pennies. So here’s my top ten Fab Glam Christmas Wish List for Women Writers like me. And if you are privy to these kinds of dollars then sure I will take the gift.

*Note: I have no affiliate or ad relationship with these companies. I simple heart them right now.

1. Jorg Gray Swarovski Crystal Ballpoint Pen (photo above) $298

This may be the thing to help some of us get off Facebook and complete our first drafts. Look at it. It’s glorious. Click here to buy

2. Reed Krakoff  Utility Messenger Bag Reg. $1390 on Sale $834

So could you imagine carrying your prized manuscript in this baby? I see Book 2 in there all cozy. Order here

3. Hello Kitty Nerd IPad Case, $45.

Okay. I want an iPad, but I’m waiting for some more added features. However, this Nerdlicious iPad case makes the wait even harder. I think I may get the case now still… Get it here

Note all these items can be shipped in 3-5 days, still time for Christmas at my home. Just saying…

4. Hello Kitty Quilted Patent Rolling Suitcase

What Luxe Writer Woman wouldn’t be traveling with this beauty. OMGingersnaps! May put a tip jar for this one. (Wink, wink) Order here.

5. Mont Blanc Virginia Woolf, The Writer’s Edition Pen,  $749

Virginia Woolf is considered to be one of the first representatives of classical modernism. She developed the story-telling technique of the “interior monologue”, which she used most consistently in her novel “The Waves”, which appeared in 1931. Virginia Woolf shaped this avant-garde technique with an expressly feminine subjectivity and autobiographical elements to create milestones in feminist literature such as “Orlando” or  “Mrs Dalloway. Get it here.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Kate Spade Book Clutch (various) $325

I can’t get enough of book clutches. Saw a tutorial on how to make one. Too cute for words. Get it here.

7. Campo Marzio Computer Bags and Writing Essentials, $210.

The popsicle colors help me to dream big about these writing goodies. Founded in 1939, Campo Marzio is the leading fashion business accessory company in the world. This year it has made it to America. You now know why. Join the movement here.

8. No. 4 Odell 2 Antique Typewriter, Bid starts $192

Before Qwerty keyboard layout typewriters there were the uniqueness of Art Nouveau like this Odell 2. Great for a Steampunk author Bid for it on Ebay here.

9.Roma Lusaa Journal at Kate’s Paperie, $84

Italian leather journal. Marbelized edges. Made by hand in Florence, Italy. 175 pages of handcraft, hand sewn, luxury. This is the kind of journal that make you think twice about padding a novel with crap. Just beautiful.

10. The Vintage Book of American Women Writers, $18.95

The Vintage Book of American Women Writers is the first of its kind: a dazzling, monumental showcase of 350 years of poetry and fiction by American women.
If you’re a women writer, I suggest you learn your history. The gift of knowledge is priceless. Preorder it here. The book doesn’t release until January 2011.

 

 

And the SteamPunk Ring…

Steampunk Watch Movement Fully Adjustable Ring With Flower Bead And Swarovski Crystal (Steampunk Jewelry by Steam Designs), $50

I wouldn’t call this luxe, because of the price point. But it’s luxe because of the craftsmanship and fabulous because it just is. Steampunk is making a comeback in American lit communities. Thus, the reprise of intricate watches, rings, and just brain brilliance. I love it!! Get it here.

Hope you enjoyed these items. If you purchase any thing here, please let me know. I know i will be getting the Vintage Book of AAW and possible this ring for my Bday in February.

A Prayer Request for My Mom and My Freedom

 

Tomorrow morning I escort my mom to surgery, a surgery that can save her life and my sanity. She has an early stage of cancer, not a popular kind, but one that can be treated if detected early with surgery and if need be some radiation. The latter is what has kept me up at night.

I think she needs the radiation to be on the safe side and she thinks that God will remove all of it, even the cells her doctor can’t see. Her doctor shares my concern. Well, he at least want her to have an oncologist consult after the surgery. I’m praying that this surgery is successful and that the oncologist confirms my mom’s beliefs and to stop me from always considering the last case scenario. Always finding the worst possible thing that could happen and instead live free and filled with faith and peace no matter what happens in life.

Continue reading "A Prayer Request for My Mom and My Freedom" »

2 Peal Harbor Tribute Book Picks

Today December 7, 1941 Peal Harbor was attacked. U.S. Newspapers reported and tried to make since of what happened.
The New York Times – Dec. 8, 1941:
The crash of exploding bombs in the Hawaiian Islands, Guam and possibly the Philippines, the roar of anti-aircraft guns and the twisted, flaming skeletons of wrecked planes heralded the war of the Pacific, with the principal antagonists the United States and Japan – a war that has been long brewing, a conflict often predicted but previously avoided. But the Japanese aggression yesterday did more than start a Pacific war. It broadened the conflicts already raging into a world-wide struggle whose end no man can know.
Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/12/07/extra-extra-how-did-journalists-cover-pearl-harbor-the-day-after/#ixzz17S4rTaC7
Almost seventy years later we still tell the story. Today Christian Fiction Blog spotlight’s two 2010 Christian Fiction Novels set around WWII and the characters respond to that attack

 

Sarah Sundin’s A Distant Melody

 Distant Melody, A: A Novel (Wings of Glory)
Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval--even marry a man she doesn't love. Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together.
But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?A Distant Melody is the first book in the Wings of Glory series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.



 

Tricia Goyer and Ocienna Fleiss Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington

 Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington

The Second World War has stolen Rosalie's fiance from her. But rather than wallow, Rosalie throws herself into her work at the Boeing plant in Victory Heights, shooting rivets into the B-17 bombers that will destroy the enemy. A local reporter dubs her Seattle's Own Rosie the Riveter, and her story lends inspiration to women across the country. While Rosalie's strong arms can bear the weight of this new responsibility, her heart cannot handle the intense feelings that begin to surface for Kenny, the handsome reporter. Fear of a second heartbreak is a powerful opponent - but will it claim victory over love



Doris Miller Navy

Related articles

• DECEMBER 7, 1941 - PEARL HARBOR, Pt. 2/3 (RE-POST) (pumabydesign001.wordpress.com)
• Remembering Pearl Harbor: 69 Years (hotair.com)

Two Challenges with Af-Am Christian Fiction

My Two Cents Monday

 

What do you think are the best-selling trends in African American literature both fiction and nonfiction, especially, but not limited to, those with Christian themes? Then, what are the best ways for publishers to market those titles to African Americans? What publishers are doing it well?

-Jevon Bolden Embrace the Possibility

Today I’m answering a blog post question from my friend Jevon Bolden, Developmental Editor at Strang Books.

What do you think are the best-selling trends in African American literature both fiction and nonfiction, especially, but not limited to, those with Christian themes?

There are two sub genres affiliated with Christian fiction written for Af-Am Christian readers:

• Af-Am Christian Fiction
• Church Drama

The latter outsells. This fact also makes marketing to Af-Am Christian book buyers unique, because the buyer doesn’t know the difference, yet expects AACF to read like Church Drama. Moreover, Church Drama authors market to this audience, while adamantly stating that they do not write for Christian audiences. This confusion, in my opinion, has hurt Af-Am Christian Imprints and the acquisition of AACF Lit.

A new subgenre that will also affect Af-Am Christian Fiction sells will be fantasy romances like L.A. Banks Surrender the Dark, a novel about angel mythology.

I’ll answer the other two questions respectively this week.

Your two cents?

Related articles

• What Kind of Books Do You Want to Read from African American Authors? (deegospelpr.com)
• Toni Morrison inducted into France's Legion of Honour (cbc.ca)

Best of 2010 Christian AF-AM Books

Christian Fiction Blog is pleased to announce our picks and  Christmas Gift Guide of the best 25 African-American Christian Novels published in 2010. This list is determined based on books I reviewed, Af-Am book club feedback, bookstore community manager and librarian recommendations. This list is not in any particular order.  Books in this category are based on themes concerning Af-Am culture. 

 

1. Vanessa Miller, A Long Time Coming
2. Kim Cash Tate, Faithful
3. Pat G’Orge Walker, Don’t Blame the Devil
4. Michele Bowen, More Church Folk
5. Shana Burton, Flaws and All
6. Reshonda Tate Billingsley, Holy Rollers
7. Patricia Haley, Destined
8. Rhonda McKnight, An Inconvenient Friend
9. Michelle Larks, Faith
10. Cecilia Dowdy, Chesapeake Wedding
11. Kimberla Lawson Roby, Be Careful What You Prayed For
12. Victoria Christopher Murray, Sins of the Mother
13. Nikki Carter, Cool Like That
14. Tiffany Warren, Farther Than I Meant to Go, Longer Than I Mean to Stay
15. Tiffany Warren, In the Midst of It All
16. Michelle Stimpson, Last Temptation
17. Vanessa Davis Griggs ,The Truth is the Light
18. Kendra Norman Bellamy, Song of Solomon
19. Dwan Abrams, My Mother’s Child
20. Rhonda McKnight, Sherri L. Lewis, Tiffany L. Warren, A Women’s Revenge
21. Jacquelin Thomas, Sampson
22. Pat Simmons, Still Guilty
23. Sherri Lewis, Selling My Soul
24. Stacy Hawkins Adams, Dreams that Won’t Let Go
25. Reshonda Tate Billingsley, Caught Up in the Drama

World Aids Day Book Spotlight

The Startling Affluent Face of Atlanta’s HIV/AIDS Community

#World Aids Day Book Recommendation

Chizelle Archie’s The Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Diamond

• Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States.
• 80% of new HIV/AIDS cases among women are contracted through heterosexual contract.
• According to “Killer Sex,” an article in the April 2009 issue of More Magazine eight in 10 newly infected women were exposed to the virus the old-fashioned way: by having unprotected sex with their husbands, boyfriends, or casual flings.

Archie knows these stats well, because she is a registered nurse, who has met these women face to face and have witnessed their disappointments, fears, and secret shame. Because of her experiences,she has become an HIV/AIDS advocate.

“No other disease has the power to strip women of their dignity, their sexuality, and their self-worth like HIV,” states Dr. Melissa Osborn, HIV physician at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Rarely do the media portray an HIV positive woman who is a teacher, a lawyer, a flight attendant, for an accountant. But HIV doesn’t discriminate, and success doesn’t protect against infection. I have met HIV-positive patients in all of these positions.”

Archie’s novel The Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Diamond(AuthorHouse, August 2010) is the story of an investment advisor who learns that she has contracted HIV from her unfaithful husband the same day she learns that she is pregnant with their child.

Book Synopsis:

Posh Manhattan investment advisor Victoria Diamond Cartiér lives a life of ultimate success: owning an affluent estate in Harlem’s Hamilton Heights district, working on 5th Avenue, and having the love of her devoted husband Malcolm. But when Victoria discovers that her marriage is a lie, she uncovers a deadly horror that may threaten her belief in healing, second chances at love with Marcel and God’s providence over her diamond life.

Click here the link in red to order a copy.

Themes: HIV AIDS Awareness