Celebrating the Bible this Thanksgiving

Get Ready Get Ready Get Ready. Zondervan's The Complete Bible Experience hit the shelves. You can order your own copy here at Christian Fiction Blog. I am ordering it because Selah has begun reading and she loves to hear stories now. So she can read her bible and listen to KeKe Palmer in "Noah's Ark."

Holiday Reads: An Irish Christmas

I hope to higlight a few holiday reads and movies for you within the next few weeks. I'm very interested in featuring a story that deals with Thanksgiving, so if you have a story hit me up.

Today's spotlight- Melody Carlson's An Irish Christmas

Synopis from Target.com: For Colleen, life is spinning out of control. She just lost her husband, and her relationship with her young adult son Jamie is crumbling. Should she confess to him the secret that has been haunting her for twenty years? Jamie has a few secrets of his own. When he announces his plans to join the military, Colleen decides its time for the two of them to take a trip togetherto Ireland. The truth they discover there could fulfill both their dreams in a way neither ever thought possible.

An Irish Christmasexcerpt...


Co l l e e n Ma y Fr e d e r i c k
Spring of 1963

I felt certain I was losing my son. Or perhaps I’d already lost him and just hadn’t noticed. So many things had slipped my attention this past year, ever since Hal’s death. But lately it seemed I was losing everything. Not just those insignificant items like my car keys, which I eventually found in the deep freeze beneath a carton of Green Giant mixed vegetables, or my favorite pair of calfskin gloves, which I still hadn’t located. But it seemed I was losing important things as well. Or maybe I was just losing my grip. Read More Here...

CFB Christmas Play Watch: Evangel Cathedral

Evangel Cathedral Presents the 16th Annual Christmas Celebration'
Location: Evangel Cathedral, 13901 Central Avenue, Upper Marlboro, MD
Date: Saturday, December 1 - Sunday, December 16, 2007

Info: Reminiscent to the Black Nativity this production chronicles the life and death of Christ. 12 productions run over 3 weekends. Guest starring Grammy Award winning gospel recording artist, Vicki Winans and Pastor Marvin Sapp.

For more information. Evangel Christmas Celebration

Rating: Splitting Harriett

I haven't done a book review in a minute. But as I prepare for my Gospel Fiction Top Ten and Christian 25 Countodwn in December I thought I would post a review, so that you can see how I build my ratings.


Title: Splitting Harriet
Author: Tamara Leigh
ISBN: 9781590529287
Publisher: Multnomah
Rating: 3.5 stars

It's hard to believe that holier-than-though Harri could have been a prodigal preacher's daughter. She whines too much about the good old days to be real. But when she meets Pastor Maddox McCray, who seems to destroying her father's legacy at First Grace the bad girl blasts out, along with her Jelly Belly addiction.

Favorite line excerpt...

Overwhelmed by the thrill of being on a motorcycle again and an awareness of the man in front of me, I stiffly hold myself as far apart from him as possible. A moment later, we're on the road, and the warm night air turns cools as the motorcycle stirs it to life, I draw a breath and am struck by the scents of grass, pine, dust, pavement, and Maddox.

This romantic comedy is cute and quaint, but there is stilted in the dialogue between the characters. There is a moment between Harrri and her brother, Tyler that could have been more heartwarming, but Leigh's commitment to keep the tone light made the moment feel more glossed over than 3D.

I often question whether an author can pull off writing a story that has two internal plots going: a romance and a spiritual journey. How can a story like that be balanced and entertaining without one losing its value. In this case I think it didn't. However, I do know that its sweetness and contemporary setting is lovable enough for a reader to enjoy. (Nov, pp382, $12.99)

Rating breakdown
1. Character - .5
2. Plot- 1
3. Theme/Orthdoxy- 1
4. Style/Flow- .5
5. Voice- .5

Is Being A Good Girl Stressing You Out?

This weekend I was forced to step down from leading my girlscout troop. Parents felt that I could no longer lead their girls, and I agree. I am not who I was last year. Back then I wanted to reclaim my suburban life--the one I had before I became disabled. I wanted my husband back. I wanted a new home. I wanted people to stop judging me because I don't have money, I can't work, I can't give the latest, trendiest toys, clothes, things to Selah. I hated her teachers judging her because I am poor and black. I hated having constantly explain why I'm poor. I wanted more than anything to move into house and be treated like somebody that mattered.

So I joined PTA, GirlScouts, a popular neighborhood church and tried to live a good, promising life. At the same time I lost my time to write, my time to pray, my time to enjoy my family. And eventually my common sense. I began making careless mistakes, not getting enough sleep, and losing a child.

Last month my second child should have been burn. On it's birthday I made myself stop and think about my life. Is this the life God has for me? Or am I trying to make myself fit into a world I wasn't created to be a part of in the first place.

I asked God to make me over. Remove what needs to be removed from my life. Now I didn't know that would mean having Girl Scout Parents hate me, making me stupid mistakes, getting sick or leaving Rico again. I don't want to leave him, but I can't live with him without God and I don't think he knows what that means, because I don't know how to define what that means. I'm at my mother's house writing my novel with Selah and wondering should I ever go back home. While here I just read an article in Christian Women Today featuring author, Lisa Samson. She speaks about leaving the suburbs and how she is reconnected with God and her family. I need to feel that. I want you read this article. I want you to pray for me and my family. Please.

NANOWRIMO: Fun Scenes First

I am rewriting Blessed to Kill this month as a part of the NANOWRIMO project. Last week I began with a goal to write 2000 words a day. I met that goal two days this week, so I have catching up to do. One thing that I realized yesterday that I had forgotten and should have done sooner was write my fun scenes first.

Why write fun scenes of your novel first?

1. It gets your juices going.
2. You can write them very quickly.
3. You can map out the novel at the same time in the manuscript.
4. You can build pathos by making sure that her highest high has an equal lowest low.
5. You can build up the courage to let her suffer.

What other reasons should you write the fun scenes first?

And how are you coming along with NANOWRIMO?

Christian Fiction Speedlink: Midnight Clear

CF's Speedlink is back. Thanks to my sweety for getting me running again. This speedlink comprises christian fiction information received between 11/01-11/07/07. Enjoy.

Writing Projects: Bloggers unite at NABLOPOMO. Write one post a day this month to participate. If I wasn't nanowrimoing I would do it.
Blog Tours: Lisa Samson's Hollywood Nobody. CFBA features

Robert Liparulo. Auditions: Disney's The Lion King.
Book discounts: Christmas Anthology Midnight Clear's BOGO: Buy 1 Get One Free. Features: Sherri Lewis, Stacy Hawkins Adams and Tia McCollors to name a few.
Blog Poll: Michael Snyder needs you to vote on the relvancy of his guest blogger.
Bookgiveaway: Camy's Loft: The Road Home: A Modern Retelling of Ruth’s Ancient Story
Book News: Lisa Samson's Quaker Summer was considered one of the best books of 2007 by Publisher's Weekly. Way to go, Lisa! ECPA and ChristianBookEXPO.com ready to go.
Blog to Read: Claudia Burney's Ragamuffin Diva. She's too many things. Love it. And love this pic of black jesus.