The Best Couples are a Hot Mess

My Soul to Keep author, Melanie Wells stopped by Christian Fiction Blog to participate in our 1Question Author Interview Series-The Valentine Edition. 2 Questions/Couple. Cute. The questions:

Who are your favorite fictional couple?

I hate to be a cliche' but I'd have to say Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Hara. They're a charming, cantankerous relational disaster. You just want to smack 'em both.


And what have you learned about them that helps you build the romance arc of your own stories?

Like Rhett and Scarlett (at this point, any southerner knows to add "bless their hearts" -which is required if you're insulting someone) my characters are extremely flawed. My books tend to be populated with broken - or at least bent - people. But they're so likeable, you're rooting for them anyway. Dylan Foster (bless her heart) just can't quite seem to get it right, which keeps the tension running all the way through the story. You WANT it to work out between her and David-who-owns-a-funeral-home-in-Hillsboro, but you're also sitting there thinking, Dylan, you need to go to time out, and David, for crying out loud, get a SPINE and stand up to this woman. They're a mess. That's what makes the story work. Happiness is sort of boring, if you think about it.

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Reconciliation, Rumor and My Two Cents

February, 2008 - In response to an article on www.articlesofinfo.com, Juanita Bynum would like to make it very clear that she is not in counseling with Bishop Thomas Weeks III, nor are there any talks of reconciliation as stated in the false article written by Doug Campbell.

As Dr. Bynum has stated in the past, she feels that reconciliation with her estranged husband could be a tremendous testimony to the body of Christ; however that is not the case at this time.
- From Bynum's Publicist

Whatever...I am thankful that the reconciliation story is rumor, but from reading the entire press release Bynum is digging a whole for herself by agreeing to continue in a relationship with Week's family for business matters.

See. This is a problem many domestic violence survivors can smell from a mile away. You leave yor abuser. His family and him ask for the chance to support your other endeavors. You accept. What you're saying is. I was hurt, but my basic needs instead of allowing God to supply them I am going to accept your proposal, because it is a safe, comfortable and familiar place.

I am struggling with this same issue right now. My ex wants to reconcile. He knows my situation, because he help put me here. We have a child together and he knows my position on Christian parenting. So it's Valentine's Week, a week after my birthday. I'm feeling nostalgic. Just watched Perry's Why Did I Get MArried and Fool's GOld all in one week. I'm in a forgetful, romantic, pressed for money mood. But if I allow his family to babysit our daughter, what I am saying to my daughter is that I will risk putting her in harm's way, because I want to be the good girl. I want my fantasy romance with this man to be storybook real. Bologna.

You want to talk about ministering to women who have suffered abuse, then you dig in and experience the discomfort, the separation, the heartbreak and the longing until God moves it. I'm not talking to Bynum, I'm talking to sisters like me who are struggling with whether I should give this man another chance, because I miss the roses more than the look in his eyes when darkness disconnects from you.

Serenading Tyler Perry: My Interview with Chandra Currelley

While you're out picking up Tyler Perry's latest DVD offerings( Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? (Full Screen Edition) and What's Done in the Dark...) also pick up a copy of Wow Magazine's February Issue. It features my coverstory article/interview with acclaimed stage and screen Christian siren, Chandra Currelley. A snippet from the article:

Chandra Currelley
On Serenading Tyler Perry and her 3 WOW Moments

Chandra Currelley crooned her way into the hearts and souls of Tyler Perry fans when she starred as the fictional jazz club owner of her namesake in his hit debut film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005.) Her performance was so well loved that fans scoured Atlanta locales and the internet in search of the romantic restaurant and the sultry songbird. What they found was short of staggering.

Chandra has worked with some of the most influential people in the entertainment industry today including: Kenny Leon, Debbie Allen and Roy Ayers. In 1986 she replaced Mary Davis as lead singer for the S.O.S. band, a Billboard chart-topping R& B Band. Later she returned to the stage to perform off Broadway in musicals like “The Amen Corner” and “Sophisticated Ladies.” So it was no surprise that Tyler Perry recognized her talent and cast Chandra in three of his plays: “I Know I Been Changed”, “Madea’s Class Reunion” and “What’s Done In the Dark.”

He’s so enthused with Chandra’s sound that he wants the entire world to embrace her. This February when his last year’s hit stage play, “What’s Done in the Dark[which she stars in]” hits the DVD stores shelves a promotional insert has been included in ever DVD. The insert introduces Chandra’s new CD, “The Real Me.”

In January WOW! Magazine chatted with Ms. Currelley about the CD, her personal WOW moments and how she serenaded Tyler Perry’s soul.

Christian author, Kendra Noman-Bellamy also has a short story, Love on a Sunday. Read more by subscribing to WOW!

Christian Fiction News: Tolkein's Time Warner Suit

The estate of "Lord of the Rings" creator J.R.R. Tolkien is suing the film studio that released the trilogy based on his books, claiming the company hasn't paid it a penny from the estimated $6 billion the films have grossed worldwide.

The suit, filed Monday, claims New Line was required to pay 7.5 percent of gross receipts to Tolkien's estate and other plaintiffs, who contend they only received an upfront payment of $62,500 for the three movies before production began.

The writer's estate, a British charity dubbed The Tolkien Trust, and original "Lord of the Rings" publisher HarperCollins filed the lawsuit against New Line Cinema in Los Angeles Superior Court. If successful, it could block the long-awaited prequel to the films[The Hobbit.]

..."The Tolkien trustees do not file lawsuits lightly, and have tried unsuccessfully to resolve their claims out of court," Steven Maier, an attorney for the Tolkien estate based in Britain, said in a statement. "New Line has not paid the plaintiffs even one penny of its contractual share of gross receipts despite the billions of dollars of gross revenue generated by these wildly successful motion pictures."

-By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer,

My thoughts: Are you serious? Not a penny?

Your thoughts...

Show Me that You Love Me

Ever get to the end of a project, then wonder was this the best use of my talent? I am in the final editing phase of a novel, but lately my heart has been tugging at me. My story is good. No complaints. But...this year I want to go a level higher in my writing. So when I received John Legend's Live from Philadelphia CD from my godmother for my birthday that tug turned into a bonafide-only-Dee-could-write purpose.

So I have begun another rewrite to make sure I infuze what I know God has been telling me to say, but I felt it was too uncommercial/unmarketable to discuss. Social justice--unlike anyother thing in my life right now--makes me want to write stronger. Be better. Affect the world. Now I wonder. Has anyone else been changed?

Continue reading "Show Me that You Love Me" »

Weekend Chatter Box: ACFW Genesis Contest

I'm on the fence about entering the ACFW Genesis Contest. Entered before I had good marks, but...'

• what is the benefit for participating?


• how does help an unpubished writer?


• can a writer of color receive a fair shot to enter?

Your thoughts...

More Chatter Box:

• Weekend Chatter: Obama on Christianity Today
• My Weekend Chatter Box Response: Christian Curse
• How Twitter can Create Momentum for your Book Tour

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The Daphne du Maurier Writing Contest

The Daphne du Maurier Writing Contest for Excellence in Mystery/SuspenseUNPUBLISHED DIVISION
The contest is open to any writer who has never been contracted in book-length fiction (40,000 words or more) from any publisher.
Any manuscript that has previously finaled in the Daphne including honorable mentions is not eligible for entry again.There is no limit to the number of entries per author, but each entry may be entered in ONLY ONE category.
Membership in Romance Writers of America® and/or MRSRWA is not a requirement for entry.

Deadline: Entries must be received NO LATER THAN March 15, 2008. Early entries will be held until all entries are received. All entries received after the deadline will be returned to sender.

Winners will be announced at the RWA® National Conference in San Francisco in 2008.
 The first place entry in each category will receive an engraved bookmark, a cash prize of $25 and a gift certificate for one COFFIN online class.
 The second-place entry will be awarded a certificate, a cash prize of $15 and a gift certificate for one COFFIN online class.
 The third-place entry will be awarded a certificate, a cash prize of $10 and a gift certificate for one COFFIN online class.
 The remaining finalists will receive certificates.
The top overall scoring entry will receive the Daphne du Maurier Award.

Contest Rules

ENTRY FORM