Monday, June 30, 2008

Melinda Watts Wins Gospel Dream


ATLANTA, GA – June 30, 2008 – Melinda Watts, a 29-year-old leader of two foundations that help support troubled young girls and their families from Fair Oaks, California, was crowned the winner of the American Idol®-inspired talent search series Gospel Dream 2008 last night on the Gospel Music Channel television network.

“Tis So Sweet” is Melinda’s first single and has already been serviced to radio stations across the country. It can be heard at http://www.gospelmusicchannel.com/shows/gospeldream.

The Gospel Dream 2008 series can be seen again Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT beginning July 31.

Gospel Music Channel (http://www.gospelmusicchannel.com) is the nation’s first and only 24/7 television network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring and diverse music that is Gospel/Christian music. Gospel Music Channel is the fastest-growing network in television today and can be seen in nearly 40 million homes on various cable systems around the country and on DIRECTV channel 338.



Friday, June 27, 2008

20 Day Goodies Giveaway


Tip Junkie is 1 year old this week! Can you believe it? To celebrate this special blogiversary and all your support - she's giving back. Tip Junkie is hosting 20 days (Mon - Fri) of incredible giveaways by fellow bloggers and Mom-prenuers.

Click Here are the details! Party starts Monday, June 30, 2008

Contest: A Great Book For Mother's Summer Bible Study

Welcome to my blog tour pit stop for the gift edition of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World!

The tour will run June 16th through the 27th!
Christian Fiction Blog is one of the last blogs on this tour, so let me tell you a bit about the book before you all miss out on participating in the contest.

Summary: A new outfit can make a girl smile -- especially if it's extra beautiful! After publishing Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life for seven years in paperback, Waterbrook Press is celebrating their tenth anniversary by giving my book a facelift. The new gift edition is in hard cover and has a lovely two-color interior design, and the pages in the back for journaling what God is teaching you.
My Review:

I am a busy mom, too busy and Lord knows I need to intervene on my own behalf, this book was the tool I needed. We want to be the best parent, friend, boss, Child of God we can be, but totally miss Him in the process. This book speaks to women like me in a language I can understand. My Sunday school class used this book for a Mother's Summer Bible Study. I might do that here, since I have moved to a new town.

To celebrate the release, Joanna will be giving away 7 copies of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World...all you have to do is leave a comment on her blog.

And if you've read the book already -- leave her a comment telling her which chapter was your favorite...and why! She'll choose 7 winners (randomly) to receive a copy of my latest re-release of With This Ring! You can read more about that book here!

Contest goes to June 30th and we'll announce the winners on July 2nd!




Other participants on the tour...

Mellissa at Wonder Mommy
Mary at Home Steeped Hope
Camy at Camy’s Loft
Cara at Cara’s Musings
Jennifer at So Many Books, So Little Time
Katrina at Callapidder Days
Amy at In Pursuit of Proverbs 31
Angie at God Uses Broken Vessels
Deborah at A Cup of Joy
Amy at Amy’s Random Thoughts
Gina at Writer, Interrupted
Heather at Mumblings of A Mommy Monk
Mindy at Ponderings of the Heart
Melody at Kids, Cakes, Dishes, Laundry…in that order
Pam at Without Fear
Laura at Texas Okie
Margaret at The Cappuccino Life
Jamie at Surviving the Chaos
Tabitha at Making It Up As I Go Along
Gretchen at Inspire Me
Leticia at My Daily Trek
Kelly at Love Well
LaShaunda at See Ya on the Net
Melodee at Actual Unretouched Photo
Laura at Lighthouse Academy
Elise at A Path Made Straight
Diane at Diane’s Place
Billie at Hearing the Music Amongst the Noise
Cee Cee at Book Splurge
Joy at The Five J’s
Paula at Reviews By Two
Deena at A Peek At My Bookshelf
Sarah at Real Life
Karla at Looking Towards Heaven
Barb at A Chelsea Morning
Amy at My Friend Amy
Melody at Slurping Life
Audra at Penning Prose
Christy at At Split Ends
Revka at The Porch Light
Susan at His Reading List
Lauren at Baseballs and Bows
Chris at Come To the Table
Brittanie at A Book Lover
Kristy at I Need To Read
Patty at Girlfriends in God
Dee at Christian Fiction
DeeDee at It Coulda’ Been Worse
Trish at Books for Mom

Tavis Talks Guestpost

TJMS

Thursday, June 26, 2008

WRU: Men Reading Clubs, Giveaways & Grants

Wednesday Read-Up Way Late Edition for Week Ending 6/27/08



Book Readings in your Area

South Carolina
Date: July 15, 2008 12:30PM. Join the Friends of the Richland County Public Library for a special midday book discussion and signing with South Carolina author Nicole Seitz and her latest release, Trouble the Water. Refreshments provided.



Book GiveAways

Keeping His Pants On Until He Gets Home

Pastor's wife, Joyce S. Oglesby, felt inspired to write a relationship book out of a heavy heart for couples doomed for divorce without some sort of intervention. Her small town of Corydon, IN is buzzing about the controversial cover and title. Written similarly to the 1970s classic, Total Woman, Keeping His Pants On...Until He Gets Home equips women to affair-proof their marriages. Maintaining a passionate love in marriage has become more urgent than ever before. The demands on today's woman can distract her from fulfilling her husband's sexual needs. Losing focus of this vital responsibility has many women facing the maladies of matrimony. Joyce says, "You're either too tired, too stressed, too fat, too flat-chested, too mad, too sad, too depressed, too dirty, too clean, too selfish, or it's just too much trouble. All this can add up to too little too late!" Her warning is that husbands can soon become distracted, leading to some form of angift basket photo outside physical or emotional affair, pornography, or other avenues of release. The book talks about the dangers of boredom and staleness, and how passionless relationships leave couples unfulfilled, and makes husbands prime targets for temptation.

We are pleased to announce a special contest created for your blog guests. On July 5, 2008 we will have a grand prize drawing for a special gift basket which will include: Keeping His Pants On Until He Gets Hom, a bottle of sparkling apple-cranberry, 1 Beanpod Candles melter, Beach Walk wax soy beads, Bird of Paradise wax soy beads, and 9 tea lights.


Men Reading Clubs


I knew it would happen when I saw Male knitting clubs and Male Wine Tastings sprout up all over the place, so when I read the AJC's spotlight on the Brothers Well Read Men Book Club I didn't get excited. I was overjoyed! For you, my male subscribers you can become a member of this club, which is now online. Click the link to learn more, and if you join, please let me know. I have some books I would love to give to a well-deserving male book club.








Romantic Time Magazine's First Annual Ann Peach RT Convention Grant.
















This grant covers the cost of the pre-convention "Beginner Writer" program registration and the general RT COnvention registration($650 value) is open to all Beginner aspiring writers who are passionate about the craft of writing and are determined to becoming published.

To enter write in 250 words or less for each questio:
  1. Tell us why you want to become a writer?
  2. Why do you feel you would be the most deserving of the grant
Also in 250 words or less, submit a short descripion of the book you want to write.

Send entries to: Ann Peach Grant, c/o Corrie Peach, PO Box 797, Marion, TX 78124 or via email at Corrie.Peach at hotmail dot com.

Deadline for entries is Wednesday, October 15,2008. Winner will be announced and availale on newstands in January 2009 in the March issue of RT Bookreviews. To subscribe to RT, click here. It is a great magazine, I am an inspirational and contempo reviewer for it, and have coordinated the Christian workshop panels for the convention.

Off Topic Thursday: X-Files I Want to Believe



I am a big X-Files fan, call it a guilty pleasure. I'm sure someone will question my faith or send me some theological criticism on the subject, but I loved the series and own the first movie. For those of you who share my fascination here is the trailer as well as a clip from the movie, "Through Dirty Glass." Enjoy.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Gospel Dream Make 3



Photo, from left to right: John McKoy, Melinda Watts, Host Matthew West and Kymm Lowery


THREE FINALISTS, ONLY ONE WILL LIVE THEIR GOSPEL DREAM

KYMM LOWERY (Ill.), JOHN MCKOY (N.C.) AND MELINDA WATTS (Calif.) ARE THE FINAL 3 IN AMERICAN IDOL® GOSPEL/CHRISTIAN STYLE TV SERIES GOSPEL DREAM 2008 ON GOSPEL MUSIC CHANNEL

GOSPEL DREAM 2008 SEASON FINALE AIRS SUNDAY NIGHT, JUNE 29 AT 9:00 P.M. ET

ATLANTA, GA. – June 25, 2008 – The dream of a musical career is closer than ever for three aspiring Gospel/Christian music singers who have made it to the finals of the Gospel Music Channel television network’s American Idol®-inspired talent search series Gospel Dream 2008.

After months of passionate music performances and intense competition, the destiny of Kymm Lowery of Beach Park, Ill., John McKoy Jr. of Monroe, N.C. and Melinda Watts of Fair Oaks, Calif. will be decided this Sunday, June 29th when Gospel Music Channel crowns the winner of the third season of Gospel Dream 2008 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

To make it to the finals, Lowery, McKoy and Watts were chosen from among thousands of hopefuls from all Gospel/Christian styles, including traditional, soul, rock, blues and country, who competed at auditions in Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami and Atlanta; and then outlasted the 16 singers who were invited to Nashville to perform in four rounds of televised competitions.

The new Gospel Dream winner will be chosen by Gospel/Christian music’s version of Simon, Paula and Randy: GRAMMY award-winning record producer/songwriter Big Jim Wright, Dove and Stellar award-winning cross-cultural worship music artist/songwriter Martha Munizzi and one of Gospel music’s most prolific talents and part of one of music’s hottest production companies (PJAM) J Moss, who have been offering their honest criticism and praise in narrowing the competition to the final three. Fans and viewers can vote for their favorites online to see if their choice aligns with the judges at http://www.gospelmusicchannel.com/shows/gospeldream.

Lowery, who sang Donald Lawrence’s classic “Say a Prayer” to make the finals, auditioned in Chicago, just outside her hometown of Beach Park, Ill. J Moss calls her an “amazing talent with star potential.” This is 25-year-old Lowery’s second shot at her Gospel Dream. She made the top 10 during the first season of the GMC series and recorded Munizzi’s “Glorious” for the Gospel Dream 2006 season soundtrack.

“My Gospel Dream 2008 experience has been a phenomenal experience – life-changing and at the same time – refreshing. During the competition, I was very focused and I believe I went to a new dimension vocally because of the experience alone,” said Lowery.

McKoy impressed judge Munizzi with his performance of Smokie Norful’s version of “Run to You,” because “he comes from a place of sincerity and we can feel your heart,” she told the 34-year-old who auditioned in Atlanta.

“I’ve always had dreams of singing to millions of people across the world and have never participated in anything as big as Gospel Dream before,” McKoy says. “Gospel Dream has resurrected dreams that were deep inside me from childhood and has made me realize that those dreams were not dead and that God surely has a purpose and a plan for my life.”

Producer Wright told 29-year-old Watts after her performance of contemporary worship song “In Christ Alone” that “you look like you are supposed to be an artist that people are running to arenas to see.” The mother of six-month old daughter Lyric, Watts traveled from their home in the Sacramento area of Northern Calif. to begin her Gospel Dream 2008 journey at the auditions in Los Angeles.

Says Watts: “God’s grace brought me here to Gospel Dream! A lot of faith in God and remembering that it’s okay to dream even when you feel you can’t.”

The winner of Gospel Dream 2008 will receive a record & music video deal and a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Gospel Dream 2008 is hosted by popular artist/songwriter Matthew West with backstage reporting by GMC Insider’s Kelly Sutton. Celebrity musical mentors who coached the contestants throughout the series include PAJAM, Myron Butler, Bernie Herms, Lesley Moore and Darlene McCoy. The Gospel Dream series was created by Executive Producer Elvin Ross who is also the series’ executive producer and musical director.

Gospel Music Channel (http://www.gospelmusicchannel.com) is the nation's first and only 24/7 television network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring and diverse music that is Gospel/Christian music. Gospel Music Channel is the fastest-growing network in television today and can be seen in nearly 40 million homes on various cable systems around the country and on DIRECTV channel 338.

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