Tithing Peanuts

In celebration of Peanuts 60th Birthday I thought I would share my favorite Christian themed strips. As a child I never noticed the religious topics discussed. But as a mother, who now shares Peanuts with my child I’m amused by it. I wanted to amuse you this Monday, but then something surprising, not as comical, happened.

Continue reading "Tithing Peanuts" »

Weekend Chatterbox: What is Your Favorite Albertina Walker Song?

Today we have learned that Gospel great Albertina Walker has passed.

Albertina discovery of new talent, the legendary Caravans launched the careers of Pastor Shirley Caesar, Inez Andrews, Delores Washington, Cassietta George, Evangelist Dorothy Norwood and the "King of Gospel" the Reverend James Cleveland. This rightfully earned Albertina the title "The Star Maker". The Caravans achieved great success acclaimed household name with hits like: Sweeping Through The City, Mary Don't You Weep, Walk Around Heaven, and Lord Keep Me Day By Day.

Learn more about this Gospel Queen of Music  here.

Question for you: What is your favorite Albertina Walker Song?

Mine is Mary Don’t You Weep.  Leave your favorites in comments or hit me up on my Facebook Page or on Twitter with the hashtag #albertinawalker

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INSPY Awards Short List Announced

The INSPY Advisory Board is pleased to announce the shortlists for the 2010 INSPY Awards.  We thank you for your enthusiastic nominations of books and acknowledge the difficulties in narrowing the field with so many quality nominations.

General & Literary Fiction

The Christmas Glass by Marci Alborghetti, Guideposts, 1st October, 2009

Life in Defiance by Mary DeMuth, Zondervan, 1st May, 2010

Lost Mission by Athol Dickson, Howard Books, 1st September, 2009

Lucky Baby by Meredith Efken, Howard Books, 13^th April, 2010

Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes, Tyndale House, 1^st May, 2010

Creative Non-Fiction

Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans, Zondervan, 15th June, 2010

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller, Thomas Nelson, 29^th September, 2009

Halfway to Each Other by Susan Pohlman, Guideposts, 1^st September, 2009

God Hides in Plain Sight by Dean Nelson, Brazos Press, 1st October, 2009

Hear No Evil by Matthew Paul Turner, Waterbrook Press, 16^th February, 2010

Historical Fiction

The Frontiersman’s Daughter by Laura Frantz, Revell Books, 1^st August, 2009

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen, Bethany House, 1^st January, 2010

The Fiddler’s Gun by AS Peterson, Rabbit Room Press, 1^st December, 2009

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell, Bethany House, 1^st April, 2010

Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers, Tyndale House, 1^st March, 2010

Thriller/Suspense/Crime (the category I will be judging)

Priceless by Tom Davis, David C Cook, 1^st June, 2010

The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker, Center Street, 27th May, 2010

The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello, Thomas Nelson, 16^th March, 2010

The Knight by Steven James, Revell Books, 1^st August, 2009

Dead Reckoning by Ronie Kendig, Abingdon Press, 1st March, 2010

Speculative Fiction

Green by Ted Dekker, Thomas Nelson, 1^st September, 2009

The Last Christian by David Gregory, Waterbrook Press, 4th May, 2010

A Star Curiously Singing by Kerry Nietz, Marcher Lord Press, 1^st October, 2009

Eternity Falls by Kirk Outerbridge, Marcher Lord Press, 1^st October, 2009

Rooms by James L. Rubart, B&H Publishing, 1^st April, 2010

Amish Fiction

Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio by Annalisa Daughety, Summerside Press, 1^st September, 2009

An Honest Love by Kathleen Fuller, Thomas Nelson, 16^th March, 2010

Winter’s Awakening by Shelley Shepard Gray, Avon Inspire, 1^st February, 2010

Anna’s Return by Marta Perry, Berkley, 1^st June, 2010

Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman, Thomas Nelson, 30^th March, 2010

Romance/Romantic Suspense

A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley, Thomas Nelson, 29th December, 2009

Blood Ransom by Lisa Harris, Zondervan, 1^st April, 2010

Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter, Thomas Nelson, 6th October, 2009

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Patillo, Guideposts, 1st February, 2010

Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren, Summerside Press, 1st February, 2010

Young Adult Fiction

A Little Help From My Friends by Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt, FaithWords, 15^thOctober, 2009

This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 25^th May, 2010

So Over My Head by Jenny B Jones, Thomas Nelson, 4^th May, 2010

Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen Coloma, Thomas Nelson, 3^rd November, 2009

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr, Little Brown, 1st October, 2009

Note: Dates from the publishers’ sites were used to determine eligibility

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What I’m Reading: Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

This week I’m reading Christian Fiction Author Donita K. Paul’s Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball.  The story is about a most unusual bookshop, two mischievous matchmakers, two special tickets, an unlikely couple, and an evening for romance. Doesn’t it sound great?

Donita is a great writer. I love her Christian fantasy novels, but so far this novella is becoming my new favorite of hers.

It is also beautiful navy & gold book, which I like, because I carry books around, so the prettier the better. I might make me some cute book jewelry to hold my page. If I make more than one, perhaps I’ll give some away on the blog.

Purchase your book from your local bookstore here, then come back and lets discover the mystery behind this story together.

 

Also I will be compiling a Christmas Gift Book Guide for Indiebound. If you would like to nominate a 2010 title, email me.

Now, what are you reading this week?

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To Pubit! or Not to Pubit

This week Barnes & Noble released Pubit!,  a free direct-to-device self-publishing service for its Nook e-reader. Authors, who own the electronic rights to their books can take their books live in 24 hours for come cases.

A few things of note:

• For authors who don’t have a MAC, you can use Smashwords to configure.
• Your book will be converted to EPub open ebook Standard.
• Your book will be lendable, which means that Nook users can share your book with one another.
• B&N pays royalties on your book's retail price, instead of what an ebook distributors pay, which is usually net (retail less whatever discount B&N demands).
• If you price your book between $2.99-$9.99 use will receive  a 65% royalty of the list price (> Apple, > Amazon which pays of the sales price)
• You can publish direct to Kindle for free as well to DTP with a 70% royalty and your ebook will be available on Kindle devices and Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Mac, Blackberry, and Android-based devices.

Full Pubit! information

• Read the publishing agreement here.
• The pricing agreement is here.
• The content policy is here .

In my opinion,  if I were seeking to epublish my book, I would:

• publish direct to Kindle. they pay monthly.
• publish to Smashwords only for Epub but not Amazon or B & N distribution
• Publish through Pub-It because your book will be categorized by genre not just ebooks like Smashwords, which is hard for a reader to sift through
• make sure you opt out of Nook for Smashwords when you have successfully converted to EPubit
• join DigiBookWorld, so you can learn the vocabulary and how to format DTP properly, because Pubit is new Thus, you may have to do some reformatting. Which means you need to use a an WYSIWYG ebook editor like Sigil.
• And if I just went over your head, do the last thing I said first.

Fall Hard for Amish Lit

 

An interview with Cindy Woodsmall Part I

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. This fall she sits down with Christian Fiction Online Magazine to share her new novel series and some truths about Amish culture in Christian fiction with a 2 part series.

Cindy, you live in Georgia, where there is no Amish community, so how did this happen for you?

My childhood roots are in Amish and Plain Mennonite country. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy lands of Maryland, I became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. The moment I stepped into her home, I noticed a lot of differences between us, and my imagination took off.

 Continue reading Part 1 of this interview at Christian Fiction Online Magazine.

October 2010 Top Ten

We are proud to announce our top ten Christian book releases for October 2010.

1. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

The list author says:"Isabel Wilkerson is an authority on African-American History. I've been a fan of her work for years. Learn the story of our migration to the West."

 

2. Medical Error (Prescription for Trouble Series #2) by Richard L. Mabry MD

"When a medical doctor pens a medical thriller you must take notice. Mabry never disappoints me."

3. Last Temptation by Michelle Stimpson

"Been waiting for this book for a while. My book club friends have been talking about it. Hope it lives up to our expectation."

4. Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

"Now this isn't a CBA title, but it's theme is based on angel mythology, which I think is a topic we need to be aware of, especially if we have Teen kids."

5.A Girl Named Mister by Nikki Grimes

"I am so excited about this book. Nikki is one of my favorite children authors. Excited about her relationship with Zondervan."

6.Torment (Fallen) by Lauren Kate

"another YA novel about angel mythology."

7.Long Time Coming by Vanessa Miller

"Vanessa is a great writer and sweet lady to meet. So proud of her. You will enjoy this week."

8.Dragons of the Valley: A Novel by Donita K. Paul

"Donita Paul is a great fantasy writer. I'm a huge fan. Come join her worlds."

9. Her Daughter's Dream (Marta's Legacy) by Francine Rivers

"Who doesn't enjoy a Francine Rivers novel?"

10.  Black Megachurch Culture: Models for Education and Empowerment (Black Studies & Critical Thinking) by Sandra L. Barnes

"a must read"