Save the Date: LitChat Alter Egos & Miranda Parker This Friday

 

Samuel Clemons had Mark Twain. Charles Dodson had Lewis Carroll. The Bronte sisters had the Bells. Pseudonymns. For reasons public and private, long-speculated and tossed glibly in gossip, these and thousands of other authors through the years chose to publish their writing under different names. The reasons they chose pen names are many, varied from author to author and era to era. This week in #litchat we’ll discuss authors writing under pseudonyms.

On Friday, Litchat will chat with me about my choice to use a pen name and if the alter ego is a good excuse to be bad. Click here to get the deets on the chat, so you can join us.

Lori Tharps Natural Hair Care/Substitute Me Twitter PJ Party blacklitchat

We are pleased to announce that this Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 9pm EST Substitute Me author, Lori L. Tharps will be our guest for #blacklitchat Tweet Chat on Twitter!!!!!!!!!!

So grab your book, grab your PJs, grab your galpals and lets have an online book chat with her.  Also if you have questions about natural hair care, have them ready so she can answer.

Umm…who is Lori. L. Tharps?

Lori L. Tharps is an assistant professor of journalism at Temple University, an author, freelance journalist and mom. She was a staff reporter at Vibe magazine and then a correspondent for Entertainment Weekly. She has written for Ms., Savoy, Suede, Bitch, Odyssey Couleur and Essence magazines.  She’s the author of  two non-fiction books: Hair Story coauthored with Ayana Byrd, Kinky Gizpacho and her debut novel Substitute Me.
I’ve heard about Substitute Me, but don’t know what it’s about?

Substitute Me reads like ” a modern-day horror story… that will haunt you for days.”
Essence Magazine, August 2010

Where is the source of our identities? Our upbringing, occupation, partners? Kate, a driven public-relations exec and mom coming off maternity leave, tells Zora, while interviewing her for a nanny post, that she wants to hire a “substitute me.” Zora, an upper-middle-class African American, wants the job but worries about betraying the dreams of the women who came before her by becoming a domestic. She then finds her passion in cooking, and practices to become a personal chef by feeding the family as part of her duties. Brad, Kate’s egalitarian banker husband, feels uncomfortable making so much money in the pre-meltdown days. Kate misses her son but throws herself wholeheartedly into her work, putting in exceptionally long days. Brad accepts all these household changes, and finds himself spending more time with Zora than Kate. Friends, lovers, co-workers, and family—all armed with opinions and attitudes—play key roles in Tharps’ lively modern domestic drama about why we are who we are. . --Danise Hoover, BookList

"Lori Tharps's warm and engaging novel about the struggles of juggling marriage, motherhood and a meaningful career focuses on a story we're each living, but also exposes the secrets we won't tell. An enjoyable read."
-- Heidi Durrow, author of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

Book clubs: Substitute Me will give you so much to talk, laugh and argue about, you might want to schedule two meetings to discuss it. Days after finishing it, I'm still debating who the villain is. Lori Tharps has written a timely, engaging page-turner that every working mom in America should read!"
-- Carleen Brice, author of Children of the Waters
A fresh, fun, view of "the help" from a writer to watch.
-- Benilde Little, author of Good Hair

After you’re read the book, I’ll add your praise here. (wink, nod)

What is BlackLit Chat?

It's a stream of tweets about books by Black[including Pan-African, African-American, Brit, Caribbean, Canadian Black, etc.] authors in real time during a specified time. Our time  for this chat is Sunday, November 21, 2010 from 9 PM EST.

More about #BlackLitChat is here at my co-host Bernadette Davis’ Black Books Blog. 

 How does it Work? 3 Easy Steps

1. 1. Get a Twitter account, or login, or remember your Twitter Password.
2. 2. Join the chat by clicking this link. http://twebevent.com/blacklitchat
3. 3. Now login with your Twitter Password.

Related articles

• A Common Sense Approach to Deciding which Book Events to Attend: a 3 Part Series (deegospelpr.com)
• #BlackLitChat Twitter Book Chat Stats for 32 Candles (deegospelpr.com)
• Five Young Black Writers You Should Be Reading Now (theroot.com)

Why Fiction Matters:Billerbeck in the New York Post

Christian Fiction News for the week ending 10/22/10

Hello, all. Today I’m spotlighting a few top stories in our Christian Fiction Newspaper. Every day we receive tons of stories that are included in the paper. This past week we chronicled more than 600 entries. Enjoy!

Movie News

The Grace Card: Watch the Trailer above.

Synopsis: When police officer Mac McDonald loses his son in an accident, the ensuing 17 years of bitterness and pain erodes his love for his family and leaves him angry with God ... and just about everyone else.

When pastor Sam Wright his promoted to Sergeant, Sam starts questioning if his real calling might actually be police work rather than the pastorate. because leading a small church doesn't put enough food on the table for a young family.

Can Mac and Sam somehow join forces to help one another when it's impossible for either of them to look past their difference? Movie opens February 2011

Left Behind' movie remake planned

Cloud Ten Pictures plans to try this again, but this time on a blockbuster scale. In my opinion I didn’t like the original versions. Hopefully, a bigger budget will produce a better quality looking picture. However, if the script isn’t rewritten to something more tighter, plausible, and less cliche, then it doesn’t matter how pretty it is. Our works should be better: written better, produced better, acted better…better. PERIOD.

Book NEWS:

2010 Harvest Festival Choose Your Own Romance with Lacy Williams

Harlequin’s Write Your Own Romance, a new Harvest Festival game/story. New LIH author Lacy Williams will be your host for this event.

Trophy Wives Article in the New York Post

Kristin Billerbeck quoted in a The New York Post article on Trophy Wives. Great PR. BTW

 

To read the full the newspaper click here

32 Candles, Twitter PJ Party, ,Ernessa T. Carter & 2 Giveaways

We are pleased to announce that this Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 9pm EST 32 Candles author, Ernessa T. Carter will be our first author of #blacklitchat Tweet Chat on Twitter!!!!!!!!!!

So wear your 32 Candles T-shirt or pull your book out of your pink 32 Candles bag and lets have an online book chat with her. 

Umm…who is Ernessa T. Carter?

sErnessa T. Carter has worked as an ESL teacher in Japan, a music journalist in Pittsburgh, a payroll administrator in Burbank, and a radio writer for American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest in Hollywood. She’s also a retired L.A. Derby Doll. A graduate of Smith College and Carnegie Mellon University’s MFA program, 32 CANDLES is her first novel.

I’ve heard about 32 Candles, but don’t know what it’s about?

Davie—an ugly duckling growing up in small-town Mississippi—is positive her life couldn’t be any worse. She has the meanest mother in the South, possibly the world, and on top of that, she’s pretty sure she’s ugly. Just when she’s resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life—Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn’t imitate art. Tormented endlessly in school with the nickname “Monkey Night,” and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, James Farrell, Davie finds that it is bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings. When a cruel school prank goes too far, Davie leaves the life she knows and reinvents herself in the glittery world of Hollywood—as a beautiful and successful lounge singer in a swanky nightclub.

Davie is finally a million miles from where she started—until she bumps into her former obsession, James Farrell. To Davie’s astonishment, James doesn’t recognize her, and she can’t bring herself to end the fantasy. She lets him fall as deeply in love with her as she once was with him. But is life ever that simple? Just as they’re about to ride off into the sunset, the past comes back with a vengeance, threatening to crush Davie’s dreams—

A disarmingly moving tale”

–Bridgette Bartlett, Essence magazine

“Carter’s first novel is a winner on all fronts.”

–Kristine Huntley, The Booklist (STARRED review)

“32 Candles is a perfect bookclub choice!! I want everyone to read this book so we can all talk about the absolutely wonderful and utterly imperfect and refreshingly real Davie Jones. If you have ever been teased about anything at all, you will fall head over heels in love with Davie.”

–Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Wench

“First there was Stella and she got her groove back, then there was Bridget Jones and she managed to find love despite her own loveable neuroses. Now there is Davie Jones. 32 Candles, at last, is the answer to the question ‘What should I read next?”

–Erica Kennedy, author of Feminista and Bling

After the chat I’ll add your praise here. (wink, nod)

What is BlackLit Chat?

It's a stream of tweets about books by Black[including Pan-African, African-American, Brit, Caribbean, Canadian Black, etc.] authors in real time during a specified time. Our time  for this chat is Sunday, October 17, 2010 from 7-8 PM EST. Remember it here via Facebook.

More about #BlackLitChat is here at my co-host Bernadette Davis’ Black Books Blog.  She is giving away a copy of 32 Candles this week. So check it out.

 

How does it Work? 3 Easy Steps

1. 1. Get a Twitter account, or login, or remember your Twitter Password.
2. 2. Join the chat by clicking this link. http://is.gd/fYHlB
3. 3. Now login with your Twitter Password.

My Giveaway?

Want a copy of 32 Candles? The first person to RT this announcement link (), leave a question you would like to ask Ernessa to my Facebook comment , then  share it on your Facebook profile, and follow #blacklitchat get’s it.  Ernessa will answer your question live Sunday. How kewl?!

Related articles

• A Common Sense Approach to Deciding which Book Events to Attend: a 3 Part Series (deegospelpr.com)

2010 TWESTIVAL

Some 12 percent of all children in Malawi do not survive to celebrate their fifth birthday. Photo: Concern Worldwide
Today is Twesitval and our focus this year is very important.

This year proceeds from Twestival will be donated to Concern. Concern Worldwide has been selected as the TWESTIVAL GLOBAL 2010 recipient for education. Proceeds will benefit their work providing access to quality education for out-of-school children, orphans, child laborers, conflict-affected children, and children affected by HIV and AIDS.
In Atlanta our Atlanta Twestival will help provide clean water in schools. Come out tonight to HUB Atlanta. Chipotle Mexican Grill will host dinner. Yum!

When your Virtual Publicist is Shut Down: Twitter

Yesterday the publishing world--mainly authors--silently screamed in unison when they woke up to a Twitter - less world. When they learned of the Twitter Hack their minds raced-- no, their Facebook messages stated:

• "WTF(rankenbeans)! "


• "I can't tweet."


• "Why is Facebook moving so slow?"


• and some other things I can't state on this blog...

But what they really wanted an answer for was "how will i promote my books if social media fails?"

In this economy publishing houses aren't expensing marketing dollars to many of their authors. In fact, some authors are only receiving online marketing support. But what if we have another day like tomorrow? What if Twitter fails for good?

As I've said many times, authors and publishing houses and publicists must create a strategic social media design that has an objective of moving it's followers off-line and to their on-line hub. Having a blog or a Facebook Fan Page, Amazon Page, or an embedded Forum inside a Ning or a very well put together site(I recommend Ty Moody and Linda Leigh Hargrove and Rochelle Mann web design services.) will ensure that when your people chatter they have a place to go. Imagine how many of your readers could have been chopping it up one on one with you on your own place yesterday? You would have a richer conversation, because they aren't distracted by tweeting to every tom, dick and Jane Austen on the World Wide Web.

If you need assistance on creating a strategic social media design, contact me. And yeah, you have a few more days to receive my Book Marketing Dee-Mystified Planning Workbook for $3. Authors have received it and are using it to their satisfaction. I hope you take this opportunity. Also next Monday I will be giving a Twitter for Authors Crash Course Teleseminar. It's my six week training condensed. $5 for Christian Fiction Blog Readers. Visit my paypal account at vidae dot writing dot com to pay for your registration.

Now a weekend chatterbox question for you: What did you do when the Tweets went out in America?

Related Posts:

• 5 Ways to Support your Favorite Author for Free
• Experiment with New Media to Brand your Niche
• The Twitter Book Experiment

If you haven't already, you can receive Christian Fiction Blog, as a newsletter format in your email inbox, just click here and it's set you up.

Media Candy: Dating the Obamas, BEA & Anointed Authors on Tour

Media Candy Show Notes
Tonight's Theme: Are You Anointed?
8:00 -8:45 PM EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mediacandy

Join galpals Publicist Dee Stewart and Magazine Editor Marina Woods discuss current events in a Christian woman's point of view. Tonight's topics: President & First Lady Obama's dating brouhaha, BEA & Wesley Snipes and what does it take to become an Anointed Author. Brohost - Martin Johnson will share BEA, the women of the Anointed Author Book Tour will be our special guests. Let's chop it up.

Call in # : (646) 649-1066

Our bro host tonight is: L. Martin Johnson Pratt the host of Urban Literary Reviews. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/urbanliteraryreview


Show Format

1.Intro

2. Top Topics(Hot Topics) Below for you to look through

Add Commericial


3. Special Guests are Anointed Author Tour Members: Shewanda Riley, Tia McCollors, Michelle Stimpson. http://www.anointedauthorsontour.com/

Dee

Call-in Number: (646) 649-1066

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mediacandy

*******************PossibleTopics*******************************

1.Hired Hit at the Altar: The Kansas Murdered Doctor while in Church
Source Link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/02/kansas.doctor.killed/index.html
"Tiller practiced medicine for nearly 40 years. Most of his patients were grappling with pregnancies that were "fatally or catastrophically complicated by medical problems," Dr. Warren Hern, a Colorado physician and a friend, said on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

quick question: Who in their good mind thinks it's okay to kill someone while worshipping God? Why are some Christians okay with this killing?

2. Dating the Obamas

Source Link: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/23122.html

GOP takes potshots at President Obama for traveling to New York in Air Force One on Friday to take First Lady Obama on a date.

"The Republican National Committee slammed the outing in an "RNC Research Piece": "As President Obama prepares to wing into Manhattan’s theater district on Air Force One to take in a Broadway show, GM is preparing to file bankruptcy and families across America continue to struggle to pay their bills. ... Have a great Saturday evening – even if you’re not jetting off somewhere at taxpayer expense. ... PUTTING ON A SHOW: Obamas Wing Into The City For An Evening Out While Another Iconic American Company Prepares For Bankruptcy."

A funnier remark from Vanity Fair Magazine...

"Forget, for a moment, GM and the Middle East. Barack Obama just made life a helluva lot harder for one already underperforming demographic: the husbands of America. His date-night foray to Manhattan with the First Lady was the sort of beau geste(grand gesture) that most men could only dream about (if they even bothered to dream) but never pull off."

quick question:

3. BEA Recap from our BroHost
Source link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbMIA6UaAu8
Martin recaps his most interesting moment at BEA.

4. Who is Marina Crushing On?
Marina has a crush on one of our past bro-hosts. We're having a contest and giveaway to the person who tells us who the crush is first. :)

Other topics:

• Jamie Foxx & Halle Berry
• Judge Sotomayor and Reverse Racism via GOP
• Father's Day
• Sasha Cohen(Bruno) & the MTV Awards
• Trending Topics on Twitter - sex hashtags
  
• Unfollow Diddy on Twitter
  

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the Fourth Be with you! LOL. Happy Star Wars Day. Above is a the movie trailer for the first star wars. Join me and the Force on Twitter today. Hey, @sistagp, @MrFresh, @jawar, @blogdiva. :)

weekend chatterbox: Will Oprah Fail Twitter?

Now that Oprah is @Oprah on Twitter will social media change for readers and authors? I've been on Twitter for two years now. In the beginning it was many techies and probloggers hibernating and connecting there. When journbloggers, mombloggers, journalists and pr pros began to use it, we knew that eventually this thing would become a pop culture phenomena. Boy were we right! President Obama's team used it last year to galvanize masses of people. Today Oprah finally signed up and did half her show focusing on Twitter. Really. Although this news is exciting, but it also is a double edged sword. With masses of people coming on and Twitter's bandwidth limitations, how can we continue to support this product, while at the same time making sure it remains a pure ad free microblogging service? If we don't want to see the Oprah Fail Whale, we need to come up with something, else Twitter become monitized soon. Your thoughts. What can Twitter do to pay for the bandwidth and its staff without becoming an adnetwork?

The Oprah Fail Whale pic is courtesy of @TechCrunch

What AmazonFail Can Teach Bookstores Not just Amazon.com: Christian Fiction Blog

This past weekend while most of us were participating in Easter/Resurrection Day events Amazon.com was having an event of its own. Amazon.com removed sales rankings and listing on the main search page for 57 000 of its registered titles, many of which were books with gay/lesbian themes. When some of these authors realized what happened and more importantly that Amazon.com still had not responded to their challenge, they organized a social media campaign via Twitter, coined the term AmazonFail, and got media attention. Amazon.com later told Publishers Weekly...

that a "glitch" had occurred in its sales ranking feature that was in the process of being fixed. The spokesperson added that there was no new policy regarding "adult" titles. As of Monday morning, a number of titles affected by the glitch were still without sales rankings. No one at Amazon was available this morning to discuss when the problem might be fixed or what caused the glitch.

An interesting article here that suggests culprits behind AmazonFail.

Last night during #journchat we discussed #AmazonFail as a teaching tool for other pr firms. Long after the discussion I wondered how this event could serve as a teaching tool for online bookstores, authors, and brick and mortar stores.

Whether we want to believe it or not Twitter is more than a microblogging service. It can be used for many things, one of which is a tool for rapid response CS. If book stores whether mobile, online or in a store want to build value with their customers, they are going to have to devise a way to respond in real time to their base, especially when "glitches" and stuff happens. Because if they don't then they will experience a bit of the venom that was spewn onto Amazon this past weekend. I've been tempted at times myself to tweet a few crappers I've experienced dealing with publishing houses, bookstore chains, churches, you name it. But I didn't, haven't yet. However, as more and more Twittercotts tweet up, you'd be more than the wiser to have a contingency plan designed.

One tip I will throw at you: Use Twitter to monitor your brand. There are various twitter tools you can use to do that. Search through my blog I've shared some on here already.

Also this Saturday I will be hosting a workshop on The Virtual Fiction Writer's Conference about book events and I will be talking about the power of Twitter, of course, and designing your own instore event contingency plans. ;)

Why Authors Must Catch up to the Social Media Wave before the Fail Whale

The dreaded fail whale. lol.

This morning I received a group email from a writing buddy regarding the usage of a social media tool. Usually I skim through my email and only respond to questions are specifically addressed to me or I know that my answer will benefit the group conversation, so I answered it. Yet after a little thought I felt a little concerned.

Pam Perry, owner of Ministry Marketing Solutions is a friend/biz bud and book marketing coach. We have worked together through the years and last night had one of those we haven't talked or connected in far too long kind of conversations. We recorded it on Utterz-a micropodcasting social media service just for the kicks. And the gist of our conversation came down to we have to be proactive about connecting with people. We have to use all tools out there to facilitate that connection.

I have to admit I haven't spoken to Pam in a while. She'd shoot some email here; I'd shoot some tweet there and we veered away from the commonality between us. In short we fell off each other's wave. Pam talks in her book Synergy Energy about connection and using shared connection to expand and engage the marketplace. I agree.

A part of that expansion, however, doesn't just happen because you write a book, record a CD, set up a Facebook page, become a Twitter user. Becoming a catalyst for expansion means having the discernment to catch the wave before it passes you by.

In a nutshell this morning my reply to my writer's group was a breakdown of some of the drawbacks of the service and a mention that the service has morphed into a Facebook appi. Most importantly, this change happened two years ago.

Two years ago.

If we are going to be enact change, build communities, engage with our fans we must not be on the tail end of the wave, else we may be kicked off of it.

For the past three weeks I have been meeting every Thursday with some of my author clients for a group coaching session on Social Media. I am honored that some of my clients have taken this free opportunity to learn from me. It is my mission to get them up to speed before the next wave comes in. And yes there is a new wave. I've had the opportunity to beta test some appis that will blow your mind.

March 30th Pam will be hosting a free seminar for those who have no clue what a blog is, but know they need one. I encourage you to please take this seminar.

Moreover, next month I will be hosting three events:

1. April 16 I will be giving a seminar on The Business of Book Events at the Virtual Fiction Writer's Conference. For those of you who are still chatting about CBE or Book Expo or NBCC prep this is the seminar for you. I will be talking about how to Hack your next book event.
   
2. I will be hosting a free teleseminar on How to Build a Better Birdhouse on Twitter: Tips on Using Twitter to Reach your Psychographic. Follow this Blog or subscribe to my Twitter Feed to stay posted on the date.
   
3. My 90 day social media bootcamp for authors. It is free to my clients, but not free to the rest. However, the cost is very affordable. That bootcamp begins April 28-August 4(I'm taking a week off for the Faith and Fiction Retreat.)

So my question to you: What are you doing to stay on the Social Media Wave? If not, what do you plan to do?

1. 
   

Has Blogging Lost Its Relational Focus? Part II

This weekend at The Master's Artist Blog journalist and author Deb Gyapong asked the question:

Has the Blogging Novelty Worn Off?

I answered a lil over there, so I could expound upon the answer here. My answer is no. Blogging has not worn off. As a novelty...that's another subject.

Deb, we are sisters in Christ! I wrote about the same topic last week at CFB:Has Blogging Lost its Relational Focus?

Blogging has taken new forms
I say no.What has happened is that more people are talking using different forms of social media than they were when blogging became popular. Blogging via blogs like CFB is just one form of blogging. Miniblogging like Twitter and Utterz and some FaceBook Tools are being used widely. People are using Blog Talk Radio. I am using it more as well as Youtube and Last.fm.

We love to communicate and fellowship. We have to be receptive and open to other forms of media. See where it fits in our focus and apply them if necessary. There are ways to use them all and keep with them all. I will be talking about those things in more detail in the September issue of The Christian Communicator Magazine. Subscribe because I will have a second installment breaking down different forms of social media in the winter issue of the magazine.

Tonight my write-or-die chick Sherri Lewis will be on Blog Talk Radio, which is a great audio blogging tool you can incorporate in your own blog and reach thousands of people without having to type or come up with a great blog title. Come here us at 8PM EST on Ella Curry's Radio Show

Selfish Blogging
On the other hand we have become --and I've been guilty of this--Selfish Bloggers. We stay in our bubble and blog about what matters to us and never share this information with others or go out to our favorite links and blogging friends and see what they have to say about their world. We have forgotten that we are communal and belong to each other. We need to be sharing what we know and then go out to where people congregate and fellowship with them. We could organize meetups to meet other bloggers in our towns. It's easy to get lost into your own world, but if we won't this platform to stay viable we have to return to what made it best:

• cross commenting
• fellowshipping
• and linking
• meeting us in the marketplace
  

Now are you guilty of being a selfish blogger? I know I am. Join the Christian Fiction Network to began fellowshipping again. We have over forty blogging authors in communing. If you want to stay on top of new social media that can be helpful for authors and ministers join Vertical Promotion Network Or if you don't have time, hire me. I'm pretty affordable. :)Email me off loop for my rates.

Dee

Weekend Chat & Contest: Have you ever been a Part of a Social Movement Inspired by a Book?

I read books and therefore receive many kinds of bookmarks for gifts. I have jeweled ones, cute Hello Kitty Ones, and your basic paper variety. But this summer I received the best bookmark ever, so far. Jerry B. Jenkins' Riven bookmark.




Why am I gaga over this bookmark? Look above. It comes with a pin. The pin is designed in the shape of a crucifix with the words "Riven" inscribed on top. When I saw it I immediately knew I wanted to wear this.

Why?

• It's a evangelism tool
• It's a book marketing tool
• It invited community into the discussion
  

I will talk about these whys in detail through the week and would like you to help me write these posts, so I am opening this discussion up to the community via utterz, twitter and on your blogs. I have 2 questions for you. Let me know your answers between now and August 3, 2008, and you will get the chance to enter a drawing to win a free copy, of Riven and the cool bookmark that I'm wearing. So The questions are:

What's Your Favorite BookMark? Or What's Your Favorite Tee-Shirt?

(I just won a cool Eat.Live. Tweet Tee-Shirt last night at The First Online Tweet-up hosted by my new buddy, Billy Fairchild AKA Tw3nty3ight

Have you ever been a part of a Social Movement inspired by a Book or Media Platform?

I have been a part of a few: Terry McMillan's novels changed not only my perception of AA women, but my generation, as well as Sweet Valley High, teen novels. I'm pretty sure Sherri Lewis' The List, which comes out in March 2009 will start a revolution among progressive, single Christian women. And of course you know I'm Twitastic.

About Jerry B. Jenkins' Riven, the novel:

Brady Wayne Darby and Thomas Carey could hardly have been more disparate individuals. Yet when Darby, a no-account loser raised in a dingy suburban trailer park, encounters Carey, a weary man of God, an entire state—indeed a nation—is affected. Embark on a wondrous journey where death, guilt, and despair are unfathomably trumped by rebirth, forgiveness, and hope. (Tyndale, 560pp, $24,99)
Click here to order.

Mobile post sent by deegospel using Utterz. Replies. mp3
Click here to listen.

CFB Author Chat: Marita Teague

Listen to Walk Worthy Press Author, Marita Teague and me on Utterz as we discuss her debut novel, Taste of Good Fruit and how women bible studies can use her book as a great companion piece. Click here to listen.

Dee Stewart is a writing diva mother, Christy Book Awards Judge, contributing Editor for Hope for Women Magazine, inspirational book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, and owner of Christian Fiction Blog. Her writings have appeared in: Spirit Led Woman, Gospel Today, Good Girl Book Club, The Dabbling Mum, Atlanta Christian Family, Mosaic Literary, Precious Times, Vertical Fix just a few. Visit her at Christian Fiction or follow her on Twitter.

Thanks Rhonda!

Talk w/Dee Live Today on Blog Talk Radio

Don't forget today I am also at The Master's Artist Blog. You know about the Writing Project I would like you to participate in with me, but you don't know why I think this project is important to The Master's Artist. Meet me there. Also don't just follow me on Twitter today. Leave me questions about Christian publishing, books, and promotion. Then talk to me live tonight on The Black Author's Network Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio. Look you do not have to be an African-American to listen in, chat and be a part of the show. Listen to my Utterz comment for further details. I also have a book giveaway for those who follow me around today. Look below and click the link or download the mp3 and listen to later.

Dee

Mobile post sent by deegospel using Utterz. Replies. mp3 Replies. mp3

Update: If you missed the show, no worries, you can listen here below.

Chatterbox: Are You Using Twitter Yet?

I've been on Twitter for a while. A few writers and book publishing people are on there:

• NY Times Books
• Christa Ballan
• Colleen Coble
• Thomas Nelson's Michael Hyatt
• Camy Tang
• Mary Demuth
• Mike Delosso
• Claudia Burney
• Kathleen Popa
• Penguin Books
• Jill Elizabeth Nelson
• Ty Moody
• Wendy Lawton

If you are a writer and on Twitter, follow me at Twitter.com/deegospel.

If you aren't on Twitter
Twitter Book Experimen. Gayle Roper's Fatal Deduction
Why I Love Twitter
7 Tips to Help You Have an Effective Interview on Blog Talk Radio
Twitter Catches an Art Thief

To stay informed of social media that can impact authors and readers, subscribe to Christian Fiction. Or check the sidebar to have Christian Fiction come to your email.

Dee

Twitter Book Chat in 30 Minutes

I will be chatting with Kathleen Popa and Brandon Satrom about Gayle Roper's summer novel, "Fatal Deduction" in thirty minutes. If you missed it, goto Summize and read our chat under deegospel.

The Twitter Book Promotion Experiment: Fatal Deduction

In January Christian Fiction began an online book promotion experiment using Twitter. Jill Elizabeth Nelson was kind enough to participate in the first experiment.

On Monday Christian Fiction will experiment again. This time two other author members of the Twitterati, Brandon Satrom and Kathleen Popa will participate in an Twitter Book Chat, and we are inviting you to participate.

The book we will discuss is Fatal Deduction

Summary: Libby Burton longs to be close to her twin sister, Tori, but their lives have taken them in different directions. Forced to share Aunt Stella’s old Philadelphia home in order to receive their inheritance, Libby hopes for a change, but it isn’t looking good so far. First, Tori tries to steal the affection and allegiance of Libby’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Chloe. Then when a crossword puzzle with a hidden warning shows up on their doorstep, Tori refuses to take it seriously-inspite of the dead man who delivers it. Libby finds comfort in neighbor Drew Canfield, but he hesitates to trust her after his disastrous marriage. As Libby struggles to act faithfully in the midst of these confusing relationships, she must also deal with a stolen diamond and a botched kidnapping. The answer to her problems lies in the riddles of the crosswords, if only she can solve the puzzle before it’s too late.

Author Bio: Gayle Roper has been writig mystery and romantic suspense novels for more than thirty years and is the author of over forty-five books. She is a three-time Christy Award finalist, the winner of three Holt Medallions, and the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times magazine. Her novel Autumn Dreams won Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance. She and her husband, Chuck, divide their time between Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada.

Now here are the details on how you can participate in our live Twitter chat on Monday.

1. Read the book. If you don't have it, goto your public library or buy it a your local store. Check the sidebar for Books-A-Million(BAM) discounts. If you still can't snag a copy between now and Monday, don't worry. Download this excerpt, to warm you up. You can still chat. After we chirp this book, you will go and get it.
2. Get a Twitter Account, if you don't have one. Twitter is a miniblog platform that you can link to your blog and read via your cell phone. So you can participate via SMS technology, if you don't have internet access.
3. Follow me, Kathleen and Brandon. Here are our usernames:
1. http://twitter.com/deegospel - Dee/ Me
   

2. http://twitter.com/kathleenpopa - Kathleen
   

3. http://www.twitter.com/thesatch - Brandon

4. Participate in Christian Fiction Blog's Weekend Chatterbox Question here and at Twitter. Come to the site for the chatterbox question, if you are an email subscriber or read the most current post.
5. Join us Monday, EST to read, chime in and participate in the book chat.
   
6. If you decide to join us, leave me a comment, so I can follow you and add yo to the discussion.

Can't wait to see you.

Weekend Chatter Box: Does your Book Need Walmart?

This week my phone, email and twitter feed has been burning up with this topic. Now I'm passing it onto you for chitter chatter. Tweet me.

With many mom/pop bookstore closings, Borders books ebbing and flowing and online bookstore sales surging, how important is Walmart to your book? Do you buy your books from Walmart? Are you torn between Walmarts ties to China and China's tie to Darfur? Does ethics affect the books you buy? As an author how does Walmart affect your booksales? Why does you need Wally World?


More Chatterbox:

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

What next? Subscribe to christianfiction by Email

Why I Love Twitter

Daren Rowse at ProBlogger asked a question on Twitter yesterday: Why I love Twitter? Didn't know he would make a video out of it. I answered don't know if I made the video cut. Check it out here.