Third Thursdays: Third Thursdays: June Reader Series Announced

Third Thursdays: Third Thursdays: June Reader Series Announced: "Coming up: Thursday, June 16, 7:00pm to 9:00pm

A reading by:

Author, Creston Mapes is a Buford resident and former creative director for Dr. Bruce Wilkinson (Prayer of Jabez.) Multnomah Publishers has published his debut novel/ the first of a three part series, DARK STAR: Confessions of a Rock Star Idol this month.

A performance by:

Former Miss Black Atlanta USA, Miss Eulene Adams

A psalm by:

Vocalist, MeLana Latrice Jones ...she performs as a choir member in the upcoming movie 'The Gospel' due for a November cinema release.

Click on the link to see who else is on the roster.

Writing to see what the end's gon' be,

Dee

Christian Writing with Mainstream Appeal

Release the Pain 

I was reading my Christian Retailing newsletter and came across a topic regarding the 2005 BEA. Apparently there was some concern that BEA and the mostly mainstream companies would only glance at the CBA Publisher booths. However, that was not the case...Good News...

However, what stood out about this subject was that many of the CBA market account managers displayed book titles that had more mainstream appeal like: Release the Pain, Embrace the Joy by Michelle McKinney Hammond.

Now, don't get me wrong I like Michelle McKinney Hammond books when the mood strikes. She's very helpful.

But I wondered about Christian Fiction. I'm thinking Eric Wilson's Expiration Date was on display Or it least it should have been. Chris Well's Forgiving Solomon Long might have been there somewhere. Victoria Christopher Murray's Grown Folks Business had to be there. It would be a crime, if it wasn't.

Which brings me to my point. Before I spreaded my wings and started searching other genres inside the Christian fiction booksophere, I spent much of my time reviewing christian fiction books written by African American authors. And if you look at the titles of some of these books: Singsation, He's Fine, but is He Saved, Flippin the Script, and Saved in the City. You will see that this whole "writing with mainstream appeal thing" isn't new.

Yet, why aren't these books displayed on the front bookshelves of Family or Lifeway Bookstores? Why aren't market account managers taking their African American authors to BEA?

If we're trying to compete in the market place, then why don't we beat our competition, Move beyond race, move up a little higher, and show the world what we got?
We don't need to be like the general market?
We don't need to try to emulate them either?
What we need to do is take all our books-literary, the emergent, the classic, the black, white, red(not just Dekker), the latino, the asian--yeah there's asian christian fiction. And we need to make sure that next year not only do we hold our own at BEA, but we take up the joint. Lift it up higher. Save some some souls.

Now I'm going to get back to my mainstream/christian/literary/Star Wars meets Big Mama's House/off the hook WIP:)

Writing to see what the end' gon' be,
Dee

CBa Bestsellers for Early June

Ranking Title Author/Publisher
1 (2) Monster Frank Peretti, WestBow (Nelson), c
2 (7) Moonlight on the Millpond Lori Wick, Harvest House, p
3 (11) Breaker's Reef Terri Blackstock, Zondervan, p
4 (14) The Rising Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins, Tyndale, c
5 (21) A Thousand Tomorrows Karen Kingsbury, Center Street (Warner Faith), c
6 (24) Whence Came A Prince Liz Curtis Higgs, WaterBrook, p
7 (25) Redeeming Love Francine Rivers, Multnomah, p
8 (27) The Warrior Francine Rivers, Tyndale, c
9 (47) Beyond Tuesday Morning Karen Kingsbury, Zondervan, p
10 (48) Black Ted Dekker, WestBow (Nelson), p

Third Thursdays: Part Two: CCM Magazine, Dee Stewart & Third Thursday

Third Thursdays: Part Two: CCM Magazine, Dee Stewart & Third Thursday

Check out Part Two of Chris Well's CCM Interview with me about Third Thursdays. I'm getting psyched. I can't wait to reveal the readers who will perform at the June Jump Off-Launch of the series. I'm stoked! And it's not too late to join the party. email me for an evite at vidae@writing.com

Writing to see what the end gon' be,
Dee

Amazon.com Emergent Faith Store

You have to see this to believe this--Amazon.com's
Emergent Faith Store

Apparently Ted Dekker is the only Emergent fiction author.

Christ the Lord:Out of Anne Rice's Obsession

Although we all have so many things on our plates like writing our own work, reading others, supporting others, I wanted to highlight a bit of news that I forgot to post last month. Anne Rice is writing a novel--a first person POV of Christ.

NEW YORK May 7, 2005 — Vampires are usually her passion, but Anne Rice is getting biblical in her next book, due out in November from publisher Random House. Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt will tell the story of Jesus' early years in his own words.

Excerpts of a lengthy letter that will accompany advance review copies of the book this summer are published in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine.

"For over 10 years I've wanted to do this book Jesus in his own words," Rice writes. "For five years, I've been obsessed with how to do it, and for the last three years I've been consumed with nothing else."
Rice, who has moved from New Orleans to San Diego, brought the undead back to life in the 1970s with "Interview With the Vampire."

I will definitely keep you in the loop as snippets of this book trickles through the pipeline. What say you?

Writing to see what the end gon' be,
Dee

Summer Reading Project Winner-Unveiling

The votes are counted and we have a winner! 

Suzanne M. Wolfe's Unveiling

Before I tell you about this book let me just say that I appreciated all those that sent in nominations. Other nominations were:

Marilynne Robinson's 2005 Pulitzer and Christiantity Today Award Winner -Gilead
Victoria Christopher Murray's -Grown Folks Business and Truth Be Told
Kimberly Brooks -He's Fine, but is He Saved
Peretti's -Monster
Karen's Kingsbury -Redemption Series
Vanessa Davis Griggs' -Wings of Grace
Tia McCollors' -Heart of Devotion
Chris Well's -Forgiving Solomon Long
Eric Wilson's -Expiration Date
Xena Ruiz's -Choose Me

Unveiling's Paraclete Press Book Description

Still reeling from her recent divorce, Rachel Piers steps off the plane in Rome, prepared to embark on a demanding art restoration project that could enhance her reputation as a rising star in her profession. As she uncovers layers of grime on what could prove to be a lost Flemish masterpiece, Rachel finds that layers of her own soul—layers that she would rather have kept hidden—are being stripped away.

Imbued with historical and artistic detail, Unveiling will appeal to readers of A.S. Byatt’s Possession and Tracy Chevalier’s Girl With a Pearl Earring. Beautifully written, it brings the venerable city of Rome vividly to life and illuminates the power of art, imagination, and beauty to speak directly to the heart.

I think this book will be a good choice for the summer, since so many wanted to read either a romance or a more literary novel. It's Rome setting also makes it a nice getaway without the travel costs. We will begin discussing this book next Friday, June 10th. So go to your local library, bookstore, Christianbooks.com or my favorite online book store-The Potter's House.

Email me at vidae@writing.com or leave comments here about the Summer Reading Project, your objections, your comments, your prayers.

Reading to see what the end' gon' be,
Dee