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Welcome to this Friday's edition of Bookbyte. Today I’m sharing this newsletter on the blog for those of you who are curious about the hashtag and may want to participate in the future.
Here are the top three articles I wanted to share with you about book publishing this week. If you want to nominate a post or article, email me at deegospelpr at gmail dot com. Don’t forget to comment on either Facebook or Twitter using the hashag #bookbyte
Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson wrote a poignant post “My Defense of Books” this week. He shares the story of Dr. Ben Carson. Brilliant. Your thoughts…Is your passion for books worth fighting for?
Literary Agent Rachel Gardner shares some best practices and a book pitch template for aspiring writers attending writer’s conference. Are you pitching this year? Do you find this info helpful?
While Google Editions books might be readable on Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle e-readers (the Sony Reader devices are a shoe-in since Google’s existing book library is one of their major selling points already), the store will compete with the iBooks and Kindle stores. That competition could be good for consumers but frustrating for Apple and Amazon.
BookByte is a weekly social digest. To receive it in your email every week for free, register here. You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook to respond as well.
Today is Off Topic Thursday and I thought it would be fun to share my Fit Kit. It’s in the Carousel above. Two new things I added to my kit are included and it’s:
Rodney Yee’s A.M. Yoga
Power Praise Moves DVD
Kettlenetics
Laurette Willis’ Power Praise Moves products are designed for Christians who love the benefit of Yoga, but are concerned about their spiritual health as well. I can understand why this series is important to some. For Christians who are novices to Yoga, I’ve also included in the carousel, Thomas Nelson’s Yoga for Christians. Personally, I’ve never felt challenged by Yoga, although from time to time I receive emails from my concerned and devoted readers here. They mean well and I thank them for being prayerful for me.
The benefits for yoga for me was when I first began yoga when I was sixteen I had a total body makeover. I stopped in college and have hard time staying healthy. Last year I joined WeightWatchers used Yoga as my activity and bam…total body makeover. So third time is the charm, so I’m back.
But with a better mindset. After watching Rodney Yee’s A.M. Interview he explained why yoga was yoyoing for me. Yoga isn’t an exercise it is a way of life. I agree. I feel better. I can breathe better.I can sleep better. I feel more comfortable in my skin.
More things I use are:
Prevention Magazine’s Yogalife Total Body Makeover
Weight Watchers (of course)
I am in love with Walk It Out. I’ve increased to walking about 3 miles a day now. I cannot go to bed until I walk it out, yall. I miss an hour of TV a day for this and it’s worth it for me.
Now…share your Fit Kit. What keeps you moving and feeling alive?
Last week, May 4, 2010 Preacher’s Kid[Warner Bros] made its DVD release debut. Starring Destiny’s Child LeToya Lucket, Sharif Atkins[White Collar and The Good Wife], Recording Artist Tank Babbs, Gregalan Williams[Baywatch], and Gospel Recording Artist Kiki Sheard to name a few.
Here’s the plot:
Angie King[Luckett] is a sheltered twenty-something bishop’s daughter, who wants to see more of the world than her Georgian home. Her father uses family guilt and biblical scripture to keep tight reigns on his daughter. Even when the musical director[Atkins] asks for the Bishop’s permission to date Miss King, the Bishop claims his daughter has too many godly duties to perform. So of course, when Angie deceptively ditches home for a chance to see a gospel play all Hell breaks loose. She meets R & B heartthrob Tank, who sniffs out her naivety faster than you can say Prodigal Daughter. And there you have it.
My review: 2.5 Hallelujah Handclaps
Plot: The Prodigal Son Remake was just as trite as The Gospel. Lord of the Ring’s Return of the King is still remains the paramount of Prodigal Son stories. What this story fails to like so many before it is instead of creating an interesting and compelling character arc that parallels with the Prodigal Son parable they continue to Red Robin Hood the story. They forget that even a child can tell that even if the wolf puts on Granny’s nightgown and glasses we still see him. The parable should never overshadow the plot, else we will continue to have poor storytelling in movie scripts like these.
Cast: The cast saved this movie. However, I must say that Tank’s character was too one dimensional and overly done. We’re about done with the handsome Ike Turners. It wasn’t Tank’s fault. He did the best he could do with that script. Also I’m just curious is Clifton Powell the hardest working man in Hollywood and DVDland? Someone give this man a lifetime achievement award for being an equal opportunity thespian. Goodness. Another sore spot: Kiki Sheard playing a coy singer in the beginning…Really?
Script Dialogue: If the plot’s weak, then so is the dialogue. Sharif and Essence Atkins[no relation] had the best lines. Sidekicks should never outshine the main characters. Tank’s dialogue was stilted. Powell’s dialogue was uncharacteristic. I heard two cities tossed around in the movie(Augusta and Atlanta) which city is the story set in? Knowing that would definitely make a difference in understanding Angie’s naivety.
Music: Since this movie is set between a church and a gospel play, it’s understood their will be great music. Wrong. Miner misplaced song choices in spots(ie. Jennifer Hudson’s song.) The bright spot was the duet in New York. There were places where a Tank or Luckett song would definitely befitted the scene.
Biggest Challenge: The treatment of Domestic Violence. Although DV is whispered in most African-American churches, it was never brought to the spotlight during Angie’s reversal. Instead it was glossed over like a lover’s quarrell and a climactic battle between 2 beaus. Low point.
Overall this movie will be enjoyed by those who hope to see a behind the scenes glimpse of a Tyler Perry or David Talbert play. It is not romantic, sweeping, barely coming of age, comedy, family drama…it is a hodge podge of all, yet not mixing well.
In conjunction with the Sweet Auburn Festival, several National Bestselling Authors will be signing their books at The Author Pavilion in front of The Book Cafe, 314 Auburn Ave.: Bern Nadette Stanis, Tina Brooks McKinney, Mary B. Morrison, Wahida Clark, Kendra Norman-Bellamy, Dwan Abrams, Roishina C. Henderson, and Shawneda Marks.
The Sweet Auburn Festival is a 3-day event, the times are: Friday, May 7 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday, May 8 11 p.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday, May 9 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. Books will be available for purchase and autographing. .. The Book Cafe.......314 Auburn Ave.......Atlanta, GA 30312.......
The first 1,000 words of your manuscript can make your career! Some acquisition editors and agents know after reading the first 1,000 words of your work if theyÂ’d want to represent you or sign you to a book deal. The first 1,000 words can either draw the reader in, or make them put the book down, never to be retrieved again.
Can you get an editor's attention with YOUR first 1,000 words? Enter the Faith and Fiction Retreat Writing Contest and find out.
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