Amazon launch of Stacy Padula's book, When Darkness Tries to Hide

Today marks the release of Stacy Padula’s latest novel, When Darkness Tries to Hide.


As a special promotion, today’s buyers will get free gifts & a chance to win Boston Red Sox tickets, gift certificates, & other prizes for each copy of When Darkness Tries to Hide that they purchase.


For details on the book, launch, and promotions please visit:
http://montgomerylake.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/mlh2-launch-info.pdf

Enjoy this interview with Stacy Padula:


Author of When Darkness Tries to Hide and The Right Person


Q: How did you become interested in writing?


A: I wrote my first book when I was in Kindergarten; it was a short story about a puppy. Then my writing just continued…I wrote books all through elementary school and continued beyond. I finished my first draft of When Darkness Tries to Hide when I was 15 years old. I had read a lot of different books while growing up that had been about high school. When I entered high school I was completely shocked by what was going on around me! It was nothing like Sweet Valley High or the Babysitters Club. There was an abundance of backbiting, backstabbing, substance abuse, and kids just being mean to each other. I felt that there needed to be a realistic book series out there for kids to read so that they could be prepared for the social battles of high school. So, I wrote The Right Person, which is the first book in the Montgomery Lake High series. I fell in love with my characters, and the subject matters, so I decided to write a sequel (which is now When Darkness Tries to Hide). I have recently finished the 5th book in the series, and I plan to keep writing as long as I am able to!


Q: What should people know about When Darkness Tries to Hide?


A: The book picks up two months after where The Right Person left off. There is a terrible storm that brings destruction to the town and into the lives of some of the characters. One of the characters, Andy, gets injured and another character, Jason, feels responsible. (Although no one knows at first exactly why Jason feels that way.) The story follows many characters reactions to the accident, and how everyone comes together to help Andy. Jason is the central focus of the story, and the transformation he goes through as a result of feeling responsible for what happened to Andy. The main point of the story is the battle between light and darkness, and how people often do not realize they are living a dark life because everyone around them is living the same way, until a ray of light shines in and breaks through the darkness.

Q: Have any experiences from your own life affected the storyline of the book?


A: I have not written about anything that has happened to me exactly, but everything in the books is based on things I have witnessed teenagers go through, or emotional/social/physical/spiritual battles that I have fought in my life. The books are filled with lessons I have learned from my own experiences, but I have woven those lessons into the completely fictitious world of Montgomery Lake High. It is my hope that teens and pre-teens can learn from these lessons and not go through as much pain as I had to in order to learn them!

Q: What is it like waiting for each book to be published?


A: It is exciting!! My next book, which will be published apart from the series as a novel, is called Montgomery's Masquerade: The Battle for Innocence. It is a prequel to the series that takes place when the main characters were in 7th grade. I just got it back from my editor, who is actually from Pearson Publishing, and I am excited to review her edits and send it along to my publisher, Strategic Book Group. They had read the rough copy earlier this month and accepted it. The whole process has many steps, and a lot of approvals that need to be signed off on. It is excited to see the internal layout of the book. I get to work with my publisher's book designers to bring the book up to the vision that I have for it. This, along with approving the front and back cover designs, is a very exciting part of the process. I always get butterflies in my stomach when I open up the first printed copy of each book. The process can take anywhere from six months to a year, depending on many different circumstances. I enjoy being a part of the process. It is always a learning experience, and I find that very rewarding!


Q: Do you have a "life verse" that you have claimed? If so what is it and why is that verse so meaningful to you?


A: Psalm 84:11 has significant meaning to me. It states that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. This verse is a reminder to me that anything that I pray for and do not receive is not really good for me, and that I only desire it because I have limited understanding of what is best for me. God knows what is best, and as long as I am walking with Him, He will not withhold anything good from me. So whenever God closes a door in my life, I recall Psalm 84:11 and find great comfort and peace within its promise.


Q: Who (or what) is your greatest encourager when you write and why?


A: I have a wonderful support system of family and friends who encourage me in my writing. What encourages me the most, though, is the world of Montgomery Lake High that exists within my mind. It is like God has put this world in my head, and these characters that are so real to me, and I write to express what is within me: a message of faith to reach out to the youth.


Q: Is there anything else that you would like your readers to know about you that would give us even more of a glimpse into your personality and passions?


A: “Passionate” would be the best word to describe me. When I'm into something, I'm into it with my whole heart. I love my life and think God has blessed me with the best friends, best dog, best job, and the best mother in the entire world. Writing is my favorite pastime. I have learned a lot about conquering fear this past year. The ocean moves me. I love North Carolina and feel like a part of my heart is there. I love to learn and figure out how things are connected. I see deeper meaning in everything. I believe love is the answer to life's toughest questions. I have "songs" with the majority of my friends and hope the lyrics always mean something to me. My faith is in Jesus Christ, and I'm in love with Him. I have a strange fetish for football movies. I am an avid skier. I have a lot of hope and believe nothing is impossible with God.

Please visit: http://montgomerylake.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/mlh2-launch-info.pdf for more information on the Montgomery Lake High book series.

New Book Review of What Every Dream Means

WHAT EVERY DREAM MEANS by Scott M. Shafer

“What Every Dream Means” is not what I expected nor is its’ author Scott M Shafer. What I expected was a dream dictionary with commentary; it is not. I also expected an author who would give biblical interpretations to justify various statements without actually citing a particular verse; this was not the case. Incorporating personal experience, years of study and much prayer the author has put together a biblically based argument for the importance of understanding dreams as well as foundational information to do so.

The author, Scott M. Shafer, speaks at seminars, workshops and retreats as well as hosting private dream interpretation sessions. His website http://www.whateverydreammeans.com/introduces the viewer to the potential of dream interpretation by providing such workshops as: “Dreams and The Professional Community”.

Scott’s journey to understanding dreams began as a young man. In examining the significance of his own dreams he noticed a relationship between his conversations with God and the proliferation of dreams. This gave birth to years of study and as opportunities presented itself the interpretation of the dreams of others. Through experience he learned the importance of listening to the details of the dreamer as well as listening to the Holy Spirit. “What Every Dream Means” incorporates the knowledge of 20 plus years of studying dreams.

“Scott’s intention and purpose is to build knowledge into others in order for them to properly understand and interpret dreams.” (see: http://www.whateverydreammeans.com/ About the Author)

Though dreams have been around as long as mankind existed it is not a recognized “ministry” in most Christian churches. In discussing how people receive what he does Scott shared the following with me:

“…As a result they assume that it is New Age or occult based.

I recall a pastor’s wife who came to a dream interpretation table in a bookstore where I was interpreting one evening. After to talking to her she admitted that she could not find answers to her dreams in the church and when she saw the interpretation table at the bookstore she thought or assumed it was New Age but she was desperate to find answers for her dreams. So she came to the table and immediately took the opportunity to share her dreams.

I have another person, probably a well-meaning person; say to me recently that they thought what I did was ‘psychic’. Again I think the reason is that they have never been exposed to who I am and what I do and on the surface they are only familiar with what the New Age has become known for. “

Obviously there is a need for dream interpretation yet as with many areas of ministry the laborers are few. “What Every Dream Means” is a beginning. From the Introduction forward Mr. Shafer walks the reader through the dream process which does not begin with going to bed. There is a biblical basis for dreams and throughout the book there are both Old and New Testament references to corroborate various points.

The book is 159 pages full of much needed information. (Generally speaking; I hate reading the introduction to most books yet I found Scotts’ to be very thought provoking and a necessary read.) Chapter 1- “DREAM RECALL: Remembering Your Dreams”, has subchapters that include: Passivity Can I Really Change This?; “God Speaks in Dreams”: “The Night Season: Sleep Preparation”; and “Improving Memory”. Though chapter one could be a book by itself there are eleven subsequent chapters each building upon the other.

In preparation for dreaming Scott teaches the reader the importance of exercising his or her “memory muscle” by memorizing bible verses. When asked to suggest a few mentioned the Psalms of David and also Romans.

“Romans 12:1 reveals the light that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. As we meditate on this verse at night it will have a profound and deep influence on our conscience and gradually as we come to believe the verse it will set us free from any nagging sense of accusation, guilt or fear. Fear, stress, worry and guilt are some of the things that negatively affect the quality of our sleep at night and can erode our dreaming experience.”

Scott makes it clear in this book that God speaks to us in our dreams no matter who we are or what we believe:

“The things that I recommend about sleep preparation are not intended in any way to become ‘law’ or some kind of legalistic burden to people. I do believe it will enhance their sleep and dreaming experience but I am ultimately confident in the Sovereignty of God. When he wants to speak to us in a dream He will do it. There are examples of this kind of thing happening and being reported in the mission field. Muslims are reporting Jesus appearing to them in dreams and being converted by reason of their dreams.”

He, Scott, also makes it clear that there are no rules etched in stone as to how we are to interpret dreams. Which is why; I don’t use the dream book that I have.

“This is the genius of God that keeps us dependent of Him and His Spirit and not on some methodology of interpreting by knowing a list of symbol meanings from a dream dictionary.”

Each of us should have a personal relationship with Father God. Knowing that He speaks to us in various ways including dreams it is important that we know how to get the most out of our sleep. What is presented in “What Every Dream Means” is the compilations of biblical principles supported by scripture to help you interpret you own dreams as well as the dreams of others.In case you have not determined it yet: I am recommending you purchase this book. Review Written by Marsha L. Randolph

Join the fun and purchase your copy of DRIVEN from AMAZON.COM on March 1 and receive bonus gifts from the author and her generous supporters. (Offer good 3/1/11 only.) For more information check out my shellieneumeier.com .

ABOUT Driven:

Robyn loves her friends, enjoys her youth group, and looks forward to meeting cute Caleb Montague. But when a caustic news reporter challenges her school’s prayer team, Robyn must choose: defend their right to meet on campus and pray for whomever they wish or back down at the principal’s request.
Now she must learn what God wants her to do. And she had better learn fast, because there’s a supernatural enemy in town whose sole mission is to stop her—no matter the cost.

FREE E-GIFTS FROM THE AUTHOR—

• Purchase Driven Tuesday, March 1 and receive a personalized, signed book plate mailed directly to you plus. . .
• Free signed bookmarks to share with your friends

BONUS GIFTS

If you purchase Driven Tuesday, March 1, you will also receive free e-gifts (deliverable via email or over the internet) from authors Delia Latham, Lynn Dove, Tracy Krauss, Brenda Hendricks, and Elaine Marie Cooper.


WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT Driven

Driven is a new take on the age old battle of good versus evil. Gripping from the first page, this is one book you won't want to put down.

--Leanna Kay, co-creator of www.samiesisters.com - a place for Christian girls to grow in faith.


Driven is a breathtaking book of tension, intrigue, and heartwarming emotion. From the moment I began to read until the very last word, I couldn't put it aside. It held me enthralled!

--Lindsay Below, author of Head Over Hand-Bought Heels

Oily creatures of the night are seeking to destroy a group of teens at Brookfield Central High School. Their primary target? A resilient teenage girl who refuses to question her calling. But how much guilt, how much pain, and how much accusation can one human take? Laced with other-worldly plot threads akin to Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness, Shellie Neumeier’s debut novel inspires followers of Christ to stand strong in God’s calling regardless of tragic circumstances. Along the way she explores tragedy in friendships and the beauty of redemption.

--Caleb Jennings Breakey, Refining Teen Writers into Rockstars www.CalebBreakey.com

In the tradition of This Present Darkness and The Screwtape Letters, Driven pulls back the veil between worlds and reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against Satan and his minions. But the journey of Robyn and her friends against both physical and spiritual enemies also illustrates the more exciting truth: that ultimate victory rests with our God.

--Anne Mateer, author of Wings of Dream, September 2011.




Married for almost 20 years, Shellie and her husband have four wonderful children and two goofy greyhounds. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, she went on to acquire an early childhood education certificate. Shellie also served in youth, children’s, special needs and family ministries for over twenty-two years.
Today she enjoys teaching her teens how to drive and chauffeuring her preteens across the Wisconsin countryside. And once in a while, she enjoys reading a classic tale or new suspense. In addition to writing fiction, Shellie is an avid blogger on her site http://shellieneumeier.com and several others including http://Samiesisters.com, http://www.suite101.com/.com, and http://thebarndoor.net.

Contact her at:
Website: www.shellieneumeier.com
E-mail: neumeier(dot)shellie(at)gmail(dot)com

DRIVEN's Amazon book launch has been coordinated through participation in the John 3:16 Marketing Network.

A 'Best Sellers' Post Script

One day after the launch of my book MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER, I am still overwhelmed and oh-so-grateful for the 'surprise' of actually reaching best seller status. Yes, MAN-EATER reached #12 (to the best of my knowledge - it may have been higher) in the 'Romance-Contemporary' category at Amazon.ca/ - the sister subsidiary to Amazon.com in Canada. This was especially exciting since I had neglected to change my categories there to the narrower ones I had chosen at Amazon.com. 'Romance-contemporary' is actually a pretty broad category with 42,404 books listed.

In the end I can chalk up the success of the launch to several key factors:

1. Follow the 'rules' for book launches as listed within the 'John 3:16 Marketing Network' guidelines to the maximum degree that you are able. There are several excellent documents outlining exactly how to host a successful launch, written by people who actually know what they are talking about. And it works!

2. Stay organized. You will soon discover that your book launch 'to do' list, along with the plethora of correspondence, will bury you if you don't take steps to maintain an orderly system of tracking what you are doing. I created more than one separate 'folder' in my email account to manage all the correspondence, and I also created a separate word document where I could keep track of those offering to blog, give e-gifts, or just tweet. In the end I had 57 people willing to help me in some way and there would have been no way for me to stay organized had I not taken these steps to stay organized.

3. Prepare well in advance. I started preparing for my launch a good six weeks before the actual date. There are so many things to do, from changing browse categories at amazon, to creating a landing page, to contacting potential supporters individually - that you will quickly lose your sanity (and some hair?!) if you leave it until the last minute. Just a note on the 'contacting individually' ... this is a key factor, in my mind. An initial group contact is fine in the beginning, but I can't expect everyone to take the same amount of interest in MY launch that I am taking. We are all busy people and not everyone is going to remember to post or get around to reading every group email. You will be much more successful if you take 'ownership' of your own launch by doing most of the leg work.

4. Prayer. In the end, all my hard work and valiant effort is only as good as my trust in God. Ultimately, He is in control of my 'rising and sleeping'; my 'going in and coming out'. Whether you actually attain best selling status or not, rest assured, God is on your side if you are putting your trust in Him. The experience you will gain and the connections you will make are well worth all the effort.

I wish everyone many blessings as they continue to walk with HIM and as they move forward toward their goals. The Marketing Network is a wonderfully supportive place for Christian authors to work together and I pray that it will continue to grow as God sees fit.

Market Your Book on Squidoo

By CHERYL ROGERS

Do you Squidoo?

In case you haven't heard, Squidoo is website that opens up worlds of possibility for online marketers. It's free to use and -- better yet -- it may even make you money.

Sound too good to be true? It really isn't. I've been using Squidoo since 2007 and it's the real game. What Squidoo does is set you up with free one-page websites called lenses, where you can take a close look at a topic of your choosing. To prepare your lens, you use their online tools, making the job easy even for folks without a lot of technological savvy. The tools include modules where you can place short articles like this one, photos, affiliate/personal sales links, a link list, YouTube videos, iTune listings, Amazon and eBay product links, etc. You get the idea.

As a Squidoo lensmaster, you have the freedom to promote your products and your brand, drive traffic and sales on your own website, boost your personal domain search engine ranking, collect a share of Squidoo advertising revenues, and generate affiliate sale commissions. You'll generate interest in your work, but you may not be able to track your sales back to Squidoo.

Squidoo is the brainchild of bestselling author and blogger Seth Godin, who writes books about marketing. Here are some tips to help make Squidoo work for you.

* Avoid spammy content with a strong sales angle, avoid even the smell of it. Squidoo calls it spam or spambait and will lock your lens if you try it. In short, they'll keep you from updating it. They can even close your account.

* Be willing to work at it. Like other things in life, you have to be willing to work hard to reap the rewards. Skimpy websites with little content can only be expected to reap skimpy results. You'll get some boost in lens ranking possibly because of the extra links, but you sure won't do much for your reputation as a expert, or convince anyone you are dedicated to quality.

* Create lots of lens, quality lenses. Remember these are one-page websites. They are focused, leaving you wiggle room to create lots of new lenses expanding upon your initial topic and developing related topics. More lenses make it easier for you to be found online, increase your number of product links, boost traffic potential, and multiply your income potential.

* Don't put more than nine links to your website on any one lens. Only pre-approved websites like CafePress or Zazzle, which sell print on demand products designed with original art, can bust through the nine-link barrier. Your lens can be locked for this also.

* Do update your lenses regularly to ensure optimum lens ranking. Regard the lenses as free advertisements. Maximize their impact by keeping the content fresh, offering useful information such as product reviews, and sharing with fans on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

* Don't limit yourself to Squidoo's established affiliate programs. You are free to maximum your income potential with other affiliate programs like Art.com and Clickbank.

* Check out the Squidoo forum and some of Squidoo's how-to lenses for more advice.

If you decide to join Squidoo, tell them I sent you. Use this code, http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/referral/cherylrogers, and they'll give me $5 (when you make your first $15).

REVIEW OF THE BOOK « THE ROAD TO DEER RUN » BY ELAINE COOPER

It was an absolute pleasure to read Elaine Cooper's first book. I just fell in love with it. As I started reading, I found myself very eager to carry on with my reading; the book was so well written that I connected easily with the characters and the places where the story took place. Honestly, I felt like I was watching a very nice historical romance movie in Technicolor.

The Road to Deer Run takes place in 1777 during the war between the British and the Americans. A young atheist British soldier, Daniel Lowe, is seriously injured before running away from his regiment to find refuge in the nearest village called “Deer Run” where he meets a young Christian American lady, Mary Thomsen.

Being enemies of war, they soon learn that they strongly need the support of each other to survive evil at its fullest."When God is allowed into the picture as the Great Physician, true healing of one’s innermost being takes place. When a person allows the Great Physician to have access to his heart; healing for the mind and emotions follows on applying the healing power of God’s Word." (Quote from God’s Prescription by Ken Sharum).


Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: Or Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here.

Elaine Cooper’s book shows us that God can turn hatred into friendship and restores the years that the devil has stolen from our lives a hundredfold. He is forever faithful and full of surprises. The author demonstrates that God lets things happen in our lives so we can turn to Him for help as He saves us from our sins. Elaine also shares the longing of God to have a loving relationship with those who doubt His existence and forgiveness.

Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

Being Elaine Cooper’s first book, I felt that it was the written work of a professional with a lot of experience.

Her book is well researched. Deep emotions, love and passion have been put into Elaine’s historical romance novel where love is deeply rooted to the soul and heart of each character. Elaine has managed to give her readers a book where perfection prevails. The author knows how to get the attention of her audience from the beginning to the end of her story.

To conclude, I would recommend Elaine Cooper’s first novel The Road To Deer Run as a great gift for anyone who wants to read a good breathtakingly historical romantic novel. Most importantly, I would suggest it as a good read for those who still doubt the existence of God.

May God use Elaine Cooper's book to reveal His forgiveness and character in order to change the stoniest hearts.


You can order Elaine Cooper's novel The Road To Deer Run by clicking or copying the link below into your browser:

http://deerrunbooks.com/order_264.html

God bless you,

Sana Edoja

http://sanaedoja.wordpress.com/?p=799&preview=true

Family Scrapbooking in Celebration of First Sale

We live in an age when family members often live far apart. Years ago, before it was the norm for young adults to scatter from their homes, women cooked, canned, and even cleaned together. Families in general gathered on a regular basis, often after church on Sundays, for food and fellowship.

There are times when girls need to be girls and do something together, for one another. I planned such a day with my daughters and granddaughters after Christmas, 2010.

The afternoon began with a visit to Chocolatier Blue, where I treated them to their choice of exquisite, unique chocolates. Every once a while, I have to do something tactile. I had already decided to put together a first-sale scrapbook in commemoration of the release of Moselle’s Insurance. I invited loved ones to share in the fun, and I’m so glad I did. In creating memories for me, I hope these lovely girls took away something for themselves. We all had fun, and the final product is so much prettier and more meaningful than had I done the selections and arrangements myself.

Going back to my childhood, I saw a scrapbook for the first time when I was 12. I babysat a family of three girls who lived near our farm in Antelope County, Nebraska. The mother had glued keepsakes within the paper covers of a simple scrapbook. I was hooked. I’ve had scrapbooks, and made them for my children, ever since. In recent years, keepsakes have gone into decorative boxes or the cedar chest instead of between book covers. A woman has only so much storage

Every time I see the pictures from that day, I’ll remember the laughter and the love. For example, when I offered to show my old scrapbooks, my youngest granddaughter said, “I like to put ‘em together, but I don’t want to look at others.”

As for the tactile, I do a simple collage for my inspirational novels. My next work will probably not be a romance. I have yet to search and choose the pictures I’ll use for that collage. My inspiration will surely come from the finished Moselle’s Insurance scrapbook.

www.loreepeery.com
Rainn on My Parade coming soon
from White Rose Publishing
Moselle's Insurance
http://www.whiterosepublishing.com

Lynn Dove's launch

As you know, Lynn Dove's Amazon launch of her book 'Heal the Wounded' is on Tuesday, Jan. 25. As an encouragement to Lynn and a reminder to everyone else, here is my review of the book.

HEAL THE WOUNDED - a review
by Tracy Krauss

HEAL THE WOUNDED is the second in a trilogy by Canadian author Lynn Dove.  The entire series is aimed toward the YA market, but it is worth reading no matter what your age. In HEAL THE WOUNDED , we are introduced to several teenagers who are facing some tough problems. First, Jake, a Christian from a loving family, has to deal with the fact that his mother has been diagnosed with cancer. He is still reeling from the death of a close friend and wonders where God is in all of this. His girlfriend Leigh is also struggling. Her insecurity and an untimely fire force the two apart. Meanwhile, another teen, who happens to be the brother of the deceased friend, has turned his anger and confusion inward and begins ‘cutting’ himself to ease the emotional pain. I don’t want to spoil the story by explaining what happens, but the author draws us into the emotional whirlwind that is the life of a teenager with skill and conviction. Her characterization seems very true to real life as she deals with some tough issues. In fact, the series has apparently been listed as a helpful resource for anti-bullying. My only negative comment, which in no way reflects on the author or the book, is that I think I may have gotten more out of this second book if I had read the prequel, SHOOT THE WOUNDED, first.  Dove does a good job of explaining the back story, however, which includes teenage pregnancy, gossip, stereotyping and other issues about making choices. In the end, this is a solid book that is entertaining yet manages to pack a wallop in terms of its message to teens. I highly recommend this, and the rest of the series, to young readers everywhere.

New Book Awards

I'm excited to tell you about the launch of a brand new Christian Book Award - The Grace Awards. This is a totally reader based award, where YOU, the reader, can vote for your favorite books of 2010 in a number of categories.

What do you have to do? As long as you have an individual social networking page, (facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Ning etc ... ) that has been up and running for three months prior to the opening of voting, you can nominate your favorite book of the year. It's that simple.

Individuals can vote from Jan 21 - Mar 15, 2011 by email to: graceawards@aol.com and the subject line should read: '2010 Voting'. Include the Grace Awards novel category (ie, Contemporary Romance/Historical Romance), the title of the book being voted for and its author, a link to the individual voter's social networking page, the  individual voter's online name, and a 15-45 word summary/review/reason for voting for the novel. (Don't just copy the back cover blurb. We'll check!) Please vote ONLY for novels you have read.   

Novels must be submitted to the correct category, or they will not be counted. The Board makes all decisions on what votes will be accepted, but it is not our aim to exclude or disqualify a vote or voter, but rather to be inclusive.An individual can vote for only one novel per category in one submission. Multiple submissions will not be accepted. Please be sure you've voted in all the categories you wish the first time you submit. More than one submission can disqualify your voting. Of course authors can vote, but not for their own book(s). This is a reader-based awards and readers will pick the finalists in each category. 

PROJECTED BOOK CATEGORIES
·         Women's Fiction
·         Contemporary Romance/Historical Romance
·         Suspense/Thriller/Mystery/Romantic Suspense/ Detective Novel Series  
·         Speculative (SciFi/fantasy/horror, etc.)
·         Action Adventure/Western/Historic Epic Fiction
·         Young Adult 

for more information and included categories: 

www.graceawards.yolasite.com

email: graceawards@aol.com

Review of Delia latham's book DESTINY'S DREAM

As a pre-cursor to Delia Latham's book launch, I'd like to post my review of her book.

DESTINY’S DREAM by Delia Latham has it all. There’s romance, mystery and action – all very skillfully woven together into a well told and satisfying story. Add to that a solid presentation of the gospel using real and believable characters, and you have a recipe for a great Christian romance novel. These elements on their own are enough to make this book worth reading, but Latham has taken her story telling to another whole level. There were so many unique things about this book that I’m not sure where to begin. First of all, the set up where the two main characters meet is pretty unusual. Destiny May and Clay Gallagher meet at her mother’s funeral. Yeah, that’s right – a funeral! Hardly the makings for a ‘happy beginning’, yet Latham manages to make this scene quite humorous without becoming irreverent. Also, Destiny’s profession is atypical, to say the least. She runs a dating service for Christians and sees it as a ministry that God has called her to. Rather than coming across as shallow, Latham manages to present both the heroine and her aspirations in such a way that it seems totally plausible – even inspiring. In fact, one of the things that impressed me most was the matter of fact way Destiny’s deep spirituality was dealt with in the book. There were plenty of references to the gospel message, redemption, prayer, and even some topics that other authors might shy away from such as angelic visitations, the use of anointing oil, and prophetic messages from God. Yet, Latham weaves all of these elements into the story in such a skillful and unobtrusive way that never once does the reader feel like they are being preached at or ‘taught’. This is good story telling at its finest. There are lots of solid Biblical principles, well rounded and sympathetic characters, and enough plot twists and turns to keep you on your toes – all put together so that in the end all you are left with is the satisfaction of a story well told.