A Taste of Friday First Chapters with He Who Has An Ear by Laura J Davis

ABOUT THE BOOK: More than two thousand years ago the Apostle John had a vision he received from the Lord. He was told to write seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor. Out of the seven churches only two received commendation from the Lord. The rest were letters of warning.

Compromise and disobedience, combined with a lack of knowledge of the Word of God, has placed the 21st century church in a precarious situation. The letters to the seven churches are a message for this generation during the last days. He who has an ear will know what to do and act accordingly.

He Who Has an Ear,

Who the Seven Churches of Revelation are Today

By Laura Davis

1. Who Are the Seven Angels?

W

ho or what are the seven churches of Revelation? Are they still in the world today? Were the seven churches in Asia Minor real churches or do they represent a type of church (i.e.: Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, etc.)? Are the warnings relevant to this generation? Are they for each of us as individuals? As we look carefully through the letters of Revelation, we will discover the answer to all these questions and more.

But before we can get to any of the letters, we must determine who the angels were that the letters were written to. It has been suggested that the angels represented the head or bishop of each church. Others suggest the angels were actual celestial beings that stood guard over these churches. First, let’s look at the word in both Hebrew and Greek.

Angel in Hebrew is Malack and means messenger. Angel in Greek is angelos and also means messenger. So, what kind of messages do angels bring?

1.      They bring good news (Luke 2:8-14; Luke 1:26-38).

2.      They also bring bad news (Genesis 19:15).

3.      They communicate God’s will to men. (They helped reveal the law to Moses [Acts 7:52-53] and served as the carriers for much of the material in Daniel and Revelation).^[i]

4.      They give instructions and act as guides (Matthew 1:20-21; Acts 8:26; Acts 10:1-8).

5.      They strengthen and encourage God’s people (Matthew 4:11; Acts 5:19-20; Acts 27:23-25).

The most important thing about angels is that they continually praise God and carry out His commands. They ascend and descend to earth frequently. (John 1:51; Genesis 28:12; Revelation 7:2). We cannot see them, but they are here watching over us for God and, I assume, reporting back to Him on how we are doing (Job 1:6).

Besides being messengers for God, angels have different jobs. For example:

·         God has used angels to provide for physical needs such as food for Hagar (Genesis 21:17-20), Elijah (1 Kings 19:6), and Christ after His temptation (Matthew 4:11).^[ii]

·         They act as protectors (Daniel 3-6; Matthew 2:13).

·         They can deliver people from danger. They released the apostles from prison in Acts 5 and did the same for Peter in Acts 12.

·         They care for God’s people at the moment of their death (Luke 16:22).

There are also different types of angels:

• Cherubim (Ezekiel 1)*
• Seraphim (Isaiah 6)
• Archangels—We know of two, Michael (Daniel 10:13; Jude 9) and Gabriel (Daniel 9:21; Luke 1:19; 26).

*For the record, there is nothing in the Scriptures to indicate cherubim are cute little babies. In fact, the reaction of most people who saw angels was to fall down in fear, not reach out and say, “Coochie-coo!” The cherubs you see on Valentine’s Day cards and at Christmas are from the minds of their human creators.

Before the edict was given to write to the churches, John saw the following in his vision in Revelation 1:12-16:

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

It’s no wonder that, in the next verse, John “fell at his feet as though dead.” But Jesus touched him and said not to be afraid and then in verses 19-20 He said, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

To be clear, John wrote about the past, the present, and the future. Then Jesus explained the mystery of the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the lampstands are the seven churches.

While the appearance of angels was usually frightening enough to make people fall to the ground, these supernatural beings sometimes took on human form. (In Genesis 18, Abraham welcomed three visitors who appeared as men.)

According to Strong’s Concordance, the word for messenger and angel were used interchangeably. For example, in Malachi 2:7 we read, “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.”

Again, the Hebrew word for angel, Malak, means messenger. It should be no surprise to learn that the word messenger in Hebrew is also Malak. If we read the verse above with that in mind, we get, “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the angel of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.”

Does that mean our pastors are angels? Not in the real sense of an angel, no. However, it does reveal how important God considers those who bring messages from Him, either through His Word or through prophecy. People, therefore, should not be so quick to say, “I have a message from the Lord,” unless they are very sure it is the Lord who is sending it and it lines up with the Bible.

While it is possible that each of the seven angels referred to in Revelation are actual angels disguised as humans, I think it is more plausible that they are the elders of the churches. It would make no sense for John to write letters and send them to real angels. For that matter, why would Jesus have John write everything down when the angels were always before Him in heaven?

In addition, we must also remember that John was writing to real churches during his era. The fact that these letters have been preserved for us is just a bonus. No, it makes more sense that the angels are the messengers in the church who will read the letters aloud to the congregations and thereby, bring forth the message from God.

Now, here is where confusion sets in. After the apostles died, other men who had known them took up the reins to keep the church functioning. Catholic tradition suggests there was a bishop for each church. For example, Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch; Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna; Timothy was the bishop of Ephesus; and so on. However, there is no mention in the Bible that Timothy was appointed as a bishop, not by Paul or anyone else. In fact, there are no scriptural references that say each church should have one man as a bishop. The truth is, the role of a bishop over the church did not start until at least 154 A.D., more than fifty years after the Apostle John died. That’s plenty of time for wrong doctrine to enter the church.

Therefore, the angels referenced in the letters to the seven churches could not be bishops because one bishop for each church did not exist at the time the Apostle John wrote Revelation. And since most churches today don’t have bishops in the formal sense like the Catholic Church, how do these letters relate to us? Who are the bishops of the church today? We’ll discuss that in the next chapter.

To purchase He Who Has an Ear visit www.tinyurl.HeWhoHasanEar

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[i] Dr. John Bechtle, “What is the Job Description for an Angel?” Christian Answers Network Website, URL http://christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-t005.html#9

[ii] Dr. John Bechtle, “What is the Job Description for an Angel?” Christian Answers Network Website, URL http://christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-t005.html#9

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Laura J. Davis is a former singer/songwriter who took to

writing full-time after emergency surgery caused the loss of her singing voice. Her singing career had lasted for 30 years. Her first book, "Come to Me," won a Reader's Favourite Award. In 2013, her bible study "Learning from the Master, Living a Surrendered Life," was featured in Book Fun Magazine as the non-fiction book of the month first place winner. She has had stories featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul Married Life and Chicken Soup for the Soul the Dating Game. Her latest book, "He Who Has an Ear," is a look at who the seven churches of Revelation are today. Laura is currently featured in the Author's Network book, "50 Great Authors You Should be Reading."

You can contact Laura through her website at www.laurajdavis.com and join her for a Bible Study at www.believersbiblestudy.com.

Available through Amazon on Kindle at http://tinyurl.com/qzbygms and in paperback at http://tinyurl.com/q5c38u6.

Meet Some Nepali Kids Who Love to Read and Sing

The Gift of Books to the Orphans of Nepal

Orphans of Nepal receive books from #John316author s @AuthorMRoth pic.twitter.com/MW05DhxX9q
— Lorilyn Roberts (@LorilynRoberts) October 24, 2014

Today was the most moving yet. We spent a couple of hours reading with the children. 

I was amazed at how well they read English, their sweet spirit, and their excitement of receiving the books. 

They hung on every word as I shared with them how I received most of the books, through the generosity of John 3:16 authors. 

I have many more pictures and videos to share. Please be sure to follow the blog so you don't miss future posts on this amazing trip to the ends of the earth.

A Taste of Friday First Chapters Dead Dreams by Emma Right

About the Book:

When eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara accepted Sarah McIntyre into her life to be her roommate, she entertained only the best of hopes for herself. Despite her long work hours and tedious jobs, Brie was working on saving for a better future. Best of all, Sarah was an heiress and more than generous with her money. Brie was about to be the envy of everyone she knew. Her dreams of making something of her life, of going to acting school, maybe even of rekindling her friendship with her high school sweetheart, might just come true. What more could she hope for? Especially since Sarah was more than willing to share her fortune. Or did she hide an ulterior motive behind promising big dreams to Brie?

Dead Dreams, Book 1, a contemporary young adult thriller and mystery is a Gold award winner in Readers’ Favorite, young adult mystery category.

Dead Dreams, Book 1, the suspense and mystery continues in Gone Missing (Dead Dreams Book 2)

 Buy on Amazon 

First chapter

Prologue

They say each dead body, a human corpse, has a scent all of its own, a sweet-sour smell. A cadaver dog picks up the odor as clearly as a mother recognizes a photo of her child. Of course, I wouldn’t know, for I am no dog. I might as well have been, the way I’d stooped to yield to my basic instincts. My mind wandered to her, what her unique smell would be when, and if, they ever were to find her.

vvv

 After what happened, I decided to write out the events that led to that day, and details, in case I’d missed something, or might need it for defense, or in case they found me dead. My relatives might need to piece together the things that had spiraled out of control, if they wanted to put me to rest, to forget me altogether. That would be least painful for them. I nodded to myself as I sat in the car. I thought of my most favorite girl in the world: Lilly. At least Lilly’d have my dog, Holly, and Rosco, my teddy, to remember me by.

My friends used to call me Brie, short for Brianna. But, I could hardly count anyone a friend any more. I’d have to resort to back-watching if I wanted to survive.

Chapter One

It started on a warm April afternoon. Gusts of wind blew against the oak tree right outside my kitchen balcony, in my tiny apartment in Atherton, California. Sometimes the branches that touched the side of the building made scraping noises. The yellow huckleberry flowers twining their way across my apartment balcony infused the air with sweetness.

My mother had insisted, as was her tendency on most things, I take the pot of wild huckleberry, her housewarming gift, to my new two-bedroom apartment. It wasn’t really new, just new to me, as was the entire experience of living separately, away from my family, and the prospect of having a roommate, someone who could be a best friend, something I’d dreamed of since I finished high school and debuted into adulthood.

“Wait for me by the curb,” my mother said, her voice blaring from the phone even though I didn’t set her on speaker. “You need to eat better.” Her usual punctuation at the end of her orders.

So, I skipped down three flights of steps and headed toward the side of the apartment building to await my mother’s gift of the evening, salad in an á la chicken style, her insistent recipe to cure me of bad eating habits. At least it wasn’t chicken soup double-boiled till the bones melted, I consoled myself.

I hadn’t waited long when a vehicle careened round the corner. I heard it first, that high-pitched screech of brakes wearing thin when the driver rammed his foot against it. From the corner of my eye, even before I turned to face it, I saw the blue truck. It rounded the bend where Emerson Street met Ravenswood, tottered before it righted itself and headed straight at me.

I took three steps back, fell and scrambled to get back up as the vehicle like a giant bullet struck the sidewalk I had only seconds ago stood on. The driver must have lost control, but when he hit the sidewalk it slowed the vehicle enough so he could bridle his speed and manage the truck as he continued to careen down the street.

My mother arrived a half minute later but she had seen it all. Like superwoman, she leaped out of her twenty-year-old Mercedes and rushed toward me, all breathless and blonde hair disheveled.

“Are you all right?” She reached out to help me up.

“Yes, yes,” I said, brushing the dirt off my yoga pants.

“Crazy driver. Brie, I just don’t know about this business of you staying alone here like this.” She walked back to her white Mercedes, leaned in the open window, and brought out a casserole dish piled high with something green. Make that several shades of green.

I followed her, admittedly winded. “Seriously, Mom. It’s just one of those things. Mad drivers could happen anywhere I live.”

She gave me no end of grief as to what a bad idea it was for me to live alone like this even though she knew I was going to get a roommate.

“Mom, stop worrying,” I said.

“You’re asking me to stop being your mother, I hope you realize this.”

“I’ll find someone dependable by the end of the week, I promise.” No way I was going back to live at home. Not that I came from a bad home environment. But I had my reasons.

I had advertised on Craig’s List, despite my mother’s protests that only scum would answer “those kinds of ads.”

Perhaps there was some truth to Mother’s biases, but I wouldn’t exactly call Sarah McIntyre scum. If she was, what would that make me?

Sarah’s father had inherited the family “coal” money. Their ancestors had emigrated from Scotland (where else, with a name like McIntyre, right?) in the early 1800s and bought an entire mountain (I kid you not) in West Virginia. It was a one-hit wonder in that the mountain hid a coal fortune under it, and hence the McIntyre Coal Rights Company was born. This was the McIntyre claim to wealth, and also a source of remorse and guilt for Sarah, for supposedly dozens of miners working for them had lost their lives due to the business, most to lung cancer or black lung, as it was commonly called. Hazards of the occupation.

And then there were cave-ins, which presented another set of drama altogether, Sarah said.

I sat across from her, the coffee table between us, in the small living room during our first meeting. “So, that’s why you’re not on talking terms with your family? Because of abuses of the coal company? ” I asked.

We sipped hot cocoa and sat cross-legged in the crammed living room, which also doubled as the dining space. I’d never interviewed anyone before, although I’d read tips on the Internet.

“I just don’t want to be reminded anymore,” she said, twirling her dark ringlets round and round on her pointer finger.

“But, it’s not entirely your dad’s fault those people died of lung problems.”

“I guess, but I just want to get away, you understand? Anyway, I’m almost twenty-one now. That’s three years too late for moving out and establishing my own space.” She took tiny sips of the cocoa, both hands cupping the mug as if she were cold.

I walked to the thermostat and upped the temperature. A slight draft still stole in from a gap in the balcony sliding door I always kept open a crack to let the air circulate.

“So, your family’s okay with you living here? In California? In this apartment that’s probably smaller than your bathroom? With a stranger?”

“First off, it’s none of their business. Secondly, you and I won’t stay strangers.” Sarah flashed me a grin. “Besides, I’m tired of big houses with too many rooms to get lost in. And, have you lived in West Virginia?”

I shook my head. The farthest I’d been was Nevada when we went for our family annual ski vacation. “I heard it’s pretty.”

“If you like hot, humid summers and bitter cold winters. So, do I pass? As a roommate?”

She looked about at the ceiling. I wondered if she noticed the dark web in the corner and the lack of cornices and crown moldings. I was sure I smelled mold in the living room, too. But I wasn’t in a position to choose. Sarah was.

“As long as you’re not a psychopath and can pay rent.” I returned her smile.

“I don’t know about the psychopath part.” She shrugged and displayed her white, evenly-spaced teeth. “But here’s my bank account.” She tossed me a navy blue booklet with gilded edges and with golden words “Bank of America” on the cover.

I fumbled as I caught it and was unsure what to do. “Should I peek?”

“Go on.” She gestured, flicking her fingers at me as if I were a stray cat afraid to take a morsel of her offering.

“No secrets. I can well afford to pay rent. And, I’m a stable individual.”

I flipped the first few pages and saw the numerous transactions in lumps my parents, who were by no means poor, would have gasped at. The last page registered the numbers: under deposits, $38,000. My eyes scanned the row of numbers and realized that the sum $38,000 came up every sixth of the month.

My mouth must have been open for she said, “You can stop gawking. It’s only my trust fund. It comes to me regardless of where I am, or where I stay. So, do I make the cut?”

I handed the bank book back. We discussed the house rules: no smoking; no drugs, and that included pot; no boyfriend sleepovers or wild parties, which was a clause in my landlord’s lease; and Sarah was to hand me her share of the rent, a mere $800, on the twenty-eighth of every month, since I was the main renter and she the sub-letter.

She didn’t want anything down on paper—no checks, no contracts, and no way of tracing things back to her, she’d stressed a few times.

She fished in her Louis Vuitton and handed me a brown paper bag, the kind kids carry their school lunches in. I peeked inside and took out a stash of what looked like a wad of papers bundled together with a rubber band. Her three-month share of the deposit, a total of twenty-four crisp hundred-dollar bills. They had that distinct new-bank-notes-smell that spoke of luxury.

I gulped down my hot chocolate. “Why all the secrecy? I hope your parents will at least know your address.” I said as I wrapped up the interview. I could understand not wanting her parents breathing down her neck, but as long as they didn’t insist on posting a guard at the door, what was the harm of them knowing where she lived?

Sarah glanced about the room as if afraid the neighbors might have their ears pinned to the walls, listening.

She leaned forward and, her face expressionless, said softly, “My parents are dead.”

Author Bio:

Award winning author and copywriter, Emma Right, is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast. Besides running a busy home, and looking after too many pets, she also writes stories—when she is not behind the wheel driving her children for various activities. Her books have won literary awards. She hopes her stories will help empower young adults and children, and instil the love of learning and reading. Ms. Right worked as a copywriter and has won national and international advertising awards, including the prestigious Clio. Learn more about Emma Right and her books at emmaright.com

A Taste of Friday with Tracy Krauss and NEIGHBORS

NEIGHBORS – A Series

Forward

I love people watching. Airports, waiting rooms, shopping malls –these are ripe fields for the student of human nature. It was during one of these ‘research’ sessions that I started a list of possible characters that might make an appearance in one of my novels. As I began to flesh some of these people out, it dawned on me that I had an entire community. What if they lived in the same neighbourhood, or even an apartment building, where they could interact? I soon realized that several characters had their own unique story to tell, perhaps not long enough for a full-length novel, but perfect for a series. Thus NEIGHBORS took shape. I hope you enjoy meeting this varied, sometimes quirky, cast. Welcome to the neighborhood.

NEIGHBORS - Volume 1 - New in the Neighborhood

Lester Tibbett has to leave his farm in Southern Alberta for the big city. It means starting over in an unfamiliar environment - a heavy burden for the guardian of a teenage sister full of angst. The apartment complex to which they relocate is a far cry from their spacious farmhouse and offers little anonymity for a man used to doing things his own way. During the process, he pushes his own loneliness aside in favor of looking after his sister. As Lester struggles to find a church that will meet both their spiritual needs, he quickly learns that neighbors come in many forms, some of them quite meddlesome. Still, he is happy to accept help from an overtly friendly neighbor named Jed who also happens to work for the same construction company. The two soon become friends, despite Jed’s habit of trying to set Lester up with every available single female, and end up frequenting a local pub where Lester is surprised to discover an ‘old school’ mechanical bull just waiting to be ridden. The former rodeo cowboy in him rises up, but not before he meets a mysterious woman who is out of his reach. 

NEIGHBORS – Volume 2 – Stuck In the Neighborhood

NEIGHBORS – Volume 3 – Sneaking Around the Neighborhood

NEIGHBORS – Volume 4 – Working the Neighborhood

NEIGHBORS – Volume 5 – Back In the Neighborhood

NEIGHBORS – Volume 6 – Navigating the Neighborhood

NEIGHBORS – Volume 7 – Skeletons In the Neighborhood

NEIGHBORS – Volume 8 – Leaving the Neighborhood

NEIGHBORS – Volume 9 – There Goes the Neighborhood

               

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published author, playwright, artist and teacher, with several best selling and award winning novels to her credit. Originally from a small prairie town, Tracy received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Saskatchewan with majors in Art, and minors in History and English. Apart from her many creative pursuits, she directs an amateur theater group and leads worship at her local church. She and her husband, an ordained minister, have lived in many remote and unique places in Canada's north, and currently live in northern British Columbia. For more visit her website: http://tracykrauss.com

Links:

Volume 1 

Volume 2 

Volume 3 

Volume 4 

Volume 5  

Volume 6 

Volume 7  

Volume 8  

Volume 9  

Literary Classics Award Winners

NEWS

For Immediate Release

October 15, 2014

Literary Classics

pr@clcawards.org

Literary Classics Announces Youth Media Top Book Winners

SOUTH DAKOTA - Literary Classics announced its 2014 selection of top books for children and young adults today.  Award recipients were selected from entries received from around the globe.  The Literary Classics selection committee is proud to recognize the following titles in children’s and young adult literature which exemplify the criteria set forth by the Literary Classics Awards committee.

A list of the 2014 recipients follows:

TOP HONORS BOOK AWARDS:

Enchanted Page Book Award for the most distinguished children’s storybook -  Scratch and Old Mouse, written by Kathryn England and illustrated by Kimberly Soderberg - Character Publishing

Eloquent Quill Book Award for one work of extraordinary youth fiction  -  Strange Metamorphosis, by P.C.R. Monk - Bloomtree Press

Lumen Award for Literary Excellence honoring the most notable work of  youth nonfiction  -  The Men Who Made the Yankees, by W. Nikola-Lisa - Gyroscope Books

Words on Wings Book Award for the most highly acclaimed young adult fiction work - Dew Angels, by Melanie Schwapp - Independent

BEST IN CATEGORY (GOLD)

Best Illustrator  - Morton Munson Built a Mansion, written and illustrated by Jeff Busch - Bongo Books

Best First Picture Book  -  Scratch and Old Mouse, Kathryn England - Character Publishing

Best First Chapter Book  -  Annie the Scientist, Daniel Johnson - Character Publishing

Best First Novel  -  ​Unveiling the Wizard’s Shroud, Eric Price - Muse It Up Publishing

Best Children’s Picture Book Series  -  Shelly’s Adventures (Shelly Goes to the Zoo, Shelly’s Outdoor Adventure), written by Kentrell Martin and illustrated by Marc Rodriguez - Shelly’s Adventures, L.L.C.

Best Chapter Book Series  -  1950s Adventure Series by C.A. Hartnell (Scary Spring, Sinister Summer, Ferocious Fall, Wild Winter) - Hawk Prints Publishing

PRESCHOOL/EARLY READER:

General Infant / Preschooler GOLD - Benjamin Jay was a Bully,  Emma Glover - Guardian Angel Publishing

General Infant / Preschooler SILVER - I Like Pink, by Vivian Zabel - 4RV Publishing

Picture Book / Preschooler GOLD - Even Poop Has a Purpose, Uncle Paul - PerBook Publishing L.L.C.

Picture Book / Preschooler SILVER - Without Me?,  Kayleen West - Wombat Books

General Early Reader GOLD - Deputy Dorkface, How Trutherton Got its Honesty Back, Kevin D Janison - Stephens Press

General Early Reader SILVER - A Creepy Nothingness Came Crawling, Gideon Maxim - Dot and Odd Press

Picture Book Early Reader GOLD - Odie the Stray Kitten, Kristen Mott - Author House

Picture Book Early Reader SILVER - CougaMongaMingaMan, Nancy Scalabroni - Mascot Books

PRE-TEEN / TWEEN

Fiction Chapter Book GOLD - Benton Believes, Kimberly Bugbee, M.S. - Character Publishing

Fiction Chapter Book SILVER - The Mysterious Mandolin, Aneta Cruz - Independent

Fantasy Pre-Teen GOLD - The Magician’s Doll, M.L. Roble - Independent

Fantasy Pre-Teen SILVER - Karmack, J.C. Whyte - Muse It Up Publishing

Mystery Pre-Teen GOLD - A Secret in Time, HY Hanna - Wisheart Press

Mystery Pre-Teen SILVER - The Charelton Locket, Ann Morgan Taylor - XLibris

Fiction Pre-Teen GOLD - Glimpse, Steven Whibley - Steven Whibley Books

Fiction Pre-Teen SILVER - Sons of the Sphinx, Cheryl Carpinello - Beyond Today Educator

Health /Self Esteem GOLD - Kaylee, the “What if?” Game, Christine Dzidrums - Creative Media

Health /Self Esteem SILVER - Not a Doctor Logan’s Divorce Book, Sydney Salter - Character Publishing

YOUNG ADULT

Fiction YA GOLD - ​Alchemy’s Daughter, Mary A. Osborne - Lake Street Press

Fiction YA SILVER - Sway, Jennifer Gibson - Black Opal Books

General Young Adult GOLD - Curse of the Crystal Kuatzin, Jan H. Landsberg - CreateSpace

General Young Adult SILVER - My Name is Rapunzel, ​K.C. Hilton - CreateSpace

Fantasy Fiction YA GOLD - Strange Metamorphosis, P.C.R. Monk  - CreateSpace

Fantasy Fiction YA SILVER - Firelight of Heaven, Lizbeth Klein - Wombat Books

Science Fiction YA GOLD - Protostar, Braxton A. Cosby - Winter Goose Publishing

Science Fiction YA SILVER - ​The Heir, Lynne Stringer - Wombat Books

Faith Based Young Adult GOLD - The King, Lorilyn Roberts - CreateSpace

Faith Based Young Adult SILVER - Motive Games, L.D. Taylor - Wombat Books

Historical Fiction GOLD - Alchemy’s Daughter, Mary A. Osborne - Lake Street Press

Historical Fiction SILVER - My Name is Luke, Jim Ruddle - Amika Press

NonFiction YA GOLD -  The Men Who Made the Yankees, W. Nikola-Lisa - Gyroscope Books

NonFiction YA SILVER - Once Upon a Road Trip, Angela N. Blount - Artifice Press

SPECIAL INTEREST (GOLD)

Rhyme Book -  ​If Chocolate Were Purple, Jen Barton - Flickerfawn

Self Esteem Preschool - Alex and the Rabbit, Monica Dumont - Independent

Gender Specific Picture Book - My Brother Is My Best Friend, Nicole Weaver - Guardian Angel Publishing

Interactive Book - Bubble Tubbie, Epiphany Schwarz - Black Catapult Publishing

Faith Based Early Reader - Sì Mama, Sì Papa, Nancy Scalabroni - Mascot Books

Holiday Book - The Santa Spy, Patrick Bates - Character Publishing

Educational Book - Cockroach Invasion, Dr. Sherry L. Meinberg - Archway Publishing

Environmental Issues - Cycle, Jay Amberg - Amika Press

Guide Book - What Do They Want from Me?, Kristina Kumar - Character Publishing

Gender Specific Young Adult - Hometown Heroines, Betty Boltè - ePublishing Works

Inspirational / Visionary - The Undecided, Robin Donaruma - ​Sunbury Press

Cultural Issues - Dew Angels, Melanie Schwapp - Independent

Literary Classics, an organization dedicated to furthering excellence in literature, takes great pride in its role to help promote classic literature which appeals to youth, while educating and encouraging positive values in the impressionable young minds of future generations.  Judging is based upon the criteria set forth by Literary Classics’ highly selective awards committee which honors books promoting character, vision, creativity and learning, through content which possesses key elements found in well-crafted literature.

The Literary Classics judging committee consists of experts with backgrounds in publishing, writing, editing, design, illustration, and book reviewing.   To learn more about Literary Classics, visit their website at www.literaryclassicsawards.com.

Prisoners Help John 3:16 Authors With Heart-Felt Book Reviews

Steve Fox, a chaplain at Wakulla Correctional near Tallahassee, Florida, is coordinating a pilot program, 

Our Vision: Changing Lives to Ensure a Safer Florida, that allows prisoners to review books written by Christian authors.  

John 3:16 books delivered to Steve Fox for Wakulla Correctional in September 2014

The program not only helps the prisoners feel like they are contributing to society by writing book reviews, but the authors benefit from their insightful comments. 

I asked best-selling Aussie author Martin Roth if I could share his blog post about our new prisoner review opportunity for John 3:16 authors. 

Here is Martin Roth's thoughts after having several prisoners review his Christian thriller books.

Captive Reviews Shine a New Light

My first three novels were commercially published, but they received few reviews and have sold poorly, despite one being an Australian Christian Book of the Year finalist. So I decided I would self-publish my subsequent novels and promote them myself. I now have a total of 10 novels on the market.

Like every self-published author I am quite obsessive about getting reviews, especially on Amazon, as I know that these can make a difference to sales. I even have a spreadsheet on my computer and once a month I neurotically enter the number of Amazon reviews for each of my titles and the average rating (which is a pretty depressing thing to do, as your early reviews, mainly from friends and relatives, are glowing, whereas subsequent reviews inevitably include one-star and two-star dogs that gradually bring your averages down).

But now I suddenly find myself with a new stream of reviews that are among the most important and touching I have ever received. They put everything I have been doing in a new perspective. Amazon is no longer as important.

I am part of a group of Christian writers, the John 3:16 Marketing Network, whose 300+ members work to help promote one another’s writings. Though based in America, we are pretty international, with a globally diverse membership, including some here in Australia.

Recently the coordinator Lorilyn Roberts announced a new initiative, together with a Florida prison chaplain, Steve Fox, to take members’ books into prison to be read by the inmates, who would then write reviews, as part of a writing and job skills program.

I have recently received the first reviews of two of my thrillers, and they have thrilled me.

Here is Keith, reviewing “The Maria Kannon”:

I enjoyed the book, it had a good story and action. Also it didn’t drag with many pointless details, it just kept flowing.

And Lian (who describes himself as a Brother in Christ):

The main theme was that Christians should always act out of love, never vengeance. And at times some Christians must step up and do what is necessary to stop evil people from continuing evil….All in all a good read for an evening or weekend. I enjoyed it.

Of course, not all the reviews are positive. Here’s Robert:

The author has tried to twin the Japanese way of life and the Korean way of life into one simple life form, and it cannot be done. It is two wholly different life forms involved entirely upon God who in my opinion was not spoken of in a good manner….I have been to Japan myself and I have seen very little in the book to remind me of the Japanese people. I did not enjoy this book…

But then, here’s William, reviewing “The Coptic Martyr of Cairo”:

The author seems to want to get across the importance of the persecution of the Christians around the world….This book was enjoyable. I had to rethink the way I see my faith according to a large view of what it is to be Christian.

Helping prisoners. Seeing people rethink their faith. Just what we as Christians should be doing. Thank you Keith and Lian and William and even Robert. Suddenly the mighty Amazon is no longer so important, as I view my writing endeavours in an altogether different light.

John 3:16 Authors Donate Books to Orphans of Nepal Through Child Hope International

Christian Books to be Donated to the Orphans of Nepal John 3:16 Authors and Child Hope International partner to donate Christian books to orphans Contact: Lorilyn Roberts, 352-359-6941, AuthorLorilynRoberts@gmail.com   GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 4, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Twenty years after award-winning author Lorilyn Roberts adopted her orphaned daughter from Nepal, she partners with Child Hope International to deliver Christian books to Nepal.  "I lead the John 3:16 Marketing Network," says Roberts, "a network of 300-plus Christian authors. When Silas Khadka, the executive director of Child Hope International, shared with me how he wanted to bring Christian books to the children and young adults involved with Child Hope International, I knew I could make that happen."  Child Hope International is a non-profit ministry that helps to find homes for orphaned and abandoned children in Nepal. The numbers are sobering, but progress is being made.  There are two million orphaned or abandoned children, many of whom are at risk for premature death, being sold into slavery, or organ harvesting. There are 85 tribal groups that speak thirty different dialects and languages. Because many children still do not attend school, there is a 60% illiteracy rate, 80% among women.  While the task is enormous, literacy is one way to help the children of Nepal—and CHI has been at the forefront of this effort for the last 15 years. All the children adopted by Nepali families in the 23 Child Hope International homes attend school.  "Nepal has changed a lot in the last twenty years," says Silas "The kids learn English now, and these books will help them with their educational goals. Many of our children have graduated and are now teachers and nurses. One is even in medical school. But we need more books to enrich their learning and help them to mature as Christians." "My daughter and I leave for Nepal soon," says Roberts. "I look forward to taking over 200 Christian books plus two donated kindles. God has saved these orphans from hopelessness to a hope that is eternal. Now we can bless them educationally with Christian books as well as enrich their lives for Jesus Christ."  To learn more about the project or to donate, visit: lorilynroberts.com/donate_christian_books_to_nepal.html  CONTACT: Lorilyn Roberts, AuthorLorilynRoberts@gmail.com, 352-359-6941