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Friday, October 19, 2012

Meet Diane Tatum!


Diane E. Tatum




Twitter: @DianeTatum


Diane E. Tatum has been writing since childhood. She “retired” from teaching middle school language arts in 2009 to focus on writing full-time. Her first novel, Gold Earrings, which began as a short story written in high school, was published in September 2011. Diane has also written Sunday School curriculum for LifeWay, David C. Cook, and her church youth group as well as youth leadership-related articles for magazines. She has a BS-Business Administration and a MATeaching-Language Arts. Diane continues to work with youth at her former middle school, with Tullahoma WyldLife, and in her church. She lives in Tullahoma, TN, with her aerospace engineer husband, Ken.

Information about your books including blurbs ISBN, purchase information, and cover pictures



Gold Earrings (Published 2011 – Tate Publishing,  ISBN-10:1617775746, ISBN-13: 978-1617775741)


Daughter of a bordello madame and an Italian captain of the seas, Angelina Mercy longs for a new life, free from the condemnation associated with her mother's home in Boston. A former navy man, Jonathan Thomson has accepted God's call and become a minister of a small congregation. Adrift from his Yankee heritage in the Missouri plains, Jonathan longs for a family of his own. Pursuing Alice, the daughter of the town's wealthy patron, Jonathan believes he can tame her wild ways and accomplish more as a preacher once so established. When Angelina's guardian and Jonathan's seminary professor learns of Jonathan's misguided intentions, he seeks out a solution to aid both individuals, providing a new home for Angelina in St. Joseph, and Angelina and Jonathan are brought together with a strong initial attraction. Can Jonathan ignore Angelina's Gold Earrings, a constant reminder of the implications of her less than pristine parentage? And will Alice succeed in keeping Jonathan from Angelina? The resilient heroine of Diane E. Tatum's novel will inspire you in this touching tale of love against the odds.

 



A Time to Choose (unpublished)

Captain Andrew Browning’s new assignment is to head up security at the Lincoln White House. A Virginian and a longtime friend of Robert E. Lee, he must decide whether to resign from the Union Army. His long-time fiancĂ©e is a beautiful Southern belle whose father runs a plantation with slaves who were Andrew’s childhood friends. His choices will also affect his family: his blacksmith father, mother, and twin sisters.

Maggie Strickland’s mission is to bring a petition from Massachusetts abolitionists to Lincoln demanding an end to slavery. A Harvard graduate in political science and journalism, Maggie writes about her passions and the war under a pseudonym. She plans to change the South and give her heart to Andrew, a man who has made difficult choices and is embittered by his former relationships. Impetuous and driven, Maggie’s passion for her family, justice, and God determines her choices.

A Time to Choose is a Christian historical romance set in Washington, DC, during the Civil War years.

Can two people make the world a better place to raise the next generation of Americans?

 

Your unique talent: I knit for myself and others as well as for our church prayer shawl ministry, make beaded jewelry, and do counted cross-stitch.

 

For our Fun Little Survey, Diane answered:

 
Which best describes your personality: I’m quiet , creative, and reliable. I’m a good listener and care deeply for people. I try to be more like Christ each day.

Are you a “pet person” or prefer no pets? Dogs are the best!  We have a Jack Russell terrier named Tyler, in addition to a granddog named Sammy, and a grandcat named Pepper.

Would you rather travel or stay at home? Foreign travel, Canadian travel, US travel, but when I’m home I like to be home.

Do you read more or write more? I enjoy reading, but I enjoy writing more.

Prefer cake or pie? Pie! Cherry, blackberry, apple, chocolate, key lime, you name it!

Would, or do, ride a motorcycle or prefer to ride/drive a car? NO motorcycles! I love to drive my crossover Freestyle.

How about taking the bus or walking? In my rural area, the bus does not exist. When we travel, we love the subway to get around big cities. I’d like walking if my knees were better!

Are you part of a big church congregation or a small church? Our church is about 200 or so regularly.

Would you describe yourself as happy or joyful? I struggle with physical problems which makes happy not as easy as for some. My joy comes from my relationship with Christ.

Do you like to telephone people or prefer to use e-mail? Email and text. I don’t enjoy using the phone.

Do you eat at home or eat out? I cook most of the time. I won’t turn down an evening out, though! And I love travel partly because I’m not cooking!

Listen to music or prefer quiet? I love music when I drive, but it’s usually quiet at home.

Prefer sunrises or sunsets? While both are enjoyable displays of God’s creation, the sunrise at the beach on the East Coast is spectacular. I guess that sunrises also remind me of sunrise services on Easter celebrating the resurrection of Christ.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

New Christian Mystery on Sale at Amazon





A new Christian mystery for preteens and teens was released today on Amazon. com. Called Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery, the book is the tale of a 13-year-old boy who disappears in the Florida backwoods on a back-to-nature styled church retreat.

 In the book, things go awry early when the group encounters no-see-ums at dusk after setting up camp.  It’s downhill from there when Zack disappears in the middle of the night, several campers become ill, and a hurricane bears down on the Gulf Coast.

“It’s Florida at its best,” quips the book's author Cheryl Rogers, a native of Miami who has endured many hurricanes through the years.

Rogers, a John 3:16 Marketing Network member who publishes of New Christian Books Online Magazine, weaves the message of salvation into the plot, encouraging readers to seek Jesus as their Savior. She also demonstrates the power of prayer, the importance of staying with a pack, and taking dominion over creation.

“It is my goal to expose readers to biblical principles at a young age, enabling them to understand key concepts,” Rogers says.

The plot unfolds as Chet, a former New York gang leader who has found Christ, develops plans for the retreat. Despite their best efforts to prepare the youths, they learn early things don’t always go as planned.

“I loved Nancy Drew Mysteries as a child, so I have tried to capture that flavor in this story about Zack and his fellow campers," Rogers says. "It is my goal to help provide uplifting reading materials to readers 10 and up."

Among her other ebooks are The Lesson of Jonah: There is a Price to Pay When you Disobey, a Bible lesson plan; Just Like Jonah Wail Tales, a short story collection involving modern Jonahs who learn the hard way there is a price to pay when you disobey; and The I Can See Christian Storybook, a unique story collection aimed at defeating doubts about God as a child grows.

Rogers also has written a devotions book aimed at new and young Christian entitled Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook. It consists of 40 lessons teaching how to really love and forgive others, why it's important to set aside pride and lots more.

Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery retails for $2.99 in the Amazon Kindle Store. Get the lowdown on the lovable cast of characters in the next few weeks, exclusively at New Christian Books Online Magazine.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Twenty Free eBooks plus win a $25 Amazon gift card






Three days only - October 17 through October 20
Free Christian Nonfiction eBooks

100% Off Christian Book Sale: 3 Days Only

For three days only, several best-selling Christian authors have joined together to offer their books for free to avid readers. October 17th through the 19th 2012, readers can download 20 Christian books worth over $60 for free and enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card to get even more free books.

You can get all the information here: http://www.bodyandsoulpublishing.com/100-percent-off-christian-books/

This sale is just one of many hosted by Body and Soul Publishing, who also posts free Christian books and giveaways on their blog daily. Here's what one reader had to say: "I'm very grateful for this website. I've found many valuable books that have enriched my spiritual life immensely." - Diane Sidener

During the 100% off sale this week readers will be able to download the following nonfiction Christian books for free on Kindle and Smashwords:

Psalms, The Sunrise of Hope by Bob Saffrin

Hola Happiness by Janet Eckles Perez

Prayers of Gratitude by Shelley Hitz

Matter of Faith by Carol Round

Restore Your Marriage & Fall in Love Again by Krystal Kuehn

10 Keys to Happy & Loving Relationships by Krystal Kuehn

The Lighthouse of Asaph: Unforgettable Christian Reflections by Roberto Ornan Roche

Found Adrift: 40 Days of Recovering Grace by Pauline Creeden

Children of Dreams by Lorilyn Roberts

21 Teen Devotionals...for Girls! By Heather Hart and Shelley Hitz

Experiencing Joy by Patty Mason

My Scripture Journal: God's Promises by Heather Bixler

Amazing Grace as Christ Walks By, My Journey from Brokenness to Wholeness by Carol Cline

A Spiritual Renewal: A Journey to Medjugorje by Alberta Sequeira

A Love Story...How God Pursued Me and Found Me...an Impossibly True Story by Samantha Ryan Chandler

Finding Hope in the Midst of Tragedy by Shelley Hitz

Mission Possible by Deborah McCarragher

Women of Strength - a devotional to improve spiritual and physical health by Kimberley Payne

Night Stories - 8 devotionals about dreams by Kimberley Payne

Growth Lessons by Naty Matos



Don't miss out!  Download these 20 books plus enter to win the $25 Amazon gift certificate for 3 days only here: http://www.bodyandsoulpublishing.com/100-percent-off-christian-books.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Meet Jackie Macgirvin


Jackie Macgirvin is an award winning author and (holy) ghost writer. She is 54 years young and resides in Kansas City, Missouri where, to her dismay, she is watching every green thing turn brown because of the drought.
 
Jackie shares about two books


Novel: The Designer Bag at the Garbage Dump

ISBN: 13:978-0-7684-4145-1

DesignerBag.TV - my brief comments about the book



Book Blurb: It’s a Wonderful Life meets The Shack

 
Julie, a self-centered, nominal “Christian," headed for a weekend shopping binge finds her charmed life shattered when she sits with Jesus on a train to New York. When she gets off she’s in India. Her divine assignment? Care for 11 “filthy orphans” living on a dump before she can return home.

Can she protect them from a predator who steals and maims children and sends them out to beg? How will God provide food when her wallet is stolen? Can she find safe homes for the children? As she rescues them will they rescue her from her stone cold heart?

The answers to these questions will also be the answers to many of your questions about God, life and yourself. Pick up a copy of The Designer Bag at the Garbage Dump and jump into a great adventure!
 
 


Angels of Humility
ISNB: 10: 0-7684-3625-7
Book Blurb: Look into the spirit realm where angels and demons interact with two average Christians:
Fresh out of seminary and pastoring his first church, Paul is full of zeal. The question is . . . zeal for what? As he chases affirmation and prestige following demonic coaxing, his guardian angel fights back.
Sarah Edwards is a new church member and a recent widow, just saved at age 71. Will she triumph over the demons Discouragement, Depression, Loneliness and Suicide who attack after her husband’s death? Sarah has strong spiritual giftings but through several unfortunate misunderstandings, Paul writes her off as an eccentric who hears voices, causing her further isolation.
By watching Sarah and Paul you will understand the strategies and schemes of the enemy against you and what weapons Jesus has already provided for your defense.

Blog: http://www.jackiemacgirvin.com/jackies-blog-2 Check out some of my humor blogs: ALL YOU CAN DO IS DOG PADDLE, SIGNS THAT THE DEVIL IS SABOTAGING YOUR QUIET TIME, BAD HOME GROUP LEADERS and LESS EXCITING BOOKS.
Special talent: I taught myself to walk on stilts as a youngster--tall ones and short ones. I never mastered one of each at the same time (I only tried it once and the results were so unpalatable I rapidly gave up!)
What’s something not many people know about you?
I've always loved humor and my first article for publication was called My Car is Driving Me Crazy. It chronicled the demise of my car. I was a single mom and my unreliable, stubborn car constantly broke down and left my son and I stranded. That article was my attempt to make lemon aid out of lemons and it's what got me started writing. I'm a self taught writer with no English or Journalism degrees.
Now, for our little fun survey:
Pets/no pets: had to put my Australian Shepherd. Rex, down in February after 11 years. I miss his rooting snoot coming up on my bed in the morning and his whole body wiggling to greet me.
Home/travel: My dad worked for TWA when I was growing up. I miss those inexpensive travel passes we got and there's still plenty of the world I'd love to see--like the fiords of Norway. Anyone been there?
Write more/read more: During this season I'm reading more than I'm writing. I'm turning The Designer Bag at the Garbage Dump into a screenplay and it's so different. I've completed it but I'm at a loss to know how to improve it. I'm reading a lot while I'm waiting for feedback. (I'm getting a lot of free books from www.bookbub.com. Free and bargain books for Kindle, Nook, and more. Check it out.)
Cake/pie: Hmmm. How cruel to make one choose? I love fruit pies but two years ago my son asked me to make his wedding cake. Then I started watching cake shows on TV, then I picked up a copy of The Cake Mix Doctor which has about a hundred cakes that all start as a mix but have added ingredients. It's convenient but doesn't taste like it's from a box. I love it!
Motorcycle/car: Car, I'm a wimp.
Bus/walk: Walk, not a total wimp.
Big church/small church: Small church, for the fellowship. I'm too introverted to meet many people at a large church.
Happy/joyful: Unsure. I'm in a hard season now. My husband moved out and filed for divorce.
Phone/email: E-mail. I always sound better when I can edit myself!
Eat home or eat out? I rarely eat out because I am a total tightwad!
Sunrises or sunsets? I'm usually not out of bed for sunrises, but I'm still up for the sunsets.
Favorite quote: Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. Maria Robin
 
Favorite hobby: I love garage sales and thrift stores.

Fearless Friday: Meet Kimberley Payne!


Meet and Greet Kimberley Payne


 
I am an over-40, peri-menopausal mother of two teenagers. I am happily married to a man I believe was a direct answer to a desperate prayer. I am a half-cup-full optimist who’s been blessed with a short memory.

Years ago, I began a spiritual and physical health partnership with God. I created a workbook, Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual and physical health.

 Although I write in the health and fitness arena, I don't consider myself an athlete. As a matter of fact, I once thought of myself as more on an anti-athlete. However, I've since come around and have settled on recreational athlete. You can read about my journey in the anthology A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider - Words to Stimulate the Mind and Delight the Spirit. My piece is called, A Personal Makeover - Inside and Out.

My most recent book is Women of Strength – A devotional to improve spiritual & physical health

Women of Strength is the perfect companion for your health program. There are four divisions to follow the seasons – winter, spring, summer, autumn. Each season is further divided into 6 sections that include an inspirational devotional, a fact on common health and fitness questions, a reflection, a prayer, a Bible verse, and an energizing exercise.

ISBN: 9781476306476

Purchase information: $5.99 USD e-book


 
Fit for Faith serves a two-fold purpose that unites physical and spiritual health. It is a 7-week program designed to strengthen the believer’s Christian walk. It is also a motivational tool to empower women to improve their physical health to live balanced, whole and joyous lives that glorify God.

ISBN: 9780973508215

Purchase information: $5.99 USD e-book



I’m a dreamer. Every night, I have at least one dream. Over the years, I have read dream interpretation books and dream dictionaries. However, none captured the true essence of my nightlife until I started to read the Bible and pray daily. Now many of my dreams come with an interpretation already in my heart upon waking in the morning. Night Stories is a collection of eight dreams that I have had and what I felt the Lord told me through them. God is the only One who reveals mysteries and interprets dreams.

ISBN: 9781476482309

Purchase information: $0.99 USD e-book



Where Family Meets Faith is written and compiled especially for families. It is a collection of devotionals that show the similarities between the challenges of raising a family and building a relationship with God.

ISBN: 9780973508222

Purchase information: $0.99 USD e-book



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dumped into single parenthood, Heather Williams has found a part-time job as a dental receptionist and a cozy apartment with her four-year-old daughter. Life finally looks safe and secure until her daughter reveals a terrifying secret.

ISBN: 9780973508246

Purchase information: $0.99 USD e-book




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Your unique talent (can be serious or humorous)


I collect pet fur – not because I like it but rather to try to keep my house somewhat clean—with two cats, two rats, and an aging German Shepherd.


Share something not many people know about you:

Although not naturally blond, nor do I have blue eyes, Dutch blood runs through my veins. I love croquettes, double zout drops and Suske & Wiske. I have fond childhood memories of a close family, with three older brothers who went swimming at the YMCA on Friday nights, played card games like “Pit” and went camping every summer.


Which best describes your personality:

Are you a “pet person” or prefer no pets? Very much a pet person – we’ve had a hedge hog, hamsters, lots of fish, rats, cats, dogs, and a little salamander.

Would you rather travel or stay at home? I’m a homebody who loves the quiet of my sunroom. However, I like to travel when all the arrangements are made and I just need to pack a bag.

Do you read more or write more? I’m a reader. I like to alternate fiction with non-fiction.


Prefer cake or pie? Both! I have a real sweet tooth and won’t turn down any pastry.

Would, or do, ride a motorcycle or prefer to ride/drive a car? On my bucket-list is the desire to drive a motorcycle. Since they recently came out with the Spyder – a three-wheeled motorbike, I see that wish becoming a reality sooner rather than later.

How about taking the bus or walking? Absolutely walking. I love to walk, and hike. Evening walks are bliss.

Are you part of a big church congregation or a small church? On a good Sunday in the summer, we may have 30 people in the pews. I’d say that’s probably a small church.

Would you describe yourself as happy or joyful? Joyful. But I do have happy days!

Do you like to telephone people or prefer to use e-mail? My job requires me to be on the phone all day, so I won’t even answer the phone at home. Email is so much faster and easier.

Do you eat at home or eat out? We eat take-out at home :)

Listen to music or prefer quiet? When outdoors, I prefer the sounds of nature. When doing housework, I love to have the music cranked.

Prefer sunrises or sunsets? Definitely sunsets as I’m seldom up early enough to enjoy the sunrise.
 
Connect with Kimberley:





Facebook Nonfiction Book Page: Fit for Faith

Facebook Devotional Book Page: Where Family Meets Faith

Facebook Novel Book Page: Tooth for Tooth



Amazon Nonfiction Book: Fit for Faith

Amazon Novel: Tooth for Tooth

Amazon Devotional: Where Fitness Meets Faith 

Amazon Devotional: Where Family Meets Faith