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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Interview of Australian Author/Poet/Doctor Eyitemi Egwuenu by Lorilyn Roberts



I am excited to have Eyitemi Egwuenu as a guest today on the John 3:16 blog.  Eyitemi is one of the more interesting people I've met through the John 3:16 Network. A doctor who writes poetry and Christian fantasy is a rare combination. I have started reading Tetelestai and it is truly unique. I hope you enjoy this interview of Eyitemi Egwuenu


Lorilyn: For those who aren't familiar with your work, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Eyitemi: I am Eyitemi Egwuenu. I live in Sydney, Australia. I trained as a Medical Doctor, with PhD in Neuroscience. Despite my scientific training, I consider literature and the arts above all else. There is none, I believe, greater than a man or woman, gifted with original thoughts and the power of language to express them.

Lorilyn: How many books have you written?

Eyitemi: I have written three books, with contributions to a fourth:
Poetry contributions to an anthology, "A Melody of Stones"

Lorilyn: Can you tell us about your new book?

Eyitemi: "Tetelestai," the novel, is a re-telling of the Easter story from an entirely new vantage point. It's the tale of the betrayal, trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ from the perspective of the Holy and Fallen Angels. It chronicles the accounts and the experiences of the Angels as they watched, and participated in the events of the Passion. We have accounts in the gospels of how the disciples and other characters reacted in the unfolding drama of the crucifixion, but we were not told how the angels perceived events. Where they afraid? Did they have disagreements on how to conduct themselves during this most trying period in their lives? These are interesting questions, and TETELESTAI tried to answer them, using fiction.

Lorilyn: How long have you been writing?

Eyitemi: I dabbled in writing in my university days - mainly poetry. It was a productive way to pass the time. Well, not that I had a lot of time on my hands in medical school, but writing poetry provided a medium of expression for my thoughts and a way of structuring my observation of the world around me.

Lorilyn: What inspired you to write this book?

Eyitemi: I never set out to write a novel. It started as a short piece which I had written for a blog post, titled, "Confessions of Lucifer -  A Diary". It was a first person narrative of the Cherub, Lucifer, sharing his perspective; about the way he perceives the world and how he interacts with humans. That set me thinking about the broader story of redemption. We all know the stories as recorded in the gospels, but I wondered if there was more to the story from a supernatural point of view, – from the perspective of angels, both fallen and holy, and if they played any role in the way events unfolded.
  
Lorilyn: What is your favourite time of day to write?

Eyitemi: I have no particular preference either in location or time when I write. I have written while on the train (there is something about the scenery whizzing past that encourages the imagination), while watching television, and even while doing something as mundane as mowing the lawn. As often as possible, I carry a folded piece of A4 paper in my back pocket everywhere I go. I scribble a lot - a sentence, a paragraph, dialogues that pop into my mind from nowhere. Inspiration comes at odd moments, and I try to be ready.

Lorilyn: What is the hardest thing about writing for you?

Eyitemi: The most difficult thing about writing is consistency. To maintain a constant writing rhythm is hard and requires a lot of discipline. Writing is part-time for me. My regular job gets in the way. It's difficult to find a sufficient length of time that one could devote solely to writing. That's why I scribble everywhere I go. I have written whole chapters of my novel while commuting on a bus. I try to make use of the break time between the duties of my regular job. I am still learning in this regard, and I believe most writers struggle with this as well – that is, having the discipline to write anyway, even when you absolutely don’t feel like it. If you wait for inspiration to come first, you will never write anything.

Bio: Eyitemi Egwuenu is an Australian poet and novelist. He trained as a medical doctor and obtained a PhD in cardiovascular neuroscience. He is the author of the collection of poems, The Brimming Chalice, the collection of poems and essays, Torque, and the novel, Tetelestai.



Visit his author page, and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube here:
Author page: http://amzn.to/1NCY9dN

YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/1I3W7w7

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Christian Fantasy Author Lorilyn Roberts: Guest Author Lorilyn Roberts (YA Fantasy) - win signed copies of "The Door" and "Am I Okay, God?"

Christian Fantasy Author Lorilyn Roberts: Guest Author Lorilyn Roberts (YA Fantasy) - win signed copies of "The Door" and "Am I Okay, God?"

Wakulla Book Review: A Summer in Oakville by Lisa Lickel and Shellie Neumeier, Review by Booker T.




Four of the Hasmer family are about to learn about love, forgiveness, and God. Contessa, known as Tessa, is seeking to divorce her husband Phil who has moved away to a big city and a job promotion—or so it seems. An old boyfriend is back in town, whom she’s attracted to.

Lindsey is a college graduate who can’t find a job so she moves in to her grandparents’ home and takes up the fight to save their farm.

Andy is an out of control teenager who’s lost his mom in a helicopter crash and is unable to connect with his father.

Arthur, or Art, is Andy’s father and is suffering from his wife’s death, his son’s out of control behavior, and his own demons concerning his brother Otto’s death years ago

Back on the farm in the summer, they find Oakville, Wisconsin to bring therapy, love, and a relationship with Christ into all four lives.

Purpose: One story has many different sides. The authors show how it differs from person to person.

Themes: Broken marriages and renewals. Letting loose and taking a chance on love. Forgiving yourself and others. Connecting and communicating to stop the pain.


This is a really good book. I enjoyed having the story from each of the four main characters. It really put a different spin on the whole story each time and left me sorting through my mind to connect the facts, feelings, and realities in the end. Good job, ladies.

Wakulla Book Review
Review by Booker T.




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I want to personally thank all the men who are reviewing the books written by JOHN 3:16 AUTHORS. I am thankful that we are able to bless them and appreciate the encouragement given to us by their reviews. 



Each WEEK (usually on Tuesday), we are posting reviews from 
Wakulla Correctional inmates of John 3:16 books. 





Inmates are loving the new books from John 3:16 authors. 
Chaplain Steve Fox is adding the new books to the prison library in this initiative to "change lives to ensure a safer Florida."

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Ever Thought About What It Would Be Like To Live Backward?





Enjoy this Interview of Angelique Cooper McGlotten as she shares with us her new book Living Backward: The Gift Of Hindsight In Building A Truly Significant Life 


Imagine looking back on the sum total of your earthly years . . . and realizing that your reasons to rejoice are far greater than your regrets. Living Backward is your invitation to discover the powerful gift of future-oriented hindsight and reap the incredible rewards it offers. As we grapple with today’s fleeting problem or tomorrow’s important choice, the ability to “live backward” provides us with not only a new perspective on our lives but also a powerful tool for creating true joy by fulfilling God’s plan for us. We desire to matter, and God knocks on our hearts, beckoning us to open the door to a life of eternal significance.

By way of word pictures, analogies, and personal anecdotes, Living Backward facilitates a head-to-heart understanding, helping us internalize key biblical principles so we can truly experience their life-changing power. Only then can we achieve genuine success, weave enduring significance into our lives, and make the most of the precious time we’ve been allotted.

LORILYN:  What inspired you to write Living Backward? 

ANGELIQUE:  Remember what it was like many years ago to read book after book—some biblically sound and some not so much—in my earnest attempt to live a life pleasing to God. I could never seem to figure out how all the advice and directives in the books fit together. 

After reading hundreds of books on all aspects of the Christian life, I was finally able to gain a solid biblical understanding of God’s eternal purpose for me and how to live what I learned. Many years later, I discovered that many sincere followers of Christ have the same struggle I once had. Namely, how do I practically walk out God’s plan for my life? What does a Christ-exalting life look like? How do I grow from who I am into the person God created me to be? 

My heart also ached that so many of God’s people don’t really know Him, nor have they truly tasted and seen that He is good (see Psalm 34:8) and infinitely worthy of our lives bringing Him honor and glory. That’s when God birthed the desire to write this book: a discipleship tool that condenses into one volume those major topics and key principles a person needs to know and understand in order to fulfill God’s purpose for creating us. In short, a book that contains the essentials that I desperately needed to know those many years ago when I was searching. 

Drawing on God’s Word, my spiritual journey and experience, as well as the wisdom and knowledge gleaned from my extensive reading, I wanted to help others connect the dots in their own lives without having to pore through so many books.

LORILYN:  Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?





ANGELIQUE:  Like anything else, we get better with practice. So write and rewrite, then write some more. Put time and effort into honing your craft if it’s truly important to you. Consider joining a writer’s group where your writing can be objectively and constructively critiqued. If you intend to publish your work, do your best to understand the ever-changing publishing landscape and to fully understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with traditional versus independent publishing. Lastly, join the John 316 Author Network! J You can’t possibly know everything, so it’s great connecting with other authors/writers to share, learn, and grow together. I personally have gleaned much from the wealth of information that is shared amongst this wonderful group of people.

LORILYN:  What is your favorite time of day to write?

ANGELQUE:  Late at night—for some reason I think most clearly in the wee hours of the morning when the house is totally quiet.
  
LORILYN:  What is something most people don’t know about you?

ANGELIQUE:  I love to play the drums. Many are surprised when they discover I play in the worship band when we gather on Sunday mornings.

LORILYN:  What are your favourite types of movies?

ANGELIQUE:  I really enjoy movies that are inspirational, paint an engaging redemptive story, or highlight the triumph of the human spirit.

LORILYN:  Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

ANGELIQUE:  We all know that a GPS works based on a reverse principle—starting at the intended destination, it works backward to our current location. In a similar way, Living Backward challenges us to chart the course of our existence from the end of our lives. Then working backward, we engage life through the lens of time elapsing, not accruing, as we typically do. This mindset enables us to grasp that with each passing year we haven’t just gained more time to live—we’ve also lost some of the precious, irretrievable time we’ve been allotted to create significance in our life. So if we truly want our lives to count, we must wisely redeem the time as we pursue our God-given purpose.

LORILYN:  What is your favourite Scripture verse and why?

ANGELIQUE: Isaiah 26:8-9 because for me it encapsulates the longing and passion that God desires us to have both for Him and the advancement of His glory.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

LORILYN: What authors have inspired your own writing?

ANGELIQUE: John Piper, Elisabeth Elliott, Randy Alcorn, Jerry Bridges


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Angelique Cooper McGlotten, originally from Liberia, West Africa, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia. Having woven the gift of future-oriented hindsight into her own life, she knows firsthand its power to both shape our purpose and infuse our lives with joy and meaning. Through a variety of venues, the author has mentored (and continues to mentor) hundreds of adults and young adults alike. Angelique regularly speaks at women’s retreats, women’s groups, and conferences on various topics pertaining to the Christian faith. She is also the author of a book of poetry titled The Weaver’s Thread. Angelique resides in northern Virginia with her husband and the three children entrusted to them by God.

You can learn more about Angelique at the links below:

Angelique will be hosting a Twitter chat on Thursday night at 9pm EST (October 1, 2015).  Join in the conversation using:  #LivingBackwardChat

Angelique is also giving away a free copy of Living Backward to someone who leaves a comment on why he or she would love to read her book. We need ten comments to give one away. I hope you will participate and possibly win her book Living Backward.

To purchase an ebook of Living Backward from Amazon, click here.