CFBA: Prisoner of Versailles

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Prisoner of Versaille
Thomas Nelson (September 1, 2009)
by
Golden Keyes Parsons


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

In her deep plowing of the heart, moving from tears one moment to laughter the next, Golden will touch your heart with her dynamic Bible teaching, combined with her vivid personal examples, moving from tears one moment, to laughter the next, all the while communicating the message that God is faithful--keep trusting Him. She has a passion to communicate the Word of God in such a manner that will lead to godly living.

Golden, and her husband, Blaine, have just retired as pastors at Faith Mountain Fellowship Church in Red River, NM. They have three grown daughters and eight grandchildren. Her testimony and myriad of life experiences lend a touch of authenticity to her teaching. She loves to speak for women's conferences, seminars, luncheons, retreats and Mother/Daughter events.

If deep Bible teaching that brings the Scriptures alive is what you want, Golden is the speaker you need.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Madeleine's faith puts her at odds with an intimidating rival: King Louis XIV.

Having fled their homeland of France because of the persecution by Louis XIV, the Clavell family seeks refuge in Switzerland. However, the king is not about to let the recently widowed Madeleine, his childhood sweetheart, escape that easily. He sends musketeers to kidnap her and her oldest son, Philippe, holding them captive in his opulent palace. King Louis is suspicious that Philippe could be his son, and he's enraged by the growing affection of one of his courtiers for Madeleine.

Will Madeleine escape the king with her life or lose everything that she's fought so hard to keep?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Prisoner of Versaille , go HERE

Veteran's Day

My favorite war poet, Wilfred Owen, wrote this poem. It's called Disabled!

Smoke Signals -- Latest newsletter

GREAT REPORTS OF GOOD NEWS
Nov 6, 09
Hau kola,

One Native student at Bacone College in Muscogee, OK told me that it was hard growing up as a Native Christian because he often felt guilty about attending traditional dances or ceremonial gatherings because the church taught these things were "of the devil." Yet, he never had any sense these things were bad or wrong. At Belmont University in Nashville a student wrote after listening to my presentation, "I thoroughly enjoyed our time today with Richard Twiss. I have never heard someone be so honest about the racial divide in Chrisitanity and how it affects specifically Native Americans and their traditions. I also learned that it's ok to admit that everyone is ethnocentric with limited views, but its important that we all learn from each other to broaden those views." Prayer is a powerful force that opens people's hearts, minds and spirits to consider new ways of thinking to embrace the "God Who Is Already There." The Spirit of Jesus is at work in all people everywhere, all the time; there is no place He ain't!

Richard Twiss, Sicangu Lakota
BACONE COLLEGE VISIT / POWWOW

Kyle (Pawnee/Choctaw) and Marcia (Euchee) Taylor, longtime close friends, both work at Bacone College in Muscogee, OK and are doing a really admirable job at helping make the historic native Christian college "Indian friendly" again! Kyle (pictured here with me) has, among other things, reestablished a school powwow that is growing every year and attended by many traditional people from throughout the region. He arranged for me to speak to students and faculty to encourage them in their journeys as Native followers of Jesus. One young lady told of attending Creek "Stomp Dances" on Saturday nights, then going to church on Sunday and feeling so judged by fellow native church members. Another young man said he often felt "caught" between his traditional ways and his christian ways.

Another young Native women, Faith Harjo (Creek, Choctaw, Pawnee) spoke of being raised in a Christian home, that because of my influence, was encouraged to embrace her native cultural ways as a follower of Jesus and how appreciative she was for this. Faith is coming to the end of her year as Miss Indian Oklahoma. Here I am standing with Faith at the powwow. Little by little, our voice and influence is growing across the land in helping First Nations people be fully Native, and fully committed to following the teachings of Jesus. Thank you for your prayers!


NASHVILLE STOP


Bill Miller (Mohican, Grammy award winner) singing in support of Charles and Siouxsan Robinson and their ministry "The Red Road." The Robinsons share the beauty of Native culture with thousands of young people in public schools, provide relief on reservations and speak in colleges and churches every year, in the Spirit of Jesus. I was privilaged to help promote and support them and their ministry as the keynote speaker for their annual fund-raising evening in Nashville. They are close friends with a great vision http://www.theredroad.org/.

Message
Richard wrote an essay about trinitartian thought as a basis for diversty and community that is a part of this intriguing new Bible. Here is what the publisher writes about the publication.

"The Holy Bible: Mosaic is arranged in order that every week the reader has a variety of content for reading and reflection to follow a theme appropriate to the Church season. Each week also includes: full-color art; Scripture readings; a historical reading; a contemporary reading; a prayer, creed, hymn, or quote; and space for reflection. You can get a copy through your local bookstore or on Amazon.


Upcoming Events - Richard's Speaking Schedule

Richard will be speaking in several places in Virginia, November 19-22. To view Richard's full schedule to see if will be speaking in your area - click here.

Contact Information
Wiconi International
Website: www.wiconi.com

CFBA: Fit to be Tied

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Fit to Be Tied
Zondervan (November 1, 2009)
by
Robin Lee Hatcher


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Lee Hatcher discovered her vocation as a novelist after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Whispers from Yesterday), the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance (Patterns of Love and The Shepherd's Voice), two RT Career Achievement Awards (Americana Romance and Inspirational Fiction), and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over 50 novels, including Catching Katie, named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She is passionate about the theater, and several nights every summer, she can be found at the outdoor amphitheater of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, enjoying Shakespeare under the stars. She makes her home outside of Boise, sharing it with Poppet the high-maintenance Papillon



ABOUT THE BOOK

Cleo Arlington dresses like a cowboy, is fearless and fun-loving, and can ride, rope, and wrangle a horse as well as any man. In 1916, however, those talents aren’t what most young women aspire to. But Cleo isn’t most women. Twenty-nine years old and single, Cleo loves life on her father’s Idaho ranch. Still, she hopes someday to marry and have children.

Enter Sherwood Statham, an English aristocrat whose father has sentenced him to a year of work in America to “straighten him out.” Sherwood, who expected a desk job at a posh spa, isn’t happy to be stuck on an Idaho ranch. And he has no idea how to handle Cleo, who’s been challenged with transforming this uptight playboy into a down-home cowboy, because he has never encountered a woman succeeding in a “man’s world.”

Just about everything either of them says or does leaves the other, well, fit to be tied. Cleo Arlington knows everything about horses but nothing about men. And though Cleo believes God’s plan for her includes a husband, it couldn’t possibly be Sherwood Statham. Could it?

Their bumpy trot into romance is frustrating, exhilarating, and ultimately heartwarming.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Fit to Be Tied , go HERE.

Watch the book video Trailer:

The Lovechild Blog Tour

The Lovechild 

by

 Ashea Goldson

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• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Urban Books (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601629664
• ISBN-13: 978-1601629661
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Here's the blurb:

The Lovechild Blog Tour
(November 9-13, 2009)

About the Author

Ashea Goldson,originally born in Brooklyn, NewYork  is a wife of twenty three years, a mother of two daughters, a grandmother of one,a  graduate of Fordham University, a writer, a poet, a publisher,a reviewer, an internet radio host,an educator, and a co-founder of a Christian preparatory school. Active in the ministry, she is a dedicated member of World Changers Church International for many years. She has a lifetime of experience with writing which ranges from being published in local newspapers, magazines, and online  publications to full length books.
Her first Christian fiction novel  is The Lovechild, published by Urban Christian Publishers  in 2008. Ashea’s short story entitled “The Kit Cat Trial” will be released in an anthology named Pets Across America  in September 2009. Her second Christian fiction novel, Joy Comes In The Morning, will be released in July 2010, also by Urban Christian Publishers.  She  has recently released a non-fiction title, Resurrecting Vision: 45 steps To Digging Up Your Destiny And Seeing It Through God’s Eyes through her own publishing company.
Calling herself a kingdom writer, and passionate about this calling, she is currently working on her third novel, random poems, several short stories, a children’s book, and is organizing a literacy group for youth in her community. During her relaxation  time she can be found hanging out with her family, snuggled up to a good book, or listening to gospel music.
Visit Ashea online http://www.asheagoldson.com.

The Lovechild

In The Lovechild, Makaeli Hunt, a successful fashion designer, has been driven far away from home by her family’s dysfunction. While living in Italy, trying to heal the wounds of yesterday, ambition becomes her comforter. When a family emergency forces her to return to her home, in seven life altering days, amidst  memories of a tumultuous past,will one revealed secret drive her away from her family and God forever? Or will she discover what it means to be God’s lovechild?
Dealing with issues of racism, depression, self-esteem, drug addiction, mental illness, verbal and physical abuse,The Lovechild is a story of redemption and re-dedication, confirming our victory in Jesus Christ.

Hallelujah, What a Saviour

CFBA: One Fine Season

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
One Fine Season
AuthorHouse (November 25, 2008)
by
Michael Sheehan


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Sheehan is CEO and founder of BioResource, a company that distributes natural remedies including the popular INFLAMYAR ointment for sports injuries. He wrote One Fine Season to honor the memories of two childhood friends who died young, before they could realize their dreams.

One Fine Season is true to life. It draws on Sheehan’s religious education at a Catholic seminary and his experience as a high school baseball and collegiate soccer player. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Sheehan also earned a master’s degree in science journalism from Boston University. He lives in Northern California.


ABOUT THE BOOK

ONE FINE SEASON tells the story of a promising young athlete who must rise from the ashes of devastating personal loss to fulfill a pact made years earlier with his best friend.

Best friends Pete O’Brien and Danny Grace are gifted college athletes, both hoping for careers as professional baseball players. When tragedy strikes, Danny struggles to cope with his overwhelming grief and fulfill a pact the young men made years earlier: to play in the World Series.

Events unexpectedly thrust Danny into the spotlight with the new expansion team in Sacramento. Three guides – an aging catcher, spiritual centerfielder and wise manager – plus a beautiful woman lead him on a healing journey, revealing that even death cannot break the bonds of true friendship.

If you would like to read an excerpt from the first chapter of One Fine Season, go HERE

CFBA: A Slow Burn

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Slow Burn
Zondervan (October 1, 2009)
by
Mary DeMuth


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary E. DeMuth is an expert in Pioneer Parenting. She enables Christian parents to navigate our changing culture when their families left no good faith examples to follow.

Her parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2007), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005).

Mary also inspires people to face their trials through her real-to-life novels, Watching The Tree Limbs
(nominated for a Christy Award) and Wishing On Dandelions (NavPress, 2006).

Mary has spoken at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, the ACFW Conference, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, and at various churches and church planting ministries. She's also taught in Germany, Austria, Monaco, Italy, France, and the United States. Mary and her husband, Patrick, reside in Texas with their three children. They recently returned from breaking new spiritual ground in Southern France, and planting a church.



ABOUT THE BOOK


She touched Daisy’s shoulder. So cold. So hard. So unlike Daisy.

Yet so much like herself it made Emory shudder.

Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy’s murderer—a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. As questions surrounding Daisy’s death continue to mount, Emory’s safety is shattered by the pursuit of a stranger, and she can’t shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy’s disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for?

The second book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, this suspenseful novel is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and the pain of telling the truth. Most of all, it is about the power of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer holds us captive.


Watch the video:



If you would like to read the first chapter of A Slow Burn, go HERE

Wind Follower review up at Specusphere

This was so encouraging, also a bit of a call to arms. Black Speculative Fiction writers -- especially those of us in the US-- often mix Christianity in our writings. The specfic world, at large, is used to seeing certain kinds of spirituality. Most popular is probably the wiccan/druidic spirituality. Runes are everywhere. Then there's the Mormonism  type of spirituality. One sees that in stuff like Battlestar Gallactica etc... where people attain to godhead or become as gods. That's pretty common. Humans from back in the day -- and many religions such as Shintoism and Buddhism-- deal with that.

But when Christianity pops up in specfic --- if it's seen as a good thing, it's either linked to white Christianity (C S Lewis and Lord of the Rings or stuff like Left Behind.) But more often than not it's seen as an encrouching evil, something dark and patriarchal that takes away man's freedom and destroys societies. Not that Western Christianity hasn't done that. But Christians are not only from the western world and aside from Christians as a persecuting majority, or a persecuted minority, there is the basic story of the gospel.

The gospel is a wonderful myth which I believe, and which many minorities believe. We minorities, first world people, have had to really walk that balance of seeing the imperialistic evil of Western Christianity and their belief. Because of this a book written by us to a world where readers are used to paganism and wiccan spirituality might seem to have marketability issues. Anyway, here it is up at Specusphere 

I really liked this section:

Yet there is probably a niche market for books like this one, and it is, I would venture, among Christians who are not fundamentalists and who are willing to consider that perhaps parables can be spoken in the language of fantasy as well as that of religion. A tall order, perhaps, but I hope McDonnell finds this readership.An author who can produce a work such as Wind Follower deserves to have an extensive circulation.

and then this:

Mc Donnell is a fine writer, and Wind Follower leads us to expect even better things from her in the future.