Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Weekend Movie-Viewing
Sky of Love: Idiosyncratic bad boy falls in love with good girl and dies.
Here's a vid someone compiled with a song by Kokia. (You know I love me some Kokia.)
Virgin Snow: Korean Guy visiting Japan falls in love with a girl who has a grieving mother. He learns Korean to talk with her. Very sweet. Here's the first part
Only You Can Hear Me: Lonely isolated girl with no cell phone finds a cell phone which telepathically joins her to a deaf-mute boy. They fall in love and plan to meet.
See You After school: A Korean comedy which really made me laugh. Loser kid with terrible bad luck arrives in a school and tries to change his terrible luck. Ends up being challenged by the school bully.
Monday, August 31, 2009
CFBA: Gone To Green
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Judy Pace Christie, after working as a journalist for twenty-five years, left the daily news business to open a consulting firm that works with individuals, businesses, and churches on strategies for meaningful life and work, including goal-setting, living fully, and balancing personal and professional lives. She is the author of Hurry Less, Worry Less; Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmastime; and co-author of Awesome Altars. Judy and her husband live in northwest Louisiana.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Lois goes from being a corporate journalist at a large paper in the Midwest to the owner of The Green News-Item, a small twice-weekly newspaper in rural North Louisiana. The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people. She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2, she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named Kevin.
Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of real people and the importance of being part of a community.
While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Gone To Green, go HERE
Mrs Black?
Mrs Black?
Angelia Vernon Menchan
208 pages
September 11, 2009
English
ISBN-10: 097878359X
ISBN-13: 978-0978783594
Here's the blurb:
Will Malcolm Black finally get the woman of his dreams or will he tire of waiting and find someone else to be Mrs. Black. Will William Brown finally get his comeuppance and have to pay the piper or will Cinnamon Brown find it in her heart to forgive and look the other way one more time? Will Cinnamon finally choose Malcolm Black, or will she stay with William Brown no matter what....or will she relax and let them both go. Mrs. Black answers these questions and more. Center City's major players are about to shake things up and get shook!
Here's the author's blog
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Feminista by Erica Kennedy
Feminista
Erica Kennedy
St. Martin's Press,
Pub date: 2009.
Pages: 358
ISBN: 9780312538798
ERICA KENNEDY is a journalist who has covered entertainment and fashion for Us and In Style. She lives in New York City and Miami, Florida.
Here's the blurb:
This was just on eesence.com
Sydney Zamora is fiercely independent, aggressively opinionated, and utterly self-made. She’s reshaped her body (into the perfect sample-sale outfitted size 6, thank you very much), organized a life for herself as a celebrity journalist at hot magazineCachet, and strides through the canyons of New York City like she owns them. There’s just one problem: Sydney is so strong that she plays keep-away with men. But now that she’s hitting her midthirties, she wants one. Badly. For her birthday, Sydney’s sister ambushes her with the services of Mitzi Berman, $40,000 a shot Manhattan matchmaker extraordinaire. Mitzi also has her eyes on Max Cooper, the scion of Harvey’s department store, the chicest place to shop in America. And nothing could make either Sydney or Max Cooper run faster than Mitzi, with her rules and her Brooklyn accent—that is, if they didn’t concede her a point or two.
Peopled with vivid, hilarious characters, Feminista is fast-moving fiction whose themes of independence, image and the com pli - cated relationship between the sexes in the working world recall the best of Rona Jaffe.
http://www.essence.com/
And this is her blog
: http://thefeministafiles.
Here's an excerpt
Thursday, August 27, 2009
AA YA: Lesson Learned
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Kimani (March 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373831161
ISBN-13: 978-0373831166
The blurb:
Whoever said "family comes first" never met Keysha's mom, Justine. Fresh out of jail, Justine wants to reconnect with her daughter—despite abandoning her to a father she hardly knew. Keysha is sure Justine's troubled past is going to play havoc with her own present and future. To add more drama to the mix, her younger brother, Mike, is now a wannabe player, determined to get with a girl Keysha just knows is trouble.
For once, all of Keysha's hunches are right on target. And now it's up to her to untangle a dangerous mess…before the life and new family she's just begun to build come crashing down around her….
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
CFBA: The Frontiersman's Daughter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I was born and raised in Kentucky and my love of history goes deep - way back to the 18th-century when my family first came into the Bluegrass State. It will always be home to me, even though I now live with my husband, Randy, and my sons, Wyatt and Paul, in the misty woods of northwest Washington. I go back as often as I can to visit family and all the old haunts that I love.I grew up playing on the original site of Fort Boonesborough and swimming in the Kentucky River and climbing the Pinnacle near Berea and watching the great outdoor dramas of the early settlers. Often my cousins and brother and I would play in my Granny's attic and dress up in the pioneer costumes she made us and pretend to be Daniel Boone, Rebecca, Jemima, or the Shawnee.
As I grew up I began to write stories and they were always historical, filled with the lore I had heard or read about. It's no accident that my first book (which is actually my fifth book - the others were practice!) is about those first Kentucky pioneers.
I feel blessed beyond measure to write books. My prayer is that you are doubly blessed reading them.
Note: Laura Frantz credits her 100-year-old grandmother as being the catalyst for her fascination with Kentucky history. Frantz's family followed Daniel Boone into Kentucky in 1792 and settled in Madison County where her family still resides. Frantz is a former schoolteacher and social worker who currently lives in the misty woods of Washington state with her husband and two sons, whom she homeschools.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Lovely but tough as nails, Lael Click is the daughter of a celebrated frontiersman. Haunted by her father's former captivity with the Shawnee Indians, as well as the secret sins of her family's past, Lael comes of age in the fragile Kentucky settlement her father founded.Though she faces the loss of a childhood love, a dangerous family feud, and the affection of a Shawnee warrior, Lael draws strength from the rugged land she calls home, and from Ma Horn, a distant relative who shows her the healing ways of herbs and roots found in the hills.
But the arrival of an outlander doctor threatens her view of the world, God, and herself--and the power of grace and redemption. This epic novel gives readers a glimpse into the simple yet daring lives of the pioneers who first crossed the Appalachians, all through the courageous eyes of a determined young woman.
Laura Frantz's debut novel offers a feast for readers of historical fiction and romance lovers alike.
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Frontiersman’s Daughter, go HERE
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Financial aid for African Americans
By Gail A. Schlachter and R. David Weber.
El Dorado Hills, Calif. : Reference Service Press,
Hardcover: 497 pages
Publisher: Reference Service Press (March 31, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 158841177X
ISBN-13: 978-1588411778
Here's the blurb:
"
Selected as Reference Books Bulletin's "Editor's Choice!"
If you are a Black or African American looking for financial aid, this is the directory for you. Described here are more than 1,250 scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships--representing billions of dollars--open specifically to Black/African Americans. This money can be used to support a whole range of activities, including:
study
training
research
creative activities
future projects
professional development
work experience
A list of: scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships open primarily or exclusively to African Americans."
Editors: 1997/99-<2009/11> Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sins of the Father Blog Tour
Sins of the Father
by Angela Benson
368 pages / Paperback
Avon/Harper Collins
Here's the blurb:
God asked the biblical Abraham to sacrifice his son. But Abraham Martin's only god is money. Successful media mogul Abraham Martin has great wealth, an elegant wife, Saralyn, and a rebellious son, Isaac. He also has a secret: a second family that no one knows about. Now, after thirty years—driven by the urging of his long dormant conscience—Abraham is determined to do the right thing by finally bringing his illegitimate children into the light…and into the family fold. But beautiful, manipulative Saralyn will never accept the proof of her husband’s indiscretions. Isaac the heir, shaken by his father’s revelations, will fight mercilessly when his world is threatened, and may lose everything that matters as a result.
Here's the tour info:
All The Buzz Reviews
Rhonda McKnight
AAMBC Online Radio (8 pm EST / 7 pm CST)
DAY 2 | Tuesday, August 25
APOOO Books Here's a review on APOOO
Tia McCollors
The Sharvette Mitchell Show (6 pm EST)
DAY 3 | Wednesday, August 26
Written Voices Blog
Vanessa Richardson
Inspiration Station (6:30 pm EST)
WordThirst Literary Online Radio Show (8 pm EST)
DAY 4 | Thursday, August 27
Christian Fiction Blog
The Pleasing Spoon
DAY 5 | Friday, August 28
Joey's Reviews
The Rapturous Reader
CFBA: Surrender the Wind
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rita Gerlach has published three historical novels plus articles in Writers Gazette, Write to Inspire, Will Write 4 Food, and The Christian Communicator. She also is the editor of Stepping Stones Magazine, an online website focused on writing, marketing, and promotion for writers. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and The Western Maryland Writers Guild.
She currently lives in Frederick, Maryland. You can also visit her at her Blog
ABOUT THE BOOK
Seth Braxton, a patriot of the American Revolution, unexpectedly inherits his loyalist grandfather's estate in England. Seth is torn between the land he fought for and the prospect of reuniting with his sister Caroline, who was a motherless child taken to England at the onset of the war. With no intention of staying permanently, Seth arrives to find his sister grieving over the death of her young son. In the midst of such tragedy, Seth meets Juleah, the daughter of an eccentric landed gentleman. Her independent spirit and gentle soul steal Seth's heart. After a brief courtship, they marry and she takes her place as the lady of Ten Width Manor, enraging the man who once sought her hand and schemed to make Ten Width his own. From the Virginia wilderness to the dark halls of an isolated English estate, Seth and his beloved Juleah inherit more than an ancestral home. They uncover a sinister plot that leads to murder, abduction, and betrayal--an ominous threat to their new life, love, and faith.
If you would like to reas the Prologue of Surrender The Wind, go HERE
Watch the trailer:
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Speculative Fiction Book Reviewer Link up meme
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to copy the entire list from the text box at the bottom of this post and post it to your own blog.. Feel free to add your own blog or website to the list if it is not there. Participation will boost everyone's blog rankings and give us new places to find the SF news and reviews we all crave.
If you are not on the master list, and wish to be, use the form below to sign up.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
7 Foot Shelves
The Accidental Bard
A Boy Goes on a Journey
A Dribble Of Ink
Adventures in Reading
A Fantasy Reader
The Agony Column
A Hoyden's Look at Literature
All Booked Up
Alexia's Books and Such...
Andromeda Spaceways
The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.
Ask Daphne
ask nicola
Audiobook DJ
aurealisXpress
Australia Specfic In Focus
Author 2 Author
AzureScape
B
Barbara Martin
Babbling about Books
Bees (and Books) on the Knob
Best SF
Bewildering Stories
Bibliophile Stalker
Bibliosnark
Big Dumb Object
BillWardWriter.com
The Billion Light-Year Bookshelf
Bitten by Books
The Black Library Blog
Blog, Jvstin Style
Blood of the Muse
The Book Bind
Bookgeeks
Bookrastination
Booksies Blog
Bookslut
The Book Smugglers
Bookspotcentral
The Book Swede
Book View Cafe [Authors Group Blog]
Breeni Books
C
Cheaper Ironies [pro columnist]
Charlotte's Library
Circlet 2.0
Cheryl's Musings
Club Jade
Cranking Plot
Critical Mass
The Crotchety Old Fan
D
Daily Dose - Fantasy and Romance
Damien G. Walter
Danger Gal
It's Dark in the Dark
Dark Parables
Dark Wolf Fantasy Reviews
Darque Reviews
Dave Brendon's Fantasy and Sci-Fi Weblog
Dead Book Darling
Dear Author
The Deckled Edge
The Doctor is In...
Dragons, Heroes and Wizards
Drey's Library
The Discriminating Fangirl
Dusk Before the Dawn
E
Enter the Octopus
Errant Dreams Reviews
Eve's Alexandria
F
Falcata Times
Fan News Denmark [in English]
Fantastic Reviews
Fantastic Reviews Blog
Fantasy Book Banner
Fantasy Book Critic
Fantasy Book Reviews and News
Fantasy Cafe
Fantasy Debut
Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings
Fantasy Literature.com
Fantasy Magazine
Fantasy and Sci-fi Lovin' Blog
Feminist SF - The Blog!
Feybound
Fiction is so Overrated
The Fix
The Foghorn Review
Follow that Raven
Forbidden Planet
Frances Writes
Free SF Reader
From a Sci-Fi Standpoint
From the Heart of Europe
Fruitless Recursion
Fundamentally Alien
The Future Fire
G
The Galaxy Express
Galleycat
Game Couch
The Gamer Rat
Garbled Signals
Genre Reviews
Genreville
Got Schephs
Graeme's Fantasy Book Review
Grasping for the Wind
The Green Man Review
Gripping Books
H
Hasenpfeffer
Hero Complex
Highlander's Book Reviews
Horrorscope
The Hub Magazine
Hyperpat's Hyper Day
I
I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away The Ending
Ink and Keys
Ink and Paper
The Internet Review of Science Fiction
io9
J
Jenna's Bookshelf
Jumpdrives and Cantrips
K
Keeping the Door
King of the Nerds
L
Lair of the Undead Rat
Largehearted Boy
Layers of Thought
League of Reluctant Adults
The Lensman's Children
Library Dad
Libri Touches
Literary Escapism
Literaturely Speaking
ludis inventio
Lundblog: Beautiful
M
Mad Hatter's Bookshelf and Book Review
Mari's Midnight Garden
Mark Freedman's Journal
Marooned: Science Fiction Books on Mars
MentatJack
Michele Lee's Book Love
Missions Unknown [Author and Artist Blog Devoted to SF/F/H in San Antonio]
The Mistress of Ancient Revelry
MIT Science Fiction Society
Monster Librarian
More Words, Deeper Hole
Mostly Harmless Books
Multi-Genre Fan
Musings from the Weirdside
My Favourite Books
N
The New Book Review
NextRead
Not Free SF Reader
Nuketown
O
OF Blog of the Fallen
The Old Bat's Belfry
Only The Best SciFi/Fantasy
The Ostentatious Ogre
Outside of a Dog
P
Paranormality
Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Patricia's Vampire Notes
The Persistence of Vision
Piaw's Blog
pornokitsch
Post-Weird Thoughts
Publisher's Weekly
Q
R
Random Acts of Mediocrity
Ray Gun Revival
Realms of Speculative Fiction
Reading the Leaves
Review From Here
Reviewer X
Revolution SF
The Road Not Taken
Rob's Blog o' Stuff
Robots and Vamps
S
Sandstorm Reviews
Satisfying the Need to Read
Science Fiction and Fantasy Ethics
Science Fiction Times
ScifiChick
Sci-Fi Blog
SciFiGuy
Sci-Fi Fan Letter
The Sci-Fi Gene
Sci-Fi Songs [Musical Reviews]
SciFi Squad
Scifi UK Reviews
Sci Fi Wire
Self-Publishing Review
The Sequential Rat
Severian's Fantastic Worlds
SF Diplomat
SFFaudio
SFFMedia
SF Gospel
SFReader.com
SF Reviews.net
SF Revu
SF Safari
SF Signal
SF Site
SFF World's Book Reviews
Silver Reviews
Simply Vamptastic
Slice of SciFi
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Solar Flare
Speculative Fiction
Speculative Fiction Junkie
Speculative Horizons
The Specusphere
Spinebreakers
Spiral Galaxy Reviews
Spontaneous Derivation
Sporadic Book Reviews
Stainless Steel Droppings
Starting Fresh
Stella Matutina>
Stuff as Dreams are Made on...
The Sudden Curve
The Sword Review
T
Tangent Online
Tehani Wessely
Temple Library Reviews
Tez Says
things mean a lot
Tor.com [also a publisher]
True Science Fiction
U
Ubiquitous Absence
Un:Bound
undeadbydawn
Urban Fantasy Land
V
Vast and Cool and Unsympathetic
Variety SF
W
Walker of Worlds
Wands and Worlds
Wanderings
The Wertzone
With Intent to Commit Horror
The Wizard of Duke Street
WJ Fantasy Reviews
The Word Nest
Wordsville
The World in a Satin Bag
WriteBlack
X
Y
Z
Romanian
Cititor SF [with English Translation]
French
Chinese
Foundation of Krantas
The SF Commonwealth Office in Taiwan [with some English essays]
Yenchin's Lair
Danish
Interstellar
Ommadawn.dk
Scifisiden
Portuguese
Aguarras
Fernando Trevisan
Human 2.0
Life and Times of a Talkative Bookworm
Ponto De Convergencia
pós-estranho
Skavis
German
Fantasy Seiten
Fantasy Buch
Fantasy/SciFi Blog
Literaturschock
Welt der fantasy
Bibliotheka Phantastika
SF Basar
Phantastick News
X-zine
Buchwum
Phantastick Couch
Wetterspitze
Fantasy News
Fantasy Faszination
Fantasy Guide
Zwergen Reich
Fiction Fantasy
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Friday, August 21, 2009
Charity: Sky of Love
Here is a vid from youtube
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
CFBA: Kathryn's Fountain
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I'm a follower of Jesus Christ and seek to live my life to please Him and for His glory. I'm walking this journey with my life's partner, Diann. We've been married since 1972 and have two grown children. Our daughter Julie serves as a missionary with her husband Victor in Mexico in a ministry they founded called Fishers of Men. Check their ministry out at www.fishersofmenmexico.org. Our son Dan is married to Teri and he's a detective in a police department in a suburb of Indianapolis.I have pastored the Mayfair-Plymouth Congregational Church of Toledo, Ohio since 1975, having just celebrated 33 years at the church. You can check out the church at http://www.mayfairplymouth.org/. You can also visit me at my blog, where I add material about every other day or so.
I enjoy photography, that's why I'm treating you with a different photo of mine each week on the web site. Over three hundred of my photos are for sale at www.istockphoto.com.
I'm also a ventriloquist, of sorts, and treat the children of my church with a "visit with Ricky" every third Sunday of the month in the morning worship services.
Raising white homing pigeons is another of my hobbies. I enjoy watching them soar overhead.
That's just a little bit about me. Thanks for visiting. God bless you!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Kathryn is resigned to living out her last days at Victorian Manor, a beautiful old home for senior citizens. Then one day a miraculous experience happens to Kathryn at the garden fountain, and she begins living an adventure beyond her wildest dreams. Love and sacrifice take on new meaning as she involves a social worker and a police detective in carrying out what she believes to be her calling -- to rescue a street child named Jasmine.Kathryn's Fountain celebrates the gifts that the generations can bring to each other. The conclusion is a resounding affirmation that it's never too late to make a difference.
If you would like to read an excerpt from Kathryn's Fountain, go HERE
Monday, August 17, 2009
CFBA: Montana Rose
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mary's writing journey is similar to a lot of others. Boil it down to persistence, oh, go ahead and call it stubbornness. She just kept typing away. She think the reason she did it was because she was more or less a dunce around people—prone to sit silently when she really ought to speak up(or far worse, speak up when she ought to sit silently).
So, Mary had all these things, she want to say, in her head; the perfect zinger to the rude cashier, which you think of an hour after you’ve left the store, the perfect bit of wisdom when someone needs help, which doesn’t occur to you until they solve their problems themselves, the perfect guilt trip for the kids, which you don’t say because you’re not an idiot. She keep all this wit to herself, much to the relief of all who know her, and then wrote all her great ideas into books. It’s therapeutic if nothing else, and more affordable than a psychiatrist.
So then a very nice, oh so nice publishing company like Barbour Heartsong comes along and says, “Hey, we’ll pay you money for this 45,000 word therapy session.” That’s as sweet as it gets.
Mary's journey to publication is the same as everyone’s except for a few geniuses out there who make it hard for all of us. And even they probably have an Ode to Roast Beef or two in their past.
Mary has signed an exclusive contract with Barbour that will have her writing eighteen (18) books for them over the next four years! This book is the first in the Montana Marriage Series. The second book will be the Husband Tree, and the third will be Wildflower Bride
ABOUT THE BOOK
Fire up your love of romance with Montana Rose.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Montana Rose, go HERE
Murder on the Down Low Blog Tour
Paperback: 386 pages
Publisher: Goldman House Publishing (September 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0981562701
ISBN-13: 978-0981562704
Here's the blurb:
A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled. At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose deceit caused his fianceé's death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.
About the Author
Pamela Samuels Young is a legal columnist for Global Woman magazine and the author of Every Reasonable Doubt and In Firm Pursuit. She lives in Los Angeles.
Here is the schedule for the Murder on the Down Low Blog Tour with Pamela Samuels Young (August 17-21)
Online Radio Schedule
August 17 - Black Authors Network (8-10 pm EST)
Blog Tour Schedule
DAY 1 | Monday, Aug 17
All The Buzz Reviews
AAMBC Book Tours
Jenny Reed
DAY 2 | Tuesday, Aug 18
APOOO Books
Simply Said Reading Accessories
Sheila DeChantal
DAY 3 | Wednesday, Aug 19
Black Pearl Magazine
SORMAG
DAY 4 | Thursday, Aug 20
RAWSistaz Literary Group
Joey Reviews
DAY 5 | Friday, Aug 21
Vanessa Richardson
Faygo's Report
Britni Vigil
UPCOMING BLOG TOURS
http://bitly.com/SinsoftheFather (Aug 24- Sept 4)
http://tinyurl.com/AloneWithAJihadist (Sept. 7-11)
Friday, August 14, 2009
Cops Out of Control -- Tasing Baseball Fans
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
CFBA: Night Watchman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mark Mynheir was born and raised on the east coast of Central Florida. Like most boys growing up, Mark enjoyed sports, mainly football and martial arts.In 1983, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and went through basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina. After serving four years in the Marines, Mark changed gears and pursued a career in law enforcement.
During his career as a police officer, Mark has worked as a narcotics agent, a S.W.A.T. team member, and a homicide detective.
Over sixteen years ago, during a health crisis involving his oldest son, Mark gave his life to Jesus Christ. Shortly after his conversion, he felt God leading him in a new direction: writing. Now he balances dual careers as a police officer and novelist.
He has authored Rolling Thunder (The Truth Chasers Book One), From the Belly of the Dragon (The Truth Chasers Book Two), and The Void (The Truth Chasers Book Three).
Mark is married to the love of his life and has three fantastic children, and they all currently reside in Central Florida.
ABOUT THE BOOK
When everything is ripped away...Eleven months ago, Ray Quinn was a tough, quick-witted Orlando homicide detective at the top of his game-until a barrage of bullets ended his career.and his partner's life.
Now medically retired with a painful handicap, Ray battles the haunting guilt for his partner's death. Numbing the pain with alcohol and attitude, Ray takes a job as a night watchman at a swanky Orlando condo community.
But when a pastor and an exotic dancer are found dead in one of the condos in an apparent murder-suicide, Ray can no longer linger in the shadows. The victim’s sister is convinced her brother was framed and begs Ray to take on an impossible case─to challenge the evidence and clear her brother’s name.
Ray reluctantly pulls the thread of this supposedly dead-end case only to unravel a murder investigation so deep that it threatens to turn the Orlando political landscape upside down and transform old friends into new enemies. As Ray chases down leads and interrogates suspects, someone is watching his every move, someone determined to keep him from ever finding out the truth─at any cost.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Night Watchman, go HERE
Monday, August 10, 2009
CFBA: Mohamed's Moon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A strong defender of Christian values, noted author and lecturer Keith Clemons is a native of Southern California and graduate of English Literature at California State University, Fullerton. In his former capacity as Vice President of Marketing for Mytec Technologies Inc.
He was a frequent conference speaker, particularly when the forum centered on Electronic Commerce. Today, in addition to writing, he appears on radio and television where he uses his communications skills to explain coming trends that will affect both the church and society at large.
His passion for communication has resulted in the previous publication of more than a hundred articles. To date, Mr. Clemons has completed five novels including Angel in the Alley and the award winning If I Should Die, These Little Ones, and Above The Stars.
He resides with his wife and daughter at their home in Caledon, Ontario, Canada.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Are we enemies...
or brothers?
Two brothers separated at birth grow up worlds apart. Outwardly, they're exactly alike, but inwardly, nothing's the same--one is a devotee of fundamentalist Islam; the other, a Christian. In this modern-day Cain and Abel story, the lines are drawn not just over whose God is right, but also over the fact that they're both in love with the same girl.
It's a conflict with grave repercussions, little hope of resolution--and time is running out. In the background, a plan has been set in motion that will bring the United States government to its knees. Will an unexpected visitation reconcile the brothers in time to save the woman they love--and ultimately, themselves--from the coming devastation?
In his award-winning style, author Keith Clemons delivers a profound comparison between Christianity and Islam, a dichotomy of life versus death, love versus hate, and grace versus legalism. Mohamed's Moon will plunge you into a world where hatred and heinous acts are justified. But if hatred is potent, it pales in comparison to the power of God's love.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Mohamed's Moon, go HERE
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Heritage Mass Choir
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
CFBA: The Sacred Cipher
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Over the past 35 years, Terry Brennan has accumulated a broad range of experience in both the profit and non-profit business sectors.His 22-year, award winning journalism career included:
• Seven years as a sportswriter and editor with The Philadelphia Bulletin, at the time the largest-circulation afternoon newspaper in the nation;
• Leading The Mercury of Pottstown (PA), as its editor, to a Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing;
• Serving as Executive Editor of a multi-national newspaper firm – Ingersoll Publications – with papers in the USA, England and Ireland.
In 1996 Brennan transferred his successful management career to the non-profit sector and served for 12 years as Vice President of Operations for the Christian Herald Association, Inc., the parent organization of four New York City ministries, including The Bowery Mission.
Now Chief Operating Officer of the National Organization on Disability, Brennan also won the Valley Forge Award for editorial writing from the Freedoms Foundation. His two adult sons and their families live in Pennsylvania. Terry, his wife Andrea and their two adult children live in New York City. The Sacred Cipher is his first novel.
ABOUT THE BOOK
History's greatest secret could be tomorrow's greatest threat More historically and biblically accurate than The DaVinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher combines action and mystery to draw readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades. When an ancient scroll appears in a secret room of the Bowery Mission in New York City, Tom Bohannon is both stunned and intrigued. The enigma of the scroll's contents will send Bohannon and his team ricocheting around the world, drawing the heat of both Jewish and Muslim militaries, and bringing the Middle East to the brink of nuclear war in this heart-pounding adventure of historical proportions. The Sacred Cipher is a riveting, fact-based tale of mystery and suspense.
If you want to read the Prologue of The Sacred Cipher, go HERE
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Darra Consulting now accepting new clients
Darra Consulting, a church financial consulting and strategy firm, has announced that it will now accept new church clients.
Orlando, Florida - July 31, 2009 – Darra Consulting LLC of Orlando, Florida has opened its doors to new church clients that are interested in optimizing their financial strategy or seeking funding for construction, refinance, or other growth opportunities.
“We currently have the capacity to take on some additional clients, particularly those churches who are in need of money for expansion but who are having difficulty finding it on their own in the current economic climate. We are currently offering a free consultation for interested churches.” said Founder/President John Ottinger III.
Churches have been seeing a great deal of membership increase in these economic times as more and more people attend services. In “Praying for Recession: The Business Cycle and Protestant Religiosity in the United States,” David Beckworth, an assistant professor of economics at Texas State University, looked at long-established trend lines showing the growth of evangelical congregations and the decline of mainline churches. He found that during each recession cycle between 1968 and 2004, the rate of growth in evangelical churches jumped by 50 percent.
But although churches are expanding, they are often unable to find funding for either construction or refinancing. Banks have a history of misunderstanding the way churches work and are tightening their lending requirements due to the recession, leaving churches unable to procure the financing they need. Many churches are unprepared for this new economic climate, having structured their finances based on the good times of the last few years before the economic downturn. Darra Consulting is a team of financial strategists that can help the church reposition themselves to eliminate wasteful and haphazard spending, increase the effectiveness of the ministry, and prepare for building expansion either now or in the future.
“Though times are tough, churches are expanding, and we aim to take advantage of the low rates and unique opportunities in this financial market to make each church’s vision for growth a reality,” stated Ottinger. “We do not offer a specific product but rather a unique solution tailored to the needs of the church, and so we do not have the same limitations as direct lenders.”
To find out more about Darra Consulting, call
ABOUT DARRA CONSULTING, LLC
Darra Consulting, LLC is a team of experts with over 30 years of experience in the lending industry, including over $1 billion in church real estate finance and over $500 million in non-profit real estate finance. To learn more about Darra Consulting, please visit www.darraconsulting.com or contact the company by e-mailing info@darraconsulting.com.
Contact Info:
Email: johnottinger (AT) darraconsulting.com
Web: www.darraconsulting.com
Last Woman Standing Tour
Product Details
Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: Lift Every Voice (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802498639
ISBN-13: 978-0802498632
Here's my review: Book Review: The Last Woman Standing by Tia McCollors
Here's the blurb:
After being married to their careers instead of each other for ten years, "Ace" and Lynette Bowers ended their marriage. Four years later however, it seems as though their love never ended - to both of their surprise and denial. Sheila Rushmore is Ace's current girlfriend and a woman who is used to getting what she wants - except Ace's commitment to marriage. When Sheila realizes Lynette may be the cause, she launches a plan to play the hand of God, instead of allowing God to bring the love they all desire in His way.
About the Author
After ten years as a public relations professional, Tia McCollors has emerged as an inspirational speaker and author of faith-based novels. She lives in the Atlanta area with her husband and son. She encourages readers to visit her online at
Here it is on amazon
Here are other blogs involved in the tour
All The Buzz Reviews
Urban Christian Fiction Today
Angela Benson
AAMBC Online Radio (9 pm EST / 8 pm CST)
DAY 2 - August 4
APOOO Books
Brooks Young
LaTara Ham-Ying
DAY 3 - August 5
Black Pearl Magazine
SORMAG
Joey Reviews
Angie Arndt
DAY 4 - August 6
RAWSistaz Literary Group
Carole McDonnell
Vera A. Pereskokova
Chocolate Pages Show (6 pm EST)
WordThirst Literary Online Radio Show (8 pm EST)
DAY 5 - August 7
CeeCee McNeil
Patricia Woodside
Britni Vigil
Monday, August 03, 2009
CFBA: Timescape by Robert Liparulo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first novel, Comes a Horseman, released to critical acclaim. Each of his subsequent thrillers—Germ, Deadfall, and Deadlock—secured his place as one of today’s most popular and daring thriller writers. He is known for investing deep research and chillingly accurate predictions of near-future scenarios into his stories. In fact, his thorough, journalistic approach to research has resulted in his becoming an expert on the various topics he explores in his fiction, and he has appeared on such media outlets as CNN and ABC Radio.
Liparulo’s visual style of writing has caught the eye of Hollywood producers. Currently, three of his novels for adults are in various stages of development for the big screen: the film rights to Comes A Horseman. were purchased by the producer of Tom Clancy’s movies; and Liparulo is penning the screenplays for GERM and Deadfall
for two top producers. He is also working with the director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Holes) on a political thriller. Novelist Michael Palmer calls Deadfall “a brilliantly crafted thriller.” March 31st marked the publication of Deadfall’s follow-up, Deadlock, which novelist Gayle Lynds calls, “best of high-octane suspense.”
Liparulo’s bestselling young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, debuted last year with House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods. Book three, Gatekeepers, released in January, and number four, Timescape, in July. The series has garnered praise from readers, both young and old, as well as attracting famous fans who themselves know the genre inside and out. Of the series, Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine says, “I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?”
With the next two Dreamhouse books “in the can,” he is currently working on his next thriller, which for the first time injects supernatural elements into his brand of gun-blazing storytelling. The story is so compelling, two Hollywood studios are already in talks to acquire it—despite its publication date being more than a year away. After that comes a trilogy of novels, based on his acclaimed short story, which appeared in James Patterson’s Thriller anthology. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” He lives with his family in Colorado.
ABOUT THE BOOK
David, Xander, Dad, and Keal have discovered a terrible secret. Now, finding Mom is only a small part of their mission. And time is running out. Using the portals to build an empire, Taksidian wants the house for himself, and there's nothing he won't do to get the family out. The consequences of his meddling reach far beyond the family--to the future of the world itself. The Kings know their survival depends on stopping the bloodthirsty assassin. If only they can find his weakness in time. Most startling of all is their ability to change the path of history. But will their tinkering in time reunite the family and save the future . . . or set mankind on an irreversible course of destruction?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Timescape, go HEREEnter the contest to win this book package by clicking on the image!!!
