Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Last Temptation by Michelle Stimpson

Patricia “Peaches” Miller finally has the man and the ring she always wanted, but she’s not quite ready to turn in her Independent-Woman-Card to follow her follow her future husband’s dreams. When her ex suddenly becomes re-interested in her, Peaches wonders if she owes it to her son to give his father one more chance. But this last temptation hurls Peaches down a dangerous road that tests her relationships, her faith, and even her sanity. Can sin ever have a silver lining?

You’ll love revisiting the main characters from Michelle Stimpson's highly acclaimed debut novel, Boaz Brown, in this long-awaited story of rebellion and redemption.





About the Author: Michelle Stimpson



Michelle Stimpson is an author, a speaker, and an educator who received her Bachelor of Science degree from Jarvis Christian College in 1994. She earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2002. She has had the pleasure of teaching elementary, middle, and high school as well as training adults.


In addition to her work in the field of education, Michelle ministers through writing and public speaking. Her works include Boaz Brown, Breaking Bondage to Biscuits, Divas of Damascus Road (National Bestseller), The Good Stuff, Trouble In My Way, and the upcoming release, Last Temptation. She has written and published over 40 short stories through her educational publishing company at http://www.wegottaread.com/. She also ministers to women through her online newsletter: http://www.womengrowinginchrist.com/.


Michelle lives near Dallas with her husband and their two teenage children. She is active in the Creative Tyme Ministry at her home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Visit Michelle online at www.michellestimpson.com.

 
PODCAST 1 - About the Book


PODCAST 2 - For Readers

PODCAST 3 - Excerpt

To Order This Book

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, or Books A Million.




For More Information


• Visit the author online at http://www.michellestimpson.com

• View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/LastTemptationBlogTour



Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sweeter Than The Honey By LaShanda Michelle

Sweeter Than The Honey by LaShanda Michelle

LaShanda Michelle is an author and a playwright. In her free time she enjoys reading, dancing, and spending time with her family. She is a native of Huntsville, Texas.

About the Book


Kamilah Wright has a lot on her shoulders for someone entering their senior year of high school. Not only does her mom expect her to raise the other seven children in their home, but she’s also required to turn a blind eye to her father’s infidelity, as well as maintain a perfect 4.0 GPA in order to get the academic scholarship she desperately needs to attend college. To complicate matters even more, she’s also a rape victim. The only person she’s told is her best friend, Eric, whom she’s secretly in love with. Through all of this Kamilah convinces herself that she has everything under control.

That is until she meets Summer Freeman. The beautiful new girl at school, Summer introduces Kamilah to a lifestyle that she’s never known, including fashion, luxury, and alternative viewpoints that conflict with her Christian upbringing. Pretty soon the love she has for her new friend evolves into something more, and Kamilah has to prove which love she will devote herself to. Will she stay in the same sex relationship that feels so right, or will she embrace the faith she didn’t know meant so much to her

Book Trailer




Podcast
PODCAST 1 - About the Book




MP3 File




PODCAST 2 - For Readers





MP3 File




 
Purchase the book online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, or Indiebound.
 
For More Information

• Visit the author online at http://www.lashandamichelle.com/
• View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/SweeterThanTheHoneyTour.

A Love for Tomorrow Blog Tour with Vanessa Miller


Vanessa Miller is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List. Miller’s work has receiving numerous awards, including “Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award” and the “Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction.” Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. She is an ordained “exhorter” in her church, explaining, “God has called me to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”


A Love for Tomorrow is the second book in the Second Chance at Love series.


About the Book
When Christian talk show host Serenity Williams’ fiancĂ© calls off their wedding because he can’t deal with her popularity, she determines that she will never fall in love with another pride-filled, ego-driven pastor. Then, Serenity’s producer asks her to interview the charismatic Pastor Phillip McKnight, who has recently gone through a divorce. Serenity feels that this is her chance to expose the arrogance of ego-filled pastors to the world. But Pastor Phillip is broken and humbled from his experiences, and the surprising humility of this man causes Serenity to want to un-break his heart. However, Serenity will need the Lord to fix her heart and change her mind about male preachers before she and Phillip can become all they were meant to be to each other.


Book Trailer






















Purchase the book online at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Christianbook.com.

For More Information

• Visit the author online at http://www.vanessamiller.com
• View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/ALoveForTomorrow.



MP3 File


MP3 File

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Soon After Blog Tour

"Soon After" Blog Tour

Multi-published author, teacher, wife and mother, Sherryle seeks to be a fresh voice in Christian Fiction. Her triumphant debut novel, Soon and Very Soon (2007) was followed up by her sophomore release, The Manual (2009).

Soon After marks the return of her franchise characters, Pastors WIllie and Vanessa Green and the Harvest Baptist church saga. Sherrryle is currently working on her fourth novel for Urban Christian (Urban/Kensington) titled Taylor-Made. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.

The Ministry birthed by one will be exploited by another. Can Willie Green stand idly by and let that happen?

When Pastors Willie Green and Vanessa Morton got married and moved to merge their churches, they never expected so much resistance. Now it seems someone is sending a strong message by setting fire to the Harvest Baptist Church building.

The newly unified Pleasant Harvest Baptist Church is no more than four months into business as usual before Co-Pastor Willie Green is drawn into the middle of an arson investigation. Alexis Montgomery, an overzealous reporter, sees the experienced pastor as a great source to latch onto as she tries to unearth the stories that might solve the crime. Instead of being bothered by the presence of this woman, Co-Pastor Vanessa uses it as a distraction to help conceal her own secrets.

Orchestrating the unification rift makes Deacon Charley Thompson a prime suspect. His unexpected silence only fuels the accusations of guilt, and his meek wife becomes his unlikely spokesperson. Meanwhile, his nephew, Abe Townsend, couldn’t care less about family allegiances. Led by an anonymous publicist, Abe and the remaining displaced members of Harvest Baptist Church gain notoriety when news reports garner an outcry of sympathy and support.

What should have been a simple unification of two churches has turned into something much more complicated, and it will take plenty of faith to hold it all.

PODCAST 1 - About the Book



MP3 File



PODCAST 2 - For Readers


MP3 File



PODCAST 3 - Excerpt

MP3 File


Purchase the book online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books A Million, or Indiebound.

For more information, visit the author online at http://www.sherrylejackson.com/ or view the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/SoonAfterTour.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Choosing To SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope

by Mary Beth Chapman with Ellen Vaughn

Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope is written with the kind of honesty and transparency that kept me engaged in this chapter of Mary Beth Chapman’s life. Mary Beth Chapman (along with Ellen Vaughn) tells a story of the Chapman family behind the stage and beyond the music award shows – a family that exudes and truly lives the faith that they profess.


Throughout the course of the book, the lyrics of some of Steve Curtis Chapman’s songs begin each chapter. It’s obvious that they were carefully selected and not merely used as space fillers. I must admit that although Chapman’s work has never been in my personal music collection, he’s gained a new fan simply because of the purity of his lyrics.


Three days after I finished Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope, a family friend died suddenly. The unexpected loss left us shocked for days. Many of the things Mary Beth shared in the book came to the forefront of my mind. Our friend’s death left behind a talented wife and three young children. I know that when the time is right, I will present his wife with a copy of Choosing To SEE.


Mary Beth Chapman may not be a songstress, but she’s shared a story that tucks itself away in your heart like the lyrics of your favorite song.


Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope is available September 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.


**********************
Mary Beth Chapman will be speaking at 12 upcoming Women of Faith conferences this year, as well as on the "A Night with the Chapmans" concert tour scheduled for this fall. She is represented by Creative Trust Literary Group located in Nashville, Tennessee.


For the most updated conference and tour dates, for more information on her blogging and how to connect with her over Facebook and Twitter, please visit: http://www.MaryBethChapman.com.

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Destined Blog Tour with Patricia Haley

Destined Blog Tour


PATRICIA HALEY is the trailblazing, #1 Essence bestselling author of seven faith-based, novels, including, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, No Regrets, and Chosen. She’s a project manager with degrees from Stanford University and the University of Chicago. She is a born again believer and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Patricia lives with her husband and daughter in Philadelphia.

Visit her on www.patriciahaley.com or become a fan of Author Patricia Haley on Facebook.



About the Book
Destined by Patricia Haley is the second novel in the Chosen series, inspired by the popular biblical kings David and Solomon.

Don, the eldest son and rightful heir to the ministry, returns from South Africa after three years of self-imposed exile. With a renewed zeal to reclaim the leadership of his late father’s multi-million dollar ministry, his plans are short-lived when a stock transfer agreement goes wrong, rendering Don powerless. Don’s little brother Joel continues as CEO, careening down the path of personal, professional, and spiritual demise, as he drags the ministry down with him. The only hope to save their father’s legacy is Don’s intervention, and so clinging to his self-worth and faith, Don is torn between fighting for a company he wasn’t chosen to run and fleeing back to his South African refuge, a place where his peace, his growing relationship with Naledi, and his dignity aren’t in question. After much soul searching, Don comes to realize that his destiny is inescapable and that his future lies in his family’s legacy.

Combining spiritual themes with family tension, corporate intrigue, and romance, this series is an exciting addition to the faith-based fiction market.


View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at:  http://bit.ly/DestinedBlogTour.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Sins of the Mother Blog Tour

Sins of the Mother Blog Tour


Victoria Christopher Murray originally self published Temptation. “I wanted to write a book as entertaining as any book on the market, put God in the middle, and have the book still be a page-turner. I wasn’t writing to any particular genre – I didn’t even know Christian fiction existed. I just wanted to write about people I knew and characters I could relate to.”

Since Temptation, Victoria has written seven other novels and was a contributor to the first Christian fiction anthology, Blessed Assurance. She was also the Contributing Editor for the Aspire Women of Color Bible published by Zondervan in 2007. All of her novels have continued to be Essence bestsellers.

In 2008, Victoria’s first novels in her Christian fiction teen series - The Divine Divas – were published. “I was concerned with what our young ladies were reading. I decided to do something about that – give them stories full of drama, but with a message.” The Divine Divas has already been optioned to become a television series.

Victoria splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington D.C. In Los Angeles, she attends Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church under the spiritual tutelage of Dr. Beverly “BAM” Crawford and in Washington, D.C., she fellowships at Metropolitan Baptist Church under Dr. H. Beecher Hicks, Jr. She is also a member of the Long Beach Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Visit Victoria online at http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com/


About the Book: SINS OF THE MOTHER

Have the sins of the mother come upon the daughter?

Jasmine Larson Bush is finally living a drama-free life. She’s left her lying, cheating, stealing stripper days behind and is standing by her husband’s side as the first lady of one of the largest churches in New York City. The Bushes have been blessed with the best of everything—including two lovely children.

But just when Jasmine has committed her life completely to God, her daughter Jacqueline is kidnapped from a mall the day after Thanksgiving. The police and the church community join in the frantic search to find the four-year-old. As the days pass without any sign of her daughter, Jasmine begins to crack under the strain and turns to Brian Lewis, Jacqueline’s biological father, for solace.

Has Jasmine’s past finally caught up to her? Will her daughter be found or will Jasmine pay the ultimate price?

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/SinsoftheMother.

From Tia's Pen
I told you a few weeks ago that there are a few authors that I have a bias for. For those of you who have been living under a rock and don't know, let me introduce you to Christian fiction "giant" Victoria Christopher Murray. I lovingly call her my literary "godmother." You'd have to meet and spend time with her to know why that tag is so appropriate. I've been hooked on Victoria's books since her first novel, Temptation. And after meeting her in 2003 I came to love her all the more. Not only can she spin a plot, but she's loving, very funny, and has the most petite toes I've ever seen on a grown adult (I'm serious about that!). This isn't my official review yet (you'll see that on Amazon later), but this book has me gripped. If I didn't have my own deadline hanging on my back I'd be finished by now. Neveretheless I can't wait to see how Jasmine's story pans out. I've been fighting the urge to flip to the last chapter! I haven't turned the last page of Sins of the Mother, but I know...Victoria has done it again!

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Samson: A New Novel by Jacquelin Thomas

From Tia's Pen:
There are a few authors that I'm biased towards. I admit it. And Jacquelin Thomas is one of them. When seeing my novels in print was just a dream, Jacquelin was there with accurate and loving advice. She has always had such a calm demeanor, yet she carries a God-given strength. I'm excited to introduce readers to her "umpteeth" book! SAMSON is in stores nationwide. Get yours today.


Book Description: Samson

Samson Taylor has just been installed as assistant pastor at a thriving North Carolina church. He’s a man of God—and most definitely no saint. Handsome and charismatic, Samson is controlled by his lust for beautiful women, a weakness that stirs up trouble, heartache, betrayal, and damaging rumors—and soon costs him his marriage, his best friendship, and even his new job. Samson loves God and tries harder than ever to keep his temptations in check. Then he meets Delinda...Beautiful, irresistibly sexy, and married to a famous NBA star, Delinda has Samson head-over-heels in love . . . in a dangerous affair that leads to a physical confrontation with Delinda’s husband. Now, the disgraced pastor begins a journey he could never have anticipated, where his heart is now his guide—not a heart of lust, but of new wisdom and a new kind of seeing. God will forgive Samson’s past—but will Samson himself be able to let go of bitterness and regret, and find a new light in his life? Inspired by the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah, Jacquelin Thomas powerfully portrays a modern-day pastor’s dance with earthly desires . . . and the faith that made him whole.


Author Bio
Jacquelin Thomas is an award winning, bestselling author with twenty-nine titles in print. Her books have garnered several awards, including two EMMA awards, the Romance In Color Reviewers Award, Readers Choice Award and the Atlanta Choice Award in the Religious & Spiritual category. Jacquelin was a 2005 honoree at the Houston Black Film Festival for the movie adaptation of her novel, Hidden Blessings. She was the first recipient to receive the Writers Achievement Award at the North Carolina Book Festival in Winston-Salem.

Although Jacquelin initially published in the romance genre, she decided to follow the call on her heart to write Christian fiction because she seeks to write books that will touch your heart and uplift your spirits with tales of characters who yearn to have an intimate relationship with God. Committed to writing books that glorify God and her growing teen audience, Jacquelin published the first of her Young Adult Inspirational Fiction series titled Simply Divine in October 2006. Her second book in the series, Divine Confidential was nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award. She has since gone on to publish two more books in the series. When asked why she is so passionate about writing teen novels, Thomas shares that teens are confronted with so much—sex, drugs, violence and abuse, physically and mentally. They need to not only listen to what the world says about these things but also to what the Bible says.

Jacquelin is a member of the National Writers Union, Romance Writers of America and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She is happily married to her best friend and is the proud mother of three children. Jacquelin and her family live in North Carolina. You can visit Jacquelin online at: http://www.jacquelinthomas.com/.

For more information on Jacquelin's young adult novels, please visit her site: http://www.simplydivinebooks.com/.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Sistergirl Devotions: Keeping Jesus in the Mix on the Job

Sistergirl Devotions changed my definition of “on the job.” Carol Mackey has written a straight-forward, faith-filled devotion for all working women – whether you’re behind a corporate desk, clocking into someone else’s business, or closing deals on your living room couch as a sistah-preneur. After leaving the corporate arena nearly four years ago, I didn’t immediately think about the work-related encounters and situations that would test my faith. I was about to be doing my own thing. I would call all of the shots, right? Wrong!


Mackey’s personal stories are relatable and she’s not shy about revealing her areas of spiritual growth. It was refreshing to read devotions that not only dealt with faith on the job, but keeping Jesus in the mix of family as well – especially when outside duties call.

Christians realize the importance of the words we speak – death and life are in the power of the tongue.(Proverbs 18:21). Mackey ends each devotional with a simple but powerful confession to set you on track for the day.

Sistergirl Devotions: Keeping Jesus in the Mix on the Job won’t be shoved onto my overflowing bookshelf, never to be thought of again. It will be one of the Biblical resources that I refer to often and this year’s gift to family and friends working the nine-to-five or burning the midnight oil.

** Available May 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Who Speaks To Your Heart?


Devotional Excerpt taken from Ch. 9 of Who Speaks To Your Heart?

God reveals through his living Word that what matters most to us should be the same things that matter most to him. It’s no coincidence that love is the greatest commandment. It trumps all else in God’s eyes. When we love with our whole heart, we are modeling the example set by Jesus, whose life and death were built on this foundation. Let’s be honest today – this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Sometimes we fail to meet this standard because achieving it and maintaining it leaves us feeling like doormats. We feel weak and used rather than empowered and giving.

Add to the struggle of building solid, loving relationships the challenges you may have faced recently in trying to pursue your purpose. Our nation’s ailing economy, disappearing jobs, home foreclosures and personal tragedies have left people everywhere anxious. If you haven’t faced losses, you may be stressed in trying to dodge them.


I’ll encourage you during seasons of turmoil to fight even harder to stay focused on whose you are and on who you desire to be. This is the perfect time to decide, if you haven’t done so already, to make your relationship with God the top priority in your life. Decide to develop a friendship with him, because the bonds of love and trust between friends breed a sense of security that can’t be purchased or manufactured.

What matters most in all we do is finding out who Christ is calling us to be in the time we have allotted to grace the planet. Hours can’t be put on pause and the days of our lives can’t be refunded. It’s important to stop procrastinating and apply God’s wisdom to every facet of your life.

As you learn about and experience God’s love, you become more loving. The more love you share, the more we find ourselves fulfilled. This sense of satisfaction won’t necessarily come in the form of the glitz the world adores, but will instead reveal itself through the pure intentions and unassuming wisdom that only God can provide.

© Stacy Hawkins Adams. Excerpted from Who Speaks To Your Heart? Do not reprint or publish this excerpt without full attribution to the author or without express permission from the author or publisher, Zondervan.


About the Book
With insight, inspiration, and practical ideas in her new book—Who Speaks to Your Heart?—, author Stacy Hawkins Adams shows you and all women—regardless of the labels placed on you—that your best and most important title is the one given by God … chosen vessel.

“I wrestled with whether a God that I couldn’t see or touch would be willing to single me out from the millions of other people who wanted love, attention and help.”

To women all over the country, from all walks of life, this uncomfortable uncertainty is all too familiar. Now—for inspiration, for affirmation, for a divine connection—you have a new place to turn … to this authentic look at what it takes to pursue God with abandon, by acclaimed author Stacy Hawkins Adams.

Offering insight, inspiration, and practical ideas on how to connect more often and more deeply with God, Adams helps give you and women the world over the courage to go deeper and grow deeper in God’s word to hear Him more clearly. Women young and old will be empowered and renewed by Adams’ reminder that—regardless of the labels placed on you by society, your family, your friends, and even yourself—your best and most important title is the one given by God … chosen vessel.

About the Author

Stacy Hawkins Adams is a nationally-published, award-winning author and speaker. Her contemporary women’s fiction novels are filled with social themes and spiritual quests that take readers on journeys into their own souls.

She holds a degree in journalism and served as a newspaper reporter for more than a decade before turning her full attention to penning books, speaking professionally and writing freelance articles.

Stacy lives in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia with her husband and two young children. Visit Stacy online at stacyhawkinsadams.com.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/WhoSpeaksToYourHeart.

From Tia's Pen:
I've been reading this devotional chapter by chapter. I found that it wasn't a book that I wanted to read straight through as if it were a novel, or rush through the pages for the sake of a writing a review. One of the most interesting things I found out is that Stacy and I are (were) a lot alike when it came to certain aspects of our lives -- such as dealing with being a perfectionist, trusting God's wisdom and direction instead of using our "head wisdom"...and some other things.

Who Speaks to Your Heart? has been a much-needed refreshment to my devotion time with God. Of course I love Stacy's novels, but this non-fiction book holds a special place in my heart.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Selling my Soul Blog Tour with Sherri Lewis

Selling My Soul Blog Tour


Sherri Lewis’ writing was put on hold while she attended Howard University as an undergraduate, then medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After working almost fifteen years in the medical field, Sherri left her position as a staff physician at a Georgia Department of Corrections’ Women’s prison to pursue writing and ministry full time.

Sherri is co-founder of the Faith-Based Black Fiction Writers of Atlanta with Essence Best-Selling author Tia McCollors. Selling My Soul is the anticipated sequel to Sherri’s debut novel, My Soul Cries Out. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit Sherri online at http://www.sherrilewis.com/.





About the Book
When Trina Michaels steps off the plane after her two-year missions trip in Africa, she realizes that other than longing to see her mother and her best friend, her heart aches to fly back to the place that now feels more like home than anywhere she’s… ever lived. And to the man who’s stolen her heart.


Her dream of a quick return to Mozambique fades within hours when Trina discovers that her mother has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Trina is forced to go back to her job as a publicist to cover her mother’s health costs.

She’s assigned a damage control client, Bishop Walker, a megachurch pastor accused of covering up a church sex scandal within his church involving the molestation of young boys. Representing him could cost Trina her most valued friendship, the love of her life, and her soul.



View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/SellingMySoulBlogTour .

Monday, March 22, 2010

Celebrating Women in Ministry Blog Tour with Vanessa Miller

Celebrating Women in Ministry Blog Tour
We invite you this week to highlight your favorite FEMALE MINISTER in the comment section below. Participants will be placed in a drawing for an autographed copy of Yesterday’s Promise by Vanessa Miller and a $25 Gift Card. Vanessa stops by my blog today to highlight one of her favorite female ministers.

Bishop Dr. Marva L. Mitchell is the overseer of the God’s WILL Fellowship of churches, a body of 26 ministries locally and in six different states. She is also the co-founder of Revival Center Ministries International along with her late husband Bishop Willie E. Mitchell. Together they established an inner-city ministry in Dayton, Ohio in 1998. At the time of his home-going in 1988, the church had grown to 1,000 members. Dr Mitchell is now the Bishop and overseer of the church that is now Pastored by her son Paul Mitchell and his wife Keisha, and under their leadership the church has grown to 2000 members.

Dr. Mitchell is the founder of Project Impact-Dayton and is currently serving as chairperson of the Board of Directors. Project Impact-Dayton has received numerous awards locally, statewide, and national including being named one of the nations best Truancy Prevention Programs and Substance Abuse Prevention Programs on February 24th, 1998 on Capital Hill in Washington D.C. She founded Love School which is a literacy program held on Saturdays to help inner-city children master many of their basic, social, and academic skills, and focus on the mental, physical, and spiritual needs of the community. She has recently founded an organization entitled Interdenominational Women’s Ministerial Alliance in 2006 with her sister-in-law Dr. Ella Mitchell.

Dr. Mitchell has written and co-authored many books; “Seize the Moment”, “Marriage Glue”, and “Manuals” to help with grant writing. After the death of her husband, she completed a book entitled “It takes a Church to Raise a Village”, where she challenges the church to take responsibility for the nation. This book has become a best seller and resulted in many churches becoming community minded. She has developed leadership training for churches under 1,000 members, and has traveled the world teaching and preaching many crusades. The many world seminars she teaches takes place in Egypt, Kenya, India, and Mexico. She has been featured on National and local TBN and has appeared on Christian TV in Canada. She has obtained a B.A. from Family Bible Institute in Baltimore Maryland. After suffering a massive stroke in 1993, she had to drop out of the Masters program she was in and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for her accomplishments in ministry. In 2009, Dr. Mitchell was just named one of “Dayton Ten Top Women”.


Dr. Mitchell is the mother of seven children, Willie Mitchell Sr. (Jaquata), Marvin Mitchell (Mylinda), Sharon Conyers (Cary), Paul Mitchell (Keisha), Monica Jones (Khon), Joseph Mitchell (Alisha), Miracle Troutman (Shawn), all of which are professed Christians and are a part of RCMI, and four of them being full time. Dr. Mitchell is a strong believer in the Family structure. As parents, she and her husband had made family their priority. They made Romans 2:28 the source of their life, and became more than conquerors in Christ Jesus!

About the Book
Yesterday's Promise
Melinda Johnson has always felt called to ministry. So, when her father, Bishop Langston Johnson, decides to step down after thirty years of leadership at Omega Christian Center, it seems only natural for her to take his place. But Bishop Johnson feels led by a God who has other things in mind, and to succeed him, he appoints Steven Marks-a man who is opposed to female pastors, not to mention the fact that he is Melinda’s ex-fiancĂ©.

Feeling defeated, Melinda nevertheless maintains her position as the church’s Missions and Community Outreach Director. Frequent interaction with the new bishop incites bitter sparring-and rekindles long-suppressed attraction, which grows only stronger when Melinda develops a relationship with Steven’s precious daughter, Brianna, who’s still struggling with the death of her mother.

Can Steven and Melinda set aside past pains, forgive each other, and learn to love again? Or will their opposing positions regarding women preachers keep them forever at odds?


Purchase Yesterday's Promise by Vanessa Miller.

About the Author


Vanessa Miller of Dayton , Ohio is an Essence best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying and Abundant Rain. To date, Vanessa has written the Rain Series and the Storm Series. The books in the Rain Series are: Former Rain , Abundant Rain, and Latter Rain. The books in the Storm Series are: Rain Storm and Through The Storm . These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.


Yesterday’s Promise is the first book of a series entitled, Second Chance of Love. Whitaker House plans to release the next two books in October 2010 and January 2011. Visit her online at www.VanessaMiller.com.

Tell Us About Your Favorite Female Minister


We invite you this week to highlight your favorite FEMALE MINISTER in the comment section below. Participants will be placed in a drawing for an autographed copy of Yesterday’s Promise by Vanessa Miller and a $25 Gift Card.


View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/WomeninMinistry.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Write Your Book! Free Workshop on March 27, 9a-12p, Lithonia, GA

FREE writing workshops don't come along very often, but there's one on the way -- Saturday, March 27 from 9 AM-12 PM. The event is sponsored by the Called to Conquer Bookstore at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (Lithonia, GA).

If you know you want to write a book, but just don't know where to start, this workshop is for YOU!

Inspirational author Tia McCollors will discuss:
  • Book genres and categories
  • Writing fiction vs. non-fiction
  • Choosing premises and story ideas
  • Understanding the craft
  • ...and more
Although the event is free, YOU MUST REGISTER by calling the Called to Conquer Bookstore at (678) 824-1055.

** Join Tia after the workshop at 12:30 for a booksigning. Tia is the author of several faith-based novels, including A Million Blessings, The Last Woman Standing, A Heart of Devotion, Zora's Cry and The Truth About Love.

Monday, March 01, 2010

My Mother’s Child Blog Tour with Dwan Abrams

My Mother’s Child Blog Tour with Dwan Abrams


Are You In a Storm?


It’s been said that in life people are either in a storm, getting ready to go into a storm, or coming out of a storm. The longer we live the storms of life become more evident. The thing about storms is that we can’t predict when they’ll come, how long they’ll last, or when they’ll leave. When in the midst of a storm, just hold on. Don’t give up.


Lyric Stokes appeared to be living a life that most women could only dream of. Married to her college sweetheart, a prominent heart surgeon, she had every material thing she wanted. No matter what her husband gave her, Lyric’s unwillingness to forgive her alcoholic father hampered her happiness. She tried to mask her true pain by focusing on the baby she couldn’t have. She convinced herself that if she could give her husband a son, her life would be perfect.


Unbeknownst to Lyric, Nigel Fredericks, a deranged stalker had his eye on her. He had been watching Lyric and learning her patterns until one day he decided to make an introduction. Captivated by his charm, Lyric willingly invited him into her life and her home. Unprepared for what lie ahead, Lyric found herself pregnant and forced to decide whether she even wanted to keep the child she had longed for. Her decision places her in the midst of a storm and face-to-face with death.


About the Author
Dwan Abrams is a full-time novelist, freelance editor, and publisher. She’s the best-selling author of My Mother’s Child (the sequel to Divorcing the Devil), Married Strangers, Divorcing the Devil, Only True Love Waits, and The Scream Within. She’s the founder, publisher, and editorial director of Nevaeh Publishing, LLC a small press independent publishing house. She’s currently signed to Urban Christian, an imprint of Urban Books/Kensington. Her sixth novel, the second book in the Married Series, is set to hit national bookshelves in 2011.




About the Book
Lyric Stokes lives, by most standards, a charmed life. Married to Michael Stokes, a prominent heart surgeon, she has financial security and lives in the lap of luxury. All is not perfect, though. Lyric feels inadequate because she gave birth to a daughter, rather than the son that her husband so desperately wanted.


After an unexpected turn of events, Lyric discovers that she’s pregnant again, but now she has to decide whether she even wants to keep the child she has longed for. She seeks solace in her church, where her daughter also feels at home; but they can’t get Michael to join them. Disagreeing with organized religion, he has put his job before all else, including God. The distance between the couple grows further every day.


Nigel Fredericks has a history of stalking women. He’s been accused, but never convicted. Now he’s set his sights on Lyric. She’s at a low point in her life, and Nigel knows just how to take advantage of that vulnerability. Lyric’s life is turned upside down; Nigel is like a cancer eating away at her mental stability, her marriage, and ultimately, her life. Will Michael reevaluate his priorities and his faith in time to save his family?






Listen to an excerpt from My Mother’s Child







Visit Dwan online at http://dwanabrams.com/


View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/MyMothersChild

Monday, February 22, 2010

Cherishing the Un-Biological Family

Fifteen Years Blog Tour

Cherishing Un-Biological Family


Family runs so much deeper than our bloodlines and our gene pools. God places people in our lives that, many times, play a vital role in how far we go in life. They are an expansion of who we are. They’ve planted seeds in our past lives. They nurture us in our present lives. And they may even be an essential part of our destiny. But many times, somewhere between our past and our future, we move on and forget those who have functioned as our un-biological family. How unfortunate! We should not allow passing years to erase them or their godly deeds from our memory, and regardless of how elevated we become in status, we should never take on the mind-set that we no longer need them. Life often comes full circle, and if we burn those bridges, we have destroyed the only road that will lead us back to safety.


As I was in the process of writing Fifteen Years, my latest novel, I began seeing one of the messages unfold that God was teaching through this tale. In the story, Josiah “JT” Tucker, is taken away from the foster family that he’d spent six crucial years with as an abused child, and placed back into the care of his neglectful biological mother, only to be disappointed by her again. Despite the insurmountable odds, JT manages to rise above the statistics, and with a college degree and an executive title, he’s the picture of success…on the outside. On the inside, however, he is a broken man and a tortured soul, and he knows that the only way he is going to find closure and completion, is to find his way back to his humble beginnings. To the people who loved him unconditionally; the people who introduced him to love – and to Christ.


God often gives us un-biological family in the form of sister-friends, prayer partners, mentors, sorors, fraternity brothers, ministers, etc. These are our “foster families,” and they stand in the gap when biological family members fail us or just aren’t readily accessible. They take us under their wings, nurture us, love us. But sadly, when some people get to a certain level in life, they often push aside or otherwise forget those that God sent when they needed guidance and understanding the most. Instead, they latch on to what looks like “the star” because they think that if any road can take them to where they want to go, the one that shines the brightest must be it. But God often works His mightiest through those people that appear insignificant. Often times, the people we take for granted; the ones that we overlook are the ones that hold the key to our blessings.


Recognize and appreciate the blessings that God provides, and cherish those “angels” that He uses to deliver those blessings to you. They are your un-biological family; your God-appointed lifeline to your kingdom destiny.

About the Author
KENDRA NORMAN-BELLAMY is a national best-selling author and the founder of KNB Publications LLC. She is the organizer of Visions in Print, an Atlanta-based national organization for faith-based writers, and The Writer’s Hut, an online fellowship for African American Writers. She is the founder of Cruisin’ For Christ, a groundbreaking at-sea ministry that celebrates writing, gospel music and other God-glorifying arts, and also serves as a motivational speaker.

A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Kendra currently resides in Stone Mountain, George with her family. For more information, visit http://www.knb-publications.com/.


About the Book
Josiah Tucker, the son of a substance dependent and neglectful mother, spent most of his childhood years in the custody of the State, living in foster homes throughout Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of fourteen, he was taken from the foster family that he had grown to love, the Smiths, and returned to his negligent birth mother. Enduring the hardships faced while living with his birth mother JT manages to makes something of his life. However, fifteen years after being taken from the Smiths and at the peak of success, he finds himself feeling empty and at his lowest. When he decides to reconnect with the Smiths, JT finds his faith in God renewed and discovers his attraction to his foster sister.


View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/FifteenYearsBlogTour.