The Hinton Family

This is a picture of my grandparents

and a friend of theirs in Jacksonville, Florida.

I'm blogging about them on F.A.I.T.H. today.

Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing



AURALIA'S COLORS

(WaterBrook Press September 4, 2007)


by

Jeffrey Overstreet

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jeffrey Overstreet lives in two worlds. By day, he writes about movies at LookingCloser.org and in notable publications like Christianity Today, Paste, and Image.

His adventures in cinema are chronicled in his book Through a Screen Darkly. By night, he composes new stories found in fictional worlds of his own. Living in Shoreline, Washington, with his wife, Anne, a poet, he is a senior staff writer for Response Magazine at Seattle Pacific University.

Auralia’s Colors is his first novel. He is now hard at work on many new stories, including three more strands of The Auralia Thread.





ABOUT THE BOOK:


As a baby, she was found in a footprint.

As a girl, she was raised by thieves in a wilderness where savages lurk.

As a young woman, she will risk her life to save the world with the only secret she knows.


When thieves find an abandoned child lying in a monster’s footprint, they have no idea that their wilderness discovery will change the course of history.

Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling–and forbidden–talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar’s hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.

Auralia’s gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.

Auralia’s Colors weaves literary fantasy together with poetic prose, a suspenseful plot, adrenaline-rush action, and unpredictable characters sure to enthrall ambitious imaginations.

Visit the Website especially created for the book, Auralia's Colors. On the site, you can read the first chapter and listen to Jeffrey's introduction of the book, plus a lit more!

PRAISE

"Film critic and author Overstreet (Through a Screen Darkly) offers a powerful myth for his first foray into fiction. Overstreet’s writing is precise and beautiful, and the story is masterfully told. Readers will be hungry for the next installment."
--Publishers Weekly



“Through word, image, and color Jeffrey Overstreet has crafted a work of art. From first to final page this original fantasy is sure to draw readers in. Auralia's Colors sparkles.”
-–Janet Lee Carey, award-winning author of The Beast of
Noor and Dragon's Keep



“Jeffrey Overstreet’s first fantasy, Auralia’s Colors, and its heroine’s cloak of wonders take their power from a vision of art that is auroral, looking to the return of beauty, and that intends to restore spirit and and mystery to the world. The book achieves its ends by the creation of a rich, complex universe and a series of dramatic, explosive events.”
-–Marly Youmans, author of Ingledove and The Curse of the Raven Mocker

Rainy Sunday

And if you're anywhere near Georgia, you know we welcome rain! It rained for most of the afternoon and as midnight draws closer, I can hear it pouring down the gutters. Thank You, Jesus!

While we're celebrating, I thought I'd share another video clip of the Casting Crowns concert I went to.

(I was going to share a clip of the CC ladies tearing up the stage with one of the best songs from their album Casting Crowns: "Praise You with the Dance," but I could hear myself singing along and I couldn't do that to you.)

So here's an equally great song - "The Voice of Truth." Look close. On stage artist Mark Evans (not sure if this spelling is accurate or if this is the correct name - correct me if I'm wrong!) is painting. Man, that painting was too cool and he completed it while the song was playing. You should've been there...

Awesome Concert!

Did I mention the Casting Crowns concert, the first concert I'd ever been to, was awesome?

Well ~ IT WAS!!

Casting Crowns was in Atlanta last night and performed at the Gwinnett Arena. It was on fire, awesome!

They performed all my favorites, some new ones that have already become favorites.

Andy Williams performed an electrifying drum solo that I regret I didn't capture on video. He had the crowd pumped!

Here's a clip of "EAST TO WEST" - a song off The Altar and The Door cd.

I hope it plays, first time uploading a video :)

Friday - Go to FAITH

I'm blogging on F.A.I.T.H. today and sharing something special that happened Thursday morning that I didn't tell you about in the previous post.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day.

Family came and we all ate too much. I made chicken dressing, sweet potato casserole, hash brown casserole, deviled eggs, biscuits, green beans and my husband grilled two turkeys and a ham. Jennifer, my sister in-law brought the sweetest blackberry cobbler and yellow corn. Kari, my sister in-law made key lime squares and chocolate covered strawberries (yummy!). Amanda, my sister in-law brought cokes. Someone brought a pecan pie, not sure if which sister in-law brought that.

My nephew got a new dog named Charlie and brought him along. Charlie played in the back yard with my dogs - who were gracious hosts ;)

Tonight, my kitchen is a wreck, but I'm too pooped to clean it. I've put up the food and started soaking some casserole dishes. I'll have to hit the kitchen hard in the morning and get it back to normal.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing


THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP GETS DECKED OUT



Thomas Nelson (October 2, 2007)


by


Neta Jackson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Neta Jackson Neta Jackson's award-winning Yada books have sold more than 350,000 copies and are spawning prayer groups across the country. She and her husband, Dave, are also an award-winning husband/wife writing team, best known for the Trailblazer Books--a 40-volume series of historical fiction about great Christian heroes with 1.8 million in sales--and Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes (vols 1-4).

Dave and Neta live in Evanston, Illinois, where for twenty-seven years they were part of Reba Place Church, a Christian church community. They are now members of the Chicago Tabernacle, a multi-racial congregation that is a daughter church of the well-known Brooklyn Tabernacle.




ABOUT THE BOOK:

Turkey dinners, tree trimming, and decking the halls--it's that time of year again! And I Jodi Baxter, can't wait to celebrate. My kids are coming home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then all of us Yadas are getting decked out for a big New Year's party.

But God's idea of "decked out" might just change the nature of our party plans. A perplexing encounter with a former student, a crime that literally knocks me off my feet, a hurry-up wedding, and a child who will forever change our family...it's times like these that I really need my prayer sisters.

This holiday season, we Yada Yadas are learning that no one can out celebrate God. So let's get this party started!

THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP GETS DECKED OUT is a festive novella featuring America's favorite prayer group, the Yada Yadas!

Sometimes dubbed "chick-lit" for their bright covers and catchy titles, this series provides far more depth than witty banter and wacky situations. Inspired by a prayer group of real women, each book will have you laughing, crying, and perhaps praying anew.

In this highly anticipated installment, the Yada Yada sisters-a group of multi-cultural friends-and their families prepare for the event of the season.

But yes, eager readers, this novella—which picks up a year and a half after the end of book #6 The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling concludes the series with some twists and turns that will amaze and encourage you. Plus, it sets the stage for Neta’s new series with new characters and new situations but also occasional roles for the beloved Yada Yada sisters in familiar Chicago neighborhoods with all their cultural richness.

CASTING CROWNS WINS "FAVORITE ARTIST" AT THE 2007 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

This was received as an email transmitted by echomusic on behalf of Casting Crowns 1101 17th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212

All photos and text have been copied from email.

CASTING CROWNS WINS "FAVORITE ARTIST" AT THE 2007 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

Casting Crowns was named "Favorite Artist" at the "2007 American Music Awards" in the Contemporary Inspirational category last night at the NOKIA Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

Juan, Chris, Mark, and Hector pick up Casting Crowns' first American Music Award

"This is an incredible honor! Wow, an American Music Award; this is voted on by our fans so it's very special to us. We're both humbled and honored to represent Christian music and its fans tonight," noted Mark Hall, lead singer and youth pastor.

Juan, Chris, Hector, and Mark take on the red carpet before the show.

The award show, which aired live on ABC, was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and for the first time in American Music Awards history, winners were determined by online fan voting at ama.abc.com. A BIG thanks to everyone who voted!

CLICK TO HEAR MARK'S THOUGHTS ON THE AMAs

CLICK TO HEAR CHRIS AND HECTOR'S THOUGHTS ON THE AMAs

Visit CastingCrowns.com for more photos of the band at the AMAs. To see photos of Casting Crowns on the official AMA web site, click here.




Christy here: I can't wait! This Friday night I'm headed to the Gwinnett Arena to see this Award Winning Awesome Band in Concert!!!

There is a God and you're not Him

Precept Ministries International held a National Women's Convention in Chattanooga, Tennessee August 2-4, 2002. I went with my mother, aunt, and two cousins. I've been going through the notes I took and I wanted to share with you my notes when Jan Silvious spoke.

These are notes, so some sentences may not be complete. There will be her quotes, followed by scripture she referenced. I intend to study her teaching and the scriptures listed and would suggest anyone reading this, that finds it interesting do the same.


Notes from Jan Silvious's lecture:

Healing - Matthew 6:6 - 34
God loves the way He made Us - Psalm 139:13, 56:13
Sins - 1John 1:9, Hebrew 7:25
Helper - John 14:25
God's Plans - Jeremiah 29:11

1Peter 2:9
Romans 8:28
Zephaniah 3:17

Quoting Jan Silvious:
Jesus comes into your life: Purpose: Base your worth on what God says - no one else.
Goings on in your life - God loves you, honors, you will be okay.
Purpose on everything that happens - the last chapter has not been written yet.
What MIGHT have been does not exist.

There is a God and you're not Him.
***************************

Christy here:
I guess I needed to read that for myself again and share it. I can't solve the problems around me. Sometimes the advice I give is wrong. My thoughts aren't always positive. Most times, I have to remind myself that God is in control and surrender it all to Him. I don't know why life takes the turns it has. I know why I made the choices I did, but I can't change those choices now.

I'm not perfect and I certainly hope no one sees me like that.

How can I stay clean in this dirty environment? I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I'm choking, that my lungs are filling up and crowding out my heart, and I'm not even a smoker.

It's hard to avoid the second-hand smoke when the environment you're bound to is filled with those who choose to light up.

We must all continue to remember that "There is a God and you're NOT Him."

Photos of Lake Lanier, Georgia

We were blessed with rain Wednesday night following Governor Sonny Perdue's prayer at the Capitol on Tuesday. But we need to continue to pray for rain, for God to relieve us from this drought. Much, much more rain will be needed to get the state and surrounding states back to normal.



Here are some pictures my husband took while on the lake Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Looking toward the Lake Lanier Sailing Club, over a piece of land normally covered in water.

One of the boat ramps at Old Federal Park on Lake Lanier, now closed due to lack of water, like most around the lake. Most all boat ramps are closed, with only a few remaining open toward the south end.

Another view of the boat ramp at Old Federal Park.

Please visit the F.A.I.T.H. blog today, I'm blogging about the drought and prayer walking.

Try Dying by James Scott Bell

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

TRY DYING

(Center Street October 24, 2007)

by

James Scott Bell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James Scott Bell is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He is also the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.

His book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today.

The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up and still lives in Los Angeles, where he is at work on his next Buchanan thriller.







ABOUT THE BOOK:

On a wet Tuesday morning in December, Ernesto Bonilla, twenty-eight, shot his twenty-three-year-old wife, Alejandra, in the backyard of their West 45th Street home in South Los Angeles. As Alejandra lay bleeding to death, Ernesto drove their Ford Explorer to the westbound Century Freeway connector where it crossed over the Harbor Freeway and pulled to a stop on the shoulder.

Bonilla stepped around the back of the SUV, ignoring the rain and the afternoon drivers on their way to LAX and the west side, placed the barrel of his .38 caliber pistol into his mouth, and fired.

His body fell over the shoulder and plunged one hundred feet, hitting the roof of a Toyota Camry heading northbound on the harbor Freeway. The impact crushed the roof of the Camry. The driver, Jacqueline Dwyer, twenty-seven, an elementary schoolteacher from Reseda, died at the scene.

This would have been simply another dark and strange coincidence, the sort of thing that shows up for a two-minute report on the local news--with live remote from the scene--and maybe gets a follow-up the next day. Eventually the story would go away, fading from the city's collective memory.

But this story did not go away.

Not for me.

Because Jacqueline Dwyer was the woman I was going to marry.

In Try Dying, this fast-paced thriller, lawyer Ty Buchanan must enter a world of evil to uncover the cause of his fiancee's death--even if he has to kill for the truth.

"Bell is one of the best writers out there...he creates characters readers care about...a story worth telling."~Library Review~

Contest!!!

I'm running a contest on F.A.I.T.H. today - go on over and check it out!

You could be the lucky winner of a Yankee Candle and a Starbucks gift card!

Miss Touch-Me-Not goes to the spa

Yes, I am a touch-me-not. I like to give hugs and get hugs, but deep down, I need my dance space ~ Think back to the movie Dirty Dancing and Patrick Swayze explaining "This is my dance space, this is your dance space."

Back in the spring, my husband bought me a half day spa package.

So, you see, this was a big step, Miss Touch-Me-Not going to a spa, to let strangers put their hands on me.

The one thing that would have made the whole experience perfect was I had been able to take my laptop with me and someone had assigned a private room for me to work for the other half of the day. But all good things must come to an end.

Anyway, I arrive at Patrick's of Atlanta (I'm at their Buford location) at 9 am. Of course, I realize as I'm getting out of the car, that I've forgotten the gift certificate. (You can lead a horse to water, folks, but you can't make her drink). Everyone can give me a collective DUH - I can take it.

Luckily, every certificate sold is put in Patrick's computer and they were able to call up my husband's purchase. No problem the receptionist assured me.



Lisa greets me with a handshake and leads me to the back of the building through curtained French doors. Soft music and dimmed lights set the scene as I head to the room where I'll get my facial.



Lisa tells me about their products, offers one of those microderm ebrasion (gee, am I even spelling that right?) deals, which I decide I'm not ready for. On the table, as I'm getting my neck and shoulders massaged and have this ooey-gooey good smelling stuff on my face, I bring up the fact I hate my eyebrows, that I pencil them in just to have the faintest definition. Lisa tells me her eyebrows are dyed. Lisa's looked good and I liked the shape of them. I added a wax to having my eyebrows dyed. I put my trust in Lisa's hands.

Did I mention Lisa is either Hispanic or Polynesian? Or maybe a little of both. I couldn't decide. Anyway, I had no idea when I left the room a half hour later, that my eyebrows would be as DARK as hers.

I'm red-headed.

I looked like a clown.

Oh well, chin up. I went out to face the public to have my pedicure and manicure done. The technician put a great parriffin wax on my feet that was simply wonderful. When she was through, I wished I had some where fancy to go where I could wear sandals and pretty rings.

( I wish I could remember the nail tech's name, but for the life of me I can't. Her little boy was sick and we talked about that. I hope he's doing better. I'm sure it's tough to have to show up to work when your child is sick at home)

She led me back through the double doors to the darkened area that was playing the soft music to have my Swedish massage.

I was really relaxed half way through this, as I confessed to the masseuse, Laura, that I'm a writer. Never mind I'm not published and really don't expect to become published until I'm dead or at least 90 years old - whichever comes first - but I find out Laura's a writer too. She's writing something geared toward colleges along the psychology line. But she thinks writing fiction is harder than that (??). I encouraged her to join a writers group to network and connect with publishers, editors and agents.

Then I head over to have my hair cut. Christy did a fabulous job and gave my long hair some much needed layers. 2 weeks later and I still love the cut. I'd go back to her if she wasn't so expensive.

Then I get to the front desk. Time to pay up. This was a gift certificate, you remember, so my husband had already paid for the bulk of it.

I added on that eyebrow waxing, the ill-fated eyebrow dying, and the hair cut. Add 20% gratuity on to that and I've just spent $137.

GULP....

Have we been to the grocery store this week?

Is there anything in the freezer to cook?

Can we live on Mac and Cheese until payday?

How can I face my family!!!???

What two things did I learn from this experience?

1) Say no to having my eyebrows dyed again.
2) Leave the debit card at home.

Oh, but there's a third thing I learned from all of this....

Even a touch-me-not can enjoy herself at the spa ;)

Sarah, My Beloved by Sharlene MacLaren

About the Book

Sarah Woodward has come to Kentucky as a mail-order bride, contracting with the services of the Marriage-Made-In-Heaven Agency. However, when she steps off the stagecoach to meet her betrothed, he kindly informs her he has fallen in love with another woman. Sarah is disappointed, yes, but she feels strongly God has led her to this rickety place for a reason. If not to marry Benjamin Broughton, then to fulfill some other duty and, thus, she will stay firmly planted in Little Hickman until she discovers that plan.

Rocky Callahan’s sister has died, leaving him to care for her two young children. When he meets up with the fiery Sarah Woodward, he proposes the answer to both their problems—a marriage in name only. Sarah soon comes to love the children, but Rocky is afraid that she’ll never survive as a farmer’s wife with her privileged upbringing. Can he let go of the pain of his past and trust God’s plan for his life? Will she leave him or will they actually find a marriage made in heaven?

*********************************

Christy here!

When I started reading Sarah, My Beloved I wasn't sure it would hold my attention. In learning and reading about the craft of writing, it seems to be drilled in our heads to open our story with an interesting hook. This author chose to start the chapter with dialogue.

Well, it worked, because I kept reading. I wanted to know what the women were talking about and where they were. A few lines down I met the heroine and found out she had come to Little Hickman to marry a man, who ended up marrying someone else!

This is a historical romance set in 1896. I'm a sucker for historicals and that goes way back to my love for Gone With the Wind when I was ten and my love/hate relationship over Little House on the Prairie (we'll save that story for another time.)

I can't pinpoint what Sharlene MacLaren did to capture my interest, but this book was a surprise hit for me. I suppose this book is one I need to dissect. Figure out what it was that caught my attention and drew me back to 1896.

I love romance novels above historicals. I knew the blend of this particular story would interest me, but I didn't expect it to be one that I put other things off to read. Finally, I stayed up until two, one morning simply to finish it. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it and forced myself to go to bed, but was up bright and early, only mere hours later, to finish it. Sarah, My Beloved has a very satisfying ending and it was one I wish could have gone on.

Mrs. MacLaren's prose was proper for that time in history. The story proved to be an easy, enjoyable read that had me giggling at times and close to tears at other times. Her secondary characters were strong and supported the hero and heroine like real family and friends do. Since this is my first MacLaren novel, and because I knew Sarah, My Beloved was second in the series, I found myself wondering what other characters were featured in book 1 and who she'd write about in book 3. I guessed, and ended up being right ;)

Sharlene MacLaren has many other books. Visit her website to get to know her. As for her historical series, Loving Liza Jane is the first book in the Little Hickman Creek Series and is out now. The third book in the series, Courting Emma, will come out in the Spring of 2008.

The Trophy Wives Club - WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS CHRISTY (cskeeter)

YOU'RE THE WINNER OF THE TROPHY WIVES CLUB!!!


Thanks to everyone who played!

Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing

SURRENDER BAY

(Thomas Nelson November 6, 2007)

by

Denise Hunter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped.

Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

In addition to Surrender Bay, the second Nantucket book releases in April 2008. The title is The Convenient Groom and features Kate Lawrence, a relationship advice columnist, whose groom dumps her on her wedding day. Denise is currently at work on the third Nantucket book (Oct 2008) which is untitled so far.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

When Sam's estranged step-father dies, she inherits his ocean-front cottage in Nantucket--not because he kindly bequeathed it to her, but because he neglected to ever create a will. Sam returns to the island she left 11 years ago with her daughter Caden to fix up the house and sell it, but she isn't counting on is the fact that Landon Reed still lives two doors down from her childhood home.

As their long-dormant romance begins to bud again, Sam must face the fact that Landon still doesn't know why she really left the island. Will the secrets she's hidden all these years tear them apart? Or is Landon's love really as unconditional as he claims?

"I've always thought Denise Hunter was an amazing writer but this wonderful story sets her firmly at the forefront of compelling love stories. How Landon breaks down Samantha's determination that she is unworthy of love kept me glued to the pages. An amazing story!"--Colleen Coble, author of Fire Dancer (Smoke Jumper Series)