This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Christian Writers' Market Guide 2008

WaterBrook Press (January 15, 2008)
by
Sally Stuart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sally Stuart has been writing for the last 40+ years, and has been putting out the annual "Christian Writers' Market Guide" for the last 23 years. Her other writing includes several Christian education resources books, a children's picture book, a basic writing text, writing resources, and a western novel--plus hundreds of articles and marketing columns. She writes marketing columns for the "Christian Communicator," "Advanced Christian Writer," and the Oregon Christian Writers' Newsletter. She speaks and teaches at Christian Writers' Conferences nationwide. Sally is the mother of 3 and grandmother of 8. She and her husband, Norm, spend their free time vacationing on the Oregon coast.

Check out her blog!


ABOUT THE BOOK:
The essential reference tool for the Christian writer, Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide is now in its 23rd annual edition!

Check out the section on Blogging on page 69...the CFBA is listed!

Writers’ Conference listings, Book Publishers, Magazine Publishers, and a Bookstore filled with the resources you need to be successful in this business. Get a Book Contract or Manuscript Evaluation, and check out the Writer’s Resource links. This book has all you need to connect to all these valuable helps for the beginning, intermediate, or professional writer.

To keep you up to date with the latest marketing news, visit Sally Stuart’s new marketing blog, Christian Writers’ Marketplace, at http://www.stuartmarket.blogspot.com/.

A new, updated version of the Christian Writers’ Market Guide is available about January 15 each year.

My comments: I'm going to tell my age a bit here...the first copy I purchased of this great tool was a thin, albeit packed-with-information book. Many years later, this book and the market it represents has grown tremendously!! No matter the market, children's books, magazines, church publication...you name it, it's in here! The layout is terrific, you can learn all about great writer's conferences, professional organizations, helpful teaching tools...if your goal is to write for the glory of the Lord, you don't want to be without this book!!

What I've read during the past few days....

Deborah Raney was a new author to me. I'd been reading a lot about her work on other blogs, and was honored to win an autographed set of these two novels, A Vow to Cherish, and Within This Circle. I was fascinated to learn that the first book was originally published in 1996 and has been made into a movie! I will be looking further into that to be sure! Anyway, this was new territory for me as author's go and what a treat it turned out to be!

The first novel in this series, A Vow to Cherish, tells one of the most touching stories I've ever read about a couple's struggle with the early onset of a disease usually found in much older adults. Like any illness that has no known or certain cure, the couple journeys through a lot of heart-breaking territory as they struggle with their weak humanity in the context of their faith in God and all that He has blessed them with in their lives. To add an even more complex dimension to an already tragic problem, Deborah Raney explores the human need for companionship and relationship during such a trial. I won't give anything away, but trust me when I say that this is a very real, emotional look at our desires and submitting them to God's plan.

This isn't an "easy" read, but it is soul-searching and very rewarding! Be prepared to grow!

Now, many years later, along comes the sequel to this beautiful story - Within This Circle! It's hard to say a lot about this story line without giving away things about the first book, but basically this story carries the results of the first book forward while dealing with equally difficult issues in the lives of the children. I think this story is particularly timely, because there are many family circles that fall prey to bad decisions that force grandparents to take on the roles of parents. Again, not an "easy" read emotionally.

I know families in the truest sense have always been able to lean on each other, but this story deals with decisions that are based on the younger generation's often self-centered decision making process. There are legitimate pressures in the lives of the children, but they lose sight of what truly matters, and the entire family circle must then bear the burden. Oftentimes this will come at great sacrifice for those outside the immediate "circle".

Deborah Raney shows how God works in the lives of everyone surrounding a particular circumstance, and the results that often follow when we follow Him in obedience - even when it means drastic changes in our own plans and dreams. His ways are always so much better, even when we don't understand. This was a satisfying conclusion to the series, and I will have to look further into the work of this terrific author! Thank you, Deborah, for taking us on this journey!

Cindy Woodsmall -Two terrific books!!

It was a year ago that I was first introduced to Cindy Woodsmall when I read her debut novel, When the Heart Cries. It wasn't until two days ago that I finally had the opportunity to read the second book of this trilogy, When the Morning Comes, and I was blown away!!!

These books deal with the relationship within the Old Amish Order and the many ways that dealing with the "outside" world of Englishers affect them. There are layers and layers of character development that will cause you to really connect with everything taking place in their lives, and they will stay with you long after you finish the last page. I love books like that!!

Well, by the time you reach book two, a series of tragic events have unfolded, and the result of human frailty and believing a lie rather than looking for the truth is played out in the entire cast of characters. The main character reaches a very poignant moment early in the book (a letter she writes on pages 34-35) that reflects a truth we could all learn from....Nevertheless, ...God. No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, if we are a child of God, His promise to work all things for our good and His glory becomes real. Imagine the worst...nevertheless, God is working and making Himself real in your life. I can't begin to tell you how powerful this moment is in the book!

Even though you get the "Nevertheless" message early in the book, Cindy Woodsmall's story only gets more powerful with every page. The story becomes so involved that you cannot put it down! And by the time you read the last page....you are searching for the author's phone number so you can call and tell her to send you the next story page by page as she writes it!!! What a cliffhanger of an ending!!

The final book of this trilogy will come out in September of this year, and I can't wait!! I urge everyone to hurry out and grab these great books! You will read them the first time to enjoy the story, but you will re-read them for the encouragement of God's promises to His children! Great books!! Thank you, Cindy!!

An Interview with Marilynn Griffith

1.After reading on your blog, I have learned how ignorant I am about the disparity of race among and within the Christian Fiction market. Your books carry a powerful spiritual message, so can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication?

Kim, thanks so much for reading my books and my blog too. Though I'd been a scribbler all my life, becoming a writer was never something I considered seriously. (Mostly because everyone I'd ever talked to about it had laughed at me!) Several years ago, however, I had a false heart attack and thought I was dying. Along with my family and friends, the characters to all my secret stories marched beneath my eyelids in my Fred Sanford "Elizabeth" moment. Not only where they there, but they were disappointed. Angry even. I had refused to let them live and now, it seemed, I was dying. I was stunned and told God that if He'd let me get up from there that I would stop asking people's permission to write and just write. The nurse then said there must have been a mistake and there was no cardiac damage and took the EKG off me. I think I asked someone for a pen...

I'd been writing for several years already then, but never bringing anything to completion. I started writing nonfiction to get publishing credits while studying fiction. With each thing I learned, I went back and rewrote my novel. It was a crazy way to do it, but I learned a lot that way. Finally, I finished it and realized that I had to write more stories to learn more. Since the CBA had so few black fiction writers (there was only Sharon Ewell Foster then). I submitted to a black Christian editor who didn't require an agent and was rejected...twice. (I'd sent the wrong file the first time). In the meantime, some agents had responded and I was signed. He thought the book would sell quickly. It didn't. I think I was rejected by everyone on earth. Revell took it to committee two or three times, I think. It was too edgy, too much for a first-time author. Me, a homeschool mom, edgy? Who knew? And then there the black thing... Eventually, I had to let go of the book and start working on something else. That summer, two ideas came to me: one about a three single friends and the other about four multicultural women at a fashion design firm. Though both differ greatly from their original forms, the rest is history.


2. Now, with several successful books published, is race still an issue as you deal with the marketing and placement of your books?


Race is still very much an issue in America and in the church. With me, the problem usually is not quite fitting into a certain category in a nice tidy manner. People want to read books with people who look like them on the cover. It's human nature. I don't always write about people who look like me or act like me, so sometimes that gets a little tricky. With the marketing of each book, we learn something new, both about ourselves and about humanity.

3. What has your own experience been regarding worship on Sunday? Have you been able to find a church home that is blended, or do you still feel things are segregated in that area?

For several years, we attended a more blended church, almost half and half. For the past twelve or thirteen years, however, we have been in a mostly all white congregation. For many years, we have been the only black family with several singles. It is the place where we were called. I joke that we are inverse missionaries of sorts. My church family is wonderful. They read all my books and carry them -- all of them -- in the church bookstore. We are always learning from one another, learning about God together.

4. Living in the South, I've been able to observe some pretty disturbing attitudes within the church regarding race. When my husband would invite an African American to our church, he would get the comment, "You're not from around here are you?" We were both shocked. Why do you feel those attitudes still exist at the foot of the cross?

I have to laugh at this because I had similar experiences. People are sometimes comfortable here being separate, both black and white. Sometimes, I can even understand why. It seems easier and in truth, it probably is. Coming together with people who are different from us is messy sometimes. It stretches us. We get hurt by words and actions that don't seem hurtful to others. As for why these attitudes still exist, it is because America has so much history we are unwilling to deal with. I tell people that we are all living on the red man's land in a country that was built on the black man's back. Black or white, we are all racist in some way by virtue of being born in America. The trick is in admitting it and talking about it.

5. What has been your most memorable reader response?

Oh, there are so many. I love reader mail and save every one. I love when people's marriages are touched by the books. I've already received some mail like that with Happily Even After and there was a lot of it with Tangerine. The responses from young people thrill me too. They always want a movie and give me a whole cast list of who should play each part. That cracks me up.

6. What is your next project?

Remember that book I mentioned first, the one that nobody knew what to do with? It's called Rhythms of Grace and comes out this fall from Revell. It was my true first novel and explores a lot of issues, race among them.

7. Would you like to leave any words of advice to your readers as they explore their own views about race as they read your books? Or as they write their own stories?

I have no advice except to follow God. He has such a great sense of humor and guides us to the places we least expect. I didn't think there was a place in CBA for me (maybe there isn't, I might be deluding myself) but God knows. Be yourself, be as honest as you can be without hurting others and use your gifts to show both the diversity and unity we all have. As for writers, open your eyes and your heart to the unexpected. Stretch yourself with new experience and new people.

Thanks again for having me, Kim.

Happily Even After by Marilynn Griffith

ABOUT THE BOOK
Superwoman doesn't live here!

I marry a gorgeous executive, have a baby, lose all the weight (most of it), and move to a fine house in the suburbs with a welcoming new church. Wait...did I say welcoming?

One teeny waaah! and new mothers and their crying babies are exiled to a separate room. At least there's some enlightening conversation. Like about my husband and issues I didn't even know about!

And then there's my aptly named mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, who can't stand me.

I'm about to lose my mind! So it's high time for a visit to the Sassy Sistahood for some much-needed advice about men, marriage and motherhood!

The Sassy Sistahood: They get by with a little help from their friends.


MY REVIEW:

This book was a joyful surprise to me. I’d never read any of Marilyn Griffith’s work, and I was able to pick this up and dive right in. After the first couple of chapters, I found myself shaking my head….”What kind of book am I reading? Romance? Chick-Lit?” I wasn’t sure. So I kept reading. What I found was one woman’s very personal journey through the first year of marriage and motherhood. Her journey wasn’t always pretty, but God was working in her life and the lives of those around her to create something powerful and useful in His service.

I love the way this story moves along so smoothly, and then nestled among the scenes are gems of truth - beautifully written. Let me share a couple. On Page 115 Tracey concludes, “Maybe sometimes the paths of others curl up behind them and the only road left to follow leads to a rugged, bloody cross.” Or how about on page 142…” For whatever reason, this was where God had planted me. My job was to get rooted and grounded and despite inclement conditions, manage to bloom. This conversation felt like a handful of fertilizer.” What about this piece of advice on page 159, “You’ve got to know how to make your own love. Some folks just don’t have it to give.”

From Chapter 10 forward, things get very real. God starts moving in folks’ lives, and things begin to come alive! God grabs hold of one character’s life who at that point you had really learned not to like very well, and listen to her prayer on page 231..”Make each of our words as polished as gems as we speak to others. Help us to understand the power of our sweetness, our honey, even when the days are bitter. Help us to consider the shades and shapes of our words we give away from this day forward. Knowing that what we speak may be worn by those we love for a lifetime. Make us mothers on a mission. Mothers with a ministry in our mouths. In Jesus’ name, A-men.” Talk about powerful!!

If you want to explore family and church relationships in a fresh, very real way, read this book!! Like I said, it’s not always pretty. Marilynn Griffith deals with some of our very false fronts that we wear sometimes when we gather to worship. Her story tears away what is false, reveals what is hidden and lays it all at Jesus’ feet. I will definitely be looking for more of her work! I thank God for Marilynn Griffith!!





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marilynn Griffith is mom to a tribe, wife to a deacon and proof that God gives second chances. While best known for her colorful novels about friendship, family and faith, Marilynn is also a speaker and nonfiction writer.

Her nonfiction has been included in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN'S SOUL and several other devotionals and magazines. Currently, Marilynn is editor of the SISTAHFAITH:BELIEVING BEYOND SHAME anthology. She is also the founder of Faithchick.com, a blog for faith fiction readers.

Marilynn is the author of six novels dealing with issues such as teen pregnancy, AIDS, abstinence, stress relief, single parenting and marriage. Her recent fiction titles include TANGERINE and IF THE SHOE FITS.

Marilynn has served as Vice President and Publicity Officer of American Christian Fiction Writers. She speaks to youth, women and writers about believing beyond boundaries and daring to reach dreams.

Marilynn lives in Florida with her husband and seven children whom she taught at home for seven years. When not chasing toddlers, helping with homework or trying to find her husband a clean shirt, she can be found scribbling furiously on her next novel.

To book Marilynn for media interviews, speaking engagements, Serious Fun fiction parties or book club call-ins, please contact her thru her WEBSITE.

Knowing God and Making Him Known

Well, I'm finished with one of the best trilogies I've read in a very long time! John Aubrey Anderson's And If I Die is, to me, the most powerful book of the three. He layers his story so skillfully throughout the other two books, that when you reach the final installment the message just goes straight to the heart!

What's my job? Knowing God and Making Him Known. What's God's job? Everything else!! What details of my life does God control? All of them! How does He do it? With the most long-suffering, gracious, merciful loving hand of all! Oh, this book will make you want to live a life of peaceful confidence as you follow the Lord, read His Word, and share the gospel with all of those around you! Don't miss this series!!

Now, lest you think this is a slow read...think again! This book will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire way! There are anxious moments, harrowing battle scenes, and times when you find yourself urging the characters to go the other way! This story is loaded with suspense, but it is also filled with thoughtful spiritual insights that are woven naturally into the pattern of the story. So, do you want to read about the battle taking place in the spiritual realm? Do you want read a suspenseful book that packs a wallop of a message? Read this book!!

Read the entire series!! I can't wait to see what John Aubrey Anderson comes up with next!! Get your copy here!

The New Year Starts with a bang!!

I am finally getting around to completing the Black and White Chronicles by John Aubrey Anderson!! Yippee!!! Last night, I finished Wedgewood Grey and I was left so anxious to begin the And If I Die I almost decided to fore go a bit of sleep and get started! However, I chose to go ahead and get a good night's sleep, satisfied to know that the next volume was waiting for me! Yahoo!!

Set primarily in Mississippi, these books chronicle a supernatural battle for the lives of a local family. However, the books reflect the spiritual battle that is raging all around us as we journey through this world. I'm thankful that God is in control of all these things and that He provides the guidance we need through His Word to navigate the battle field. I think the main reason I enjoy these books - besides the obvious suspense, action, wonderful imagery and strong characters - is that John Aubrey Anderson's books lift up Christ and His finished work on the cross. Come what may in the lives of his characters, Christ's atonement is beautifully displayed over and over again. That's what it's all about!!

Anderson deals with many issues that are race-based, and he doesn't hold anything back. I like that about these books, because it is a wonderful picture of God's love and mercy working in all of our lives no matter our race or our station in life. When God starts working in people's hearts, all of that fades away, and we enjoy fellowship and relationship in an entirely new way! There are TONS of twists and turns in the plots of these stories, and enough "battle" scenes to keep you up nights trying to see who survives! I can't really relay the plot in a simplistic way - there are layers and layers to be explored. These books will be read more than once at my house!

Thank you so much, John, for providing an exciting, thought provoking read! I am a fan and a half! I can't wait to see what comes next!! You can purchase your own copies here.