Heading Home

Today, I bring you the book blog tour interview for I Called Him Dancer by G. Edward Snipes. If you would like to enter the giveaway for the book, leave a comment.

What made you write I Called Him Dancer? Have you ever danced, taken lessons?

The only dance lesson I’ve received came when I was walking in the woods. A yellow cloud surrounded me and I began swatting yellow jackets like a break-dancer. Upon reflection, I don’t think I had the grace needed to make it big, so I quit after my first lesson. No more bees for me.

The inspiration for I Called Him Dancer came from a song performed by Tralena Walker and co-written by Tom Webster. I attended a meeting at the Atlanta Writers Club. Tralena and Tom were guest speakers. The topic was on how to write a story in lyrics for songs. Not my cup of Formosa Oolong, but at least it was entertaining. After performing the song, "Dancer," either Tom or Tralena said, “We’ve been looking for someone who will turn the song into a novel. We think it would make a great story.”

Until those words were spoken, I was a passive observer. I looked up and words were swarming around me like those yellow jackets. They attacked my head while I lay screaming on the floor. Okay, maybe I didn’t scream – but my mind did. In an instant, the story unfolded in my mind and I knew this was something I was to write.

I knew nothing about dancing (other than what the bees taught me). Tom and Tralena gave me the lyrics and I started researching and writing. I have to admit that I worried about the dancing scenes, but I knew things took shape when people began asking how I became so knowledgeable about dance. I thought back to the bees and said, “It’s just something that hit me while walking in the woods.”

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

When I was a child, I got my first book. I flipped through the pages, then tore it apart. I didn't know it at the time, but that's exactly what you do when editing a manuscript.

I hated writing when I was younger. I only did what I had to do, and sometimes not even that. Writers block was more like writers dementia. My mind didn't return to me until after ... hmm. What were we talking about?

In 1998, I became active in prison ministry. Many of the men I ministered to were eager to learn. Someone asked me if I had my studies or notes on paper. I agreed to write out the next study and then my writing career was born. The problem wasn't that I couldn't write. It was that I didn't have something to say. Or didn't realize I had something to say. Over time writing transformed from a task to a passion.

Is I Called Him Dancer your first fictional story?

My first fictional story was written in high school. It wasn’t supposed to be fiction, but hey, the best fiction looks like the real world, right? I’ll tell you the story.

In high school, I had a class that was dedicated to writing a 30 page research paper. I chose the topic, The Arms race between the US and Russia. It was the 1980s when the Cold War was still on everyone’s mind. We spent weeks in the library researching our topic. I say ‘we’ in the general sense. My research was sports and other useless browsing. At the halfway point, we had to turn in our research note cards. The teacher graded them and as she returned them, she said, “Some of you aren’t going to pass this class.” She paused in front of my desk as she said this, and then dropped my notecards on my desk. She continued, “You cannot write this paper with less than 70 research cards.”

I counted my cards. Seven. A very weak seven. This information must have shocked my brain, for I didn’t even think about this again until the teacher informed the class that the rough draft was due in the morning. “Holy cow! It’s due tomorrow?” I said.

After school, I visited a few friends, ate dinner, and watched TV. It was now nearly bedtime. No more goofing off. I sat down and began to write. The information flowed. I clearly needed more research sources, so I interviewed military experts born mere minutes ago. But hey, Colonial Imagination was still a source. I wrote thirty pages – somehow. And I got a good grade in the class. After all, no one had more expert sources than I did.

I should have known then that writing was in my future, but it would be more than two decades before I discovered a passion for writing.

Tell us a little about your book, I Called Him Dancer.

For a moment, Michael danced on top of the world, but one bad choice turned his life upside down. The once promising Broadway star now washes windows for tips and lives among the homeless. When his former dance partner recognizes him behind the fray of whiskers, shame drives him away from her. Angry at God and the world, the Dancer refuses to allow anyone into his life. When everything is stripped away, three things remain: faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love.

I Called Him Dancer is a story about how one woman’s enduring faith and unconditional love drives her to reach out to a homeless friend, who has given up on life.

Who is your favorite character in I Called Him Dancer?

The character that inspired me the most is Kenyon. Many readers have stated the same. He’s human, struggling to do what is right, and lives by a genuine faith. At times he wrestles between what he knows God wants him to do, and what he wants. Kenyon is down to earth, not preachy, yet his life has an impact on others.

In the story I tried to present Christianity in an honest light. Many who claim to be Christians show hypocrisy and drive others (like the Dancer) away from the faith. This is a real problem in the Christian culture. Kenyon shows what sincere faith looks like. He’s far from perfect, but his simple faith impacts those around him. Kenyon’s sincerity is something the Dancer can’t understand and it piques his curiosity.

What would you like your readers to take away from this novel?

I want people to look at the reality of how faith impacts the world around us. Hypocrisy is being pretentious about faith, and there is a difference between failure and hypocritical behavior. Christians shouldn’t feel dejected when they fail. It’s part of this life of reaching upward.

Also, we all know someone who appears hopeless and hostile toward God, but we don’t know what the Lord is doing behind the scenes. Ultimately, hope is what everyone should take away. Hope that readers are not alone in their struggles. Hope that our lives can make an impact – even with our imperfections. Finally, hope that the people we care about are never out of God’s reach.

How can readers get in touch with you?

You can flash a light on the clouds that says, ‘Free chicken fingers,’ and I’ll play Batman music and come running. Some people prefer the simpler route of connecting with me on Twitter @eddiesnipes. My Facebook username is eddiesnipes. It might seem like a strange coincidence, but my LinkedIn name is also eddiesnipes. Even more crazy is my website: EddieSnipes.com On each of these, I just closed my eyes and typed out random keys. I might have peeked on a few letters. You can get the book through online bookstores or your local Christian bookstores.


~~I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by ChristianSpeakerServices.com

Today, I bring you the blog tour for Ken Dalton’s book The Big Show Stopper, A Pinky and the Bear Mystery. I’m giving one away, so if you’d like to enter, leave a comment at the end of the post.

About the book:

Brady Blackstone, America’s richest and favorite concert performer, dies in a tragic accident while Bear and Flo, along with thousands of northern Nevada’s music lovers, look on in horror.

However, before Bear can maneuver Flo back to their apartment to complete her birthday celebration, they stumble across a clue that makes them question if Brady’s death was an accident.

In The Big Show Stopper, Pinky, a sleazy but successful defense attorney, and Bear, a street-wise ex-bartender, mix madness with mayhem as they meet Brady’s less than grieving widow, a trigger-happy Carson City cop named Ice Conner, travel in first-class luxury with Pinky as he follows a questionable lead to an exotic location, and suffer with Flo in Bear’s old pick up while they drive to another of America’s armpit locations where they discover Brady Blackstone’s killer.

About the author:

Ken Dalton was born in 1938. Unfortunately, Ken was diagnosed with the dreaded polio virus. At the end of World War II, Ken’s family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, for a year where he learned how to live through snow blizzards, avoid walking through the large pile of coal in the basement, and survive life as an Army officer’s brat on a base called Fort Warren.

By the age of sixteen, after eleven years of operations, therapy, and braces, Ken’s luck changed dramatically when he met the girl of his dreams at a party. A few years later, they married, produced three wonderful children, and settled into a happy life in southern California.

In 1977, Ken, Arlene, Bob Wiltermood, and his wife Norma, designed, built, and operated a 2000 case winery named Pommeraie Vineyards. They produced award winning Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. However, after Bob died, the winery was sold. Ken and Arlene moved to a hilltop in Healdsburg.

With the winery gone, and time on their hands, Ken and Arlene started to perform with the Camp Rose Players. Twenty years and forty productions later, both are still acting and singing.

Life was good. All Ken had to do was learn some lines and bow when the audience applauded.

Then, ten years ago, in a moment of madness, Ken started to write. His first article was published in Golf Illustrated in August 1996. More golf articles followed in national and regional magazines including Golf Magazine and Fairways and Greens.

After a two-year stint on the County Grand Jury, Ken felt the need to begin his first novel.

Now, after a decade of struggle to learn the craft of writing, Ken has become the publishing world’s latest overnight sensation.

Link for the ebook: Amazon

Link the paperback: Amazon

Ken’s website: kendalton.com

To follow the book blog tour, click here.

Today, it is my privilege and sweet honor to be a part of the blog tour for my friend, Connie Arnold. She is the author of the book of poetry entitled Abundant Comfort and Grace. Connie brings comfort to hurting souls through her words.

Connie has also authored two other works of poetry, Abiding in Hope and Love and Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace. I hope you’ll check out her give-away at the end.

Now, h-e-e-e-r-e’s Connie…

Thank you, Lynn for your gracious agreement to be a part of my blog book tour. Your blog has brought me so much inspiration and many blessings for several years, and I hope to add my bit to that today!

Do you have children? Whether you do or not, perhaps you can remember being a small child. When you were hurt, sad, upset, feeling lonely or unloved, your mother would gather you up in her arms and soothe you. There was such a comforting, secure feeling in being wrapped in arms of love that made everything better for you in your small world.

As adults, we face greater hurts, sadness, upsets, loneliness, and feelings of depression and being unloved. We can still find comfort in all those times and at all others in our life. God is ready to wrap you in a love that can soothe away the pain and fears, filling you with a peaceful, comforting, secure feeling, and making everything better in your world.

This is a poem from my new book, Abundant Comfort and Grace (accompanied by a photo of one of my children and her children) that I hope will remind you of the childlike contentment we can still find!

Childlike Contentment
A child’s contentment is quite clear
When held in a mother’s embrace,
Knowing that she is always near
With love shining on her face.
Comfort is felt when a child is held
As troubles and fears are quickly dispelled.

Like a child we find contentment too
In the arms of the One who loves us best,
In everything we are going through
We can discover comfort and rest.
Held in a loving and strong embrace,
Childlike contentment is found through God’s grace.

The schedule for the tour is posted at Inspirational Poetry of Joy and Peace and I hope you will follow along. Be sure to leave comments. There will be two drawings at the end of the tour from comments made at the different blogs, one for a free copy of my first book, Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace, and one for a $10 Amazon gift certificate. The more blogs you comment on, the more entries you receive!

There will be an additional drawing for a $25 Amazon gift certificate from those purchasing Abundant Comfort and Grace. You’ll be entered by purchasing a signed copy from my website using PayPal or check, or online and contact me with confirmation of your online purchase. May you be abundantly blessed, comforted and filled with God’s grace!

Today, I am happy to bring you a post on God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting by Dr. Robert W. Kellemen.

In his role as Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries (RPM Ministries), Dr. Kellemen writes, speaks, and consults about Christ-centered, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed biblical counseling and spiritual formation.

Dr. Kellemen is also the Executive Director of the Center for Church Equipping for the Association of Biblical Counselors. Additionally, he serves as the Launch Director for the new Biblical Counseling Coalition. Bob writes the biblical counseling book reviews for the Gospel Coalition. He also pens reviews on a wide variety of topics for Discerning Reader.

Leave a comment at the end of this post to be entered in a drawing of twelve recipients gathered from all the blogs who will receive a free book.

God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting
By Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., LCPC and BMH Books
A GriefShare Book

Readers quickly grow weary of Christian books that pretend. They’re tired of Christian counselors and well-meaning friends who dispense far too much “happiness all the time, wonderful peace of mind.” They’re also gravely disappointed when the answers to their questions about suffering reflect more of the wisdom of the world than of the truth of God’s Word.

There has to be a better way. Christians long for an approach that faces suffering honestly and engages sufferers passionately—all in the context of presenting truth biblically and relevantly. We need to be able to face life’s losses in the context of God’s healing. Jesus did. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

God’s Healing for Life’s Losses offers no pabulum, trite platitudes, false promises, pretending, or “easy steps.” It is real and raw as it enters into the abyss of suffering and empathizes with the gravity of grinding affliction. And, like the Apostle Paul, it deals simultaneously with grieving and hoping (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

We live in a fallen world and it often falls on us. When it does, when the weight of the world crushes us, squeezes the life out of us, we need hope. New life. A resuscitated heart. A resurrected life with resurrected hope. God’s healing path is a personal journey. Dr. Kellemen uses God’s Word as the sufferers GPS: God’s Positioning System. He traces God’s pathway through grief to growth so that readers learn how to face their suffering face-to-face with God.

Written in “gift book” format for the person facing suffering, God’s Healing for Life’s Losses includes two built-in application/discussion guides (including a journal section). Perfect for individual or group use, persons suffering any type of life loss (job loss, illness, divorce, church conflict, the empty nest, death of a loved one) will benefit from the real-life wisdom they discover in God’s Healing for Life’s Losses.

Find Hope When Your Hurting—Biblically and Relevantly

You’re tired of quick quips (“Just trust God”) and false hopes (“Time heals all wounds”). You’re ready for real and raw, honest and hopeful conversation about suffering, loss, and grief—from a Christian perspective. You’re longing for real answers, for real people, with real struggles. You’ve come to the right place. When life’s losses invade your world, learn how to face suffering face-to-face with God. Learn how to journey:

From Denial to Candor: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
From Anger to Complaint: A Lament for Your Loss
From Bargaining to Crying Out to God: I Surrender All
From Depression to Comfort: God Comes
From Regrouping to Waiting: When God Says “Not Yet”
From Deadening to Wailing: Pregnant with Hope
From Despairing to Weaving: Spiritual Mathematics
From Digging Cisterns to Worshipping: Finding God

On my website at www.rpmministries.org people can find and download a free sample chapter of the book. Also at my website, people can order the book at 33% off. Additionally, I offer seminars around the country on God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. People can find my speaking schedule at the website. If a church or para-church group is interested in seeing if I could speak for their group, they can contact me at rpm.ministries@gmail.com.

Today, I am happy to bring you an interview with Lynnda Ell, author of Changing Me, Change the World. Be sure to read to the end. She has a special offer for you.

Hey, Linda! Describe Changing Me, Change the World for us.

Changing Me, Change the World contains the English Standard Version of the first forty one psalms of the book of Psalms with a contemporary prayer for each one. The format is a little unusual. Every psalm is on the left-hand page and every prayer is on the right-hand page.

Sometimes, the psalm and prayer do not end on facing pages. When that occurs, a blank page allows the reader to write his or her own prayer.

Tell us about your background and your family.

My parents raised me in a godly home where I learned to love God and to follow Him and that has shaped my life. Polio completely paralyzed me when I was a child. The effects of that disease also shape the boundaries of my life every day.

The career paths of my dad and husband dictated that I move every two or three years. I gained a wealth of experience from living in different sections of the country and in seeing other countries. After our two daughters were born, I stayed home until they were almost out of grammar school. Then, I followed careers in direct sales, accounting, and electrical engineering.

Now, I am a freelance writer and a grandmother of five. My life has not been easy, but it has always been rewarding.

You live in New Orleans. How did Hurricane Katrina affect your life?

Damage to my home exceeded $100,000, but we were able to move back to New Orleans after five months and to live in the house while we restored it. We worked on it for over two years. By a series of miracles, we did not lose everything as so many people did.

Why did you write Changing Me, Change the World?

Communicating with God has always been an important part of my life. In the spring of 2001, my older daughter suffered brain damage in a car accident. For two months, I lived with her in a rehab hospital as the medical staff worked to restore her health.

The experience drained me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I spent significant time in prayer to find renewal and I felt that God wanted me to record the prayers. In the right time, those prayers became a book.

What do you hope readers take away from it?

People want to pray. An internet search on the words “praying to Jesus” brings up twelve million results. Yet, countless people have told me they don’t know what or how to pray. I published Changing Me, Change the World to model one – powerful – way to pray. By taking a portion of the Bible, in this case a psalm, and using it to guide their prayer, I hope readers see that God wants to hear our heart-cry in a manner that honors Him.

You can find Changing Me, Change the World in both hard cover or soft bound editions at:

Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com
and other internet bookstores.

Lynnda blogs at Calling All Aspiring Writers of Nonfiction Books and at Passionate for the Glory of God.

Lynnda has offered a special give-away for all the followers of Heading Home. To get a free copy of Changing Me, Change the World, send an email to her at lynndaell[at]live[dot]com with “Heading Home” in the subject line. In the message, provide your full name and your mailing address. Then look for it in your mail box.

Thanks so much, Lynnda!

Today, I’m happy to bring you a blog tour for Gregory A. Boyd, author of Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now.

Gregory A. Boyd is the founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, MN, and founder and president of Christus Victor Ministries. He was a professor of theology at Bethel College (St. Paul, MN) for sixteen years where he continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor. Greg is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (BA), Yale Divinity School (MDiv), and Princeton Theological Seminary (PhD).

Greg is a national and international speaker at churches, colleges, conferences, and retreats and has appeared on numerous radio and television shows. He has also authored and co-authored eighteen books prior to Present Perfect, including The Myth of a Christian Religion, The Myth of a Christian Nation, The Jesus Legend (with Paul Eddy), Seeing Is Believing, Repenting of Religion, and his international bestseller Letters from a Skeptic.

A “Holy Habit” that will change your life!

Experience true spiritual transformation: invite God’s presence into your life! Popular author, theologian, and pastor Gregory Boyd shows you how - simply, practically, and effectively - in this thoughtful and accessible book.

Discover: How to pray continually • What it means to “take every thought captive” • How to wake up to God’s ever-present love.

God is closer to you than the air you breathe. He is present in every given moment. Wake up to His presence! Turn off the mental chatter that keeps you from seeing His glory. Embrace the holy habit of inviting God’s presence into your life and be transformed! Wake Up to God’s Presence!

We long to be transformed. Yet, our minds are filled with endless trivia and self-centered chatter. To-do lists. Worries about the past. Speculation about the future. We forget to live in the present moment…and to invite God to be with us there.

After reading classic contemplative authors Brother Lawrence, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, and Frank Laubach, Gregory Boyd longed to experience the presence of God for himself. For two decades, he’s attempted to implement the practice of the presence of God in his own life … sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing.

What he’s learned as a fellow pilgrim on his spiritual journey can help you find true spiritual transformation as you begin to practice the discipline of inviting God into every moment.

“I’ve become absolutely convinced that remaining aware of God’s presence moment-by-moment is the single most important task in the life of every follower of Jesus,” Boyd writes. “I’m convinced this challenge is implied in our commitment to surrender our life to Christ, for the only real life we have to surrender to him is the one we live moment-by-moment.”

Where did you get the idea for the book?

My passion for Present Perfect arose out of my passion for the discipline it’s about – the practice of the presence of God. Though I’ve always struggled with this discipline, as I readily admit in this book, I’ve come to believe it not only is the most important spiritual discipline. It actually expresses the very essence of what it means to live under the reign of God.

This book began as a series of essays I wrote almost six years ago during one of the worst and most prolonged episodes of the “dark night of the soul” I’ve ever experienced.

During this time, I recommitted myself to the practice of the presence of God and writing these essays helped me reorient my life around this discipline. I decided against publishing the essays six years ago, however, because I felt I hadn’t attained a level of maturity in this discipline that would justify me being a spokesperson for it.

I have since learned that God can use imperfect pilgrims as much as mature masters, which allowed me to rework the essays and publish them. (I’m still very glad I waited six years. However, since I’ve learned much in the intervening period, I feel that the essays are much better as a result.)

What are the major themes of the book?

Life is nothing more than a series of present moments strung together. So, to live a life committed to Christ means we need to commit each present moment to him. This involves remaining aware of, and surrendered to, the loving presence of Christ moment-by-moment.

As we learn to do this, we wake up to the wonder of God’s love, the beauty of the world, and opportunities to be used by God that we’d otherwise miss. As the subtitle of the book says, we wake up to the Kingdom in the NOW, and only in the NOW.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

A deeper desire and greater capacity to be fully alive in the present moment, aware of God’s presence, surrendered to His will and led by His Spirit.

Learn more about Gregory at http://www.gregboyd.org

Present Perfect
Release: May 2010
Soft cover, 176 pp.
ISBN: 0310283841
At Amazon

Today, I am participating in the blog tour for When I Accepted Me: 52 Affirmations to Boost Your Self-Esteem! by Sonja Samuel (Hewell Publishing). I’ll be giving away a copy of this book, so, if you’d like to enter for the drawing, just leave a comment at the end of this post.

About the book:

How we feel about ourselves, how we see ourselves influences how we live our lives. It is a direct result of the level of our self-esteem. Since we all experience problems with our self-esteem, self-worth, and self-acceptance at various times in our lives, When I Accepted Me is a collection of personal affirmations to help build, boost, and maintain good self-esteem.

About the Author:

You may have seen Sonja Samuel on the sidelines as a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys and for the NFL Players. She is also a former print model, TV spokesperson, and an internet radio and talk show host.

She currently travels the world as an international speaker, leadership consultant, and life empowerment strategist to Fortune 500 companies and their workforce, as well as traveling the globe as a performing arts director and short-term missionary.

Sonja has received numerous honors including being named as an Outstanding Women of America and Personalities of the South. Her mission in life is to “EmPower people to impact their world, fulfill their destiny, and make a divine difference.”

Here’s an interview with Sonja:

Why self-esteem and what is it exactly?

Self-esteem is the extent to which we like, respect, and accept ourselves. It reflects our overall evaluation or appraisal of our self-worth. It encompasses our beliefs, emotions, and behavior.

However, many people operate from the perspective of what others think of them and it fuels a cycle of dissatisfaction and discontentment. Instead of finding peace within themselves and being the unique and distinct person God created them to be, they live a life based on who they think others want them to be.

It has been said that two out of three people, at any given time, suffer from low self-esteem, which can negatively affect every part of their lives. If the negativity goes unaddressed, it can completely ruin their lives. This issue must be addressed in order to live joyous, productive, and purposeful lives as God intended.

From my experience, it all starts with changing the way we think, which is essential to winning over negativity and boosting self-esteem.

Why is self-esteem important to you?

Because after dealing with a difficult separation and divorce, I found myself struggling to rebuild my self-esteem. That whole experience took me down a road of despair and depression like I had never experienced before.

High self-esteem had never been a problem for me, so when life became difficult, I was completely thrown for a loop. It caused me to question my self-worth and value, and, in the end, I really struggled with accepting myself. I started thinking something must be wrong with me.

Based on the Word of God, I found this wasn’t true, but I still struggled. Once I was able to regain my confidence and repair the damage to my self-esteem, I began to see that I had gotten lost in my emotions, that is was really about what was going on in my head. High self-esteem starts with what we think!

What can a person do to build high self-esteem?

I would recommend starting with what I call my ACCEPT principles:

A - Accept your strengths and weaknesses.
C - Concentrate on the positives.
C - Connect to your passion and you’ll connect to your purpose.
P - Persevere. It has been said when the going gets tough, the tough get going. In this life, we will have trouble, as the Bible tells us, so we must hold fast to the faithfulness of God and His promises to never leave us alone.
T - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your understanding.” We may not see the hand of God at work, but we must trust that He is at work on our behalf. That is called the providence of God.

Tell us about the creative process of writing this book?

Initially, I started writing a book on leadership but, in the process, I kept coming back to this issue of self-esteem. How can we lead others if we are struggling to lead ourselves? The more I reflected on that, the more I reflected on my own personal experiences, not only in the area of leadership but also in the area of self-esteem in general.

In the end, I ended up writing over one hundred affirmations that have been broken down into two volumes under the title of When I Accepted Me. We’ve just released volume 1 and volume 2 will be released in 2010. I divided them up into two volumes because I wanted to give people an opportunity to really reflect and internalize each affirmation to boost their self-esteem.

I’ve suggested to people to just take one a week (that’s why there are 52 of them) and internalize it. Pray on it, see how it reflects in your life. Maybe use it as a guide to write your own for that week.

I’ve also encouraged some people to read one every day for 52 days straight and see if their perspective isn’t changed for the good at the end of it.

How can people get the book and what is some of the feedback you’ve received so far?

My book can be ordered from my website at www.sonjasamuel.com. It would be a great way to start the year and to recharge for the coming year. We are extending it at our special introduction offer of $14.95 because we want to get the book out into as many hands as possible. For me, it is a tool for empowering others which is my personal mission in life.

I'm so happy to be a part of the blog tour 12 Pearls of Christmas, as part of the tour for the Pearl Girls anthology, which is filled with real life stories from some amazing women who have unexpectedly encountered grit and experienced grace through the difficult times.

One hundred percent of the book's royalties go toward building wells in Uganda for school children and to fund a safe house in Chicago for women and children who are fleeing from domestic abuse.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Gifts of Purpose

Too Precious to Wear
by Sarah Sundin

One Christmas when my mother was a girl, she received a string of pearls from her father. Since her parents were divorced-an unusual situation in the 1950s-she treasured the pearls as a sign of her father's love. When he passed away her senior year in high school, the pearls took on even greater significance.

When I was growing up, my mother talked often about the pearls, but my sister and I never saw them. Mom kept them safe in their silk-lined velvet box tucked in her jewelry box. For dressy occasions, she wore other nice jewelry, but never the pearls.

The pearls were too precious to wear.

What if the strand broke and even a single pearl was lost? What if the clasp broke and she lost them forever? She couldn't risk it. Better to keep them cocooned in silky security.

When my mother offered to let me wear her pearls on my wedding day, I was deeply touched. This was more than "something old" or "something borrowed," but a sign that she trusted me and loved me.

A few days before the wedding, my mother pulled the box from seclusion. My sister and I watched with curiosity and awe.

The pearls had turned a deep grayish-yellow, they were flaking, and some had fallen apart.

They were fake.

For over thirty years, my mother nurtured a piece of costume jewelry. All that time she could have worn them and enjoyed them without worry. Her father gave them to her for a purpose-to wear them and feel lovely and ladylike and special. He didn't mean for her to hide them away.

On our wedding day, my husband gave me a strand of real pearls. They symbolize my husband's sacrificial love for me-they were expensive for a graduate student with half-Scottish blood.

I vowed never to tuck them away but to wear them often. Yes, I'm careful. I inspect the cord and knots and clasp, and I plan to have them restrung when necessary. But I wear them and enjoy them. That's why my husband gave them to me.

Our heavenly Father gives us gifts too-brilliant and costly. We should cherish them, but we should use them. Whether our individual gifts involve serving, teaching, encouragement, evangelism, or even money-they have a purpose. The Lord wants us to use our gifts to bless others and to spread the message of His love.

While pearls make women look lovely, using our God-given gifts for His kingdom makes us even lovelier. And just as pearls grow more lustrous with frequent wear, our gifts from God grow in beauty and strength the more we use them.

This Christmas I plan to wear my string of pearls, a sign of my husband's love-and to display my pearls from heaven, a sign of my Father's love.

Have a lustrous Christmas!


Sarah Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children. She works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. Her first novel, A Distant Melody, historical fiction set during World War II, will be published by Revell in March 2010. Please visit her at http://www.sarahsundin.com or her blog or find her on Facebook.

I am privileged to be a part of the blog tour for James Pence’s two books: Terror by Night (co-authored by Terry Caffey) and Blind Sight. If you would like to participate in the drawing for the gift basket, which includes…

Angel- James Pence
Blind Sight- James Pence
Terror By Night- James Pence
Quality 8.5 X 11 in printing of the scorched page
DVD of Chalk Art Illustrations from James Pence

…be sure to leave a comment at the end of the interview.

About Terror by Night:

(Greenville, TX) – A father denied his daughter dating privileges with a certain young man. Typical teenage behavior might have included pouting, a bad attitude or perhaps even a yelling match. Never in a million years would Terry Caffey have suspected it would involve murder.

Yet, in the early morning hours of March 8, 2008, Terry’s whole world turned upside down. His wife and two sons where brutally murdered and burned in the house they lived and Terry was shot twelve times…by his daughter and her friends.

Terry Caffey and James Pence reconstruct this tragic yet strangely beautiful true story of God’s sovereignty, forgiveness and grace in Terror by Night. As if the story of Caffey’s family wasn’t enough, readers will be captivated by the way God ordained the meeting between the Blind Sight author and Caffey with a burnt page from Blind Sight found at the crime scene.

Terror by Night
Publisher: Tyndale
Hardcover: 288 pgs
ISBN-10: 1414334761
ISBN-13: 9781414334769
Retail: $22.99

About Blind Sight:

No one plans for bad things to happen. No one plans on losing their family. No one knows how to move on after horror strikes. No one. Not even Thomas Kent. After receiving a strange phone call from a long-ago friend requesting Kent to pick up a package at the airport, Kent begins a spine tingling, suspense filled journey in which he hopes to reunite the package (his friend’s children) with their mother, Justine, a traitor in the Fellowship for World Renewal Cult. Twists and turns in this page turning drama make Blind Sight not only a journey of extreme action and thrills, but one of discovering the sovereign plan of God.

James H. Pence is a full-time professional writer and editor living near Dallas, Texas. James is a multi-talented writer who has been published in both fiction and nonfiction. His publishers include Tyndale House, Kregel, and Osborne/McGraw-Hill. James holds a master’s degree in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in creative writing and journalism from Dallas Theological Seminary. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from Dallas Bible College.

James is also a vocalist and gospel chalk artist, and he regularly uses his talents to share the gospel in prisons. James is the author of Blind Sight, a gripping novel about mind-control cults and coauthor (along with Terry Caffey) of the new book: Terror by Night: The True Story of the Brutal Texas Murder that Destroyed a Family, Restored One Man’s Faith, and Shocked a Nation.

Blind Sight
Publisher:Tyndale
Paperback: 364 pages
ISBN-10: 1601454384
ISBN-13: 978-1601454386
Retail: $17.95

An Interview with James Pence:

1. You’ve dabbled in a little bit of everything career-wise. Give us a brief summary of your journey so far.

I have definitely had a colorful background as you’ve already mentioned. I guess the one unifying thread that has run through everything I do is the service of God. I knew when I was 14 years old that God had called me into the ministry, and I’ve never wavered from that. And even though that ministry now includes such things as teaching karate to homeschoolers, I consider that as much a part of my calling as anything else.

Since finishing Bible College back in 1978 I have been a youth pastor, a camp director, a pastor, a prison evangelist, a gospel chalk artist, a speaker, a singer, a Web designer, a writer, a karate teacher, an art teacher, and a writing teacher. Amazingly, I’m still active in most of those things. I’m not pastoring anymore, and I’ve long since left directing summer camps behind me, but everything else I still do.

It would be a book in and of itself if I were to try to go into the details of all of those different things and how I got started doing each of them. Suffice it to say that I’ve always believed that the talents that we have are stewardships. Thus I’ve always felt that if I have a talent in an area I have a responsibility to develop and use it for God’s glory. And that’s why do so many different things. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

2. There was a tight deadline for Terror by Night. Tell us a little bit about how you interviewed Terry Caffey and the timeline you had to submit your book.

There was definitely a tight deadline for Terror by Night. I had a total of 12 weeks in which to write it and that included doing all the interviewing with Terry. I’m very happy to say that I was able to meet that challenge, but there were times when I wondered if I could get it all done.

Terry and I got together every Wednesday for several hours and I would interview him. Our first few interviews were just for getting the layout of the book planned. I had to get an idea of the different aspects of the story that needed to be pulled together, sort of like a plot outline. And then I actually had a plan the storyline based on my discussions with Terry.

It was sort of a cumulative thing, because as we talked each week more questions would come up and I would make notes on those and we would discuss them in subsequent weeks.

I recorded all of the interviews with a digital voice recorder and then transferred them all to my computer. After that I edited the interviews down into soundbites of two to three minutes all according to topics. Then I put them all on my iPod and would listen to them at every spare moment. My goal was to be familiar enough with Terry’s voice so that the book would sound natural and that it would sound like Terry was doing the speaking or writing.

3. Because of the intensity of this book, how did you deal with the emotional side of writing? Did it ever become more than you or Terry could deal with at one sitting?

This was a very difficult story to write and it was very stressful for both of us, but in different ways. As we went through the interview process Terry began to struggle with depression and had some rough moments. Once or twice we had changed the topic of our discussion because it was just getting to be too hard on him.

For me the stress came from the deadline more than the storyline. The fastest I’d written a book before was 20 weeks, and writing this one in 12 weeks was like running a marathon. Near the end I was exhausted, but still had to get that word count out every day. There were times when I would just become overwhelmed with the size of the task. But there was nothing to do but keep moving forward.

So we were both very happy when this project was complete.

4. You enjoy some great ministry opportunities outside of your writing. Share how God is using your other gifts to reach others for Christ.

As I mentioned earlier, in addition to being a writer I am a gospel chalk artist and a vocalist. I’ve been doing that for over 30 years now and really enjoy being able to use art and music to bring a message to people. For about the last 15 years I’ve been going into prisons with my art and music and sharing the gospel with inmates. That’s been a huge blessing to me. In fact, I often say that after a prison service I've been far more blessed than the inmates. And recently God has begun to open up more doors both in prison and out. Over a six-week period, I'll be drawing in Florida, Iowa, and Alabama.

One of the great things about chalk art is that even if the people who see a drawing don't remember everything I say, they will remember the picture and the scripture that the picture represented. I've had people write me who saw my pictures 20 years ago and came to Christ through them, and now they are serving Christ in churches and other ministries. That's one of the great joys of this ministry.

5. With the re-release of Blind Sight, it's almost like two books releasing at once. What message do you hope readers will take away from reading both books?

I was so excited when Tyndale decided to release Blind Sight a second time. It's rare that a novel gets a second chance at life. And it's especially satisfying that both books were released simultaneously. And even though one is a novel and the other a nonfiction book, the message that people can take away from the books is really the same. God is sovereign.

So often we are confused when difficult circumstances come into our lives and we wonder why God would allow that. Sometimes we even get angry with him and demand an explanation like Terry did. But the message of both Blind Sight and Terror by Night is that while God doesn’t explain himself to us, we can trust in his goodness and sovereign grace. We know that he is working all things together for our good and we can trust him in that. Blind Sight communicates that message by way of a novel; Terror by Night communicates the same message by way of a true story.

It is my pleasure to bring you Frank Ball’s blog tour for his book Eyewitness: The Life of Christ Told in One Story by Frank Ball (WinePress Publishing). If you would like to be in the drawing for the book, please leave a comment at the end of this post.

About the book…

Eyewitness reaches people who seldom go to church or read their Bibles. It compiles the information from the Gospels and hundreds of other Bible verses into one chronological story laid out like a story without reference or verse. The result is a seamless combination of the four gospel books that will appeal to customers across the board, even those who would not normally purchase a Bible.

About the author…

Frank Ball was the Pastor of Biblical Research and Writing at Anchor Church in Keller, Texas, for three years. After thirty years of research and teaching the life of Christ, he began a twelve-year project to analyze every gospel story about Christ and put the events into chronological order.

Ball says that this project wasn’t his idea at all. He just had an unexplainable desire to do this chronology, and along the way he realized that God had a plan.

The interview…

1. The gospel stories have existed for some two thousand years. Why put them chronologically together now?

Nine out of ten Americans own a Bible, but the people who most need to hear the message don’t often read the book. They believe Scripture is outdated and too difficult to understand. Would they read the story of Christ if it were presented as a single story that is easy to understand? Most of them say they would, so Eyewitness answers that need.

2. Why do the Gospels appear to have conflicting stories?

At a crime scene, eyewitnesses always have different testimonies about what happened. Because each gospel writer had his own point of view and spoke to a different audience, the information is actually complementary, not conflicting. The apparent conflicts disappear when we use each viewpoint to compile a complete and compelling story.

3. How was writing and recording events different two thousand years ago?

We now use a computer keyboard to rapidly type and edit text that prints on our laser printers. In the first century, writers had only their parchment scrolls in which every word was hand written, one character at a time. Cut-and-paste editing and simple rearrangement of details into chronological order didn’t exist. Writers naturally put down information as it came to mind, giving us a flow of thought that isn’t always in date sequence.

4. What is the significance of John’s gospel being the last one written?

If John were to introduce his book to us today, he might say, “Let me tell you the rest of the story.” There wasn’t much need to repeat what had already been written, so he gives us clarification of events that were already being told and retold, as well as eyewitness reports that are found nowhere else. Unlike the other writers, who were not always chronological, John unfolds most of his story in date sequence in relation to the Jewish feasts. This gives us a chronological guide for putting all the biblical information in order.

5. In what way do you think the readers of Eyewitness will have a clearer understanding of the nature of God?

Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” If we can see what Jesus is doing and hear what he is saying, we become eyewitness of God’s nature. Because the words in Eyewitness are more like what we would read in a novel, readers are able to visualize themselves as present at the gospel events. It’s the next best thing to actually being there, walking with the other disciples.

6. How many different Bible translations were necessary to complete this project?

Hundreds of scholars have invested countless hours in the production of good translations. In the development of an easy-to-read wording for Eyewitness, translators’ handbooks and more than fifteen popular translations, as well as the Greek and Hebrew texts, were considered.

7. Is the Bible flawed in presenting the life of Christ in four separate books?

No, not at all. Each author’s report has its own perspective and meets a different audience need. Matthew points to the fulfillment of ancient prophecies to prove Jesus was the Son of God. Mark, the shortest of the Gospels, is the quickest to read. Luke, being a physician, gives many important details. And John adds clarity, chronology, and new information. Eyewitness was written for those who don’t read the Bible and for people who are helped by seeing how the story unfolded, chronologically.

8. Why do you think Eyewitness appeals to people who seldom attend church?

Even professed atheists and agnostics have questions about the meaning of life and what happens after we die. Eyewitness isn’t a book of difficult-to-understand rules that threatens punishment if we don’t do everything exactly right. The life of Christ is presented in a way so people can easily understand the value of loving our enemies and helping people in need.

9. Where can we find out more or purchase a copy of Eyewitness?

Please feel free to visit my web site at www.eyewitnesstools.com.

If you would like to have Frank speak to your group, church, or writers conference, click here.

It is my privilege to bring you the blog tour for Squeezing Good Out of Bad...

About the author…

James N. Watkins is the author of sixteen books and over two thousand articles. He is the acquisition editor for Wesleyan Publishing House, an editorial advisor for ACW Press, instructor at Taylor University and a sought-after conference speaker. He’s won Campus Life’s Book of the Year award and various other awards for writing and editing. He’s married to Lois. They have two children and four grandchildren. His family is the lemonade in his life.

About the Book:

Sour circumstances left you feeling down? Unemployment, foreclosures, divorce, bankruptcy and cancer don't even begin to peel the skin off all the bad news in our world today. At a time in history when the evening news contains more bad than good, people wonder if sweeter days will ever come. In steps James (Jim) Watkins. With a fresh perspective on life, love and the pursuit of happiness, Watkins serves readers a refreshing cup of encouragement and hope.

Written from his own experiences with cancer, unemployment and other life-puckering crises, Jim prompts readers to look at the cup of suffering with eyes focused on the true thirst quencher--Jesus Christ. Readers will be pleasantly surprised at the balance of readability and deep wisdom offered within the pages of Squeezing Good Out Of Bad. With scripture references, humor-filled lists, and a creative manuscript, Watkins brings the bitterness of hard times and blends it with the sweetness of God's presence. He's been there. His transparency is as refreshing as, you guessed it, a tall, cool glass of lemonade.

Blog Tour Interview:

1. You've been in the literary world for a while, give us a quick recap of how you got started to where you are today.

By second grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I felt the suspension of disbelief was stretched too thin when the real-live puppet Pinocchio became a real live boy. So I rewrote the ending having the wooden puppet die a painful, prolonged death of Dutch elm disease. (At that point, I'm sure my parents and teachers weren't sure if I'd become a writer or a life-long patient at a psychiatric hospital.) I later went on to become the editor of my high school paper, worked at a Christian publishing house as an editor during college, and then dabbled in writing while holding down a real job. Since 1988, I've been writing and speaking full-time.

2. In Squeezing Good Out Of Bad you give many insightful tips on how to turn around sour circumstances. Share a practical way we can be encouraged during tough times.

My "top ten list" of chapter titles 10-4 provide practical steps for dealing with lemons, but the real secrets are found in chapters 3-1. (Yes, like a true top ten list, the chapters are numbered backward.) Romans 8:28 promises that that God is working all things out for our good to accomplish His purpose in our lives. But we have to read on to verse 29 to find that purpose: "to be conformed to the image of His Son."

3. No life is perfect. Can you give us an example of how you got through a challenging situation and were able to use these principles to see the good in it?

I think it's so important that we take our faith seriously, but I certainly don't want to take my situation or myself too seriously. So I create a mental "top ten" list of what good can come about in this situation. For instance, last year I had radiation for cancer and it totally depleted me physically and mentally. My family dubbed it "radiation retardation." Because of that, I was fired from a wonderful part-time job because I just couldn't do it. So, "Top Ten Great Things about Losing My Job": 10. I'll be paying less taxes next year. 9. I've got twenty hours a week of free time. 8. . . .

Our family is going through something right now that is far worse than cancer, and I can't see a single good thing that can come out of it. So, at those times, you just keep hanging on--with white knuckles--to the fact that God loves you and the Romans 8:28 is still in effect.

4. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spare time? What's that? I'm a firm believer in "redeeming the time" so I try to keep busy doing things that matter for the Kingdom. But after my little brain is worn out--usually around 7 pm--nothing beats a session of "Freecell."

5. What's the last book you read and why?

Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr. Unfortunately, the only real reading for pleasure is on airline flights. The King book is research for a book I'm proposing as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.

6. What do you hope readers will gain by reading your book?

I wrote the first draft nine years ago, and even though I have a great agent, we just couldn't find a publisher. That was before cancer, family crisis, unemployment. . . . So it's a much more comforting, honest book. And it forced me to not be so flippant and casual about the serious issues people are dealing with. Henri Nouwen talks about "wounded healers." I think, because of the lemons that have piled up in my life, I can more compassionately offer comfort to those buried under a pile of lemons.

“A book that will make you laugh, think, and start looking at those sour places of life in a whole new way. I really enjoyed reading it.” Martha Bolton, writer for Jeff Allen, Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Mark Lowry

If Jim's disclaimer isn't enough humor for you, read on:

When life gives you lemons...

10. Don't confuse them with hand grenades (Identify the problem)
9. Check the delivery slip (Determine if it's your problem)
8. Sell them on eBay (Profit from the problem)
7. Paint smiley faces on them (Laugh at the problem)
6. Join a citrus support group (Share your problem)
5. Use as an all-natural, organic astringent (Grow from the problem)
4. Don't shoot the delivery driver (Forgive the problem-maker)
3. Graft to a lime tree for a refreshing, low-calorie soft drink (Take the problem to a higher level)
2. Grow your own orchard (Live a fruitful life despite—or because of—the problem)
1. Give off a refreshing fragrance (Live a lemon-fresh life)

To purchase Squeezing Good Out of Bad, click here.
Publisher: XarisCom
ISBN: 978-0-578-01006-9
Retail: $12.96
Paperback

You can catch James Watkins on his site...James Watkins!com