Book
Summary
| |
Benny's
Angel
Who
stole the flowers in God’s Secret Garden?
When
Ella Eagle discovers that the flowers in God’s Secret Garden have wilted, she
alerts Mayor Benny Bunny. The main suspect in the case is evil Count Slime, who
is jealous of the joy the animals have in the garden. Mayor Benny calls in
Oliver Owl, the captain of the Owl Force Wisdom Watchers, but the owls have not
seen Count Slime during their patrols of the garden. Mayor Benny suggests the
animals pray for an answer. God hears their prayer and sends Marietta the angel
to help them solve the mystery.
This
delightful tale uses animals, nature, and a visit from an angel to teach
children the importance of prayer and the value of trusting
God.
Author
Bio
| |
Laura Allen Nonemaker’s desire to write took root as a child in Bermuda.
Since then, Laura has written in a variety of genres and her work has appeared
in Essence Treasury: Celebrating the Season, Alive!
and Kentucky Monthly Magazine.
Laura has been involved in short-term missions, including trips to Russia,
Poland, and the University of the Nations in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Three years
ago, her interest in the arts motivated her to join the planning team for Artful
Missions, which conducts juried art shows and donates to outreaches in the U.S.
and India to rescue women and children from human trafficking.
Feel free to contact Laura at lauranonemaker@gmail.com
Connect with Laura at These Social Networking Sites:
facebook: Laura Allen Nonemaker
twitter: @DigInGodsGarden Linkedin: Laura Nonemaker Blog: www.diggingingodsgarden.com
Q & A with
Laura:
Why did
you write Benny’s Angel?
Benny’s
Angel was the result of an occurrence in my “secret garden.” While seated
on my garden bench praying, I noticed a rabbit hopping through the garden. The
Benny’s Angel scenario came to me. I sensed it was significant and in
about ten minutes, I developed the basic storyline.
Why do
you think reading is important for parents to emphasize with children, both by
reading to them and fostering a healthy reading appetite as they develop their
own reading skills?
I believe the
time to instill a love for reading in children is when they are toddlers and
beginning to experience the power of communication in their relationships.
Children are ready to absorb whatever they see and hear going on around them,
whether it is good or bad. It is important to read them stories that ignite
their imagination and plant the seeds of sound moral principles.
What
issues do you address in Benny’s Angel, and why do children need these
sorts of stories to help them through
life?
In the story of
Benny’s Angel, the animals in God’s Secret Garden encounter a problem.
They are unable to solve it themselves and pray to God for an answer. God
answers their prayer by means of an angel. Benny’s Angel teaches the
importance of prayer and of trusting God to answer our prayers. These principles
filter naturally through the storyline and without the need for sermonizing.
Children will face all kinds of problems and challenges as they grow up and
stories based on sound biblical principles lay a strong foundation for their
future.
Tell us
about the next book you have coming out after Benny’s
Angel.
The next book
in the God’s Secret Garden Adventure Series is about a little frog.
Through some misadventures, he learns the importance of
obedience.
Grand Prize
Giveaway
| |
 1
Vivitar Camcorder with Camera and 2X Zoom
|
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Darling children's book for your Christmas kid
Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for the basket give-away seen below.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Polar Bear Plunge!
Polar
Bear Plunge
by
Linda Glaz
White
Rose Publishing eBook, 12/5 2011
ISBN:
978161116117595 pp
About
the Book:
Angry
with God, she finds herself even angrier, when hero, Brice Taylor, author of The Human Shield, arrives in the Emergency
Room with a concussion and hypothermia after participating in the Polar Bear
Plunge. Aleni wants nothing to do with a man who willingly takes chances with
his life.Brice doesn’t understand how God could bring him through being a
captive in Iraq, when he failed his troops so miserably. Writing about his
escape brings fame he would rather avoid. And by meeting widow, Aleni Callan,
his feelings of failure only increase.Megan Callan with the help of her
three-year-old grandson, Ty, scheme to bring Aleni and Brice together. And
while the best laid plans often go awry, Megan isn’t one to accept no.
Linda says:
I love the idea of a returning war hero and a war widow
finding each other.
Most importantly, my oldest daughter, Brandy, a nurse,
herself, always wanted me to write a story about a nurse named Aleni. So, when the
opportunity presented itself, I couldn't resist. I did learn one VERY important
thing: women like their purist romances. I've tried all types of edgy and different
takes on the genre, but have learned that when certain readers sit down, they
expect specific things.
So, you can teach an old dog new tricks!
About Linda:
Linda
served in the military during a time when it wasn’t a politically correct thing
to do. Her years as a meteorologist during Vietnam were filled with travel,
teaching, and pure enjoyment for being part of the Armed Forces. Winning awards,
many of which were “firsts” for a woman in the Air Force, she experienced an
array of unusual opportunities normally reserved for men. Breaking down
barriers was a must in the seventies.
She taught
karate and women’s self-defense off and on for thirty years, refereed soccer
for twenty-five, fifteen of which she was one of eleven National Instructors
for the largest youth soccer organization in the world.
Now, she
works part time in a physical therapy clinic, which seems appropriate after all
her soccer/karate injuries.
She spends
relaxing time writing, directing, and singing in church musicals as well as directing
community theatre.
As she
enjoys reading other peoples’ novels and encouraging them in their writing, she
works as an agent for Hartline Literary Agency.
Linda is
married to a terrific guy and is the mother of three amazing children, three
wonderful grandchildren, and a foster cat (who has found her way, in name, onto
the pages of two books).
Who
wouldn’t want to hear about an Ophelia?
After all,
it was good enough for Shakespeare.
Hartline Literary Agency
http://lindaglaz.blogspot.com/
http://hartlineliteraryagency.blogspot.com/
Merry Christmas!
WHEN
YOU HAVE TO WRITE AS SURELY AS YOU HAVE TO BREATHE, THEN, AND ONLY THEN ARE YOU
A WRITER...
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving Day in Early America
Thanksgiving in
Early America
by Elaine Marie
Cooper
When we
sit down at our Thanksgiving meal this month, we’ll be recreating a celebration
that is as old as our country: sharing food with loved ones while thanking the
God Who has provided the abundance.
While we
understand that the First Thanksgiving was celebrated here by the Mayflower
survivors along with the Indians that had helped them, the first official
proclamation that was decreed to celebrate such a holiday was in 1777. It was a
recommendation to the thirteen states by the Continental Congress to set aside
December 18th that year as a “solemn thanksgiving” to celebrate the
first major victory for the Continental troops in the American Revolution: the
Battle of Saratoga.
The
Battle of Saratoga has significant interest for my own family since one of my
ancestors was a soldier there. But he was not on the American side—he was a
British Redcoat. After surrendering to the Americans, he escaped the line of
prisoners and somehow made his way to Massachusetts and into the life and heart
of my fourth great-grandmother. *SIGH* L’amour!
This
family story was the inspiration for my Deer Run Saga that begins in 1777 with
The Road to Deer Run. There is an elaborate
Thanksgiving meal scene in this novel as well as in the sequel, The
Promise of Deer Run.
Some may
wonder why such detail was afforded this holiday in my novels set in
Massachusetts, while Christmas is barely mentioned. The reason is simple:
Thanksgiving was the major holiday in the northern colonies, with Christmas
considered nothing more special than a workday. According to Jack Larkin in his
book, The Reshaping of Everyday
Life, “The Puritan founders of New England and the Quaker settlers
of Pennsylvania had deliberately abolished (holidays) as
unscriptural.”
But
Thanksgiving was begun as a way to give thanks to God for His provision. It
usually began with attending church services in the morning, followed by an
elaborate feast in the afternoon. The food for this meal was prepared for weeks
in advance.
Since the
individual state governors chose their own date to celebrate the holiday, it was
theoretically possible for some family members—if they lived in close
proximity—to celebrate multiple Thanksgiving meals with family and friends
across state borders. The dates chosen could be anywhere from October to
December, according to Dennis Picard, Director of the Storrowton Village Museum
in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Chicken
was most commonly served, said Picard, as it was readily available in the
barnyard. And the oldest woman in the home had the honor of slicing the fowl for
dinner.
Pies were
made well in advance of the holiday and stored and became frozen in dresser
drawers in unheated rooms.
“I like
the idea of pulling out a dresser drawer for, say, a clean pair of socks, and
finding mince pies,” said Picard, tongue in cheek.
Indeed!
Have a
BLESSED Thanksgiving!
Author Bio
 | |
Elaine
Marie Cooper grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in the Midwest with her
husband, her three dogs and one huge cat. She has two married sons and triplet
grandchildren who are now one years old. The Promise of Deer Run is
dedicated to the triplets and to veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder.Elaine has been a magazine freelance writer for many years, and is a
regular contributor to a blog on the Midwest called The Barn Door
(www.thebarndoor.net) and a blog on Christian living called Reflections In
Hindsight (ReflectionsInHindsight.wordpress.com). She is the author of The
Road to Deer Run and the sequel, The Promise of Deer Run. Prior to
becoming an author, Elaine worked as a registered nurse.
|
Monday, November 21, 2011
Greet Ten People for Peace
|
The 39th Annual
World Hello Day
November 21st, 2011
Greet Ten People for Peace |
|
WORLD
HELLO DAY
P.O. BOX 15592 Beverly Hills, California 90209 U.S.A. |
Saturday, November 19, 2011
USA Book AWARD WINNER! A media release that works
From Carolyn Howard-Johnson
M
E D I A R E L E A S
E
I’m proud to have been the winner of
a USA Book Award for my new edition of The Frugal Book Promoter this
year and for my chapbook with Magdalena Ball to have been mentioned as a
finalist. If you have a place to mention
this or to pass to your audience the opportunities that USA Book News affords,
that would be wonderful. If an article would be more appropriate—perhaps one on
the marketing advantages of winning awards—that can be arranged,
too.
M
E D I A R E L E A S
E
For Immediate
Release
Contact: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
E-mail: HoJoNews@aol.com
USA BOOK NEWS ANNOUNCES
WINNERS AND FINALISTS OF THE USA “BEST BOOKS 2011” AWARDS
Simon &
Schuster, St. Martin’s Press, Random House, Penguin, Harper Collins, Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons and hundreds of Independent
Houses contribute to this year’s Outstanding
Competition!
|
LOS ANGELES
– USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for
mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced two of Carolyn
Howard-Johnson’s books were among those that placed in THE USA “BEST BOOKS 2011”
AWARDS on November 1, 2011. Awards were presented for titles published in 2010
and 2011.
Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of USA Book News, said this year’s contest yielded an unprecedented number of entries. Winners and finalists traversed the publishing landscape: Simon & Schuster, St. Martin’s Press, Random House, Penguin, Harper Collins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons and hundreds of independent houses contributed to this year’s outstanding competition. Keen adds, “Our success begins with the enthusiastic participation of authors and publishers and continues with our distinguished panel of industry judges who bring to the table their extensive editorial, PR, marketing, and design expertise.”Award highlights include the following: (Full results listing available on USABooknews.com)
One reviewer said reading
Howard-Johnson’s books is like picking the brains of a master marketer. It
received plaudits from industry shakers like Marilyn Ross, founder of Small
Publishers or North America and Tim Bete, director of Dayton University’s Erma
Bombeck Writers’ Conference. The new one carries endorsements from the likes of
Dan Poynter and Tony Eldridge.
Howard-Johnson, an
instructor for nearly a decade at UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program, chose to
have the new edition published in both e-book format and paperback in order to
give her struggling students and clients affordable and convenient choices.
Whichever format a reader chooses, The
Frugal Book Promoter assures an author’s book the best possible start in
life. Full of nitty-gritty how-tos for getting nearly free publicity, the author
shares her professional experience as well as practical tips gleaned from the
successes of her own book campaigns. A former journalist and publicist (she
wrote media releases for fashion designers like Christian Dior), she tells
authors how to do what their publishers can’t or won’t and why authors can often
do their own promotion better than a PR professional. Her poetry is published in
dozens of literary and review journals worldwide.
USABookNews.com is an online publication providing
coverage for books from mainstream and independent publishers to the world
online community. JPX Media Group, in Los Angeles, California, is the parent
company of USABookNews.com.
A complete list of the winners and finalists of The USA “Best Books 2011” Awards are available online at http://www.USABookNews.com.
Learn more about Howard-Johnson at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com and http://carolynhoward-johnson.com..
|
Friday, November 18, 2011
Creek Country Saga
A bloody massacre and a merciless reprisal.
Survival comes at a cost.
About the first book in the series, Wounded Spirits:
When a distant war among the Natives spills over into a nearby skirmish,
Adela McGirth’s life takes a perilous turn. Deep in enemy territory she’s
challenged to keep her mother alive, her sister sane, and her new-found love
from growing. A loyal Creek warrior, Totka is forced to align with the
extremist Red Stick faction whose goal is to eradicate the Whites from Creek
soil. In the midst of battle, Totka is assigned to protect those he is expected
to hate–and kill. Life was simpler before his enemy became a beautiful face
with a quiet strength and dignity he cannot resist.
Read my review below. And the Good News following!
CURRENTLY ON SALE E-BOOK FOR $1.99; PRINT $6.58
About April:
April W Gardner resides in Georgia with her USAF husband and two sweet
kiddos. She is the author of the historical romance series, the Creek
Country Saga, as well as the children’s adventure series, the Channel
Islands Resistance. She is the founder and senior editor of the fun
literary website, Clash of the Titles.
In her free time, April enjoys reading, organizing, and DIY. In no particular
order, she dreams of owning a horse, visiting all the national parks, and
speaking Italian.
Review Of Wounded Spirits:
April Gardner's debut novel Wounded Spirits is a heroic story about a little-documented era. In the early 1800s America was suffering. European and expanding white settlers and the native tribal people were at an impasse. Only the superior numbers and weapons of the whites, along with their dread diseases, forced the tribal peoples to give up their land and way of life. April tells the story of a Creek clan versus white settlers in what is now Georgia and Alabama.
Before you pick up this wonderfully-told debut novel, be warned that it is book one of a projected series and you will be left aching for more when you get to the last page.
Adela McGirth and her family farm near a small settlement that is at uneasy peace with a Creek tribe. In fact, Adela's father's first wife was a member of the tribe and he taught his second family to respect everyone. It's a respect that comes with a terrible price when an uprising of Creek warriors, the Red Sticks, battle the American settlers for their right to maintain their way of life and tribal territory. Adela's sister is killed and so, perhaps is her intended, a young soldier. Adela, a surviving sister, and their mother who is expecting a baby, are taken as slaves by one of the Creek, a man who had spent part of his childhood with the McGirths. Adela's father had been away while the skirmish took place and seeks revenge on his former friends when he presumes his family are all killed.
In the several months that Adela and her family live with the clan, strange things happen to sway her sympathies in directions she cannot understand, especially when a young Creek protector, Nokose, makes it clear he wants her as his wife. Adela's faith becomes a matter of survival and a means of coping with her sister's increasing hostility and grief and her mother's difficult and every-obvious mortal pregnancy.
Nothing is easy in Aprils' story. Life and loyalty mingle with death and revenge in blurry lines. I find myself replaying events and motivations, reliving the story long after I finished reading. A Reader's Discussion Guide is included.
SO... The Great News is that WARRING SPIRITS IS soon to be yours too! Watch for the upcoming special release.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Intriguing new Bible Study! The Book of Ruth - A Story of Love and Redemption
| ||||
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)