The Winner of the summer NCB Writing Contest! Cameron Presson

Fourteen-year-old Cameron Presson of Thompson Station, TN, claimed first prize in the 2012 New Christian Books Summer Writing Contest. He entered a modern Jonah story entitled “In the Belly of a Jail” about a 16-year-old arrested for driving while intoxicated, who surrendered his life to Christ after being incarcerated.

“I think all the entries are beautifully creative work. All these writers should be encouraged to keep writing,” remarked one of the judges, Katherine Harms. She is author of Oceans of Love, a book with 30 days of meditations on God’s love built on texts relating to oceans and water.

Second place went to 11-year-old Victoria Rifa of Yakima, Washington, for her wail tale, Double Trouble, involving squabbling twins who turned to God after an earthquake.

Third place went to 14-year-old Maisie Lay of Marshall, IL, for her story, “To Learn Responsibility,” about a girl who was sent to military school for a day after leaving her baby brother alone.

Receiving Honorable Mention Awards were Nathan and Daniel Bae, of Irvine, CA, and Stephen Gordon, Tampa, FL.

New Christian Books, an online magazine serving the Christian reading and writing communities, sought modern Jonah stories from 10 to 14 year olds for its summer contest held in conjunction with the John 3:16 Marketing Network. The network is a group of Christian authors who have bonded to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“It was my goal to teach and reinforce the lesson of Jonah: there is price to pay when you disobey,” says the magazine’s publisher Cheryl Rogers, “while at the same time introducing the magazine and the work of Christian authors to new readers.”

Rogers has penned a number of ebooks, including the short story collection Just Like Jonah Wail Tales that inspired the contest. The ebook involves characters who land in a whale of trouble for making the wrong choices, but who seek God and are restored.

The judging was done by a panel of Christian authors including Harms and Acacia Beumer, author of Launch Out Into the Deep; Lisa Lickel, author of First Children of Farmington to be released later this year; Diane Tatum, author Gold Earrings; Cheryl Rogers and her son David Rogers, a 13-year-old Williams Middle School student in Tampa, FL, as junior judge.

The contest was sponsored by Samantha Ryan Chandler, author of A Love Story: How God Pursued Me and Found Me, An Impossibly True Story; Linda Yezak, author of Give the Lady a Ride; Jairus King, author of Men's Ministry Handbook for Christians; Mike Lynch, author of After the Cross; Tom Blubaugh, author of Night of the Cossack; and Sana Edoja, author of Knowing God.

The winners received cash and other prizes, including books by Christian authors Acacia Beumer, Laura Davis, Lorilyn Roberts, the founder of the John 3:16 Marketing Network; and Cheryl Rogers.

(From me, Lisa - wowsers, this is one reason I approach judging with fear and trembling - these kids were mostly quite GOODD! Congratulations to them all.)

Wisconsin Children's Book Festival

Wisconsin Authors, Illustrators Round Out Slate for Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival Oct. 12-14

The three-day festival features dozens of opportunities for book lovers of all ages to meet favorite authors and illustrators and attend readings, demonstrations, writing and poetry workshops, art-making sessions with illustrators, book signings and more.

Joining this year’s stellar slate of national and local authors and illustrators are:

• Jacqueline Houtman, author of The Reinvention of Edison Thomas, a Read On Wisconsin! pick and a book which one reviewer said “deserves a place on every elementary and middle school shelf” (Library Media Connection.) The Theater for Young Audiences in Sheboygan presented the world premiere of the stage version of The Reinvention of Edison Thomas in October, 2011. Ms. Houtman lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

• Ilsa J. Bick is a former child psychiatrist and the author of popular and award-winning novels for young adults (Draw the Dark, Ashes, Drowning Instinct) whose books have been praised for their pacing, action, and suspense and who “writes about dysfunction with a professional’s insight” (Booklist.) Ms. Bick lives in Kohler, Wisconsin.

• Lisa Albert has written biographies of Stephanie Meyer and Lois Lowry for the Authors Teens Love series and she is the author of the novel Mercy Lily, called “affecting and thought-provoking” by Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA.) Ms. Albert lives in Muskego, Wisconsin.

• Rebecca and Madelyn Spindler are the mother/daughter writing team and co-authors of the middle-grade book series, Tale of Two Sisters (Sarah Jane Is a Pain, Life According to Liz) featuring eleven-year-old Liz McCormick, a tomboy growing up on her family’s farm in the rolling hills of Wisconsin. Madelyn Spindler was eleven years old when she began writing the first book in the series with her mother, Rebecca. The Spindlers live in Madison, Wisconsin.

Previously announced authors and illustrators of acclaimed books for children and teens are Steven Kellogg (The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash, Pinkerton, Behave!), Sarah Weeks (Pie, Crocodile Smile), Nina Crews (The Neighborhood Mother Goose, One Hot Summer Day), Dan Yaccarino (Trashy Town, All the Way to America), Edward Hemingway (Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship; Bump in the Night), Brian Lies (Bats at the Beach, More), W.H. Beck (Malcolm at Midnight), Liz Garton Scanlon (All the World, A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes) and James Kennedy (The Order of Odd Fish.)

Kennedy will bring a special screening of his 90-Second Newbery Film Festival to this year’s Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival and children and teens can enter their own 90 Second-Newbery videos for a chance to see their video screened at the festival.

The theme for this year’s children’s book festival is Family, giving festival goers the opportunity to hear authors and illustrators speak about how family has played a role in their works. Authors and illustrators will sign books after their presentations and festival bookseller and sponsor Apple Blossom Books (Oshkosh) will donate a portion of book sale proceeds to support the Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival, helping keep the festival free to all.

About the Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival
The Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival is presented by community volunteers and these local organizations who believe in the transformative power of reading and the literary and visual arts: the Mead Public Library, the Eastern Shores Library System, the Sheboygan Area and Kohler school districts, the Kohler Public Library, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan, and Bookworm Gardens.

The Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival is Wisconsin’s only free, public children’s book festival. Funding support comes from the Kohler Foundation, Inc., the F.K. Bemis Family Foundation, the Garton Family Foundation, the Mead Public Library Foundation, The Friends of Mead Public Library, the Sheboygan Service Club Foundation and other donors. In-kind support is provided by Dynamic Inc. and the Family Resource Center of Sheboygan County.

LINKS:
Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival: http://sheboyganchildrensbookfestival.org
Mead Public Library: www.meadpubliclibrary.org
John Michael Kohler Arts Center: www.jmkac.org
Bookworm Gardens: http://www.bookwormgardens.org

Contact Information:

Jo Ann Dent, Co-chairSheboygan Children’s Book Festival
920-912-2309 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 920-912-2309 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
childrensbookfest@gmail.com
Karin Menzer, Co-chairSheboygan Children’s Book Festival
920-459-3400 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 920-459-3400 end_of_the_skype_highlighting ext. 3404
karin.menzer@meadpubliclibrary.org

The Blessing Seer - Paul Mowery

NEW BOOK ALERT!!!

My friend, Paula Mowery, just released her debut novella--READ ALL ABOUT IT!

About the author:

Paula Mowery is a pastor’s wife and a homeschool mom. She has always been an avid reader of Christian fiction. She began writing in the area of nonfiction creating three Bible studies which were self-published. However, she crafted fiction stories which she shared with friends and family. When one of her readers encouraged her to pursue publication, she joined American Christian Fiction Writers, learning more about the world of fiction. Her debut work of fiction is a novella published by Harbourlight, a division of Pelican Book Group – THE BLESSING SEER.

Learn more about Paula at her blog – paulamowery.blogspot.com

About the book, THE BLESSING SEER:

When God sends Addy a special messenger who challenges her to step from her comfort zone, she isn’t sure she’s up to the job. She feels inadequate to take on the task of encouraging others, and when she starts seeing visions, she worries she’s losing her mind.

Yet, Addy wants only to be used by God, even if that means seeing visions and risking relationship with family and friends. By stepping out on a limb, can Addy really accomplish something significant for God? What affect will her surrender to His will have on those around her? And, what affect will it have on her own life?

1. Paula, what’s been a favorite work experience you’ve had so far in life?

Recently, I've enjoyed working with my editor at Harbourlight. She has taught me so much without trying to change my voice. She made editing enjoyable - that's a big deal.

2. If you could do anything you want, what would it be?

I would love the opportunity to write and speak full time spurring other Christian women in their walks with God. Writing and speaking/teaching is my passion.

3. What’s the most exotic place you’ve traveled?

As of June 16th, I have added Haiti to the places I have been. About 10 years ago I went on a mission trip to Africa where I had the opportunity to see the Indian Ocean - beautiful. On this recent trip to Haiti, I was once again seeing the ocean out one window and a mountain out the other. That view of Haiti seemed exotic until I went to the villages where the people live - what an eye-opener. We are so blessed.

4. That sounds fascinating! We just had some speakers in our church who were there. I love to get a feel for where you live. What do you see outside the closest window right now, Paula?

The closest window looks out onto my screened-in patio which looks into the backyard lined with trees. I have wicker pillow-padded rockers where my daughter and I love to sit and read.

5. What do you tell people when they ask “and what do you do?”

I usually start out with pastor's wife and homeschool mom. I am learning to say that I'm a writer and deal with the "really?" and surprised expressions.

6. That is a funny thing, isn't it? Where’s your favorite place to grocery shop?

I'm a one-stop kind of girl - I shop at Walmart where I can get everything including prescriptions and get out.

7. What, to you, is worship?

Worship is an attitude that I can engage in all of the time if I will. I can worship listening and singing along to my favorite contemporary Christian singers. I worship while interpreting my husband's sermons for our deaf members. I worship while reading a Christian-inspired book. I worship when God leads my hand to write a story.

Thank you, Paula, and best wishes with your work.

THE BLESSING SEER is available through the publisher at www.pelicanbookgroup.com as well as other ebook distributors like Amazon.

Book Sale

DawnSinger - buy today! - by Janalyn Voigt

Special Limited-time offer!

Buy DawnSinger Tuesday, July 3rd, to receive a gift from the author and other free e-gifts. As a thank-you for your interest, you're invited to enter to win some fantastic prizes. (No purchase necessary to take part in the drawing.)
Purchase eBook here.

With freedom as its central theme, DawnSinger is the perfect companion for the 4th of July holiday. Why not treat yourself or someone you love to a reading adventure?

About DawnSinger

Sometimes victory comes only through surrender.

The High Queen is dying… At the royal summons, Shae mounts a wingabeast and soars through the air to the high hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens. But then there is Kai, a guardian of Faeraven and of Shae. Secrets bind him to her, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes. On a desperate journey fraught with peril and the unknown, they battle warlike garns, waevens, ferocious raptors, and the wraiths of their own regrets. Yet, they must endure the campaign long enough to release the DawnKing—and the salvation he offers—into a divided land. To prevail, each must learn that sometimes victory comes only through surrender.

Praise for DawnSinger

“In DawnSinger, Janalyn Voigt has penned a novel full of surprises. With adventure, mystery, and an unlikely romance, this beautiful, epic fantasy debut will leave you scrambling for the next book in the trilogy.” Jill Williamson, Christy Award-winning author of By Darkness Hid

“DawnSinger is a delightful fantasy spun with bardic prose and threaded with danger and intrigue.” Linda Windsor, author of Healer, Thief and Rebel, Brides of Alba Historical Trilogy

“Janalyn Voigt builds an exciting world, tranquil on the surface but filled with danger, ancient enemies, and a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. DawnSinger leads you into a land only imagined in dreams. I can’t wait to read the second book in the Tales of Faeraven trilogy.” Lisa Grace, best-selling author of the Angel in the Shadows series.

Special Gift From the Author

~ A signed, personalized book plate (sticker to place inside the book)--one for each book you purchase!

Janalyn explains how she discovered books.

It happened over time. My father instilled a love of literature in me at an early age when he read chapters from "The Wizard of Oz," "Robinson Crusoe" and other classics as bedtime stories. When I grew older, and he stopped reading bedtime stories, I put myself to sleep with tales I "wrote" in my head.

As a precocious reader, I soon graduated to the novels in my parent's bookcase. I'm sure those books contributed to my growth as a writer. Eventually, I scribbled my own stories on paper. A teacher noticed my ability to tell a story when I was twelve. As a result of his encouragement, I identified my desire to write novels.

DawnSinger is my debut novel and the first offering in Tales of Faeraven. I've already begun work on WayFarer, the next book in my epic fantasy series.

I live in a beautiful corner of the Pacific Northwest. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, gardening, and finding adventures in the great outdoors. I dream of owning a horse, exploring all the national parks, and visiting European castles.

Steps to Receive Your Thank-You Gifts

Step 1: Buy DawnSinger on July 3rd on Amazon; then proceed to Step 2 below with your Order # to claim your FREE GIFTS.

PURCHASE DAWNSINGER!

Note: If Amazon indicates a low supply or “out of stock” status, ORDER TUESDAY ANYWAY so that you can receive the bonus gifts. Their supply will restock immediately and you should not have a long wait for your book(s).

Step 2: Entering your information in the form below will take you to a page where you can request your author gift and that will redirect you to your other e-gifts. (Preview additional e-gifts below my launch celebration drawings.)

ENTER THE DAWNSINGER LAUNCH CELEBRATION DRAWINGS!

(No purchase necessary)

Giveaways include a $20 Starbucks Card & Free Copies of Tales of Faeraven, book two

DRAWING 1: ONE winner will receive a $20 STARBUCKS CARD and a signed print copy of WayFarer, BOOK TWO of Tales of Faeraven, available upon its release.

DRAWING 2: TWO winners will receive a signed print copy of WayFarer, book two of Tales of Faeraven, available upon its release.

DRAWING 3: THREE winners will receive a free kindle copy of WayFarer, book two of Tales of Faeraven, available upon its release.

Giveaway and Contest Rules

Post to Facebook about these great drawings!

Copy and Paste:

Today only, author Janalyn Voigt, is launching her debut novel, DawnSinger, book one in the epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven. She's giving away gifts and offering some amazing prizes, including a $20 Starbucks card, in three different drawings!!

http://tinyurl.com/2u8bbj2

Tweet about this amazing offer!

Copy and Paste:

Buy the epic fantasy novel, DawnSinger, today and enter three amazing drawings! #fantasy #fiction #drawings http://tinyurl.com/2u8bbj2

Join the Party!

Besides the author's gift of a free signed book plate, when you purchase DawnSinger at Amazon.com on July 3rd, you will also receive free bonus gifts from Janalyn's generous supporters. Learn more at http://janalynvoigt.com

Irrepressible Grace Bridges and new Splashdown books

News from Down Under---Grace, in Uniform, with Tribbles.
Now--what can get cooler than that?

Kia Ora!

Whew! Where did May go? No matter. June brings new and exciting events to Splashdown waters. Read on!

New Release

Book Three of The Reality Chronicles

The Day shall declare the reality revealed by fire...

Destinies are forged in the dark night of the soul. Kaylee and Nathan pursue a zombified Crystal to rescue her soul if they can. A vision of death propels their mother, Gabrielle, to chase them in order to prevent its fulfillment. Her wizard friend, Josh, accompanies her to keep his promise to protect her. A mysterious religious leader wants to seduce Kaylee to violate her morals. And a demonic being seeks to bury the reality of the ring through temptation and deceit. Through their twisting journeys, each encounters their destiny. Including the ring.

...Reality's Fire is revealed, and no soul can hide from its judgment.

Reality's Fire is currently available for purchase at the usual places. Click over to Splashdown Bookshop for more information and links.

Now Available

She joined the knighthood for the scholarship program.

A thwarted assassination attempt drags Caissa Ocren into a secret war between elemental spirits and dragon worshippers. More accustomed to solving puzzles than wielding swords, she undergoes a crash course in survival from a mercenary minstrel, a shape-shifting druid, and a legendary spirit warrior. An ancient book may hold the answers she seeks, but understanding requires the memories of a wizard. With time against her, Caissa faces the hardest lesson of all—how to serve when the cost is her life.

Available for purchase at Amazon, Kindle Store, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. Click over to Splashdown Bookshop for more information and links.

Bragging Rights

Two Splashdown releases took silver medals in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards: the speculative anthology Aquasynthesis and YA fantasy Finding Angel.

Congrats to the authors of Splashdown Books and Kat Heckenbach!

...and speaking of bragging rights...

Two Splashdown authors are engaged in a Brag-Off this very moment. Who will win and who will dance and sing the wonders of the other on YouTube?
You can just bet that link will be posted here. Stay tuned...

unConventional

Splashdown Books publisher Grace Bridges attended the unConventional Speculative Fiction conference in Auckland last weekend and got herself elected Padawan to the President of writers' group Speculative Fiction New Zealand.

We always knew she was going places. Weird, weird places. And her Tribbles are going with her.

Coming Soon

Keep your eyes open. New book releases coming all year, including Splashdown's first non-fiction book (shhh. It's still a secret)! But before that, look for something new from our Darkwater paranormal line, plus another exciting anthology.

That's it for June, folks. Busy, busy, busy down here at the bottom of the world and everywhere a Splashdown author writes, but we plan to keep you on top of it all.

God's blessings.

Fruit of My Spirit, with Deanna Nowadnick

Welcome author Deanna Nowadnick, who shares about her book, Fruit of My Spirit.

Book Description:
Paperback: 114 pages
Publisher: Rhododendron Books
ISBN: 978-0983589723
EBook: 2438 KB

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Barnes &Noble


Hi, Deanna! Tell us what you love about this book

I love that I got to tell my story. I did not intend to write a book. I just wanted my sons Kyle and Kevin to know how I met their father. One story became two stories, two stories became four stories, and suddenly I was announcing to anyone within earshot, “I think I wrote a story.” Now I love that I get to share my story. It’s been an absolute joy and delight to hear back from readers and reviewers, to learn how they have connected to my tales of challenge and hope. We laugh over camping fiascos. We wonder about those plaid pants from 1973. We mourn losses. Without ever meeting, without ever sharing a latte, we’ve bonded in ways that I have truly treasured.

That's great! Can you share something unique that you learned during the writing and publishing of this book?

I learned that there is nothing as cathartic as sharing our experiences in writing. Words, sentences, and paragraphs give order and meaning to so many things that get thrown into our mental box of memories. We all have a story to tell. During my first book signing, the single most repeated comment was, “I have a story to tell.” I quickly began to focus on ways to empower and encourage others to share their own story in a way that is most meaningful to them. For Christmas, my aunt sent me a wonderful cookbook of favorite family receipts. I don’t cook. I’ll probably never use a single recipe, but open opening the package, I sat down and read the book cover to cover. You see each page had a paragraph or two about my aunt, most stories unbeknownst to me. Not everyone will write a book, but everyone can share their story.

What's coming down the road for you?

The first draft of Book 2 is done. Signs in Life: Meeting God at the Corner of Grace and Mercy tells of those times when God has come alongside and guided, directed, and turned me. This book is another collection of short stories, this time recounting when God has met me at life’s crossroads, when I’ve been “on point” with God, not because of anything I’ve done, but because a loving, gracious, merciful God has been there time after time, again and again.

 I love that title. Thank you, Deanna, for sharing yourself today.

About the Author:

Fruit of My Spirit is my first book. My “day job” is with The Planner’s Edge, an investment advisory firm in Washington State. The boss and I have been together for 22 years. Today I’m his Client Service Coordinator. I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of his practice and working with his clients. And since I telecommute, I have even more time to write! I live in Monroe, Washington in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I’m the mother of two delightful young men, one who has read the book and one who has decided it’s just way more information about Mom than he needs at this point in life. I’m active in my church, editing the monthly newsletter and playing the violin during worship services. I love to knit, I adore chocolate, and most important I enjoy a blessed marriage to my best friend, Kurt.

Want to connect with Deanna?

·         Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FruitofMySpirit

·         Twitter: @DeannaNowadnick

·         Blog:http://fruitofmyspirit.com/blog/