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January 29, 2008

FOR PATRY FRANCIS: THE LIAR’S DIARY BLOG DAY

Filed under: Uncategorized — Christa Allan @ 2:29 am

copied with permission

from the blog of SUSAN HENDERSON

Today, over 300 bloggers, including bestsellers, Emmy winners, moviemakers, and publishing houses have come together to talk about THE LIAR’S DIARY by Patry Francis. Why? To give the book the attention it deserves on its release day while Patry takes the time she needs to heal from cancer.

 Patry Francis Blog Day on LitParkPatry Francis Blog Day on LitPark

As a little surprise for Patry,a gift before the big day, here’s something she hasn’t seen this yet – it’sfrom her husband, Ted, who included in his letter this photo he’d taken of Patry at Skinner StatePark, 25 years after their first date there.

One of the happiest days of my life was the day I met my wife, PatryFrancis for the very first time. I had just moved to Northampton, MA after graduating from Penn State University and had stopped to eat lunch at a restaurant where she was working. It was love at first sight. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever set my eyes on and it took me about two months to get the courage to ask her out on a date. Little did I know at the time how she would transform my life from a shy, insecure, college grad into a happy and proud father and minister; a better and holier person. She has so many qualities I have tried to emulate and she continues to inspire me with her enthusiasm for life and her ability to enkindle others with her actions, as well as,words.

 Patry Francis Blog Day on LitPark

 

She taught me the meaning of compassion and has the ability to makeeveryone around her feel important no matter whom they are or what they do,especially the poor and least among us. She has been given a gift to see situations from the heart which she uses to help others bring out the best in themselves and no one is turned away who asks for advice or help.

She exemplified the meaning of sacrifice as she forfeited many years of her writing career to help support our family. Working the difficult and physically demanding job as a banquet waitress and raising our four childrenleft her little opportunity to spend doing what she loved most, writing. She also put off her endeavor to get back into serious writing while I attended the seminary for five years. She never once complained always putting everyoneelse’s needs before hers, including mine.

In short, words can’t describe how lucky and blessed I am to havePatry as my spouse. She is a woman filled with love, peace, and goodness and every day I marvel and am amazed what an awe-inspiring twenty five years it has been to be with her. Of all the gifts I have been given in life, wonderful parents and sisters, four beautiful and talented children, the miracle of three special grandchildren (one more on the way), none have been greater than theday God introduced me to my beautiful wife.

Finally, I would like to thank Susan Henderson, Laura Benedict,Jessica Keener, Karen Dionne, Tish Cohen, Alice Tasman (the Best Literary Agentin New York) and *all of you* who are trying to help make Patry’s book asuccess. Yet again, we have been blessed to be part of such an inspiringcommunity of talented writers and to witness the goodness and love that all ofyou have shown to Patry as she journeys through her difficult situation with cancer.

Before I talk about this book, I’d like to tell you a story about howthis extraordinary day happened.

First, you need to know something about Patry Francis.

What if you worked for years as a waitress and then went home at the end of the day to your husband and four kids, and in those rare minutes of free time, you dared to dream that one day you might write a book? This is the storyof my friend, Patry – a story that leaves out years of false starts, revisions,and rejection slips. It’s a story that writers know intimately, though thedetails are different. Every one of us is well acquainted with the struggle ofgetting a story on paper, of honing it and believing in it enough to send itout, only to receive rejection, or worse, silence for our efforts.

Imagine, after many years, you beat the odds. You finish that book. Youfind that agent who sells your manuscript. Your dream is about to become a reality. But just as your book is due to be released, you discover you have an aggressive form of cancer.

Patry’s story struck such a deep chord with many of us, not just because she is our friend, but because those of us who know her or read her blog have relied on her company through the ups and mostly downs of trying to write and sell a book. She is our buoy. She has shown us time and again her great gift for shedding light in thedark. Even her blog postabout her cancer showed this – in her greatest time of need, she was still somehow comforting all of us and showing us
glimpses of joy.

Patry is part one of this amazing story.

 THE LIAR’S DIARY in paperback.

Now you need to know something about Laura Benedict:

On New Year’s Day, or thereabouts, Laura wrote to me, calling my attention to Patry’s publication date. “Perhaps we could do a ‘Patry Francis/Liar’s Diary’ blog-o-rama or carnival or something to promote thebook?” she wrote. “I’m such an amateur at this stuff that I don’t know what’s possible.”

I didn’t give a moment’s thought to what we might try to pull off,or how;I simply said, “Yes! Let’s do it!”

It’s very important to me that Laura is recognized for her initial gesture – not just because she’s a great and generous woman, but because it says something about the strength of the heart over the kinds of power most ofus are without. When you see the amazing outpouring of support and the high-profile people who joined this effort, remember it started with one small voice.

Laura is part 2 of this amazing story.

 THE LIAR’S DIARY in hardcover.

Now let’s talk about you:

In less than one month, over 300 bloggers, writers, readers, and justbig-hearted people signed on to take part in this day. I am overwhelmed and grateful for every single person who said yes or helped spread the word, butlet me reserve some enormous thanks for the people who traded hundreds ofemails with me to put this together: Karen Dionne ofBackspace, Jessica Keenerof Agni and The Boston Globe, Dan Conaway of Writers House,and Alice Tasman of the Jean Naggar Literary Agency.

What began as a personal gesture of caring for a friend became an astonishing show of community – writers helping writers; strangers helping strangers; and most surprising of all, editors, agents and publishers, who have no stake in this book, crossing “party lines” to blog, to make phone calls, and to send out press releases.

This effort has made visible a community that is, and has been, alive and kicking – a community that understands the struggle artists go through and rejoices in each other’s successes. It’s a community made up of many small voices, but – guess what? – those many small voices can create some noise. So while today is for Patry, it’s also a symbolic gesture for all of you who workso very hard for little or no recognition, for all of you who keep going despite the rejections, and for all of you who have had illness or other outside factors force your art or your dreams aside. We are in this together.

Here are the publisher’swords: Answering the question of what is more powerful—family or friendship? this debut novelunforgettably shows how far one woman would go to protect either.

They couldn’t be more different, but they form a friendship that willalter both their fates. When Ali Mather blows into town, breaking all the rules and breaking hearts (despite the fact that she is pushing forty), she also makes a mark on an unlikely family. Almost against her will, Jeanne Cross feels drawn to this strangely vibrant woman, a fascination that begins to infect Jeanne’s“perfect” husband as well as their teenaged son.

At the heart of the friendship between Ali and Jeanne are deep-seated emotional needs, vulnerabilities they have each been recording in their diaries. Ali also senses another kind of vulnerability; she believes someone has been entering her house when she is not at home—and not with the usual intentions. What this burglar wants is nothing less than a piece of Ali’s soul.

When a murderer strikes and Jeanne’s son is arrested, we learn that the key to the crime lies in the diaries of two very different women . . . but onlyone of them is telling the truth. A chilling tour of troubled minds, The Liar’s Diary signals the launch of an immensely talented new novelist who knows justhow to keep her readers guessing.

And now, here are Patry’s words, which I lifted off her blog: “Though my novel deals withmurder, betrayal, and the even more lethal crimes of the heart, the realsubjects of THE LIAR’S DIARY are music, love, friendship, self-sacrifice and courage. The darkness is only there for contrast; it’s only there to make us realize how bright the light can be. I’m sure that most writers whose work does not flinch from the exploration of evil feel the same.”

Ready to buy the book? Why not buy one for yourself and one for a friend?And if you like it, tell people!

Here are links to THE LIAR’S DIARY at Amazon,Barnes &Noble, and Powell’s.You can also buy directly from Penguin to save 15% (after you add the book to your cart, just enter the word PATRY in the coupon code field and click ‘update cart’ to activate the discount).

A long list of thank yous.

You’re about to see a very long list of those who are taking part in THE LIAR’S DIARY Blog Day. I hope you’ll check out the links because some of these folks got very creative. For example, my friend, Aurelio O’Brien, made up these buttons and stickers:

 litpark aurelio o'brien eve cancer survivor buttonlitpark aurelio o'brien eve cancer survivor sticker

Wow… to every one of you on this list! Thank you, so sincerely:

Patti Abbott?Mario Acevedo?Susan Adrian?Samina Ali?Christa Allan?Anne-Marie?Joelle Anthony?Jorge Argueta?Vicki Arkoff -MAD Magazine, Nickelodeon, MW Book Review ?Melanie Avila?Tricia Ares?Backspace?Backstory?Terry Bain?Gail Baker – The Debutante Ball?Anjali Banerjee?Lauren Baratz-Logsted?Elizabeth Bartasius?Carolyn Burns Bass?Brett Battles?Laura Benedict?Pinckney Benedict?Janet Berliner?William Bernhardt?Alexander Besher?Bev?Marcie Beyatte?Brenda Birch?Roberto Bonazzi?Bookfinds?Raven Bower?Laura Bowers?Beatrice Bowles?Tara Bradford?Gayle Brandeis?Stacy Brazalovich?Susan Breen – Gotham WritersWorkshops?Heather Brewer?Eve Bridburg – Zachary Shuster Harmsworth?Sassy Brit?Heatheraynne Brooks?Debra Broughon?Josie Brown?Pat Brown?Ruth Brown?Ken Bruen?Rachel Kramer Bussel?Aldo Calcagno?Austin S. Camacho?Bill Cameron?Lorenzo Carcaterra? tyle="color:#c3993b;text-decoration:none;">Vincent Carrella?Karen DeGroot Carter?Rosemary Carstens?Cynthia Clark – Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine?Jon Clinch?Kamela Cody?Oline H. Cogdill- Sun-Sentinal?Tish Cohen?Eileen Cruz Coleman?Myfanwy Collins?Dan Conaway – Writers House?Laurie Connors – Penguin?Eileen Cook?Richard Cooper?David Corbett?Auria Cortes?Bill Crider – Pop Culture Magazine?Kim Cristofoli?Ann Mare Cummins?Sheila Curran?Kristie Cutter?Jordan Dane?Josephine Damian?Daryl Darko?A.J. Davis?Kelli Davis?Alyssa Day?Alma Hromic Deckert?Jim DeFelice?Mike Dellosso?Katrina Denza?Bella DePaulo?Karen Dionne?Felicia Donovan?Julie Doughty -Dutton?Gerry Doyle?Terri DuLong?Firoozeh Dumas?Christine Eldrin?J.T. Ellison – Killer Year?Sheila Clover English – Circle of Seven Productions?Kate Epstein – the Epstein Literary Agency ?Kathryn Esplin?Rachel Fershleiser at SMITH Magazine?RyanField?Michael A. FitzGerald?WilliamFloyd?Natasha Fondren?Jamie Ford?Connie May Fowler?Heather Fowler?Therese Fowler?Jenifer Fox?Thaisa Frank?Michelle Gable?Gary Gach?Leighton Gage?Neil Gaiman?Colin Galbraith?Jayson Gallaway?Jane Ganahl – Red Room?Erika-Marie S.Geiss?Linda Gerber?Shane Gericke?Tess Gerritsen?Karin Gillespie?Anne Glamore?Kathi KamenGoldmark?Jewelle Gomez?Susan Helene Gottfried?Deborah Grabien?Elizabeth Graham?Caroline Grant?Robin Grantham?Bob Gray – Shelf Awareness?Nancy O. Greene?Robert Grudin?Lisa Guidarini?David Habbin?Jim Hanas?Lynette Hart?Melanie Harvey?Michael Haskins?Melanie Lynn Hauser?Bill Hayes?Maria Dahvana Headley?Susan Henderson?Heidi the Hick?Georgia Hesse?Billie Hinton?Vicki Hinze?Lori Hope?Khaled Hosseini?Eileen Hutton – Brilliance Audio?Gina Hyams?International Thriller Writers?David Isaak?Susan Ito?Lisa Jackson?Arachne Jericho?Allison Johnson?Jen Jordan – Crimespree?Jungle Red Writers?Lesley Kagen?Polly Kahl?Jessica Keener?Charles Kelly?Lisa Kenny?Beth Kephart?Jackie Kessler?Merle Kessler?Kristy Kiernan – Southern AuthorsBlog?A.S. King?Jeff Kleinman – Folio LiteraryManagement?Sandra Kring?Kyra?R.D. Laban?Rebecca Laffar-Smith – Writers Roundabout?Clair Lamb?Daphne Larkin?Larramie?Judy Merrill Larson?Caroline Leavitt?Leah?Virginia Lee?Leslie Levine?Mary Lewis?Richard Lewis?Liane?Sharon Linnea?Julie Anne Long?CJ Lyons?Jonathan Maberry?Amy MacKinnon – The Writers Group?Tim Maleeny?Ric Marion?Nancy Martin?Adrienne Mayor?L.C. McCabe?Damian McNicholl?Ellen Meister?Melba?Christa Miller?Kyle Minor?Jacquelyn Mitchard?P. A. Moed?Terri Molina?Pat Montandon?David Montgomery?Alexis Moore?Joe Moore – Inkspot?Amanda Morgan?Sarie Morrell?Murderati?Amy Nathan?Nathalie?National Post?Tia Nevitt?Nicole?Carolyn North?Aurelio O’Brien?Martha O’Connor?Andrea Okrentowich?Lori Oliva?Aimee Palooza?Pamela?Michael Palmer?Stephen Parrish?Marie Peck?Marcia Peterson – WOW! Women onWriting?Jason Pinter?Anthony S. Policastro?Douglas Preston?Publishers Marketplace?Terese Ramin?Jody Reale?Martha Reed?Janet Reid -FinePrint Literary Management?Kamilla Reid?Lance Reynald?Michelle Richmond?Maria Robinson?John Robison?James Rollins?M.J. Rose – Buzz, Balls & Hype?Renee Rosen?Jordan Rosenfeld?Russell Rowland?Anneli Rufus?Hank Ryan?Marcus Sakey?Harris Salat -Visual Thesaurus?Rachel Sarah?Maria Schneider – Writer’s DigestMagazine?Nina Schuyler?Dani Shapiro?Rochelle Shapiro?Charles Shaughnessy?Jessie Sholl?Robe
rt Siegel
?Clea Simon?Lynn Sinclair?Jen Singer?Shelley Singer?Sisters in Crime?Robin Slick?BPM Smith – Word & Bass?Bridget Smith?Claudia Smith?Kim Smith?Stephie Smith?Alexandra Sokoloff?Char Solomon?James Spring?Emilie Staat?Kim Stagliano?Maryanne Stahl?Bella Stander?Kelli Stanley?Marta Stephens?Bronwyn Storm?Jennifer Talty?Judith Tannenbaum?Mindy Tarquini?Alice Tasman – the Jean Naggar Literary Agency?CharlesR. Temple?David Thayer?The Outfit?Theresa?Joyce Tremel?Danielle Trussoni?Louise Ure?N. L. Valler?Barbara Vey -Publishers Weekly?Bev Vincent?Brenda Wallace?Therese Walsh – Writer Unboxed?John Warner – Tow Books?Gary Wassner?Brenda Webster?Sarah Weinman?Kimberly M. Wetherell?Dan Wickett – Emerging WritersNetwork?Jennifer Weiner?Laura Wellner?Susan Wiggs?Liz Wolfe?Cheryl Wyatt?Stephen Wylder?Irvin Yalom?Belle Yang?Dawn Yun?Michele Zackheim?Victoria Zackheim?Ernie Zelinski?Crystal Zevon

 

 

 


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January 26, 2008

Where do ideas come from?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Christa Allan @ 1:32 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SnWpvF9Y6k


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January 25, 2008

HOLLYWOOD MAMA DRAMA

Filed under: Uncategorized — Christa Allan @ 4:43 am

 

How Babies Have Replaced Bling as the Cool Fashion Accessory and Why You Need to Know What to Do if Your Friend Buys Into This

 There’s a baby boom in Tinsel Town, and many of its biggest stars are taking part. Already this month, singer Christina Aguilera and her husband welcomed a son, and Nicole Richie, girlfriend of rocker Benjie Madden, gave birth to a daughter. Others are mamas-in-waiting, proudly showing their expanding bellies and giving interviews on when their engagement may take place. Still others allow the media to guess who the father might be. Popular magazines cover every moment of their pregnancies and likely would have sent reporters into the delivery room if allowed. Designer diaper bags have replaced designer purses as the cool new Hollywood accessory. Baby showers take precedence over wedding showers, and the wedding does not necessarily come before the birth. It all looks so glamorous and exciting. Who wouldn’t want a beautiful bundle of joy to lavish love and kisses on? And yet, sometimes that bundle arrives under circumstances that are not God’s best. Take, for example, Jamie Lynn Spears. One moment she was a squeaky-clean teen television sensation and star of Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101. The next, she’s in the news not for her acting but for being a pregnant teenager. With one decision, her reputation is now in shreds and her television show is under the threat of cancellation. One decision; huge dilemma. This week is Sanctity of Life week. And because of the Hollywood Mama Drama, it is also a perfect time to understand that mama drama doesn’t only happen in Hollywood. Every year nearly 1 million teen girls find themselves pregnant, and unlike Hollywood stars who have the money and fame to carry them, these girls wonder what they should do. Many choose abortion, and because of this they not only sacrifice the life of their child, but this decision also brings heartache they must carry for the rest of their lives. Perhaps YOU can be the one who can make a difference.  Who was the first one Jamie Lynn Spears turned to when she found out she was pregnant? Not her mom. Not her sister. She turned to a friend. What if you were that friend? 

As a teen what can YOU do when a pregnant friend comes to you for advice? Remain calm and loving. Your friend most likely feels alone, frightened and extremely sensitive about her pregnancy. The most important thing you can offer is your continued friendship.?Show God’s love and forgiveness. Your friend may have been looking for love by giving herself intimately to a guy. Now she might feel ashamed and unworthy of love at all. Point her to God, who loves her unconditionally.?Celebrate life. She may consider this baby a “mistake”–a barrier between her and “normal” life. Lovingly remind her that no matter how the baby was conceived, he or she is a gift from God. Be available to share … and to listen. Your friend has big decisions to make, and although you can’t make those decisions for her, you can be available to help her consider her options. Share information you’ve discovered on fetal development and on the physical and emotional trauma of abortion. Most of all, be willing to listen to your friend’s deepest concerns.?Find help. Your friend is most likely in need of more answers than you can give. Visit a local crisis pregnancy center with your friend, or call CareNet for help at 1-800-395-HELP. Encourage her to tell her parents and to seek the counsel of a pastor or youth pastor.
Partner with her to make better decisions in the future. My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson) is a book for teen girls and encourages teens to script their lives instead of being caught up in the drama and emotions of the moment. Read it together. Talk about the importance of making good choices.??Give her a book to help her face her unique issues, such as Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being Young Mom (Zondervan). 

_________________________________ 

Of course teen pregnancy isn’t the only drama young women face. If you or someone you know has made a positive decision as a teen, Tricia Goyer wants to hear about it. 

Video Contest for teens.

Watch the video for the contest here! ??Here’s the scoop! ?

?Attention TEENS! Want to win an iPod? ??Yeah, me too! (Just kidding.)

Tricia Goyer, author of the teen non-fiction book My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson) is hosting a video trailer contest! My Life, Unscripted uses the metaphor of screen writing to challenge young women to “script” your lives, rather than be blown along by the next emotional drama or temptation! (Been there, done that!) You could be one of three lucky contestants to win an iPod! ??All you have to do is make a short (or not-so-short) video trailer sharing concepts shared in the book: My Life, Unscripted  … such as: how you’ve overcome temptation, or survived peer-pressure, or dumped the Loser boyfriend, or restored a relationship with your parents, or found your strength in Christ! ??Be creative …interview your friends (or even better, make them wear dorky costumes) and add some cool music. Then just post it on GodTube (video must be approved by GodTube before it is broadcasted, which takes a few hours) or YouTube!You also must include three things in your video:??1) the book title: My Life, Unscripted??2) the author: Tricia Goyer??3) and these words: “Check it out!”  ??After you finish the video, email your name, age, video link, and your address to: bookmarketing@triciagoyer.com??The winning videos will be the top three with the most views as counted on GodTube or YouTube on March 31, 2008 at 11:59 p.m.This contest is open to young women ages 13-19. So go ahead, tell your friends, your teachers, your youth leaders … and your parents friends to check it out! ***Videos with inappropriate content as decided by Tricia Goyer will be disqualified (G-rated please). For your best chance to win, only upload videos to either GodTube or YouTube. Choose one. We will not add totals from more than one site together. 

Three winners will receive an iPod Nano 4G.

  

Tricia Goyer writes articles for national publications such as Focus on the Family and is a columnist for teen moms through MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International: (www.mops.org/teen) For more information, go to: www.triciagoyer.com 

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January 21, 2008

MLK: What color is love?

Filed under: Limbs on the Family Tree — Christa Allan @ 8:56 am

My father was a gentle, kind, funny, and generous man. He was also a racist. Not the white-hooded, burning cross, fly a Dixie flag racist. He was the insidious kind; the person whose company everyone enjoyed, who would be shocked and offended to be considered a racist. 

My grandmother and I would ride the public bus into New Orleans. I remember rows of empty front seats while, behind the partitions that separated us, black men, women, and children would fill the back of the bus. I remember water fountains and bathrooms labeled “Whites only.”

I attended an all-girls, all-white Catholic high school. Then, in my junior year, one black student enrolled.  At first, Karen’s presence was alarming, then curious. By senior year, we thought Karen was one of us. Stupid. Karen was never one of us because I doubt if any of us had her courage.

My children, I vowed, would not be raised hearing racial slur words and offensive jokes about people based on their color or religion. Was I perfect in my attempts to purge my home of discrimination? No. Sadly, I can’t say that at the time my desire to rid myself of prejudice was on my strong Christian values. For years, I treated God as a chotchke, a decorative trinket I’d dust off when I needed Him. [Fortunately, God dusted off my brain and my heart some years later.]                                                              So……fast forward……My oldest daughter introduces me to the love of her life. Andrae’s handsome, well-spoken, respectful, and kind. And black.I learned very quickly you can’t teach your children values and then not expect them to live up to them.   Years later, I hold my first grandchild, Bailey, their son, in my arms. Bailey died thirty days later. He was the color of love. 

Last week, I showed my juniors a film about racial discrimination produced by Teaching for Tolerance. My students are reading “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” written in 1963 by Martin Luther King Jr.

In his words:AUTHOR’S NOTE: This response to a published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama (Bishop C. C. J. Carpenter, Bishop Joseph A. Durick, Rabbi Hilton L. Grafman, Bishop Paul Hardin, Bishop Holan B. Harmon, the Reverend George M. Murray. the Reverend Edward V. Ramage and the Reverend Earl Stallings) was composed under somewhat constricting circumstance. Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me. Although the text remains in substance unaltered, I have indulged in the author’s prerogative of polishing it for publication.

The community in which we live is mostly the color of money and is 90% white.The documentary graphically depicted young and old black men, women, and children being brutally attacked as they peacefully marched through streets, sat in diners, rode on buses. I thought of Andrae as I watched a well-dressed, attractive young black man curled in a fetal position being kicked by several men while others beat him with clubs. I saw Bailey’s face in smile of a four-year-old jailed during the Children’s March in Alabama. The stillness in my classroom that day was palpable. 

Today, I don’t blame my father. I’ve learned what we don’t give back, we pass on. Today, I’m giving that back to him. Today, I am inspired by, grateful for, and in awe of Dr. Martin Luther King’s courage and conviction. I pray with a fierceness I never knew I had, that truly, one day, Dr. King’s dream of a nation that judges others by the content of their character, not the color of their skin will be realized.

 


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January 17, 2008

MEET SHARON SOUZA: DEBUT AUTHOR: EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT

Filed under: Uncategorized — Christa Allan @ 4:01 am

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARON K. SOUZA

                                                       

1 . Your debut novel Every Good & Perfect Gift is releasing this month from Nav Press. Can you tell us a little about the book?

        DeeDee and Gabby have been friends since the sixth grade, when headstrong and courageous DeeDee began mapping out their lives. But after twenty years with her husband DeeDee changes her plan. Nearing forty years old, she wants a baby – now! Two years of infertility, prayers, and outrageous behavior finally results in the birth of DeeDee’s demand.

    Gabby is present for all of it, noting the increasingly strange behavior of her lifelong friend after the baby’s birth. Then comes a diagnosis that threatens to shatter their world. Gabby must find the strength and faith to carry DeeDee and herself through the dark unknown, but is she up for it? 
2.    What inspired you to write Every Good & Perfect Gift?
    I wanted to write a book about a “Jonathan and David” type friendship between two women, knowing that I was ultimately going to tell the story of a young woman who is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s.  I have a close friend who, at the age of 42, began to exhibit many of the symptoms portrayed in the book. Since completing the book I’ve learned that another close friend has been diagnosed with EOA. What are the odds?       In determining what course the friendship between Gabby and DeeDee would take, I asked myself:  What is the greatest way one woman can express friendship to another? The answer: By helping her have a child if she’s unable to, which one character is willing to do if it comes to that.
3.  You’ve incorporated two major issues in Every Good & Perfect Gift: infertility and Early Onset Alzheimer’s. Why not focus on one or the other? Why both?
     The theme of Gift is extraordinary friendship. The foundation for the friendship is established between the characters in their childhood, tested through the issue of infertility, and exemplified through catastrophic illness. Infertility was the catalyst to get to that level of friendship expressed because of the illness. One character’s growth was accomplished because of infertility, while the other character’s growth came as a result of the Alzheimer’s.
4. Why did you use humor to tell a story with such serious issues?
     It’s exactly because the issues are so serious that I chose humor to tell the story.  Our life experiences are heavy enough without adding to them as we read for pleasure. That’s not to say there aren’t serious moments in the book, but hopefully the reader is buoyed by the lighter sections, rather than overloaded with the weightier ones
.5.  What are your feelings about egg donation and other modern solutions that help women overcome infertility?
     There are some things I might not personally opt for, but infertility was never an issue with me. If it had been I might have been willing to try anything. As it stands,  I’m not opposed to in vitro fertilization or sperm donation, things of that nature. I don’t find anything in Scripture that would cause me to be against it.
6. What are your feelings about a couple’s decision to intentionally not have children?
Again, that wasn’t my experience.  I had three babies in quick succession and would not have done anything differently.  But not every adult is cut out to be a parent.  If an individual or couple realizes that they aren’t equipped for parenthood, or if they feel their lives are full as they are, I don’t’ believe it’s a sin not to have children. In fact, I think it’s wise.  That’s not to say a person’s feelings may not change in time, like it did for DeeDee. Then it’s up to the couple to make the choice that’s right for them.
7. What do you want your readers to take away from this book?
     I spent several years in my early adulthood without a close friend.  When the first one came into my life, I realized what I had missed and truly saw her as a gift from the Lord. But beyond that, I’ve experienced the truth of Proverbs 18:24: “. . . there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”  In her darkest moments, Gabby learned that the Lord reaches out to us in compassion, spanning the gap between our need and His provision.  That’s been the case in my life over and over.
8. Do you base any of your characters on real people?
     The concept of the story was based on a real situation in regards to the Early Onset Alzheimer’s.  But the characters are not based on real people.  I do typically use people I know/have known and then take their personality traits/quirks to extremes–almost like a caricature–in order to make the character as interesting as possible. Almost always my daughters will recognize something of themselves in my make-believe world. It makes for fun conversation.
 9.  If the characters are primarily fictional, what about the setting?  Is that someplace known to you?
     I actually wrote the entire story in a fictional setting, without ever naming it. I just placed the town in the San Joaquin valley. My editor suggested I nail down the location, even a fictitious one.  As we talked back and forth, I decided to use my real “home town” of Lodi.  I grew up in the Sacramento area, but have lived in or around Lodi since my husband and I got married. There’s some debate about whether or not “our” Lodi is the subject of the 1969 Credence Clearwater Revival song, “Stuck in Lodi.” Right or wrong, I choose to think it is.  But not for a minute do I feel stuck.  I love Lodi.
10.    What is your purpose in writing inspirational fiction?
    I’ve had well-meaning friends ask why I write fiction at all.  If I want to share the Gospel, why not write “the truth.” Two answers come to mind.  First, that “burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jer. 20:9) finds its release in fiction.  Second, when Jesus wanted to get a heavenly truth across, He didn’t deliver a three-point sermon.  He told stories.  My desire in writing inspirational fiction is that women who read my books will find them easy to share with other women who haven’t yet come into relationship with Jesus, and that those women will be directed to the One who loves them with an everlasting love.

Sharon K. Souza is available for speaking engagements or futher interview

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January 16, 2008

brought to you by Bradley:CHERYL WYATT:A Soldier’s Promise

Filed under: Uncategorized — Christa Allan @ 4:48 am
Long ago and far away when I first dared to admit to others I was writing more than lesson plans for school, I found Cheryl in an online writers’ group. For almost four years, Cheryl has devoted herself not only to her craft, but to uplifting  everyone whose lives are fortunate enough to be hovering near hers. She has encouraged me, listened to me whine, and prayed for me; usually all in one telephone conversation. I admire her firm conviction in God’s timing, and her willingness to step out in faith. I am truly excited to be able to introduce Cheryl’s book on my blog. It’s not often that we can share in the seed of someone’s dream and be able to witness it blossom. 
21gie2sbgsl.jpgPssst!! Hey people! This is eight-year-old Bradley…Cheryl Wyatt’s child character from her first book, A Soldier’s Promise. Shhh….don’t tell her I snuck in here and took over her post for today on Christa’s blog.
Hey, did you know Christa writes almost as good if not better than Cheryl? Shhh! Don’t tell her I said that neither. Forgive me if I ain’t usin’ good grammer or spelling. Miss Harker from the book says it’s cuz I use to live in a dugout….errr….or was that a drug house? Anyway I just wanted to zip in here and say you should all go out and get this book…well, because it feetures adorable ME!
Cheryl tries to say she doesn’t put much of herself into her characters…but I hafta tell you a secret. You know how Amber in A Soldier’s Promise is kinda techno logically challenged? Well….cherylistoo…but you didn’t hear that from me. Nuh-uh. She’s like Amber…she knows just enuf to pose a danger to her hard drive and her sanity. That’s how come I can hijack her post. He he he. See, in the picture she’s trying to think her story by osmosis. He he! Not really, just joshin’ ya.
So anyway, you gotta get this book. I’m sirius. Me and Psychokitty are the best things goin’ since….peanut butter. That’s me hugging Joel on the cover. Ain’t I cute?
Speaking of peanut butter, if, after reading mine and Joel and Amber’s story, anyone can tell me my favorite brand of peanut butter….and post it here on Christa’s blog by Valentine’s Day…..I will pester Cheryl until she sends the first person who guesses it right an autographed copy of my buddy Manny’s story in March.
OH! OH! Almost forgot the best part…Cheryl’s GIVING AWAY an iPod in a contest. Chances to win are only for people who prescribe to her newsletter on her Web site. Or is that subscribe? Anyway, you sign up in the little yellow box that says “Join Cheryl Wyatt’s Author Mailing List” and the info will come in her January newsletter. I wish I could enter!!! But she says characters aren’t elagible, eligible, elergerble…able to enter.
Okay…I think I hear Cheryl comin’ gotta run!
Bradley from A Soldier’s Promise
Oh..and did you know my story is winning awards and stuff? Okay, well ONE award so far.  Or at least I heard Cheryl screeching about it. She said it got a Top Pick from Row Man Tick Times. Purty cool, eh? I know it’s ’cause of me because I’m so cute and all.
Day-ay-ay!!! I mean HONK! She’s here….BYE!
GO GET THE BOOK!
BYE!
Bradley…
 
Bradley left so quickly he forgot to mention A Soldier’s Family , the next book in the Wings of Refuge series, will be available in March.


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January 14, 2008

BOBBY JINDAL: A new day for Louisiana

Filed under: Random Rumblings — Christa Allan @ 8:48 pm

ttp://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/jindal_sworn_in_as_governor.html


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January 13, 2008

Sprint saves my sanity

Filed under: Random Rumblings — Christa Allan @ 6:50 pm

file0042.jpgAfter weekly telephone calls to AT&T since August 21, I relented and purchased a Sprint AirCard.The husband failed to understand the urgency of the situation until I staged an Armageddon-sized meltdown, which included a comment that if we’d been talking about something he needed to play golf he would have purchased a dozen of them already. . . I also am attempting to learn my new Apple Mac after a decade of Dell-ing. I’m chugging up the learning curve at snail speed. Naturally, the Dell would have a seizure when I was trying to get my manuscript neatly formatted.So–now I’m REALLY back to the information highway. It’s good to be here.    


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