Christian Fiction Writer

Wednesday

Distant Heart, by Tracy Bateman

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Distant Heart
(Avon Inspire January 2, 2008)
by
Tracey Bateman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Tracey Bateman is the award-winning author of more than twenty-five books, including Defiant Heart, the First in the Westeard Hearts series.

She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and recently served on the board as President. She loves in Lebanon, Montana, with her husband and their four children.





ABOUT THE BOOK

In the second book in the Westward Hearts trilogy, will the promise of a new life out west heal the scars of Toni's past? This series tells the stories of three strong women as they struggle to survive on the rough wagon train and lose their hearts to unlikely heroes along the way.

Think "Little House on the Prairie" meets Francine River's, Redeeming Love, and you begin to get a sense of the riveting historical series that Tracey Bateman has created.

In this second installment, we follow Toni Rodden, a former prostitute who seeks to escape her past and build a new life and a new reputation, when she joined the wagon train. Despite much resentment and distrust from the other women, Toni finally earns a place on the wagon train and finds a surrogate family in Fannie Caldwell and her two siblings. For the first time in her life, Toni actually feels free.

But, while Toni once harbored dreams that her new life might include a husband and family, she soon realizes the stigma that comes with her past is difficult to overcome, and that she'll never be truly loved or seen as worthy. As the trip out west begins to teach her to survive on her own, she resolves to make her own living as a seamstress when the train reaches Oregon.

Despite Toni's conviction that no man will be able to see beyond her marred past, Sam Two-feathers, the wagon scout and acting preacher for the train, seems to know of a love that forgives sins, and which values much more than outward appearances.


Will Sam have the confidence to declare his love? Will Toni be able to trust in a God that can forgive even the darkest past?

Faith, love, and courage will be put to the test in Distant Heart.

Recommended. Tracy Bateman is one of the best Inspirational Historical Romance writers. Read, laugh, love, cry, and pass it on to your friends.
Vicki

Friday

WHAT LIES WITHIN by Karen Ball

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Introduces

What Lies Within by Karen Ball

Multnomah Fiction, November 20, 2007

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Ball, a bestselling novelist, is also the editor behind several of today's bestselling Christian novels. Her love for words was passed down through her father and grandfather - both pastors who shared God's truth through sermons and storytelling. Blending humor, poignancy, and honesty, Karen's writing style is a powerful force for revealing God's truth. She lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, and their "kids," Bodhan, a mischief-making Siberian husky, and Dakota, an Aussie-terrier mix who should have been named "Destructo."

ABOUT THE BOOK
Nothing’s going to stop Kyla…until the ground crumbles beneath her feet. Kyla Justice has arrived. Her company, Justice Construction, is one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful companies in the Pacific Northwest. And yet, something is missing. Not until she’s called on to build a center for inner-city kids does she realize what it is: her sense of purpose. Now nothing can stop her, not the low budget, not supply problems, not gang opposition, not her boyfriend’s suggestion that she sell her business and marry him–and most especially not that disagreeable Rafael Murphy.
Rafe Murphy understands battle
. Wounded in action, this Force Recon Marine carries the scars–and the nightmares–to prove it. Though he can’t fight overseas any longer, he’s found his place as a warrior in the civilian world. So he soldiers on, trusting that one of these days, God will reveal to him why Rafe survived the ambush in Iraq. That day has arrived.

Kyla and Rafe both discover that determination alone won’t carry them through danger and challenges. When gang violence threatens their very foundations, there’s only one way to survive: rely on each other, be real–and surrender to God. In other words, risk everything…

RECOMMENDED! ANOTHER GREAT READ TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS!

Wednesday

BLUEGRASS PERIL

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Introduces

Bluegrass Peril (Steeple Hill December 4, 2007)

by

Virginia Smith

I curled up with a cup of hot chocolate and Virginia Smith's Bluegrass Peril in front of the fireplace over Thanksgiving weekend. Now, I fully understand the meaning of a "cozy mystery." Bluegrass Peril has just enough suspense to keep the pages turning, and a sweet romance of second chances that warms the heart. This one I'm passing on to Carol, my Mom-in-law, who will LOVE IT and pass it on to her Red Hat friends. Highly recommended!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker in the summer of 2005. Since then, she has contracted eight novels, and numerous articles and short stories. She writes contemporary, humorous novels for the Christian market, including her debut, Just As I Am (Kregel Publications, March 2006) and her new release, Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill, August 2007). Her short fiction has been anthologized, and her articles have been published in a variety of Christian magazines. An energetic speaker, Virginia loves to exemplify God’s truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as in her popular talk, “Biblical Truths in Star Trek.”

ABOUT THE BOOK:

WHO KILLED HER BOSS?
Local police had tagged single mom Becky Dennison as their prime suspect. But she'd only been in the wrong place at the wrong time...admittedly, with her boss's lifeless body. Sure it looked bad, but Becky had no motive for killing...even if she had opportunity. When the director of the retirement farm for thoroughbred champions is murdered, Becky Dennison teams up with the handsome manager of a neighboring horse farm, Scott Lewis, to find her boss's killer. Soon the amateur detectives are hot on the trail of the murderer...even as their feelings for each other deepen. The amateur sleuths uncover a trail of clues that lead them into the intricate society of Kentucky's elite thoroughbred breeding industry. They soon find themselves surrounded by the mint julep set - jealous southern belles and intensely competitive horse breeders - in a high-stakes game of danger, money, and that famous southern pride.And for Becky and Scott, this race on the Kentucky tracks has the greatest stakes of all: life or death!

Romantic Times awarded Bluegrass Peril * * * * FOUR STARS! * * * *

Saturday

A Shadow of Treason, by Tricia Goyer

Recommended
A Shadow of Treason, Chronicles of The Spanish Civil
War - Book Two
by Tricia Goyer

Tricia's research of the period, colors her characters and makes the story come to life.

About the book:
Sophie discovers that nothing is as she first imagined. When Walt, the reporter who helped her over the border, shows up again after Guernica is bombed, Sophie is given an impossible mission. She must leave behind the man she's fallen in love with and return to the person who betrayed her.

Another layer of the war in Spain is revealed as Sophie is drawn into the international espionage schemes that could turn the tide of the war and help protect the soldiers from the International Brigade ... but can she find a way to get the information she's discovered to Walt before it's too late?


Chapter One

No one told the rescuers not to talk, yet instinctively they
sifted through the bits of brick and shards of glass as quietly as
possible, alert for the slightest sound of human life beneath the
rubble of the tailor shop.
Deion Clay paused for a minute and wiped his brow with a
soot-blackened handkerchief. He refused to look at the other
buildings surrounding him, reduced to heaps. The sight caused a
deep ache in his gut. All he knew was underneath this pile a few
families had taken refuge in the basement.
Deion had been walking through the streets sometime in the
night, offering help to the injured, when he heard the cries for
help. And although they had fallen silent for the past few hours,
he clung to the faintest hope. It was all he had.
Though hundreds of rescuers had swarmed the area last night,
fighting the flames, most citizens from Guernica had since bundled
up every meager possession they could scrounge and headed
out of town with oxcarts carrying the children and old women.
Perhaps twenty still worked alongside Deion, their skin made even
blacker by soot than his natural color. They continued to dig, refusing
to give up hope for the missing wife, son, or brother.

Read more at Read Chapter


Tricia talks about writing

I first thought about writing in 1993. A friend from church, Cindy Martinusen told me about her aspirations to become a novelist. My first thought was . . . Real people do that?
She invited me to attend Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference with her. I was
new as new can be. I was also 22-years-old and pregnant with my first child, but I learned
enough at that conference to start off on the right track. And I’ve been actively working
at my writing ever since.

I never planned on writing historical fiction. I wanted to write contemporary romances.
Then in 2000, I was with Cindy and another writer friend, Anne de Graaf in Austria.
They were researching books, and I was along for the ride. BUT I was the one who got a
novel idea, after talking to an Austrian historian. The historian’s true stories about the
liberation of Gusen and Mauthausen concentration camps sparked my novel idea. The
idea led to attending two WWII reunions and interviewing veterans. The veterans’ stories
led to more novels.

When I first started researching for my WWII novels, I knew NOTHING about World War II. I remember attending the first WWII reunion only months after I first got the idea. So, when I first met the veterans I had very dumb questions. Either that, or I just nodded my head when they rattled off their stories and took notes of words/phrases/events I needed to look up! The veterans were very kind to me. I usually have a few of them read through my complete manuscript to check all my facts and history. Many of them tell me, “It’s like being back there again.” So, actually these embarrassing moments have forced me to research in-depth, and I think that comes through in my stories.

I get many, many notes, letters, and emails with veterans. Some of them are not believers. Others are of the Jewish faith. Yet all of them love the stories. I remember one of the first emails I got from a veteran. He went on and on for pages about all the minor details I got right in the manuscript. He was full of praises. Then, near the end, he asked, “Now, can you tell me more about the faith element of your story?”

I was able to share the good news of Jesus with him. He’s since passed away, and I don’t know if my words had any impact. I hope to find out they did . . . in eternity!
That’s the cool thing about historical fiction. Veterans and their families read the stories
because it’s about THEM or their family members. People who would never step into a
church or listen to Christian radio read these books which point to hope in Christ.

I have a WWII website at www.triciagoyer.com/ww2stories that I update regularly, and more stories will be posted in the coming weeks. Researching for these novels has provided me with SO MANY amazing stories--far more than I could fit into the pages of the novel. This is simply my way of honoring the wonderful men who served our country.

A Shadow of Treason is Book Two. Book Three is A Whisper of Freedom. It will be out February 2008. The characters that we love are all still in the midst of danger at the end of Book Two. Book Three continues their stories as we follow their journeys in -- and (for a few) out -- of Spain. It's an exciting conclusion to the series!

------------
Tricia Goyer has written seven novels for Moody Publishing:
From Dust and Ashes (2003)
Night Song (2004)
Dawn of a Thousand Nights (2005);
Arms of Deliverance (2006)
A Valley of Betrayal (2007)
A Shadow of Treason (Fall 2007)
A Whisper of Freedom (February 2008)
Night Song was awarded American Christian Fiction Writer's 2005 Book of the Year for Best Long Historical. Dawn of a Thousand Nights won the same award in 2006.

Also, coming out in the next year are: My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson, 2007), Generation NeXt Marriage (Multnomah, Spring 2008), and 3:16-the teen version of the a book by Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson, Spring 2008).

Tricia and her husband John live with their three children in Kalispell, Montana. Tricia's grandmother also lives with them, and Tricia volunteers mentoring teen moms and leading children's church. Although Tricia doesn't live on a farm, she can hit one with a rock by standing on her back porch and giving it a good throw.

Important Links!
triciagoyer.com

Tricia's blogs:
triciagoyer.blogspot.com
genxparents.blogspot.com
Mywritingmentor.blogspot.com

Wednesday

Are you ready to write a nonfiction proposal that grabs attention?

Are you ready to write a nonfiction proposal
that grabs attention?


First things first: You need to know a few things before you start.

1. Know your passion. I’ve alluded to this earlier. A good book proposal emerges from a passionate idea. Examine yourself. Think about the topics you get passionate about when you talk to folks. Talk to others who know you well. Share your book idea and see if they catch your passion for it. It’s a huge undertaking to write a proposal, so be sure you have the passion to carry an entire book.

2. Know your book. What genre is your book? Where it would be shelved in a bookstore? How well do you know what the book will be about? Do you have access to good research, great interviews? How unique is your book? Will a pub board find it unique?

3. Know your immediate audience. The first audience of your proposal is actually the agent or publisher you’re querying. Find out everything you can about the agent or publisher. Do they specialize in the genre you’re writing? Do they take new authors? How many? Have you attended a writer’s conference and spoken directly to the editor or agent? What kinds of books are they looking for? Purchasing a market guide is a great first step. Analyzing books already represented or published is another great step. (If an agent already represents three mom authors, chances are he/she won’t want to take on another mom author.)

4. Know the bookselling industry. Do you know what is selling in the industry? What has oversold? What trends are up and coming? Go to bookstores and walk the aisles, sign up for newsletters and updates from the publishing industry, go to conferences, talk to booksellers. It’s absolutely imperative that you know what you’re getting into before you embark on this journey.

5. Know yourself. Writing a proposal is the first step in a very long journey. Do you have what it takes to count the cost of bringing a book to fruition? Can you take constructive criticism? Do you have the time it takes to not only write the book, but to edit it in a timely manner and promote it when it releases? Do you have a critique group to support and help you through the process? Author Jan Winebrenner says publishing a book “is like giving birth to an elephant—only more painful.” Are you ready for that?

Excerpted from Nonfiction Book Proposals that Grab and Editor or an Agent by the Throat (in a good way!) by Mary E. DeMuth. You can purchase the download here: http://www.maryedemuth.com/store.php

Mary E. DeMuth helps people to turn their trials into triumphs. An expert in Pioneer Parenting, Mary enables Christian parents to navigate our changing culture when their families left no good faith examples to follow. Her parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2007), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005). Mary also inspires people to face their trials through her real-to-life novels, including Watching the Tree Limbs (nominated for a Christy Award) and Wishing on Dandelions (NavPress, 2006). A pioneer parent herself, Mary and her husband, Patrick, reside in Texas with their three children. They recently returned from breaking new spiritual ground in Southern France, where they planted a church. You can find her on the web here:

www.marydemuth.com
www.relevantblog.blogspot.com
www.pioneerparenting.blogspot.com

TRY DYING by James Scott Bell

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Introduces

TRY DYING BY JAMES SCOTT BELL CENTER STREET PUBLISHERS, 2007.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Scott Bell is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He is also the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.
His book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today. The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up, and still lives in Los Angeles, where he is at work on his next Buchanan thriller.

-------------------------------------------------
My Review

JAMES SCOTT BELL's TRY DYING brings to mind film noir, the old black and white detective films of the 1950s.

Ty Buchanan loses his fiance in a weird accident-cum-murder. And his life changes from that of an ordinary, but successful, LA lawyer to a morose, ambivalent, self-deprecating, but hard-boiled detective. Think Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, or even "Dragnet's" Sgt. Joe Friday.

At his fiances funeral, the grieving Buchanan is accosted by an eye-witness to her murder. But the guy wants money in return for his information. Buchanan refuses to pay-up and gets knocked out. He reports the attack to the police, but realizes it's up to him to turn detective and find her killer.

The plot thickens when somebody tries to dissuade him from his investigation by blowing up his house. Buchanan refuses to quit. A femme fatale, TV news reporter offers to help Buchanan. In return for dibs on him as a "human interest" story, she uses her connections to help him with his investigation.

As film noir satired Hollywood crime dramas, Bell's Try Dying satirizes the literary genre that birthed film noir. Try Dying is an enjoyable read. I recommend it.

Now, I'm in the mood for a cup of java and a Bogart movie.

Vicki Talley McCollum, 2007 (c)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THE BOOK
On a wet Tuesday morning in December, Ernesto Bonilla, twenty-eight, shot his twenty-three-year-old wife, Alejandra, in the backyard of their West 45th Street home in South Los Angeles. As Alejandra lay bleeding to death, Ernesto drove their Ford Explorer to the westbound Century Freeway connector where it crossed over the Harbor Freeway and pulled to a stop on the shoulder.

Bonilla stepped around the back of the SUV, ignoring the rain and the afternoon drivers on their way to LAX and the west side, placed the barrel of his .38 caliber pistol into his mouth, and fired.

His body fell over the shoulder and plunged one hundred feet, hitting the roof of a Toyota Camry heading northbound on the harbor Freeway. The impact crushed the roof of the Camry. The driver, Jacqueline Dwyer, twenty-seven, an elementary schoolteacher from Reseda, died at the scene.

This would have been simply another dark and strange coincidence, the sort of thing that shows up for a two-minute report on the local news--with live remote from the scene--and maybe gets a follow-up the next day. Eventually the story would go away, fading from the city's collective memory.

But this story did not go away. Not for me. Because Jacqueline Dwyer was the woman I was going to marry.

In Try Dying, a fast-paced thriller, lawyer Ty Buchanan must enter a world of evil to uncover the cause of his fiance's death--even if hie has to kill for the truth.

"Bell is one of the best writers out there...he creates characters readers care about...a story worth telling."
~Library Review~

Thursday

DEADFALL by Robert Liparulo

Terror rides into Fiddler Falls, Saskatchewan, in a hummer, the “color of bright yellow birthday balloons.”

But “you can’t judge a fellow by the color of his car,” Roland Emery observes ironically, just moments before the occupants fire a deadly weapon, disintegrating the tree that stands between them.

Next, Liparulo introduces the Fuller family; Tom, the sheriff, his wife Laura, and their brave, ten-year old son, Dillon. It’s the good sheriff’s job to stand up for the town, to protect them and his family from the visiting evil.

In the meantime, Hutch and three of his good friends, fly in by helicopter to begin two weeks in tents in the Canadian wilderness: camping, fishing, and bow hunting in isolation, without means to contact civilization.

Early the following morning, Hutch slips into the woods with his bow to hunt caribou. Kneeling in the grass at the meadow, readying his aim, he hears the sound of an engine, “something like a big truck or a powerful ATV.”

In true Robert Liparulo style, Deadfall plunges into the last moments of a character’s life; humanizing him so the reader begins to care about him, even though she can only know him through his terror, his pain, his humanness. And then the character dies in some horrible manner that thrusts her into a nightmare of mayhem.

Liparulo never eases up on his readers. In Deadfall, you can’t be sure who will survive, if anyone. It’s definitely “white knuckle intensity” till the very end, which, despite 470 pages, comes way too soon.

Read DEADFALL You’ll love it.
Vicki Talley McCollum, SavVy ReViews (c) 2007

An Interview: Robert Liparulo, "GERM."

DEADFALL, by Robert Liparulo. Tomorrow--Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Blog Tour!

---------------------------

GERM, by Robert Liparulo , 2006

Robert Liparulo's all-too-realistic premise for GERM comes from a what if scenario.
What if all those hundred’s of thousands of PKU tests—the blood samples taken from newborn babies born in industrialized nations to check for certain genetic diseases, then placed on Guthrie cards and stored in warehouses and never destroyed?
What if they fell into the wrong hands?

Like into the hands of Karl Litt, a German scientist/bioterrorist—plotting to murder 10,000 American's for a personal vendetta. What if this bioterrorist specializes in gene splicing and encoding human DNA, and has inside information about the 1995 Ebola outbreak?

“Theoretically," these viruses have the ability to "find specific DNA—specific people,” says Liparulo.

After reading both novels, I'm a fan. Liparulo's novels are full of action, suspense, and fun to read. Liparulo's plots careen wildly through a crash-course of crises littered with quasi-supernatural evil.

Liparulo's characters are multi-faceted; internally conflicted with the stuff that makes for realistic characters. "GERM's" Stephen is a strong ex-college wrestler turned preacher who embodies G.K. Chesterton's description of courage, "a contradiction in terms that(sic) means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die."

Liparulo's characters are flawed. Some have bad habits like smoking or drinking too much, and they know they should stop. Others, like GERM's Julia and Allen, have bought into today's mores and have been hurt because of it. It's refreshing to meet people like them in Christian fiction; people who are conflicted with the struggles that typifies real life.

Madeleine L'Engle once said, "Christian art? Art is art; painting is painting; music is music; a story is a story. If it's bad art, it's bad religion, no matter how pious the subject. If it's good art. . . ," and Robert Liparulo's fiction is good fiction. Somewhere in his fiction is good religion, too, but it doesn't call attention to it's piety. Maybe that's the difference in Liparulo's style that draws me. I wish I could write like that. I'm thrilled to learn he has a third novel in the works.

--------------------------

Interview With Robert Liparulo

While immersed in “Comes A Horseman,” I had to break from the vivid imagery and intense drama—but, not for long—I had to find out what happened next.

Robert Liparulo has written two thrillers, “Comes A Horseman,” which rose to number 33 in the Top 100 Thrillers on Amazon.com for 2006, and his newest novel, “Germ.” After reviewing “Comes A Horseman” for "Christian Library Journal, " I jumped at the chance to review “Germ” when it was released last November.

Liparulo is unique as a writer: the successful combination of a murder and mayhem imagination tied to Christian morality. I am pleased that he agreed to talk to me about his work, and offer some pointers for new writers.

Books to Movies

Liparulo’s novels are dramatic, fast-paced and visual—they read like a screenplay; so, it comes as no surprise that both novels have been optioned for movie rights. Mace Neufeld is producing "Comes A Horseman."


I asked Liparulo about production and if he is involved with the screenplay:

Liparulo: “Mace Neufeld, who has produced all of Tom Clancey's movies, and "General's Daughter, " and a whole slew of successful films, is producing "Comes A Horseman." They’re still trying to get a good script. They’ve rejected two scripts by two prominent scriptwriters, is my understanding. So, they're not at the casting stage yet. I have no idea who they have in mind. I did get a chance to talk with Mace about the script. I suggested another twist at the end, one that’s not in the book, and he seemed to really like it. Aside from that, I don’t have any input. I get to go to the premiers. That’ll have to do, I guess.”


"Red Eagle Entertainment," a relatively new, but well positioned production company is making "Germ." Right now, they have Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” in production. They're putting something like $100 million into it—nothing to sneeze at. They said they want to put “Germ” on the same track. I’m writing the screenplay, so I do have more input this time.

But in Hollywood, scripts get polished and re-written all the time; I’m not expecting the movie to be exactly what I write. When the offers started coming in, I asked Morrell and a few other authors who had sold to Hollywood what I should do. Their advice was to take the money and run. They said it only hurts to try to influence how your stories will be interpreted on the screen. You gotta let it go. Except for the "Germ" screenplay, I've been able to do that. I'm comfortable that I've done my job and the movies will be what they will be."

Journalism Days

Liparulo majored in creative writing at Weber State University, Utah: “I never wanted to be or imagined myself as a journalist,” but, when he got married after college, he “followed the money. At the time, that meant freelancing magazine articles and newspaper stories.” to Travel and Leisure. “I’m curious about everything, as writers should be."

Liparulo: "As a freelancer, I could appr0ach any publication. Publications exist for every conceivable topic: yarn balls and shoelaces and abandoned eighteenth century mine shafts. Over time, the things that really interested me started to become apparent: military and police operations, travel, business management, relationships (not just romantic relationships, but father/child, siblings, friends). The great thing about freelancing is you can write about whatever piques your fancy; the bad thing is you have to hustle to keep the articles flowing out and the cash flowing in.”

Liparulo is focusing on his fiction. After ten years as a contributing editor to “New Man” magazine, he said: “Novel writing is where my heart is. It’s what I was designed to do, so when I could focus solely on writing novels, I let all of the magazine writing go. "New Man" was the last one I released.”

As a journalist, Liparulo interviewed celebrities. Steven Spielberg was probably his most memorable interview:

Liparulo: This was right after “E.T.” I really admired him. He was so sure of where he was heading, of the mark he wanted to make. I saw more drive and passion and determination in him than in anyone I’d ever met. And yet he wasn’t anxious or jittery. No nervous energy. Just energy. For years after that, I’d work harder and (I hope) smarter just by thinking, 'Spielberg’s probably working right now.' He also had a passion for doing things right, even if they were outside of his core competencies.

As an investigative reporter, I learned how to research well, and I got over the fear of picking up the phone and calling someone in authority when I needed some information. These skills helped when I started researching “Comes A Horseman.” I wanted to be as factual as possible, to give the fictional side of the story a strong foundation in fact.

As a magazine writer, I learned to be economical with words, to write tightly and make sure few words said a lot. So, everything I needed to be a good journalist translated very well into fiction.

Liparulo describes his first opportunity to send his work, a series of “short radio shows for kids,” to an editor:

Liparulo: Tommy Nelson was looking for writers for a series of kids’ novels. I contacted the editor and sent her some samples. Nelson ended up not doing the series. A while later the editor called up and said she’d liked my samples and had I ever considered novels for adults? I had just spent the past six months working on a spec manuscript—about a third of what became "Comes a Horseman"—and sent her that. Nelson (WestBow Press, Thomas Nelson) bought it, and here we are.

Liparulo's advice to new writers

Write what you would write “regardless of readers, publishers and markets,” then trust that you are where God wants you to be in your writing. Liparulo writes what he likes to read.

Genre: Fiction/Thrillers/General
"Comes A Horseman," by Robert Liparulo, WestBow Press, 2005/
"Germ," by Robert Liparulo, WestBow Press, (c)2006.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Liparulo's debut novel Comes A Horseman. Soon to be a major motion picture by producer Mace Neufeld. His short story "Kill Zone" was featured in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson. Liparulo is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

ILLUMINATED By Matt Bronleewe

Coming Soon--An interview with Matt at Infuzemag.com.
Illuminated is an excellent read. Just received it today--and can't put it down! Vicki


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Introduces

Illuminated by Matt Bronleewe Thomas Nelson, Publishers, 2007

Matt Bronleewe is a recognized producer, songwriter and author. The former member of the band, Jars of Clay, earned numerous awards producing and co-writing albums that sold a combined total of over 20 million copies. His songs were recently recorded by Disney pop sensations, Aly & AJ, American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, and more. Bronleewe has worked with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Michael W. Smith, International pop singer Natalie Imbruglia and Heroes star Hayden Panettiere.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Bronleewe grew up on a farm in Kansas where he lived until he left for college in 1992. At Greenville College in Illinois, Bronleewe formed the band Jars of Clay with his dorm roommate and two neighbors, and the group soon found success. Though Bronleewe opted to leave Jars of Clay early on to pursue an academic career, he soon found himself in Nashville, co-writing, producing, and playing music professionally.

Bronleewe expanded his love of story telling beyond music into authorship. He is currently writing a five book series for Thomas Nelson Fiction. Illuminated, in stores now, begins the adventurous series about rare manuscripts and the mysteries within. Bronleewe lives in Brentwood, Tenn., with his wife and three children. He continues to write and produce music, and he volunteers through his church to help disadvantaged youth in the community. Bronleewe enjoys reading, taste-testing good food, and watching sports, as well as indulging his interests in art, architecture, design, and science.


ABOUT THE BOOK:
IT'S BEEN 500 YEARS IN THE MAKING...PREPARE TO BE ILLUMINATED. August Adams has failed his family before. He's sacrificed relationships in pursuit of adventure, fame, and money. Now the very lives of those he loves depend on his ability to decipher a centuries-old puzzle encrypted in the colorful hand-painted illuminations that adorn three rare Gutenberg Bibles. It's a secret that could yield unimaginable wealth, undermine two major religions, and change the course of Western civilization. Two ruthless, ancient organizations are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. And August has the span of one transatlantic flight to figure it out. If he fails, those he holds most dear will die. If he succeeds, he'll destroy a national treasure. The clock ticks, the suspense mounts, and the body count rises as August pits his knowledge and his love for his family against the clock, secret societies, and even Johannes Gutenberg himself.

"...this rare breed of suspense thriller combines mysterious hidden clues, secret societies, buried treasure, double agents, and the Knights Templar...if you turned National Treasure into international treasure, traded DaVinci codes for Gutenberg Bibles, married it to Indiana Jones, and added the pacing of 24 you'd be in the neighborhood of Illuminated...on a scale of one to 10, this one goes to 11."-Aspiring Retail Magazine

Sunday

What Are Your Writing Goals and Motivation?

What is your motivation to write? What are your writing Goals? What steps will you take to meet those goals?

Those questions really stumped me. Why AM I motivated to write? I don't have a good answer to that question. I only know that I HAVE to write. Can't help it.

My urge to write is strengthened by reading lots of fiction. But, I can't 'just' read a book. I have to write my thoughts about it. So, I write book reviews. (No, I wasn't a kid who loved to write book reports in school. I hated those assignments. But, I loved our weekly trip to the library to select books). I also want to ask the writer questions about his or her book. I want to know all about how he / she wrote the book. That led to writing author interviews. (I have several published at www.infuzemag.com )

Eventually, I want to write novels. To that end, I take writing classes, have joined online writing groups, have begun attending writing conferences.

One of my weak areas is grammar. (I guess you can tell.) So, I bought several grammar and style books; signed up for some online courses, and accepted the position of Grammar & Style Columnist at http://www.dabblingmum.com/ . Naturally, to write content for this column, I MUST LEARN the subject matter; and this requires me to meet a deadline.

Fellowship of Christian Writers FCW@yahoogroups.com has been very helpful to my writing goals. A couple of years ago, I joined one of its online critique groups. I learned a lot through reading other's work, recognizing that something was wrong, but I couldn't quite say what it was; and then looking those questions up in writing books. Later, I took on the responsibility of moderating two online critique groups at Fellowship of Christian Writers.

What are you writing goals and motivations? Please feel free to share them by posting here.
Blessings,
Vicki McCollum

Thursday

Interview with DeeAnne Gist.

DeeAnne Gist's first novel, "A Bride Most Begrudging," published by Bethany House, is a wonderfully entertaining historical romance. Bethany House selected "Bride" for their Edgy Inspirational category. Read more about this new genre in Christian fiction on DeeAnne's website, "What Is Edgy Inspirational?" at www.deeannegist.com/press_sub.php?linkid=04/

(vtm) DeeAnne, how did you get your start as a writer?
(DeeAnne) My degree is in Elementary Education. When I had four kids in four years, I became a stay-at-home mom. I did freelance journalism out of my home and started writing fiction manuscripts at that time.


(vtm) Is "A Bride Most Begrudging" your first novel? Did you receive rejections for Bride before finding a publisher? If so, how did you handle those rejections?

(DeeAnne) Bride is my first published novel. I had written another one when I was learning the craft of writing. It's in a secret place that no one will ever find!...I hope!
Rejections are very much a part of a writing career. I learned that early with my journalism articles. I also learned not to take them personally. And I have a very strong faith, so I always knew that if the Lord wanted something to be published, He could certainly see that it was. So, when I received rejections, I just assumed it was because God had something better planned. (And did He ever!)


(vtm) Certain writers have a particular typewriter or favorite place to write. Have you found any specific set up more conducive to writing?

(DeeAnne) My favorite place to write is in an outdoor kitchen that we have in our backyard. Unfortunately, it's so hot here (100+ degrees much of the time), that I don't get to write out there very often.

(vtm) How do you progress from an interesting idea for a story line to actually writing a novel?

(DeeAnne) Once I have a premise for my book, I research that time period thoroughly. The events of the time, often provide me with plot points for my novel. And from there, I make up the story line.

(vtm) How do you research for your genre, Christian Historical Romance?

(DeeAnne) I basically just research the era I am writing about and write the story. Because it is a romance, I have a strong romantic plot line. But I don't have a Christian plotline, per se. In other words, I don't have a specific evangelical message with a conversion scene in the third act. I simply write the book and weave the faith issues into the story as I go along.

(vtm) Bethany House selected Bride for its Edgy Inspiration category. Can you explain that term? What about Bride puts it in the Edgy Inspiration category?

(DeeAnne) That's the million dollar question, I think. No one really knows what "edgy" is. For me, it is writing the story without being restricted by a taboo list. I simply let my characters say what they want, do what they want and think what they want. I don't censor them or restrain them in any way. Then, the chips just fall where they may. (Although if my characters get too far out there, my editor will rein them in some during the editing phase of publication.)
In the case of Bride, my characters were in a marriage of convenience and at some point hoped to annul the marriage. But as time went on, an attraction between the two characters sprung up. My characters wrestled with the temptations and impure thoughts that came with courtship. The difference between my book and some of the more traditional inspiration romances is that I revealed to the reader what my characters were thinking--pure or not. The question is. . . does that make it "edgy" or simply more realistic? Who's to say?


(vtm) Do you have a "target" reader? Should a Christian fiction writer assume that all their readers have the same likes and dislikes in their reading selections? i.e., Do you have guidelines, from your publisher or your own, of what to include and exclude in your writing?

(DeeAnne) My target reader is the Lord. He's the only One I want to please. I don't worry about who my audience is or what people will think, or what type of stories are trendy, or word count, or any of that. It's all for Him. And in my case, that means that my story must be real, honest, well written and full of passion. It means I pray over it every time I write (and then some.) Every morning I ask Him to waken my ears to listen like one being taught. I very much want to be receptive to the Spirit and to let Him influence me during the creative process. If I write something that troubles my Spirit, then I pay attention to that prompting and pray over whatever it is that is troubling me.

And fortunately for me, Bethany House gives me the freedom to do that. They put no restrictions on me. Once the manuscript is finished, they, obviously, edit it. And I have found that those edits do nothing but make the manuscript stronger. And do all my readers have the same likes and dislikes? Not even close. That's why it would be such a nightmare to try and write for a specific audience. It's much easier when you only have One to please!!

(vtm) The main characters in Bride have high moral standards and strong Christian faith, (I especially liked Drew.) How did you develop your characters? Do you have a character formula for your books?

(DeeAnne) For me, the most important element of character development is back story. I write an extensive back story on my tow main characters. I start with their birth and track their lives all the way up to the first page of the novel. That way, I know what baggage they are carrying around--which makes a big difference inhow they react to any given situation. I also know, then, what their idiosyncrasies are. I have found this, more than anything else, takes my character from a one dimensional state to a three-dimensional one.


(vtm) In reading Bride, I was puzzled by the reverend saying that Constance must be "married in her hair," especially in light of recent American tradition of the bride covering her head with a veil and her groom not seeing her face until after their vows. What tradition prompted Drew to release Constance's hair from its braids before the marriage vows? ?By the way, it was a very sensual act! Obviously, these Virginia tobacco colonists were not Cotton Mather Puritans.

(DeeAnne) Most of the wedding traditions we use today have Victorian roots. From the 14th to the mid-17th century, it was the custom for any bride to be married with her hair hanging down her back. This was a recognized symbol of her virginity and "married in her hair" was the expression they used for it. And, you are quite right, the Virginia colonists were not Puritans. That was a New England thing.

(vtm) Is there some particular aspect of writing fiction that you can share with new writers, which would have helped you as a novice?

(DeeAnne) The advice I give new writers is to "learn your craft." I equate this to an athlete. You can be the most talented athlete in the world, but if you don't know the rules of the game, you can't play. Take classes, read "how to" books, join critique groups, go to writer's conferences, enter contests, and write, write, write.

(vtm) On a personal note, how does your Chritian faith impact your writing?

(DeeAnne) It has a huge impact on my writing. The entire reason I write is to use the gifts and talents the Lord gave me to the best of my ability for glorifying Him. I don't write a single chapter without talking to Him about it. And if I haven't spent time with Him the way I should, it shows up in my writing habits and production.

To read more about DeeAnne's writing, visit her webpage at
www.deeannegist.com, or her blog on writing at www.deeannegist.com/blog/.
You can buy "A Bride Most Begrudging" at
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764200720




Interview with Brandilyn Collins

Interview with Brandilyn Collins. Her newest book, Web of Lies, may be purchased at amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0310251060

Vicki: Did you choose your genre, Christian suspense-thriller, or did it choose you? How did you begin writing suspense novels?

Brandilyn: I chose it, and it chose me.
Eyes of Elisha, a suspense, was the first novel I wrote (although not the first published). However, I did write women's fiction as well as suspense, and would have continued in that vein were it not for a marketing meeting in Jan. of 2005 in which the Zondervan folks persuaded me to focus on suspense. For that meeting, my editor, the marketing director, and an outside consultant they'd hired to overview my career flew out west to our home in California to meet with me and my husband. The meeting ended up taking almost eight hours. Here's a bit about that meeting (taken from my own blog):
-------------------------
. . . We talked about who I am as an author. What my novels offer. We looked at the hard numbers of sales. We talked about other authors, and how I am different from them. What my niche is in the market. We talked about trying to market me over the two very different genres of suspense and women's fiction (technically called the contemporary genre). My killing side and my softer side, so to speak. The kind of suspense I'd ended up writing made the chasm between these two personas even greater, because I write intense suspense—the more scary stuff. Not too much of that kind of writing in the Christian world.It didn't take long for it to dawn on me just what a split personality I'd created.Now we faced an even bigger hurdle. I was gaining readers with my Hidden Faces series, but those readers would have to be put aside while I returned to women's fiction. By the time I returned to these blood-thirsty readers, a couple of years would have passed. Would they still be there?Looking back, I can't believe how easily I caved. Chalk it up to the prayers. Chalk it up to really wanting to follow where God lead. 'Cause I didn't wanna go there. About two hours into the meeting, I was talking the talk I'd vowed never to utter—that the smart thing to do was brand myself completely to one genre.And at the moment, my foremost genre was the one of murder and mayhem.Suddenly, just like that—I became a suspense writer. Only . . .-----------------
(Taken from Part 64 of my NES--the Never-Ending Saga of my journey toward publication in fiction, and beyond.
June 3, 2005 post.)


Vicki: How do you research your work?

Brandilyn: I use the Internet for a start, then go to professionals in the field. For forensics basics and story ideas, I watch true shows on TV such as Forensic Files, Cold Case Files, etc. I DON'T watch TV crime dramas such as CSI, etc., because their forensics basics are is not completely reliable.


Vicki: You have a great inteactive blog which makes you accessible to your readers. It must take alot of time to keep it current. Why do you place such importance on interacting with your readers? (I'm sure they love it!)

Brandilyn: In the marketing meeting referenced in question 1, my editor insisted that I start a blog. I groaned. "Are you kidding? Like I don't have enough to do!" And it is hard to come up with interesting posts every Monday through Friday. However, I know my NES story, plus all the inside looks at the publishing world and all the teaching of fiction techniques have helped people. Plus it's given me an immediate community of folks to draw from. When I needed auditioners last week for the unusual marketing plan for my next novel, Violet Dawn, and it's series, I was able to go to this built-in community. Besides, I love the BGs (my bloggees--blog readers). They're way cool folks. It's taken time to build this community, and yes, it involves much work on my part, but I am so grateful for them. I give to them; they give back to me.


Vicki: What is your favorite of the books you've written?

Brandilyn: I really can't name just one. Of the women's fiction, my favorite is
Color the Sidewalk for Me. Of my suspenses, it's Eyes of Elisha, Dead of Night and Web of Lies. I think. Ask me tomorrow, you might get a different answer. All in all, I hope my favorite book is not yet written.


Vicki: Do your own books give YOU nightmares?

Brandilyn: Nope. And they should. I am definitely warped, like my mother says.


Vicki: What is the next book in the pipeline?

Brandilyn:
Violet Dawn, first in the Kanner Lake series, launches in August. You can follow the link to read the back cover copy. And the beginning to Violet Dawn is also in the back of Web of Lies.

The BGs have been hearing about this book for a long time. I've been honest on
my blog about the difficulties in writing it. Have given them inside looks at its editing process through Zondervan, from macro edit to copyedit to proofing. Now many of them are entering into the marketing plan for the series, which involves some writing on their part, and plenty of perks in return (including a four-month-early read of the book). The post for Monday, April 17 lays out this whole scheme. Although this auditioning process is now full, there will be opportunities after this year for others to write for the new Scenes and Beans blog, which will feature characters from the Kanner Lake series. We'll see how this all goes. 'Twill be a very public marketing experiment.

The gist of Violet Dawn? DON'T get in the hot tub . . .


~ BRANDILYN
Seatbelt Suspense (TM)
http://www.brandilyncollins.com/
http://www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com/
Don't forget to b r e a t h e . .
(TM)

Fearless by Robin Parrish

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Introduces

FEARLESS

Bethany House, July 1, 2007


by

Robin Parrish


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist.

In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract.

Born Michael Robin Parrish on October 13, 1975, Robin's earliest writing efforts took place on a plastic, toy typewriter, and resulted in several "books" (most between 10 and 30 pages long) and even a few magazines.

By the age of thirteen, he had begun winning local writing awards and became a regular in his high school's literary magazine. In college, he garnered acclaim from his English professors and fellow students while maturing and honing his skills.

After college, he entered the writing profession through a "side door" -- the Internet. More than ten years he spent writing for various websites, including About.com, CMCentral.com, and his current project Infuze Magazine, which is a unique intersection between art and faith which he also conceived of and created.

One of his more "high concept" ideas for Infuze was to return to his love for storytelling and create a serialized tale that would play out every two weeks, telling a complete, compelling story over the course of nine months. That serialized story eventually came to the attention of several publishers, who saw it as a potential debut novel for Robin Parrish.

In 2005, Bethany House Publishers brought Robin full circle by contracting him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels. A trilogy, to unfold in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008. One massive tale -- of which that first, original story would form only the foundational first volume of the three -- spread across three books.

Robin is the Editor in Chief and creator of Infuze Magazine. He and his wife Karen reside in High Point, North Carolina. Karen works for High Point's First Wesleyan Church, where Robin and Karen are members and Small Group leaders.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Book Two of the Dominion Trilogy

The world changed after that terrible day when the sky burned, and now every heart is gripped by fear...

Earthquakes, fire, disease, and floods pummel the earth, and its citizens watch in horror.


But in the darkness there is hope -- an anonymous but powerful hero whom the public dubs "Guardian." He is Grant Borrows, one of a chosen few who walk the earth with extraordinary powers. But while Grant enjoys this new life, signs of a dangerous ancient prophecy begin coming true, and those closest to Grant worry he may be hiding a terrible secret.

A search for answers brings Grant and his friends to London, where an extraordinary discovery awaits that will challenge everything they thought they knew. With a deadly new enemy dogging his steps, Grant realizes that the world's only hope may come from unraveling the truth about himself once and for all. But what he comes face-to-face with leaves even this most powerful of men shaken with fear.

Secrets will be revealed.

Friends will make the ultimate sacrifice.

And destiny will not be denied.

The story continues. . .
Buy the book at Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Dominion-Trilogy-Robin-Parrish/dp/0764201786/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_3_img/102-0724651-3610551

The Divine Appointment

by Jerome Teel



The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
introduces

The Divine Appointment
(Howard Books, 2007) by Jerome Teel


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jerome Teel is a graduate of Union University, where he received his JD, cum laude, from the Ole Miss School of Law. He is actively involved in his church, local charities, and youth sports.

He loves legal-suspense novels and is a political junkie. He is also the author of The Election, another political thriller that we reviewed November of '06.

Jerome and his wife, Jennifer, have three children, Brittney, Trey, and Matthew; they reside in Tennessee where he practices law and is at work on a new novel.

You can visit Jerome at his Website or at his blog Christian Political Blog

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"They aren't hiding just one something, but a bunch of somethings..."


Small town southern lawyer, Elijah Faulkner is a dying breed...an attorney that actually takes pleasure in fighting injustice by working hard for the little guy. But when he takes on a case to defend a philandering doctor with a pregnant wife in a seemingly open-and-shut murder trial, Eli is not so sure he is on the 'right' side.

Back in Washington D.C., supreme Court Justice Martha Robinson has died, presenting an unprecedented opportunity for conservative President Richard Wallace to impact the direction of the highest court in the land. He believes God put him in the presidency for just such a time as this...to make a Divine Appointment. Not everyone is thrilled with the president's nominee, however. And some will stop at nothing, including murder, to prevent his confirmation by the Senate.

A lobbyist with a vendetta, a small-time Mafioso, an investigative reporter with a Watergate complex, and a powerful Washington political machine combine to create a fast-paced suspense novel that explores the anatomy of a murder, and the ripple effect that it creates across the country.

Amazon.com The Divine Appointment

"Jerome Teel has crafted an intriguing political thriller...nice twists and turns to keep you reading. he paints vivid mental pictures that bring characters and locales to life."
--Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee's 7th District

Friday

Prints Charming by Rebeca Seitz


It is JUNE 1st,
time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!)
The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her
latest book's FIRST chapter!










This month's feature is:






Rebeca
Seitz




and her book:




PRINTS
CHARMING




(Thomas Nelson Publishers, March 15, 2007)







ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rebeca Seitz is Founder
and President of Glass Road Public Relations. An author for several
years, Rebeca cut her publicity teeth as the first dedicated publicist for
the fiction division of
Thomas Nelson Publishers. In 2005, Rebeca resigned from WestBow and opened the doors of GRPR, the only publicity
firm of its kind in the country dedicated solely to representing
novelists writing from a Christian worldview. Rebeca has worked with such
esteemed authors as
Robin Jones Gunn, Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, Walter Wangerin, Jr., DiAnn Mills, Brandilyn Collins, Colleen
Coble
, Melody Carlson, and numerous others. She
has secured coverage for novelists in a variety of media outlets,
including
The Today Show, USA Today, Chicago Sun-Times, Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
, Publishers Weekly,
Christian Retailing, Aspiring Retail, Southern
Living
, Daystar Television, HarvestTV, WAY-FM, K-LOVE, and others. Rebeca makes
her home in Kentucky with her husband, Charles, and their son, Anderson.





AND
NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:





Chapter One

Girl, where are you?" Lydia tightened her grip on the cell phone as
she wondered anew how any woman could be late to every single thing in
her life. She had thought Jane might’ve changed in the two years they’d
been apart, but Jane was evidently still living up to her old high
school nickname of Late Jane. The woman would get to her own funeral about
an hour after they started the music.

"I’m coming, I’m coming." Jane kept one hand on the steering wheel
while frantically sifting through the things in the passenger seat of her
Blazer. There was a brush somewhere, she just knew it, but finding
anything at seven in the morning was difficult at best. Why in the world
she’d allowed herself to be talked into attending a sale that started at
seven a.m. was beyond her ability to fathom. Finding her shoes had been
a reason for cheering. A brush might just be asking too much.

"Do I need to grab anything for you? This stuff is going fast." Lydia
watched a woman stretch for the last package of Times-style foam
alphabet letters and readjusted her own heavy shopping basket. In the five
minutes she’d been in the store, it had already begun biting into the skin
on her arm.

"Nope, I don’t think so. I’ll be there in about two minutes," Jane
said, still searching for the brush while trying not to drop the cell phone
from her shoulder.

"Okay, but hurry. I’ll be over in the baby girl section. I need to find
something for Olivia’s first bath pages and get ribbon for Mac."

"Got it. Baby girl. Be there in a flash."

Read More at FIRSTS

Thursday

Spirit of Sweetgrass

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Introduces
SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS
Integrity/Thomas Nelson (March 6, 2007)
by

Nicole Seitz
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: NICOLE SEITZ is a South Carolina Lowcountry native, and freelance writer/illustrator published in South Carolina Magazine, Charleston Magazine, House Calls, The Island Packet and The Bluffton Packet.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole is an exhibiting artist in the Charleston, South Carolina area where she owns a web design firm, and lives with her husband and two small children.


ABOUT THE BOOK: Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins is a 78-year-old sweetgrass basket weaver who sits on the side of Hwy. 17 in the company of her dead husband, Daddy Jim. Inspired by her Auntie Leona, Essie Mae finally discovers her calling in life and weaves powerful "love baskets," praying fervently over them to affect the lives of those who visit her roadside stand.
Relations are strained with her daughter Henrietta, who thinks Essie belongs in a retirement center. If Essie can't pay $10,000 in back taxes to save her home, she may have no choice.
More tensions: her grandson EJ wants to marry a white girl, Essie discovers that a handsome man she's trying to find a girl for is gay, and her daughter carries a hidden secret. When she's faced with losing her home and her stand and being put in a nursing home, Daddy Jim talks her into coming on up to Heaven to meet sweet Jesus-something she's always wanted to do.
The SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS shifts less successfully to the afterlife, where her Gullah-Creole ancestors surround her; but soon, her heavenly peace is disrupted, for she still has work to do. Now Essie Mae, who once felt powerless and invisible, must find the strength within her to keep her South Carolina family from falling apart. Together, with Daddy Jim, they team up to return to Earth and battle two spirits conjured up by Henrietta's voodoo that threatens to ruin an attempt to save the sweetgrass basket weaving culture.