Christmas Fiction November 25, 2007

It’s official…the Christmas season is here. The turkey is gone and mad shoppers lined up outside of stores at 4:00 in the morning (or the night before) for After Thanksgiving Day sales. Houses around the neighbor twinkle with lights, Santa, snowmen, etc. It’s definitely looking like Christmas. It you’re like me and you can’t get enough of the Christmas spirit, delve into one of these books.

A Christmas to Die For by Marta Perry

SHE WAS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE…after the hit-and-run that nearly took her life. But history seemed to be repeating itself when Rachel Hampton spied a car speeding down the dark road. Tyler Dunn came to Rachel’s family inn seeking justice for a decades–old crime. Rachel wanted to trust the attractive architect, but he was too secretive…until she uncovered a shocking link to her own past. Suddenly a holiday season amid the Plain People swarmed with hidden danger as Rachel found herself a killer’s target.  

Montana Misletoe (4 Christmas Novellas) by Lena Nelson Dooley, Lisa Harris, Debby Mayne, Kim Vogel Sawyer

Four girlfriends make a pact to find true love by their twenty-eighth Christmas. As the deadline looms, each keeps busy with expanding career and experiences faltering Christmas spirit. Lori is a major struggling to bolster the small town’s economy, Madison runs a Christmas store and often travels to build up stock, Deanna is the town’s director of tourism on a campaign to put her town on the map, and Kathy is a writer living in California who has lost her small town faith. When romance arrives in Mistletoe, Montana, in unexpected Christmas packages, will each woman be able to accept the gift?

 

A Texas Legacy Christmas by Diann Mills

 Zack Kahler heads back to Texas with a homeless eight-year-old pickpocket named Curly in tow. But soon Zack finds his hands full as he tries to run a newspaper, recover from a lost love, and keep his unruly charge out of trouble. Boardinghouse worker and life-long outcast Alice Hawkins has had her fair share of hurt and rejection. When Zack and Curly show up on her doorstep, more than one wounded heart is stirred with love. But soon a life-threatening illness and misunderstanding threaten to destroy all their hopes. Can the love of Christmas present a miracle to heal these Texan hearts?

Thanks for Giving November 19, 2007

Thanksgiving is the perfect time for us to reflect on all the blessings God has given us and it’s a time to thank him for the people he’s brought into our lives.

 

 

To all of you in cyber space who are blog subscribers, visit every now and then, or found this site by happen stance (although I don’t believe in coincidences), I thank you for giving me:

-          Your support

-          Your time

-          Your talents

-          Your feedback

-          Your $$ - buy more books :o)

 

 

As you sit down at your dinner table this Thanksgiving, why not take a few moments to express how thankful you are for the blessings He’s given you.

Titles to Tempt Teen Readers November 16, 2007

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas is down the street. If you have ‘tweens and teens on your Christmas list and you like to give everyone books like I do, you’re probably cautious when it comes to the contents of books geared toward young adults. 

  

A few months ago I was looking for a birthday present for a young lady who is a freshman in high school. I found a book supposedly written for teens. The website had a link to read an excerpt. Am I glad I did! Before I finished the first page, I had read more foul language than I care to read in any book. Not only was the teen character the person using the expletives, she used them when talking to her mother. Do you know how embarrassed I would have been if I’d bought this book for this young lady? 

 

I know they hear it on t.v., in the movies, and in music. But do I have to conform to what society tries to push on us?  “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Romans 12:2   I finally found a Christian teen book that I felt comfortable buying. So to keep you from possible embarrassment this gift giving season, I’ve come up with some recommendations for you. I haven’t read all of these books, but they are written by Christian authors. However, you may want to skim through the one you’re concerning to make sure it’s age appropriate. 

 

For ‘tweens:

Carmen Browne Series (5 books, $5.99 each) by Stephanie Perry Moore

 Sugar Creek Gang Series (36 books, $4.99 each) by Paul Hutchens

The Cooper Kids Adventure Series 8 books, $5.99-$6.99) by Frank E. Peretti  

For teen and young adult females:

Laurel Shadrach Series (5 books, $6.99 each) by Stephanie Perry Moore

Payton Skky Series (5 books, $6.99 each) by Stephanie Perry Moore

Simply Divine, Divine Secrets, Divine Confidential ($9.95 each) by Jacquelin Thomas

 

Nothing But Drama, Blessings in Disguise, With Friends Like These ($9.95 each) by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Christy Miller Collection (4 volumes w/ 3 stories, $14.99 each) by Robin Jones Gunn

The Sierra Jensen Series (4 volumes w/ 3 stories, $14.99 each) by Robin Jones Gunn

Brio Girls Series (12 books, $7.99 each) by Lissa Halls Johnson            

For teen and young adult males (It’s rare to find these):

Perry Skky Jr. Series (3 books, $9.95 each) by Stephanie Perry Moore  

This list is by no means all inclusive. If you know of other books, let me know and I’ll add them to my list. 

**Prices are list prices-you may find them for less at discounted stores and websites.

Walking Into A New Spirituality November 1, 2007

Today I am pleased to have my first guest on the L. Nuchell Books’ blog. Calvin McBride is the author of Walking Into A New Spirituality: Chronicling the Life, Ministry, and Contributions of Elder Robert E. Hart, B.D., LL.B., D.D., to the CME Church and COGIC: With Some Additional COGIC History.

MCBRIDE INTERVIEW

 

L.N.: How important has publishing this book been in your sense of accomplishment?
C.M.: To be honest, I had no pre-conceived notion or idea that I was going to publish a book, it sort of surprised me. The book took only two years to complete, which I think was a great accomplishment considering my personal limited resources and abilities. It revealed to me a talent hidden deep down on the inside that I didn’t know existed; however, it was called forth for a purpose.
L.N.: Who do you believe will benefit from Walking Into A New Spirituality and why?
C.M.: Any person that has crossed-over from one denomination to another; particularly those members of the CME Church and the Church of God in Christ. We absolutely need to know about the differences, successes, and the struggles of the black church.
L.N.: How did you come up with idea of writing about Elder Robert E. Hart? What methods did you use to flesh out your idea to determine if it was salable?
C.M.: Dr. Hart’s records have been in my historical files since 1990 when I began researching local black history. Hart was a local transfer-in CME preacher and a Lane College law school graduate in 1901. After reading some history on COGIC in 2005 where Dr. Hart was mentioned as being a major participant in the formation of their denomination; I knew then more research was needed and a book would be in order and should generate a lot of interest.
L.N.: What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?
C.M.: Honestly, the only real challenges I encountered writing this book is that I can not type and I had limited knowledge about computers. I honestly typed all 216 pages of this book with one finger; however, I haven’t overcome that obstacle so far; although, I have improved much better on the computer.
L.N.: What kind of research did you do to write this book?
C.M.: Thank goodness for the computer and online census web sites such as: Ancestry.com, HeritageQuest.com and Family Search, which were my main references; other references were accessed through local libraries files such as: court records, birth and death records, and newspaper articles all on microfilm.
L.N.: What do you believe is Elder Hart’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
C.M.: I can only speak about his strengths, which I believe my research clearly brought out. Dr. Hart’s greatest strength was his God-given talents and abilities in the ministry, which he used to maximize the kingdom of God through which ever denomination he was called to serve in.
L.N.: What is your greatest hope for this book?
C.M.: My greatest hope for this book is that it serves as a catalyst for others to research and document the histories of their families, church, and other human sacrifices made to society.
L.N.: What is next for Calvin McBride? Do you intend to write another book?
C.M.: I hope to be involved in the planning and designing of a much needed C. H. Mason Library or COGIC Heritage Center, located in Memphis, hopefully in the very near future. I do intend on writing at least two more books in the near future; in fact I have already started researching for the next book.

Calvin S. McBride is a local historian/genealogist with about fifteen years’ experience. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and since 1978 had been a surgical technician and assistant. Walking Into A New Spirituality is his first book. Walking Into A New Spirituality is available from iUniverse in paperback or Adobe e-book.