Fave Five December 14, 2008

NEW YORK TIMES  - December 14, 2008

 

HARDCOVER FICTION

1.      SCARPETTA, by Patricia Cornwell

2.      THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER by Glenn Beck with Kevin Balfe and Jason Wright

3.      CROSS COUNTRY by James Patterson

4.      THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski

5.      ARCTIC DRIFT by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler

 

PAPERBACK TRADE FICTION

1.      THE SHACK by William P. Young

2.      A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini

3.      THE APPEAL by John Grisham

4.      HALO: THE COLE PROTOCOL by Tobias S. Buckell

5.      WORLD WITHOUT END by Ken Follett

 

PAPERBACK MASS-MARKET FICTION

1.      THE PAGAN STONE by Nora Roberts

2.      THE APPEAL by John Grisham

3.      T IS FOR TRESPAS, by Sue Grafton

4.      THE 6TH TARGET by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

5.      DEAD AFTER DARK by Sherrilyn Kenyon, J. R. Ward, Susan Squires and Dianna Love

 

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1.      OUTLIERS by Malcolm Gladwell

2.      DEWEY by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

3.      AMERICAN LION by Jon Meacham

4.      MULTIPLE BLESSINGS by Jon Gosselin, Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson

5.      A BOLD FRESH PIECE OF HUMANITY by Bill O’Reilly

 

PAPERBACK NONFICTION

1.      DREAMS FROM MY FATHER by Barack Obama

2.      THE AUDACITY OF HOPE by Barack Obama

3.      MARLEY & ME by John Grogan

4.      THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

5.      TEAM OF RIVALS by Doris Kearns Goodwin

 

USA Today – based on sales through Sunday, December 7, 2008

 

FICTION AND NONFICTION

1. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (F) (H)
2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (F) (P)
3. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (F) (P)
4. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (F) (H)
5. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (F) (H)

 

Essence Magazine – December 2008

 

FICTION Hardcover

1. Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey
2. Something On The Side by Carl Weber
3. One In A Million by Kimberla Lawson Roby
4. Sin No More By Kimberla Lawson Roby
5. Waking With Enemies by Eric Jerome Dickey

 

FICTION Paperback

1. True to the Game III by Teri Woods
2. Can I Get a Witness? by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
3. Too Little, Too Late by Victoria Christopher Murray
4. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
5. Mistress of the Game by Sherrie Walker

 

NONFICTION Hardcover

1. Letters To A Young Sister by Hill Harper
2. Hiding in Hip Hop by Terrance Dean
3. Come On People by Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint
4. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
5. Grace After Midnight by Felecia “Snoop” Pearson

 

NONFICTION Paperback

1. The Willie Lynch Letter by William Lynch and Kashif Malik Hassan-el

2.      Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama

1. The Miseducation of the Black Child by Nathan Hare and Julia Hare
2. Letters to a Young Brother by Hill Harper
3. The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson

 

CBA  - December 2008

 

1. The Love Dare by Steven & Alex Kendrick
2. The Shack by William P. Young
3. If My People by Jack Countryman
4. Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
5. What in the World is Going On? by David Jeremiah

 

ECPA – December 2008

 

1. The Love Dare by Steven & Alex Kendrick
2. The Shack by William P. Young
3. What in the World is Going On? by David Jeremiah
4. Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
5. Every Now and Then by Karen Kingsbury  

 

TAKE A BREATHER April 23, 2008

Author Angela Hunt posted something Sunday that hit very close to home. It has nothing to do with writing (that’s why it’s posted under “Endless Possibilities”), but everything to do with me. The blog ‘Confessions of a CF (cystic fibrosis) Husband’ chronicles Nathan and Patricia Lawrenson’s experience of preparing for Tricia’s double lung transplant and their unexpected pregnancy once the call came.

 

Nate and Tricia’ story caught my attention when I noticed all the posts regarding Tricia’s transplant. You may have noticed the links to the American Lung Association, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Donate America under my ‘top clicks’ category. They’re not listed because of my philanthropic nature.

 

Ten years (almost to the month) I started experiencing breathing complications.  I went from doing hour-long aerobic exercises to being short of breath after walking 50 yards. I went to the doctor and took a battery of heart and lung tests, only to be told nothing looked abnormal. Eventually I learned to deal with my physical limitations. Two years later, I started a new job (new insurance) and decided to see a lung specialist. Finally, the doctor saw something on my chest x-rays. I wasn’t happy to be sick, but I was glad to have a diagnosis (sort of like when you take your car to the mechanic for that knocking sound). Only problem—the lung disorder was treatable, but not curable. So I started my first lesson in pharmaceuticals and my first round of Internet medical research (thank goodness for Google).

 

Fast forward to May 2007. I went to what I thought to be a routine doctor’s appointment. I’d decided to try talking Dr. McCartney into taking me off of one of my medications (by now I was on four). He relented after a little begging and sad puppy dog eyes, but only if I took a lung function test and had favorable numbers. No problem. I felt good.

 

He compared this test with my previous test. My lung capacity which usually remained around 50 percent now hovered around 29 percent. I was given a steroid shot and an INCREASE in medication. Then I heard the words transplant evaluation escape Dr. McCartney’s lips. I burst out laughing. This had to be a joke, right? In all the years I’d seen Dr. M, he’d never once mentioned the words transplant—not even as a last resort. Maybe it was optimism thinking on his part since my condition had remained steady over the years.

 

Being an accountant the first thing I wanted to know was “who’s going to pay for this?” Before this day at the doctor’s office I had no reason to inquire whether transplants were covered by my insurance. But our omnipotent Lord, who charted our lives even before our existence, knew that all the changes in my health insurance a few years before were for my good. Cigna Healthcare (I don’t normally give shout-outs, but I’ll make an exception this time) had a transplant network. Not only would they pay for travel, hotel and food for me and a companion, but I could choose any transplant hospital within their network. Barnes-Jewish Hospital was close to home and ranked in the top 10 Best Hospital in the U.S. They’d performed more than 800 lung transplants since the program began in 1988. If I needed new lungs, this was one of the best places to be.

 

I soon found out that you couldn’t just call Barnes-Jewish and request an evaluation. All of my medical records had to be sent and evaluated by the transplant team. I didn’t realize how sick the doctors thought I was until I got the call from the transplant coordinator saying they had accepted me into their program. My appointment was set for the week of August 13 (that’s right, a week’s worth of poking and prodding). Fortunately, I was not put on the national transplant registry. The head of the transplant department delivered the news. “If I were to just look at your test results, I’d say you need to be put on the list right away. But you’re not on oxygen, you’re able to work full-time and you still have a pretty good quality of life.”

 

Now you see why Nate’s blog had me engrossed for hours. While Tricia (and other transplant patients) is the only person who can actual tell us about the physical, mental and spiritual ramifications of her transplant, Nate’s account and play-by-play posts are a wonderful source of information. I fully believe miracles and divine healing, but it God sees fit for me to undergo a double lung transplant one day, I’ll me able to look back on Tricia’s experience for solace.

 

 

P.S. Tricia also has a blog (65roses4pattysue.com) that details her journey with cystic fibrosis and talks about the foundation set up to help with healthcare costs.

PROLIFIC WITH WORDS March 14, 2008

March 15 marks the birthday of my late pastor, A.Z. Hall, Jr. He was called to heaven February 5, 2007, just shy of his sixty-fourth birthday. 

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Pastor Hall was well-known in the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. and most people who knew him would agree that he was quite prolific with words. When I became a member of the church in 1995, he had just published a book entitled So You Want to Know Your Church, a book on “catechism in the Church Of God In Christ”. Not only was the book used to indoctrinate new members in our local church, the national church, pastors and members worldwide used information from the book as a resource in their churches and on their websites. Two of Pastor Hall’s devotional readings (“Family Matters” and “Salty Christians”) were also included in The African-American Devotional Bible (Zondervan, 1997), a bible created in partnership with the Congress of National Black Churches.  

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Whether spoken or written, my pastor’s words had a way of grabbing your attention and holding it until the very end. On Sundays, I’d find myself fervently taking notes, often writing down quotes that I still have posted on bulletin boards, mirrors and the refrigerator. 

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His writing style stood out. The words he chose; the graceful way they flowed. He didn’t use your everyday vocabulary, but his words were never above the grasp of the ordinary man.  

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As I sat in our little church on February 12, 2007 reading his obituary, I smiled.  

“During hid formative years, he received a sound foundation in Christian ethics and virtues through the godly example of his parents.” 

“Elder Hall’s service to the leaders of the church caused him to be known as the servant’s servant. This service, coupled with his administrative experience was rewarded at the Eighth Quadrennial Election of the General Officers…” 

“It would be an exercise in futility to try and name all the persons who will hold fond and loving memories of this “Servant of the Lord”.” 

Even in death, his elegant words permeated my soul and my spirit. 

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY PASTOR HALL!

DON’T JUST READ ABOUT WOMEN’S HISTORY…LIVE IT March 1, 2008

In the early nineteenth century, women were considered second-class citizens whose existence was limited to the interior life of the home and care of the children. Women were considered sub-sets of their husbands, and after marriage they did not have the right to own property, maintain their wages, or sign a contract, much less vote. It was expected that women be obedient wives, never to hold a thought or opinion independent of their husbands. It was considered improper for women to travel alone or to speak in public.* 

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Although I know these statements are true, it’s still hard for me to imagine living in such a time. I grew up hearing tale after tale about my female ancestors. Lucy, Mary, Vester, Nevada. They weren’t docile and demure like the women described above, but strong and independent.  

My great-grandmother and grandmother have been widows for as long as I can remember. Although grandma (my great-grandmother) only had one child, she helped raise her siblings’ children and always opened her home to whoever needed som’teet (something to eat) or a warm bed.

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My grandmother (Muh) kept her family together after the death of my grandfather. Armed with an eighth-grade education and a strong work ethic, she get up early and catch a ride to the fields to pick strawberries or whatever crop was in season. I’d sit at her feet while she shelled peas or snapped beans and listen to the latest episodes of ‘the good old days’. Muh is eighty-seven now and she does get out much anymore. The stories have started to repeat, but they’re just as entertaining as they were when I was growing up. So now when I hear her start a conversation with “I remember (so and so)”, it’s time to live a little women’s “her”story.

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*Read more about Women’s History at history.com.

Jasmine’s Law February 26, 2008

When you drop your children off at childcare, you assume they’re in a safe, loving environment. After all you’ve researched, investigated and asked for recommendations. If you’re from Tennessee, you probably checked out the facility on the Department of Human Services’ website.  

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So imagine the horror of a child dying at the hands of her child care provider. Carolyn Knox doesn’t have to imagine this horror. Unfortunately this exact thing happened to her granddaughter, Jasmine Mitchell. Day-care provider Versie Ramirez-Carr pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a 15-year prison sentence. However, Ramirez-Carr was released from prison after serving four years.  After Jasmine’s death, the family learned that Ramirez-Carr, who had a valid day-care license, had pleaded guilty to a drug charge, skipped bond, violated probation and had a weapons charge in her background.

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Jasmine’s death has led Knox to start a petition to protect other children and parents who depend on childcare workers. The petition for Jasmine’s Law addresses three issues:

1. All persons seeking a child care provider license be fingerprinted and run through a national database. Anyone that has a criminal record of any kind be determined ineligible from receiving a child care provider license.
2. Child killers should have to register and be placed on a public watch list (similar to the one for registered sex offenders). 
3. There should be mandatory sentences with no chance of parole given to day-care providers found guilty of abusing a child.   

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Read more about little Jasmine Mitchell in The Jackson Sun.  

To read and/or sign the petition supporting Jasmine’s law, check here.

A NEW LOOK February 18, 2008

L. Nuchell Books has a new look. My signature brown banner with the pastel colors was added as well as a new welcome message. Two new features have been included: a link to my blog and a media kit link. The media kit features a bio, author’s photo, book cover, interview questions and a reading guide. All of these files can be printed by book clubs, reading groups or anyone needing information for speech or author appearance.

 

Special thanks to G. McBride for her comments and suggestions and to Teel Designs for their design expertise.

 

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Addendum to “Connecting with my characters”

 

Today I received a very touching email from Gwen Gorby (the artist mentioned in the “Connecting” post. After posting, I emailed Ms. Gorby to let her know how much I enjoyed her artwork and to let her know about the post on this blog. Ms. Gorby stated “I paint what I feel deeply about and I always hope that God is directing my every step to accomplish His purpose through the paintings. Once I have painted the painting, I usually don’t have the pleasure of knowing what happens as a result of the work existing.” She also shared that “Bo” is an actual person who enjoys being in her paintings. She forwarded my email and web address to “Bo”, as well as her cousin, who lives in Ohio. In closing, Ms. Gorby said “your e-mail has inspired and encouraged all 3 of us. Isn’t it wonderful how God works!”

Connecting with my characters February 15, 2008

Have you ever been searching for something on the Internet, click one link and see something that catches your attention, so you click on that link? The cycle continues and pretty soon you can’t remember what you were looking for in the first place. Most times when I do this it’s a big waste of time, but today’s web adventure led me to the website of Gwen Gorby. 

Gwen was a finalist in an art showcase hosted by a national home décor retailer. Gwen’s entry Treasures of Her Heart and the corresponding description caught my attention, so I clicked on her website. My first thought, “wow, she’s good”. I scrolled through her gallery until one particular piece leapt from the screen shouting “It’s me—Bo”.

Alone With Him reminded me of a scene in my latest manuscript where the main character (Bo) is incarcerated and his only possession is a Bible that someone has given him. I could feel the anguish and frustration of the man in the painting, thus giving me a deeper understanding of how my character must be feeling. That’s no doubt that I’ll use this painting for inspiration to finish my story (now I don’t have to spend a night in jail).

If you’d like to find out more about Gwen and her artwork, click here.

God’s Grace & Mercy February 9, 2008

 

The clock on Union University’s bell tower documented the time of the Super Tuesday Tornado.

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Since my last post, my hometown was hit once again by a devastating (F4) tornado. This was the third major tornado to hit our city in the last nine years (1999, 2003, 2008). Tuesday night’s storm wreaked havoc on one of our colleges, Union University. Almost every building on campus was damaged and the dormitories were destroyed. I worked as the residential living director at Lambuth for five years and my heart sank at the thought of Union’s administration scrambling around a dark campus trying to account for 1200 on-campus residents. The university was greatly blessed and protected by the Lord. None of their students, faculty, or staff lost their lives; although several students were trapped beneath rubble and over fifty had to be taken to the hospital. 

As usual the community has come out in droves to help the university and the students. Union President, Dr. David Dockery, has been poised and humble through the entire event. When you’re a Christian you tend to look at tragedy differently. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself and asking why, you thank God for his grace and mercy and press on. 

Union began the clean-up process almost immediately. The plan is to re-open the week of February 18, 2008. Of course clearing debris from the campus is the easy task. Arranging housing and classes for over 3000 students is another matter all together. I shutter just thinking about the process. 

I have no doubt that Jackson will bounce back. While I wouldn’t say we’re accustomed to tornadoes, we have learned how to come together as a community. We’ll move on and try to be prepared for the next time. 

If you are interested in helping Union University with their efforts, they have established a website with updates and other information (click here).

To read more about the Super Tuesday tornado or see photo galleries of the damage, visit The Jackson Sun’s website.

Super Duper Days January 31, 2008

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve heard all the hoop la-la over Super Bowl XLII and Super Tuesday. While the Super Bowl may not be as important as Super Tuesday (some diehard football fans may argue this point), both of these events have Americans across the U.S. excited. 

Sunday’s face-off between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants will no doubt have millions of Americans sitting on the edge of their seats until the final second of the game. Likewise on February 5, millions of Americans will anxiously await the results of the caucus or primary of 22 states (including Tennessee). Fans and supporters will sport t-shirts and buttons and wave signs. Advertisers and presidential hopefuls will shell out millions on T.V. commercials. I’ll probably watch a few minutes of both contests, so I can have something to contribute at the water cooler.  

I don’t know much about football. I know even less about electoral votes and delegates. But I do know the outcome of both of these ‘Super Duper’ contests will have a big impact on our country. If you’re a betting man, you might lose a little money on Super Bowl Sunday. If you live in one of the 22 states going to the polls on Tuesday, you’ll lose a lot more if you don’t get out and vote.  So remember…Brady, Burress, Manning, Maroney; Super Bowl. Clinton, McCain, Obama, Romney; Super Tuesday.

 

100 Years and Counting January 14, 2008

January 15 is an important date for me. First it’s the birthday of Martin L. King, Jr. (I’m talk more about Dr. King in a later post) and second, it’s the date that nine young ladies founded Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

Hundred years ago, the first Greek-letter organization established by African American college-trained women was established on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C.  Led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, the Sorority grew and kept in balance two important themes: the importance of the individual and the strength of an organization of women of ability and courage.  

Since 1908, thousands of young woman have joined the legacy of sisterhood and service. Some of the sorority’s most notable members, include:

Marian Anderson, Opera star; concert artist

Maya Angelou, Poet; author; filmmaker

ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Author

Bebe Moore Campbell, Author

Coretta Scott King, Concert artist; activist

Gladys Knight, Grammy Award-winning singer; actress

Rosa Parks, Mother of the civil rights movement

Ntozake Shange, Playwright; author

and ME 

As Alpha Kappa Alpha embarks on this historic milestone, the organization has planned several events culminating with the Centennial Boule which will be held in July 2008.  The Boule will be held in the sorority’s birthplace—Washington, D.C.—and more than 20,000 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha will tell their communities, the nation and the world the story of nine women who started a movement, which changed the course of history. 

(Click here to learn about this wonderful organization)