What Kind of Fool by Rhonda McKnight

Today I'm pleased to present the latest release from one of my writing friends and mentors, Rhonda McKnight.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Wife. Her Husband. Their faith. . . . Will it save them before it’s too late, or will an enemy from their past destroy their marriage forever?

Angelina Preston tunes out the voice of God when she decides to divorce her husband, Greg. She’s forgiven him for his affair, but she won’t forget, even though her heart is telling her to. Shortly after she files divorce papers, she finds out her non-profit organization is being investigated by the IRS for money laundering. In the midst of the very public scandal, Angelina becomes ill. Through financial and physical trials, she learns that faith and forgiveness may really be the cure for all that ails her, but can she forgive the people who hurt her most?

Sexy, successful Dr. Gregory Preston didn’t appreciate his wife when he had her. His affair with a devious man-stealer has him put out of his home and put off with women who continue to throw themselves at him. Greg wants his wife back, but he’ll have to do some fancy operating to get her. When the secrets and lies from his past continue to mess up his future, Greg finds himself looking to the God he abandoned long ago for a miracle only faith can provide.

Samaria Jacobs finally has the one thing she’s always wanted: a man with money. The fact that she’s in love with him is a bonus, but even so, life is anything but blissful. She’s paying for her past sins in ways she never imagined and living in fear that the secret she’s keeping will separate them forever.

Read an excerpt of What Kind of Fool.

REVIEW

Samaria is the other woman, Angelina, the betrayed wife, and Greg, the foolhardy now repentant husband.  What Kind of Fool continues Samaria's saga as she finds that letting go of the past--or being let go by it--even after accepting the love and salvation of Christ is easier said than done.  Angelina and Greg also learn that actions have longstanding consequences.  But to say consequences are the price of sin is to dimish the power of God's immediate grace and forgiveness, both of which are given freely and instantaneously.  Yet, actions do have consequences--what I call subsequent by-products and reactions--and all in What Kind of Fool find that reveling in the grace of God while dealing with said consequences can be difficult.

Several things make McKnight's stories so readable and enjoyable.  First, her command of her craft enables her to tell the story, painting vivid pictures of her characters and settings, such that readers are easily immersed in the tale.  Second, her stories are about everyday people working through everyday problems.  She carefully constructs her plots so, although there may be unexpected twists, at no time do they come across as drama thrown in for drama's sake.  Finally, McKnight's understanding of faith shines through her characters, even those who are not yet in right relationship with God.  Everyone at some point questions their faith or at least whether their faith will be enough to sustain them through the current ordeal.

Gotta confess that I always love a good story about a man who comes clean and learns to appreciate his wife more than he once did, especially one who deepens his  faith in the process.  McKnight handles the up-and-down reconciliation of Angelina and Greg in an even-handed manner, never allowing either to become too righteously indignant or self-serving.

I won't spoil the story, but I love that even as we see Samaria trying to turn her life around, there are enough seeds planted for yet another story.  Samaria is one of characters who readers will never get enough of.

What Kind of Fool is a fitting end to the Prestons' tale.  Now as far as Samaria?  Time, and perhaps a few more books, will tell...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rhonda McKnight is the owner of Legacy Editing, a free-lance editing service for fiction writers. She’s the vice-president of Faith Based Fiction Writers of Atlanta. When she’s not editing projects, teaching workshops about writing or penning her next novel, she spends time with her family. Originally from a small, coastal town in New Jersey, she’s called Atlanta, Georgia home for thirteen years.


Learn more about Rhonda and her books via her website and her blog.

Check out my reviews for her other books, Secrets and Lies, An Inconvenient Friend and A Woman's Revenge.

And if you missed her feature on Black Christian Fiction Authors on Parade, hop over.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- March 17, 2012

Richard Theodore Greener (1844-1922), Harvard Class of 1870 

Nothing like starting out with a good story. The story of Richard Greener, first African American to graduate from Harvard, whose papers, including materials about President Ulysses S. Grant, were found recently in an attic on Chicago's South Side.

And another discovery of story, of more than 500 new fairy tales in Germany.

Author Catherine Stine talks about plotting and hooks in Plots and Hooks, Think Symphony!

From author Darcy Pattison, Top 5 Tools for the Writing the Setting of Your Story or Novel

Author Scott Turow, Presumed Innocent, is the President of the Authors Guild. Recently, he wrote a letter to the membership explaining why the Department of Justice shouldn't go after Apple and five of the big six publishers for collusion based on the agency pricing model. (It's Amazon's fault, he says, although he doesn't advocate going after that behometh and what he sees as a predatory pricing model.)

But, wait!  Authors Barry Eisler and J.A. Konrath examine Turow's claims and find some of them questionable.

Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, on writing action versus description.

Nathan Bransford explains why that potential DOJ agency model lawsuit is a big deal and what it will mean for readers.

A step-by-step manual for creating your own ebook covers.

A rags-to-riches publishing story. Donovan Creed author, John Locke, is the first author to sell one million ebooks. How he did it and what he thinks contributes to his success.

Author-filmmaker-adventurer P.J. Reece overs a free ebook, "Story Structure To Die For:  A Key to Writing Focused Fiction."  Download it in pdf, mobi or epub formats.

Chick lit dead?  Nah, "Chick Lit Grows Up".

From her new book, "Outlining Your Novel:  Map Your Way to Success, K. M. Weiland explores an author's favorite question in "The What If Question".

Directed toward screenwriters, Eric Edson's "How We Feel A Film" examines developing audience trust through the creation of sympathetic characters.

Think traditional publishing or self-publishing is all there is?  How about advertiser-sponsored publishing?

Trying to push this train up a hill, the hill of procrastination.  Moving slowly, but moving.  Let's see if I can make it over the top this weekend and start sliding down! I'll try not to be too distracted by March Madness.  Yeah, right!


On a serious note...if you didn't see my post on my other blog yesterday in support of Trayvon Martin (or you have no idea who that is), please take a moment and read that post, then, prayerfully, take action.

I thank you.

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Love's Sacred Song by Mesu Andrews

Mesu Andrews expertly weaves the words of the Song of Solomon into this touching story of the power of love. Readers will be transported from the glowing fields of Shunem to the gleaming city of Jerusalem as they experience this rich and textured novel from a master storyteller.

For young King Solomon wisdom came as God’s gift, but sacred love was forged through passion’s fire.

Standing in the massive shadow of his famous father, young king Solomon wavers between fear and bravado, wisdom and folly. In the uncertain world of alliances and treachery, Solomon longs for peace and a love that is true and pure--a love that can be his cornerstone.

A shepherdess in the northern city of Shunem, Arielah remembers the first time she laid eyes on Solomon in Jerusalem when she was just seven years old. Since then she has known that it was her destiny to become his bride. When her father, a leader of their tribe, secures a promise from King Solomon to marry Arielah as a treaty bride to help unite the kingdom, it seems her dreams may come true.

But how can this simple shepherdess live as part of Solomon’s harem? Can Solomon set aside his distractions to give himself completely to just one woman? Or will he let duty, deception, and the daily routine divide his heart?

REVIEW

I was blown away by the 2011 release by Mesu Andrews, Love Amid the Ashes, about Dinah, daughter of Jacob.  When an author's debut is that good, I anticipate their next book with a bit of trepidation.  I hate for authors I love to let me down.

I needed no such worry when it came to Andrews and Love's Sacred Song. In this her latest work, Andrews takes on the Song of Solomon, a Biblical passage which many find both beautiful and confusing, provocative and poetic.  Excepting the confusing part, that's a pretty good way to describe Andrews' writing: beautiful, provocative, poetic. In fact, throughout Love's Sacred Song, she even pens "shepherd's verse" that Arielah and Solomon speak to one another as they learn the dance and nuances of love.

Arielah is a shepherdess who is the lioness suggested by her name. Determined to fulfill her spiritual destiny, she will become Solomon's queen. But the path to Solomon's heart, both literally and figuratively, is fraught with danger, and Arielah must maneuver with care.

Many think of Solomon as a wise old man, but here Andrews focuses on him as a young and able-bodied, recently crowned king who must develop the wisdom for which he is known down through the ages as he seeks to fulfill his own destiny, to live in peace and build the promised temple.  The unfolding romance between Solomon and Arielah, a dance that first teases, then assumes a tight embrace and later becomes a tentative but sure waltz, is poignant, at times evoking ebullient smiles and at other times, disheartened sighs.

Andrews paints a vivid portrait of the life and times of the people of Israel during the early years of Solomon's reign, including a look at how their faith was a hard fought influence upon their lives.

It is both entertaining and enlightening to imagine and envision Biblical characters as flesh-and-blood people with the same passions, desires, fears, and limitations as anyone walking today.  Through skillful prose and learned insight, Andrews offers just such a glimpse to her readers, leaving behind a satisfying read and a yearning to delve more deeply into God's Word.

Fans of Biblical fiction--or any good historical romance--will enjoy Love's Sacred Song.

Love's Sacred Song

By Mesu Andrews

$14.99

Paperback

448 pages

Pub Date: March 2012

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mesu Andrews is the author of Love Amid the Ashes and is an active speaker who has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture. Harnessing her deep understanding and love for God's Word, Andrews brings the biblical world vividly alive for her readers. She lives in Washington.

Learn more about Mesu and her books at her website, http://www.mesuandrews.com, or follow her on Twitter

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins

Outlaw. Preacher. Night Hawk. He’s had many names, but he can’t escape the past.

Since Ian Vance’s beloved wife was murdered years ago, the hardened bounty hunter knows he’ll never feel love or tenderness again, so he’s made it his mission to ensure others get their justice. But when he’s charged with delivering a sharp-eyed beauty to the law, Ian can’t help but feel he may still have something left to lose.

Orphaned at twelve, Maggie Freeman has always found her way out of trouble. But now there’s a vigilante mob at her back who would like nothing more than to see her hang for a crime she didn’t commit. Maggie may have to accept help for the first time in her life . . . even if it’s from the one man standing between her and freedom.

As the past closes in, the sassy prisoner and toughened lawman may just find a passion between them that could bring blinding happiness . . . if they’ll let it.

What can I say?  Beverly Jenkins is one of my favorite authors.  She never disappoints.

I loved this story of Ian Vance, bounty hunter/U.S. marshall, and accused Maggie Freeman.  The love story progresses slowly and tenderly but once it heats up, it sizzles.

As always, a Beverly Jenkins novel comes with a history lesson, whether historical or contemporary, which is one of the things that makes her writing so special.  There is so much to be learned about Native American history--the histories of the individual tribes and how each was treated by a U.S. government hungry for their land and for control over a people they did not or could not understand.  Jenkins offers a glimpse into the history of Indians on the western plains in Night Hawk.

The story takes place shortly after the dark period of slavery in American history.  Another thing that Jenkins does with her fiction is to show African Americans, or I should say "people of color" as Vance is actually Scottish, during that period in history as other than they are too portrayed--uneducated, unskilled and ignorant. Jenkins' novels, what with her accomplished, intelligent and savvy protagonists, go a long way to dispute such notions.

Last, there's a bit of a surprise for fans of Ms. Jenkins' Blessings series.  It took me a while to pick up on it, but it was a sweet and welcome treat.  I won't spoil the surprise here, but it's always nice when authors find a way to link their series in a way that will appeal to fans.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Christian Fiction: A Born-Again Genre

Library Journal recently placed a spotlight on one of my favorite book genres, Christian fiction, in this article entitled, "Christian Fiction:  A Born-Again Genre."

If they were looking to be controversial, they score points on that front right from the start by quoting the publicist of a CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) publishing house that the "core demographic does seem to be middle-aged mothers, primarily white. We also have a large contingent of readers who homeschool their children."

They get a slight pass because of the adjective "core", but as the article thankfully goes on to point out, the diversity of Christian fiction readership is broader than that and changing.  "...today’s target CF audience has become more sophisticated and demographically diverse. There are more male and younger readers joining the fold and a steadily growing African American market. A faith-based perspective remains at the core of evangelical fiction, but today’s fans are reading these books not just because of the Christian focus. They also love this genre because it quenches their inner thirst for knowledge, spiritual guidance, and, yes, entertainment."

This notable because, as you may have noticed if you checked out the books by the authors who were on my Black Christian Fiction Authors parade this year, the vast majority of them are published by houses outside of the CBA.  Their stories typically do not satisfy CBA guidelines, often being deemed a little too gritty, too real, too drama-filled, too (fill in the blank) and not adhering to CBA standards, such as not including divorce, infidelity, smoking, dancing, or any number of a myriad of issues that real Christians face everyday.

This affects not only Black authors but any Christian fiction author whose stories push up against the accepted boundaries.  As noted by Christian fiction author Thomas Smith, "One of the hard truths whispered among editors is that Christian publishing consistently lags behind secular publishing by five to ten years. Secular publishers do a better job on the whole in publishing works that reflect the world as it is. Christian publishers do a better job showing the transforming power of Christ in the world, as should be expected, though (with a few exceptions) they regularly describe a much more sanitized world than it actually is. This in itself interjects a nonrealistic and unbelievable element to the reading.

So you'll frequently find Christian fiction authored by Black authors is published by major publishing houses such as Simon & Schuster and Hachette, by smaller houses that were established to fill the void created by CBA's rejection, such as Urban Christian (but who distributes through Kensington Books), or are simply self-published.

CBA publishers don't completely shun Christian fiction that pushes the boundaries.  Each has their own guidelines and some push the boundaries more than others.  One of the parade authors, Kim Cash Tate, is published by Thomas Nelson, the largest of all CBA publishers.  Stacy Hawkins Adams is published by Revell, and Tia McCollors by Moody's Lift Every Voice imprint.

In the end, I don't think it matters who publishes our stories as long as they get told and made available to the reading public.  How this has mattered, though, is in bookstore shelving, where books by major CBA houses might be shelved in Christian fiction whereas Christian fiction titles published outside of the CBA almost certainly are not.

It also makes a difference when it comes to promotional budgets, although here I'm not sure whether being published by a CBA house is an advantage or disadvantage for AA reading audiences.  Which budgets are bigger and which houses are best at targeting their audience remains a mystery to me.  From personal observation, however, the Black Christian fiction authors published by CBA seem to have bigger, sleeker advertising campaigns than those published outside of the CBA.  At the same time, the authors outside of the CBA tend to hustle and promote their books with equal, if not more, passion and to a broader audience.  Just my observations.

But the CBA and its fiction are definitely changing.  Hard to argue the opposite when I've read books from CBA publishers that have dealt with such taboo topics as sexual and emotional abuse, alcohol addiction, the death penalty, serial killers, suicide, and homosexuality.

Today's Christian fiction comes in every possible subgenre, even vampire lit.  Whatever your reading fancy, you will find "excellent stories with rich characters who strike a chord".  As Jennifer Leep of Revell notes, books by Christian novelists like Steven James, my favorite suspense author, "don’t contain explicit Christian messages as much as they implicitly explore spiritual questions such as the nature of good and evil in a way that’s consistent with Christian faith."

What I'm not sure about is whether all of the merger and acquisition activity over the past few years, that makes it difficult to know who is still an independent CBA publisher and who has been swallowed up by a Big 6 publishing house, is a factor in the broadening of the net.  It might not be a stretch to think that those imprints that are part of larger publishing companies -- Hachette's FaithWords, HarperCollinsPublisher's Zondervan, Simon & Schuster's Howard Books, etc.--are more open, even while largely adhering to their traditional guidelines, to a wider array of stories.

I don't know.  I'm just happy that I can find Christian fiction to satisfy all of my reading needs, from light, contemporary romances to realistic, urban dramas to dark, suspenseful thrillers.

What do you think about today's Christian fiction?  Are you aware of the increasing breadth of stories available?  What's the last Christian fiction title you read?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- March 10, 2012

Black Christian Fiction on Parade Winners:  Joy Tamsin David, GA Peach33, Sidne and Vonnie Davis.  Please contact me with your mailing address.

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(image via Pinterest)

The big publishing news of the week?

Not the iPad3 announcement.  Besides, Amazon is planning two new tablets, and Samsung believes it's Galaxy Note 10.1 puts the new iPad to shame.

It's the closing/foreclosure of Dorchester Publishing.  Not unexpected, but still a bit disconcerting.

Where do action beats go in relation to dialogue?  Should a character speak before or after the accompanying action?  What's an embellished dialogue tag?  Author Kaye Dacus offers a primer on writing dialogue.

One of my favorite authors, Lisa Samson, is hanging out a shingle and offering story development assistance for writers who are "not quite there" as far as getting published.  With 30 years of writing and publishing experience behind her, Lisa's new editorial service is called Luminary.

Scholastic launches Storia to sell digital editions of books from their own imprint as well as other childrens' books publishers.

Some funny for readers..."How to Spot A Reader"

Tired of new social media networks popping up?  Don't be.  Like free online reads?  Then maybe Wattpad, a social network connecting readers and writers, is for you.  "We're the world's largest community of readers and writers."  I don't know, but there are online reads in nearly every genre, that readers get to vote on and discuss with writers.

Writing a story, contemporary or historical, with medical information?  Check with expert and suspense novelist, Jordyn Redwood's medical blog, RedWood's Medical Edge.  An emergency room and ICU nurse, Redwood offers medically oriented posts, scene analysis and consulting from a medical perspective.

Ten Places Now Accepting Manuscripts (Thanks, RT Book Reviews!)

Authors are always concerned about promotion.  One editor, Sue Grimshaw of BBD/Loveswept, weighs in on promotion, from the publisher's perspective, and takes questions/comments from readers.

25 Things You Should Know About Word Choice from TerribleMinds (NOTE:  There's always some degree of vulgarity/profanity in his posts.  Beware.)

Using the 12 Stages of Physical Intimacy to Build Tension in Your Fiction.  Did you know there were 12 stages?  I didn't.

Family time this weekend.  Getting closer to big blessings.  Patience may be a virtue, but dag, it's hard!

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Successful Women Think Differently by Valorie Burton

"You are Capable of Far More Than You Know."

Do you trample on your own success?  Allow fears to get in your way?  Focus on your weaknesses or the things you don't have? Get mired down or give up too easily?

Today I'm posting over on my inspirational blog.  Successful Women Think Differently:  9 Habits to Make you Happier, Healthier, and More Resilient by certified personal and executive coach, Valorie Burton.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.